I could not get into this book. I kept picking it up and trying and eventually gave up. I didn't like the main character who I felt treated those around her poorly and made bad decisions.

i really liked this book. I have read other books from her. This was a pleasant book to read and I will read more from her.

Olivia Ross in aspiring screenwriter; when she crosses paths with an adorable aspiring actor at a coffee shop on February 4th, 2003, they make a deal that in ten years, they'll meet back at the same spot - her with a finished script, and him to play the leading man. However, February 4th turns out to be an auspicious day each year, and the book profiles what happens each February 4th until the big day in 2013. I thought it was really cute, and I liked how we kept seeing short snippets of how the characters evolved over the years, but I had to set aside the age Olivia was supposed to be - I think it would have made much more sense if she started as a young (and dumb / naive) 25 or so, then ended being 35. The true timeline, from age 30 to 40, made Olivia seem very immature.

Cute but felt like it was lost in a sea of too-similar rom coms. Thank you very much for the opportunity to review. Best of luck!

What more can I say… Plot Twist was just plain FUN and an utter delight to get lost in. As soon as I turned the last page I was ready to start it all over again. This story full of romance and friendship was quick, entertaining, and kept me guessing over its span of 10 years. I really loved all of the pop culture references!

Getting to come alongside a middle aged main character in her search for her soulmate felt fresh and was a nice change of pace from the typical 20/very early 30 year olds you tend to see in rom com’s. I did find that Olivia got on my nerves at times, but I also found her flaws to be real and relatable. So while I did appreciate her as a character, I think it was Olivia’s friends who struck me the most. I loved the loyalty they showed to her… everybody needs true friends like that!

With excellent writing, great characters, and a lovely story, this once checked all the boxes for me and is a romance I highly recommend!

Where to start? It’s pretty obvious after the second chapter, where this book is going to go. The idea is interesting, and there is a surprising plot twist at the end but it’s not that significant to what becomes the main issue in the story. The main character falls just a little short of interesting, which I think was key considering we are investing going through ten years of this character’s life. Also, there is a happy resolution at the end but considering this has been something years in the making, literally just 2 pages resolution at the end seems much to quick. Overall, it was an ok book. It had a lot of potential, but for me it fell a bit short.

As far as reading slumps go, the past 6 months have been on their A-game. But, honestly? I think Bethany Turner’s Plot Twist might just have broken that streak!

I was offered an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are strictly my own.

The story
February 4, 2003, promises to be a typical day for Olivia Ross—a greeting card writer whose passion project is a screenplay of her own. But after she and a handsome actor have a magical meet-cute in a coffee shop, they make a spontaneous pact: in ten years, after they’ve found the success they’re just sure they’re going to achieve, they’ll return to the coffeehouse to partner up and make a film together. The only problem? Olivia neglected to get the stranger’s name. But she doesn’t forget his face—or the date.

For the next ten years, every February 4 is marked with coincidences and ironies for Olivia. As men come and go and return to her life, she continues to write, but still wonders about the guy from the coffee shop—the nameless actor she’s almost certain has turned out to be Hamish MacDougal, now a famous A-lister and Hollywood leading man.

But a lot can happen in ten years, and while waiting for the curtain to rise on her fate, the true story of Olivia’s life is being written—and if she’s not careful, she’ll completely miss the real-life romantic comedy playing out right before her eyes.

The opinion
Honestly? As soon as I finished this book, I wanted to go back – to have never read it and start again. From the first page, the characters were complex, relatable and entertaining through and through. They were the type of people I would like to meet and hang out with. They knew how to not take themselves too seriously, they were there for each other, even as they were sometimes blinded completely by their own emotions.

The yearly check-ins allowed for such a fun way of seeing things happen – because you knewthat each year it would be that same day, there was never too stark a difference between the narration time and the narrated. Talking about narration – that was so brilliantly done! Even the tone of voice changed as the characters, and Olivia in particular, grew through those ten years.

It doesn’t happen very often that I consider a romance a five star read, but this one just blew all of my expectations right out of the window – in the best way possible! Add to that, that the plot twist was actually that: a plot twist? Well, I was sold!

The rating: 5/5
All in all, this was just such a fun read read. Sure, it dragged you through all the emotions. At the same time, though, Plot Twist left me with that perfect fulfilling, heart-warming ending. If you’re in need of the perfect relaxing read? I cannot recommend this book enough. (

All in all, this was just such a fun read read. Sure, it dragged you through all the emotions. At the same time, though, Plot Twist left me with that perfect fulfilling, heart-warming ending. If you’re in need of the perfect relaxing read? I cannot recommend this book enough.

-Saar

Plot Twist was not at all what I was expecting (based on the blurb), however I was still pleasantly surprised. There were times when the heroine lacked communication skills, self sabotaged, or just plain got on my nerves, but overall a feel good, uplifting read with Hallmark vibes. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to give my honest opinion in exchange for the advanced copy.

This was a lot of fun! I really enjoyed this one! I read in a few hours and I couldnt stop raving about it! It was so great!

This was a fun, whimsical story that I enjoyed. The book was enjoyable, as I have found many of Bethany Turner's stories to be.

This novel has an interesting concept that I've seen tackled only a few times and left me with uncertain feelings about the overall book. So this novel is essentially a one day snapshot of a decade of Olivia's life and each year that day is filled with drama and crazy coincidences and startling revelations that change everything. At times it felt a little bit too dramatic, but I suppose that's some of the charm of a romantic comedy. However, by it only being one day out of a year, the reader is sometimes left playing catch-up to everything that came during that year. At the same time, that makes it a little bit difficult to really make genuine connections with the characters because the reader isn't really experiencing all the character growth and defining moments. A huge portion of the story is Olivia trying to figure out her feeling for Liam. The problem with that in this storytelling format, though is that the budding romance and developing feelings are told, not really shown because it's all compounded into one 24 hour period. We're told he's become her best friend. We're told he has feelings for him. We're told she struggled this whole year missing him. As a reader it's more difficult to fall in love with the character because the experience is so removed. The reader is almost told what they're supposed to be feeling rather than being on the journey, so it felt a little bit harder to care. That's not to say it's without emotion. Olivia's pain and frustration are palpable, but the saga just seemed to carry on longer than necessary. Maybe this could have been done in five years rather than ten.

This novel, as a whole was enjoyable but it didn't leave any really lasting effect on me. Maybe the style was too ambitious or the story's timeline too long. It definitely had its cute moments. Some of the circumstances she got into were incredulous, but the realistic and slight cynic in me felt it was a little too much. There were, like the title suggests, some surprising plot twists, which made it a charming read, but overall maybe a little too gimmicky.

this was okay. it kinda missed the mark and i'm not sure this was completely memorable for me. i didn't super love the MCs and that made it hard to get into the book

Maybe my favorite romance book for 2021! Cute read yet compelling and relatable authors. I actually felt like the ending would go one way and I was pleasantly surprised.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. What started as a great premise felt like it dragged on for just a little too long and quite frankly, the characters weren't always very nice to each other.

What a fun, entertaining, enjoyable novel! I so loved wondering what would happen – would Olivia end up with the stranger she met at a coffee shop? Or with Liam, her ex-boyfriend? Or someone else? This novel covers a ten year period as Livi grows in her understanding of herself and her friends. The only bummer was the waiting of TEN years for Livi to figure out everything! I felt bad for her. But I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it as a crazy fun romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Holy cow. Usually I start my reviews with a plot summary, but there's no way to succinctly summarize without spoilers.

Gotta say, this book was a roller coaster. The format started slow for me, but eventually I *needed* to know what happened next. I truly did not see the plot twist coming, and that's saying a lot. I was hoping for the end result that was received, so I'm pleased. I just wish there was a one year later epilogue!

Content warning: I know some people avoid books with cheating, so please know there were two instances of cheating, both an individual kiss

Note: I received this book from Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review

Would probably rate it a 4 because the beginning drug on for me, but adding a star for actually surprising me!

Endearing, like everything Bethany Turner writes. And, most importantly, hopeful! Though this is a book, it read like watching your favorite movie. But, considering this is Turner's book, it's unsurprising.

This romcom definitely had a lot of plot twists; nevertheless, the ending was predictable.

In the beginning it was very funny and I loved the build up but the middle was a VERY slow burn.

I liked the deeper meaning of self-actualization regardless of relationship status and I really liked the sweet ending. The book is compared to Sleepless in Seattle in the actual book and while I can see that it felt a lot more like When Harry Met Sally to me and I’m not a huge fan of the movie to be honest (I know I’m sorry 😏) simply because it’s snapshots of the characters’ lives over a long span of time so you never feel very intimate with them despite having all the connection.

So if you love When Harry Met Sally you’ll love this book. If you thought it was a cute idea and romance but not too keen on the details you will provably feel the same way about the book.

I think it’s one of those books that people will have very strong feelings about on both sides of the spectrum ❤️ Regardless we can all use a little romance faith in our lives that in the end what’s meant to be will always find a way.

Thank you @netgalley and @thomasnelson for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest revenue. I received a complimentary copy of the book. Opinions expressed in the review are completely my own.

Sometimes you just need that book to pull you into the character's world and out of your own world. From the first page, I knew that I would enjoy it. The concept caught my attention because I'm simply a sucker for books that have a "the one that away" concept. This one definitely hit the spot. I like that it was clean and didn't have unnecessary cursing. It was funny and a good reminder that people aren't always as they appear.

It all starts one fateful February 4th, 2003 when greeting card writer and aspiring screenwriter Olivia Ross meets a charming accented actor in a coffee shop and they make a date for 10 years in the future. The novel then follows Olivia and her best friend Fiona through the ups and downs of their careers and relationships each year on February 4th.

A rom-com roller coaster about the importance of friendship, as this novel chronicles 10 years worth of February 4ths. It was an interesting premise to revisit the characters only on the same day every year, though after a while I will admit that it was hard to feel sorry for Olivia who frequently painted herself as a victim of her circumstances. I liked her friendships with Luke and Fiona, as well how the author found creative ways to be original within the genre. It was a well balanced mix of humor and heartbreak, I appreciated the realness of a story where everything isn't all roses.

Overall a clean rom com, filled with colorful characters and a kaleidoscope of coincidences, and misunderstandings. An entertaining read that kept me guessing till the end!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.