I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately I went in with my expectations too high and I was disappointed.

What I liked:
- The writing style. It was very comfortable, funny, relatable and easy to read, which is always a bonus.
- The first couple of chapters were exactly what I expected

What I didn't like:
- The middle of the story fell flat for me, causing me to skim read more than actually read. I just didn't really care about the characters that much to be fully invested.
- The romance, which I expected to be happening between the actor and the MC, felt a little chaotic. With the ending, I can totally see where the author was headed, but as I was rooting more for Liam to end up with Olivia instead of the actor, it felt a little off. (Again, now knowing the ending, it all makes perfect sense)
- I found some bits of the story a little unbelievable and occasionally I had to stop reading to look up the extensive pop culture references made.
- I felt like the characters go through very little growth in the ten years that passed in this book. I'd have expected them to change, or at least mature a little more, but they felt the same in the first chapter as they did in the last

Overall:
Again, I went in with my expectations too high. There are certainly things about this book that I very much enjoyed, but when I put them against the things I didn't enjoy so much, the cons outweigh the pros. It's an enjoyable read, but it wasn't for me. If you enjoy stories about people getting second chances and pining romances, this is definitely a book for you.

I think this was my first Christian fiction title, and I was a little hesitant to read. It really didn't have any faith topic around it, but was a clean read.

I was drown to the plot, and thought it was a refreshing idea for a romance. I really had a good time. It was funny, and I loved the build up of the relationship between Olivia and Liam.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it!

My thoughts are as follows:
Enjoyments:
The book had me laughing out loud! I liked the connection between Olivia and Liam and though only given in small glances were built on more of a relationship with each other and not just one moment. I enjoyed the value of Fiona and Olivia's friendship. I liked that the characters were in their 30s. There was a plot twist that I enjoyed at the end.

Meh:
While originally I liked the idea of checking in with her every year for 10 years after awhile it felt like things were drawn out too long without any real closure or involvement in each other's lives. There were a lot of scenes in the book that just lasted too long. So I did some skimming to get through them.

Clarification:
Although published under Christian fiction is has no element of faith. It is simply a clean read. I do not think this is a negative thing however I know that for some the genre of Christian fiction has certain expectations so I'm mentioning it.

I was given an ARC copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

On February 4th, 2003 Olivia Ross, aspiring screenwriter, has a meet-cute worthy conversation in a random LA coffeeshop with an aspiring actor. They agree to meet back at the coffeeshop in 10 years, neither knowing the other’s name or any other identifying details. This is The Moment - the one that changes Olivia’s life and sets in motion the entire novel. In a Same Time Next Year-esque fashion, readers receive a glimpse into Livi’s life every February 4th, a day that sees her to different apartments, cities, relationships, and emotions as she gets closer and closer to the final February 4th, and the man and relationship that are her Happy Ever After.

Plot Twist reads like an old friend. If you want to escape back to the 2000 aughts, this is definitely a book for you. It has a bit of a feel like He’s Just Not That Into You, Love Actually, Friends - those sitcoms and romcoms that characterized the 2000-2010 era. Yet this 2000s nostalgia also works against the novel. Although the Great Recession ostensibly occurred during the 2003-2013 timeline, there is no mention in the novel. Indeed, the characters seem to live in a never-ending financial bubble where a greeting card writer (Olivia) can afford a stream of LA apartments with her best friend. Nostalgia for this period will also be a miss with readers near my age who remember the 2000s less for the LA glamour and more for Scene kids, MySpace, Silly Bandz, Twilight, and Club Penguin. A different nostalgia entirely.

Nonetheless, this sweet rom-com is a perfect choice for a light-hearted weekend read for all those who miss the 2000s, those who love rom-coms, and readers of sweet romances.

This is such a gripping, surprising story! I docked one star because it's more WF than it is romance.

On February 4th, 2003, Olivia has a day out of the ordinary. She meets a struggling actor at a coffee shop, they have a connection, and agree to meet at the same place in 10 years.
The story then follows Olivia and her closest friends on the same day each year until 1o years later.

Despite the strong romantic line through the story, it's more about Olivia and her growth with those people she loves the most. At times, she was very frustrating and infuriating. Fiona, her best friend, is equally stubborn and disappointing. Poor Liam, that's all I have to say.

The ending was actually surprising, especially after the build up. The writing is very engaging and I read it in one sitting.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Plot Twist is a FUN, fast-paced book that I flew through. I was disappointed when I realized that it was coming to an end, despite the truly satisfying end it was!

Loved following Olivia's story for 10 years time; each day was the perfect length without becoming "Groundhog Day"-ish. Also loved that the story ends with her at the age of 40, because I felt like she had come into her own and knew what she wanted.

Perfect 1-day read with enough character development to really *love* and cheer for them by the end. Definitely recommend!

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

This is the cute romance between an aspiring screenwriter and an actor who meet at a coffee shop and agree to meet again in 10 years.

The chapters are organized by the meeting date throughout the 10 years, which helps develop the characters and keep the story moving.

Overall, I enjoyed this fun read.

Plot Twist takes place over the course of 10 years, following a chance encounter in a coffee shop between an aspiring screenplay writer and a handsome and charismatic struggling actor. Olivia, our narrator, feels a connection with this stranger and they agree to meet again - same date, same place - ten years later, once they have both found success.

Based on the blurb, I was expecting to see the actor play a much bigger role in the novel itself, but actually the plot focuses on Olivia, her relationships with her best friends Fiona and Liam, and the way in which her career develops (or, occasionally, doesn't) over the decade. As a result, we see how the characters change and evolve over time in a series of snapshots, each set on February 4th. I enjoyed this narrative structure, even if it was occasionally frustrating to see the same issues and problems arise again and again over the 10 years.

For me personally, the highlights of the novel were the first and last chapters. I enjoyed the interaction between Olivia and her mystery actor: the dialogue of their first meeting is entertaining and realistic, and the final scenes (although not quite what I expected) were sweet and touching and did a lot to redeem some of the earlier moments where I couldn't motivate myself to be particularly interested in what was happening.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel, although found myself skipping through the final third in order to reach the resolution. Olivia and Fiona are likable enough that I felt invested in their happiness, but both still had enough flaws and moments of poor judgement that they were believable characters. Despite this, I would not view them as characters with whom I developed a deep connection with; I certainly have not thought about them much since I finished the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC copy in return for an honest review.

Wow! I flew through this book. I loved it so much. What an incredible slow-burn, decade-spanning journey. I was so invested in this storyline I couldn’t put this book down! Romance, intrigue, fate, destiny, and of course...an epic plot twist. I can’t recommend this enjoyable book enough. What a fantastic read! Five incredible stars!!!!! I loved every character and plot point. The world needs more books like this.

2.5 stars

This book had the coolest idea for a plot but a terrible execution.
This story dragged so much that at 40% I was bored, annoyed and stopped caring about any of our main characters plots/lives.
I wanted to enjoy this but the juvenile way Fiona and Sophia(? I already forgot her name) started acting just put me off the story.
I have to admit the first few chapters were fun to read but after that I feel it became less entertaining.
Such a shame because it sounded amazing.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Plot Twist
✏️ Bethany Turner
Pub date: June 14, 2021

💭 💭 February 4, 2003- Olivia, while attempting to write her own screenplay has a chance meeting with an aspiring actor at a coffee shop! They immediately share sparks and a connection. They vow in 10 years to meet back and to collaborate together in a movie!

Each chapter is a new year February 4th and each Feb. 4th brings chance meetings and coincidences that all point back to the initial mystery man. Olivia and her close friends are almost positive it’s a meet cute and there is an obvious love story.

What I loved about this rom-com is that it came with all the things that we love about rom-coms but in the meantime, Olivia grows and find a lot about herself! It’s not your typical #love story but a positive discovery of #selflove 💕

#netgalley #plottwistbook #plottwist #bethanyturner #mnreader #minnesotareader #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #selflovestory

Thank you NetGalley for the e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the book, really. It got me out of a reading slump (of sorts) and it was so fun and feisty. We follow Olivia (the protagonist) through one single day over several years of her life and it's a cool concept until you realize that it's bananas that nothing significant happens through the rest of the year. The yearning and tension in the book is HIGH but it doesn't resolve itself entirely satisfactorily (to my taste). And yet.. the book has significant charms and a very clueless set of protagonists and Fiona and Olivia's friendship is just so cute. Not to mention the summary brushing aside of George Clooney several times in a way 2000s rom-coms would NEVER. Delightful.

I read it in almost one sitting and if you need a light, low stakes pick-me-up you don't need to go further than Plot Twist.

It's the rom-com meet-cute that Nora Ephron would be jealous she didn't think of first! Olivia considers herself the Joan Cusack of Hollywood--never the leading lady, the girl who has all of the near misses, and is resolved to let the real leading ladies get their George Clooneys. However, in a twist of fate (or plot) Fiona is the leading lady of her own rom-com...she just doesn't know it. Author Bethany Turner excels in her ability to deliver quick-witted lines, tension-filled romance, and memorable characters who bring this funny story to life. Plot Twist is an sweet, clean, and delightful read that I think all rom-com fans are going to enjoy!

**I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.**

I was pretty excited about this book and thought it had a lot of potential! Pros - I really enjoyed the concept, the book itself is pretty light and I thought the friendship really shined. Cons - the book is very dialogue heavy, the characters were hard to relate to, the book was too long in certain parts, and certain characters were not fleshed out well enough for the last quarter of the book to make any sense. The characters were also really immature and had so much tension for being in their 30s.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to the author, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and NetGalley for providing a copy to review.

Absolutely LOVED this book! It reminded me of my guilty-pleasure Hallmark movies - as it should considering main character, Olivia, is a greeting card writer for the Heartlite company. It was more than a rom-com. It was uplifting and overall feel-good read that showed us ups and downs of friendships, relationships, and this crazy thing called life with splashes of pop culture and celebrities, Literally felt all the feels and was crying by the end because I was rooting for Olivia and her happiness! It was an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end, and I am NEEDING more!
For sure an anticipated read in June 2021. I look forward to purchasing a physical copy of this book.

I've enjoyed Bethany Turner's previous romantic comedies so I was looking forward to Plot Twist as well. The story got off to a good start and had me laughing at the humor that is pure Bethany. I was enjoying the story through to chapter four, especially with these honest declarations of truth,
,
*"You deserve someone whose love for you causes them to be a person worthy of you."
*"And then the tricky thing is going to be convincing you that you're worthy of them."
*"When you find someone who loves you enough to be good enough for you...I think that's the one you shouldn't let go."

I could have been happy and stopped reading at this point, because this guy was a keeper. What comes next is the real plot twist. Chapter after chapter of reliving the same day over and over for TEN years. Olivia herself says she is just over it one year and so tired of it all another year.

I couldn't relate to either of Olivia or Fiona's characters. As best friends they seemed to be really dysfunctional and acted more like teenagers than mature 30-40 year old women. Even nearing the end of the story Olivia makes the comment, "Turns out Fiona Mitchell and I were actually the loves of each other's lives." Weird!
In addition, Olivia's suffers from ongoing issues of depression and unworthiness. In her own words, "I thought back over my life, allowing myself to get caught up in the melancholy. It wasn't just the year that had been wasted. My entire life has amounted to absolutely nothing." This girl needs counseling!

Finally, when readers get somewhat close to some happiness and romantic payoff, Olivia tells her guy he's her favorite person to which he smirks and says, "No, I'm not." Olivia then says, "No, you're not. But I promise you you're a close second.." More weirdness, and romantic? Not a bit. Why, why, why does he even love her and put up with her wishy-washiness for more than ten years.? As much as I like the guy, he doesn't value himself the way he tells Olivia to value herself.

2.5 stars rounded up. My thanks to Thomas Nelson, via Netgalley for providing a copy of Plot Twist for review. All thoughts and opinions are my very own.

2.5 starts

So much potential but too dragged out.

February 4, 2003, aspiring screenwriter Olivia is rescued from unwelcome advances in a coffee shop by a handsome aspiring actor. What is that accent? Irish? Scottish?. Anyhow, they jokingly agree to meet 10 years later in the same place. She'll bring her finished screenplay. He'll bring an armful of Academy Awards. Every year in between, Olivia is reminded of the "deadline". Sure, she goes on with her life, but is always cognizant of the date looming. In the meanwhile, she breaks up with her boyfriend because he's not funny enough, has her heart broken, lives in Italy for a while, and moves with her best friend Fiona to a succession of apartments. Forty years old and they still are roomies. There is just a lot going on, too many supporting characters, and the book drags. It had some cute moments, a few LOL moments, but all in all, it was just long.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson books for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

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

I wanted to enjoy this book so much - it sounded like the perfect light read. Instead, however, I got one of the most frustrating novels I've ever read.

I thoroughly disliked the characterisation. Every character feels like a stereotype and no one has any depth to them. Fiona has the most unrealistic life story ever, which, even in the context of a light-hearted book, annoyed the hell out of me, Liam's only character trait is that he's a good guy and Olivia... where do I start? Although she keeps mentioning how she's a side character (yes, it is as cringey as it sounds), the character is beyond self-absorbed. So many heartfelt moments in this book were ruined by her narcissism and the need to pity herself. She's the kind of person who, if you told them you only had 4 hours of sleep, tell you that their goldfish died and they haven't slept a minute.

This book was a mess and I was left grieving the potential it had. I loved the concept and I feel like it could have been executed so much better than the dragged-out decade that brushed over major life events without any depth while failing to show any real character development.

I was so excited for this book. Screen writer and actor? Yeah sign me up! Unfortunately, this book did not meet my expectations and was one of the most boring books I've ever read. The book is categorised and marketed as a romance but there wasn't any romance. I was rooting for the Olivia and Liam - not Olivia and Hamish (the love interest).

The book was spanned across 10 years and it was just about Olivia and Fiona's problems. I was so uninterested and uninvested in any of the characters. I didn't care about any of them or if Olivia and Hamish got their happy ending or not.

There isn't much for me to say further because I skimmed most of the book...

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review

A unique magic exists in certain books where a reader easily suspends disbelief, because the characters and storyline are so endearing that we must cheer the story forward. Bethany Turner conjured that magic with her novel Plot Twist. The story unfolds over the course of a decade only showing February 4th’s events each time. While the tone of Turner’s novel was vastly different from David Nichols’ One Day, the narrative style was similar and I appreciated the skip in timelines.

Plot Twist focuses on Olivia’s relationships with her two best friends Fiona and Liam, while also showing her constant search for success and love. I easily connected with the friendship highs and lows between Fi and Livi. Additionally, I adored how each character evolved as the story progressed. At the risk of giving too much away, I will merely say I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who loves a heartwarming plot. My only warning is that once I picked it up, I struggled to put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.