The story
Bella comes from a long line of soup makers. Her great grandfather started making soup in Liverpool in WW2, and the company is now a mega corporation. Her giddy, luxurious lifestyle falls apart quickly though after disastrous PR, her losing her job, finding out some terrible truths about her fiancé and best friend. Dropped from a dizzying height into working class life, Bella manages to find work in a soup kitchen. It literally changes her life!

My thoughts
There are many really funny moments in this story as Bella adjusts to normal life away from the ivory towers. There are also several moments where you need to suspend reality a bit as a reader as Bella has her naive moments. The maturity that grows in Bella as the story progresses does redeem the plot to some extent. I appreciated the enthusiasm and openness to being vegan and the level food consciousness that is shown in this story.

Bella Whittington’s caviar-and-Cristal life comes crashing down when she walks in on her fiancé and best friend tangled up in page 34 of the Kama Sutra, limbs everywhere. But her plan to dull the pain with Daddy’s credit card is totalled by the news that they’ve lost the family business. Suddenly Bella’s both single and completely broke.

This book was a lovely read which I basically read in one sitting. It took me a while to like Bella as I felt she made me cringe a little bit in some parts. I adored Dan and thought he was a great addition to the book. Susie is the perfect best-friend character that everybody wants, a little but wacky but always there when you need her.

The only thing I didn't necessarily like about this book is that it felt a little like something I'd read before. I couldn't put my finger on exactly what the book was but it definitely felt familiar but maybe it is just the trope of rich to poor, snob to normal. I did find it a bit simple sometimes but I still enjoyed the book.

I rated this book 3.5 stars and would definitely still recommend to people!

Thank you to the publisher and the author for the e-arc :)

I have tried but could not finish it. None of the characters were likeable or relatable and I get the attempt of a silly comedy with an airheaded girl having a rude awakening and then falling in love but it was just not funny. Also upon mentioning a number of tattoos I just couldn't find Dan attractive and was disappointed if he became her love interest. I didn't bother to continue and find out.

By the way, as the founders of the company her family would have been the main shareholders of the company. Even if the company was public, they still would hold a large number of shares. As billionaires, they would have a lot of equity and property invested all over the world. So losing a salary of a chairman of the board should not have made such a big dent in their lifestyle.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange of an honest review.

3.5 ⭐

Stone Broke Heiress is a riches to rags, romantic comedy that follows Bella Whittington, as she loses her job, friends and fiancé, while now having to start new, fresh and all on her own

this story definitely played off like a chick flick - think Material Girls & From Prada to Nada (obviously...) - as Bella literally goes from designer things and being spoiled to now having to learn how to use a mop properly aswell as get used to dumpster diving

i have to say that i really enjoyed the story. it was really easy to get through, some fun writing with some great characters. i also adored the friendship between Bella and Susie!
i got a bit frustrated with the heroine being so naive and all even though i knew it played the part of the story ... but she definitely matured and i ended up loving her character

it was lighthearted and entertaining that turned into a sweet ending which i found to be absolutely perfect for Bella and Dan

*𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯-𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸*

Stone Broke Heiress is the debut of Danielle Owen-Jones and it’s a great one. The whole story is so well written, it played out like a rom-com film in my mind.

Even though our FMC is a spoiled, naive young woman you can’t help but feel for her, when her whole world is turned upside down. I think it’s because being spoiled and having money is her ‘normal‘, she isn’t even smug about it, she simply doesn’t know differently. She is refreshingly oblivious to the real world, which makes for some funny laugh-out-loud situations (e.g. cleaning her flat). On several occasions I had the urge to shake my head a little, smile slightly and say ‘Oh Bella‘ out loud, because of it. Her naivety can also be seriously aggravating at times, but I guess that’s part of her charm.

There were tiny aspects I didn’t like that much, for example how the h kept her secret for so long and how she didn’t stand up and fight for herself many times throughout the book. It made me a little itchy to be honest, but I see how it was important for her character to grow.
The love story took a backseat, the personal change and growth of the h being in the focus. But every interaction with the H was as sweet as sugar and absolutely lovely.

I really don’t like soup, but I loved this book ;)

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Stone Broke Heiress by Danielle Owen-Jones is a light-hearted rom-com that will appeal to fans of Sophie Kinsella and Melissa Ferguson. The story revolves around Bella Whittington, heiress to the Whittington soup company. She's used to the high life, including glamorous fashion, jewelry, and vacations. Suddenly, her dad loses his business, and she goes from millionaire to broke. She realizes that she must get a job, so why not start working at a soup kitchen?

Here is a hilarious excerpt from Chapter 1, which is a flash-forward:

"It’s hard to believe that six months ago, I was the heiress to a multimillion-pound soup empire. Now, I’m standing in a giant bin. A Super Saver supermarket bin, to be precise. My limited edition Hunter wellies, that once graced Glastonbury’s VIP area and the idyllic fields of Cheshire for my horse riding lessons, are stained by rotting rubbish.
I’m manically rummaging around for any food worth saving. Packs of tomatoes emblazoned with today’s expiry date? They’ll do. Wonky celery sticks? Golden. A battered bag of potatoes? Jackpot.
...
Never in my life did I imagine I would be looking at a bin bag with the same desire that I usually reserved for an Hermès Birkin."

Overall, Stone Broke Heiress is an absolutely adorable rom-com that reminded me of rich-to-broke movies like Material Girls or Cowbelles. One highlight of this book is the romance that develops between Bella and a guy that I won't say too much about to avoid spoilers. I thought that the plot was well-executed, especially how Bella has to keep her former life as an heiress a secret from her new man. I did take off 1 star, because I sometimes found it hard to sympathize with Bella. I know that she's supposed to be an heiress, but some of her statements felt more tone-deaf than funny to me. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of rom-coms in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in March!

A sweet and funny story about a rich woman who in few hours loses her fiance and her family money . She is spoiled but she is not going to give everything up and she is trying to make the best of everything . Now she has to live in a tiny flat without her expenses . She is working in a soup house for the poor and addicts . Her new real friends are there with her . While she is happy now she hasn 't told them the truth about her past . What will happen when the truth is revealed ?
I received this book from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own

I was drawn to this book by its cover (what's not to love about it?!) and the summary intrigued me. Overall I'm giving this one 3.8 stars and rounding up to four. Athough Bella (the former heiress) took a while to endear herself to me, I eventually came to love her for her tenacity and personal growth. She's definitely got the Legally Blond trope going on at the start, which is what took me a hot minute.The book is a bit romcom in a Hallmark kind of way and a whole lot of learning to keep going when the chips are down. I also enjoyed the book's setting and its vernacular. Which, to be honest, always draws me in to a story. Not a bad start at all for this debut author. I'm looking forward to checking out her next book later in 2022.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

Six months ago, I was the heiress to a soup empire worth millions. Now, I’m standing in a giant dumpster.

Bella Whittington’s caviar-and-Cristal life comes crashing down when she walks in on her fiancé and best friend tangled up in page 34 of the Kama Sutra, limbs everywhere. But her plan to dull the pain with Daddy’s credit card is totalled by the news that they’ve lost the family business. Suddenly Bella’s both single and completely broke.

Shivering in her dingy new studio apartment after a traumatic incident with a homemade turmeric face mask (Hello Tangerina Jolie!), Bella realises she must pull up her Gucci socks and get a job, fast. But Dan, the gorgeous grumpy owner of the local soup kitchen, hates the Whittingtons, so a teensy lie about her surname gets Bella through the door, and set loose on the stove… Minestrone with a side of melted spatula, anyone?

When Bella’s ex returns with a golden ticket back to her glitzy old life, should she accept? Because that would mean no more box wine and frozen pizza nights with Dan. No more singalongs to the crackly kitchen radio. No more my-heart-is-as-melted-as-that-spatula moments when he finally cracks a reluctant smile… But if Dan finds out the truth about who she really is, will she even have the choice?

wow what a beautiful, heart warming, funny, cute story, absolutely loved following Arabella Whittingtons story of riches to rags, just goes to show money cant buy happiness

"everyday may not be good, but there's good in everyday"
highly recommend this book

At first, I was a little unsure about the novel but my interest was strong enough that I kept going. And I'm so glad I did. It was well-written, the contrast of Arabella's two lives and the vivid descriptions. I loved the romance, I loved the friendships. I didn't want it to end!

I wanted to love this one but I found the heroine to be an unlikeable character. I know that she’s supposed to start out that way. But as the story went on I still didn’t warm up to her.

This was an okay read. Rich spoiled heiress loses everything. Finds a new place, new job, her conscious. Finds love. Nothing ground breaking the writing was okay not bad but also didn’t really grab my attention

Instead of a rags to riches story, we get a riches to rags one, and a lovely one at that. It was such honest writing that it felt like it was happening to a friend, and I found it really touching.

It’s a light, happily-ever-after, rom-com type book, but it isn’t frivolous; it has real heart and a real message without being patronising and forceful.

I love making soup from scratch, and I will admit I have stolen a number of the flavour combinations mentioned in this book as they just sound so yummy.

I did have my reservations to begin with, as I thought it might be a bit over the top and unrealistic, but apart from one or two larger than life characters, it felt very natural. And Bella, who I thought would be irritating and something of a caricature, was a really nice character, even in her snobby chapters, I really warmed to her and the cast of supporting characters.

There’s no real big twists or surprises with this story, but that works perfectly for me. It’s very sweet and enjoyable, and leaves you with a big smile and just full of joy. It’s surprising that this is Danielle’s debut novel as it does feel very accomplished; I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for her name in the future.

3.5 stars

This review is based on an ARC of Stone Broke Heiress which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Bookouture).


Madeleine Wickham must have a new pseudonym -- Danielle Owen-Jones! Stone Broke Heiress is a perfectly funny, fluffy, romantic, and right proper British chick-lit novel. The story is enveloping, vibrant, and oh-so-relatable (er, besides the heiress bit).

Chick-lit, romance, etc. are never my go-to genres, but I fell in love with Owen-Jones's story and its' cast of characters. I finished this book in a day and a half, putting down another book to do so -- irresistable!

Admittedly the plot is a wee bit predictable. In terms of mindless entertainment, however, I was beyond satisfied.

I hope that Danielle Owen-Jones has more in store. You know I'll be first in line to read her sophomore novel! Sophie Kinsella fans, look out now!

P.S. Don't think I didn't notice the artsy, free-spirit best friend named Suze.

This book has big Hallmark Christmas movie energy. It’s comforting, makes you laugh, and leaves with you with a warm fuzzy happy feeling at the end. I’d classify it as a PG romantic comedy. It’s appropriate for everyone from your sister to your grandmother and you’re sure to find yourself giggling and smiling throughout.

I received a review copy of Stone Broke Heiress through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ❤️
This was an amazing gem of a book. I enjoyed it from start to finish and kept laughing out loud throughout the entire thing. 😍😁 I truly recommend reading this, it’s just a pure joy.
Also many plus points for the Killing Eve and Regé Jean Page references. 🥰
Danielle became my immediate read from now on and I can’t wait what else she’ll come up with. 😍

What happens when Bella’s world comes crashing down? She feels like she’s lost everything. Little does she know she’s about to gain a whole lot more….

This is such a cute, feel good story! It had me laughing and smiling a lot! A riches to rags story and a bumpy journey to self discovery. Bella is such a lovable character even though you might question her choices at times. I loved following along with her as she realizes what’s truly important in life and that things don’t always go the way you planned. If you like a light hearted happily ever after story, you will really enjoy this book too!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced reader copy.

Fell in love with Bella’s character. Bella does a lot of personal growth in the story which I enjoyed reading about. I knew it would be a delightful tale which it was I throughly enjoyed the characters and the premise and can highly recommend this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Bookouture and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Bella’s cute, charming and likable. I grew to enjoy her and her story more as I read. I’d read more about her in the future.

A fun and light read, Bella was a character that you could engage with and I would welcome more books featuring her as it’s central character