Member Reviews

I loved the Summer Job, so was really looking forward to Lizzy Dent's next book. The Setup didn't disappoint. There was the same smouldering tension between the main character and love interest, a wonderfully directionless main character and the same gentle humour throughout.

There were times when I wanted to shake Mara because her obsession with star signs and fate was getting really annoying, but I guess that is the whole point of the character arc. But I didn't find myself rooting for her the whole way through. Always love a book with a make-over though! It didn't quite sit right that Ash couldn't just be a plasterer. He had to have an Oxford backstory and astronaut aspirations. Maybe I'm overthinking it.

Love the B-plot of two of Mara's colleagues embarking on their own romance in the background. Now that I was invested in!

Overall, a good read and plenty to keep me hooked. I'll definitely be buying Dent's next one.

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I absolutely loved everything about this fun romance story - a beautiful portrayal of finding love in places you didn’t expect it, with a stunning friendship aspect woven in. There are so many layers to this expertly crafted tale and I couldn’t recommend it more!

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Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Overall I enjoyed parts of this book, but it fell a bit flat. I was bored by the end. The romance didn’t really feel plausible and I didn’t really like the main character. That being said, I know people who would love this book. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.

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Lizzy’s book The Summer Job was one of my favourite books of 2021 so I was thrilled to get a copy of this one.

I definitely preferred her first book, it felt more me, I identified with it more and it was set in Scotland which is always a bonus for me. But this was still a nice book.

I felt it was a little slow to begin with; it did start to pick up but you have to stick with it.

I’m not a big astrology/horoscope believer so that was difficult to get my head round, it didn’t feel tangible enough to feel truthful and it all felt a bit childish.

I didn’t particularly like the main character Mara or her plan to get Joe to fall in love with her. She was quite irritating, very childish and naive and at times, quite disturbingly obsessive. I didn’t like many of the characters if I’m honest, except for Ash (although his storyline is a little predictable), he was the only well rounded and personable character for me.

I really like Lizzy’s writing and story ideas and I will definitely be reading her future releases but sadly this one didn’t hit the same heights as her last. It’s fun and cute but it’s missing that extra spark to make it leep off the page.

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DNF at 51% felt too much like The Lido book That I’ve read before and I just didn’t like how chaotic the main character is

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The Setup by Lizzy Dent

Mara has a brief encounter with Josef, a handsome cellist, in Budapest and is convinced that he is her destiny. While she waits for him to come to visit her in Broadgate, Kent in a few weeks time, she embarks on Operation Mara to improve herself. Meanwhile her new housemate Ash and friends at the council-run lido where she works come together to save the lido from closure and help Mara learn to trust her own instincts instead of relying on horoscopes and fate.

Lizzy Dent does it again! Fabulous book, wonderful characters and a feelgood ending. Couldn't put it down and raced through the pages urging Mara to realise.... A book with a huge heart and some really important messages about family, friends, community and broken dreams. And funny too.... the quirky characters, Jackie the hairdresser and OMG Gerry as a life model!!! So much more I loved about this book - Ash, film references, description of Vienna, Ash....! Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

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I loved The Summer Job, so was really excited for The Setup. I did enjoy it, but I have to say I found Mara a really irritating character (maybe that was the point??). It was a satisfying ending, but it didn't have the same zestiness that The Summer Job had and I just wasn't rooting as hard for any of the characters (apart from Samira).

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I really enjoyed Lizzy Dent's previous book, 'The Summer Job', so I was eager to read this one. Another feel good romcom which would be perfect to read by the pool on a sun lounger!

Mara is a bookeeper at her local community lido and is heavily into astrology. Her best friend Charlie is now married with a child, so they don't see as much of each other as they used to. Mara really misses Charlie as she was her person. They had been friends since childhood and then shared a flat together.

Mara needs a new flatmate and thinks she has found an ideal one called Ashley. Only thing is, she thought Ash was a 'she' but it turns out to be a 'he'. 😂

Mara goes on holiday to Hungary where she visits a fortune teller who tells her she will meet her love match imminently! The Fortune Teller unexpectedly goes into labour and asks Mara to lock up for her.

Just as Mara is leaving, a handsome man called Josef walks in to have his fortune told so Mara pretends to be the fortune teller.  She tells him she will meet someone called Mara in August in a local pub in England. 🤣

Mara sets out to make a few changes in her life before August. New hairstyle, make up, clothes etc.  The new Mara will soon be ready to meet the man of her dreams! 

There are some fabulous characters  in this book and I felt totally immersed in the friendships and relationships. Clearly Mara has struggled through life but will astrology and destiny play a huge part when meeting her ideal man?

Written in chapters from Mara's point of view.

Really enjoyed this. Read in one sitting. It made me smile. It made me laugh. Just what I needed today.  Thank you Lizzie. 😊

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC too.

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A silly start led to a great read - I, like others, wasn't sure I'd finish this book but am so glad did. It's a lovely story of believing in yourself, friendship and love - so bear with it, it's worth it!

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Can love be predestined or can love be staring Mara straight in the face and will she realise it? Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

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I almost gave up on this book, as I found the beginning just too daft for words! I actually came on to write that I wouldn’t be reviewing it but I read a few reviews first and several said they too had almost given up but were glad they didn’t, so I kept going and they were right, it turned into a superb read!!

The gist of the book is Mara, the main character, who is a keen astrology believer has her fortune read in Budapest and is told she will meet ‘the one’ imminently but not before she ‘fixes’ some aspects of her life. She’s a likeable, if at times frustrating character who is incapable of making a decision for herself without consulting her astrology predictions on various web sites.

The most interesting part of the book is the work she does on herself to prepare herself for meeting ‘the one’. She believes she has already met him briefly in Budapest while pretending to be a fortune teller (the part I found too silly) and has told him where to meet his ‘one’ - in her home town at the end of the summer.

It’s a perfect holiday read and I would have given five stars if it had had a more realistic start@

My thanks go to Lizzy Dent, the author, the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book. However, this review is both entirely voluntary and my honest opinion.

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Unfortunately I really didn't get on with this. I think it may just be the wrong genre/a bit of a reading slump and I feel like I'll eventually re-read it, but I had to put it down and not finish it because I couldn't push past where I got stuck.

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This lovely romcom combines the elements of astrology and romance, which to me is the perfect combo! I loved the main character and her quest to find her true love.

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After reading and loving The Summer Job I was so excited to read Lizzy Dent's new novel, and I was not disappointed.

Set in Broadgate we follow Mara as she navigates her life via horoscopes. I found this plot point intriguing and fun and not something I have read before.

I loved all of the characters in this book, they felt like people you would bump into in a small seaside town. Seeing the characters develop and change over the course of the book was so fun and I loved the way the book ended.

A definite addition to my auto-buy author list.

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We are introduced to Mara as she visits a fortune teller while on holiday who tells her she will shortly meet the one. Chaos ensues as the fortune teller goes into labour and Mara ends up impersonating her and meeting her destiny, Josef, an Austrian Cellist.

With three months until Josef is in England (specifically Broadgate if he follows the fortune tellers advice) Mara sets out to sort out her life ready to meet her destiny.

This was an enjoyable easy read although it took me a long while to warm to Mara as a character. I would definitely recommend reading this one on a sun lounger with a cocktail in your hand!

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A warm and fuzzy read about destiny and fate, and how what you really need can actually be right under your nose!

I really rooted for Mara, who has lost her way in life after a rough experience at university. Her transformation from isolated, self-conscious, doomsayer to a confident, go getter with friends she can rely on is really heartwarming. I often found my face breaking into a grin as I read more about her new attitude to life.

Ash is the perfect flatmate who encourages Mara as she makes these life changes, and I was pretty much screaming at her to wake up and smell the coffee instead of mooning over the man she thinks is her future destiny.

I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review and for putting a big smile on my face as I read.

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unfortunately not for me at this time. I really struggled with the main character at the start so didn't get as far as finishing it at this time

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This was a fun read, although it did frustrate me a little at first - I mean seriously, how many of us are that lucky with finding hot men. And Mara started off as so selfish and spoilt, but to give credit, she did grow on me.
I enjoyed this for the most part and will be recommending.

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Another cute romcom from Lizzy Dent. There's a great cast of characters here, everyone at the Lido, throughout Broadgate and of course Ash and Mara. Ash is definite book boyfriend material.
The relationship between Mara and her family needed the healing that the ending gave it, I'm glad that closure happened. Charlie and Mara's friendship is one I could clearly resonate with. When I had my son I felt like friends couldn't or wouldn't want to be around me with my chat about babies and that they were moving on without me. I'm glad they could be open and honest to resolve things.
If love another visit to this story and see how Lynn gets on as councilwoman, how the plans to save the Lido continue and if Ryan and Samira can see what's in front of their faces!

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Thirty-one-year-old Mara Williams lives an average life, and something happened in her past makes herself not trust her own instincts. She lives her life by planning her life through horoscopes and old movies that she has watched. She doesn’t have many friends only Clare. She is really looking forward to the weekend away with her, but something happens to Clare that she cancels at the last minute. So, Mara decides to go to the beautiful city of Budapest she meets a pregnant fortune teller who tells her that she is going to meet her love of her life eminently. Suddenly the fortune teller goes into labour and asks Mara to lock up. But while she is doing it and playing dress up, a young handsome man comes in called Josef walks in and instead of owning up that she is not the teller she gives him a reading to direct him to Broadgate where she lives and the end of the summer and pretend to meet him for the first time.
When she gets home, she goes on a journey of self-discovery. To change herself for the better and what she thinks the kind of woman Josef will go for. Planning it out as she goes along through horoscopes and the stars.
Thank you, Penguin Viking, for a copy of ‘The Setup’. I enjoyed the authors previous novel so I was intrigued to see how this will pan out. I enjoyed most of this story and the characters except I thought Mara was a bit immature for her years and quite selfish especially towards Alex who I thought was such a sweetie. I also find this to be a bit predictable in the early stages of the story. But saying that I think it is still worth the read. 3.5 stars from me.

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