i rather enjoyed reading this! it was easy, lighthearted, quirky and fun. but also tackled topics so many people can relate to. as well as having such multi dimensional characters that felt so incredibly real. samira is a goddess and i loved her character so very much!

mara was really relatable i feel, and her struggles with adulthood and the weird time between finishing your degree and finding your career was very well done. im not quite there yet but i already felt like i could feel her struggles with friendship, family expectations and the pressure you put on yourself.

it’s funny because so much of this book are things that happen in my own life. the whole backdrop being kent made me laugh because being from there the shoutouts to the little locations made me extremely happy. also the whole astrology element? i feel like i lived a lot of my life relying on astrology in such a similar way to mara! and it was very endearing to read about.

but i must say, the star of the show though absolutely was ash. perhaps maybe the most kindhearted book boy i’ve ever come across in my life? he was just so insanely lovely and gentle and i really very much would like my own ash asap. i loved his character exploration and i loved how he helped mara understand herself a little better. and of course, i am so glad it was him.

a huge thank you to netgalley and the publisher of this for giving me the opportunity to give this a read!!

An absolute pleasure to read - I loved the fun writing style and the attention to detail in the description of the lido, the characters and the setting. The characters are brought to life perfectly and Mara is extremely relatable.
The Kent beach setting in Summer is beautiful, particularly as I spent many days as a kid on the beaches of Margate/Ramsgate/Broadstairs!
This is a unique and quirky book - an ideal summer escapist read. Not to be missed.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really like this author her books are full of cheer and make me laugh. Great storyline and great characters. Would recommend

I seem to be picking some cracking books at the moment and this one did not disappoint at all. Another fabulous novel that keeps you up at night thinking just one more chapter……

A great read, one I was sad to finish.
Fun and fast paced with an intriguing plot that kept me guessing.

I think you have to like Mara to get the most out of this book and I just didn’t. She came across as superficial, pathetic immature and desperate.
Her dressing up as a clairvoyant and providing the handsome strange so many exact details was unbelievable and a bit too far fetched.
But I enjoyed the supporting cast of coworkers she had and her flatmate and other man. The writing style and pace of this book kept me going and I would definitely try another book from Lizzy Dent but Mara ruined this one for me

This book was a lovely light read and I enjoyed it so much, I read it in one sitting and it was laugh out loud…

I worry about sequels of films or the second book from an author. So I read this with a little trepidation. I loved The Summer Job - could this match up?

It ABSOLUTELY DOES!

I really enjoyed the constant push and pull of Mara’s reliance on astrology due to a deep seated lack of belief in herself and her instincts. There’s always a time in our lives when we’re looking for some certainty and Mara is the embodiment of someone searching outside of herself for answers. I also loved the fact that she’s a film buff and I swear we like so many of the same movies. The way that all of these movies are woven into the story is so beautiful and engaging, particularly when they’re sending her messages she doesn’t see. But equally, they are providing her with a fantasy of what love should look like and she’s on the verge of losing something all too real because of it.

Add to this a wonderfully poignant portrait of a friendship going through a change because both parties are at different stages of their lives and the warm, loving, close-knit community of Broadgate and this book is a gem.

Lizzy Dent is now an auto-buy author for me. Thank you so much to Penguin for my ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced read of this book.
I loved the start and found it dragged a bit for a few chapters but then really picked up pace and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The main character Mara is great and although I felt the ending was obvious, I enjoyed the story development. I felt her job at the lido should’ve taken centre stage nearer the beginning of the book as I really enjoyed this part of the story. I would happily recommend this as a great beach read xx

Almost aborted but stuck with it and was won over by its charm by the end. Mara is an incurable romantic. She thinks finding love has to be some cosmic, Hollywood-fated, event and closes herself off to any other opportunity. Predictably her life is influenced by one traumatic event and directed by horoscopes ever since. A fortune teller tells her she is about to meet the one, which she takes extremely literally, and falls head over heels with the next man she sees. The only good thing about the fortune tellers prophecy is that she needs to fix something. And in the process of fixing her life, she discovers friends, talents and a mission - to save the lido. And maybe even more...

I could have done without the over-the-top, blind swooning for someone she has never met, which was frustrating and unrealistic and normally only occurs in teenagers. I was rolling my eyes and about to move onto the next book. when the book started to turn around. Mara began focusing more on others and let some new people into her life. There were some charming and entertaining, supportive characters, all trying to help her see the light. The story evolved and Mara evolved well and in the end, warts and all, Mara won me over. Overall, heartwarming and well written.

It won me over in the end with its charm and warm realistic love story.

I found getting into this story slightly slow going initially. Although Mara’s plan is made clear from the outset, while she’s in Prague, when she gets home there’s lots of hand wringing until she starts to pull her plan together.
As the story gathers pace you find yourself drawn into Broadgate, the lido, the community as a whole, and of course her developing friendships. I thought Mara’s character was cleverly created- she had more depth than your average romcom leading lady and once you got down to understanding her using star signs as a crutch I felt sad for her and how she had been scared to live her life properly. I was rooting for all of Broadgate by the end, and you will be too!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy in return for an honest review.
The Setup is a cute romcom/coming of age kind of book which is based around 31 year old Mara who is somewhat unhappy with her life and after visiting a fortune teller makes a series of changes to improve her life, relationships and confidence. Overall I enjoyed the development of Mara’s character and the honesty described in her struggles and changes in the relationships of her life. The new relationships she made and efforts to do so were likeable and relatable. Initially I found the story slow to pick up and at points Mara’s pov felt a bit repetitive but overall it was an enjoyable read!

Thanks so much to Viking for letting me read The Setup in advance! Last year, I read Lizzy Dent's first book, The Summer Job, and while I found the premise bizarre, I really liked her writing, the characters (there was an amazing book boyfriend) and particularly the setting, a hotel in the Highlands. She became one of the few rom-com writers I'm willing to return to, so obviously I was excited to read The Setup.

Mara is thirty-one and at a bit of a crossroads when she goes to Budapest, where she accidentally ends up posing as a fortune teller and telling a random man she really fancies that she is his destiny. The premise is, once again, ludicrous but this was actually barely part of the book: the story was much more focused on friendship and belated coming-of-age and finding a new community. Normally I dislike books where protagonists move to smaller towns and find a sense of solace – partly because I'm a city person through and through, partly because these books are usually cliché and twee and massively stereotyping – but I actually really liked this element of The Setup! Mara lives in Broadgate, a fictional Kentish seaside town that sounds absolutely dreamy (that lido!) and had me craving to go to Margate or Whitstable this summer. The evocation of the town and the realistic cast of characters (especially her new work bestie Samira) were a real highlight for me – even more so than the love story – and I sped through this book in half a day. This is a rom-com with a personality, and those are always the best; I'd recommend for a quick, enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read "The Setup". I enjoyed this book, and did find myself smiling at some of the mishaps and conversations that were relayed. It isn't a story that you have to take too seriously, although we all possibly know people who overthink things, and struggle to make a decision. Lizzy Dent manages to make all of the characters extremely relatable, and I loved the idea of using the Lido as a base for Mara's transformation, and her work colleagues were wonderful. There's a great deal of thought and attention to each person's character, and I thoroughly enjoyed how Mara's relationships all changed, or were challenged, even with the cellist who didn't realise he was in a relationship.
A feel good book, perfect for holidays, long journeys or just when you do not want to have to think too hard, but need an escape with a nice group of people.

Why can authors not write likeable heroines? I found Mara deeply annoying, obsessed with horoscopes and, actually, obsessive about most things.

Sorry, but this book was both predictable (she falls in love with the man she didn't expect to fall in love with), and unbelievable (he - attractive, nice, well-balanced - falls in love with her despite the fact she is so irritating and irrational).

I don't like to be too negative about books, as I admire anyone for managing to write one, but this really missed the mark for me.

Straight away the main character is what I would call ‘ditsy’ which would translate to being something like an airhead. She believes in fortune tellers even though she is telling them the information they need to feed off to give you the reading you want. Uhm, have you not seen the film Nightmare Alley? It basically describes how they can suss you out. The fact is, is that the main character gave the fortune teller information with her naivety in how she reacted. Then she goes ahead and pretends to be the fortune teller when a “tall man” walks in and she tells him where to meet this woman she’s describing which is actually herself. Becomes obsessed with him and tells everyone at work when she returns from her travels that she has met “the one” and becomes proper obsessed with him. She builds up this obsession with a man she does not know - IT WAS A BRIEF ENCOUNTER, GET OVER IT!!
After about 10% in the novel became too predictable as a man named Ash moves in and he’s tall - you can see where I’m going with this.
It was difficult to continue reading this novel as I could not get into it. Mara is quite gullible and annoying, the only positives is that her friends tell her how stupid she is. Mara is very immature and does not see how her friends are just looking out for her. She thinks she can make a particular man her Mr. Right. It was poorly done and could not keep me entertained as other books that do it right can grab my attention.

I enjoyed the cover, it’s summery. If believing in fortune tellers 100% and astrology is your thing, you will enjoy this probably however as a person with a logical point of view completely now at this point in my life it is complete and utter bullshit based on your reactions as we all fall into a category which makes it simple for them to guess things about you. Sorry not sorry for the truth.

Thank you for the copy in exchange for an honest review to the publishers.

The SetUp isn't your average rom-com. I really liked the premise and Lizzy's writing. My favourite character was definitely Ash. I'd recommend this for anyone looking for an uplifting book this summer.

I liked her first debut book, do I knew this would be just as good or better. I felt the whole cast of characters certain add the to story! Definitely one to read this summer.

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this. It's so good to see so many more books incorporating mental health and the struggles relating to mental ill-health. I loved that we got to see such a raw portrayal of Mara's experiences and how much we got to see her grow and learn along the way. I loved Ash's character and all that he brought to the relationship. He was so warm, supportive and wonderful. I also really enjoyed reading the way Ash and Mara's relationship evolved and how he was able to set boundaries for himself and play such an instrumental role in the way Mara developed.

I loved seeing how Lizzy Dent addressed motherhood and changing relationships. She did not shy away from talking about the not so glamorous bits of becoming a mother while still maintaining joy and love. Mara's character was so uniquely real and flawed in a way that seems hard to come by. Sometimes, the heroines we read about live effortlessly extraordinary and unique lives; it was refreshing to see characters that embodied flaws and experiences more in line with most people's realities.

Overall, this book was everything I hoped for, and I'm looking forward to reading more by Lizzy Dent in the future.

The publisher kindly provided ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Admittedly first chapter I was like meh! BUT 3 chapters later I was invested! I enjoyed the storyline and how it was about being out of your comfort zone. Mara was so relatable as a character and she reminded me so much of myself - making my life smaller so I didn't have to put myself out there in social situations. I'm a total recluse lol!!

The other characters were a great addition, especially Ash as the added love interest! All of them were real and flawed which added to the story! Mara's relationship with her family was strained but it added to the dynamics as not all of us live like happy families right so I liked that about them. Although I was urging her to burst into tragic sobs and admit everything to her mum!!

There was a good amount of humour throughout which I enjoyed. Alongside the romance and family issues, Mara was dealing with long time friendship dramas. I think I was hoping for a bit more sympathy from Mara to her life long friend who has recently had a baby but that kinda seemed like one of Mara's flaws - she came across a bit selfish.

Overall a good read, quite fast paced and fun.