Serena gets kicked out of her flat and lucky for her, her friend Taylor has a place for her to stay...the only issue is that Taylor's husband also told his friend that he could stay in their house while they are gone. So now Ziggy and Serena are staying in a house together and there are lots of problems. As Serena works to find a new job, she finds out that her boyfriend is engaged to who he keeps saying is his ex and to make it worse, Serena has been helping his fiancé with her wedding plans. As different as they are, Ziggy and Serena start spending more time together, but will they be able to get along.

The description said this was a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy and it did not live up to that for me. I did not find it that funny, and there was not much romance going on either. A few lines here and there is not enough for me. Overall, I was very disappointed.

Your Place Or Mine was a pretty cute book. Serena has had a round of bad luck her favourite boss unfortunately dies and Serena loses everything or so she thinks. Jobless and homeless her friend offers her to stay at her home while her and her husband go travelling, little does her friend know that her husband has also invited a friend Ziggy to stay and house sit as well.

The storyline was cute kind of all over the place but I liked the book. There were cute moments but not enough angst . It just went from one thing to the next to the next and then happily ever after… but somehow I still liked the book. Maybe give it a shot it’s cute but I won’t be running to reread it.

I like the authors writing style so this was a quick and easy read. The two leads had okay chemistry. The shift from sort of enemies to more happened a bit suddenly and I did think a bit too much time was spent on the whole side plot with Dean. I would have preferred more time building on the relationship/ rivalry between Serena and Ziggy. Overall 2.75 ⭐️ rounded up.

Cute quick read with some unexpected twists. It seemed like it would be a pretty predictable rom-com but had some surprise moments thrown in with some twists I was not expecting. Was the perfect read for a lazy day nothing to heavy and was entertaining. I enjoyed this book but did think the end wrapped up a little too easily and quickly. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

A quick and easy read that was enjoyable. I thought that it would be a typical predictable romcom read but I was pleasantly suprised, as there were some areas that I didn't expect.

This was a perfect "palate cleanser", totally weightless entertainment. This is the third Portia Macintosh book I have read and I am shocked that she can really take a predictable story and making it funny, unpredictable and entertaining.
This book did have a whole lot going on, I could barely keep up with all the subplots, but each of them were entertaining themselves ( Inheriting an Adult Store, Living with a crazy rock band roommate, finding out her boyfriend is engaged....)
Very fast paced and fun read! I feel like this was a total pool read, but I was cozy on my couch!
Great read if you need a good mood booster!

Bonus props for the whole Dominos scene! AHH! I loved it! If you know me, I love Dominos pizza so that whole thing cracked me up(Holly, you are not allowed to comment on this statement--I type this as I am figuring out what to order from Taco Bell-no regrets)
Thank you Netgalley For This Advanced Copy. I was not paid or influenced in any way shape form or fashion for this honest review. I can't wait for more from Portia Macintosh

This book was not really my cup of tea. I couldn’t get myself to like the two main characters, the choices they made. Specifically the FMC, with the whole cheating situation, didn’t like how that was handled at all. I really liked the supportive cast however. Al & Kira are so cute. All in all it was a average romancebook, lands right in the middle at 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an ARC!

I, unfortunately, had to DNF this book at 38%. It did start out good but as I read more and more I found the pacing too slow. Additionally, I believe both of the characters were too unlikable to be romcom leads and there was no real chemistry between them.

On the death of Diana, the owner of the tea shop so that she works in, Serena loses her job and home. Fortunately her friend comes to her rescue offering her the chance to house sit whilst she and her husband go away on holiday. Unfortunately when she arrives she finds that there was already a house sitter in residence, Ziggy, and things go downhill after that. On top of that she also finds that she is inadvertently the "other woman"in a relationship.
The disagreements that she has with Ziggy are only part of the story, there is also an unexpected inheritance, plus dealing with the two-timing boyfriend. There is an underlying sadness with how Serena had to deal with all the negative things that have happened to her, but counterbalanced with some humorous moments and unexpected friendships. Overall a book that I did enjoy from an author whose books I always look forward to reading.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Your Place or Mine? By Portia MacIntosh
Format: eBook
Pub. date: Jan17/23

Serena has been working and living above Diana’s Tearoom for the past few years. Diana became her mentor and was like a second mother to her. But when she died, Serena was left jobless and homeless. Things go downhill from there when she finds out yay she is the ‘other woman’ to her boyfriend’s fiancé and ends up with a housemate, Ziggy, who wants her out.

There are many twists and turns in this story. A plan to try to make her cheating boyfriend pay, engaging in warfare with her roommate only to fall for him to, inheriting a sex shop. All of these seem quite intriguing, however the book seems to be split in three. The beginning is fairly boring, so much so, I was going to give up on it. However, when it moves to the interactions between Serena and Ziggy, it is fun and enjoyable. Their relationship is interesting and really brings out the essence of the characters. Unfortunately, just when the reader is hooked, it ends. I would have loved to hear more about the journey with the sex shop and turning it around. Or how their relationship flourished. In the end I have mixed feelings and a need for more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to review this ARC.

4.5/5: This book is a super cute and a quick and easy read. A fantastic palette cleanser to avoid a reading slump. I tend to read complex, intense fantasy books with a lot of world building. While I love it, my neurodivergent brain needs a breather to avoid shut down. That is where books like Your Place or Mine? come in. This book is perfect for curling up on the sofa, with a cup of coffee and a blanket on a cold winter's day. It was the kind of romance novel that actually ends with a resolution and doesn't leave you wanting for a better conclusion. As soon as I finished this I ran to the Kindle store to download Portia MacIntosh's entire bibliography. Highly recommend this book!

Serena has just gotten back on her feet after her mom died from cancer a year ago. She has a job at a lovely tea room where her boss, Diana, is more like a motherly figure than an employer. She allows her stay in a flat above the shop rent free and is encouraging her to figure out what she likes to do at the tea shop (baking, serving, etc.). When Diana dies suddenly and her horrible children swoop in and decide to sell the tea room, Serena finds herself jobless, homeless, and grief stricken. At least she has her boyfriend Dean to lean on, right? Yeah think again, he leaves her high and dry because his roommate has a "no girls policy". Things start to look up when her friend Taylor asks her to house sit while she and her husband go travelling. Until she learns she will be sharing the house with an annoying, demi-god, rocker guy named Ziggy. Throughout the book Ziggy and Serena stage all out ware in the effort to get one of them to move out. Serena learns that Diana left her a failing sex shop which she used during the 80's to support women empowerment and sexual exploration. With all of the pressure of keeping Diana's legacy alive, Serena accepts help from a very unlikely person, Ziggy. With a subplot of learning her boyfriend Dean isn't who he says he is, Serena certainly has her hands full.

While the start of the book was a bit challenging for me, I totally understand why the author wrote it that way. I had to feel Serena’s sadness and uncertainty so I could appreciate the rest of the story even more. I am so glad I kept reading! Parts of this book had me laughing out loud! Oh the shenanigans and scheming!! There were so many things going on in this book, yet they intertwined perfectly. My only wish would have been for us to get some closure on the not knowing how the “sculpture” Serena was trying to figure out actually worked! This was my first book by this author. Can’t wait to read more from her!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Great book, worth reading .

I’m a little torn on how I feel about this book. On one hand, there’s nothing inherently wrong with it. But on the other, I feel like the focus of the book was lost.

Nowhere in the blurb does it talk about anything other than Ziggy and Serena’s living arrangement and ensuing feud. However that is a very VERY small part of the story.

I would have liked it better if it was closer to the description.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC. All thoughts expressed above are mine, and true.

Portia Macintosh is that author you know you can count on for a fun ride, likeable characters and some good old fashioned romcom tropes in their finest.
While this wasn't my favorite from her, Macintosh still delivers a well written romcom with some spice and sizzle and a dash of cutesy love.

The consistent Portia MacIntosh has delivered another very funny, romantic comedy.
A guy and a girl are offered the same place to house-sit, this along with a most unusual legacy for Serena, leads to many uncomfortable and amusing situations.
These novels are so easy to read, perhaps not my favourite of this authors, but still thoroughly enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an Advance Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

It was a fun light read. The characters were well written and the storyline was great. At the beginning I found it quite slow but after a few chapters I really enjoyed it. I laughed aloud a few times too which is always good.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This was cute! Serena is kicked out of her flat and her friend offers her to house sit while she and her husband are away. He asked his friend, Ziggy at the same time and now they are forced to live together.

This was a fun and easy read! I finished it in a day! It also had some of my favorite tropes. Enemies to lovers and forced proximity! I didn’t feel a ton of chemistry between the main characters. I wish they would’ve gone deeper into their relationship. I also would’ve loved more about Serena’s new business.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this book!


📘: Your Place Or Mine? by Portia MacIntosh
🗓 Pub Date: January 17, 2023

Thank to NetGalley, Portia MacIntosh, and Boldwood Books for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Reviewed on NetGalley and Goodreads. Will review on retail once published!

DNF @ 38%

The synopsis of this book sounds so good but it’s just boring so far.

To start off, the heroine is already in a relationship with someone else and by 38%, she’s STILL in a relationship but not just that, she found out he has a fiancé and she hasn’t dumped him yet and he’s not even the love interest in this book? What?!

No thank you, not for me.

Personally, I just don’t enjoy romance books that start off with one of the main characters already in a relationship with someone else.

Thank you to Boldwood Books, Portia MacIntosh and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first book by Portia MacIntosh and I am not disappointed. If all her books are in the same tone, I can see why she is a popular author.

Your place or mine? is a pretty good romantic comedy read and just what I needed to get me back into reading. There are several short stories in one, with some plot twists I didn't see coming.

I admit I had a hard time putting myself in the shoes of the characters, especially Serena, because her actions didn't always match what I would have done in her place (meaning her crisis management and the situation with the lovely Dean). I also had trouble with Ziggy who, despite a very attractive appearance (which is not always enough), seemed somewhat childish and not at all in tune with himself. Maybe it's because we didn't see him that much in the end. On the other hand, hats off to Al who I loved. I got attached to him right away, he made me laugh.

The story was entertaining, I wanted to know what was going to happen and what wacky things I was going to read.
One aspect I would have liked to see more developed : the new business. I think it could have been exploited a little more. It's a romantic comedy for adults, but in the end, it was perhaps too soft on this aspect. I think that more banter and jokes would have been nice.