Man, this was a tough read. The premise definitely drew me in - it gave Scott Pilgrim vs. the World vibes. But our female protagonist, Esther, is honestly insufferable. I know she's a main character, but she really suffered from "Main Character Syndrome." It felt like the book was trying too hard to make her quirky or "not like other girls." She ended up just coming across as immature and self-absorbed.

The pacing felt off, the characters were not very fleshed out, I didnt like the main character. Not for me.

SEVEN EXES by Lucy Vine has such a fun concept! I loved watching our protagonist revisit and reflect on the relationships that shaped her throughout her teens and 20s. Not only was that great, but the humor was also superb! I was constantly laughing and chuckling to myself.

So this book made me sad. It had such a promising premise, but there were so many gaps in the story that I felt like I lost a lot. I couldn't get connected with the characters because it kept jumping from boy to boy and did not fully play out their time together. I feel like the first meeting was good, but it's like the author got tired of writing about similar things over and over. It got worse as the book went on. I found myself zoning out in the later half of the book because of it.

Esther has been unlucky in her love life and tries revisiting her seven most significant exes to see if one was "the one". Unfortunately, this book was not the one for me. Esther was not the most likable character and I spent most of the time hoping she didn't end up with her exes because they all seemed to deserve better.
It is highly like how I met your mother, so if you were a fan of the show you might be a fan of this book. They are both told through flashbacks, of a sort of self-sabotaging main character desperately trying to find the one. They have extremely similar energies and the endings have similar vibes.
It might not have been the best-written book (at least for me) or have the most likable characters, but it was at least fascinating and easy to read.
Thank you to both NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review

I think I would like this plot with other characters. I just didn't care for anybody, so I didn't care about what happened. Maybe I simply was not the right audience. I did finish it, though, and liked the ending. There's that.

Esther (unlucky in love) comes across an old Cosmo article that claims that every woman only has seven loves in her life before finding the one. The article outlines the characteristics of each ex and Esther easily identifies them in her past. Believing that this must mean she has already met the love of her life, she sets off on a mission to revisit each of her past relationships and find out if there is still a spark alive in any of them.

This concept immediately drew me in, and then I became obsessed with the format of the chapters. I loved that we popped back and forth between revisiting each ex and learning about their past. It was absolutely brilliant writing!

Lucy Vine is talented at writing characters, and even though I only had a few chapters with each ex, I felt like I knew them. I was actively rooting for Esther to end up with one of the characters, and I am very proud that I was right! Vine's writing of secondary characters reminds me of Emily Henry. We are able (as readers) to feel that they have a history and a personality far beyond the page.

This book was written for you if:
1) You like How I Met your Mother or How I Met Your Father. This felt a bit like one of those shows where we were eagerly awaiting the introduction of "The One"
2) You are a fan of Emily Henry and a book full of a rich, vibrant cast of characters
3) You are old enough to have a gaggle of exes

I like Lucy Vine's writing so I was able to read the book fairly quickly. However, the characters were not likable or relatable. I could not connect to the story even though I tried every page.

When Ester finds an old magazine article that says people will date seven archetypes before finding the one. Convinced she's missed her chance at love, Esther decides to reach back out to her exes to see if one of them could be the one who got away. What ensues is a hilarious take on what one will do for love. I cried from laughing but also from the emotional journey Esther takes readers on.

Thank you Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the eARC of Seven Exes! All opinions in this review are my own.

I was very excited about this book from the start. It reminds me of a mix between one of my favorite shows, Love Sick, and the movie What's Your Number? The characters were relatable and I like how the story would flashback to Esther's time with each ex in between the present day chapters. I think many readers will be able to connect to Esther's feelings of not being where she wants to be at a certain point in her life and I appreciate that Seven Exes ended up being about more than just Esther's love life.

I love the cover of this book. I really didn’t like the main character in this one. It was hard to root for someone who seemed to be a bit self sabotaging.

I’d really liked the concept of this book. The idea of having 7 types of relationships in your life. It’s a clever way to put the main character on a quest for a rom com. Unfortunately I wasn’t the biggest fan of the main character. She wasn’t very lovable. All of her relationships ended because of her own behavior and I didn’t feel much growth by the end.

The concept of this was fantastic. I didn’t feel much chemistry between the main character and any of the guys that she spent time with though. I knew who she would end up with as soon as they stepped on the scene but the author didn’t spend time cultivating that relationship outside of a few small moments. But these two never seemed like they had much more than friendship vibes between them, even though I knew this was who she would end up with. The main character is definitely going to rub a lot of people the wrong way. She’s selfish and impulsive, but funny. She does seem to realize it at one point, at least. All in all, not a bad book but could have been executed better.

The story felt flat and it wasn't able to hook my attention completely. The characters were not that interesting. Though I enjoyed the concept of the story, I think execution was too chaotic.

Seven Exes by Lucy Vine is a hilarious and heartwarming novel that follows Esther, a single woman in her late twenties who is tired of bad dates and is looking for her Mr. Right. After reading a dating column in an old women's magazine, Esther realizes that she has exactly seven exes that match the profiles of the seven archetypes a woman will date before finding Mr. Right.

Esther decides to contact each of her old boyfriends to see if one of them might be "the one." But what ensues is a journey of self-discovery as she faces up to her previous mistakes and confronts the reality of her past love life.

The writing in Seven Exes is witty, engaging, and full of humor. The author does an excellent job of exploring the complexities of modern dating while also keeping the story light and entertaining. The characters are well-developed, and readers will find themselves rooting for Esther as she goes on her quest to find love.

Overall, Seven Exes is a must-read for anyone who loves a good romantic comedy. It is a fun and heartwarming novel that will leave you with a smile on your face. Lucy Vine is a talented writer, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

I loved this! So much fun and such a good book for a 20-something to read. Loved the characters and the concept of revisiting past lovers. The friendship was great as well. Loved the ending!

Such a cute romance! Seven Exes will take you through the gamit of emotions! You'll laugh, cry, and swoon...all while rooting for love!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

For fans of oft-forgotten Anna Faris masterpiece What’s Your Number? and Scott Pilgrim. Esther reads an article that explains the seven types of partners you have to date before you meet “the one,” reflects on her big seven exes and how they fit into the archetypes, and decides to reach back out to each of them to see if there’s still something there. Esther as a main character is pretty self-centered and an awful friend, but there’s a good bit of growth by the end that felt earned and realistic. We love some bisexual rep. It’s not the best book I’ve ever read, but it was fun and people will have a good time with it.

Read if you like:
♥️ Romance
💍 Finding the One
💔 Revisiting Past Relationships
👯‍♀️ Supportive Friends
😂 LOL moments

This book was such a fun and fast paced read! I think the concept of going through exes to see if one might be the one that got away is so fun, because who has never wondered that about an ex?

Overall, the friendship was such a beautiful plot point between the FMC and her besties and truly loved to see their unwavering friendship and support while she was figuring out what’s next for her in life, and what’s best left in the past.

If you want a book that mixes finding love and a great example of friendship I strongly recommend this fast paced romance!

Thank you to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my review!