3.5 ⭐️ this definitely got better towards the end and i’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book. one thing camilla isley always does is make the man down bad for the girl (as they deserve)

Lovely, lovely book, I love it super cute and cozy!
Highly recommended 💕
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the copy

I liked almost everything about this book, the history is good, the female character is so good, strong and it has everything i liked in a character, my issue was with her male protagonist, because sometimes he felt like he was a red flag but other i liked him.

A Camilla Isley book is a comfort read that’s always welcome… this has been no different and this is an author who always delivers.

Blake and Gabriel are just a fantastic pair who have made this read an hilarious and completely hilarious read. I was pulled in, held hostage and completely unwilling to put this down. This is an utter gem from page 1 to the very end.

Isley pulls you in and keeps you hostage whilst taking your emotions on a rollercoaster. This is one of those books that capture you from the beginning and make it impossible to put down.

I’ve felt as though I’ve been watching this play out ahead of me. It has been a completely brilliant read from beginning to end.

I have read most of Isley’s books and this is a firm favourite. This is a book that should be on everyone’s TBR. It is just a brilliant read.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @theboldbookclub for an early copy of Not in a Billion Years by Camilla Isley. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Rating: ⭐⭐/5
Release date: September 6th, 2023

Blurb: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/174186566-not-in-a-billion-years?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=IqW6SHx2nv&rank=1

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

Firstly, I would like to applaud the author for creating such a powerful and independent female main character, Blake. She has built her company from the ground up and has gone through a painful breakup in the past while putting the pieces of her company back together after almost losing it to her jerk of an ex-boyfriend. I love her passion for her career and I admire her for what she has endured. She is honestly the only reason why I’m giving stars for this book in the first place.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved Isley’s novels, but this is the first one that has disappointed me. The male main character, Gabriel, is a walking red flag in my honest opinion. He has some control issues plus some complex of some sort because of a traumatic experience in the past. With this, he has crafted scenarios to trap Blake into spending time with him. His excuse – she keeps dodging him and refusing to date him, he wants to know her deeper. This guy can’t take no for an answer and is manipulative. If a girl says no, it’s a no. Please don’t push it. Blake was trying to protect herself and the company she had built from crumbling again, and Gabriel was just like her ex, coming from old money. The author made it seem like he had good intentions, truly. I respect that, but when Gabriel decided to swoop in again and try to save the day when Blake already mentioned she doesn’t want him doing anything with her business, that’s where I started questioning Blake’s decision to accept him into her life again after his grand gesture of putting on a prom for her.

There was also a lot of talk about finance and stocks that I honestly do not understand well. I hoped the book didn’t dwell a lot on it like it did, I would have enjoyed it better and the story would have been a tad bit shorter than it should be.

I’d recommend this book for those who want to read about strong female characters and those who enjoy talks about finance.

Wait...it ended just like that??? I want more of Blake and Gabriel!

I adored the main characters and all the other side characters in the book. There were so many swoon-worthy moments especially because of Gabriel that I fell in love with him before Blake did🥰
I never once wanted to put this book down!

It is an enemies to lovers but only from Blake's side. The latter half of the book became very interesting because of the IPO.

Thank you Boldwood books for the arc copy for the read along!

I really enjoyed this book! The banter between these characters was great! I laughed throughout the story. A really fun read.

Quite often, I find myself looking forward to a book, only to then be disappointed by it. Very rarely does the opposite happen – but Not in a Billion Years ended up doing just that. If you’re in need of a pleasant surprise, this book might just be for you!

I was offered an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are strictly my own.

The story
She’s a self-made fitness sensation. He’s a billionaire mogul. They’re sworn enemies and rivals… aren’t they?

Blake Avery knows all about hard work. She’s gone from making videos in her teenage bedroom to founding a booming fitness business and opening a state-of-the-art Manhattan gym. Now she’s on the cusp of realizing her wildest dreams, and she’s not going to let anyone stand in her way. Certainly not man-of-the-hour Gabriel Mercer.

He might be one of the biggest names in the fitness world and set women’s pulses soaring more than a grueling HIIT workout, but he grew up in a billionaire dynasty and had everything handed to him – or so Blake thinks.

But when Blake publicly criticizes Gabriel, she sparks a feud that neither entrepreneur is willing to back down from. And in an industry that seems determined to keep pushing them together, can Blake hold on to her grudge? Or will she finally warm up to Gabriel’s charm?

The opinion
The first 50-ish pages of this book were not my favourite. I found both of the main characters to be quite full of themselves, but in a way that made it rather hard to relate to them. And I even, seriously, considered just DNF’ing this book because of that.

However, I’m quite happy I ended up pushing through. Because, by the time I got to the half-way mark, I was instead confronted with two characters who had strong motivations, who acted on those, but who none the less proved themselves to be willing to change. In that way, it actually vaguely reminded me of Pride and Prejudice, even!

Now, was there quite a bit of insta-love going on? Absolutely. But Not in a Thousand Years offered such a fun supporting cast, and enough of a variety of scenery that I honestly just kind of wanted to see this entire thing as a movie!

The rating: 3/5
Let’s be real, here: if you’re looking for a book with incredible depth, this one probably won’t be it. But if you’re in need of a light read, something fluffy that makes you smile: definitely check out Not in a Billion Years!

-Saar

This book was great with its banter. I did appreciate the fact that when Gabriel messed up in a bad way, like off the rails way she didn't outright forgive him. I do also love the fact that Blake out her foot down completely, and didn't let anything else slide on Gabriel's part. What I did dislike was the epilogue, however, that is a me thing. I had started reading this book way before its release thanks to NetGally, but due to certain things (My TBR) I didn't finish it until today.

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and Camilla Isley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read many of Camilla’s novels now and have enjoyed each and every one of them. This was enjoyable because it was a bit of enemies to lovers and a rivalry type romance. I also found it really funny that Gabriel’s brother tried to meddle.

Check out this plus more of Camilla’s books

I had the pleasure reading Not in a Billion Years by Camilla Isley.

Blake Avery, a hard working entrepreneur who started making videos in her bedroom opened an exclusive gym in Manhattan.

Gabriel Mercer, a billionaire, thought he was the best of the best and couldn't understand why Blake was resistant to his charms.

I couldn't get over the funny banter and witty comebacks. They had me laughing out loud and wishing I could come up with something clever in conversations. 🤣🤣🤣

The book was released on September 6th.
If you love an enemies to lovers story with great humour, witty remarks, and working hard to achieve your dreams, then this a must read!!

Thank you to Boldwood books and #netgalley to read and review this book.

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

I really enjoyed this one, again Camilla Isley has created likeable characters with a fun story arc.
The chemistry between Blake and Gabriel sizzles off the page.

I enjoyed the way they met, I always enjoy a good case of mistaken identity in a rom.com, it set them up for a lot of banter and flirty arguing for the rest of the book.

All.in all the book was hot, fun and full of cheeky banter. It was a winner for me!

Favorite Quotes:

I need a boatload of sugar in me before I pass out from infatuation.

They’re as loyal as a Labrador on steroids.

My Review:

This was a fun and engaging read that sparkled with witty banter as the characters seesawed at each other while they basically wanted the same things. I always enjoy Ms. Isley’s humorous yet insightful writing style, it is entertaining and perceptive yet relaxing and easy to follow.

Hands down, the best Camilla Isley book on the market!

Not In A Billion Years is an enemies-to-lovers romance that sizzles with chemistry. Blake and Gabriel are two of the biggest titans in the fitness business. While Blake began her career as a teenager, building a platform on social media; Gabriel, inadvertently used his family name to monopolize the real estate end of fitness. What started out as a bitter rivalry, quickly turns to undeniable chemistry. Can you mix business with pleasure, or is one one of them playing the other to get ahead?

Camila Isley is an expert at writing witty banter! Not In A Million Years features two equally matched main characters. Both Blake and Gabriel are incredibly strong willed and stubborn. They know how to push each other’s buttons, and they do often. Luckily, they can take as good as they give. Readers will be delighted to find that banter consumes the entire book, from beginning to end!

This book was so much fun. I cannot wait to continue reading the rest of this series when two of my favorite secondary characters get a book of their own!

I highly recommend reading if you are fans of:
-enemies to lovers
-forced proximity
-billionaire romance
-he falls first
-slow burns
-witty banter
-Dual POVs

Special thanks to Netgalley, Camila Isley, and Boldwood Books for allowing me to reach this book in exchange for my honest review.

Enemies to lovers.
He falls first and harder.
Dual pov.
Romcom.

Seriously, what's not to like?

I had such a fun time reading this book, it was super entertaining. I loved it!

Blake and Gabriel meet after she has some negative comments about him in an article. A fun enemies to lovers story, and I liked how it was told from both points of view.

As someone who has now read every Camilla Isley book published by Boldwood Books I can easily say that this is one of my favorites, and I was so excited to read the Afterword and find out there will be two more books!

This book is a slight enemy to lovers, with a bit of forced proximity that leads to romance. The male main character Gabriel quickly realizes his interest in the female main character, Blake, and makes it clear that he wants her while Blake vehemently denies her feelings due to mishaps from a past relationship. But truly, how long can she deny her attraction to Gabriel, and can he truly release control in order for their relationship to thrive?

I truly enjoyed this book and give it high praise. I can't wait for the next one!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review..

3,5* It started with a great premise for an enemy to lovers, but soon lost some of its verve.

Blake Avery has just reached a big peak on the success ladder with her fitness business. Honest and hard working she's not going to have her spot shadowed by others: having started as a teenager posting workout video from her garage and growing from there, she's not going to share the "selfmade" attribute with people who build an empire starting from welth.
Gabriel Mercer hit his success a while back, he is today one of the big names in the fitness business, he didn't use his family name to arrive where he is, o when he finds out a rising star doubted his hard work, he can't let it go...

While I found this book entertaining and enjoyable I felt something missing.
I really liked how it started, how Blake predicted Gabriel's every move, but it soon lost the enemy to lovers appeal, I feel like there's no real game in this trope the start developing feelings too soon and while I felt most of Camilla Isley past book where kind of short, this one doesn't provide in the added pages the real insight I missed in the previous ones.
There are some really funny moment and a nice romance though so I still would recommend it for a funny beach read.

Thank you Netgalley and Bolwood Books for providing this book as an arc in exchange of an honest review.

This is such an entertaining romcom, crackling with chemistry between the two central characters and with some whip smart dialogue throughout. I loved the interactions between Blake and Gabriel as they traded put downs and they were never given in a mean spirited way. Starting as business enemies, they find their paths crossing and Gabriel's pursuit of what he wants leaves you in no doubt as to how he has become so successful. However, both characters have a softer side hidden below the surface and need to open up with their vulnerabilities if they are to get past their arguments.

Blake is also totally dedicated to her business. Being a self -made business woman, she has no time for those she thinks were handed everything on a plate. You see her softer side when she drops everything to help her family. She has never tried to hide her humble background. The pace of the story is fast and snappy. I also liked some of the secondary characters, such as Gabriel's PA and his brother, Thomas. Thos is a great escapist read from start to finish, full of entertaining moments.

In short: enemies to lover