Thanks to Ali and Netgalley for my first ever ARC experience! What a special book to begin with - this gem of a story centered around a divorced mom named Beatrice who had such an authentic personality and echoed the challenging sentiments of navigating a career and parenting, plus reflected on family dynamics and secondary infertility galore. One of my favorite quotes that I really related to was “adulthood is about finding beauty in the gray”. Her relationship with Jack over time was adorably developed and felt so realistic plus Brigid was hilarious. Finally a second chance romcom that felt like the perfect length too!

The story follows Beatrice, a woman in her 30s, who is juggling her career as she’s going through a divorce, while trying to maintain custody of her son. Beatrice meets her high school ex-boyfriend who is a new hire at her company, and we see how the two of them rekindle their friendship. I found this book to be an easy and fun read. I loved Beatrice and Jack’s characters so much and reading the scenes with Bash was such a delight! I feel like this would be a perfect beach read because there wasn’t anything heavy going on with the plot as the build-up was very gradual (which I personally enjoy when I want to just turn my brain off after a chaotic week) and it was super light-hearted. I would recommend this book to those who love a quick and easy read.

Ali Rosen's "Alternate Endings" explores the complexities of modern relationships, love, and the unexpected paths life can take. The novel follows Bea Leal, a successful book editor, whose seemingly stable life is thrown into disarray when her boss's divorce forces her to travel frequently to Ireland. Bea's personal life is equally complicated. Her divorce and the custody agreement with her ex-husband create constant tension and uncertainty. Amidst this chaos, she reconnects with Jack Sander, the boy who broke her heart two decades prior. While initially hesitant, Bea and Jack embark on a "work fling" that challenges their preconceptions about happiness and the expectations they have for their lives. Rosen skillfully weaves Bea's professional and personal struggles, highlighting the interconnectedness of different aspects of our existence. Bea's demanding job and the constant travel disrupt her custody agreement, creating a conflict between her responsibilities as a mother and her career aspirations. The author delves into the emotional toll this takes on Bea, forcing her to confront the complexities of being a modern woman and the societal pressures that come with it. At the heart of the novel is Bea's relationship with Jack. Their initial fling evolves into something deeper, forcing them to confront their past and the choices they have made. Rosen's exploration of second chances and the possibility of finding happiness in unexpected places is both poignant and relatable. Through Bea's journey, Rosen challenges conventional notions of what a "happy ending" looks like. The novel suggests that happiness is not always about having a perfect life or a clear path forward. Instead, it lies in embracing the messiness and unexpected turns that life throws our way. Bea and Jack's story is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of the human spirit, and the transformative power of love. In conclusion, "Alternate Endings" is a beautifully written and thought-provoking novel that explores the complexities of modern life, relationships, and the search for happiness. Ali Rosen's characters are relatable and flawed, and her writing is both poignant and insightful. Through Bea Leal's journey, Rosen challenges our expectations and leaves us pondering the alternate endings that our own lives may hold.

A big thank you to Montlake for granting me the opportunity to read an ARC of Alternate Endings, which is set to hit the shelves on May 7th, 2024.

I found the plot and characters of this romance novel intriguing. While the pace was a tad slower than my preference, I was still captivated by certain parts of the story. I formed a deep connection with Beatrice and Jack and found Bash to be an absolute delight. His character infused the story with humor and wit, adding tremendous value to the narrative. The author has done a fantastic job addressing important topics and creating genuine and authentic characters. The friendships depicted in the novel are simply unparalleled. Life can be unpredictable, and the unexpected people who come into our lives often teach us the most valuable lessons.

Although the ending was somewhat predictable, I felt content and uplifted. This is a good read, and I would recommend it to anyone seeking a heartwarming romance novel. I would rate it a 3.5, but I'm rounding it down for consistency in my reviews.

I read this as a free arc copy via netgalley, and I don't think I would have finished it if not for the fact I needed to review it.

The book was OK, but it's incredibly slow paced, in my opinion there isn't enough chemistry between the characters either.

Unfortunately not going to be recommending it in the future

Not the kind of romance novel I vibe with. Very slow paced, I feel like nothing really happened and I didn't feel the chemistry between the leads.

I love the concept: the whacky boss is forcing her employees to commute to the relocated HQ in her post-divorce castle. I do wish the author had taken more advantage of that setting and amped up the Irish immersion and castle atmosphere. It's a second chance, workplace romance in a cool place. The author does write the attraction well. We get a lot of quiet moments, long looks, etc. Bea and Jack ends up having a "what happens in Ireland stays in Ireland" fling. The love scenes are sometimes closed-door and other times glossed over with vague description. I do wish we had gotten more romance and eventful relationship development. It felt like the pivot from fling to love happened just with a serious conversations. I wanted the big gestures and the swoon-worthy words.

To me, this felt more like a women’s fiction with romance--but not a rom-com! There is some quippy and humorous dialogue but none of the hijinks and funny situations I'd expect from a rom-com. Also, Beatrice and her inner turmoil and emotional unavailability was giving me second-hand stress and annoyance. Bea as the heroine is coming out of a less than stellar marriage, dealing with changes to her job, trying to stay present for her son, and now dealing with the reappearance of her ex. The romance to me took a back seat to Bea's growth as a human.

I really enjoyed this book! It was super cute and I loved every character that was portrayed.

Bea had so many different layers to her and each of them were so relatable in even the smallest ways. Her love for her son and feelings of going through life doing what you think is just expected of you instead of feeling like you can voice what you truly want or need. Being a single mom who is also incredibly career focused is something that is unfortunately kind of frowned upon in society but Ali did an amazing job of showing how possible that is!
Jack was complex and broody but learning more about his background made all of his quirks so loveable. I loved how he challenged Bea while also challenging himself.

A perfect second chance romance to pull at your heart strings! Including fun, super opinionated, blunt friends who make you want to be invited to their bubble bath video chats LOL

Can we please get Brigid’s story?!

I was so excited to read Alternate Endings by Ali Rosen, since I loved her debut "Recipe for Second Chances". The barebones plot of both stories are V similar though: a second change romance blooms between two super witty people that can basically read each others minds when it comes to their desires. The female protagonist holds herself back from getting into a relationship, while the male waits for her to change her mind and continues to worship the ground she walks on. I recently got into reading romance so maybe nothing I said is new, I just can't tell if reading a similar storyline is what romance readers expect from their favorite authors or if their should be something different each time. Even the voices of our two love interests and the tone of the first person narration read the exact same way as in Rosen's first book. When I first started reading Alternate Endings, it just made me miss the old story. I soon fell in love with the new cast of characters in this book though; a bad ass girl boss and a smarty pants 7 year old kept the story fun and fresh. The happy ending was expected but I was smitten just the same when we got there. My final critique is Beatrice's lack of decision making in the book, a lover and a big time promotion are just handed to her and the story is more about her decision to say yes to these things than actually fight or work for them.

Ok, I saved the best part of Rosen's books as last...it's the bonus cultural recipes she adds at the end of her novel! I can't wait to make Irish-ish Stew and am equally eager to read what ever stories Rosen has written up next.

⭐️ 2.5 /5

This is for my second-chance romance readers ❤️

The good:

-I liked MMC, Jack. He was sweet and understanding.
-I loved their interactions. The banter was quite good.
-Her boss is THE BOSS. Cares for FMC, she has very good insight. Firm but caring too.


The not-so-good:

-I sadly didn’t feel any of the supposedly sexual tension or the romance. None of their emotions came through for me. I only felt a visceral reaction to FMC’s ex-husband and his unlikability.
-The pace was way too slow for my liking.

I seem to be an outlier on this one, and it has gotten very good reviews. The author’s writing was good and I will continue to give their books a try. Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for this eARC.

If you’re looking for a modern day story involving a woman navigating through modern day issues including divorce, infertility, and adulthood, while also adding in a fun and exciting second chance romance, this book will not disappoint. It had a satisfying amount of relatability, fun, and romance.

This is Beatrice’s (Bea) story.

She’s a single mother to a charming six year old named Bash and VP of business development at Breck Data, a company built by her badass boss Brigid. While trying to navigate custody agreements and coping with the aftermath of infertility and a failed marriage, Beatrice learns that her boss has decided to move from NYC back to Ireland and wants to hold bi monthly meetings with the team there. Definitely not ideal for a single mother during divorce proceedings. Then enters Jack, the high school boyfriend that broke her heart 20 years ago and also happens to be the newly appointed CTO. Cue the swoon worthy flashbacks and let the flirtation commence!

I thoroughly enjoyed Bea’s story of self discovery and the flirtatious banter between Bea and Jack. The romance developed at a perfect pace and felt very realistic and true to their personalities and situations. Ali Rosen’s eloquent writing made this book a very compelling and addictive read. The only thing I would have changed…was the ending. Without giving anything away, the scene that plays out with Bash, her son, felt a bit rushed and forced. Even with a not so ideal ending, I still gave this book 5 stars, because I was enamored the entire time.

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for allowing me to read the ARC and the privilege of enjoying Ali Rosen’s beautifully written story, Alternate Endings.

while i found the concept and story interesting, my main issue lies with the characters and their motivations. at times it didn't seem like what they were doing and saying were aligned and i found them quite frustrating.
sadly this book just isn't for me. but i hope there's someone out there who will love it a whole lot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute romance. I thought the plot was very well developed and I enjoyed the characters. I will consider adding Ali Rosen to my must-read authors list!

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This is a bit too romantic and unbelievable for me, but the author has created a romance with undeniable charm. So, despite my misgivings, I did enjoy the book. As someone who has been a single parent, I know how much Bea was influenced by the need for stability for her son Bash. Rosen also managed to give us enough Bash , a delightful 6 year old, whose cameos in the novel give us smiles.

I also admire the author subtly pointing out that after divorce there can be peace and unity within families. I like that as a lesson. This is an enjoyable read that takes the reader to Ireland, always a lovely mind trip.

I think many readers will enjoy the romance, the sex and the family values portrayed.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Book Review!✨
“Alternate Endings”
Written By: Ali Rosen
Published by: Montlake
Publication date: May 7, 2024
ARC provided by Netgalley
•••
Beatrice has had a not so great history with men. As a teenager, her heart was broken by her first love, Jack which she never really recovered from. Now as an adult, she’s going through a tough divorce with a man whom she married after only knowing him for a short time because she got pregnant. Luckily, Beatrice has the most adorable son named Bash, loves her job, has amazing friends and has learned to stay out of her soon to be ex husbands way to avoid conflict.
All is normal until her boss tells her she’s also getting a divorce, is moving to Ireland and their work team will have to travel back and forth every few months for meetings. Not only that, but her ex boyfriend Jack suddenly shows up in the office, as their new Chief Technology Officer. All of these changes knock Beatrice off her axis and are going to take her for a ride she didn’t even see coming.
•••
FINALLY a Rom-Com where the main characters learn to communicate. I feel like a common occurrence in romance is a constant miscommunication between characters. After seeing it in entirely too many books with little to no resolution to the problem at hand in any of them, I am pleased to read something with substance that gets to the root of the problem.

Honestly, I LOVED this book. I loved the characters, I loved the back stories and the build up. I enjoyed the real life issues as a single mom trying to find her way in the world. And especially the new found ability to be a bad ass woman in the work place. SLOW CLAP for Ali Rosen. You nailed it.
Thank you SO much to Ali, Montlake and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC! It was fantastic.

1- Characters: 10
2- Atmosphere/Setting: 10
3- Writing Style: 10
4- Plot: 10
5- Intrigue: 8
6- Logic/Relationships: 9
7- Enjoyment: 10

Total Score: 61
67/7 = 9.57
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5. I liked aspects of this but I don't think this book was for me. I think a lot of other people will like it, it's just not my cup of tea.

Bea is a newly single mother facing the challenge of balancing her career, raising her child, and navigating her sticky divorce. She is put to the test when a pivotal moment in her career now requires regular travel between NYC and Ireland.
To top it all off, Bea’s first trip to Ireland reveals that her company's new CTO is none other than Jack Sandler, the man who ghosted her in high school twenty years ago.

Alternate Endings takes place over the course of a year and is a real, raw reflection of just now messy life can be and now hard it is to find yourself when everyone in your life needs something different from you.

“I’ve always been totally unable to extricate myself from small talk because I’m wired to avoid any trace of rudeness; it makes me so uncomfortable to feel like I’m leaving someone in the lurch. It’s always been that way for me, and I keep expecting to get better at caring less as I get older, but I’m yet to see the fruits of that theory bear out.”

This was an incredibly refreshing story about second chances, embracing the mess, and pulling yourself out of the darkness.

“I always have to do this. I have to joke my way out of a compliment or assume it wasn’t a compliment.”

“I wish I could dismantle the entire bridge I’ve been sold as a woman my whole life and believe that women’s bodies and minds aren’t expected to live up to unrealistic standards. What would it even look like to give myself some grace?”

“I’m not sure I have enough self-awareness to know something as basic as what I want.”

Overall, I absolutely loved this story. Who doesn’t love it when a female MC is the one with the f* it moment??

“Fuck it. That’s all I can think. Just, fuck it.”

I loved the way Jack supported Bea
and pushed her out of her comfort zone, even if she went kicking and screaming. Jack is the definition of "strong and silent" type and I found myself itching for more insights into his thoughts. I love that deep down, Jack had his own battles he was facing and how monumental (and pivotal) it was when he finally lets Bea in on those challenges.

I found myself a little confused in a couple spots, particularly where there were flashbacks, but it didn't disrupt the flow significantly enough to distract from the story. It was incredibly refreshing to have a corporate, career minded, mid 30's woman as the main character - someone I found myself so easy to relate to. I absolutely loved Bea and Jack's journey and a little of Bash here and there was pure joy. I also thought Bea’s friendships were so beautiful and real and I thoroughly enjoyed the value the side characters brought to this story along the way.

Highly recommend Alternate Endings! 4.5/5⭐️

“That’s really the only difference between me and you. I never shrink myself to make myself more likable.”

This was such an amazing read. It had an interesting twist on a second chance romance that I just couldn’t get enough of.

This book had life struggles, humor, romance, and an adorable 6 year old sprinkled on top. I can’t really express how much I enjoyed this book.

I’m going to add that I think there is a trigger warning of infertility in this book. If that’s something that triggers you, proceed with caution. Otherwise, I would recommend picking this one up.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to Montlake for providing me access to the eARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. The book will be released on May 07, 2024.

3 STARS

Rosen launches her story with no excess fat. In the first chapter, you get a sense of our heroine Bea's family situation, changing work conditions, and future concerns. Then we’re off to Ireland, where she finds out the new CTO of her company is her first love, Jack!

I love the concept: the whacky boss is forcing her employees to commute to the relocated HQ in her post-divorce castle. I do wish the author had taken more advantage of that setting and amped up the Irish immersion and castle atmosphere. It's a second chance, workplace romance in a cool place. The author does write the attraction well. We get a lot of quiet moments, long looks, etc. Bea and Jack ends up having a "what happens in Ireland stays in Ireland" fling. The love scenes are sometimes closed-door and other times glossed over with vague description. I do wish we had gotten more romance and eventful relationship development. It felt like the pivot from fling to love happened just with a serious conversations. I wanted the big gestures and the swoon-worthy words.

To me, this felt more like a women’s fiction with romance--but not a rom-com! There is some quippy and humorous dialogue but none of the hijinks and funny situations I'd expect from a rom-com. Also, Beatrice and her inner turmoil and emotional unavailability was giving me second-hand stress and annoyance. Bea as the heroine is coming out of a less than stellar marriage, dealing with changes to her job, trying to stay present for her son, and now dealing with the reappearance of her ex. The romance to me took a back seat to Bea's growth as a human.

This is the first novel I have read by Ali Rosen, and now I am buying her other book. Special thanks to Ali Rosen, Montlake and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

This book was very, very good! I really enjoyed the scenes in Ireland and New York. I loved the positive female characters and subtle nods to feminism. It felt so good to read. The romance was amazing.

Bea is a strong single mom, who works as an executive in a form in NYC. She has a precocious and loveable little boy who is a hoot! She has a strained relationship with her ex-husband that is handled really well by the author.

Jack Sander is an IT exec who is hired by Bea’s company. But Jack and Bea have a past. Try as she might, there doesn’t seem to be a way around it.

Read this book if you are looking for gorgeous descriptions of natural beauty, exciting and spicy romance, and an incredibly entertaining ride!