✨Book Review: The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love by Eve Devon✨

When starting this book I was intrigued as I haven’t read many romances like this. This book follows Ashleigh and Gregory. Ashleigh is the cleaner for Gregory’s apartment and they begin communicating through crosswords until they meet in a disastrous way! This book is very slow-burn but I feel it was dragged out too much and then rushed the romance aspect at the end. I loved the representation of anxiety and showing the reality of how panic attacks feel. I loved Gregory whereas I felt Ashleigh was quite overbearing and didn’t feel there was much character development for her! But if you enjoy slow-burn romance, friends to lovers, kinda forced proximity then definitely give this book a go when it releases on the 24th of May!

I adored this book. Everything from the romance, the crosswords (of which I'm so bad, I couldn't guess them) to the cleaning!! I loved her job and then I loved how we went backwards, unravelling layer by layer of what seemed like just a cute book.

Also, a round of applause please to the author for the excellent protrayal of mental health. Honestly wow. For both male and female characters as well! It was so realistic and as someone who suffers from panic attacks, the level to detail was appreciated.

Really loved this and would highly recommend.

The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love is a sweet, slow burn romance. The MCs, Ashleigh and George have great chemistry, and their communication method of messages in crossword puzzles was SO fun! I absolutely love doing crosswords, so this part of the story really drew me in. The cast also has some really deep, and lovable side characters, like Hildy, who would meddle quietly.

The author did a wonderful job of showing the truth of anxiety and panic. Touching on mental health is a great addition to the book, and takes it to deeper levels than the "average" romance. Ashleigh and George are able to share experiences of things like mental health, and their appreciation for each other's journeys and the empathy it gives each of them makes you fall in love with them even more!

I highly enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who loves sweet, romances!

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Eve Devon for the early access copy of The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love.

The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love is a witty, well-written, fun, dual point-of-view romance. The story follows Ashleigh and George.

Ashleigh is a caring, personable, loveable character who works for a home cleaning service where she is meticulous and goes above-and-beyond. Ashleigh is relatable, and as the story progresses you learn is going through a substantial grief journey.

George, is a kind, determined, hardworking character, that while the story progresses has lost himself in his work.

When Ashleigh begins cleaning George's home, the two begin to communicate in a unique way.

This is a slow burn, closed-door romance, that allows the time to learn the characters separately before going directly into the whirlwind of the romance. It felt like I was making friends while reading this story. It has witty banter, fun interactions while also broaching difficult subjects like grief and anxiety.

I will miss the world that Eve Devon created.

This romance story follows Ashleigh and George who are both dealing with life 'traumas' and find a common ground in their love for crosswords. It's a slow burn in terms of them meeting and 'falling in love' but it's clear from before they even meet that Ashleigh is rather obsessed with George.

My biggest issue with the book was that Ashleigh and George don't interact until at least 50% in, which left us with less time for development thus a development that felt slightly rushed.
I also wish the epilogue was set more in the future than just 3 months, there was so much focus around Ashleigh only dating to find dates to a wedding, the epilogue should have been set a year later at said wedding to really bring the book full circle.

Those 'issues' don't take away from the story, its unique and doesn't have the exact same themes as every romance out there lately, and a quick read perfect for those that enjoy a faster paced 'slow burn.'

Thank you netgalley and HarperCollins UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I actually enjoyed this story more than I thought I would at the start. The beginning was rather slow with lots of characters and situations being introduced. I nearly gave up after a third but glad I carried on as it certainly picks up and turns into a lovely entertaining romcom. Set in New York and told from two stressed out voices, cleaner Ashleigh and advertiser George whose characters really developed as their lives change, along with some quirky side ones. Mrs Lundy, call me Hilde, was an absolute delight. Fun and funny.

3.5 stars rounded up. Ashleigh and George are both trying to find their way in New York and struggling for different reasons - not that either of them really wants to admit it. When circumstances bring them into each other's orbit, it's the catalyst for change.
There's a lot to like here, particularly the strong individual voices of George and Ashleigh, and some memorable supporting characters (I especially liked Oz and "call me Hildy"). The second half of the book was much stronger than the first, mainly due to pacing issues: it seemed to take far too long for the main characters to be on the page together and when they were, a vital chunk of George's story was suddenly told, rather than shown, after it actually occurred. But once they were together I liked how they supported each other through grief and anxiety, and used that support to work out important truths about themselves.

A very quirky romcom! Ashleigh and George meet in the most unlikely of ways and form a friendship that proves to withstand the test of life!

They both go through so much and they are there helping each other out in anyway they can. Both have a lot to learn and a lot to figure out but love becomes their guide!

Ashleigh for me is so relatable because she is unapologetically her. She makes choices that shock those around her but she makes them for her own being and I loved the heck out of that. I love how she took charge when needed.

So many great characters within the pages of this book and one that should be picked up and enjoyed.

The story is cleverly woven with themes of self-discovery and second chances, making the protagonist’s journey relatable and deeply moving. What I loved most about this book was its ability to blend humor with heartfelt moments, creating a perfect balance that kept me engaged throughout. The authors writing is fluid and expressive, capable of capturing the subtle complexities of relationships and the magic that comes when you least expect it. Her characters are well-developed and genuinely likable, which made me invest emotionally in their happiness and root for their love story.

In search of comfort and a sense of control Ashleigh tries to cope with her grief by finding a job as a cleaner. When she walks into George’s flat to clean it and finds it spotless, she can’t help but feel intrigued by its owner. George, on the other hand, knows nothing about the woman who cleans his place other than their shared love of crossword puzzles. And so their friendship begins, with notes and crossword clues left for each other.

The premise of the book sounded intriguing and reminiscent of ‘The Flatshare’ by Beth O’Leary. I have to admit, it’s far from that. The characters don’t meet until halfway through the book, but I actually enjoyed that part. Yes, it was a bit repetitive but it was also engaging to get glimpses of their interactions and experience a sense of eagerness for them to finally meet. And when they do, that is where the whole thing actually starts to fall apart, as their interactions felt faux-deep, with unnatural dialogue and little to none chemistry. And when you take out the chemistry and your romance goggles off, the whole premise then loses its appeal and actually becomes borderline problematic and a tad stalkerish.

Many thanks to NetGalley UK and the publishers for this ARC.

I thought this was a really cute book! I thought the use of crossword puzzles as their “meet cute” was really creative and such a unique way to have Ashleigh and George bond! It’s definitely a slow burn since the two of them don’t officially meet until almost half way through the book! I felt the side character of Oscar and Carlos were fleshed out and helped bring the story to life! I liked how the two first became friends and supported each other before becoming a couple!

Thank you so much for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! My Goodreads review is linked and I will add my Instagram link to my review when it is live!

This is a romantic comedy with both main characters dealing with anxiety and loss, and panic and depression, which is dealt with compassion and sensitivity. The novel is a bit slow at the beginning, but the pacing picks up when Ashleigh, who has moved to a new city and is seeking friends and connections, opens herself up to new friends Hildy, Carlos, and Oz. Getting the main characters to connect via their love of crosswords was genius. I loved the characters. Even “Robert Plant” of Led Zeppelin makes an appearance. I recommend this book.

Ashleigh and Devon meet when she starts completing his crosswords when she cleans his apartment and a friendship blooms.

This book is essentially a romance but deeper than this it is about not letting past experience hold you back and to make those difficult choices that can completely transform the way your life is heading if you are stuck in a rut.

I really loved this book.

Contemporary romance dual point of view slow burn. I liked the premise but the writing didn't flow for me. I never became invested in the main characters or their relationship. I would give this 3.5 stars.

Abolutley loved this book from Eve Devon.
Ashleigh cleans apartments for a living after taking on a new one which doesn't really look like it ever needs cleaning she finds the owners love of crosswords like she does. He seems to be struggling to finish them and ashleigh starts to finish them for him leaving little cryptic clues of her own for him to solve.
After a few weeks they eventually bump into each other and become friends.
Asheighs best friends like to hook her up with dates with no look so far until one which seems to be going ok until he stands her up when she needs him most . She needs a back up and George comes to the rescue.

Cute and lighter read despite some heavier themes. Ashleigh was once a magazine proofreader now working as a cleaner. George works in advertising, meets Ashleigh when she is assigned to clean his apartment. They're sweet, and the crossword puzzles were a nice meet-cute vehicle. I liked the touches of humor and Ashleigh had a nice level of snark. I was a little mixed on them as they were getting together initially, their face-to-face chemistry seemed clunky and it was almost as if their personalities were better expressed before they met in person. It did even out a bit after that, but I almost enjoyed their characters better when they were apart. Great supporting cast! Be warned that both characters struggle with anxiety issues, although for very different reasons, and there are a lot of instances of them dealing with and describing their anxiety and panic attacks. Their experiences with controlling their anxiety seems realistic, although the means to them resolving their anxiety issues felt a bit too formulaic (but realistic, I guess, for a rom-com). Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this story, this is my objective opinion.

The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love is a charming, slow burn romance, perfect for fans of authors such as Beth O’Leary.

Ashleigh and George had great chemistry, and I loved the premise of being united by a love of crosswords and messaging via crosswords before meeting. They meet relatively late in the book, but in addition to the dual POV it meant we really got to know them well individually, before as a couple. I enjoyed the trials and tribulations of the side cast of characters, my favourite was Hildy and her quiet meddling on the side!

I found the pacing of the book a little sporadic, but this didn’t take me out of the story too much. I really thought the author did a wonderful job of capturing the intrusive and spiralling nature of anxiety and panic. Sensitively woven through Ashleigh and George’s experiences of grief and loss, panic and anxiety was their strength in their ability to support and empathise with one another due to their lived experience.

Thank you HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

Well this was just a very delightful read. This is the first book I’ve read by Eve Devon, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading George and Ashleigh’s story. While the book definitely has moments that made my heart swoon (the crossword puzzles, the “cheesy dates”, and the loose friends to lovers trope) it also dealt with some heavy issues too (anxiety and loss of a loved one). Overall, the book was very enjoyable and would be perfect for fans of The Flatshare.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Eve Devon and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Now this is what I call a slow burn!

Ashleigh and Sean don’t directly meet but interact through Crosswords.

I loved that the characters felt real because I could relate to them. I had some difficulties reading some bits because of that relatability.

The premise of this book was intriguing and I enjoyed how sweet all of the characters were.

However, the main character's stream of consciousness dialogue was so hard to pay attention to. There was so much of it that I felt myself skimming over the text to the point of the story/scene. I think this book could be more interesting with editing and some dialogue removed.