DNF at 14%

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the eArc in exchange for my honest opinion.

The premise of the book seems very fun, two authors with a writers block helping each other out and then Allie falling in love with the son of the author. The writing itself also showed a great promise, however I could just not get into the story.

The first chapter was so long, it could have been cut into multiple ones and would have been better for it. If i need to believe the table of contents on my ereader this is only an issue for the first chapter though. However, the Harry Potter reference, not for me in this time and age. Also the fact that one the old rich white guy was like “Or am i not allowed to say things like this these days”, I hope this was supposed to be ironic, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Overall, the book was simply not for me.

I liked the concept of this story, but the introduction felt very lengthy. The romance itself doesn’t really take off until close to the halfway point.

Despite having seven successful romances to her name, Allie finds herself in a major writing slump with a looming deadline. She teams up with Martin Clark, a renowned crime writer from the '90s who is battling his own writer’s block. Together, they form an unexpected partnership to break through their creative blocks!

While Martin’s fatherly bond with Allie was incredibly sweet, it often felt more central to the story than the romance with Will, a caterer she meets at an event. I liked how everything tied together, but the interactions with Will were just too limited, and Allie’s self-sabotage made it difficult to fully connect with their relationship.

I think there were just too many subplots—writer’s block, Allie and Will’s romance, Martin’s marriage, and an editor takedown. With so much happening, some storylines didn't get the spotlight I hoped for.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this!
I loved the premise: a romance author in bad writers block meets a grumpy crime novelist and a super swoony caterer. Martin and Allie agree to help each other out by writing their opposing genres. It sounds great on paper.
But I struggled with this a ton. I thought the romance was lacking some real tension and chemistry to make it believable. Allie was a bit difficult to relate to and made some weird decisions. But mostly I thought this tried really hard to touch so many plot points and never really delivered on any of them? It felt messy and a bit disjointed.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter & NetGalley for providing this ARC! ✨

The Plot Twist is the ultimate feel-good book! The characters are lovable, and the story revolves around something every book lover enjoys—writing books! 📖✨ It has that cozy, heartwarming vibe that makes you want to curl up with a cup of tea and just escape for a while. The premise is fun, and there are definitely moments that made me smile.

That being said, a few things didn’t quite work for me. Some sentences were unnecessarily long and didn’t add much to the story, making the book feel slower than expected. The relationships between the characters weren’t always believable, and the romance itself lacked chemistry—it just didn’t spark the way I’d hoped. Plus, by the halfway mark, it was pretty obvious how everything would unfold, which took away the excitement of finishing the book.

Overall, it’s a decent romcom with a sweet concept, but not one that completely swept me off my feet. If you love lighthearted, bookish stories, you might still enjoy it, but I wouldn’t call it a must-read. 😊

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book to read it early. The story was cute and fun to learn more about the characters along the way. The supporting characters were fun and the main characters are what made the book. I found Allie to be self centered and arrogant at times but her witty banter helped balance that. Martin is a gem and should always be protected.

A fun back and forth of will they won’t they with enough characters to keep you guessing. This book was light hearted and offered lots of giggles along the way. Would totally recommend.

I really tried to get into this one but I couldn’t do it. Allie is a best selling romance author with writers block who comes across a thriller author named Martin. The romance for me just fell flat and I was well… bored. 2/5 ⭐️ thank you Eleanor Goymer, Netgalley, and one more chapter for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Allie Edwards is a romance author. After writing seven romance novels she struggles to get started on her eighth novel. Her relationship with Dominic has ended and for months Allie has struggled with writer’s block. To make things worse, there is a new Sales Director who expects Allie to produce her eighth novel on time, while her editor Verity is gently trying to encourage Allie to finish on time.

Everything is a disaster. Allie meets another author who is also struggling with writer’s block, and they start helping each other.

This was a fun romance with lots of twists and turns. I loved the description of the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher One More Chapter for a chance to review this E-Book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

After debating between a three and two I’ve picked 2. This is a romance book and I didn’t feel any romance.

This book felt really repetitive and which I think is due to not being clever either set ups. The main girl has two friends but she has to tell the friend everything separately which leads to several repeat conversation. Not sure why they couldn’t have had one met up.

I kept going back to double check the summary thinking this book was about her and Martin… there was more romance there than with Will.

When I talk about not like the miscommunication trope this book is how I define that trope. If I am getting annoyed that you can’t have a conversation but can talk to your two friends about it and it wasn’t a big thing you made it into you cause you can tell someone something…

I’m not sure who would enjoy reading this but if you do I would love to know what you enjoyed about it. I think I got so frustrated with the lack of communication that anything enjoyable I missed.

Ok rant over.

Every aspect of this story (the characterization and character development, the romance, the underlying plot) drags. The first 30% or so of the book is full of exhausting, unnecessary exposition, attempting to set up a plot that could have been established by the first chapter. The lack of show over tell is exasperating. It takes too long to get to the romance, which should have felt stronger given how long we wait for it. All of the reveals are obvious to everyone except the main character, which makes her difficult to connect or empathize with. The use of miscommunication and self-destruction only makes her more frustrating. A disappointment, especially right before Valentine's Day.

The Plot Twist is a delightful romcom that centers around Allie Edwards, a romcom author struggling with writer’s block, and Martin Clark, a bestselling crime novelist who feels like a publishing relic in the modern world. Both are facing the pressure of looming deadlines and nothing to show for it. When they meet at a party, they decide to switch plots in an attempt to break free from their creative ruts.

Allie and Martin's collaboration is full of humor and heart. As Allie navigates her way through the challenge of writing Martin’s crime novel, she also finds herself caught up in her own personal life, where she meets Will, a charming events caterer who quickly becomes the answer to her romantic and "spicy material" needs. While her growing feelings for Will complicate things, Allie must balance her career and her personal life with deadlines bearing down.

As someone who loved this book, I have to say it lived up to its name — The Plot Twist was exactly that. I managed to guess the twist before it was revealed, but I still couldn't help but cheer a little when I was proven right. There's something satisfying about predicting a twist and seeing it play out, especially in such an engaging story.

The chemistry between Allie and Will was spot on, and the relationship she developed with Martin added an unexpected but welcome layer to the narrative. It wasn't just a romcom; it had heart, humor, and the perfect balance of career challenges and romance.

4/5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! My favorite parts were the storyline between Allie and Martin- almost like a father/ daughter duo helping each other and inspiring each other in their books. Martin falling in love with his wife again was simply precious. What a privilege for Allie to play a small role in that!

I loved Allie & Will together but I wish we could have seen more of their romance (dates, conversations) on the page. You get to see both characters become transparent and vulnerable with each other which was so lovely to see. I did see the twist coming but still loved it, regardless!

The ending was so sweet!

She's a romance author who's got writers block but finds herself being inspired by a bestselling crime novelist... and falling for his very gorgeous son. Allie Edwards is a rom com writer who has had writer's block and with an overdue manuscript... and feeling out of love, she's stuck... that is until she meets Martin Clark at a party and they both discover they're in the same predicament. While Allie writes rom coms, Martin writes crime novels... and they both decide to switch plots and tell each other's stories... yet Allie begins falling for the gorgeous event caterer who happens to be Martin's son... and while she's writing about him and his father... will he break up with her when he finds out the truth? This is a closed door contemporary romance that just feels so extremely boring. The story itself felt like it was lacking in romance, in character depth, and just in having an actual interesting plot. I came so close to dnf'ing it multiple times but dragged myself to the end to just see what would happen. The book felt so slow and the FMC wasn't likable at all.I unfortunately found myself clocking out while reading this and not caring at all what was happening. Sadly this one just didn't work for me.

Release Date: February 26, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Sadly I had to dnf at 12%

The premise of this book sounded so good but I was having such a hard time getting into it. I normally try to get to 25% before dnfing but I simply couldn’t do it any more.

My reasons for dnfing:
1) wasn’t vibing with the fmc
2) fmc quotes harry potter 🙄 (she’s an author and the best book she would quote was harry potter be so real)
3) a man who (I looked up to see) has a prominent role in the book said ‘Or am I not allowed to say things like that these days?’

At that it was time for me to put it down.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book didn’t quite live up to its promising premise for me. While I appreciated the easy, lighthearted read and the sweet moments sprinkled throughout, I found the plot predictable and wished for more depth in the character development. That said, I really enjoyed the fact that both main characters were authors, which added an interesting layer to the story. Although it wasn’t my favorite, I still encourage readers to give it a try—you may end up loving it!

2⭐️2.25🌶️

Contemporary Romance
Closed Door Romance
London Setting
Author FMC
Found Family

I really liked the little nuances of the meet-cute between the couple in this book. The backstory with the ex-boyfriend was a bit of a slog, like pulling teeth, but once that was out of the way and the real story took off, I was invested!

My favorite part of the story was the friendship between the FMC and the grumpy older writer—it almost felt more central than the romance itself.

The miscommunication was primarily the FMC avoiding adult responsibilities. The self-sabotage was evident throughout the entire story.

I can’t get over how long some of these paragraphs were. Then, in Chapter 24, the author set up a strange situation that ended abruptly, mid-conversation, creating an unnecessary miscommunication. The pacing and plotting could have used a bit more finesse.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed The Plot Twist! The idea of two writers swapping genres to break through their writer’s block was such a fun concept, and it played out in a really engaging way. Allie and Martin’s dynamic was a highlight for me—their friendship felt natural and heartwarming, with Martin becoming a true mentor figure. The romance with Will was sweet and had its swoony moments, though I wished for a little more depth in their connection. The book had a great balance of humor, heart, and just the right amount of spice. Some plot points were a bit predictable, but honestly, that didn’t take away from the charm. It’s a delightful read for anyone who loves stories about writing, self-discovery, and, of course, romance!

In my opinion the best relationship within this book is the friendship between Allie and Martin. I loved watching it blossom and grow despite how very different they are from each other. I loved the plot - though at times it did feel like there was an awful lot going on. But I think the primary focus on Allie and Martin coming together to develop their traded stories was very successful and such a fun premise. The relationship between Allie and Will and the "plot twist" there was fun but secondary. There were times within the book that I thought Allie came across as a little mean and immature. I didn't love that and it did impact my overall opinion of the book.
Still a solid 3.5 out of 5.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

In The Plot Twist we follow Allie who is struggling to get her next book written. The blinking cursor on the page is taunting her and due to some events including a fun encounter with a cute catering staff she agrees to swap plots with another author.

The plot sounded like a lot of fun and I wanted to try this genre as I normally don't read it. However, I think this genre might not be for me after all.
The characters talking and chatting with each other was done very nicely. I enjoyed the banter and the chats they had, felt very natural how a conversation would flow. However the moment the main character was on her own I noticed I personally missed some extra layers in the story. This is all a personal preference as I'd like to learn more about a certain setting, space they are in or more in depth about certain choices. Again this is probably because the genre is not for me. I guess my brain was expecting some more 'world building' so to speak while reading, and that is not this genre. Also, personally not a fan of the miscommunication trope and that was present in this book.

That said, I am happy I was able to read The Plot Twist and for this book to be my first step into this genre. I had some snorts and giggles happen out loud while reading and Allie is to some levels very relatable for some of us socially awkward folks. For those who do not want their books smutty or spicy: there were no smut scenes in here, only suggestions something had happened.

If you are looking for a fun and cute story with a small peek inside the publishing world with very amusing banter amongst the character then this book will be great for you!

It's a heartwarming, predictable, but sweet story. I liked the friendship between Martin and Allie and their banters, too, but with Will? The relationship between him and Allie was underwhelming. I wanted more, but it wasn't there.
The Found Family trope is cute; it's one of my favs, so I had to read this book. The pacing of the story was fine.. somethings felt rushed, but I managed them.

I hope we get to see Will and Allie's relationship going further in the next part.