Thank you so much to Net Galley and Boldwood Books for the ARC! I received this copy in exchange for my honest review and as always I’m so appreciative of the opportunity.

I will be posting this review in full on my goodreads profile and featuring parts of this review on my Instagram account story on 2/26/2025.

3/5 Stars- ** Spoilers below ***

This book drew me in not only with the Taylor Swift themed song title but also the premise of a woman finding out her fiancé was living a double life - with multiple other fiancés and her journey/plan for revenge.

To be honest I never really felt connected to Kate and her fiancé, Jon, so I didn’t really feel invested in their relationship and seeing as this was the majority of the storyline proved to be problematic. It was interesting to me that even from the very beginning while she was unaware of Jon’s betrayal- she was salivating over Willem (the other love interest ) and that doesn’t tend for me to be sympathetic towards her as she has an instant and obviously better love interest just a few pages into the book.

I haven’t read any of the previous books in this series so I might have missed something- But the author definitely appeared to be trying to tie Poppy, the matchmaker, and her organization and colleagues into the book heavily as a throw back I assume to the other books. I liked the Poppy character by herself but then when they created their scheme of revenge it just didn’t feel authentic to her character who is in the newlywed/trying to have a baby stage of life to participate and try to “lure” Jon in. I felt it could have been so much better to have had someone fill the role she did. I know this one book in a big series but that whole situation did bug me. And to be truthful the “revenge” wasn’t the most satisfying it seems like there could have been a lot more done with three capable women who were duped could have come with a better plan.

What I did really enjoy about this book was the character of Margot and her antics and ideas of revenge- she is definitely my kind of lady ✂️. Also I did like Willem as a character and loved the protective nature of him towards his family and Kate. It just didn’t really make sense for such an almost insta love type of relationship between Willem and Kate- when the only real development they had was Willem being a nice person to Kate and that that alone was enough for her to fall in love with him. I just would have liked a little more development between them.

As always this is just my opinion and I really appreciate the ARC and the opportunity to read it.

Sandy Barker – I Knew you Were Trouble
You can’t go wrong with a Sandy Barker novel!
In the same way that you can’t - in my humble opinion - go wrong with an SB white wine, similarly you know you’re going to end up satisfied, yet wanting more, with an SB – Sandy Barker - novel!
In this the fifth and, so we’re told, final episode of the Ever After Series, we’re again treated to Sandy’s fabulous writing, her witty commentary and, as always, a great romance. Sandy always professes to be a traveller as well as a writer, and in this latest book we’re whisked away to Amsterdam and to Verona. The story is written from both Kate’s and Poppy’s points of views and, in bringing back the character of Poppy, I think Sandy has made a wise and well thought out decision. Poppy’s always been good value in this series and to have her back on board will, I’m sure, as it did me, please fans of the previous books. Readers will appreciate the updates and current goings on in Poppy’s life, and her integration into the story is well done.
The story is light-hearted with Sandy’s witty dialogue. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Kate and her cousin Margot and of course one can’t help hanker after Willem, the “Nordic God with the piercing blue eyes and quiet allure!”
Another great book from Sandy Barker and one to read on a beach with a cocktail to hand!! (as I did in Egypt!!)

I Knew You Were Trouble is an easy to read lighthearted romance. I love how the story comes together and the other characters that join in in the revenge plan to get back at Jon. I would have loved for there to have been more tension between Willem and Kate but nevertheless I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend this book to readers who love lighthearted romances. Also, I absolutely loved the Taylor Swift references which wa the main reason why I read this book!

Thank you to net galley, the publisher and Sandy Barker for allowing me to receive an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

So much happened in this book, but not in the good way unfortunately, but I will try to break it down.

Pros:
- intriguing plot and narrative;
- a bit of banter made the story more interesting and got myself out of boredom;
- Margot was the funniest and colourful character and she felt very fresh.


Cons:
- the relationship between Kate and William was very superficial, we don’t get into some emotions, backstories, COMMUNICATION;
- the way it started between them… just no for me and all the feelings appeared way too fast and out of nowhere;
- it got me 40% to get into it and feel like I can go through the story;
- felt like there were good ideas about lots of moments, but none were executed as they should.


Overall the story was flat and too chaotic, with so many characters and narratives. I think that there should have been more depth and raw emotions and the focus on one thing, done right.

2 ⭐️ - Thank you Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and Sandy Barker for the ARC of I Knew You Were Trouble! All opinions are my own.

I think this story fell flat for me - the storyline was messy and the character development was just a jumbled mess and super unrealistic. I appreciate the thought process behind the plot, but I just don’t think it panned out well.

I've been getting back into the romance genre lately and this is a fun one for anyone to add to their TBR! I absolutely loved all the characters (except Jon, of course), especially Kate and Margot and their banter! The whole revenge idea gave this a very John Tucker vibe which is a trope I haven't seen very much. The revenge wasn't quite as big as I felt like they made it out to seem in the beginning, but it still all came together for a feel-good ending! Thanks so much for the ARC!

This was a fun and lighthearted read, with a "will they or won't they" theme, plus angles of deceit and revenge. While the book is number 5 of a series, it can be read alone (though some reviews have shown that the dual dialogues have been a bit confusing without more context). It's an enjoyable read and quite superficial with the themes of betrayal and a partner leading a triple life.

Thanks to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgallery for this ARC in return for an honest review. This is a cute and lighthearted rom com that adds a twist of revenge. I loved the characters who were easy to love, especially the dynamic between Kate and Margot. The travel across Europe and tension between the leads kept me hooked throughout. There were points where I felt the revenge plot wasn't the strongest in its execution but the end product was great. I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting a funny, romantic escape book with mostly closed door spice.

I didn't love this book, admittedly this was my first book in the series.. so it didn't help that I was confused by the dual narrative with Kate and Poppy. Everything seemed to move too quickly and felt like a summary of events but I didn't understand any motivation or feelings the characters had.

ARC from netgalley.

Sandy Barker is back with another fun and drama-filled installment of the Ever After Agency series, and I Knew You Were Trouble does not disappoint! It’s got humor, romance, and just the right amount of revenge to keep things interesting.

This time around, our favorite matchmaker, Poppy, finds herself in a bit of a different situation—helping a client with something way outside her usual matchmaking duties. Kate, the client in question, just found out that her fiancé, Jon, isn’t just hers… he’s engaged to other women.! Instead of looking for a new love, she’s looking for payback—and she enlists Poppy to help her get it.

And that’s just the beginning!

Read it!

Thank you to Boldwood Books, Sandy Barker and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I did not realize this was the final book of the series so at first I was a little lost when there were two points of view, Kate and Poppy. Kate is the main character and I was fully satisfied with her development and her hea! Poppy is connected to the main plot but also clearly has much more of a story in the first five books. I did find her interesting and Barker added enough "past reflections" for Poppy so I was not totally lost. I really enjoyed the female friendship and sisterhood aspect of this romcom. The characters could easily have had much more drama but came together with a common goal!

One thing that was a bit troublesome was the author's habit of telling rather than showing. There were some scenes that seemed crucial to the plot that were presented to the reader in the past tense. These scenes could have had more of an impact if you didn't already know it all worked out because the character starts by being back safe and sound from their "mission." For all the oceans 11 and Charlie's angels references, I expected a bit more suspense or at least mild tension as they plotted together.

Overall this was a great light read that was short and sweet. I loved the hea that also included new female friends in addition to a boyfriend for Kate!

look. this one is my fault. i didn't know this was book #5 in a series when i requested the arc, so i was extremely confused about all the name dropping (of in-universe characters) and why poppy was getting her own pov. i feel like i would have enjoyed this a lot more if i knew the lore and already knew these characters, but going in blind just didn't hit right.

with that being said, if this had to be a dual pov book, it would have made more sense for a book in a series of interconnected standalones to feature the pov of the characters from that book, not from previous ones. the thing about interconnected standalones is that you're supposed to be able to pick up any of them without feeling like you're missing out on important stuff by not starting with book #1. this would have felt a lot better if we had povs for both kate and willem instead.

(the title is misleading. it's not willem who's "trouble".)

Unfortunately this book didn’t work for me. I felt like the story made no sense and was unbelievable. I didn’t like the characters, I didn’t feel the chemistry. I am struggling to find anything I did like about it and I think it ends with the title.

This was a super cute rom com. There were parts that made me laugh, and then there were parts where I wanted to yell at them to just be in love already. =] Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC

This was an easy, light hearted, funny ,cute, romance book. I loved the part in Amsterdam. I also enjoyed reading the different povs as you get to read the story from different perspectives which makes it interesting. Overall I enjoyed this book.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.

This was a fun, light hearted romance that was the perfect swoony read. The characters were likeable with witty banter and I loved the will they/won’t they romance. Definitely a book worth reading this year!

This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review may contain spoilers

I’d give this book a solid 3 stars—an enjoyable read overall!

This was a light, fun book with more layers than just the central love story. It featured strong female leads, great female friendships, a revenge subplot, and a book boyfriend that was described Thor lookalike!

Kate and Willem's romance was a slow burn, filled with plenty of tension and banter that I was absolutely invested in. Kate's best friend/cousin made a fabulous character, may we all be so lucky to have a Margot in our lives!

I also really enjoyed the book’s exploration of different countries. The details about the lifestyle, food, and landmarks were fascinating. And the vernacular used in the book? Loved it!

This was the 5th book in an interconnected series, I did not read the previous 4 books and felt that it was ok to be read as a standalone. I would recommend reading this author, I can't wait to go back and read this whole series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. #IKnewYouWereTrouble #NetGalley.

This was a cute easy rom com. The whole double life and revenge plot was a little juvenile but still charming. This was my first book by Sandy Barker and I enjoyed her British humor.

Another great rom com within this series of intertwined standalones, The Ever After Agency.

I loved the fact we managed to get revenge as well as a HEA in this one. Both were sweet!!

Thank you for the ARC!

I didn't realize this was part of a series, but I think it could be read as a stand alone? I don't plan on reading the previous 4 books, but this one was alright! It had some slow parts, but overall, i thought it was pretty good. 3.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley for my ARC!