Well, it's safe to say I adored this book 🥰 4.5🌟 Had all the feel-good cosy warm feels. Maybe it won't be one I will be able to recall per say but it definitely made an impact. Beautifully written and well narrated, all the characters just felt like you knew them easy to relate to, likeable and so realistic in a rom-com type of way!


Laila is a clinical cardiologist who is currently working hard, caring for her sick mother, and simply doesn't have time for or make much time for herself. She seems to be missing something in life and this is clearly noticed by her 2 best friends Jenna & Samira who have walked through much of her life with her, they can see she is missing part of herself she is simply working too hard and isn't getting enough of those feel good happy vibes in her life so how can they possibly do anything to help her when she is so independent and stuck in her ways... Well approach this in a way that Laila would just maybe accept like a business model with a presentation of course full of explanations of molecules and examples of the missing chemicals she needs to function as a happier human being!!!

CHNO
Chemical for dopamine this is the missing link they decide before embarking on their journey of The Love Intervention...

Samira and Jenna set up an intervention for their friend Laila Clark as they believe she is working way too hard and looking after her mum she needs love and fun in her life she needs all the feel good ingredients like dopamine serotonin etc. So being her best friends they intervene in the best way they know how and they go on a quest which leads them to social media to find 3 ex boyfriends/ male friends that got away or didn't quite make it into Lailas love life. In 1 way or another via her social media all from diff countries but all crossed Lailas path 10 years ago at NYU so they hatch a plan together for her to travel to see them and she can decide from there what happens!
Her friends will take care of her mum while she travels so she has no excuse not to go or anything to worry about they know she has accrued annual leave one more box ticked, what could possibly go wrong.

Friendship is the foundation for a good relationship, after all, so they reveal a full presentation to her hopeful that Laila will embrace their reasoning and intervention.

The first person to get in touch is Austin Bradley after her friends had sent him a message when she was at the bathroom because they knew she wouldn't take it seriously.

"Phone buzzed with a WhatsApp message from someone I hadn't heard from in 10 years... 1 name 2 words ~ Edwardo Moretti"

"The absence of serotonin in the system could cause a range of symptoms, decreased energy levels, sadness, feeling hopeless, mood swings, increased or decreased appetite, difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much and cognitive symptoms such as poor memory"

A little note from me here in my own personal take from this in the message behind this beautiful story is that... People really underestimate the power of love whether it be with friends, family or a partner there is so much truth in these facts and alot of people who struggle or suffer with physical ailments as well as mental health issues can often be helped with simple connections of being heard, seen and comforted by others. Communication and connection are so much more important to humans that many really fail to give credit to or understand the importance of how much you matter to another person in your life. You never know how you may habe made someone smile in their day by your message, your warm embrace or simply your smile we all need these chemical releases and they most definitely have a massive impact on our physical and mental health and well being!

When we laugh, we produce oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin etc all the feel-good ingredients our body needs without the addition of pharmaceuticals. It isn't to say of course there isn't s place for them as each individual is different but this audiobook for me really is highlighting so much of a bigger message of reality and how when someone feels truly loved they do feel better overall.

I'm sure you have all heard people say you are glowing etc or you may have said this to another usually this is when someone is at peace within themselves, in their lives and living their most fulfilling best self at that time!

Thank you for the beautiful reminder. Back to the review!

"The recurring theme without an absence of these molecules had a detrimental effect on your mental health.... but was love the answer...."???

Love really does cure a lot ❤️

Sad lamps etc ofc do assist in aiding someone's health particularly in winter months however it is a dose it is fleeting this is why it truly is important to have people in your life who love you unconditionally and who you love the same way! Hugs well 🤗 I've always been a hugger, and this just sums up why hugs help people so much, a 20 second hug can release all those positive, feel-good chemicals.

After visit with Austin for a week it had been a fantastic time spent at the vineyard only to come to the realisation that 10 years ago there was a misunderstanding of what may have actually happened Austin hadn't been with her room mate like Laila thought he wasn't the f*ck boy she thought he was, her room mate threw herself at him thst last night when he went to find layla he found her kissing Edwardo and was heartbroken he wanted to give it a go now and make a go of them being a couple and suggests going with her to peuerto Rico but Laila says he can't because she going to see Edwardo which is when all the truth comes out.

This begins a spiral of events that I don't want to give away any more of the plot because it really is so much more than I even anticipated but this is simply a little taster of the backbone of the basic elements of the why these friends set this up, their intentions and also how strong friendships, love and forgiveness all is when faced with various adverse conditions that we don't see coming.

Life isn't easy for anyone we all have our paths to walk however if you walk it with love in your heart & peace in your soul I'm sure like this wonderful book illustrates you will find happiness within ♥️

Absolutely beautiful story of friendship, forgiveness, betrayals, confusion, hurt, angst, twists, and turns but deep faith in love winning in the end!

With thanks to Netgalley & Bolinda Audio for this ARC in return for this review. With best wishes for publication on 1st March 2025. I'm sure this will be a success 🙏🏼♥️🎧

Another lovely book from Caroline Khoury! I'm personally a sucker for a love triangle, so when offered with a love square you know I'm going to read it! Three men from Laila's past give us the perfect set up for second chance romances. When you think you can see which direction the book is going, suddenly all men are back in the mix as an option, adding to the suspense of how will it end. Daphne Kourma also did a fabulous job narrating this audiobook - a narrator will definitely make or break a book but Daphne was great

I started reading the ebook (and was enjoying it) but the desire to pick up my kindle wasn’t there so the audiobook via netgalley was a life saver.

Without audio I would have missed out on a gorgeous romcom that was so much more.
The pacing was a little slow at times, but the story kept me interested.
It’s what you expect from a romcom with your favourite tropes too but the part I loved the most was this goes deeper than just a love square. There is heartache, laughter, growth, reforging of relationships and so much more.
It’s hard to explain more without spoilers so all I will say is “The Love Intervention” Layla’s friends set up, ends up being more than searching for DOSE! (Dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin & endorphins).

Layla kinda annoyed me at the start but as her story unfolded I grew to understand and relate to her more and loved the journey she took including all the highs, lows, heartache and pleasure! And yes there is spice. It’s possibly about a 1 on the spice scale but took me by surprise.

The audio narration was brilliant. It was easy to distinguish between each of the female characters and it did help bring their characters & personalities to life. And even the male ones were good. Whenever someone narrates in the opposite gender and with an accent, I can’t help but smile but it doesn’t detract from the story.
I love audiobooks and will definitely pick one up if Daphne Kouma is the narrator.

Love, in all its forms, is definitely at the core of this story. Such a fantastic read.

Thank you canelo for the ebook & Bolinda audio for the audiobook.

Thank you netgalley for letting me read and review this book. I found it really lovely and I told my friends after reading that they sucked for not setting me up -they did then tell me that all my exes were really shitty or married so there is that!

There was actually twists and turns in this book and the ending was lovely!

This was a welcome surprise 😊 all the usual tropes you’d expect from a romance novel, but with added family and friendship arc that I didn’t wholly anticipate.

The Love Intervention is pretty much as it sounds, Layla has a lot of weight to carry, she’s struggling in a job she’s supposed to love, caring for her mum and buckling a bit under the pressure. Her two best friends stage the intervention, science says love is the answer, and Layla is a scientist after all. They plan a trip where she has to rekindle three old flames and see what comes of it, this was a lot of fun, and for me there was a definite front runner amongst the candidates.

Layla discovers a lot about not only herself, but family secrets, secrets within her friendship group and realises there are some old wounds that need to be healed for her to truly be happy.

I loved that this wasn’t overkill on the romance, the characters were fun, they made me laugh, at times they really irritated me but it all rolled up to an ending that was perfect.

The audio narration by Daphne Kouma 🎧

An easy 4 🌟
Huge thanks to Bolinda Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧