I have read and enjoyed many of Swatman's books...proclaiming every time that this is my favourite to date...guess what?

Five Things I Love About You is Miranda's story of finding herself and starting over. I love the spate books around at the mo that have an older protagonist at the helm. I find the characters more relatable and can empathise with them.

It's a heartwarming read and has a touch of magical realism. I love to interpret my dreams, but dream prophecies is a whole new ball game and I'm all for it!

Loved the friendships, the romance and obviously the charming cast of characters.

An enjoyable and engaging easy read.

A man steps off the pavement as Miranda cycles to work in the rain around the North Circular – and she wakes up in hospital, remembering little, but the man has just featured in her dreams. He had dark hair, a Geordie accent, a pink tie, and his name might have started with a J, but she couldn’t see his face clearly – but the dreams are still happening nine months later (and she’s added the detail that he has a dog called Colin), and she knows she needs to find him, convinced that he really must be “the one”. So when she’s made redundant from her teaching job, her new relationship doesn’t work out, and her grown-up family are living their own lives, she decides there’s only one thing she can do – let her house, find some supply teaching in Newcastle, and try to find him.

This was such an original concept, and quite beautifully delivered – her quest seems impossible, but she really does give it her very best try. And it helped – even if I shook my head at times and didn’t entirely agree with some of her choices along the way – that Miranda was a character I really loved, wavering and indecisive at times, distracted from her mission, but both easy to identify with and extraordinarily brave as she attempted to achieve the seemingly impossible. I really enjoyed living through every setback and small victory with her – and I’m deliberately avoiding any mention of the way her life unfolds, as her story is one full of surprises that it’d be unforgivable for me to share.

Another thing I really loved about this book was the friendships – always so supportive, even if they (especially Kirstie, who’s only too happy to tell her so) think she’s taken leave of her senses, and still making wrong choices in her new life. Sophie’s rather more in her corner maybe – a little more open to the woo-hoo side of things, even grabbing the opportunity to give her a tarot card reading (with a little more negative energy from the more grounded Kirstie). But they’re both so very firmly in her corner, always there when she needs them – the special bonds between them all made me quite tearful at times.

The ending? Does she find him? And is he the one? Well, that’s for you to find out when you read it – but I will tell you that I loved every moment of the story, and couldn’t recommend this wonderful book more highly. It’s very different, it’s unpredictable, it’s emotional, it made me laugh and cry, and – by its perfect ending – it really made my heart sing. Do add it to your reading list – I think you might just love it as much as I did.

This story is about friendship and love. After an accident one of three friends has a dream and decides to go in search of “The One”. There are twists and turns but her long term friends help her carry on.. I highly recommend this book. Clare Swatman has become a favourite author of mine.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored this book. I completely related to the characters. The women are brilliant, their friendship gorgeous to read. And the adventure to possibly find true love.....it had me hooked from start to finish!

I have enjoyed Clare Swatman's previous books so I was keen to read this one.

What worked well for me:
⭐️The characters were well written and interesting
⭐️There was a strong theme of friendship
⭐️The pacing and tension worked well to build the story
⭐️I cared about the characters and wanted the / a love story to work out
⭐️The idea was interesting and i do like a bit of magic realism
What worked less well for me:
🌥The story arc relied on heavy coincidence and lots of assumptions and it was hard to suspend disbelief at times.
🌈Overall it was an uplifting and heartwarming read with a satisfying ending.

Miranda has an accident on her bike and gets taken to hospital, she then starts having dreams about her dream man she saw at the accident. She has a few clues or things she remembers about them to help her. She has just been made redundant, her children have left home and she is divorced so she moves to Newcastle, gets some temporary teacher work, rents out her home and sets about trying to find Jay.

She meets Matt who she tells her story and he helps her out by showing her the local area, her two best friends from London visit and keep in touch. Then she finds Jay, or has she and is he the right person for her?

This book was a lovely book to read and I will be looking for more by this author.

Clare Swatman's 'Five Things I Love About You' is a heartwarming and inspiring story of second chances and self-discovery. Miranda, threatened by a predictable existence, is attracted to an enigmatic man in her dreams, prompted by five specific clues. Her journey of relearning courage and accepting the prospect of love is told through the story.

The author's affable, chatty tone makes the tale easy and enjoyable to follow, while the "five clues" format introduces an element of suspense. The emphasis on Miranda's individual development as well as the romance seems in good balance. Secondary characters might be fleshed out a bit more, but overall, the book ultimately has a reassuring and uplifting message regarding taking leaps of faith. It's an attractive book for fans of tales about do-overs and the wonder of surprise encounters.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I really enjoyed it great characters loved the friendship between the three ladies and it had lots of humour and fun throughout the book. When Miranda has a chance meeting with a stranger after an accident her two friends encourage her to leave London and go to Newcastle to try and find him and what transpires makes this a really interesting and romantic read especially when she meets Matt who she is immediately attracted to but will she still want to find the stranger who she thinks is the man of her dreams..A lovely read and a great story

Huge Thank you to Boldwood publishers for asking me to review this brilliant read .

i loved Clare's last book so i knew straight away this was going to be a book i love .

i thought it was wonderful and cosy this love story i would say is a big hug in a book I loved the plot i thought the friends to lovers was so well written .more light heart compared to some i read i think i really need that ,i thought the writing was wonderful Clare always captivates me .

as for the characters oh gosh i cant pick one but they was all so wonderful and quirky in their own way .

if you enjoy friends to lovers reads then this is for you

I am giving the book 4.5 cosy loving stars

A wonderful heartwarming story that felt like a cosy hug from a special friend. So easy to pick up and read a few pages in between other jobs yet difficult to put down when you really need to.

This gorgeous book coincided with my need for romance—the heartachingly gorgeous type that fills your soul with warmth and contentment that cannot be ignored. I knew that a book by Clare Swatman would tick those boxes, so I was delighted to see that this was next on my reading schedule.
Opening up with a bicycle accident that saw our main protagonist hospitalised was the drama that I have come to expect from this author. Miranda has practically sailed through an amicable divorce, but learning that her job is being made redundant was not on her bingo card. Lying in her hospital bed, she relives the point of impact where she was avoiding a handsome pedestrian, now she can’t get him out of her head. She knows he’s attractive, even though her dreams only offer a blurred version of his face and a pink tie! Thankfully, she recalls him speaking with a Geordie accent, so she decides to track him down by moving to Newcastle. What can go wrong?
Miranda has a terrific support group in the form of her friends, Sophie and Kirstie, so she takes the leap of faith with their backing. Their friendship bonds are enviable, providing a terrific foundation for this gorgeous story. It’s Miranda herself who really captured my imagination; her spirit was admirable, and I’m sure that I wouldn’t have more than a tiny bit of her bravery.
From concept to execution, this book held my attention, and I couldn’t have loved it more. It oozed romance, even though it was frustrating to follow her choices, and I found myself shouting at a fictional character. The premise felt fresh, and the storytelling engaged me from the opening lines.
If you can’t tell already, I loved it.

This one surprised me actually in a good way for several reasons:
1. It's has more mature protagonists. they are late 40s/early 50s which is refreshing.
2. Has a very sentimental part of the book to do with dogs that actually made me teary. I always say if a book can make you cry then it's doing something right.
3. It's got a magical realism element to it (dream prophecy) which i loved.
4. A lot of this book also focuses on the friendships of the main character which was absolutely fabulous. These friends were ride or die and I loved it.
5. The characters didn't have the misunderstanding trope which I hate or the imaturity we sometimes get when characters are dating which was so refreshing.

If you are looking for more mature characters whilst still being fun and sweet and heartfelt then give this book a chance please.
Just one niggle. I would have liked an epilogue on this one as the ending just seemed slight uprupt.

Many thanks to Boldworld books for providing me a copy of the book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Five Things I Love About You by Clare Swatman is a sweet, uplifting story about friendship, self-discovery, and the unexpected turns life can take when you’re brave enough to start over. While I’ve had mixed feelings it was a pleasant surprise, offering emotional depth and a heartwarming message at its core.

The real star of the book is the friendship—it’s heartfelt, authentic, and adds so much warmth to the story. While I didn’t always connect with the main character’s choices and the ending felt a little too abrupt, the emotional honesty and themes of growth and connection truly resonated. It’s a story about rediscovering joy, letting go of regrets, and trusting that sometimes the universe nudges us exactly where we need to be. A comforting read for those who enjoy hopeful women’s fiction with a touch of magic.

What led Miranda to seek her soul mate? And move half way across the country to do it?
When Miranda is knocked of her bike a fleeting glimpse of a man results in recurring dreams that give her 5 clues to his identity.
An enjoyable, lighthearted read about whether fate needs a hand or not.
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Miranda, a secondary school teacher, nearly runs over a mysterious stranger on her bike. But what follows is her search for this man but along the way she finds more than she bargained for! Relatable moments in this story such as divorce, redundancy, grief and friends there along the way, help to make this book such an easy read.


I really enjoyed this book & managed to finish it in just a couple of sittings. Chapters 22, 27 and 28 broke me. I was left feeling super satisfied with the ending, however. I loved the parts the ‘sidekicks’ had to play in this book too. We all need best pals like Miranda’s!!

You won’t regret giving this book a go!

IS finding the love of your life possible only dreaming about a man you barely met once? Miranda is in a crossroads in her life. At 49 years old, divorced and just been dismissed of her job, she leaves London and heads toward NewCastle, encouraged for her best friends, to find her soulmate. But sometimes things are not what they seem and she connected with the wrong man while searching for the right one. Or is it just the opposite? Sweet, warm and journey of self-discovery and second chances. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review

Five Things I Love About You by Clare Swatman

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

At forty-nine, Miranda is ready for a new chapter.

With her children grown, a perfectly amicable divorce long behind her, and her career in need of a spark, life feels steady — but a little too predictable. She can’t shake the feeling that something has to change.

So, when she’s knocked off her bike and wakes up in hospital bruised but not broken, Miranda wonders if the universe is trying to tell her something. And when she starts to be plagued by recurring dreams featuring the same featureless man, Sophie is convinced it’s a sign.

Her repeating dreams offer five clues to the man’s identity so, with nothing to lose, Miranda sets off on a journey to the future she’s always longed for. Somewhere there’s a life and a love waiting for Miranda, but when destiny finally presents itself, will she take the leap?

My Opinion

Five Things I Love About You is an uplifting read. This was only my second book by Clare Swatman but I really like the writing style. With only five clues Miranda is determined to find the man she has been dreaming about. With a great pace, this was a book that I struggled to put down. A delightful novel.

Rating 4/5

Another page turning read from Clare. Miranda decides to leave her life in London to look for the man of her dreams (literally) in Newcastle. Miranda is looking for 'Jay' she knows very little about him but is determined she will find him. Along the way she meets Matt and Gladys, they seem to form a great friendship but is there something bubbling under the surface between them? Does she meet Jay after searching? Does anything happen with her and Matt? I highly recommend adding this to your TBR to find out.
A great beach read that leaves you smiling.

This is my seventh read by Clare Swatman, and her books have been hit-and-miss for me. While I loved A Love to Last a Lifetime, How to Save a Life, Before We Grow Old, and The World Outside My Window, Last Christmas and The Lost Letters of Evelyn Wright were both a bit of a miss. I am so sad to report that this one was also a miss.

In this story, Miranda searches for an unknown man from a recurring dream. I loved the premise and the idea of looking for your better half via clues from your dreams. I connected with Miranda at first, but the more I read, the more I realized she isn’t too bright. I get that she’s going through empty nest syndrome and is having a hard time at work, but some of the things she did frustrated the hell out of me. I enjoyed how heartfelt the story was, but felt that the deeper emotional issues were just skimmed over.

The characters were relatable, and the story of female friendship shone through. This book was great as an escapist read. So overall, I would say that it was a pleasant enough read, and if you’re into contemporary romances with a touch of woo-woo, you may enjoy it if the predictable plot points don’t ruin the reading experience for ya.

Would I recommend this book? No. Would I read Clare Swatman again? You betcha. She has written some amazing stories in the past. This one just wasn’t for me.