“Five Things I Love About You” is by Clare Swatman. I would call this a light cozy romance story. The book focuses on a nearly 50 year old woman, Miranda, who is in an accident. In some ways this book worked well - Miranda’s friends were great, especially their humor. But I never quite warmed up to Miranda - she wasn’t a bad character, but she made some rather odd choices. The first part of the story focused on Miranda making choices, while the second half focused on her search for “him.” Overall, I think the idea of this book was interesting, but this wasn’t quite executed in a way that I liked. But I do think those who like Ms. Swatman’s other books and cozy romances would find this book a good one.

I liked the idea of this book but found the actual story not as exciting as I had hoped. I was several chapters in before I realised the main character was nearing 50 rather than 20 something and I didn't warm to he character at all.
I also guessed the twist quite early so the book didn't really excited me

Really good book that i will recommend to others.

Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

Funny, poignant, endearing characters, a good spattering of relatable everyday truths, a few unexpected plot twists . . . everything a good book should be! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Five Things I Love About You by Clare Swatman is a book about a woman ready for a second chance. Miranda is 49, divorced with two adult children and even her best friends admit that her love life is somewhat lacklustre. When a cycling accident sees her waking up in hospital after dreaming of a mysterious man she takes it as a sign , especially when the dreams become recurring. A job change seems like the final push to send her in search of the literal man of her dreams, but finding him will prove to be something of a challenge.
This is a cute short read and there were several things to like about it. I liked the fact that the protagonist was a woman in middle age who was willing to try something new and chase her dreams even if I didn't always think she was making the wisest decisions, I also really liked her friends, their banter and the dynamics of their relationships felt very real and added a lot of humour to the book. I did think that the whole search for her dream man was needlessly drawn out, especially after she met Matt and it was obvious to everyone but her that they were meant to be together. I also predicted the ending of the story and was hoping that the author would not go down such an obvious route, I don't think it was needed and it in some ways took away from Miranda and Matt's love story. I think readers who love romance and believe in fate will absolutely love this story.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Cute story about fate and soulmates. Miranda was riding her bike to school (she’s a teacher) and crashes while trying to avoid a guy stepping off the curb. She gets injured and hears bits and pieces of his info. She then starts having dreams about this mystery guy, but can’t see his face in the dreams. These go on for months and she thinks it’s a sign from the universe to find him. Having been recently laid off, a divorced 49 year old mom of adult kids, she decides to move to Newcastle, where she thinks this soulmate lives. She befriends Matt shortly after arriving, while on her search. This story follows her journey of starting over, and searching for love. It has a brief closed-door scene and is a quick and easy read. Very cozy. Great library pick up.

Thank you Boldwood Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was fun!

I enjoyed reading about a protagonist in her late forties, although there were times when she came across to me as much younger.

While the plot was highly implausible, it did keep me engaged, and I would recommend it to romance lovers who like to think about the role of fate and whether there is such a thing as "Mr. Right."

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in advance of publication.

I thought that the emphasis was a bit too muvh on love and a bit too little on friendships and I ws there for the friendships. It was still a great read, I would have just liked a little bit more depth in the second half around friendships and growth instead of focusing too much on love.

Absolutely gorgeous fun filled romcom with a heartwarming soul.

I Absolutely loved Miranda's journey and was fully invested in her finding the mysterious Jay. But the chemistry between her and Matt was palpable and swoon worthy.

A really grown up book for lovers of romance.

What a perfect cold day book to read, light, and romantic, I loved the idea of this book how ahe goes looking for her man and what lies ahead of her. Loved the ending but wanted more..lol
Great read

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for allowing me to read an ARC of Five Things I Love About You by Clare Swatman, in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this! I loved the dynamics and friendship between Miranda, Kirstie, and Sophie. We should all have friends like this.

I was so proud of Miranda for stepping outside her comfort zone. It's not an easy thing for anyone, and she did it bravely and wholeheartedly.

Lighthearted, entertaining, quick moving, with witty dialogue.

I had a feeling about "J..a.." and was thrilled that I was correct. Everything happened as it should have.

I look forward to reading more by Clare Swatman.

I had never read a book by Clare Swatman until I read her new one, entitled “Five Things I Love About You.” Miranda is in her late 40s and feels like she’s at a crossroads. She’s been amicably divorced for over a decade and her children are grown and finishing their educations in other countries.

After Miranda has an accident while riding her bicycle to work one rainy morning, she begins to have dreams. They’re about the man she almost hit on her bicycle. She believes he may be her soulmate, but she only knows “five things” about him. Determined to find him, Miranda temporarily leaves her life behind to have the life she keeps dreaming about.

For me, the best part of the book was the conversations and relationship Miranda had with her best friends, Sophie and Kirstie. The romance part of the book fell flat for me and felt forced for most of the book. I will say this is one of those books where the ending saved the book for me. It also made me rethink what I had just read, but in a good way.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Miranda is divorced and with her adult children away working abroad rethinks he life after falling off her bike trying to avoid a man. This man becomes a part of her never ending dreams which she decides to follow, leaving her life, home and her best friends behind.

She can't remember much about this mystery man, other than his name is Jay, his ascent and he was wearing a pink tie. But during her dreams she starts to add pieces to the puzzle and has included a dog and an interest of skydiving.

Miranda decides to take the plunge and move to where she believes Jay is from. Will she find him?

A fun and witty book that will have you reading non stop until the end!

4.5/5 stars. It was slow to start and the concept of chasing a little man from your haunted dreams all over with just a first name seems bonkers.... but makes for a fantastic read. I love that the characters aren't in their twenties like so many stories in the same vein. I think the main character, Miranda, has some amazing and wildly opposite friends and I the same for her love interests... although the dream man Jay leaves much to be desired. I would absolutely buy this and recommend this. wonderful, quick read. I actually wanted it to be a little bit longer so I could read more about M & M's love life in Canada.

Miranda gets knocked off her bike trying to avoid a collision with a mysterious man, when she wakes in hospital she is haunted by the same featureless man.
Being over 50 myself I had high hopes to be able to connect with Miranda’s character but this wasn’t the case for me personally. I can however see how this could appeal to others though.

Miranda has been having dreams about someone she nearly knocked over- that's a whole other story. Nearly every night she dreams of this man she thinks is called Jay and learns a little more about him. Her two close friends think she's nuts but go along with it. When she loses her job and has nothing to stay put for, she decides she is going to Newcastle to find Jay as he has a Geordie accent. Good plan right? When there she meets Matt who offers to show her around the area and she tells of her search for Jay and he is willing to help, however Miranda is falling for Matt. Will she find Jay and which one is the love of her life really?

This is a wonderful read and I'm smiling writing this. It's a wonderful, batty, premise, but we all get those spontaneous thoughts now and then, and hey go for it! It's uplifting, and inspirational and one that made me think about my own life in a very good way. (I did something spontaneous a while ago and it’s changed my life more than I could have imagined in a very good way). The twist made me smile and Gladys made me cry and smile (I won’t give anything away). A feelgood read I more than thoroughly enjoyed. A massive 5*

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Five Things I Love About You by Clare Swatman is a feel good romance about a woman named Miranda who is on an adventure to find a man she knows little about. This is my first interaction with this author and her novels, and I must say I think this one was a good way to dive in and I look forward to reading more in the future.

Throughout the novel, we learn lots about Miranda as a character, her best friends, her mystery man, and all the people she meets along the way. Written in a witty, down to earth voice that has a comforting feeling, this book takes you on a journey with the main character as she makes her way through this crazy thing called life.

Trying new things is scary, but Miranda takes the plunge with the universe on her side as she explores a new city. She learns so much about herself and what it means to expand your comfort zone that you can’t help but feel excited for her.

As with any well fleshed character, there’s a bit of nuance to her personality. She’s not perfect, but no one really is. She embraces her imperfections and broadens her knowledge any chance she gets. Her best friends are just as lovable, fiercely supportive, and always ready to catch her when she feels like she’s falling.

The pacing is well done, it didn’t feel like there was a lull to the storyline that dragged on, almost everything was seamless and fit well to the overall plot. There were some parts that I wish were expanded on a bit, such as some of her adventures to find out more about her mystery man, and perhaps having a bit more of a whimsy feel incorporated with her friends. But overall, it didn’t take away from the plot, I think it would’ve just added a bit more to it in terms of how she was going about getting more information on her mystery dream man.

Not everything is straight forward in life, and that’s displayed really well throughout this story as Miranda makes mistakes and choices that leave you wondering what she’s thinking. It can be hard to watch a character make decisions you know are the wrong ones, but I also think that’s part of what makes a compelling story. Where you’re getting so into it that you’re kind of yelling at the pages wondering what she’s up to and why she’s making the choices she’s making.

This feel good book wraps everything up neatly in a little blue bow. A few good giggles, some gasps, and a lot of wondering what the next move is going to be to figure out who her dream man is, brings this to an overall good read that was pretty enjoyable and fun.

Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and the Author Clare Swatman for this ARC.

I’m afraid this book wasn’t really for me. I found it highly improbable and very predictable. It’s a light, shallow read that it’s probably good if you’re looking for mindless entertaining but I’ve read better. More of a case of ‘it’s not the book, it’s me’ scenario, but still I couldn’t really warm to it.
With many thanks to Boldwood, NetGalley and the author for an early copy.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. This was a gentle, enjoyable read. Although I found the premise quite bizarre, I was invested in the story and Miranda and Matt's relationship, and I did not predict the final twist. A chilled, entertaining read.

Five Things I Hate About You isn't the type of novel I would normally read, but I loved the quirky storyline, and despite the improbability of it, I found myself sucked into it and really invested in what happened.

The protagonist is Miranda, and despite the difference in age and life experiences, I found her really easy to relate to. I admired her courageous attitude and I really wanted everything to work out for her. In terms of supporting characters, I loved them too, and I think every girl needs friends like Kirstie and Sophie! The three ladies are very different to each other, but they bounce off each other really well and I enjoyed the humour in the scenes between them.
I can't comment on the characters without mentioning the canine characters, Gladys, Alan and Colin, who are all absolutely adorable!

Most of Five Things I Love About You is set in Newcastle, and although I don't know the city well, I've visited enough to recognise some of the major landmarks in the novel, and the sense of place really helped me to visualise the scenes clearly.

The plot of Five Things I Hate About You is well constructed and, unusually for novels in this genre, it often took a different direction to the one I was expecting. I loved following all the twists and turns as the story reached a conclusion.