When Noel first meets Jamie she tells his fortune. Now years later he wants her help again, but will she give him a chance.

Are you a fan of…

🕯️ Magic
🕯️Fire escapes
🕯️New England
🕯️Horny hallucinations
🕯️ADHD & dyscalculia rep
🕯️Dimples
🕯️Nicknames
🕯️Beer
🕯️Beaches
🕯️Fate

If so…

The Fate Factor, by Lauren H. Mae, is a contemporary romance, with a touch of magical realism, that demonstrates the difference between destiny and opportunity.

I’ve been a fan of Lauren’s for years, so when I saw she was coming out with this, I knew I had to read it. If you like your romances sweet and steamy, this one is for you.

I liked that the characters had different viewpoints on fate and that they had to work to get to a happy middle to be together.

I kept thinking about a quote from the 90’s movie Can’t Hardly Wait that says, “There is fate. But it only takes you so far, because once you're there, it's up to you to make it happen.”

Overall, I absolutely loved it. I can always count on Lauren to deliver me a romance I will devour. She always, ALWAYS, writes swoony men. It’s something I can expect with her books and I look forward to whatever she comes out with next.

Also, can my boss give me three months off to find inspiration in New England? Please and thanks.


Thank you to the author and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

If you enjoy romances with a little bit of magical realism in them - like Ashley Poston - you’ll really enjoy this one! The prologue absolutely hooked me and I was excited to see where the story would go. I loved how that little bit of magical realism was there and was part of the story without overwhelming it. The fmc sees a vision of her and the mmc being together the night they meet, except something like that has never happened to her before. They’re fated to be together but she’s not sure if she can believe what she saw. The more time they spend together they both start to believe even if it wasn’t fate, they would have found their way to each other eventually.

Both of the characters were very likable and had their own pieces to them that made them unique. I enjoyed reading about the fmc discovering what makes her happy and choosing to put herself first for the first time. The mmc was such a sweetie and I absolute adored everything he said and did. I’d gladly read more books set in the quaint small town it was set in.

✨ magical realism
😊 strangers to lovers
🚿 hair washing
🦮 golden retriever hero
🏡 small town

dual POV
4/5 stars ⭐️
2/5 spice level 🌶️

Noel Kasey had also gone along with her grandmother’s fortune-telling games for fun until one night, she found herself reading a man’s future, only to see it playing out like a movie, with her in it. Noel is unnerved and quickly escapes to some normality. However, two years later, the same stranger arrives back on her doorstep. Jamie Bishop is convinced Noel is his long-lost guardian angel, sent to guide him on his newest business decision. Yet Noel wants nothing to do with him until she is convinced that Jamie might be her fate. As Noel and Jamie explore what brought them together, their feelings also grow.
The book might seem at first quite simple in its storyline, yet it does explore several serious topics of grief and partner betrayal. Thrown together with a hint of mystic magic, this is a delightful read. There is plenty of chemistry between these two characters, who are well balanced. While Noel is cautious, Jamie is a lot of fun. Making them a great couple. A good read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5⭐ rounded up

Is fate predetermined or merely a roadmap? Joking around at rooftop party, Noel uses her Nana's technique to tell lighthearted fortunes when a real vision pops into her mind and she cautiously passes on info along. Years pass and while she never forgot it or the guy, Jaime, either. The story hooked me from the beginning with two distinct interesting characters that I immediately cared about. A well written romance with a touch of magical realism.

Noel Kasey doesn’t believe in fate until a joke fortune telling at a party gives her a vivid vision of a stranger’s future, including a romantic moment between them. Spooked, she walks away and tries to forget it ever happened. But two years later, that same stranger, Jamie Bishop, shows up on her doorstep, convinced she’s his destined guide. As they reconnect and feelings grow, Noel must face the possibility that the future isn’t just about what is, but what could be.

This was such a charming and magical read, and it was my first time reading anything by Lauren H Mae - new to me author.
I really loved the characters! Noel was super cute and quirky, and Jamie was so calm and steady, totally the kind of person you’d want to lean on in real life.
The story touches on some deeper themes like grief, self-discovery, and complicated family dynamics. There’s also some ADHD rep, which I really appreciated.
Overall, it was sweet, swoony, and had just the right amount of heart and magic. A cozy little escape, and I’m already looking forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you NetGalley and Lauren H Mae for the ARC!!

- 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒚 𝑳𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒏 𝑯. 𝑴𝒂𝒆

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
✰ 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘹 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘺
✰ 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘮𝘤
✰ 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮
✰ 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴
✰ 𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘷

This book was such a breath of fresh air! I had a blast reading it and now I crave more magical realism romances ngl.

I loved both main characters Jamie and Noel. They're sweethearts and reading their POVs was hilarious but also emotional. I also really enjoyed how the romance was developed and how it toyed with soulmates trope in a very unique way.

Hands down of the best reads I had this year and would highly recommend!

*arc provided via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

This book was so cute! Very niche here but it's very similar to the Hulu show Maggie that I loved but was cancelled after one season (RIP!). The premise is pretty similar, our main character gets a vision of herself with a guy who's in a relationship with someone else, she tries to distance herself from him and forget the vision happened, but the guy is so good and sweet that they can't help but become friends...and maybe more.

I really, really liked Noel and Jamie. They unexpectedly come back into each others lives in such an unconventional way and it was entertaining to watch their story unfold. This book does a really good job with the dual POV, they feel like equally main characters, not just one main character and a love interest, which a lot of books tend to veer towards. Jamie is also the perfect book boyfriend, I loved him so much! 

When I was finished, all I could think of was that I need to go back and read Lauren H Mae's entire backlog of books and l need to look out for her next one!

This book was so unique and so very lovely. Noel and Jamie had an instant connection even before Noel told Jamie his future. I love how when they reconnected, she dreaded it and he was thrilled making her the grump and him the sunshine. I also appreciated how they both had different expectations and things to work through to solidify their relationship. I rooted for Noel and Jamie as both a couple and individually as they discovered what they wanted for their lives. Thank you to Lauren H. Mae for giving me the opportunity to read it early.

I really loved this book. Tonally and vibe wise, it felt similar to “The Seven Year Slip” by Ashley Poston and “Funny Story” by Emily Henry, which are two of my favorite books. It follows Noel, who “reads” the future for a very handsome man at a party. She thought it would be all fun and games but she sees him getting cheated on by his current girlfriend, coming into money, and getting frisky with her. She tells him all of that (minus the part about them getting hot and heavy) and hightails it out of there. Two years later, she runs into him and he is convinced that she is North Star and he desperately needs her guidance again with his business. But Noel keeps seeing visions of them together (very horny visions). And maybe that isn’t so bad? Maybe it is safer for risk averse Noel to feel like this is a done deal. But is the future already decided or do they have agency over their lives?

The book explored some heavy themes in a really thoughtful and digestible way. Noel is dealing with the grief of her grandmother’s recent passing, navigating being the responsible child of an immature parent, and figuring out her career. Jaime is dealing with imposter syndrome in all aspects of his life. The author crafted a really great story that connected the plot and characters really well. You could see why they would act the way that they did. For example, Jaime has always had a hard time keeping up in school due to his ADHD and dyscalculia and those feelings of being left out or feeling like he is missing the plot are reiterated throughout his life (not realizing that his girlfriend was cheating, feeling like he can’t manage the business side of his business). The characters were complex enough to have depth but not so complex that you couldn’t understand their decisions. It wasn’t overwritten or underwritten. Just the Goldilocks amount of written, which can be a really hard balance!

I really loved both Jaime and Noel. Sometimes, in opposites attract plots, it will feel like two people are so opposite that they are incompatible. Jaime and Noel felt like complementary opposites. I really could believe that these two people would fall in love and fall relatively quickly. Their connection was the perfect amount of swoon and spice.

The pacing was really well done too. I thought that we might spend too much time on Noel trying to deny or push down their connection because her visions freak her out which would have been frustrating but there was just enough skepticism and belief to drive the plot forward. The miscommunications or lack of communication was also done in a really natural way. Sometimes I want to bang my head against the wall when two characters won’t talk about their feelings but here, it felt really natural and believable.

And I love the message that believing in a little magic can give you courage. But it also doesn’t mean that you don’t have control of your life. It can be a “both and” situation that can lead to great things in life.

I will definitely read more of Lauren H. Mae’s work! I have already ordered myself a copy of this book.

Thank you Love, Lo Books, Lauren H. Mae and NetGalley for providing the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Huge thanks to Lauren H. Mae for the opportunity to receive a review copy of The Fate Factor!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 - This was a cute read! It took me a little while to get into, but I feel like that is perhaps a reflection of it being a bit outside of the typical romance realms I find myself in.

I found the spice element a bit confusing in the sense that it felt like the author couldn’t decide if she wanted to write an open or closed door style book. There were multiple occasions where the MCs are described as being intimate, but there is little to no description that accompanies this. The first time they hook up around the 60% mark, there is a word count of two “c*ck” and one “p*ssy,” but then never again when these scenes took place. At the same time, we have scenes like

“Come sit.”
“I am sitting.”
“On my face, baby.”

Which, don’t get me wrong — I loved this moment. But it felt out of place where the spicy scenes in general felt very tame. It was the first time I’ve encountered this sort of conflicted approach to spicy scenes and I felt like it needed to be one or the other.

It has been a long time since a romance novel with humor and adventure thrown in has blown me away and made me invested from start to finish.
In the fate factor, the main character of Noel, whilst drunk at a party decides to act reckless and do some psychic fortune telling but what comes out of it becomes both a welcome surprise and a scary next step in her life. Noel meets a rugged, handsome and slightly older guy called Jamie Bishop (for whom she does a reading) and ends up changing both his life as well as her life for the better.
This book was a real breath of fresh air within the romance genre and it had me so immersed and invested as to what was going to happen in the lives of both Noel and Jamie that I ended up reading it in three sittings. The story was really enjoyable with just the right amount of spice, adventure and humor as well as kept me guessing as to the final, swoon worthy outcome.
I will gladly read more books by this author in the future.
A huge thankyou to Netgalley, Love, Lo Books and the author Lauren H. Mae for the opportunity to read the early ARC of this amazing book!.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a great book. I felt so invested in the story!

4.5/5

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing Co-op for my review copy. These are my thoughts:

Seeing the future in a candle was just a party trick, until it wasn’t. Noel inadvertently has three visions for Jamie - one about work, one about his current relationship and one about the two of them. Freaked out by what she experiences, Noel runs away. But two years later she is at a crossroads - heartbroken over the death of her beloved grandmother and with a creative block that is starting to affect her work as an artist. She takes some time off work to find herself and heads to her grandmother’s seaside cottage in Portland, Maine. Unsure of how to get her “creative spark” back, fate decides to lend her a helping hand, and delivers a badly battered Jamie at her door step. Noel tried to run from her vision of them together, but can she run from their destiny?

I was expecting more magic but turns out Noel and Jamie *were* the magic. They were a perfect match - opposites attract that completed each other in the best way possible.
The small gestures, the lingering looks and touches, added depth to their connection. I loved how they were supportive of each other and each other’s dreams. They were also both fearful in different ways, making them very relatable.

Magic was also created in the understanding of how much power our decisions hold. Be it fate or destiny or “you make your own fate”, what they all have in common is that you must make a turn at decisive crossroads. And once you do, what could have been doesn’t matter any more. If it wasn’t the right turn, take another until you find what you are looking for.

I felt seen in the ADHD and dyscalculia rep. I

This is a beautiful love story, but it also holds deeper messages.

[Spice: 2.5/5]

I was able to get this ARC through NetGalley.

This book was truly amazing. Right from the start I was sucked into the story of Noel and Jamie.

What starts out as a night of fun with friends has Noel catching visions of Jamie’s future, including herself during intimate moments with him.

Little does Noel know that she’ll see him again in 2 years, completely changing everything she thought she knew. Is there such a thing as fate? Or does life really boil down to the choices you make?

This was such a good slow burn romance. Perfect for anyone looking for a book filled with love, friendships and a story that makes you question fate.

One night, Noel reads the future of a stranger at a party. Now, years later, she runs back into the stranger, Jamie, and finds out that what she predicted actually happened. Now, she wonders if her last vision, of them together, is also true.

This was such a cool one! Here's what I liked:

Jamie and Noel: These two were so cute together. I loved their chemistry. The both were at a crossroads in their lives. I loved seeing them come together to figure out what they wanted to do.

The setting: I loved the city in this one. Jamie takes Noel around to different places that really give you a sense of it.

The supernatural twist: Noel's visions worked well as a plot device in this one. She spent a lot of time trying to figure out if the visions were guiding her or just pushing her a little. It's an interesting concept.

All in all, this was a good spicy romance with a supernatural twist.

Thank you to the author for the gifted copy!

Thank you, Lauren H. Mae for the ARC of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 on NetGalley!

"Dreams and nightmares are made of the exact same stuff. The only thing that separates them is how much of yourself you’re willing to lose in the chase."

I LOVED this book so much that I pre-ordered the paperback after reading the first few chapters. I was looking for a little bit of magic, and I found it in The Fate Factor.

This book was pure joy to me. I loved Jamie and Noel. I loved the way they met and the way everything fell into place. Their friendship and relationship was a slow burn 🔥 and that's my favorite element of a romance book.

There were some poignant moments for Noel while she dealt with some family drama, but most of this book was very funny and very upbeat.

I highly recommend 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳! I also recommend pre-ordering from Grump & Sunshine because you get some fun goodies to go with the book. 🧡🩵

Such an interesting concept! Noel has a vision at a party about the dreamy Jamie, giving him a portion of the information expecting not to see him again. Two years later, none other than Jamie enters back into her life. The golden retriever Jamie with the rationale/level headed Noel it’s an opposites attract love. A fraction instalovey (which isn’t my normal cup of tea) I loved watching this relationship develop whilst they face their own personal growth. The side characters, especially Em, gave this book some really funny moments to intertwine with the emotional topics. Overall this was a lovely read and gave major Ashley Poston vibes!!

Thank you NetGallery for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book 💗

The chemistry of the characters was definitely there! Loved the storyline and characters, plus I really adore books with a bit of magic in them. Definitely a recommendation for a cute and easy summer read!

Magical realism meets Portland, Maine.
Thank you to Lauren H. Mae and Victory Editing
Netgalley Co-op for the ARC so I could review this book!
One night at a party Noel Kasey has an unexpected psychic vision about Jamie Bishop, which terrifies her.
She gives him half the information and then leaves. Two years later, back in Portland, Maine they meet again and Noel finds out that Jamie took everything she said to heart and made pretty important decisions based on that.
This was a very cute magical realism romance that I think fans of Ashley Poston will really enjoy. I really enjoyed the development of the relationship between the characters. Jamie is a tattooed golden retriever and Noel is timid but opens up the more the story progresses.