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 read half the book and could not get into it. The story had places where humor or witty banter would have helped. I couldn't buy into the characters or really caring about the storyline.

Are you married? Do you have kids? Have you experienced the ups and downs of life? Have you wondered if it would be better to separate from your spouse and start over but don't have the finances?

If so, then this second chance romance is right up your alley.

Freya and Joe are 100% relatable. They had a marvelous marriage (at one point), a smart daughter about to leave for university, but with only one real income, they don't have the money to do anything about it....right now. So naturally, they separate waiting to dissolve their marriage until Dolly leaves for university the caveat is that they're still living together. This really makes you question, can you remain friends with your (soon-to-be) ex spouse?

This is a book I will happily re-read for years to come. It makes you truly think that a struggling marriage can bounce back from the lies and deceit. I am so thankful that the reason for their "downs" was not infidelity. Not every marriage has someone that cheats, but love is a job. You have to work at it to make it work. That is exactly what this book shows. It makes you realize that eventually you're going to hit those lows in your marriage, in your life, and you truly have to want it for it to last.

If anything, this book shows beautifully that even if it's storming today, there could be a miraculous rainbow tomorrow.

Thank you to the author/publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early. This was my first Jon Rance novel and I will *definitely* be diving into more of his work!

Freya and Joe’s marriage is hanging by a thread. They’re trying to figure out if they should stick it out or go their separate ways, all while keeping things as normal as possible for their daughter, Dolly, until she heads off to university.

What I liked about this book is how real it felt. Instead of an idealized romance, the story explores the ups and downs of a long-term relationship, the way people slowly lose themselves, lose their spark, and the tough choices that come with it. Freya and Joe must weigh the benefits and drawbacks of staying together or going their separate ways. Should they fight for the love they once had and the future they might build, or accept that their time together has run its course?

The back-and-forth struggle felt super relatable, like something a lot of couples go through. There weren’t any standout moments that blew me away, but the story as a whole was enjoyable.

I got this book from NetGallery. This is my honest review.

The book is about Freya and Joe. They decide to separate but for financial reasons and to support their daughter in her final year of school they decide to keep living together for six months. Joe decides to write a book about the situations that arise but he doesn't tell her.

The book is about the struggles they encounter along the way.
Despite a somewhat heavy subject I found it an entertaining book to read. You read from both sides how they experience things or why they do something. I really liked that. I thought it would be a standard ending but I was wrong.

I just thought that writing a book would be a bit more in the foreground but that is more of a background story. Not bad in itself but I had different expectations.

I thought it was a nice book to read. Thank you for letting me read it.

If I were judging this book by its cover, this wouldn’t be my first pick, however, I’m glad I didn’t. Not Moving Out gave a realistic depiction of navigating through life when your marriage has come to an end. The idea that a lot of times happiness in a marriage to some men equates to being able to provide for their family. The reality that for some women, they are so wrapped up in being a wife and mother, they forget who they are and what they want. How do you move on when you have a child? This story touched on these realities and much more. I thoroughly enjoyed the realness in this story and would highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

this was a really great book. it was refreshing to see such realness no matter how brutal that can sometimes feel. the ages were also a good change with the main characters being in their 40s. and whilst we might not be in this couples exact position i felt we could all feel the relatable themes and struggles. and or have seen the point of view from at least one of the characters in volved.
the other cast of characters in this books felt like they were all just as important to the plot which was a real great move. i like it when side characters feel like they have meaning and not just tick box or fluff characters that flit in and out with no real reasoning.
this is a couple who over time has started to untether from each other. nothing huge or harrowing happened, just over the time and certainly recently things just got one thing after another until they just werent " together" in this marriage anymore. mostly as with most thing it was the communication issue.
so separation feels the only option. best for both of them. but they have a daughter who is ready for uni so decide they must stay living together until that happens. what could go wrong? or right?
the whole way through this book i was pushed and pulled with my own opinions on whether these two should actually separate. i love how as we got to know them i got to see different sides to them individually and together as a couple. by the end i new what I wanted to happen, or thought should but i love how even then i was still kind of not certain of where the author would take this.
its an original one because usually with a love story or romance you are rooting for the pair arent you? with this one it felt realistic because not all people should or want to stay together. sadly yes this is the reality of life. but we dont usually follow that set of decisions in this way where it really is on the line.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5 rounded up)

The Setup

This is my first foray into John Rance’s writing, and Not Moving Out offers a refreshing twist on the usual contemporary romance. Freya and Joe, a couple in their late forties, are separating—but still living together to provide stability for their daughter Dolly, who’s off to uni in a few months. It’s an intriguing premise with just enough emotional messiness to reel you in.

Realism Over Romance

Freya and Joe aren’t your typical starry-eyed lovers; they’re realistic, sometimes resigned, and undeniably relatable. The love hasn’t vanished completely—it’s just evolved into something more complicated and less easily labelled. Their emotional distance has grown over 18 months, and while their decision to part ways feels mature, it’s also quietly heartbreaking.

A Strong Cast

The side characters—Freya’s mother, Jo’e’s father, and others—form an ensemble that gives the story depth and a sort of gentle, lived-in warmth. Everyone felt like someone you might bump into at the local pub or family dinner (for better or worse).

More Grounded Than Sweeping

Here’s the thing: while I appreciated the realism and the fact that the protagonists are smack in my age group (finally!), I found myself emotionally detached. Odd, given the fraught situation. Maybe it’s the restraint, or maybe it’s just that their mature handling of things didn’t quite scratch my escapist-romance itch.

It’s definitely well-written, thoughtful, and more reflective than swoony. A solid read, just maybe not what I needed at the time.

Final Thoughts

A slow-burning, emotionally grounded story about love, change, and the quiet complexity of starting over—just don’t come expecting butterflies. Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book showed the heartbreaking reality of what it's like when a couple falls apart. The characters were very relatable for me. However, all the miscommunication felt entirely juvenile so I had a hard time not rolling my eyes. There was a lot of promise but this book was not my favorite due to the ridiculous miscommunication.

This is a beautiful book which revolves around the brutal reality of how a lot of couple falls apart in the later part of their lives because of so many reasons that in isolation might not have affected them but when combined with everything makes them feel that they cannot live together.

Joe & Freya are in their mid 40's but their marriage isn't the same. Joe is struggling to land on a good writing gig for a sitcom/show whereas Freya is working as a paralegal in a law firm. They both land to the conclusion that they have to separate because there marriage hasn't felt like marriage in last 1.5 years but since money is tight they decide to not move out of the house and only take that action once their daughter has moved out for further education.

I felt this book was a real good attempt to show the real problems but for me the connection felt flat. I feel if it is a marriage in distress where parting ways seems like the next best thing there has to have conversations as well as actions from both the ends to fix that bond if they wish to fix it. but here it felt like applying a Band-Aid on a scar that needed stitches, medicines and a lot of care.

I wish I could have been happy for when they got back together, but I felt it wasnt needed. It felt rushed without solving the issues. or maybe they didnt even need to part ways to begin with and it was all an impulsive decision.

Not Moving Out felt incredibly personal—like Jon Rance was writing directly to me. His style is so natural and down to earth that I found myself instantly connecting with the characters. Their struggles, awkward moments, and little wins felt real, and I could see parts of myself (and people I know) in them. It made reading the book feel less like fiction and more like sitting in on someone’s life.

That said, the miscommunication trope popped up quite a bit—and honestly, it's just not my favorite. I get that it drives the plot, but at times it felt a little frustrating. I found myself wanting the characters to just talk to each other! Still, the warmth and humor carried me through, and I appreciated how even the more difficult moments were written with heart.

Overall, this is a feel-good story that doesn’t shy away from life’s messiness. If you enjoy character-driven reads that are funny, touching, and easy to relate to (even if you occasionally want to shake some sense into the characters), give this one a try.

If you like second chance romance and forced proximity tropes, you may like this book. I usually love forced proximities and was so excited for this book based on the premise. However, personally for me, the execution fell a bit flat. I had a tough time connecting to the characters, and I was just waiting for the book to end. It felt like Joe was the real main character of the book because he had great character growth, but Freya seemed one-dimensional. It felt like everything was being blamed on Joe, which may or may not have been intentional, but it felt unfair for Joe.

3 stars ✨

From the get go I really enjoyed the writing, it was digestible without being simple or juvenile. Rance also managed to write from a female perspective without it being weird or creepy, which is unfortunately rare. In saying that, I did feel that we knew our male main character, Joe, on a much deeper level than our female main character, Freya.

I appreciated the mental health representation and it was written tastefully. Additionally, it was nice to see LGBTQ+ rep.

The middle of the book was too slow, and it took me a little longer than normal to read it. The reunification at the end felt instantaneous. It was like they had sex and then everything was perfect, and that is not a realistic or true. Though I imagine that’s the way a man’s brain works; it was just a weak and honestly odd ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for providing me with this ARC.

Freya and Joe’s marriage is over, or so they think. But with their daughter’s final school year ahead and money tight, they agree to live together for six more months.
For Joe, a struggling sitcom writer, their awkward setup becomes the perfect story. The network loves it, there’s just one problem: Freya doesn’t know she’s the star.

First off, huge thanks to NetGalley and Jon Rance for giving me the chance to read this! I was pulled in right from the start. The story moves fast, and I honestly couldn’t stop reading. It had so many beautiful lines that made me stop and think about love, life, and all the messy in-betweens.

I loved the writing style and the plot. Even when I wasn’t reading, I kept thinking about the characters, they felt so real. I laughed out loud more than once and even got a little teary at times.

Okay yes, there were moments where I just wanted to yell please communicate!! but that just made it all the more relatable.
All in all, I’m really grateful I got to read this one. I’ll definitely be recommending it to my friends!

★ ★ ★ ½

Not Moving Out follows Joe and Freya, a couple that has been married for 20 years with marital issues for the past 18 months. They are forced to live in the same house during their separation due to financial issues and to keep it as “normal” for their daughter, Dolly, who is heading off to Uni.

There is visible love between them, however their biggest battle that led to their separation was the lack of communication on both parts, mainly Freya’s. I felt like this was the most frustrating part for myself while reading. I also didn’t enjoy the frequent mentions of their marriage disintegrating in the past year and a half but not having true examples, the same phrase was constantly reworded to remind us of it, when it could’ve been shown.

The characters were decently written but I felt like Joe was more developed than Freya and that her character fell a bit flat. Because of this, I didn’t feel very connected to the characters, making my interest waver. I did enjoy the dynamic between Freya and her mother and friends, it was refreshing to see her personality outside of Joe.

Overall, the book was well written but I just felt the romance was a bit lackluster. I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys the miscommunication trope.

A big thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Not Moving Out will be available to read on May 15, 2025.

I had a tough time with this story. I went in excited about the concept of a recently separated couple having to stay living in the same house due to financial reasons and to support their daughter through her last year of school. I love a second chance romance but this just unfortunately missed the mark for me. There was no pining for each other, and I felt no chemistry between the two characters.
This book was also filled with a lot of telling instead of showing. They kept mentioning (over and over and over again mind you) that the last 18 months of their marriage were a struggle. Instead of telling the reader, I think the story would have benefited by a flashback scene to help us feel something for these two or to empathize more with their situation. Why did they even fall in love in the first place? What exactly caused this rift between them?
By at the end of the book I honestly didn’t care whether or not they got back together. The characters were one dimensional and I had a hard time connecting to them and rooting for their relationship. I felt bored most of the time, and towards the ends I was skimming to finish,

As the author said himself “<Not moving out> is a romantic comedy about love when you are older, about marriage, parenting, parents, friends and lovers”
As I usually read romance with “book boyfriend” characters and people in their 20s or 30s, this book was something totally different for me as a reader.
It’s follows a couple in their 40s, after being married for nearly 20 years that decided to separate without any big drama like cheating. They had more of long-time struggles in their marriage, that piled over time, but not one particular cause of their separation.
I think the story can be very relatable and quite realistic. It’s still fiction, but the whole premise and execution of the story allows the reader to find themselves or at least someone they know in the main couple or side characters.
It’s well written, funny, but can also make you reflect on some things. It’s entertaining and can easily be a quick read.
I loved the idea and execution! Also the way all the side-plots and side characters were crafted is worth mentioning.
I liked the pacing. For the majority of the story it wasn’t clear how Freya and Joe will end up - will they find their way back to each other or will it end with divorce? I don’t know which way to root for them up to 80% of the story! Over the last 20% once I had an opinion if they should be together or not, I changed it probably 3 times! Only during the last 20%! I wasn’t expecting the author will wrap the story in a way I will agree with, but I was proven wrong.
I very much enjoyed the story as a woman in her early 30s with almost 10 years of being married, so you definitely don’t have to be older or in marriage crisis to read and enjoy this story ;)

Books have always been my “happy place.” The genre that I can never get enough of is romance. Although my preferred genre is romantic suspense books, I am actually a huge fan of Rom-Coms as well. Because of this, I was extremely excited to read this book.

One of the things that hooked me about this book is that it was refreshing to read about characters that are in their forties. Also, as someone who has been married for almost 17 years, this book made me think about what I would do if my own marriage ended up “imploding.” I could definitely see us in this type of situation!

While I really liked most of the characters, I have to say that Joe is my absolute favorite. He was the character that I was rooting for most of all. Not to be a spoiler, but I am glad that it all works out for him.

All in all, I adored this book. I can’t wait to read other works by Jon Rance.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

3.5 stars for me. Need to be able to rate half stars on this platform.
This is a cute second chance romance following the relationship of Joe & Freya who have been married for many years. Their daughter, Dolly is getting ready to head to college, so they have decided since the past 18 months they have been just going through the motions of a relationship that had been steadily declining for years, they will go ahead and separate. Due to financial insecurity, they are forced to stay under the same roof but in separate bedrooms.
I think the biggest part of the plot is the miscommunication and lack of communication trope - and I just have the worst time with that particular trope. I kept wanting Joe to speak his feelings and not drag this out. I also wanted Freya to stop giving mixed signals.
Characters were developed but I struggled connecting a bit. It was also hard for me to feel the chemistry.
However if the miscommunication trope is what lights your candle, this is the book for you!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This is a second chance romance, but not the kind you are usually used to, where the two lovers-to-be have been separated by time. In this case, they are separated by a floor of their house. Freya upstairs, and Joe downstairs.
The pair have been married for a long time. Their daughter, Dolly is going off to university, and For Freya, things had been bad for the last year and a half, so she proposes that they get separated, but live in the same house, because they can’t afford to live apart, and it would be better for Dolly, to have a stable home before she goes off.
Joe still loves her. But he doesn’t know how to express it. He, a writer, hasn’t sold anything in years, but goes to meet his agent, whom he tells about living together but apart, and he is told to pitch it as a tv show, and of course it is picked up.


Lack of communication is often the crux of problems in the world, and in this case, Joe not telling Freya that he is writing a show based on their life is something he doesn’t want to do because he thinks she won’t understand.


Although I enjoyed this book, I had a little issue with Freya’s voice. Joe’s chapters made perfect sense, and were heart shredding. But on the other hand, Freya got upset for Joe not fighting for the marriage more, or not calling her more, when she both told him to not call her, and that it was over, so don’t bother fighting. No wonder Joe was having problems.


This book will be available on the 15th of May 2025. Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.