No Way Back

No Way Back, Kelly Florentia

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Romance, women's fiction

OK, first thing that really, really irritated me and I need to get off my chest.
Nowhere does it say that this book is part of a duo, trio, series? I just don't know? As there was nothing I assumed it was a stand alone romance.
Having got to the end and thought what a strange ambiguous way it finished, I read the blurb about the author and found she's working on a sequel. So I'm assuming two books, but really have no idea.
I hate that. Hate it. I want to know before I start if a story is complete or if there's more to come, and preferably When theres the next book(s). I read a lot, and if its months, 1-2 years - and that does happen - chances are I'll have forgotten about these characters by then. 

So, that crit over what did I think of this?
Well, a mixed bag. Parts I loved, the shocks and dramatics that just keep on falling, just when you think that Must be the last another surprise pops out but wasn't so keen on the people.  

Audrey I felt so sorry for at first, blindsided by Nick's actions she's mulling back over their relationship. Why, how, what else could she have done?
As I got to know Audrey though I couldn't help feeling she was a little shallow at times, certainly didn't seem to pull her weight at work but expected others to be at her back all the while even though she rarely seems to return the support.
I'm really not sure how I feel about her, and her actions, given the way she judges Nick seem somewhat two faced. I'm not really one for the "I had too much to drink/wasn't thinking straight/couldn't help myself" excuses, and they seem to crop up here a little too much.  
That brings me on to Nick, and how he feels about Audrey. I really needed to know more of him, I feel he really does love her but why did he act in the way he did? Was there some past issue that's affected him maybe? 
Audrey's friends are also connected to Nick, knowing each other and ones husband is Nick's cousin.
Her mum is a strange lady, but dad is lovely. I liked the Cyprus setting where we first met them.
Connie. Wow, what a spoiled, selfish brat. I really didn't like her, and yet Daniel was -well, I can only describe it as Obsessed. She came first in everything, he'd drop anything, anyone if she needed him. Can he ever put anyone before her or will she always be his priority?
Daniel was a strange man, very intense, very determined, and pursues Audrey hard, determined to date her. What makes him like that? Why is he so intense, though I liked him at first one of the big surprises shows another side to him. 

Its a book full of people, at times there are so many characters I had to keep checking back to see who was whom, how they connected...each of which have their own issues and problems, some of which overlap others. Just when you think that Must be the last of the shocks another pops out.
Although I found some parts hard to believe in I do like this constant drama feel of the book, and though TBH I really didn't like any of the characters that much, I enjoyed the story. Enough that I want to read more...and usually if I can't connect with the characters, don't like or empathise with them that's me done with a story, so I surprised myself there ;-)

Stars: Four, a book that surprised me, full of characters I don't particularly like and yet I want to know more about how the story ends.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

This was such a sweet storyline. I was surprised by how much I actually like it. The love and respect between the couple was just so heart warming.

Life certainly has a lot in store for Audrey and her story had me hooked from the beginning. I liked her trusting nature, and the way she was kind and supportive to her friends. However, her normally orderly life is about to be sent into turmoil. Secrets abound within this group of friends and there are a few shocking surprises in store.

I enjoyed Ms Florentia's style of writing. It's been a while since I read a women's fiction/romance book where the emphasis was on the story itself, and not on the actual sex lives of the characters and we got much more content as a result of that. There's plenty going on to keep your interest and I was excited to see how Audrey would cope with all the twists and turns coming her way. I felt great empathy, as well as sympathy, for her and was definitely cheering her on. The other characters are a mixed bunch and not all of them are likeable. An interesting set of people, many prove to be selfish or obsessed in one way or another.

Just when I was feeling confident that I knew where the story was headed, a spanner was thrown into the works. The ambiguous ending has left me wondering whether or not there will be a sequel to this book. I hope so, as I would like to know more about what the future holds.

I literally couldn't put this book down and when I did I couldn't stop thinking about it. Poor Audrey!! I felt so sorry for her at times! This book is light hearted, an easy read but will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next! I cannot recommend this book enough!

Great read with an unexpected ending! Loved every minute of it.

I must say this cover quickly grabbed my attention and then when I read the synopsis this sounded like something I would like very much. I would give this book 3.5 stars. This story follows Audrey Fox in first person as she tries to get heal her broken heart after her fiancé, Nick has just called of their wedding. The book opens in Cyprus where Audrey is on vacation with her parents then continues on in London and also includes a small part in Paris. This novel features quite a few characters who all seem to have quite a few secrets and their own story going on. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending of this book and definitely plan to read the sequel.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is my first book byKelly Florentia and it didn't disappoint. I finished it in less than a week which is good going for me!!

The story itself was very readable and centred around Audrey Fox who has just had her wedding called off at the last minute.

There are quite a few characters in the book which at times I struggled with but each one as their own characteristics which add to enriching the story .

This novel centres on the fact that life never really works out as you'd planned it and that life is short so we should try to find happiness when we can. The subject of betrayal, heartache and rebuilding your life is very well portrayed and living life after such events!!

This book has many twists and turns which had me hooked so I felt I didn't want it to end. I hope we hear more about Audrey Fox and how her life works out.

Thanks to Netgallery and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this great book for an honest review. Publication date 21 September 😊

You wouldn’t think there would be much of a story to tell here. Audrey has 2 gorgeous bachelors vying for her affections: one is Daniel, a handsome international property dealer, owner of his own business, master of the romantic gesture and buyer of designer footwear. The other is Nick, her ex-fiance who dumped her just days before their wedding. Easy choice you’d think. However when Audrey learns that Nick has been seriously injured in a motorbike accident on the eve of what would have been their wedding day her already frazzled emotions go into overdrive and she is very confused as to how she feels about him.
Audrey is a very relatable, likeable character who I could really connect with. Her friends and family are constantly offering their advice as to whether she should try and mend her relationship with Nick or make a new start with Daniel and she really is torn between the two men and what they can offer her. Life with Daniel isn’t as clear cut as it would at first seem with his daughter and ex-wife Aliki still very much on the scene and playing a bigger part in Audrey’s life than her friends realise. As the story pans out lies and deceit start to appear from all angles and Audrey starts to wonder just who she can trust. I really wanted to dislike Nick after the way he dumped Audrey but there’s something about him that is quite addictive and I could understand why she was so unsure about letting him back into her life. Daniel however is a different character altogether and where on the surface I felt like he should make ideal husband material there were facets to his personality I couldn’t quite feel at ease with.
I managed to work out certain aspects of the storyline but other more shocking threads of the story hadn’t featured on my radar at all, and things come to a quite explosive climax in a huge argument involving many of the fairly numerous cast of characters. I found this to be an enjoyable book but I’m still not sure whether I the ending quite worked for me personally.
I cannot finish this review without mentioning the stunning cover artwork which links beautifully with the storyline. It’s not the first time Urbane publishers have sold a book to me purely with a drop dead gorgeous cover design and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
This review will be available at www.sandiesbookshelves.blogspot.co.uk

I liked this book, it kept me entertained for a few nights. It started off strong and reeled me in and I read several chapters in one go. Then it started to get busy and very complicated, which was good, I like complicated books, then I became confused which of Audrey's friends were with her!
The sagas continued,I felt that the really good nitty gritty bits were rushed and could have been much better and more in depth with more emotion.
The climax was good and well written.. I did think that the ending was raced and was a little bit disappointed with it. But there is a sequel being written which may well have been to the expense of this one.

Audrey Fox's fiance Nick breaks up with their shortly before their wedding without any explanation. While recuperating on Cyprus she meets the charismatic Daniel Taylor who proceeds to sweep her off her feet when she returns to London. Meanwhile Nick, after recovering from an accident also tries to woo Audrey back.

This is a tale of everyone, including Audrey' herself as well as her closest friends, have secrets they do not wish revealed.

No Way Back is a good story but the protagonist comes over as a 20 something not a woman in her early 40s. While a romp of a read, it is pretty unrealistic in the scheme of things but I am sure it will have many fans. My thanks to NetGalley and Urbane for the opportunity to read and review the book.

When two eligible and attractive men are vying for your heart, it should be the perfect dilemma... Audrey Fox has been dumped by her unreliable fiancé Nick Byrne just days before the wedding. Heartbroken and confused, the last thing she expects when she jumps on a plane to convalesce in Cyprus is romance. But a chance meeting with handsome entrepreneur and father-of-one Daniel Taylor weaves her into a dating game she's not sure she's ready for. Audrey's life is thrown into further turmoil when she discovers on her return to London that Nick has been involved in a serious motorcycle accident that's left him in intensive care. Distraught yet determined to look to the future, Audrey must make a decision - follow her heart or listen to well-meaning advice from family and friends? Because sometimes, no matter what, it's the people that we love who can hurt us the most..

Kelly florentia delivers a true to life romantic drama with a sense of humour added.
Having been dumped by her long term fiance just days before their wedding Audrey spends two weeks in Cyprus with her parents trying to recover from the shock and the last thing on her mind is a new romance.
The storyline centres round a group of friends, the ex fiance and his cousin, and a new love interest and his extended family betrayal, lots of twists,tears and laughter.
An enjoyable read and look forward to the sequel

Hmmm....I find it kind of hard to rate No Way Back. I guess the first thing I can say is that I like it. I definitely don't hate it, and the writing is superb. It's just that everything is a hot mess. There is so much going on, so many secrets, so many betrayals, at the heart of the story, and I didn't fall in love with anyone except perhaps Audrey's dad. I liked many of the characters, Audrey in particular, but sigh...such a big, fat mess!

Audrey is dumped just days before her wedding to her boyfriend of eight years. She's understandably distraught, and is now taking some time off and spending it with her parents in Cyprus. It's there she meets the man who will help her pick up the pieces. But, first she'll have to finally come to the conclusion that she needs to move on with her life. Her epiphany comes when she visits the dreaded ex, the ex she still wants back, at the hospital, where he's lying in a coma after having been in an accident after he dumped her. She stays with him for days until she comes back one night and finds another woman in his room, a very pregnant woman who claims to be Nick's girlfriend...yeah...

Audrey's home in London, where she meets Daniel again, he being the Cypriot developer her parents are working with, and the man whom she met in Cyprus one night where she drunkenly landed in his lap at the restaurant where she was dining with her parents. He was a savior of sorts when he turned in her lost Louboutin, and thinking of her as Cinderella. So when he sees Audrey again at her parents' home, he's smitten all over again and pursues her with intensity. His intensity is intoxicating to Audrey and they begin a whirlwind relationship. But, he's got secrets and when those secrets bite him in the ass, will Audrey stay strong and stand by this man she barely knows? Or will she do something stupid and get herself in trouble?

I like No Way Back. It's a bit much, all the freakin secrets and some of the unlikable characters (Nick, Audrey's mom, some of her friends and family of her friends), but above all, I enjoyed the twists and turns and the bottom line that life doesn't always end up the way you may plan. I can't say I like the vagueness of the ending, though, and am really hoping the author plans on writing a sequel to answer the questions the ending brought up. And if she does write a sequel, I really, really hope there isn't a love triangle as the ending seemed to be implying. If you like your romances with heroines who aren't in their early 20s (I do!) and twists and turns, too many secrets and betrayals around every corner, 1 click No Way Back today. Just be prepared for the vague ending, though.

When Audrey is dumped by her fiancé Nick days before the wedding she is devastated......ok he has always been a bit flaky and unreliable but after 8 years she wasn't expecting this! Deciding not to stay around she goes off to Cyprus to join her parents and although it was the last thing she was expecting she meets Daniel a very attractive business man!

Daniel is a complicated man and has many secrets.....so can Audrey really let him in and get over Nick.....this will definitely be tested when Nick has a bad motorbike accident and is in hospital!

A good story with some great characters, I didn't necessarily like them all, but Audrey has some good friends and family supporting her but the story had lots of twists and turns along the way that definitely kept you interested and I am looking forward to the sequel