Scan barcode
emmascr's review
4.0
This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free from the Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I really enjoyed this book I thought it was funny, romantic and perfect for curling up on the sofa with a cup of warm tea.
I really liked Bonnie. She is a sweet woman. She loves Paige to pieces and would do absolutely anything to make her happy, which is evident throughout the book.
Paige is your typical teenager, she complains about everything her mum does but deep down she loves her really.
Linda is a really good friend. She knows what's best for Bonnie before she did and she did everything in her power to try to make it happen.
I loved Jeanie. She's really cool and she's always been there for Bonnie and Paige when they needed her.
I really hated Henri. He's a mean and selfish man. He spent too long getting away with treating Paige and Bonnie like crap.
Max oh wonderful Max. I loved him. He was funny, sweet kind and really caring. I love the easy banter he had with Linda and Bonnie every morning.
Of course I couldn't miss the amazing Holden Finn. For some reason he really reminded me 0f Harry Styles. But way crazier. I thought he was a little arrogant but then I reckon have a billion teenage girls screaming at you can make you feel pretty irresistible.
Thank you so much to Tilly for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed every page and can't wait to read more of her books in the future.
I really liked Bonnie. She is a sweet woman. She loves Paige to pieces and would do absolutely anything to make her happy, which is evident throughout the book.
Paige is your typical teenager, she complains about everything her mum does but deep down she loves her really.
Linda is a really good friend. She knows what's best for Bonnie before she did and she did everything in her power to try to make it happen.
I loved Jeanie. She's really cool and she's always been there for Bonnie and Paige when they needed her.
I really hated Henri. He's a mean and selfish man. He spent too long getting away with treating Paige and Bonnie like crap.
Max oh wonderful Max. I loved him. He was funny, sweet kind and really caring. I love the easy banter he had with Linda and Bonnie every morning.
Of course I couldn't miss the amazing Holden Finn. For some reason he really reminded me 0f Harry Styles. But way crazier. I thought he was a little arrogant but then I reckon have a billion teenage girls screaming at you can make you feel pretty irresistible.
Thank you so much to Tilly for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed every page and can't wait to read more of her books in the future.
jillmlong's review against another edition
2.0
This book wasn't for me. I didn't like the age gap. I didn't like Bonnie all that much. I did love the cover though!
kirstyreviewsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
The Time of my Life by Tilly Tennant
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Single mum Bonnie is a born romantic. But she’s been seriously let down by love. Her good-for-nothing husband walked out on her and daughter Paige two years ago, and hasn’t been heard from since.
Between trying to make ends meet, managing teenage mood swings and the serious lack of eligible bachelors in her small town, Bonnie has all but given up on finding her happily ever after.
Although if real-life romance is in short supply, it doesn’t mean Bonnie can’t indulge in a harmless imaginary one. She’s started writing to her totally unattainable dream man, baring her soul before screwing up the pages and tossing them straight in the trash…
This book has previously been published as Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn - I was surprised that I haven't read this book before as I have been trying to read more books by Tilly. I thought this was an enjoyable, feel-good read. I surprised myself with how fast I got through this book as it was so easy to lose track of time. A must read for fans of Tilly Tennant!
Rating 4/5
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Single mum Bonnie is a born romantic. But she’s been seriously let down by love. Her good-for-nothing husband walked out on her and daughter Paige two years ago, and hasn’t been heard from since.
Between trying to make ends meet, managing teenage mood swings and the serious lack of eligible bachelors in her small town, Bonnie has all but given up on finding her happily ever after.
Although if real-life romance is in short supply, it doesn’t mean Bonnie can’t indulge in a harmless imaginary one. She’s started writing to her totally unattainable dream man, baring her soul before screwing up the pages and tossing them straight in the trash…
This book has previously been published as Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn - I was surprised that I haven't read this book before as I have been trying to read more books by Tilly. I thought this was an enjoyable, feel-good read. I surprised myself with how fast I got through this book as it was so easy to lose track of time. A must read for fans of Tilly Tennant!
Rating 4/5
chantalsbookstuff's review against another edition
3.0
Mum Bonnie has a crush on Holden Finn, boyband rock star. When her 15 year old daughter wins a chance to meet the band it doesn't go as Bonnie always imagined it would go. Busy with work life and looking after Paige makes her blind to see Max, who really likes her.
First off, I did not like the mum-crush part. Holden is 12 years her junior and that whole part came across as major school girl vibes.
Secondly, I really like this story, apart from that bit. Max's character was strong and he obviously had deep feelings for Bonnie. Paige was a little self centered, but probably typical for a teenager. The writing was really good and the ending very entertaining. Overall, a really fun quick read.
Thank you Netgalley and Saga Egmont Audio for this ARC.
First off, I did not like the mum-crush part. Holden is 12 years her junior and that whole part came across as major school girl vibes.
Secondly, I really like this story, apart from that bit. Max's character was strong and he obviously had deep feelings for Bonnie. Paige was a little self centered, but probably typical for a teenager. The writing was really good and the ending very entertaining. Overall, a really fun quick read.
Thank you Netgalley and Saga Egmont Audio for this ARC.
thathappyreader's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed reading The Time of My Life. Bonnie has been a single mother to her teen-aged daughter Paige for the past two years – ever since her husband packed up on moved away. She hasn’t heard from him since and she’s ready to move on.
Bonnie’s holding it together but simply existing. Finances are tight. While she has friends, there is a noticeable lack of eligible bachelors in her small town. Then, Paige and a friend enter a contest to meet the members of a boy band and win the competition. Bonnie is elated because she’s secretly been writing (but not sending) letters to Holden, one of the members of the band. When the two meet, Bonnie sees the downside of being attracted to a successful musician.
Bonnie’s co-worker and best friend Linda sets her up on a date with Max, a local businessman who does the daily food delivery to their workplace. Bonnie has also felt something towards Max but never wanted to act on it. Soon the two are dating and Bonnie is excited. But nothing ever goes quite right for Bonnie. Holden appears at Bonnie’s door with roses just as Bonnie’s husband has returned home and wants to play happy family.
The reader cannot help but cheer on Bonnie. She’s hardworking, making the best of her situation and trying to create the best home she can for Paige. What didn’t work for me was that Bonnie was attracted to Holden. I question whether or not a responsible woman with a fifteen-year-old would fantasize about being with a man in his early twenties. Was she reliving her own youth? Had Holden been in his thirties it would have been much more believable to me. Having said that, the book was entertaining, had some very funny moments and is one that I would recommend.
I listened to the audiobook version of The Time of My Life which publishes today. The book is narrated by Louise Williams who provides a very good performance. I appreciated the ease of her performance which was easy to listen to. I was able to listen to this audiobook at my usual 1.5x speed. I recommend the audiobook edition of this book to those that enjoy this format.
I received an ARC of this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for the honest review provided here.
Bonnie’s holding it together but simply existing. Finances are tight. While she has friends, there is a noticeable lack of eligible bachelors in her small town. Then, Paige and a friend enter a contest to meet the members of a boy band and win the competition. Bonnie is elated because she’s secretly been writing (but not sending) letters to Holden, one of the members of the band. When the two meet, Bonnie sees the downside of being attracted to a successful musician.
Bonnie’s co-worker and best friend Linda sets her up on a date with Max, a local businessman who does the daily food delivery to their workplace. Bonnie has also felt something towards Max but never wanted to act on it. Soon the two are dating and Bonnie is excited. But nothing ever goes quite right for Bonnie. Holden appears at Bonnie’s door with roses just as Bonnie’s husband has returned home and wants to play happy family.
The reader cannot help but cheer on Bonnie. She’s hardworking, making the best of her situation and trying to create the best home she can for Paige. What didn’t work for me was that Bonnie was attracted to Holden. I question whether or not a responsible woman with a fifteen-year-old would fantasize about being with a man in his early twenties. Was she reliving her own youth? Had Holden been in his thirties it would have been much more believable to me. Having said that, the book was entertaining, had some very funny moments and is one that I would recommend.
I listened to the audiobook version of The Time of My Life which publishes today. The book is narrated by Louise Williams who provides a very good performance. I appreciated the ease of her performance which was easy to listen to. I was able to listen to this audiobook at my usual 1.5x speed. I recommend the audiobook edition of this book to those that enjoy this format.
I received an ARC of this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for the honest review provided here.
thelaurasaurus's review
2.0
A nice light read. Although the characters lacked depth, and their decisions were endlessly frustrating, the story was quite sweet.
rlqrosie's review against another edition
2.0
What a read. Definitely spoilers with this review. More of a 2.5 star.
This one started off…. Interesting. Almost weird? The way Bonnie’s “crush” was introduced almost made me uncomfortable. It read like a grown woman crushing on a teen. I felt like I was about to dive into a book about grooming. Not what I was expecting.
That being said, I trekked on. While the beginning truly felt like just a wrong first impression, I think the book’s blurb was misleading altogether. There was little focus on the dream man to lover trope. It was more of a random celebrity becomes crazed obsessed stalker feeling.
The main focus of the book was her dating life and then you threw in the crazy ex husband. It briefly touched on domestic abuse, though not physical abuse. That was a wild curveball and almost felt out of place. I’ll always advocate for awareness, but it just fell flat in delivery.
Overall, it was a cute story. A lot of misses with this one and definitely had so much potential. I’m not sure where the title came from but that was what appealed to me first, then the blurb. As I mentioned about the blurb, the title was also misleading.
Thanks so much Saga Egmont Audio and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook.
This one started off…. Interesting. Almost weird? The way Bonnie’s “crush” was introduced almost made me uncomfortable. It read like a grown woman crushing on a teen. I felt like I was about to dive into a book about grooming. Not what I was expecting.
That being said, I trekked on. While the beginning truly felt like just a wrong first impression, I think the book’s blurb was misleading altogether. There was little focus on the dream man to lover trope. It was more of a random celebrity becomes crazed obsessed stalker feeling.
The main focus of the book was her dating life and then you threw in the crazy ex husband. It briefly touched on domestic abuse, though not physical abuse. That was a wild curveball and almost felt out of place. I’ll always advocate for awareness, but it just fell flat in delivery.
Overall, it was a cute story. A lot of misses with this one and definitely had so much potential. I’m not sure where the title came from but that was what appealed to me first, then the blurb. As I mentioned about the blurb, the title was also misleading.
Thanks so much Saga Egmont Audio and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook.
a_devine_read's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Bonnie's man ran off leaving her with her teenage daughter, Paige. Bonnie has all kinds of problems with men. Max is interested in her but she doesn't want him. She still wants Henry, who ran off. Then there is Holden, who's lifestyle just isn't a fit for her. To add into the mix, her mom has met someone and is leaving the country. Bonnie just doesn't know what to do.
Opinion
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was fabulous. The British accent gave me a thrill (as I'm an American and don't get to hear that accent often.)
The story was great but a bit far fetched for me. Three men chasing after a single mom? I don't see that happening very often. Overall, the book was enjoyable and gave a few laughs.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Saga Egmont Audio for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook.
Opinion
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was fabulous. The British accent gave me a thrill (as I'm an American and don't get to hear that accent often.)
The story was great but a bit far fetched for me. Three men chasing after a single mom? I don't see that happening very often. Overall, the book was enjoyable and gave a few laughs.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Saga Egmont Audio for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook.
laural27's review
3.0
I have been really excited about reading this book for a long time and after hearing so many positive reviews about it, I was so eager to start!
Now, I am always honest when I review books and I have to say I was left feeling a little disappointed after reading this book.
Bonnie is a thirty-something single mother with a fifteen year old daughter and has a rather unprecedented ‘mum’ crush on Holden Finn - singing sensation and twelve years her junior. When Bonnie finally gets the chance to meet Holden Finn, she can’t quite believe her luck but she quickly lands back in reality and has to face up to the demands of her fussy boss, her mum who is intent on moving abroad and her teenage daughter.
I thought the premise sounded really brilliant and quite original too: I haven’t read a book about a normal person/celebrity romance for a while and especially not one where there is such a striking age gap. However I felt that this aspect of the novel was more a sub-plot than the main plot. I would have thought an eponymous character would have a greater presence in the book but it seemed the plot focused more on Bonnie’s dysfunctional family life and her budding romance with delivery driver Max. The whole plot felt a little unrealistic: I can’t imagine a mega superstar having such a strong attraction to a single mother who is much older than him.
The characters were a confusing bunch. I found it hard to relate to Bonnie and she flittered between being headstrong and being walked all over constantly and it was hard to work out what she really was like as a character. Her daughter, Paige, was an awfully rude and disrespectful character: the things she got away with saying and doing to her mother and grandmother were atrocious in some cases! I would never ever talk to my family in that way. Linda, Bonnie’s friend and colleague, was again a little of an enigma, at times I liked her but other times I felt a little uneasy about her. Max was the saving grace of this book: he restored in my faith in nice characters! He was very considerate and put up with a lot from Bonnie and I really enjoyed reading about him.
Tilly’s writing is consistent throughout and she writes well for the genre. There were a few tiny places where I had to stop and re-read parts as they didn’t make sense. A sentence about Bonnie having an eighty year age gap with her mother was very strange and I had to read it about twenty times to make sure I was reading it right! There was also a strange flow to the book –there were a lot of asterisks breaking up the text and I have to say that there were many points that they weren’t needed: it was clear enough from what was being said that we were in a new environment or time had skipped ahead. It interrupted the flow a little.
However, I cannot say that this book is not worth reading. If this book had a slightly different blurb then it would perhaps have made me love it more. I think I was mainly disappointed because the promise of a great, laugh out loud, celebrity crush story wasn’t fulfilled. It was instead an in depth look at one woman’s love life where she was in a, well, a ‘love square’ and happened to bump into a famous celebrity who developed a strange and unrealistic crush on her.
Furthermore, I am just one reader and, from looking at other reviews about this book it appears the majority have LOVED it so I think there was a lot of reader fault in not enjoying this book. Give it a go! You never know, you might fall in love with it.
An interesting and comprehensive look at one woman’s love life and the tough decisions she has to make and the things she has to sacrifice to live the life she wants.
Now, I am always honest when I review books and I have to say I was left feeling a little disappointed after reading this book.
Bonnie is a thirty-something single mother with a fifteen year old daughter and has a rather unprecedented ‘mum’ crush on Holden Finn - singing sensation and twelve years her junior. When Bonnie finally gets the chance to meet Holden Finn, she can’t quite believe her luck but she quickly lands back in reality and has to face up to the demands of her fussy boss, her mum who is intent on moving abroad and her teenage daughter.
I thought the premise sounded really brilliant and quite original too: I haven’t read a book about a normal person/celebrity romance for a while and especially not one where there is such a striking age gap. However I felt that this aspect of the novel was more a sub-plot than the main plot. I would have thought an eponymous character would have a greater presence in the book but it seemed the plot focused more on Bonnie’s dysfunctional family life and her budding romance with delivery driver Max. The whole plot felt a little unrealistic: I can’t imagine a mega superstar having such a strong attraction to a single mother who is much older than him.
The characters were a confusing bunch. I found it hard to relate to Bonnie and she flittered between being headstrong and being walked all over constantly and it was hard to work out what she really was like as a character. Her daughter, Paige, was an awfully rude and disrespectful character: the things she got away with saying and doing to her mother and grandmother were atrocious in some cases! I would never ever talk to my family in that way. Linda, Bonnie’s friend and colleague, was again a little of an enigma, at times I liked her but other times I felt a little uneasy about her. Max was the saving grace of this book: he restored in my faith in nice characters! He was very considerate and put up with a lot from Bonnie and I really enjoyed reading about him.
Tilly’s writing is consistent throughout and she writes well for the genre. There were a few tiny places where I had to stop and re-read parts as they didn’t make sense. A sentence about Bonnie having an eighty year age gap with her mother was very strange and I had to read it about twenty times to make sure I was reading it right! There was also a strange flow to the book –there were a lot of asterisks breaking up the text and I have to say that there were many points that they weren’t needed: it was clear enough from what was being said that we were in a new environment or time had skipped ahead. It interrupted the flow a little.
However, I cannot say that this book is not worth reading. If this book had a slightly different blurb then it would perhaps have made me love it more. I think I was mainly disappointed because the promise of a great, laugh out loud, celebrity crush story wasn’t fulfilled. It was instead an in depth look at one woman’s love life where she was in a, well, a ‘love square’ and happened to bump into a famous celebrity who developed a strange and unrealistic crush on her.
Furthermore, I am just one reader and, from looking at other reviews about this book it appears the majority have LOVED it so I think there was a lot of reader fault in not enjoying this book. Give it a go! You never know, you might fall in love with it.
An interesting and comprehensive look at one woman’s love life and the tough decisions she has to make and the things she has to sacrifice to live the life she wants.
sharonleavy's review against another edition
4.0
Very cute book, an easy read after finishing something heavy.
Bonnie Cartwright is 35, has a 15 year old daughter Paige, a husband that went AWOL two years ago, a job in a fruit and veg shop, a best friend named Linda, a rocker mother named Jeanie, and a huge crush on 23-year old pop star, Holden Finn.
Bonnie spends her days working at the fruit & veg shop and writing letters to Holden that she never sends. She feels lost and alone after her husband Henri up and left for no reason, and fantasizes about Holden. When her daughter Paige wins tickets to meet him, Bonnie is ecstatic at the prospect of meeting him. She gets swept up in the emotion of it all before realising that we don't always want what we wish for.
Meanwhile, delivery man Max is head over heels for Bonnie, but she's having none of it. So when Max starts dating beautiful Sarah, why is Bonnie so sore about it?
I really, really enjoyed this book. It was light and easy to read, and all the main characters were likeable. Interesting premise and it was well done! I enjoyed this every bit as much as Jojo Moyes' latest one.
Bonnie Cartwright is 35, has a 15 year old daughter Paige, a husband that went AWOL two years ago, a job in a fruit and veg shop, a best friend named Linda, a rocker mother named Jeanie, and a huge crush on 23-year old pop star, Holden Finn.
Bonnie spends her days working at the fruit & veg shop and writing letters to Holden that she never sends. She feels lost and alone after her husband Henri up and left for no reason, and fantasizes about Holden. When her daughter Paige wins tickets to meet him, Bonnie is ecstatic at the prospect of meeting him. She gets swept up in the emotion of it all before realising that we don't always want what we wish for.
Meanwhile, delivery man Max is head over heels for Bonnie, but she's having none of it. So when Max starts dating beautiful Sarah, why is Bonnie so sore about it?
I really, really enjoyed this book. It was light and easy to read, and all the main characters were likeable. Interesting premise and it was well done! I enjoyed this every bit as much as Jojo Moyes' latest one.