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kokechii's review
3.0
Three and a half stars, not quite four.
I don't know how to explain the things that bothered me with this book without sounding incredibly insensitive about one certain aspect, so I'll just say that it did not sit well with me.
For the first 50% of the book I liked Ashleigh but then my focus switched over to George. Somehow I found myself falling for this George, the one that defends Ashleigh to her parents, the one that sees right through her and her insecurities and knows just the way to handle them (and her). He had me swooning a bit.
What I really liked besides George, were our side characters, from the neighbour lady to Oscar and his partner. The airport parts made me laugh out loud (although I admit that that voice message made my roll my eyes a bit, that was too cheesy even for me), as did the whole situation with George and the noodle guy, just imagining what he did, not the situation itself.
Honestly think it was a fine read - I read it while doing much travelling and it passed the time and kept me occupied.
I received and ARC from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to both NetGalley and the author.
I don't know how to explain the things that bothered me with this book without sounding incredibly insensitive about one certain aspect, so I'll just say that it did not sit well with me.
For the first 50% of the book I liked Ashleigh but then my focus switched over to George. Somehow I found myself falling for this George, the one that defends Ashleigh to her parents, the one that sees right through her and her insecurities and knows just the way to handle them (and her). He had me swooning a bit.
What I really liked besides George, were our side characters, from the neighbour lady to Oscar and his partner. The airport parts made me laugh out loud (although I admit that that voice message made my roll my eyes a bit, that was too cheesy even for me), as did the whole situation with George and the noodle guy, just imagining what he did, not the situation itself.
Honestly think it was a fine read - I read it while doing much travelling and it passed the time and kept me occupied.
I received and ARC from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to both NetGalley and the author.
jordynlee61's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
✨Book Review: The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love by Eve Devon✨
When starting this book I was intrigued as I haven’t read many romances like this. This book follows Ashleigh and Gregory. Ashleigh is the cleaner for Gregory’s apartment and they begin communicating through crosswords until they meet in a disastrous way! This book is very slow-burn but I feel it was dragged out too much and then rushed the romance aspect at the end. I loved the representation of anxiety and showing the reality of how panic attacks feel. I loved Gregory whereas I felt Ashleigh was quite overbearing and didn’t feel there was much character development for her! But if you enjoy slow-burn romance, friends to lovers, kinda forced proximity then definitely give this book a go when it releases on the 24th of May!
ellab93's review
2.0
The premise of this book was intriguing and I enjoyed how sweet all of the characters were.
However, the main character's stream of consciousness dialogue was so hard to pay attention to. There was so much of it that I felt myself skimming over the text to the point of the story/scene. I think this book could be more interesting with editing and some dialogue removed.
However, the main character's stream of consciousness dialogue was so hard to pay attention to. There was so much of it that I felt myself skimming over the text to the point of the story/scene. I think this book could be more interesting with editing and some dialogue removed.
katie_liz's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
3.5
The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love is a charming, slow burn romance, perfect for fans of authors such as Beth O’Leary.
Ashleigh and George had great chemistry, and I loved the premise of being united by a love of crosswords and messaging via crosswords before meeting. They meet relatively late in the book, but in addition to the dual POV it meant we really got to know them well individually, before as a couple. I enjoyed the trials and tribulations of the side cast of characters, my favourite was Hildy and her quiet meddling on the side!
I found the pacing of the book a little sporadic, but this didn’t take me out of the story too much. I really thought the author did a wonderful job of capturing the intrusive and spiralling nature of anxiety and panic. Sensitively woven through Ashleigh and George’s experiences of grief and loss, panic and anxiety was their strength in their ability to support and empathise with one another due to their lived experience.
Thank you HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for this book. Opinions expressed are my own.
morganlmace's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
4.0
Well this was just a very delightful read. This is the first book I’ve read by Eve Devon, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading George and Ashleigh’s story. While the book definitely has moments that made my heart swoon (the crossword puzzles, the “cheesy dates”, and the loose friends to lovers trope) it also dealt with some heavy issues too (anxiety and loss of a loved one). Overall, the book was very enjoyable and would be perfect for fans of The Flatshare.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Eve Devon and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Eve Devon and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
shelleys_book_nook's review
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I really wanted to like this book and I honestly tried but it was so slow going and oh so repetitive. The same thing happens over and over again…she cleans, he tries at work, her mother bugs her about a date for a wedding, his girlfriend ignores him, she goes out for coffee and cake, he has a panic attack. This was on repeat until the halfway mark and by that time I was sick of these two. I am not into love triangles and I don’t understand the need to have a date for a wedding. My friend is getting married in September and I am going solo. Is there something wrong with me?
The bakery that Ashleigh hangs out in belongs to Ozzie and Carlos and it is called…Oscars! (Taking the beginning of both their names) I liked that and I liked them. I found them funny, interesting and full of drama. Too bad the main characters weren’t the same. Their dynamic and drama are the only thing that saved this book for me and had me giving it two stars.
I struggled to finish this one and it saddens me because I loved the premise, the cover and really had high hopes but it fell flat because it was such a slow burn. No one should have to read about two hundred pages before the couple talks to each other or meets face to face. I just didn’t feel the chemistry between these two, other than Ashleigh drooling over his photo and they were both with someone at the start so that’s a big no from me.
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