All of Gi's books are like a lovely hug and gossip with a mate. I must admit, protagonist Lizzy was super unlikeable at first, but as the book went on I really started to root for her. Loved the whole cast (a particular shout out for the realistic sisterly relationship between Lizzy and Michelle!) and a gentle, Christmassy vibe without being OTT.


Goodreads / Amazon UK

Quickly becoming one of my favourite authors, Giovanna Fletcher nails it again with another amazing read. The characters are likeable and believable and you find yourself being drawn into the story, as if you're catching up with old friends. Listening to their struggles and celebrating their triumphs along with them. Brilliantly funny and terribly poignant in others, this is one hell of a good read.

Lizzie is on a dream holiday with her boyfriend and expecting him to propose in the most romantic way. The book explores shattered dreams, family dynamics and rebuilding your whole life when the one you'd hoped and dreamt about is cruelly snatched away. Lizzie works to rediscover the girl she was before and that she is entitled to have her own thoughts and decisions on what happens.
I loved the characters and the whole feeling around the family, even her nightmare sister.
I always enjoy Giovanna Fletcher's books

A good read, I literally read it in one night. I enjoyed the ease of the story, the way it flowed and was impressed that the story didn't go the easy route that some books similar to this genre would follow.
I liked the main characters, Lizzy and Michelle had a great sister relationship, lots of banter which is real life for some of us with sisters. I loved her best friend and she had me laughing out loud several times.
If you want an uplifting story, this is a great one to read.,
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title, also, Penguin UK and Giovanna Fletcher.

This book instantly felt like a classic rom com as soon as I started reading it. The strong female lead, the rubbish boy friend, the whole premise of the book screams everything that I love from my favourite genre of book and it delivered as well. I loved the fact that we have a strong female lead in this book. All of Giovanna's books have this in common but this one seemed a little different from her others so I was a little worried that the lead might be a little more of a pushover but she is feisty and I loved spending time with Lizzy. The other characters in the novel provide great comedy moments and great moments of tenderness too. I loved that fact that Lizzy is close with both of her parents. She has an amazing best friend who is a serial dater and so has great stories to tell. My favourite supporting character though had to be sister Emily. She was wonderful, I want to be her and I loved every scene with her in.

This book is also very easy to relate to. Lizzy is in her late twenties and so has a lot of the same teenage memories that I have. She has some really nostalgic moments that I was nodding along with thinking 'me too, me too' so that was wonderful. She is also at a bit of a crossroads in her life and so goes back and relies on the support of her parents, something which I could also identify with, and I;m sure a lot of readers out there will also be able to understand. This book is also set in a very relatable setting Lizzy doesn't have a glamorous London lifestyle, she lives in Essex, so not a million miles away from London but still embraces the village life and is around those she knew growing up, I really liked this aspect of the book.

Although this isn't a Christmas book, Christmas does take place during the course of the novel and is a cosy family affair so I really enjoyed the fact that I left this book until December to really get into. There are also themes of a new beginning and reflection on the past which people do during the last month of the year before we see in a new one! I listened to this book on audiobook and I really enjoyed the voice that the narrator gave Lizzy, I found I could identify with her more because I got used to that particular voice. For more exciting moments though, the narrator was a little monotone. I couldn't imagine Lizzy not getting more than a little het up at an argument with her boyfriend or exciting moments on New Year's eve.

If you follow this author on YouTube or Instagram then you will definitely be able to see parts of her personality in this book and I liked that, she also mentions the charity that she works with which I thought was great. one of the other moments that I really liked was that she mentions more of my favourites authors, Lizzy apparently has the same taste in book as me since we are both fans of Lindsey Kelk and Paige Toon.

This was a really lovely read and if you are after a very classic, Sophie Kinsella feeling, romantic comedy then this one is most definitely for you. Although it isn't a Christmas book it makes for perfect reading at this time of year and so I would definitely recommend popping this one on your Christmas list or downloading it now and enjoying a moment of calm in the run up to the festivities.

Not quite as good as her other novels. I still enjoyed it though. Made me laugh and made me cry ( happy tears)
I give it a respectable 8/10

I loved Giovanna Fletcher’s You’re the One That I Want when I read it last year, so I was really excited to get my hands on an advance copy of Gi’s beautiful new book.

In Some Kind of Wonderful, we meet Lizzie and Ian, who have been in a relationship since university. After a decade together, Lizzie is eager to get married and friends and family are convinced Ian will propose every time they go out for a fancy meal or go on holiday. When they head to Dubai on a romantic escape, Lizzie is certain the time has come. Ian takes her on to the beach for a candlelit meal and gets down on one knee… only to reveal that he can’t do it. He can’t marry her and he can’t be with her.

This is a book about loss, friendship and coming to terms with who you are and how that changes over time. Unlike Gi’s other books, romance is not really the focus of this story. Instead, the focus is on Lizzie who has to learn who she is on her own, independent of the relationship that has been such a large part of her life for the past ten years.

My empathy for Lizzie grew significantly over the first few chapters. I was initially annoyed by her – assuming that she hadn’t communicated to Ian that she wanted to get married and had unrealistic expectations – but it was soon revealed that Ian had built her up to believe it was going to happen and that it was what he wanted. The grief Lizzie feels as her ten year relationship falls apart is very real and her emotion pours out of the pages. We see her move back in with her mum, reevaluate her life choices and go on a quest to discover who she is independent of her relationship with Ian.

This is an enjoyable, warm read, perfect for the winter months. It’d make a great present to go under the christmas tree too, especially with that shiny, starry cover!

This book was a nice easy read. Good fed descriptions. Nice end to the book. Loved the characters and the storyline

rstly thank you to Net Galley & the publishers for an ARC in exchange for a fair review.
This is a nice story about refinding yourself after your world gets turned around.
I liked the characters. It is well written, although sometimes a little too descriptive - I found myself skip reading some longer paragraphs of description of how Lizzie was feeling/could have felt/would have acted had Ian still been around.
I liked the fact this isn't a typical love story but a tale of how to fall back in love with yourself.
I would recommend it to fans of this genre and would definitely read more of the fabulous Mrs Fletcher's books.

I enjoy the author's style of writing and how she brings her characters to life. You are routing for Lizzie throughout while knowing she is so much better of as a single than being with someone who doesn't love her or want to be with her.

Great writing and will look out for her next book.

I found this book had a great start and a meaningful finish, but the middle was a bit slow in places.and bland.
I have read three other books by Giovanna which I really enjoyed, but I would not recommend this one.

A lovely read liked Lizzie's journey from the breakdown of her relationship to finding herself again think she made the right decision and loved how it played out liked the mix of characters could relate to them all think this book will appeal to people of all ages nice easy reading

I loveed following Lizzy on her journey for the first time without Ian... how she navigates her new found 'independence' and opens herself to new things... It was warm, with beautiful descriptions... absolutely perfect for curling ith on a holiday!
Special mention for Alistair... I just love that name soo much and the character did full justice to it!
Gorgeous cover!
Kudos.. Ms Fletcher!

4 sparkly stars... very much like on the cover!

I devoured this book within a couple of hours and absolutely loved it! The perfect easy read that will have you crying with laughter!

Ever since the release of Billy and Me, a book which I adored for so many reasons, I have always looked forward to new releases from Giovanna Fletcher. Some Kind of Wonderful is Giovanna’s most recent title to hit the shelves and, despite an ever growing pile of books to be read, I couldn’t wait to get started on it as soon as it dropped through my letterbox on publication day. Some Kind of Wonderful was a book that did not disappoint me in the slightest, it told a beautiful story and was one that I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end.

Some Kind of Wonderful introduces us to Lizzy who has been in a relationship with Ian for almost a decade since their first day at university. Everyone assumes that it is only a matter of a time before they will one day be married and that a romantic holiday in Dubai will be the place where Ian finally pops the question. However, it is not to be and Lizzy is truly devastated when the proposal she has always dreamed of never happens and Ian reveals that he no longer wants to be with her. Returning home to England and her family home, we stay with Lizzy as she mends her broken heart and tries to rediscover exactly who she is and more importantly who she wants to be now that Ian is no longer in her life.

Something that I have always loved about Giovanna’s previous books and what helps to make them so fabulous are the wonderful characters that she introduces us to. Her lead characters are always so perfectly created and thought through and this was certainly the case with Lizzy in Some Kind of Wonderful. I thought that Lizzy was an extremely likeable and down-to-earth character whose journey was a pleasure to follow. By the end of the story I felt like I’d really got to know Lizzy and had so much admiration for her and the things she was determined to achieve.

You might think that a book that begins with a breakup would be full of doom and gloom but this is definitely not the case with Some Kind of Wonderful which turned out to be a truly inspirational and uplifting read. Throughout the entirety of the book, Giovanna’s fabulous writing style that I have grown to love so much over the years really shone through and is perfectly balanced with some hilarious moments but also a few that brought a tear to my eye. As I found myself completely hooked on this book and unable to put it down, another thing I loved about it was the way in which it made me realise what’s important in my own life and the important message it contained about everyone deserving to be happy.

Every now and then you come across a book whose title is so entirely appropriate and Some Kind of Wonderful was one of those books as it really was absolutely wonderful, a real little gem. With Giovanna’s books getting better and better and this being my favourite to date, I’m already really looking forwrad to seeing what Giovanna will write for us next.

*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Giovanna Fletcher is a great author and I couldn’t wait to read Some Kind of Wonderful.

The story follows Lizzie, who finally wants to get married to her boyfriend Ian. They have been together for many years. Her dreams a crushed though and after a holiday, she finds herself heartbroken and alone and back at her parent’s house.

It’s also her chance though, a chance for a fresh start and of figuring out what she really wants. It was fabulous following her new journey and I liked getting to know the other characters on the way. Like her sister, her parents or Connie. They had their story to tell as well, which was funny and entertaining.

I really liked the start of this book, but then I kind of got lost in the middle. It didn’t grab me as much and there was too much going on at times. The ending took me in again and I was actually sad it was over. A prequel to Lizzie’s story would be wonderful.

Giovanna Fletcher’s style is warm, funny and cosy.

Rating: 3.5/5

If there's a thing a lot of people know about me is how much I love the Fletchers. Tom, Gi and their two beautiful sons are the most adorable thing ever. I always end up getting way to excited about their projects but I never read their books and I don't know why. To be honest, I only read Giovanna's first book and I loved it. As you might imagine, I ended up being really excited when I was approved for this book but while I enjoyed it I still expected a lot more from it.

One thing I really liked about this book was that it was about Lizzy finding herself and not about romance. We have a girl who had been in a relationship for 10 years that ends up quite abruptly. She ends up realizing how much she changed in her relationship mostly due to her boyfriend. I really enjoyed Lizzy's self-discovery journey but in my opinion there was something missing. I know I said I was happy that this book was about Lizzy's journey but I wouldn't mind a little bit more of romance. There's also the fact that not a lot happens in the story which was a bummer. However, what I loved was how important family and friends were in the story. Let's be honest, I didn't like Lizzy's sister at all. That girl had some serious issues but the girl was about to get married and super pregnant so I kind of understand her.

Seeing that the only time I read one of Giovanna's books was years ago and since she released a lot of novels after Billy and Me, I didn't really knew what to expect from her writing. I did enjoy it but sometimes she would ramble a bit making the book a little bit slower than what I normally like.

Overall, this ended up being an enjoyable read. There are a few things I would have changed and I would have liked it way more if there was more stuff happening but it was still a good read and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys these kind of books.

I have (nearly) worked my way through all of Giovanna Fletchers novels (I still have to read Always With Love - exciting!) and I've got to be honest, I didn't think anything could beat her first novel, Billy and Me.  I loved Sophie and Billy's story, and I really believed that this was Giovanna's best work.  Until I read Some Kind of Wonderful.

Lizzy is heartbroken.  She has spent 10 years of her life loving Ian, a man she believed to be The One.  She has also spent 10 years waiting for The Question.  Holidays and milestones have passed them by as she continued to wait for him to confirm her belief that they were meant to be together forever.  When the moment finally arrives however, Ian removes all her hopes and dreams for their future whilst waving a diamond under her nose.  Heartbroken, grief-stricken and direction-less, Lizzy returns home to her family to try to rediscover exactly who she is and who she wants to be post-Ian.

We follow Lizzy as she reminisces about who she was before she met Ian.  I particularly enjoyed her reminiscing about her nights out in Chelmsford and in Dukes, somewhere my friends and I spent many fun filled evenings in our late teens (most Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays to be precise!).

What I loved about this book is that it was not about a boy.  Yes, I appreciate that Ian ditched Lizzy, but that is only the beginning of the story.  This is a story about Lizzy the woman, a woman who needs to find out what she wants from life.  Discovering who she wants to be as a person, as a professional and what she may eventually want from a future relationship.  It is also about her discovering what she doesn't want to be, and the breakdown in her relationship finally gives her some perspective about some areas of her life that she has stringently ignored due to her total focus on The Question.

This is chick-lit, but it is chick-lit that makes you consider your own position in the world.  It makes you think about what is really important, and whether you are really acknowledging your own needs as well as everyone elses.  Life is short, and everyone deserves to be happy.

I loved this novel, and it really does make me excited for what Giovanna will present to us all next.  I definitely recommend this thought-provoking, uplifting novel about self-discovery which really does highlight just how strong women really are.

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin and Giovanna Fletcher for providing me with a pre-publication copy in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this book. Heartwarming story, lovable characters with their own personalised dilemmas what's not to love. Could not put it down. Hope it is not the last we hear of Lizzy.

Lizzie and Ian have been together since the beginning of uni and now 10 years on she is starting to wonder if he will ever pop the question, but the last night of a romantic holiday is the perfect time isn't it......... unfortunately not instead of becoming engaged Lizzie is dumped!

Returning home to her parents house she goes through all the classic breakup stages... comfort eating, drunken texts etc until she starts to pull herself together and realise that she has to find herself as a person and not the other half of Ian.

A lovely book full of great characters that you can really relate to and some great fun moments along with the warmth of friendship and a great leading lady that you are really rooting for