I read this one in a heartbeat! I was expecting your usual romcom but this was so much more than that. This is a tale about self-discovery and the power of friendship, about making your own choices and live with the consecuences, whatever they might be. The writing is exquisite too. I loved it very much.

So when I first saw this book on request, it was admittedly the words ‘for fans of Holly Bourne’. You all know how much I love Holly’s books. What’s also surprised was how long it’s been since reading a chick-lit book, it’s been years and also the first on this blog too. So in simple terms, I’m really enjoying this book.

Jess, a woman in her 30s going through a period in her life where she feels lost in love, life and well other things. After failing university twice, she pursues her career in her passion which is photography which safe to say isn’t exactly going anywhere. Along with that, her love life seems to be going into a spiral, her relationship with Charlie seems to be one where she feels she doesn’t know who to be, how to be with him or around her friends. So she’s dumped, and so Jess finds that she needs to focus on herself, rather than, to try to be happy for you and to thrive on life rather than just trying to survive it.

So to me Jess comes across as quite an erratic and rather obsessed woman at times which can annoy me in places. But I love how she pursues her passion of photography and doesn’t give up, so whilst working as a waitress she assists, a photographer Cathy, a lady of pure wisdom that I feel Jess really admires. Then there are her friends, Amber, Marlowe and Sean (I love him and feel for him so much.) We each see snippets/perspectives of their own lives which I really liked seeing, it broke up Jess’s story whilst seeing how they are living their lives. They are always there for Jess but what about themselves.

It seems I have no relation to this book whatsoever, someone who is in her nearly mid 20s and in a relationship, ha. But Louise has a lot of things dead right, living is bloody hard, (excuse my french). I’m talking about starting your career, following your passion, paying bills, saving money for your future, getting a place of your own (which is hard enough as it is these days), owning things, and even more competitive in London. But there is one thing I do feel quite strongly whether you are in a relationship or not, discovering yourself and being happy in all parts of your life, not just with you partner. These messages really do empower you to feel and believe in your own happiness ans striving towards that.

LOVE and Other Things to Live For really reminded me how much I enjoyed this genre! But this book is more than just chic-flic, it’s about life and learning to actually do things for yourself not other people.

Love and Other Things To Live For follows Jess, a twenty something living in London, dealing with the aftermath of a broken heart whilst attempting to get her dream career started.

This book wasn’t what I thought it would be, from the cover and the blurb- I imagined a light, fun, chick-lit novel but it was so much more than that! Initially, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, I struggled with the first few chapters but then something happened. I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen with Jess’s life and really enjoying her friendships with Marlowe, Sean and Amber.
Although I liked the book, I didn’t enjoy the pace of the writing at times, I found it to be a little choppy in places. Overall, a good, somewhat thought provoking read.

This is a debut novel and I was very impressed.
This book had real quality to it.
This book was quite heavy in places.
This book was a bit disappointing

Jessica, at the start of the book, has had her heart broken and her friends are carrying her through it. Unfortunately, from here it moves into her eventually returning to that relationship and frankly being the least interesting character in the book.

The intersecting friendships at the heart of this book really carried it for me. The brief insights into the other plot lines were a welcome break from the voice of the fairly irritating narrator. This wasn't for me, it really needed a stronger voice and more insightfully written introspection, if that's the note the author was trying to hit..

A great contemporary read, fun, with characters that are easily identified with and you really connect with. An entertaining and enjoyable story, well written and great pacing


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Love and Other Things to Live For is a fab, modern book! It's based in London and creatures a great group of characters who are really relatable! I really enjoyed this book.

This book is different to what I expected and I thoroughly enjoyed it and I hope my review will encourage you to grab yourself a copy! Many thanks to Nina Douglas & HQ Stories for inviting me to take part and read this brilliant book.
When I saw the book cover, the colours jumped at me straight away and I was requesting to take part and read the book, as I just knew I would enjoy it. This story follows the ups and downs of Jess who feels she has reached adulthood and is still lacking directing, throughout we follow her on/off relationship with Charlie whilst she is attempting to carve her own successful career.
I felt that this story highlights how everyone constantly seeks approval from their peers and those they come into contact with on a daily basis, whilst constantly comparing themselves and their achievements. I found this an engrossing read that covers mental health and the constant pressures of today's society.
Jess has a friendship group that she has been part of for many years and they play a huge part in this story as they are a significant part of her life. The impacts and pressures of the current world around us are portrayed well and make you stop and think about the differences between our friendships in our younger years compared to our children's experiences with friendships as the world and pressures around them keep changing.
From the beginning I was routing for Jess to commit to her dream and prove to herself she could do it and that she had nothing to prove to anyone else. A brilliant book that I enjoyed and is so relevant and insightful into today's ever changing society.