Another phenomenal read by Shari Low. She's an auto buy author for me. Highly recommend this book and all her others.

I was chosen to read the first book and love all of Carly antics so I couldn't wait to see what happened in this book, I loved it a great read for everyone

Once again Shari Low has done it again! LOVED this book. This was such a fun easy read. Everyone should read this.

I loved the continuation of the life of Carly Cooper. She has been married to Mark Barwick for almost 20 years and the mother of mid teens Mac and Benny.

Since I first read Shari Low’s, “The Story of our Life”, I’m a hooked fan for life. She’s an author you will want to read time and time again. By far one of my favorite authors I have on repeat buy. I cannot wait for the next book she writes.

Such a brilliant book, great characters, lovely storyline. I would recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

After reading about all the antics Carly got up to in What If? I couldn’t wait to catch up with Carly and all her friends again. This time 20 year later in this brilliant new sequel.

As you can probably imagine a lot has changed for Carly in that time including a hit to her self esteem. She needs to find her spark again and remember the Carly we all know and love.

You don’t need to have read What If? to read What Now? as Shari does a wonderful job of reminding you along the way of the key moments of the past but I really do recommend reading both as in doing so I feel such an affinity to Carly and her friends.

Shari’s writing style just flows with such warm, wonderful and witty characters making me laugh and cry along with them.

I won’t of course reveal any spoilers but I do need to say I was so happy at the outcome of who Carly gets to continue this next chapter of her life with. Could she rekindle things with her husband Mark or could it be another ex we have previously met.

Loved this book. Amazing characters, hilarious & heart warming. I love Carly Cooper. Shari low is becoming a favourite author of mine! Love how val appeared in this one too.

I wasn’t chosen to read the first book so don’t think I got as much out of this as I might have but appreciate that it was a good read.

Having recently read Shari Low's What If? a book I loved, I was keen to read this one, What Now? Both books follow Carly Cooper who is now approaching her fifties and has two teenage sons, though her marriage is failing. As her sons head off on holiday with their dad, Carly and her trusty mates go to Los Angeles again.

I'm so pleased that I chose to read Shari Low's sequel! The author's storylines and writing style were great fun and sparkled with wit, jollity, and situations that resonated with me. The characters were endearingly quirky, habitually supportive, and interesting people whom I would adore having amongst my own circle of friends. It was fantastic to see the progression of Carly as so many of us experience the same issues as she did in the tale. With so many comedic moments, though there is also sadness and introspection, this novel can be enjoyed as an individual read, IMHO. Go and grab your copy of What Now?

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

It's twenty years later and time to catch up with Carly and she's in a bit of a flunk. So what better why to get back to the woman she once was with a road trip to LA with her girlfriends.

Carly and the girls are back for an epic adventure! You thought mid-life crisis' were just for the fellas? Think again...only it does in fact involve the male species in several respects, so yeah...okay, I'll commit to it being brought on my them, but not fully about them. Anywho, back to Carly...

She's been living the dream with her presumed soulmate, two kids, a house, a career with dreams politely shelved and no (*cough cough*) regrets, until one day...she's not. I mean, she still has the great kids, house, and career-type outlook in the works, but the soulmate has left the building. What's a girl to do?! Carry on, and so she does...until another monkey wrench comes flying her way and suddenly ducking for cover is no longer an option, and hiding away won't be tolerated by those who love her most. Can we say ROAD TRIP? Okay, well there is a road, but they take the skyway, and along the way discover oh-so-many-more things about themselves, each other, and the world around them...including the fact that love comes in many forms, not every soulmate results in a happily ever after, never take on a clan of "mama bears", and true love can strike twice!

If I've left you intrigued, GOOD! You should be...and it's well warranted. If you're a fan of Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction, or Chick Lit, this is definitely a book you won't want to miss. By the turn of the final page, you'll feel like one of the gang...and I can't think of a better group to be counted as one!

I was happy to be back with Carly Cooper and her girls. And also delighted that there are 'chick-litty' books about women in their 40s. Normally this age-group features only in 'romance dramas' that are either melancholy, boring and/or have at least one heavy blow of fate.
Well, Carly's life hasn't been exactly a breeze either, she had some heartaches to endure as well. And yes, they are dealt with in this book as well! But still, the whole book never lets you feel down, thanks to Shari Lows great writing style that I've become to adore over the past couple of years.

This book is a sequel to Lows very first novel "What if", and although Carly sums up the necessary bits and pieces as she goes along, I would highly recommend reading the first part. Not
There you get a better picture on who her friends are (character-wise) and what kind of character Sam really is. Because here he is very seldomly part of the story, which consists mainly of Carly lying on the pool and chatting to her friends, and here and there she throws in some flashbacks. There is not so much action going on. All the touristy things they do in L.A. are summarized in one paragraph! Yes, there is a trip to NYC, but I would have liked a little bit more.

Also, the circumstances of how she gets into a very special situation that she mentions in the first chapter - and most importantly how she gets out of that situation - are too easily solved. After reading the whole book until finally coming back to the Carly from chapter 1 I expected more.

However, I still highly enjoyed "What Now?", and wouldn't mind at all to meet the girls again a couple of years down the line. And what happens with Carly after she finally makes up her mind where life will take her next!

A sequel to the book What if .
Carly is back twenty years later
The girls decide Carly needs to get her mojo back
So they plan a trip to Los Angeles
This books shows the process of Carly from the first book and find out why Carly has not got her happy ever after
Good Read
Thanks NetGalley

I really enjoyed this read and there is so much to love in this story, friendships, laughter and romance. It is all nicely finished off so your not left guessing either. This can be read as a stand alone if you haven't read the first book.

A lovely escapist read full of emotion and laugh out loud moments. Thank you.

So Carly Cooper is back and better than ever in this sequel to What If?. This book is made up of 34 Chapters as well as a Prologue and an Epilogue. The Prologue (as well as the rest of the book) helps catch the reader up, so whether you have or haven't read the first one you can still read this one. Though I highly recommend reading the first one.
From the absolute beginning of this story it is engaging and really draws readers in. Making them want to know how this story will progress. Like the previous book, this one also has songs attached to every chapter, meaning you have a built in playlist of songs to listen to when reading along. As the chapters pass readers will also get a look into the past as it is mentioned. These jumps in time are clearly labelled and it is clear to the reader when you are in the past and when you return to the present.
One thing readers should be aware of because this did happen to me is that you will get caught in the 'one more chapter' lie to yourself. I certainly found myself saying 'one more chapter' before I went to bed. I stopped reading at around midnight having read 10+ chapters. Readers will be drawn into the story to the point that they won't notice time passing or the chapters changing.
Overall I enjoyed this book immensely. I completely gobbled up Carly's story and the antics that she and her friends got up to. The ending is perfect, exactly what the reader will want and really wraps the whole book up with a pretty box.

Having read the prequel to this book, ‘What If?’ last year, I jumped at the chance to read this sequel from Shari Low. Whilst it is a sequel, it could easily be read as a standalone novel as there is plenty of reference to the first book which allows a new reader to keep up.

This story reintroduces us to main character Carly Cooper twenty years on. Changes in her life mean her character is now vastly different to the carefree spirit we encountered in ‘What If’ as she is struggling to cope with getting older, hang ups about her appearance and the fact she is having to start afresh having split up with husband Mark.

When Mark announces that he plans to take their two sons away for three weeks to America, Carly is inconsolable. Luckily for her, one thing hasn’t changed and that is the support of her friends, who combine forces to ensure she doesn’t sit wallowing and feeling sorry for herself and whisk her off to Los Angeles in the hope she’ll recover some of her zest for life.

There is humour aplenty to be found in this novel and I often found myself laughing out loud at certain points. Aunt Val is an absolute scream and is certainly the most enjoyable character in the book.

There are plenty of poignant and emotional moments too as Carly attempts to find herself again and re-evaluates her feelings towards Mark and her marriage. Will she get her happy ending?

A highly-recommended read!

Twenty years ago Carly Cooper went on an epic rollercoaster ride of a journey to find every single boyfriend she’d ever had, in order to discover if he was possibly ‘Mr Right’ that she had inadvertently overlooked. The result was the hilarious ‘What If ?‘ But now, Carly is separated from hubby Mark (previously mentioned, but possibly not so ‘Mr Right’) and she’s a single mom to their 2 teenage sons. You could say quite a lot has changed in the past twenty years!

What hasn’t changed is the solid group of friends that Carly has (one of them right next door), and the wonderful, comfortable extended family they’ve all created, now with husbands and children thrown into the mix. But Carly isn’t the same happy-go-lucky spontaneous 30-year-old she was twenty years ago. Understandably she’s been through some stuff and now that she’s almost 50 and feels slightly larger than the slim self she once was, she doesn’t have the self confidence she used to have. Quite honestly, she’s lost some (ok, most) of the sparkle and sheen from her younger days, and she’s feeling quite down in the dumps.

When Mark tells her that he intends taking the boys on a month-long US trip in an RV, Carly is devastated. Didn’t they once talk about taking trips together as a family? And what happened to all of those hopes and dreams – Mark was always too busy working and those family trips and holidays never happened. But suddenly, now that they’re no longer together, he’s taking time off to spend with his sons … without her! What on earth is Carly going to do for an entire month, on her own?! She can’t even begin to imagine. Thankfully her lovely Aunt Val and friends come to the rescue and remind her that she still has lots of living still left to do!

With each chapter headed by a song-title, the index makes for a fabulous soundtrack to accompany Carly through this stage of her life. This is a lovely, thoroughly enjoyable read and a reminder of the importance of the bonds and strengths of female friendships. Kate, Jess and Carol each fulfil their unique roles in their tight-knit group and we’re reminded of how different friends each bring their own gifts and insights into the relationships that we share. This isn’t quite the rollicking ride that What If? was, but it’s just as much fun, in a more mature and insightful way, and still with some cringeworthy moments thrown in for good measure! I can really relate to Carly still trying to find her ‘happily ever after’, and to all her self-doubt – it’s so authentically real. Where is it written that just because you found your Mr Right, and settled down and had your kids, that now you need to be happy with your life, yourself, and everything else? Very seldom do things work out that perfectly, and I love that Shari Low acknowledges this by continuing the story with What Now?

This is a light, easy read that despite coming across as a bit ‘frothy’ does cover issues that go a lot deeper than what they appear to be on the surface: growing older (and larger), losing those close to us, coming to terms to mistakes we’ve made in the past, and taking a serious look at ourselves and deciding that if we want to like who we are now, we might need to make some changes!

A 4 star read that I’d highly recommend. You could read this as a standalone, as enough background info is given, but I’d suggest reading What If? first (and also, because it’s a great, fun book anyway, so why miss it?) You can read my review of What If? here.

A beautiful yet poignant story about the inexorable love between close friends and between Mother and Son and the shock of coming to terms with being newly single, in your forties, whilst trying to keep your skeletons firmly in the closet.


Carly is newly separated from her Husband and is left looking after their two teenage Sons. On Mother’s Day she learns to her consternation, that her Ex is planning on taking the two boys on a USA roadtrip for three weeks in the summer holidays.

The thing is, what is she going to do with herself while the Boys are away, in order not to look like a sad loser!

Wonderfully, Carly’s friends arrange a surprise trip to LA for them all (they do it in shifts), to see Carly’s ex (and Hollywood star) Sam. There does however appear to be more than one skeleton in Carly’s closet.

Please read if you want to see if Carly banishes her demons and if you want to see what is on the horizon for her on the romantic front.

One thing that I loved about the first book was the energy and passion that Carly Cooper demonstrated. It was a whirlwind romance across the globe and it was impossible to not get caught up in her excitement. Therefore, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel and was enthusiastic to learn what happened next to Carly Cooper.

However, I was a little disappointed in the end and the book didn’t meet my expectations. The fun-loving, wild, spontaneous Carly has been replaced with a grief-stricken, lonely, overweight middle-aged woman, with very low self-esteem. Throughout the book we are reminded of Carly’s insecurities and flaws; she is unable to accept who she is and has lost the identity that made her character so loveable to begin with. I think this had a major impact on the tone and pace of the story. Reminding myself that this character was now approaching fifty, I still think Low could have embraced a more fun-loving aspect to herself. Instead, it takes Carly nearly all of the novel to rediscover herself and energy, meaning that the last few chapters were actually my favourite.

It feels like the majority of the novel doesn’t really move, quite literally. Carly and her friends are sat around a pool in LA, staying at Sam’s house (a flame from the previous story). The intention is for Carly to re-energise herself, especially as it appears that her marriage has broken down and her sons are on a tour of the east coast of the States. Not wanting to be left alone, Carly’s friends arrange for her to have a mini break and hopefully return home in a better mood.

There is a lot of reference to the previous story. At times, it felt like there was too much of a recap, meaning you could probably get away with not reading the predecessor. This was another element that reduced the pace of the story because Low was reviewing events that had happened so long ago and I had already known. However, at the same time, there remains flashbacks to the previous twenty years, giving readers a true insight into why Carly has not found her ‘happy ever after’ and what she and her friends have been through these past two decades. I liked the transition between the time lines because it made the novel more interesting to read and it did feel like I was catching up with old friends.

Despite my criticisms, I did enjoy reading the book. Although I was always yearning for Carly’s original “pzazz”, I was really keen to see how life had progressed for the main characters. Low again titles every chapter with a song and I loved the music references; quite frequently the song would be stuck in my head for a while after reading and it definitely reflected the mood of the chapter.

Whilst there is a lot of low points and sadness in the novel, Carly’s role as Aunt to Toni was endearing and showed a glimpse of her old character. When the friends move to New York, I thought this was symbolic of Carly breaking free from her negativity and it turns out that this is actually what happens in the city. There begins the start of some fun energy and it is at this point that the novel reminded me of the first book.

I loved the first book; I only liked the follow-up. Personally, I hope Low does not consider another novel in this series because I think it is best the characters are left alone. I can’t see how a third book would offer any new, original material and in my head, I am going to allow myself to believe that all the characters lived a happy, fulfilled, ever after.

With thanks to Boldwood books, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What Now? is the sequel to What If? the story that began it all. It is feisty, fresh and funny with standout characters, emotion and relatability. Carly's life after almost twenty years isn't quite what she imagined. Her sons are everything she wanted, but her marriage is over after years of making do. Her vulnerability is undeniable when Mark her soon to be ex-husband arranges to take the boys away on the family holiday they always promised themselves.

Carly's caring friends organise a trip to LA to stop make her realise that proves to be a revelation and forces her to confront past decisions. There is so much to love in this story, especially the friendships, the laughter and the romance.

A lovely escapist read full of emotion and laugh out loud moments.

I received a copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.