What I’ve loved about all Shari’s books that I’ve read are the lovely characters and the story lines. And ‘What Now?’ lived up to this.

The situations she describes while often being full of laughs are so close to what many women go through – the fallout of divorce, trying to re-create a life when you should be enjoying the one you’ve already created and the genuine fears that mothers have, especially those sharing custody of their children with their ex-partners.

All the characters while full of sarcasm, humour and often self-deprecating in their manner are very real. There’s an underlying vulnerability in Carly that tugs at your heartstrings.

The fearless Carly, knocked down by life and responsibilities doesn’t have the courage to follow her heart after calling an end to her soulless marriage. But her band of girls, including her aunt Val, push her to rediscover the adventurous woman she used to be. What follows is a great source of entertainment and made for a delightful read.

I loved this story of friendship and reinventing oneself.

Favorite Quotes:

I realised we were both wearing the same outfit: white jumpers, ripped faded jeans. However, with my size fourteen figure and her size eight, we looked like a before and after poster advertising weight-loss shakes.

…it icked me out even to think about women lusting after my brother, but, to his credit, he only had eyes for Carol. Especially as she’d assured him that she’d take her straightening irons to his pubic hair while he slept if he dared to consider infidelity.

She could have married George Clooney and she’d still have found fault. She always had that sour expression – like her knickers were on too tight.

Christ on a bike, I wouldn’t want to have to Hoover that place. You’d just be finished and it’d be time to start again.

‘Is she the one that did that orgasm scene in the café? Our Josie once copied that at a coffee morning in the community centre. They asked us to leave.’ I turned to Carol. ‘Is it just me, or is she the gift that keeps on giving?’

‘…blame the menopause,’ Val announced, making several people around us choke on their drinks. ‘When I was going through the change, I was forever just blurting out whatever was on my mind. Although, my Don says I’m still doing it, so this must be the longest menopause in history.’



My Review:

I enjoyed every perfectly pitched word of this highly engaging and delightful book. It was definitely giggle-snort worthy. Ms. Low’s storylines and writing style were good fun and sparkled with wry wit, clever levity, and situations that resonated deeply with me. The characters were endearingly quirky, highly invested, tirelessly supportive, and interesting women whom I covet to have as my own circle of friends. My favorite of all was of course Auntie Val. I suspect Ms. Low was following me around and taking notes, although I am not quite as well accessorized. I aspire to ascend to Val’s lofty heights of Auntiedom and colorful fashion sense. I adore Shari Low and am scheming to read all of her past and future scribblings as I am enamored with her deliciously amusing and pleasantly absorbing wordcraft.

Shari Low is back with a fun, relatable and deliciously feel-good page-turner I just couldn’t bear to stop reading: What Now?

Twenty years ago, Carly Cooper had vowed to write her own happy ending. Convinced that one of her previous lovers was Mr Right, Carly had gone on an epic quest to find the one that got away. But two decades and two teenage sons later, Carly cannot help but wonder whether she might have made a colossal mistake and been rather too hasty in her bringing her search for The One to a close. Will Carly put herself out there for another throw of the dice? Will she continue to fight for her happy ever after? Or is she going to spend the rest of her life wondering what might have been?

The future isn’t exactly looking bright and rosy for Carly. Her kids are growing up and will be leaving home soon leaving her all alone with just four walls for company and with a divorce under her belt, Carly realises that she isn’t quite ready yet for bedroom slippers and quiet nights in in front of the telly watching the Antiques Roadshow. She is going to grab life by the horns and take a huge leap of faith, so accompanied by her trusty girlfriends, she heads off to Los Angeles ready to unleash the wild and adventurous Carly she used to be.

But in the bright lights of LA, will Carly find the answers she has been seeking? Will she realise that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side? Or has her happy ending been under her nose all along?

Shari Low has done it again and penned an entertaining, uplifting and wonderfully funny tale that will make you giggle and have you reaching for the tissues on a couple of occasions. Carly Cooper is a wonderful heroine and somebody you could imagine meeting up with for a chat and a gossip over a couple of drinks.

A heart-warming, hilarious and life-affirming tale about friendship, taking chances and finding the courage to put yourself out there at any age, Shari Low has got another winner on her hands with What Now?

What Now? is the sequel to the fantastic What If? by Shari Low. After reading the first instalment in this series of books I could not wait to dive in to this story.

We find ourselves reunited with Carley Cooper and are instantly immersed back in to her world. Twenty years have passed, and we soon find out that not everything has turned out how our leading lady would have liked. Carly is a dedicated mother to her two teenage son's, and not a day goes by when she doesn't feel immensely grateful to have them in her life.

Carly still has her wonderful family of choice, including her fabulous friends and their partners, along with their children, and she gets so much joy from them and their loyal friendship. However, not everything is running smoothly in Carly's life, as her marriage is really struggling, so much so, that they are on the verge of divorce. The connection between them is still unbelievably strong, and it is clear they still care for one another and be a supportive unit for their boys, but not spending any time on her marriage has broken them.

When Carly's Aunt Val and her closest friends form an intervention, they inform her that she has changed from the fun loving, spontaneous person they all know and love over the years. Carly is a bit taken aback by this - after all, she is a mother and all of her choices and decisions have revolved around what is best for her boys. But that certainly doesn't mean that overthinking every decision life presents us with is going to send us in the right direction. Taking in all of this, Carly finds herself on embarking on yet another journey of self exploration.

I adored this book from the start. Shari never fails to produce interesting characters, all of whom have their own individual traits and life stories that add so much to this brilliant story. I love the cast of characters that form Carly's friendship circle. They all have the most unique personalities, and when they are all together, you can't help but want to be a part of their circle!. The way that the characters also remember a friend they have lost is beautiful and emphasises the closeness in which they share.

The story was so beautifully written, I found myself well and truly immersed in the world that Shari brought to life and truly invested in Carly's life and wanting her to find happiness again. The storyline was perfectly structured full of humour, love, and emotion that made it impossible to put down. This book has everything you could possibly want from a rom-com, and I will certainly be recommending this book to everyone!.

I believe I am in the minority of readers of What Now? by Shari Low in that I have not read the first book, What If?.

Occasionally, I thought perhaps I should have read book one first, but I had no problem following and enjoying the story as a stand-alone. The author gives enough backstory to make the story flow.

The characters are entertaining and relatable. Several subplots involving the next generation and a few new players add great dynamics, and Val nearly stole the show. I’ve been told she appears in several of the author’s books. This tidbit alone will make me read more of Ms. Low’s books.

Our main character, Carly Cooper, uses comedy & sarcasm to deal with her life issues. For the most part, this worked well in the book. Her banter with her sons is quite entertaining. I wish I were that witty.

While the romance is a predominant part of the book, I felt that the real story was the connection between lifelong friends. The way they deal with tragedy, life, problems, and romance made the story special. The way they have each other’s back after all these years is amazing.

I recommend What Now? to lovers of fun, witty, sarcastic romantic comedy.

4☆ A Fun Filled, Uplifting Adventure, A Laugh out Loud Must Read

Another Fantastic installment and the sequel to What If? Shari Low has written another Gem!

This Time round fast forward 20 years and Carly is divorced, and panicking when she reluctantly agrees to let her boys go away with their Dad for one whole month. Despite him never taking them & her away, when they was married.

Her best friends (yeap there all back) and Aunt Val rally round to support her. But that comes with a lil bit of tough love.
You see the girls think it's about time Carly got her mojo back and find herself again. She used to be spontaneous,  Fierce and Fun. But now she's older and going through a tough time.
So what better way to discover who she is again, than a fun filled girly trip to Los Angeles.
After their last adventure who knows what this trip has in store for them!

Oh my gosh this book is one highly Entertaining, Laugh out Loud, whirlwind of a book. So much hijinks, Second Chance Romance and Drama.
The Characters are just as good as before and what shines through is their close bond and friendship. I wish I had a group of friends like that.
What Now? Does have a bit of a different vibe, but there all older, and it definitely doesn't stop them having fun and getting into all sorts of trouble.

So if you are looking for a Fun, Uplifting, Laugh out Loud Read then I highly recommend you pick up a copy of What Now?

Last year I was on the blog tour for the 20th anniversary of What If, the story that first introduced is to Carly Cooper. And, when I found out that Shari Low was writing a follow up story to see what happened next I knew I had to read it.

What Now is set 20 years on from What If. Carly now has two teenage sons and is in the process of divorcing Mark. With the prospect of being alone Carly Cooper decides to go on another adventure. Well she's kind of pushed into it by her friends and fabulous Aunty Val. Seriously everyone needs an Aunt Val in their lives. I loved this woman.

With her close group of friends to hand (and Val) Carly sets off to America. I got fabulous Sex and the City vibes from this story. The way the girls (who are meant to be more mature now) set off on their jollies and let loose.

The Carly we see in What Now is a lot more subdued than she was in What If. But, that is natural, she is a fully grown adult with responsibilities. There is also a heartbreaking storyline amidst the fun and frolics of the main story.

What Now? Is definitely an easy read and it is so great to catch up with all the girls again. I did however want a different ending for Carly than what she got. This might surprise some people as I'm sure everyone will love how it pans out.

Carly Cooper and the girls will keep you entertained from start to finish. You'll laugh with them and cry with them. What Now? Get a copy and let the girls tell you their story...

Carly and her amazing friends are back, 20 years later and things are looking very different. Recently divorced, child free for a while and at a loose end can only mean one thing! Girl trip!
I am so pleased we got another chance to hang out with Carly and the girls. I adored their friendship and shenanigans in What If? And loved a second visit into their lives. This time we begin with Carly in a rut. Down and a much calmer version of her previous self it was quite heart breaking to see. What’s amazing is her friendship with her girls is still very strong and along with Aunty Val (who appears in several of Shari’s novels), they manage to convince her to add a little adventure and spark back into her life. The bond between these ladies spans decades and is so strong. I have a strong group of friends and reading this really reminded me of them. I love how they are all honest but adore each other. Each friend brings a different personality and perspective into things, but they all share a common goal – to restore Carly back to herself. Carly is a wonderful character, full of life and energy and I love her spirit.
It was a pleasure to join the girls on yet another road trip and I devoured this book. I laughed, cried and sighed throughout and I highly recommend.

A couple of months ago I reviewed What if? which was the first book Shari wrote. Set in late 80s and 90s, it was an unforgettabe story of looking for second chances and true love, families and friendships, throwing all the caution to the wind and trying to find Mr Right.

In What Now? we are back into Carly Cooper's world, just twenty years later. Not everything has worked out for our fun-loving heroine. She has two fabulous teenage sons and sometimes wonders how lucky she is to have them. She still has her family of choice: her loyal friends, their partners and their offspring (yes, the parties these ones throw are as noisy and full of joy as you can imagine). On the minus side, her marriage is on the rocks. Her soon to be ex-husband (not naming him on the off chance you still haven't read the previous book) and Carly still respect each other and will always be there for their kids, but it turns out that too much work and not enough time dedicated to your family isn't a recipe for a marital bliss.
Carly's friends and her one of a kind aunt Val tell her Carly has changed. She has lost her spark and spontaneity. Yes, life in general and having kids makes us grow up and start weighing all the pros and cons before making a decision. But overthinking things doesn't mean the course of action we take is going to be the right one, or the only right one. Carly Cooper is off on a journey again!

Shari Low knows how to create interesting characters. Even if it's a secondary one and we get just a glimpse of their life, it is still fascinating. Carly is blessed with a large group of friends, so the cast is quite large, but they are all diverse and unique, and complement each other to create a most colourful patchwork of life. One of her original friends has passed away and we feel how she is mourned and remembered every day.

The age group Carly and her friends belong to -late forties-early fifties- is one of the most uderrepresented ones. It is as if once you settled down and had kids, you are just supposed to get on with your routine and keep quiet. You can't even complain about your changing body and raging perimenopausal hormones or feel you betrayed your true identity by not pursuing your dreams. What about your relationship with your own aging parents? Don't even start me on thinking that things were a whole lot simpler before your kids became teenagers.

What Now? is a great sequel to Shari's first book. Perhaps, a bit more realistic, but still as entertaining.
In case, you were wondering, there is a happily ever after, but it isn't just the destination that counts, it's the journey!

Thank you to Rachel, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the review copy. All opinions aremy own and were not influenced in any way.

Shari Low has done it again, she has created a book that will leave you feeling happy and sad, make you laugh, yet also cry. I wanted to grab my favourite girls and hug them close with lots of wine flowing. Hopefully one day soon girls!

How happy I was to hear from Carly again, whose point of view the story is told from. Carly Cooper is a legend with the best friends you ever could want. They have the best friendship and are more like family. Think Sex and The City and twenty years later add family/kids into the mix.

Carly has changed from the carefree and adventurous women she was before. Which left me feeling sad for her and wanting her to get back to feeling more like herself, just maybe not as wild this time! Of course her friends wasn’t going to let her suffer alone.

Carly’s trip to LA was an experience. I love how all the girls had her back. The fun they had together was great. I really cannot wait for holidays again with my girls. It really is a funny book, filled with lots of laugh out moments, which is exactly what I needed right now in lockdown. There was also heartache, and I really felt for them all but the bond the girls shared was very special. I was glad to read even with the heartache Carly was still hilarious!

Sam was the best friend/ex you could ever want, with that dream house in LA. I really want to go to LA and even more so after reading this book.

Mark still had something about him and I felt sad for him at the beginning. I was still torn as much as the first book with who I liked more out of Carly’s lovers! LOL.

I absolutely love the writing style and the characters Shari creates. Also, Aunt Val deserves a massive shout out as she was just brilliant and a ray of sunshine. On the opposite scale we have Estelle well wasn’t she a piece of work!

Each chapter kept me wanting more. I literally did not want this to end, equally though I wanted to know if Carly got her happy-ever-after.

If you haven’t read What If? I highly recommend it, just because it’s great. Even though this book explains everything that happened in the first book, the first book was just as fabulous and funny as the ladies were a lot younger and finding their way in life.

Romance, heartache, friendships, forever love and trips to New York and LA. What is not to love?!

Here’s to us all living our best lives, with our soulmates 😊

When I started this book, I did not realise that it was a sequel (my own fault), but I found it so easy to read and I did not need to have read the first book to enjoy the second.
Carly and her husband have split up after 20 years of marriage. When her ex decides to take their 2 teenage sons on an extended holiday, Carly has the perfect opportunity to take some time for herself and reassess what it is she is after in life. Fortunately, she has an awesome group of encouraging friends who are more than willing to give Carly the push she needs to achieve this. Whilst on her trip, she must face the demons from her past that she is desperately hiding from and decide whether she wants to give her marriage another chance.
This book was hilarious and so enjoyable!

So I started to read this book and stopped and back tracked to read the first book because while you don’t have to read the first to get what’s going on, I wanted to read about Carly in her carefree days. I’m so glad I did too because it just made this story so much better. I loved Carly and all her relationships, and how cringe worthy she can still be even after all those years later. This story made me laugh, groan at her decision making and even cheer her on wondering if I would make the same decision. I think if you were a fan of Sex in The City or even Bridget Jones you will absolutely love this story.

I loved this thought provoking story about friendships, relationships and parenting in the modern world. Not having read the first in the series, I hadn't seen the 'flighty' Carly of her younger years, but felt that she was now someone I could know and relate to in this read. It's such a feelgood book - I especially liked the support the friends gave each-other through thick and thin, and their relationships were continuing to provide a great support network for their own children too. Such a great uplifting story.

I enjoyed reading 'What If?', the previous book in this series, which is set twenty years ago when Carly Cooper set off to see if any of the men she'd loved and split up with were actually her Mr Right. Having decided one of the was, twenty years and two sons later she's reconsidering her choices and has separated from her husband. Her best friends and Aunt all get her to realise that she's left behind her wild, adventurous self and they set out to help her rediscover herself by travelling over to America with her. Get ready for more journeys, trips down memory lane, meeting up with folks from her past, going viral on the internet, being arrested and several romances, including a second chance romance for Carly! This is another fun read and such a lovely change to go back to visit characters I'd read about to discover what they've done with their lives since the initial story.

Aunt Val is still hilarious! Her besties are totally the best and the story has a lovely mix of humour and kindness as well as some thought provoking scenarios, too. Can Carly re-invent herself as the fun-loving person we met in 'What If?' or has time erased that from her personality? You'll have to read it for yourself and journey with this great gang to find out and discover the role of a cheese grater in it all, too!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.

LOVED.
Following Carly who has lost her sense of adventure was exactly what I didn't know I needed! This was the perfect sequel to What If? I laughed, cheered, and cried for Carly and I thought I had figured out what she would decide but I was actually wrong!
Definitely pick this one up if you're looking for a funny, sweet, sometimes cringing for the character romance.

I read What If? and What Now? back to back, which is a rarity for me to actually (1) read the first before starting the second and (2) read them one after the other. I am thrilled that I did as they are both fantastic reads that follow along a fun set of characters. If you do pick-up this one without reading the first, you are able to understand everything that is going on with a little thought as there are previous events mentioned that aren’t fully re-explored in flashbacks or other discussions. I would not recommend reading this one and then returning for the first as events in this one spoil what happens in the first. From both novels, it is clear that Shari Low writes about a great group of women that makes you envious of their amazing and supportive friendship (I love my own friends, but I would not mind being adopted into this group)!

Our story about Carly Cooper picks up twenty years after the last novel left off, when she was more carefree at 30 years old. It is 2019 and she now has two sons and has recently separated from her husband. Her sons are written well as they are not only entertaining characters, but I love how relatable they are. Their interactions with their parents are very relatable as I can picture myself saying something similar to mine (even now)! Although she is happy with sons and is confident that she made the right choice in her separation, she starts to feel as if something is missing from her life and her spark is gone. She reminisces about the past and wonders how she got to this point and if she can work to find true happiness for herself.

When her ex-husband, Mark decides to take time off to travel around with their sons, it sets Carly off to wonder why they could not do that together as a family back in the day. It is a great insight into separations where a significant other makes changes only after they are not together anymore and you question why it could not happen before. It is something you see in media and with those around you, if you have not experienced it yourself, and it made Carly’s feelings very relatable. As a way to help Carly get her mind off of it, her friends arrange for them to go to Los Angeles to stay with Carly’s ex-boyfriend, and current friend, Sam Morton. Their friend group, along with Carly’s Aunt Val, takes off for their vacation in the States and Carly’s journey to healing begins.

The story flows really well as you are well into the novel before you even realize it as you become enthralled in the pages and time flies by. The story picks up a lot at the end. The writing itself is simple enough to follow, but still has a lot of heart behind it and is thought-provoking overall. The one thing that does bother me is how obsessed Carly gets with the weight she has gained (a UK size 14 – US size 12) as she is not overweight/big in the slightest. I understand how she can be disappointed in the fact that she’s not as slim as she was in her youth, but it seems to be an overreaction when she’s still an average weight. Weight is a common factor for people to focus on when they are feeling low, which Carly definitely was during a lot of this story, but it just seemed to a little overkill in the amount of times it is mentioned.

Carly’s journey is very thought-provoking as she has to question if her marriage is worth saving or if it is time for a change. She struggles with the idea that Mark may or may not still be the perfect person for her and it was well done to see her inner thoughts and how she weighs the pros and cons of each choice. Her thoughts and actions are more mature, which matches the fact that she is now older in this novel, while still showcasing her original personality that readers enjoyed in the first novel. She goes through a lot of emotions in this story and it was heart-warming and interesting to read how she goes through each. Her friends and family make an excellent support system and I love how Carly cares for them just as much as they care for her. It is very refreshing and enjoyable to read stories with this type of relationship as some novels tend to show a skewed, or even, a one-sided friendship, so it was nice that theirs seemed two-way.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and honestly cannot say if this one or the other was better as they are two entirely different novels in a way, even though they are about the same cast of characters in the same story. Carly’s girlfriend group and Sam are great additions to her time in Los Angeles and they have fun times together, but also manage to have thoughtful conversations. The entire novel manages to balance the fun with the serious to create a fantastic novel! Shari Low has become a must read author for me and I hope to read more of her stories in the future as I greatly enjoy how she centers our main character with a great support system!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC to read and review. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**

Such a fun book! While I haven't read the first book in this series, I certainly didn't feel lost or confused in this follow-up. Carly is a wonderfully written character-she is likable, relatable, and inspires just a little bit of jealousy at her coolness. All of the secondary characters were hilarious! And, this book wasn't nearly as predictable as most romance novels. What Now? is a great summer read that will have you laughing until the last page.

I have loved being reunited with Carly and her wonderful fun-loving friends in this hilarious, heartwarming and uplifting sequel to What If?

Shari creates some wonderful characters. Carly is a likeable and complex character, who is clearly adored by her sons and valued by her fabulous friends. I was really rooting for Carly and her happiness throughout this book. The banter, sarcasm and humorous dialogue between the characters provides an uplifting mood, which stands in contrast to some of the more serious themes in the book, including love, loss and being taken advantage of.

Again, Shari has shown her literary talent through her sophisticated use of alternative timelines and flashbacks to develop the character of Carly and for the reader to get to know her journey from the previous story to this one.

Overall, this has been a fun, uplifting and easy read which I have thoroughly enjoyed. It has satisfied my need to know what happened to Carly and her brilliant cast of friends. I would recommend this novel and author to fans of Milly Johnson, Jill Mansell and Heidi Swain.

This is a lively read and I loved Carly's wit and banter which she reserved for her two sons. Family and friends are centre stage throughout. If you have read What if? you will remember Carly as she was as a 30 year old looking for love. Now, you come forward 20 years and find out how her life has moved on and what happened to her group of friends. When you first meet her, she is 50 and feeling the empty nest syndrome. However, you find out that there is more to her sadness than meets the eye.

In What Now? Carly continues her travels and casts her perceptive eye over life in LA. The cast of characters are colourful and full of life. You also get to see the downside of social media and to witness Carly in all her protective glory as one of her extended group is threatened. The two men in her life, Sam and her ex-husband, Mark, are a good contrast. One micro- manages and the other seems to live and let live. You are left thinking, as Carly did, is it possible to change?

in short: A sparkling romcom, full of character.

Fun and laughter all wrapped up in a book!

Carly Cooper is a soon-to-be-divorced mum of two and her spirit is flagging; being a grown-up has taken it's toll - well, that is until her posse of friends swoop in and get her on a flight to LA where they hope she will discover her youthful self is alive and kicking.

I absolutely adore everything I've ever read by Shari Low; she makes my soul giggle like no one else. Her previous novel, What If? was an absolute hoot and I've been waiting for it's sequel to get to the top of my list to find out What's Now? In deference to my other half getting his sleep, I read very little of this one in bed but have spent the morning in fits of hysterics - and I don't think I'll ever grate cheese with a straight face again! The characters in this book are wonderfully crafted; not perfect, not overly flawed - just human. The situations Carly gets herself into are epic and the expert writing makes them even more so. But it's not all high jinks. Carly and her friends, like all of us, have their fair share of highs and lows and I will confess to needing a dab of a tissue here and there. I defy anyone to read this author's work and not feel lighter by the end of it. Absolutely superb, although I would heartily recommend reading both books in order or you miss so much fun! An incredibly uplifting read, well worth all five stars!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley and to Rachel Gilbey for my stop on this tour; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.