Okay so I absolutely loved this book! It was so heartwarming and charming. I absolutely devoured it.

I adored Paige, Noah and the journey they go on together.

The book was incredibly well written and I would definitely recommend if you want a nice easy read full of heart.

I loved Paige! Definitely understood her reasons for keeping possible romantic partners at a distance. Her family sucked!

Noah, Noah, Noah... He’s not the perfect man but he is someone who only wants the best for Paige and she deserves that.

An enjoyable read!

This was such a light, easy and well-written romance that is perfect to delve into. I felt as though I could connect well with the characters and I really empathised with Paige. When she's asked to bake a wedding cake for her ex, you'd think it would be awkward enough! There's definitely plenty of mix-up in this story and it was a joy to read.

I don't often feel very emotional reading books but this one definitely struck a chord with me. A fabulous strong female protagonist you'll be rooting for until the end. A fantastic read you won't want to miss.

I thought this story was okay - I had very little feelings towards it for quite some time. It felt like it took a while to get to the main bit (even though it started out in medias res. I didn't resonate very much with the writing style, which meant at times I wasn't particularly fond of the narrator.

Overall, it was fine but I wouldn't likely recommend to friends or family.

Oh man, I completely LOVED this book. I don’t even know where to start, this book really resonated with me and I really connected with the main character and saw a lot of myself in her.

The humour in this book was completely up my street, and I found myself giggling out loud almost every few pages, I sent quite a few passages to my friends and sisters as I read because they were so hilarious, being in Paige’s brain was so fun and so relatable. Her slightly cynical view on relationships in the beginning, her tendency to bottle up her emotions, her wardrobe of mostly athleisure despite being mostly inactive were all things I kind of loved about her because it made her feel like she could be a lot of us. As the book progresses we learn a little more about why she has this more detached view on relationships and I really felt I could understand her point of view and connected with her as a character.

Without giving toooo much away, what is revealed a little way into the book really got me. Once we explored Paige’s emotions surrounding this quite heavy issue I felt really emotional, and I really enjoyed all the threads we got with this storyline; Noah, Sara, her family and Chris. It added a lot of depth to the book I wasn’t expecting going in but was a nice surprise.

Now what we really want - the romance. Ohhh Noah. A cute doctor, adorable and not afraid to ask for what he wants but also not afraid to be seen when vulnerable and sick 🥺 Just all around such a cute guy, and I loved seeing Paige’s defences slowly come down. Noah was perfect. ♥

The humour and character development in this book alone was worth the read for me, and Noah was just an amazing bonus, making this an absolute 5 star read for me. Definitely one I will recommend to all my friends!

This is an easy beach read story. Have all, drama, love, friendship.

Paige does wedding cakes for living, but she convince herself that she is not a romantic.
One day she was working on her shop, her ex boyfriend came in with his fiancee for a wedding cake taste.
Then she went to a party to trying to overcome that, her friend said to her that she need a one stand, then she meets Noah.

They have fun together but he does want to continue seeing her. Will Paige trust in love again?

TW: breast cancer (Paige is a survivor)

Thank you to Net Galley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Holly McCulloch who very kindly provided me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did somewhat enjoy this cute, light hearted romance however I do not think that it was perfect. I loved our male love interest Noah, I think he was so sweet and pretty much the perfect guy! He honestly deserved so much better than Paige who consistently treated him like crap.

I did like the start of the book but it went drastically down hill from there for me unfortunately. I think that this book had a lot of potential but the main issue was that in all areas it was underdeveloped and felt really rushed.

I did like Paige to start with but as the book progressed I didn’t see the development that I needed to really become invested in her as a character and I think that she was pretty selfish and a bit of an asshole.

I think that a couple of the plot points felt a little rushed and could have been developed further, like the ex-boyfriend and family drama because they are mentioned and then they kind of forgotten about which seems kind of pointless to me.

I also would have liked to have seen further implications of the the actual ‘mix-up’ because I thought that it would have played a bigger role than it did. It is only actually mentioned in a couple chapters then it is brushed over.

I am aware that sex in a book isn’t everything but I do think that this book could have benefited from some spice. Paige talks about having an active sex life and the sex scenes start and they abruptly stop and the next chapter skips to the following morning or later on which doesn’t really make sense to me.

I think that the ending felt really rushed and the book would have benefited from a few more chapters as it seemed as though everything came to a really abrupt ending.

I’m not sure that I would recommend this book, perhaps if you are just looking for a quick and easy read it might be the book for you.

This book does contain themes of cancer which might be something to be aware of before picking it up.

This was an hilarious heartwarming read. The quick witted humour was everything. The Romance was cute and kept me hooked! Paige is a cancer survivour and from that her long term relationship had broken down. This element of the story was so well written and not over dramatised. It was nice to read about a character trying to rebuild their life after a traumatic event

The only thing i could fault is the ending. I found it was very rushed and everything seemed to be easily solved in the last 2% of the book.

Overall this book was a joy to read. It was easy to read and left me feeling happy. I will definately be recomending it too all my friends.

This one had me hooked from the start, there was more to find out about Paige and as the chapters moved forward we found out her story little by little. Made me laugh and made me cry. Would recommend, especially if you love cakes!

“He pulls me to him and this time, instead of pushing him away, I hold on tight. I plan on never letting go.”

Paige is a baker, and an incredibly skilled one at that. She was taught how to bake by her grandmother before she passed, and has made a relatively successful career out of it, making wedding cakes for starry-eyed, hopeful couples.

But, Paige is the least romantic person to ever exist. She’s also perpetually alone. Which is why it’s the shock of the century when her ex-boyfriend of six years walks through the door with his new fiancé, seeking a cake for their big day.

After seeing Chris again for the first time in over half a decade, she can’t get him out of her mind. So, in order to try and forget about the mess that is her love life, she vies to focus on her work life by attending a party with a wedding planner that she is dying to work with.

What she gets from that party, however, is something entirely unexpected. Paige is promised a flirtatious, easy, no-strings-attached one night stand with a man in a black top, if she just goes to the bar…and so she does. But she is shocked to find that there are two men in black tops: the only question is which is the guy she was destined to meet?

The Mix-Up was a fun, lighthearted read perfect for this time of year. I found myself smiling and laughing throughout the majority of it.

There wasn’t much substance to the characters, for me personally, but I didn’t mind it too much as it felt right for the storyline that way.

Paige was a funny, independent and strong-willed main character with such an intense belief of what love should be that it hinders everything in her life, including when love is right before her very eyes.

Sped through this in 24 hours, and it was cute.

3.5/5 stars (rounded up to 4!)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book early.

Good chick lit following the main character Paige and her life. Funny in parts and heart warming as she trys to sort her love life out.

⚠️WARNING ⚠️ Do not read if you are healthy eating! The cakes in this book sound amazing and to be honest, whilst reading I have craved for cake.

A beautiful book with brilliant characters. Go get a copy!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

The Mix-Up is the hilarious and heartwarming story of wedding cake baker Paige, who, at a work-related event, finds herself after some no strings attached fun. Colleague Mika points Paige in the direction of the guy in the black top who Mika knows will be up for a one night stand. But as Paige approaches to initiate, she realises there are two guys in black tops. Which one should she go for?

I devoured this in two sittings, the quick-witted humour and cutesy romance kept me hooked. There were some unexpected issues dealt with which weren't mentioned in the blurb; Paige is a cancer survivor, still dealing with the aftermath of this - her diagnosis led to the demise of her long-term relationship and most of her friendships. This element of the story was well-written and not overly dramatic, it was refreshing to experience a character attempting to rebuild their life and confidence after such a traumatic event.

My only qualm is the rushed ending; it felt as though Paige found herself in a perilous situation around the 98% mark which was miraculously resolved and suddenly everything was perfect - all within the last 2% of the book.

Overall, a lovely and easy read which I would definitely recommend!

I absolutely loved the mix-up, seeing everything from Paige's point of view, as someone who has experienced immense struggles was so interesting as it really demonstrates to you as a reader how past trauma can affect current relationships - which is a really interesting and important thing to show in this book. Paige was also a very relatable character with her being a somewhat introvert who doesn't really like people (apart from her select few) which allows the reader to really connect with her character and her relationships with others really shows that no one is perfect.
There is also some really lovely romance within the story, I always find that romance is often hard to get right in books without getting too 'cringe' but the character of Noah was perfect (where can I find my own Noah?) who was the perfect person for Paige as he actually cared about her despite her internal struggles which also showed Paige that she deserved someone who cared for her in her life despite her thinking otherwise.
Overall, I adored this book, the writing was brilliant and the character developments throughout the book as they figured themselves out was heartwarming. This is definitely a book I would recommend!

This was an easy and pleasant read. It was a light read that didn’t require too much brain power. The book is full of drama, family issues and dilemmas.
Paige has an ex boyfriend called Chris, she finds herself creating his wedding cake #awkward. She has a new fling - Noah. Noah seems like the truly perfect man. Is all as it seems?

(3.5) ‘The Mix-Up’ centres around Paige who’s taken over her Nan’s business and now makes wedding cakes. When one couple come in to taste cakes she’s shocked to see her ex-boyfriend and his new fiancée. Being confronted with her past sends Paige spiralling and she goes out looking for a meaningless bit of fun which threatens to become something more.
I feel a bit conflicted about this book but I need to preface that there’s nothing majorly wrong with it! In the beginning, I was enjoying it but it felt like just another romance story and I didn’t feel particularly attached to the characters. However, when it started delving into Paige’s history of breast cancer and how that’s affected how she views her body and relationships I began to get more invested and was more interested in that aspect. The ending was wrapped so quickly I felt a little frustrated but again, there wasn’t anything I disliked about the book. It was a quick paced read that had some heartwarming moments. I would definitely recommend picking it up and will read more from this author in the future!

Paige runs a family bakery specializing in wedding cakes, one day has a surprising appointment with an ex and his fiancée, which is both a surprise to see him and finds out his fiancée Pippa has no idea who she is, or of their history.

At an evening out a work colleague, Mika suggests a way to take her mind off her ex, whilst called away briefly Paige goes across to introduce herself...

A lighthearted read of finding love, touching on a topic that will either make or break their chance at happiness. Great read, look forward to reading more from this author.

The Mix-Up

I requested “The Mix-Up” via NetGalley, presuming it would be an easy going, beachy chick lit - a book that you could probably predict the ending of after the first few chapters. Whilst “The Mix-Up” definitely fits in to the chick lit category it covers a hugely important topic that all women should consider and be aware of. This is alluded to throughout the first few chapters of the book as we meet Paige and her “breast friend” Sara. I note that some reviewers felt that the book should have some kind of trigger warning or suggestion in the synopsis that this sensitive topic will be featured. I can understand for the unexpecting readers perhaps with a personal experience or family history similar to Paige’s why this may be upsetting however I strongly feel that Holly McCulloch has done a fantastic job of exploring the complex emotions that Paige has, as a result of her experience. If anything, I wish that the “reveal” of Paige’s history came earlier in the book, so that we could explore Paige’s psyche and her relationship with others in more depth. It feels like we really only scratched the surface on the mixed emotions that Paige is feeling.

My only criticism is that the book initially felt very slow developing, with most of the interesting events happening in the last half. I imagine this is probably due to the build up to Paige’s “reveal”. In particular I felt the ending was a little rushed, however perhaps that’s my desire to find out what happens next!

Paige bakes wedding cakes for a living, but it doesn’t necessarily mean she wants to get married – actually far from it!

Working in her little shop, she gets a visit from her ex-boyfriend and his fiancé, as they want her to make a cake for them. The audacity right? Will Paige do it? I don’t think you guys can take this tension..

Paige decides that she needs a quick fix and her friend Mika knows just the guy for her at a party – the guy in the black top. Unfortunately for Paige, there seems to be two guys in black tops!! Shock HORROR. Will it just be a casual fling as Paige hoped or a bit more?

So, I recently read Holly McCoulloch’s ‘Just Friends’ and loved it, so when I found this book on Netgalley I requested it so fast. In saying that, I’m afraid I didn’t exactly hit the mark for me – it was a bit lacklustre.

Paige’s character finds it difficult to trust people and let her boundaries down, and I just found it so frustrating! It was really repetitive and just a bit chaotic. Don’t get me wrong, the book had some good qualities but overall it wasn’t anything special.

I’d recommend this if you wanted to read something super easy but it’s not the book for you if you want to be completely sucked in.

Gosh I just loved this book! I completely devoured it. It is perfect chick lit, cheesey romcom that was so uplifting and heartwarming. Paige is a cake baker and at a wedding networking party where Paige admits she’s looking for a distracting fling, so friend Mika points out an old flame of hers who is known for a string of one night stands, wearing a black top, it seems ideal. Until she walks over and finds 2 men in black tops. When she realises one looks more purple than black, she turns her attention to Noah. After a night together, Paige is confused when he wants her to stay for breakfast. And then he wants to take her on a date. And then another. Paige is not looking for a relationship, and she thought Noah wasn’t either.

I know it’s cliche but I just loved the character of Paige, she is so fun and relatable and her friendship with Sara is so lovely, and as we go through the book we find out more about their background and what they’ve been through together. Noah is adorable and I just can’t resist a sweet love story.

This is perfect for those looking a a sweet, heartwarming, easy read!