Reading this supposed rom-com ARC I was actually wondering whether it was a romance at all. The first third of the book is about Emmy's acting career and the scandal she had got caught in, and her family's bereavement.

The career crisis, which should have had the paparazzi hot on her heels, forces her to leave London behind and go back home to her family home in Yorkshire. Strangely,there are no paparazzi, only fans who want to take selfies with Emmy.

Anyway, she meets two guys and for some time it is not quite clear which one she might be interested in - and that is where I lost interest in the book.

This could have been a great rom-com if the plot had been tidied up a bit.

I am such a huge fan of Portia Macintosh, having already read and loved Faking It, Stuck On You and Life’s A Beach, so I knew I was going to love Will They, Won’t They? just as much. Emmy Palmer is a famous actress on one of the biggest fantasy shows on TV – Bragadon Forest. That is until rumours begin to spread about her having an affair with a married showrunner, and then Emmy suddenly discovers her character is being killed off from the show. Emmy thinks things cant get any worse, but then her grandad passes away unexpectedly.

Returning home to the small village where her family live, Emmy cant bear the thought of her family selling her grandads house, so she decides to buy it and renovate it herself.

Being back in her sometime gives Emmy the chance to catch up with some of her old friends – Kay and Billy. Both of them are trying to put together a pantomime performance at the local small theatre, which they convince Emmy to be play the leading role in the performance. And then she discovers that the other leading part of the performance has been given to Scott – Emmy’s one true love, but the one who got away. You see, Emmy and Scott never dated, but that never stopped her wishing and hoping that one day it may happen. But with so much going on in Emmy’s life, is now really the right time for them to get together?

Will They, Won’t They? is a really lovely, funny and sweet story with the characters being written so well. For me, it’s another must-read from the fab Portia Macintosh.

The main character, Emmy, is the female lead on a hit show until a rumour surfaces that she is having an affair with another member of the show and she is killed off. She returns home to her family where she ends up starring in the pantomime with someone from her past. Will she have a happy outcome?

This is an entertaining, fun read with plenty of hilarious moments and a lively cast of characters to deliver them. Emmy's family certainly made me smile, particularly her aunts, one of whom is determined to age disgracefully! Still family is at the heart of the story and binds Emmy back into her life with her blended family. She is a likeable character but she is quite slow to see what is in front of her eyes all the time.

The opening chapter certainly takes you by surprise but turns out to be a good introduction to Emmy's situation. I found the scenes with the amateur dramatic group to be sharp and well observed. Each of the characters has their own individuality and reasons for being in the production and of course some are larger than life. With the full range of age groups, from stroppy teenagers to those with a lot more maturity, you feel that Portia has conjured up quite a rich world and one which will certainly make you smile.

In short: sharply observed with some likeable characters.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book

A joy of a book. First book I've read by Portia Macintosh and I'm really impressed. It was so full of warmth and wit. I loved Emmy, her humour and warmth just made her such an endearing character. I fell a little bit in love with Tel. I never thought somebody giving you a window would be one of the most romantic things I've read this year. Quite a few thought provoking sentiments coming towards the end of the book. A really lovely read.

4.5 Stars

Portia Macintosh’s delightful and delicious romantic comedies are always a joy to read and she is on top form yet again with her latest release, Will They, Won’t They?

As the star of Bragadon Forest, the most popular fantasy series on TV, Emmy Palmer is living the dream. Successful and loved and adored by her legion of fans, Emmy’s life in London is one full of glamorous parties and red carpet events – until scandal breaks and her perfect life comes crashing down around her ears. With staying in London no longer being an option, Emmy needs to escape the city, so she heads back to her seaside hometown to lie low for a while and wait for the storm to pass. With her family needing her more than ever, Emmy thinks that this a good time for her to be there for them. However, going back home means Emmy can no longer run away from somebody she has always regretted leaving behind a decade ago in her quest for stardom…

With her image in desperate need of an overhaul, Emmy’s agent thinks that it would be a brilliant idea for her to star in the local village panto. Rickety sets and scratchy costumes might be far removed from what she’s used to, but Emmy has no choice but to grin and bear it. However, just when she thinks that life couldn’t possibly have any more unpleasant surprises in store for her, she discovers who is going to be playing her leading man: the ex-boyfriend she had ditched ten years ago when she had moved to London to make her acting dreams a reality!

With opening night fast approaching, the question on everyone’s lips is whether Emmy will reclaim her Prince Charming and settle back home or whether the lure of her London life will prove too hard to resist…

Fun, feel-good and so addictive readers won’t be able to put it down, Porta Macintosh’s Will They, Won’t They is a terrific second chance at love romantic comedy that will charm readers with a beguiling blend of warmth, pathos and emotion.

A heart-melting romantic read about going home, life’s unexpected surprises, healing and falling in love again, Portia Macintosh’s Will They, Won’t They is guaranteed to chase the winter blues away.

The opening chapter gets the reader's attention in this story of relationships and self-discovery. Emmy is a believably flawed protagonist who learns what matters to her when she returns to her home town amid sadness and scandal. The shallowness of celebrity status and the intrusiveness of social media are explored. The story is set in the prelude to Christmas with the focus on a local pantomime. This book showcases quintessentially British humour, which I loved balanced with moments of poignancy. The romance is secondary to the family drama and Emmy's self-realisation journey.

The characters are varied and relatable, and the festive setting gives the story an extra sparkle.

I have always enjoyed the romantic, light-hearted style from Portia MacIntosh and this book fits well into her style of writing. I often find that I happen upon one of her books, in my TBR (currently threatening to engulf me) when I’ve recently read something that either emotionally or psychologically drained me. This time was no different, and I went from a 3 boxes of tissues read, to this cute tale. It was just the tonic!
Emmy is a fun character, and it’s hard not to feel for her as her life is hit with shocks on both the personal and professional front. She stoically handles her return to her childhood home of Marram Bay, setting for other books from this author, and finds herself falling back into long forgotten friendships and crushes. Can she find happiness with a community theatre group?
As usual, this is an ensemble story, and there’s a terrific cast. For me, the standout characters would have to be, cheeky builder Tel and the outrageous Auntie Vee. She was a laugh and minute and suitably embarrassing. I particularly enjoyed Emmy’s determination to help Felix reconcile with his lost love. This sweet thread was a lovely addition, and perfectly highlighted Emmy’s kind nature.
Whilst this isn’t my favourite book from Portia MacIntosh’s catalogue, it’s a real contender for a top feel-good tale. Escape to Marram Bay, hop over to Hope Island, if the tide is willing, and relax with a mismatched theatre troupe.

Typical romance novel, well written with some warm fuzzy moments and some laugh out loud moments. Overall an easy read and and enjoyable one.

I don't think this is one of Portia's best novels but I still enjoyed it. The storyline was good but with so many subplots it seemed a bit crazy and not all were needed. Having said that it was well written and I wish this book and author all the very best. Can't wait for your next novel Portia. 4 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this eARC

I LOVED this book!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story tells the story of Emmy Palmer, a successful actress living and working in London who is the star of a popular fantasy TV Show. When a scandal practically forces her to hide for a few weeks, she decides to visit her hometown, where she will find some people from the past, and meet new ones.
It's amazing how the author writes every character. I loved Emmy! She's my favorite character from the book. (I'll probably upload another post talking more about this book!)
And talking (writing) about characters, I want to say that some of them annoyed me, like Emmy's biological father and Vee. It's obvious why Emmy's father is annoying to me, and to anyone that has read the book. Because those things do happen in real life, and it's very hard for those people who suffer from it. I won't say what I'm referring to, but the ones who have read the book know exactly what I'm talking about. I know it's not something everyone wants to read about, or even heard about. But I'm glad, even grateful, that the author has written very well how's the relationship between Emmy and her biological father and how Emmy feels that way. I empathised a lot with her and I understood her so so well.
You should read this book! This book came out today!
#WillTheyWontThey

I always enjoy the comedy in Portia MacIntosh's books, and that was here in abundance almost from the start. Most of it came in the form of Emmy's family dynamic. And for me, that was the highlight of this story. I also loved the parallels with Game of Thrones in her acting career. As a nerd, these jokes made me giggle. I LOVED the awkwardness of Emmy and Scott's reunion, while the search for a script and the subsequent filthy panto draft had me howling laughing (please, please give us more of that script though!)

That said, I found Emmy's initial career dilemma irrelevant for most of the story. It was supposed to be her reason for returning home, but we also had the family bereavement, and, considering she'd said she was going to keep her head down for a while, there seemed to be little of that once she was home. Emmy takes selfies with anyone who asks, rehearses daily at a well publicised pantomime yet doesn't have a single pap or (even local) reporter on her tail (which you can guarantee would happen in this country, given the tabloid press and their voracious appetite for chasing scandals). Then we don't even learn more about the scandal until right near the end.

Unfortunately, I felt that the romance suffered because there were so many other storylines going on concurrently. It took over a third of the book to get to Emmy meeting any real potential romantic lead, and even then, it didn't seem clear who that romantic lead was supposed to be. Neither Emmy's interactions with Scott or Tel screamed love interest. With Scott, she's mostly talking about the past, and with Tel it's how 'nice' he is, how skillful he is at things. It all just felt a bit muddled and there was very little chemistry. Consequently, the eventual romantic hook-up felt rushed and bland. I also found Emmy a bit judgy at times. She flip-flops between sweet and bitchy. But even that knowledge didn't prepare me for the weird resentment being tossed at her at the party. It all just felt a bit sudden and forced.

I think there was the potential for a really good rom-com here, but because there was SO much going on, nothing was focused on long enough for me to become truly invested in the characters.

(I have also left the same review on Amazon UK, but awaiting moderation)

Emmy Watson obviously has to change her name if she's to become a famous actor. So she is now Emmy Palmer, she moved from Yorkshire to London to become a star and so far she's been pretty successful at it. But now she's  been killed off and that was not her choice, she has also been rocked by scandal in the tabloids. So she returns home to Marram Bay, a tiny Yorkshire coastal hotspot, were she believes "I'm going to have a hiding place".

This is however great timing as her favourite grandad Tony has just passed away, she feels she needs her family around her.
Despite this she is starting to get worried as her agent has nothing left for her. So she buys her grandad's house from her mum and aunts, and begins a huge renovation project with Tel her new next door neighbour. 

She also catches up with her old school crush Scott, she been involved in a "Will They Won't They" relationship since primary, secondary school and they even considered going to uni together until Emmy decided to move to London to chase her dream.

She also feels unlucky to land the lead in the local charity pantomime- Cinderella, here we meet the rest of our characters who are a wide variety of individuals who make this book even more hilarious and dramatic. Their pantomime has a USP "a cool fun, much needed twist on the classic panto format".

Will the pantomime make it to opening night and will Emmy find her real life prince charming? 
I loved this book because of the great characterisation and the twist and turns that they take you on.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

📖⭐️ BOOK REVIEW 📖⭐️


🎉HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY 🎉

Book: Will They, Won’t They?
Author: Portia McIntosh
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: 7th of September 2021


Emmy Palmer is an actress from a hit TV show Bragadon Forest but finds herself getting the boot after a few seasons due to a few nasty rumours at the beginning of the novel. We follow Emmys journey into settling back into a normal every day life in her home town with a Christmas pantomime and all the drama that comes with that thrown into the mix for good measure.

I loved Emmys character, I loved following her growth, ups and downs throughout the book. This is my second McIntosh novel and she has yet to leave me down! Another cracker!!

Thanks so much to @netgalley and @bookandtonic for the Advanced Reader Copy of Will They, Won’t They? by Portia McIntosh in exchange for an honest review!!

Portia Macintosh kept me on my toes with this one. Will They, Won’t They? isn’t the book I thought it was going to be. As far as protagonists go, Emmy Palmer is not the most relatable—she’s a famous television actress who gets swept up in a scandal before seeking refuge in her small hometown where she stars in her own sort of comedy of errors. Not only is Emmy not very relatable, she’s also oblivious and unreliable, a combination that, for me, does not love make.

Add to that a slow start—it takes about a third of book for any serious love interests to appear (I say serious because there are actually four total, and I had pegged the wrong one from the start)—and I was about to give up read...

Until partway into the third act, when all the things were revealed. Honestly, I haven’t been so surprised by a plot twist in quite a while, and combined with the laugh out loud lines (and Steve!), Will They, Won’t They? is 3 stars for me. It’s still not my favorite book by Portia Macintosh, but it’s still an unexpected delight.

I have read the last few Portia MacIntosh books and I generally enjoy her writing and romances, but this book really missed the mark for me. I wish it wasn't so, but i was confused through a lot of it.

Emmy Palmer is an actor in the UK, starring on a Game of Thrones-esque fantasy series as a popular character, until she is killed off after a tiff with the show runner. Her grandfather then dies, so she decides to travel back to her small hometown to be with her family, especially when a tabloid rumor alleges she is having an affair with the married show runner. At home, she gets pushed into participating in a pantomime to save the local theater, even though she really doesn't want to. She reunites with the guy she had a will they, won't they relationship with in high school for the play, but when her next door neighbor pushes all of her buttons, she's not sure where her love life is going - especially as she plans on returning to the city after the season.

I wanted to like this book. I really did. But when the romance doesn't begin until 75% into the book you're left confused and continuing to read just to see when on earth it will come. The last quarter of a book is too late to start a love affair that is believable in my opinion - but for those that appeals to definitely give this book a try. Portia's book are very well written with engaging characters - but I came to this book for a romance and didn't get it.

**Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review**

There was a lot going on in this book. There were so many subplots and diverging familial and friends drama that I had a hard time keeping track and an even harder time staying interested.

Emmy Palmer is an actress. After find success on a large Game of Thrones-esque show, her character is killed off unexpectedly and she is also compelled to return to her home after the death of her grandfather.

Emmy lacked depth as a character and the romance element was just weak to me, I felt no connection between characters and it just felt very meh. Nothing felt resolved at the end and it just felt like Emmy let herself be used as a doormat and just let herself settle. The writing style felt a little bland for me and whilst it did suit the light, trope-y nature of the story it just didn't work for me. I also found the larger cast of characters largely uninteresting and outright annoying in some cases- I doubt I will remember any of them..

I wanted to like this one more than I did because I found the plot enticing and felt there could have been a lot of potential there, it just ended up not working for me. .

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an Arch of this in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy Portia MacIntosh's books and I was delighted to receive an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley and Boldwood Books.
This book starts off in an interesting way.It took me a few pages to realise what the situation was, and it was definitely unusual.
This wasn't the romantic novel that I was expecting, there was a lot of family drama and bereavement. There was also some comedy moments.
This book is set in Marram bay which the setting of some of Portia MacIntosh's previous books. This is a Standalone book though. It is a lovely location for a book
This is an easy and entertaining read. I enjoyed reading it and I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

I was hoping for more from this book. The romance is just not as strong as the author's previous works, so it comes off as more of a women's lit book rather than straight romance.

Also, I felt that there was a lot of build-up with not a lot of pay-off. Like, Emmy would be dreading a phone call or conversation and then the next scene would be, "Well, that went better than I'd expected." or days have gone by. We just don't get any depth in situations or characters.

Still, the writing itself is solid and enjoyable. I've enjoyed many of the author's other stories, so hopefully this won't be more than a single anomaly. Every is allowed to have a bad day, or bad book. I still look forward to whatever the author comes up with next.

Returning home after the loss of her Grandad, Emmy Palmer is unsure where life will take her now. After acting her final scenes in a long running TV show, of which her family are unaware she'll not be returning, she runs into her childhood crush in unexpected circumstances. Initially a little awkward, but is the spark still there??...

Overall a good easy read.