Member Reviews
I was provided an ARC by NetGalley and HQ publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Prepare to fall in love with Hannah, Ava, Brody, and Bullett. I'm a sucker for any book that uses a library or bookstore as a setting, and this book did not disappoint. It just feels like it adds to the romanticism to me.! This was such a cute story that made me find myself smiling and giggling and, of course, rooting for the good girl and the good guy to win. Be prepared to finish this book in one sitting. It's an easy, light-hearted read that everyone is sure to love! I look forward to reading more from Rachel Dove.
Hannah must make a new life for herself and her daughter in order to get away from an abusive husband. As someone who has been in a tumultuous relationship, I know those feelings. This book didn't delve too far into the abuse but enough to let you know the backstory. It didn't feel triggering to me. One day, Hannah finds herself and her daughter in another perilous situation when along comes an off-duty police officer, Brody, and his canine companion, Bullett. Untrusting and constantly looking over her shoulder, Hannah starts to find herself getting more and more comfortable around the community that she is growing to love including, most importantly, Officer Brody. When she is forced to face the truth of her past, Hannah will find out just who truly has her back.
A beautiful and human story of love and growth. It's never easy to leave, but Hannah ran from her abusive husband for her daughter and herself and that's so clear in everything she does through the story. It can't be an overnight change and it isn't. The handsome cop she falls for definitely makes her moving forward better, but never easier. They both help each other and it is really a beautiful and fast read. Not to mention, the adorable police dog!
I didn’t know what I was getting myself into but wow this book was a roller coaster of emotions for me. It was almost like looking into a mirror. Hannah is the first book character I saw myself in. We both lived through the same trauma, and it was refreshing to see someone just like me in a book. For a long time, I avoided books with this topic, but for some reason, this book spoke to me. I’m so glad I had the honor of reading it. Not to mention the epilogue was an exact replica of what happened to me and my forever. Dog and all.
Some of the things I loved was the setting and the friendships between all the characters. It really provided such a small town feel with everyone knowing everyone. The friendships Hannah made really showed the care everyone had for her and her daughter. Not to mention Andrew is such a gentleman. I was constantly swooning over him.
I did have some issues with the dialogue. I found some points to be confusing and hard to tell who was speaking. Some points didn’t have “he said/she said” so I had to go back a few times to try to understand the conversation. Another issue I had was that we occasionally missed weeks at a time between scenes. I think it would have been nice to see them getting closer to make their relationship more believable. Even if it was just a look into their text conversations. It wasn’t until the end that I finally accepted that they made sense together.
If the content of DV isn’t triggering to you, I highly suggest you pick up this book. Romance aside, this was an empowering book about a woman taking control of her life and getting the freedom and independence she deserves.
3.5 ⭐️
It was a great story, and I enjoyed it. It was just a bit too slow for me. Loved Hannah & Andrew together and that Hannah was able to find herself and be her without Andrew. This story does deal with domestic violence so be aware, if you go to read it. Overall it was cute!
Maybe because I started on this book just as I finished one in first person POV, but somehow to writing style felt really jarring and amateurish—simultaneously had too much detail and not enough substance. I try to give all books I read a chance, but I ended up DNFing it at 15%.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.
It was a nice story, but due to the unpolished writing, it was a bit difficult to follow at times. But I like the mmc and his dog, so that helps!
Hannah leaves her unhappy marriage with her daughter Ava and moves to the village of Leadsham to start afresh. She plans to keep a low profile, focusing on Ava and making a new life for them, far away from her violent ex-husband.
What she hadn’t counted on was Andrew Brody. A police officer with a strict moral code, he knows something’s wrong as soon as he meets Hannah, and he wants to help. But Hannah has been let down by the police and men before, and pushes him away.
But the more Hannah tries to ignore Brody, the more she’s drawn to him. Caring, kind and patient, he’s nothing like the man she’s running from. Can Hannah finally put her past behind her, and open her heart to someone new?
Read in one sitting really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and HQ
I just reviewed Someone Like You by Rachel Dove. #SomeoneLikeYou #NetGalley
this book had me gripped from the start i was living hannah’s life wondering what was going to happen next, just waiting for her new world to crumble or was it?
a great page turner that has you guessing and waiting to see just w what happens
thanks for the advanced copy i will definitely be reading more by this author
A heartwarming single-parent romance book that eloquently explores domestic violence and the reality of leaving a harmful relationship.
Hannah White has escaped to Leadsham, a sleepy English village, in order to start a better life for herself and her infant daughter, Ava. What she doesn’t expect to find is Andrew Brody, a quiet and caring police officer, who would love to take her out for lunch.
I fell in love with Hannah within the first few pages of this book, admiring her strength and resilience in the face of such a tough situation. The romance in this novel was well done, progressing at the perfect pace given Hannah’s history, but not so slow that it gets boring. Andrew Brody is the perfect gentle giant, and his relationship with both his dog and Ava had me smiling throughout the whole read. I cannot fault this man, as he truly was kind, caring, and genuine throughout the whole book (as well as hot, which also helps!).
The side characters in this book are extremely well developed, and I loved how included they were in the narrative.
This book is more than just a romance, and the points made about domestic abuse in the UK, especially the lack of police intervention in some cases, cannot be left unmentioned. Rachel Dove perfectly captured the feeling of an abusive ex lurking in the back of your mind, and there is a tension felt by the reader throughout the book that mimics that of what Hannah would be feeling.
My favourite part of this book was the representation of friendships and their importance, as well as the lengths women will go to to support other women. In all aspects of the book, Hannah has people around her that she can turn to, separate from the romantic interest, and I particularly liked this portrayal of platonic support. This book is full of strong female characters, and I loved the emphasis on little Ava and her budding personality.
Big thanks to NetGalley, HQ, and Harper Collins for this ARC.
4.5 stars
As a serial romance reader, sometimes I find that some romance novels don’t have a lot of plot outside of the main romance (this isn’t a huge issue for me, but something I've for sure noticed). Someone Like You doesn’t fall into that category. This book follows that story of a mother who escapes from her abusive husband and a lonely life with just her baby and the clothes on their backs. She then works to put together an incredible life for her daughter and herself, finds a community, and love when she least expects it.
This book deals with some heavy topics (domestic violence, spousal abuse, etc), but Rachel Dove approaches this topic with respect and highlights the strength of survivors. I found this book to be fairly lighthearted, something I wasn’t quite expecting with the subject. I thought the book moved at the perfect place, not too fast and not too slow.
What I loved:
🌟Romance novel with a ton of plot
🌟This book will bring a smile to your face! Watching Hannah find a community, start finding/believing in herself again and her relationship with Brody was heartwarming.
🌟Brody. Brody was an absolute dream!
🌟The side characters in Someone Like You are incredible. You are able to get glimpses of their personality and they are just delightful.
I literally couldn’t put this one down. I read it in a few hours and now will be moving on to other Rachel Dove books!
All in all, I loved Someone Like you! If you love a sweet romance with a ton of plot, you have to check this one out!
Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Dove, and HQ Digital for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Quick lighthearted read. Couldn't put it down and just really loved it!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own
A sweet and interesting romance novel. I thought the way the author built the tension from the beginning was great - unusual. I was reading quickly, nervous that Hannah’s past would find her before she was ready.
I loved the main character and the well - constructed Yorkshire Village. As a village girl myself I recognise lots of the characters though it certainly seems that she landed on her feet as she is surrounded by the best of the best.
A good holiday read and one I’d recommend.
My thanks to the publishers and to netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review
I found this book so good! At first I was thinking that the grammar was slightly off, but then I realized that it was more British English.
All in all, I thought that the story was really good, but it was sort of a fast love for the 2 main characters to come together. The author shines a very important light on domestic abuse and it made me love Hannah even more for being so strong. It also made me love Brody so much for sticking by Hannah's side the whole time.
Simply the sweetest story. Great characters and friendly town. Love the relationship between Brody and Hannah but the cutest was Bullet and Ava. You can’t go wrong with a baby and a dog. They bonded right away. The instant protection that Brody and Bullet showed to them was so endearing. This was definitely a beautiful and heartfelt romance. So glad I read it and look forward to more books by Rachel.
I received this book for my honest opinion.
I really enjoyed this book! It was cute, an easy read, and very compelling. It hooked me from the first chapter!
It’s great to see this topic being broached in this book and to see the character so humanised through this work.
Really quick read and I enjoyed the different aspects within this book.
A bit different of a read for me but enjoyed it overall.
The authors writing flowed well throughout and it was paced well.
Thank you for the ARC. This was a sweet book about a difficult but important topic. I do feel like the author addresses the DV and associated trauma well.
This book has some great characters! Ruby and Martine with their costumes and rainbow buns. Lola and John with their bookshop and caffeine arguments. But Andrew Brody and Bullet are the best. Brody is the dream boyfriend!
My biggest issue with the book is the scene when Hannah first kisses Brody. Though he asks to kiss her, she waits until he’s passed out on pain meds to kiss him. That’s a huge no-no from me. If it had been the other way around Hannah would have felt hugely violated and would likely never trust Brody. I just expected better from a book about a woman escaping the control of an abusive husband. Wouldn’t consent and autonomy be super important to her?
Sadly that particular scene really stuck with me through the rest of the book :(
2.5 Stars Someone Like You by Rachel Dove was a quick, lighthearted read. Given that the main character Hannah has run away from her abusive husband with her young daughter, I expected something big and dramatic to happen when he showed up again towards the end of the story. Something did happen, but it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting given what he had done to Hannah in the past. Andrew was sweet and I appreciated that his character was able to separate his feelings about what happened in Hannah’s past from his job as a police officer.
At some points it was confusing about what was going on, especially since things moved at a quick pace. Overall, this was a good read.
This was my first time reading Rachel Dove but certainly won't be my last! A fun, heartwarming book about Hannah and her daughter Ava who move to Leadsham for a fresh start and meet Brody, a police officer who is drawn to Hannah. In addition to the loveable main characters, Someone Like You also has a wonderful supporting cast. A nice, lighthearted story that's a quick read for anyone who is a fan of romcoms!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy!