This is a delightful gem from beginning to end. I have been captivated and completely unwilling to put this one down.

I've read other books by this author and always enjoyed them.

Stella has nothing really to show for her life so far but she does have a flat that her father got her.

A lighthearted easy read that was really enjoyable

Stella Shakespeare is in her 30s, but unlike everyone else around her, she hasn't got her life all sorted. No job, no man, no money. At least she has a flat, paid for by her father, though he's cut off her money until she sorts herself out. And she has her best friend Billie .I really enjoyed this. I’ve read most of this authors books now and this one is the best I’ve read so far

I absolutely loved this book! Right from the start I liked the main character, Stella and was interested to find out all about her and what she would be doing. I think I have found my new favourite author. The book is well written and the characters are believable. I thought it had a good plot line and didn’t have any filler sections, it was brilliant. I highly recommend this book. Thank you #netgalley

Stella Shakespear is desperate to fall in love. When she’s swept off her feet by a stranger, she’s sure she’s met ‘The One’. Although this read is a romance, it also covers some deep topics, such as the pressure on women to get married and have children at a specific time and the importance of attending cervical screenings. It is more than the average Rom-Com.

This was much better than I expected. Comical scenes, sensitive moments, a little spice, and plenty to discuss made it an ideal book club read. It pleasantly surprised me at how Stella grew on me as a character; up to halfway, I saw her as immature, considering she was in her thirties, and I couldn’t connect with her. However, as the story unfolds, I warm to her as she embarks on a personal growth journey, and the reader learns more about the depth of her character.

The conclusion of this read was highly entertaining, and I couldn’t help but read it with a smile. A delightful, fast-paced read, and I highly recommend it. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

dnf at 30%

couldn’t connect with the main character and her lifestyle. read some reviews saying that she has a great development but I was dragging myself through the chapter so I finish here.
I might pick up later on when my reading slump is over but for now this book wasn’t for me.


Thank you for the arc🤍

This is a perfect beach book It is . Fun light hearted and easy to read. I would definitely recommend this for holidays as it is so good

I’d like to thank NetGalley and HQ for approving me for an ARC of this book.

Told entirely from the POV of our protagonist we meet Stella Shakespeare when she is at the lowest point of her life. Having been dumped by her boyfriend, cut off from the bank of dad and jobless, she desperately needs to turn her life around. Stella is frustrating, irritating and not the most likeable person but I did find her candid nature amusing. She is openly honest and doesn’t feel the need to hide who she is but she has obviously had a very privileged upbringing. Once I got over my irritation with Stella I found I could settle into the story a lot more.

The shining star of this story for me was Harold. From his kitchen concoctions to his matchmaker abilities, he often had me chuckling and brought an extra dynamic to the book. The same can be said of Sam, Billie and Marjorie. All of these characters made the story all the more enjoyable. They weren’t afraid to call Stella out when she was being irrational but supported her in finding her own path.

This book screams humour and sex appeal. There are moments of lust and love that certainly knocked the temperature up a few notches but hidden amongst the steam are serious questions facing every woman of a certain age. The pressure to find ‘the one’, have children, and be in a serious relationship are all things society insists we must all achieve to have a fulfilling life. Sophia Money-Coutts addresses these issues and others, perfectly. We also have Billie’s storyline which will resonate with many and spotlights a much-needed topic.

Despite my initial irritation with Stella this witty, fun and sexy book was an enjoyable read.

This book deeply explored relationships between friends, lovers, partners and family.

The main character was deeply flawed and incredibly selfish. However, the character development was amazing.

There are some sad elements to this book so please look up the trigger warnings!

I found the story to be occasionally slow going but overall a very enjoyable read.

This was my first time reading a book by this author, it is a light easy read and I found myself picking this up easily and laughed out loud in parts too. Perfect weekend read .

I had mixed feelings about this book until about 3/4 of the way through and then I just adored it.

I don't think labelling this as a Romantic Comedy is accurate, yes there is romance and there is definitely comedy. But this book is about personal growth, friendship and navigating life.

I'll be honest, I didn't really like Stella, our MC, until about half way through but I think that was a good thing because it made her growth as a character so much more hard hitting.

I adored Sam and never had a good feeling about Fitz but I think that is a testament to where I am at in my life, kindness and stability is so much more attractive than playing games and being swept off your feet in an extravagant style.

The friendship with Billie was so wonderfully done, Billies patience as Stella figured out how to truly be a good friend when Billie was weak and needed Stella as apposed to the other way around.

Special shoutout to Jez, he cracked me up.

I will definitely be looking out for more work by this author.

I have never read anything by author but I will check out authors previous work now. Stella is a great character and I found this book so easy to pick up and read meaning i flew through this in 24 hours. This book had great twist and turns and i didn't see some stuff coming. Pick up this for a weekend treat.

If you are a romcom fan and are looking for a book that will make you smile and provide you with a few hours of escapism, then this is worth a read.

Stella’s life is not looking too clever - dumped by the boyfriend she thought was ‘the one’, jobless and cut off by her wealthy father who has been bankrolling her. The one constant in her life is her best friend Billie, who has been there ever since they met at school. Just as life starts to look up - she finds a new job (albeit a somewhat unconventional one) and she meets a man who seems to tick all her boxes - Billie receives some bad news. As Stella supports her friend, she begins to realise that she may be looking for love in all the wrong places.

Stella is one of those characters who frustrates you at times, but who you find yourself warming to as she begins to take control of her own life, thanks in part to a fabulous cast of supporting characters and the friendships Stella develops in the course of the story. Whilst the conclusion is no great surprise, there are some unexpected twists, and with both touching and laugh out loud moments it made for an easy and enjoyable read.

An enjoyable and predictable easy read. Stella is initially an unlikeable main character but we see her development as a person throughout the novel.
The author has a lovely writing style however this plot didn’t hit the spot for me.

I remember first hearing about this book when the cover was revealed across social media and it instantly put Fleetwood Mac's Big Love in my head. I immediately had to add it to my wish list and was overjoyed when I was granted a copy.

I LOVED this book and it wasn't anything like I was expecting. Stella is a complicated character who is definitely caught up in the ideal of finding the love of her life, to the point sometimes she allows it to effect other relationships in her life. At times I became frustrated with her but also wanted to give her a cuddle and some wise words. There were some aspects of the story that were a little predictable but I enjoyed seeing the plot unfold.

The characters make this book, alongside Stella there are a range of fabulous characters. I'm a sucker for an older character so Harold and Basil the dog made my heart burst, what a gorgeous soul! Billie's diagnosis was also handled with care and you could definitely tell this story line was well researched and informed. The less said about Fitz the better but I enjoyed hating him and internally voicing my disdain. Sam sounded hot and he was a child doctor - swoon!

I'm glad this was the first of Sophia Money-Coutts novels I've read as I can now go read the backlist!

4.5/5

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Looking Out For Love by Sophia Money-Coutts in return for my honest review.
I found this a bit of a slow burner and I didn’t particularly like the main character Stella as she came across as very self centred and spoilt living off the bank of Dad, but as the book progressed she grew on me, although I did prefer the other characters in the book which were more relatable and likeable especially Stella’s flatmate Billie.
This is a light hearted easy read perfect for taking on holiday.

This was so enjoyable - I have really liked Sophia Money-Coutts books and this was no exception.

This was a lovely read about life and friendship. The friendship between Stella and Billie was really well crafted and the journey they both went on together was both sad and heartwarming.

Stella as a main character was great - she was strong and funny. I rooted for her from the start. Albert was a minor character but he really stood out to me and again we see the theme of friendship in the relationship Stella has with him, her neighbour.

Friendship is definitely the main focus of this book - not romantic relationships as the title suggests. While there is some focus on the romantic side of Stella's relationships we further see the love of friendship with Stella and her boss.

Great read - loved it!

I really enjoyed my previous read from Money-Coutts and so was excited to have the opportunity to read this new release. However, I struggled to get invested in the plot and found the protagonist to be incredibly frustrating.

At the beginning I found the story to be rather entertaining and I frequently chuckled at Stella’s mishaps. It felt like I was in for an entertaining read that was pacey and light-hearted. However, when the writer introduced the subplot concerning Billie, I found it too realistic and made the mood change considerably. No longer thinking it was an entertaining piece of chick lit, I was distracted by Billie and wanted Stella to grow up and be a responsible adult.

Along the way there are many scenes that lightened the story and I was particularly intrigued by Stella’s new job working with Marjorie. It sounded as bizarre as Marjorie’s character! I thought this added something a bit different to the story, even if it did feel a bit far-fetched. Yet, I did think Money-Coutts could have extended this element of the plot to engage more with Stella, rather than it being a job that she finds increasingly enjoyable.

As for Stella herself… well, she is clearly spoiled, selfish and pretty useless. Her obsession with finding true love means she keeps making the same old mistakes. Her growing connection with Fitz sent my alarm bells ringing, but Stella failed to pick up on any signs that this is not the right relationship for her. Coupled with how she behaves with Billie, I grew less interested in her as a character because I wanted to see Stella step up more for her best friend and not put herself first all of the time. I thought the portrayal of her relationship with Fitz was too obvious for the story and instead found myself wishing for the genuine happy ever after that I knew would come at the conclusion.

I especially liked Harold’s character and thought him particularly sweet. His is so patient towards Stella and it is a shame that she does not recognise this – more reasons why I grew to dislike her! Again, such a strong supporting character, I thought the writer could have developed this character further, providing a bit more balance to Stella’s headstrong ways.

For me, this book was not as enjoyable as my previous read from Money-Coutts. It promised plenty of romance and laughter, but I was brought back to reality with a bump with Billie’s story and Stella’s behaviour just grated with me throughout the book.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book. Right from the start it was easy to get in to, well written and never a dull moment. A nice twist at the end , it is true that the man you think might be your perfect partner probably isn't. A good mix of stories that all intertwine together. It's a 5 Start review from me.

A funny romcom and very enjoyable. well worth a read, I am sure you will enjoy this as much as I have done. 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC