An amusing, enjoyable romance with a bit of a twist- a what if moment for Becca as she seeks a man.
Would make an ideal beach read but lacked a bit of substance.

Lovestruck is the first Laura Jane Williams book I’ve read, and I’m now looking forward to reading more of her back catalogue. I really enjoyed the humour in her writing, not to mention the unusual premise, which is one I hadn’t encountered before. It’s reminiscent of Sliding Doors — two choices and two timelines — but it’s all it’s own story, and it’s a pretty clever one at that. I liked both timelines/choices, and I was always intrigued as to who Becca would end up with; would it be her ex-boyfriend Mike, or new man Noah? I’m obviously not going to give any hints, but suffice to say I was happy with the outcome.

Becca and her friends, Jia Li and Carlos, provided much of the humour in Lovestruck. I laughed out loud a few times (particularly at a reference to a tractor exhaust), and I liked their easygoing, loyal friendship. I did feel that Becca was missing an overall main character spark for me (I’m not sure what, exactly), but she was still a very likeable character and one I had no problem spending four-hundred pages with. Her choices showed that life isn’t always what we expect it will be; things don’t work out like a fictional romance film, and that’s okay. Nothing can be predicted, but often the surprises are what end up being the best parts.

Lovestruck is definitely one to read for fans of romance and romcom books, and I’m glad it was my first foray into Laura Jane Williams’s writing. Although it isn’t one of my favourites of the genre, it has a lot to offer and it’ll make a great summer read!

3.5/5.

Loved it! Every second of it!
Another fab piece of work that I simply couldn’t put down! Can’t wait for more people to read it to be able to discuss it!

I loved this book. Oh so predictable, but still had its surprises in the story telling! And what a story telling! Lovely characters, brilliantly intertwined story. Loved it! Just what I needed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an early review copy in return for an honest review. This book is very much written along the same lines as the film Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow in that it's almost two stories, what happens if Becca replies to a text and one if she doesn't. This is a fun read with a lovely ending,a book that made me laugh in several places.

⚡️Love Struck⚡️

By Laura Jane Williams

Description:

This isn't one love story. It's two.

Becca Calloway is calling it: she's ready for Mr Right, and she's ready now.

She even goes as far as to hold a manifestation ceremony for him - and when she receives a text from her ex five minutes later, she knows it's a sign.

The problem is, she doesn't know which way it's pointing...

Should Becca reply and reignite things with her old flame Mike? Or delete and block, moving forward with the new man in her life?

Becca has one choice, with two ways this could go. And in Lovestruck, you're about to see them both...

⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

I’m going to be honest here and say I don’t remember requesting this one on NetGalley and it’s not really my usual sort of read. I nearly didn’t bother, but I’m between books and waiting to start a buddy read so I thought it would be a quick one to fill the time, and it was.

Sadly I should have followed my instincts- this just wasn’t for me. Maybe it was the sliding doors two timelines element that made me request it, but what I found was the split timeline just made me uninvested in either romantic interest.

The eventual outcome didn’t do anything for me either for the same reasons.

There is a fair bit of mildish spice here, but I didn’t feel like there was any tension built, so it was all fairly meh for me.

Just not my cup of tea unfortunately!

Thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Our Stop so I was really excited to read Lovestruck, but I was a tiny bit disappointed. I just didn't think there was believable chemistry between Becca and the character she ends up with, and I hadn't been rooting for them at any point. I thought it was an interesting conceit, the I did text back and I didn't text back timelines, but I found the ending a bit flat.

Love struck

This novel explores the idea of parallel universes, as the main character Becca experiences two different timelines in her life

The first timeline sees Becca reunited with her ex-boyfriend Mike, after she attends a manifestation party and tries to manifest the perfect man.

The second timeline follows Becca embarking on a new relationship with Noah, a man who she meets through a dating app. Both timelines are filled with tension and chemistry between the characters, which makes for a very enjoyable read.

The concept of the book is what really drew me in, and I was not disappointed. Watching Becca’s two timelines play out was incredibly interesting, and I found myself invested in both of her potential love interests. The writing was engaging and kept me hooked throughout the entire novel.

The last quarter of the book was particularly engaging, with the pace picking up and the shorter chapters adding to the overall pacing. I read this part in one sitting, unable to put the book down until I found out what happened.

Another aspect of the novel that I enjoyed was the portrayal of the secondary characters. Becca’s friends were wonderful and supportive,

The concept of parallel universes was executed brilliantly, and the characters were relatable and likable.

Have enjoyed this author's other work, so was excited to read her new book. Great 'Sliding Doors' premise, what would/could happen if.... Quite a few tough topics were dealt with beautifully. It's a recommend for me

Lovestruck: A person who is so in love with someone that it is difficult for them to behave as usual or even think about anything other than their loved one.

Written by Laura Jane Williams, Lovestruck is a novel that, riding the wave of the moment in terms of romance, will be redistributed during 2023.

The protagonist is Becca, a woman who has managed to create her own independence by opening a hairdressing saloon and buying the house where she currently lives. But Becca also has a profound desire: to find the right man and make a family. Having by now more than thirty years, the woman seriously begins to hope that it will happen as soon as possible, and because of this she falls prey to a serious mistake: falling in love with love.

The novel unfolds its story along two paths: what would have happened if Becca had replied to an SMS? And what if she didn’t answer?
This premise looked quite promising, until I realized that this book is, in fact, a collection of toxic relationships. Probably the author’s purpose was just to explain what was “acceptable” in a relationship and what was not, but in my opinion, she failed miserably.

As previously mentioned, Becca, although presented as a modern and emancipated heroine, gets caught up in her obsession with love and falls prey to not exactly healthy relationships. In fact, it seemed to me that the two love stories presented show a woman who is forging ahead in order to reach her goal, but who deep down knows that she isn’t true to herself and isn’t really making the right choices.

Among the male characters there are narcissistic, egotistic, immature and even if in the end the protagonist finds her happy ending, I could not really feel the sentiment in that love story. However, in all cases, it is clear that the protagonist does not realize that she is a perpetual victim of love bombing and idealization of love. Also, many stereotypes are used to drive relationships forward or make them blossom.

I admit that I had to force myself to finish reading the book, which I hoped until the end had a surprising ending and would raise the overall opinion that I had, namely that of being able to use it as a powerful sleeping pill.

I typically love a book that plays with the idea of alternate timelines/realities, so was intrigued by this.

Becca is trying to manifest getting married, and when she soon after gets a text from her ex-bf, she tries to decide if she’s going to entertain a response. The story follows two timelines - one world where Becca does respond to Mike, and one where she doesn’t ever respond to him. The story plays on the idea of if you did one thing differently, how different would your life turn out?

Unfortunately, this one didn’t grab my attention, despite an interesting premise. I found the characters not fully developed, so I found it hard to care about them. Also, the book is in 3rd person, present tense, which isn’t my favourite, so this could have affected my experience, too. The ending felt rushed which left me feeling unsatisfied.

I would try out others by this author in the future, this one just didn’t do it for me and that’s okay!

This one is out June 8th - Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and Penguin for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved reading this one. I just love this kind of books.
4 stars read for me. I love this author snd her writing style.
Thanks to netgally for this arc.

I really enjoyed this book and loved the parallel universe element. Brilliant characters played out the story very well.

I found this book a bit of a slow burner to start but after a few chapters I was hooked. I loved the fact that it moved between two realities which I initially thought may be confusing but it wasn’t at all.
I thought the characters were great and loved Beccas relationship with Jia-Li and Carlos and found the characters very relatable.
I loved the ending and was willing Becca to make the right decision and I even shed a few tears towards the end as I was so invested in her making the right choice.
I would definitely recommend this book as a romantic summer read.
Thanks to Netgalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and Laura Jane Williams for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

This was not what I expected it to be. It’s a very good rom-com with loveable characters, a great plot, easy flowing writing and an enjoyable story line that spans out really nicely.

Laura Jane Williams has become a firm favorite of mine over the last few years and she has done it again. A wonderful book that left me feeling all warm and happy.

Only once I got half way through did I get how the book panned out, thought it was confusing up to that point.
Don’t let it put you off reading it though. Fun.
Amusing and twisty. To be recommended.

This was a good read a really interesting story and loved the way it was written by the author very clever. Even though I did enjoy it think it would appeal to younger readers more than mature ones.

What a sweet little romance novel about a hairdresser and her friends who are all trying to find love but Becca resorts to manifestation to make it happen. Only problem with that is if you put your faith in the universe you may not get exactly what you asked for and when she receives a text from her ex her sliding door moment appears and we follow her two options of replying or ignoring and the path she ultimately follows. The characters are relatable and I loved the three besties and their adventures and was really happy with the ending.

Lovestruck - Laura Jane Williams

We follow Becca on two different story lines, one where she has reunion with her ex Mike and another where she embarks on a new relationship with Noah. A very enjoyable concept for a book, as in both worlds the chemistry and tension between the characters is excellent. I kept changing my mind throughout on who I wished for her to end up with and must admit did not see the ending coming, but very much enjoyed it.

Thank you so much Netgalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and Penguin for the advanced copy in return for my honest views.