I normally love books by this author but this one sadly I just couldn't get into, it was too slow for me.

Debbie Howells writes books that are an automatic read for me, offering an insight into people’s lives and emotions, often at challenging times in their lives.

This one is gorgeous and features a fabulous main character in Louisa, self-depreciating but inwardly so strong, someone we would all want to be friends with. The supporting characters range from being dislikeable (intentionally) to strong and empathetic. And the animals featured are just so loveable and funny, particularly Horace and Elmer.

Set in a veterinary practice, this book imbues country living and is a glimpse of ‘typical’ English village life. It tells tales of complicated relationships, friendships and caring, with glimpses of deprecating and abuse.

I particularly loved the way the reader sees all the loose ends tied up. Yes, at times it might be called predictable, however it delivers a beautiful story, really well-told and makes for a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Next book please Debbie!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.
A cute story of friendship and starting over after being hurt. I did however find the book a little slow for my liking, but I was still wanting to keep reading.

Spice factor: 0-1

Written from a single point of view in a witty, entertaining, sarcastic and funny way.

Set in a picturesque village and a veterinary practice, we are on a journey with Louise who is reclaiming her life after her separation and subsequent divorce from her husband.

I thought I would have a problem with the single POV but no Lou has no filter and her thoughts, words and actions will send you into giggles and full blown laughter.

I enjoyed the love and friendship amongst the practice workers, their customers and the community.

I enjoyed reading about Lou and Marcus even though I was a bit lost as to how they began their relationship.

If you need a good women’s fiction which will make you laugh and with relatable characters, then you will enjoy this.

I received an advanced copy of this book and the review is entirely mine and voluntary.

Louisa has just been left by her cheating husband. Thankfully she has her job at a equine vet clinic and her colleagues, most of whom who are also friends are helping her finding her footing again. Just when she feels that she is back on her feet again her ex husband's pregnant girlfriend starts working at the clinic with her. And then there is Markus, the new vet who keeps rubbing her the wrong way. But as time goes on, Markus might not be so bad after all and of course there are more problems and drama at the clinic to be dealt with.
I enjoyed reading this book about Louisa and her group of colleagues and friends. They all felt like real people with real problems and I could relate to that. I also liked that the book was more than just a love story.

The impossible search for the perfect man is about Louisa, who works at an equine veterinary clinic as an office assistant. At first, she was "happily" married with Arian, a pilot, but at some point they got divorced because he was having an affair with a co-worker. Then she meets Marcus, a veterinarian who goes to work at the same clinic as Luisa, because he also broke up with his cheating girlfriend. And the book follows her romance story with Marcus.
For me this wasn't the romance book I was craving, because it has ZERO spice and it took ages for something to really happen. There are no sex scenes, so if you are looking for smut, this isn't the book for you. Also I thought that it wouldn't follow her day to day life so vigorously and it does, A LOT. Basically this book is a diary of a girl who meets a guy at her job, but nothing more than that, and I got a bit disappointed... Also because I work as an equine vet, which is a big coincidence, and I had high expectations about this.
At first I was really enjoying the book, because I love a slow burn romance, but this took it on a complete different level, because in a slow burn, you eventually reach the peak where something "interesting" happens, and in this book I didn't find that peak. It was completely plain... I guess at the end things got a little shaken, but that was basically it honestly...
There are some other things that I didn't enjoy about the book, like the fact that almost 80% of the dialogues started with "Only it's..." and that the description of Rachel was just that she was little and DH REAALLYY emphasized that..
I liked that it had the perspective of a real person's life when they go through a divorce and the friendship that she has with her co-workers, but I guess if I'm reading a romance book, I would want to read something other that the day to day life, and more like the romantic part of things. Because when they started dating, the weeks and the months of the year passed really fast, so I didn't quite understand why they were in love with each other, because I guess in a romance, we want to know what exactly happened and not just the "throwback" of things. We want the specifics.
Sometimes, when there was a friend coming over to her place I was really hoping that the chapter would end, because I couldn't care less about those conversations, and if you are looking for a realistic book then I think this is the perfect one for you.
To be honest, this is a 3,5 star book for me

Cute story!

When Louisa, a vet office worker, finds herself on the wrong side of a divorce that she didn't see coming, she is obviously surprised. It gets much worse when her ex-husband's new pregnant girlfriend starts working at the vet clinic too, talk about awkward, huh?

There were parts of this book that I adored, and others not so much. I felt the story dragged on a bit, could have been cut down some. And how did any of these people get any work done with the number of relationships: potential relationships, former relationships and future relationships that swirled around them on a daily basis? Sometimes Louisa was very frustrating, and other times just confused me. Unless vet office workers get paid a whole lot more in the UK, how did she manage to buy herself a house so quickly after the divorce? Never a mention of money problems, and owning 2 horses costs a lot of money!

The premise was good, mostly light with one or two darker times. I would definitely read future books by this author. Not great, but not bad either. I enjoyed the slow burn between Louisa and Marcus, too.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Such a sweet and charming story. It is a story that makes you realize that life just doesn't always go as we have planned and dreamed. You will go along with Louisa as she adventures through life's up and downs. You will laugh out loud many times! There is humor along the way which always makes for a great rom com!
Enjoy!

Absolutely loved it! This is just a really nice story that gave me all the feels. I loved the main character, Louisa, and felt all the highs and lows of the story with her. She had some really lovely characteristics, like kindness and caring and forgiveness and I was so happy with the ending for her. There was a funny start to the book, with Louisa having an embarrassing dream and then a big low when her husband left her. I particularly loved Louisa’s ability to see the people around her as they were and to not judge them by their actions allowing some really lovely friendships to develop. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest review. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author.

Such a a heartwarming story!
Louise gets hit with harsh news but she rebounds nicely, I really liked Lou. She is such a good egg and has a huge heart. I laughed quite a bit while reading especially when Lou is being snarky.
I certainly wouldn’t have been as forgiving toward Arian and Karina.
Lou loves animals and is a terrific friend.
If she opens her heart, her next love is right under her nose.

This book is a great reminder that what you had pictured your life to be and what actually turned out can be so much greater than initially expected. Yes, Louisa had imagined an idyllic life with Arian. However, given the turn of events, that what she had thought it was versus how it was in terms of void of connection either physically or emotionally, is something that no one would want or desire on a long term basis. When she struck out on her on, she found how great she is at her job, how necessary it is to surround yourself with friends like Emma, and most importantly, how a person must have a backbone to truly find and dictate what they want and deserve. What she imagined and what actually occurred with Marcus is true love and happiness. Life is too short and just like the gentle nature of horses, this book reiterated how important it is to surround yourself with love.

Louisa's husband of 6 years leaves her for another woman whom he got pregnant. Quite upset, but not totally heartbroken, she focuses on her job at the veterinary practice in rural Mower Shagford and on her friends who happen to have problems of their own. Then Marcus Fitzpatrick -a new veterinarian- joins the practice and Louisa realizes that she is not at all indifferent to his charms ...

Well 2.5/5 ⭐️ might seem harsh, but this is my personal opinion and a rating that just reflects my own experience with this book.

Let's start by talking about the title of this novel "The Impossible Search for the Perfect Man", quite powerful isn’t it ? It turns out that Louisa wasn't looking for a man, perfect or otherwise. And the book wasn't about "the search". I expected something else and was a bit disappointed because it seems to me that the story didn’t go where I wanted it to go.

This is more than a story about finding love again, this story is about friendship, community, finding inner peace and trust - it was charming really. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of the writing and wish there weren’t so many filler chapters where nothing significant happens.

I couldn't leave a review without a word about Elmer the dog. Elmer literally stole the show ! Forget about cute, friendly, obedient and supportive dogs that somehow save the day, this mad animal was everything.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me access to this e-ARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This is a really charming story, right from the very beginning.

Louisa's life falls apart when her husband reveals he is leaving her but the fact that she has wonderful people around her, especially at her work with a veterinary practice, helps her to find her way.

The other characters in this book are delightful and I loved the animals especially.

This is a fairly fast-paced book with the story moving swiftly. The writing style almost feels like diary entries, which makes it easy to read, however, it skates over some of the more serious aspects.

The story itself deals with some weighty subjects like divorce and mental health, and I am not sure it packed the emotional punch that I was hoping it would. It sort of meanders towards the end as well.

It's still a lovely light read and I enjoyed it.

I received an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Fun fiction. Friends and family. An ex and his new love. Realistic characters. A quick moving story. All of this adds up to an afternoon of reading fun. Enjoy this story by a talented author. Imagine losing your husband to what seems to be the perfect one. That woman comes to work with you. She needs advice. This cast of characters would make a great movie. Wow. Thanks Netgalley.

This is a brilliantly uplifting book about relationships, all the good, the bad and the ugly. Told from the viewpoint of Lou who has a really lively voice in this even though it starts with her suspicions about her husband and his admitting he has not only been unfaithful but the other woman is pregnant. As Lou comes to terms with her new circumstances she is fantastically supported by the staff at her workplace which is a vets which specialises in equine care. This focuses a lot not just on Lou but her friends and colleagues too and the issues with their own relationships which she is always keen to try fix. Although this could be a negative storyline it’s actually quite upbeat but that’s not to say it doesn’t feature some serious storylines too, if you like warm-hearted character reads then this is a great choice.