When it came to 'Plot Twist,' I thought the story was great in its intent and pace. However, I think there were some stylistic choices that kind of brought the story down. There were a few awkward sentences that just didn’t flow well, and there were some interactions between characters that I felt needed to be drawn out a bit. I also felt that some of the descriptive words used in the dialogue segments were confusing, i.e., in the first interaction between Becca and Drew, “sneered” might not have been the best choice because I didn’t really know if these guys were outright fighting. Was this a quiet, hush-hush argument, etc.? I also thought that certain phrases didn’t fit the atmosphere of the story; for example, the phrase “OK doke” felt out of place—although I think this is just a personal preference because I’m not a fan of capitalising ‘okay’ like that. As for the characters, I didn’t really connect with any of them—I did sympathise with them, but I felt like each and every character was really messy, and instead of talking to one another, they all just really needed to talk to a mental health provider. It felt more like a telenovela in that there were just a bunch of confessions for many different characters. For me, it felt like the confessions kept being used as a plot device for elements of the story as well as character growth, and it just got really tiring and repetitive. I also think the file for the story didn't translate well to my device because there was a lot of jagged spacing in the e-book. Overall, I think it’s a promising story, but it just didn't appeal to my own stylistic preferences. (2.75 stars rounded to 3)

Thank you to NetGalley, Headline books, and Breea Keenan for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t have many notes. This was a good book. The only problem I had was that the romance was often placed on the back burner instead of it being the heart beat that keeps the book moving. Other than that, I had a great time. Would highly recommend.

So I want to be super honest and say I only read 100 pages of this book. Due to the format of the file, reading was physically painful as the font was illegible even with glasses and my brightness up all the way.

But

The book was so good that I kept going for 100 pages even when it hurt. Funny, angsty and emosh in all the right ways I was hooked from the very first page and I genuinely cannot wait to finish it when it’s published.

A heart-warming and hilarious romantic comedy. This was an absolute page-turner and I read it one sitting. Very likeable characters, plot twist and a charming Irish setting - would definitely recommend!

I was initially drawn to this one given the comparison of authors (Emily Henry and Catherine Walsh), the setting (I can never resist Ireland or Scotland), and the cover art - which again had similar vibes to those authors I enjoy.

I would classify this read as women’s fiction with a romantic tilt. There is definitely a romance element, but the story itself is really about Becca’s personal growth as she works through grief, loss, and forgiveness.

While I think the premise was a good one, there were some interesting characters, and the author has a good voice / style - the execution of this story didn’t quite come together for me.

The flashbacks threw off the pacing for me a bit, and felt like they slowed the story down and threw me when they popped up. (As an aside on that it really made me question Becca given the events and timeline why this would be a relevant issue.)

I needed more proof and on page connection of Becca and Riley. As it was, I wasn’t fully convinced which made it hard to be invested in them.

On the other side, as I mentioned I think the authors style / voice was good and easy to read. Initially I was pulled right in. The story had some fun, light moments which balanced well with the heavier themes. I loved the setting and there was some good banter present too.

While this wasn’t a perfect fit for me, I think this book will definitely find its audience and was a decent debut. I’ll be interested to see what the author writes next and to try her next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own and freely offered.

Super cute, fun read. The cover gives Emily Henry vibes, which intrigued me. The formatting made it hard to read, so hopefully that is an ARC issue and not a kindle issue.

3.75 stars
I love it when we get books that are about writers. It is always so much fun to see two writers' fall in love which is why I went into Plot Twist with considerable expectations. I'd say it was a pretty decent read in terms of the romance and the bonding between two main leads. By pretty decent in this case, I mean it was average; like it was good but it was nothing special. I do feel there are certain things that could have been removed or reduced and the book would have been the same. Such as the flashback scenes. There were an unusually large number of flashback chapters and a couple of them could have been cut down, especially the ones towards the middle of the book. In terms of the romance, I do feel there were some things lacking. I would have definitely appreciated more scenes of Becca and Riley together; like they had such good banter with each other and I could see the chemistry between them, however something still felt lacking to me. That might just be because of the multiple storylines that were also happening, that made things a little convulated, especially towards the end.

All in all, at least for me, Plot Twist is a one-time read, but I am sure there are people who are going to love this book.

The cover of Breea Keenan’s ‘Plot Twist’ is very Emily Henry-esque which is what initially attracted me, but the story inside is what makes me glad that I chose to read this one!

The heroine of our tale is Becca, perpetually single teacher and aspiring writer - whose best friend Rae is heading to Glasgow to visit her for a perfect night out at the start of the novel. After a shocking, tragic incident and an upsetting revelation, Becca realises she can’t carry on teaching and decides to take up her writing buddy and romance author Riley’s offer to visit them in Ireland. Becca is expecting a girly writing retreat… but… PLOT TWIST… Riley is actually a man! Thus, our tale begins!

I loved:
- The cute Irish small town setting
- Riley and Becca’s friendship was beautiful and he was super respectful of her surprise at his true identity
- Riley’s family - his daughter Ivy and his sister/SIL - were lovely
- The novel describes well Becca’s reaction to bereavement and worries/insecurities

The love story was sweet, and the HEA cute, but the chemistry between Becca and Riley didn’t feel as strong as I would have liked. I was more pleased (and tearful) about Becca’s singular character development rather than the two of them as a couple.

Overall, I’d give this one four stars because it was an impactful story about likeable characters, even if the romance could have sizzled more for me.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback. Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Books!

Plot Twist exactly lives up to its name - a cute romance novel with a few plot twists thrown in for good measure.

When Becca's best friend dies suddenly, she decides to run away and embark on a writers retreat with her friend Riley - A female romance novelist. Only to arrive and discover that Riley was in fact a man!

I devoured this novel quickly - falling in love with all of the main characters - while secretly judging some of the others as quickly as Becca.

Funny, heart-breaking, honest and everything in between - a great read all round!

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Special thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc! I really enjoyed this book, the characters were likeable and the grief representation was spot on! I felt like the pace dropped off towards the middle to end but still a solid romance read!

After the death of her best friend Rae and the revelation she was secretly engaged to her ex-boyfriend Drew, aspiring children's author Becca Taylor escapes to Ireland to stay with her online friend, romance writer Riley O'Connell, so they can help each other write their books, only to discover Riley is a man.

Plot Twist is about grief, forgiveness and learning to let go of the past. It's a really easy-to-read beach read, however I think the pace got lost trying to service the varying plot threads and it fell flat in its resolution. For instance, the flashbacks slowed the pace down and would've been stronger as dialogue to show Becca and Riley opening up to each other and having real conversations. Also while I appreciate that Breea Keenan wanted to raise the stakes higher by making the secret relationship the big secret, but it just didn't work for me. The flashbacks made it out that Rae's then-boyfriend Mickey was shitstirring and we later learn he lied to break up Drew and Becca. So surely it would've been better to learn Rae was the one who sabotaged Becca and Drew's relationship and that she wasn't the close friend Becca thought she was all these years? (Sidenote: why Drew didn't try harder when he was thwarted in his attempt to get Becca back? His character seemed allover the place. Maybe if he really was this horrible cheating person back then, just a scumbag in a different way to Mickey then I buy Rae being with him.)

Romance-wise Becca and Riley have an instant spark, as well as Becca with Riley's daughter Ivy, however I felt we're told more than really see it. Riley is just this good guy with sparkling green eyes. It felt like their connection was more off page.

Overall while I did have my reservations about aspects of the execution of this plot, this was a solid debut and a promising start. I am really interested to read what Breea Keenan writes next and see the development of her writing.

Thanks to Headline, Headline Accent and NetGalley for the ARC.

When Becca Taylor's world implodes she jumps at the opportunity to visit her writing friend Riley in Ireland for a few weeks of writing therapy. Unfortunately, Becca is under the impression that Riley is a single mother, and not a single father. Nevertheless, after an initial shock Becca and Riley think they can still help each other.

Riley has published a romance but is struggling to complete his second novel, Becca wants to write a children's book. Together through speed writing, and other challenges they hope to overcome writer's block.

But as Riley and Becca become closer there are other forces determined to pull them apart.

This was a sweet romance, I have to say I've not heard of Riley as a girl's name so the misunderstanding seemed a bit contrived - but otherwise this was an enjoyable read.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Plot twist is a really sweet romance set in the Irish countryside with very realistic, loveable characters.

The story follows a primary school teacher and aspiring children’s author who is grieving the recent loss of her best friend. She takes a risk and goes to stay in Ireland with an online acquaintance that she believes is female, but turns out to be a gorgeous single father to a four year old. As well as a heartwarming friends to lovers romance the story has some hilarious moments, lots of family drama and brilliant side characters. I loved all of them and especially Ivy, who was wonderfully written.

The ending felt a little bit rushed and I would have liked to have seen some more of Becca and Riley starting their relationship, but I still very much enjoyed the book and would love to read more from this author in the future.

When her best friend suddenly dies in a car accident, Becca travels to Ireland for a writing retreat
✅ mistaken identity
✅ both lead characters are authors
✅ set in Ireland
✅ dad jokes
🌶️: fade to black/off page
Some CWs, please check if you are sensitive to them.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy of The Plot Twist.

This book was ok. For being called Plot Twist this book did not have any. The first twist where Riley is a he and not a she was given away in the book description so that was not a surprise at all. Every twist after that was pretty much ordinary, especially if you read a lot. I felt like all the parts of the story have been done before and were not surprising at all.

If Becca and Riley were so close from texting, wouldn't you know more about their lives, such as why they have a child and no partner or who they are dating. I also thought the backstory on why and how she broke up with Drew (I think that was his name) was not really a big deal or dramatic. Instead of Becca asking questions or being honest she just kept assuming the worst and that somebody had to be cheating on her. It was also ten years later after a summer romance. Becca just kept on being naïve instead of growing in ten years and being happy at her success in being a teacher.

I did like the ending how she proposed to him. I thought that was a good "plot twist".

4.25 🌟
Considering the title of the book is plot twist, I certainly didn't guess the plot twist.

A cute, easy read of a book with a sweet friends to lovers trope and a whole host of history and things going on for the main characters that get in the way but also add depth to their characters. It helps to connect their emotions into the story and help move it away from being a superficial romance with few feelings.

The main characters have good humour, and I like that they are both writers and it almost explores their career choice and the difficulties they face.

The addition of some LGBTQ+ characters into the story, particularly some looking to adopt, was a lovely touch and it was written really well to make sure it was inclusive.

Generally, a nice book to get lost in with the ideal happy ending and a cute concept of grand gestures.

"Plot Twist" is a romance written by Breea Keenan.

Cute, light and funny book that kept me glued to the pages from beginning to end! A fast-paced, brisk, and extremely flowing novel, so much so that I finished it in less than a day. I appreciated how the themes of grief and forgiveness are dealt with, but I admit I didn't particularly connect with the protagonists. Becca (with her first person pov) and Riley are not bad characters, just that they conveyed little to me. I laughed at their interactions, but beyond that I struggled to feel involved in their events. And especially by their relationship, which, I don't know, seemed rushed and shallow in its development. Even the secondary characters left me rather indifferent and I'm sorry, because in my opinion they could have created some really interesting situations.

All in all, I found it a quick and fun romance that unfortunately failed to fully involve me!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely obsessed with this one! From the cover, to the story line, to everything in between. Highly recommend.

Plot twist is a story about Becca who is dealing with the grief of her best friend dying, her ex coming back into the picture and a case of writers block, so when her writer friend Riley who is also suffering from writers block invites her on a "writers retreat" at their home in Ireland Becca jumps at the chance to get a little break from her problems. Just a little issue, Becca thinks Riley is a woman... He is very much not. Now they have to deal with living/working in the same space together with this underlying tension.

This book was very easy for me to fly through. It was just a fun drama filled read. Which didn’t take itself too serious with somethings while handling other, harder topics very well, such as grief. I really liked how this book delved into the different types of grief, between Becca, Drew, Adam and Rae's family. It made me cry, which not a lot of books can do. It showed that everyone is going through things, and not everyone reacts the same way you do to something. i also really liked the found family trope being explore with Becca, Riley, Bridget, Ellie and Ivy

I do think however that the book could have been longer, the relationship with Becca and Riley could have done with a few more scenes while they were together. I also feel like as much as i liked the dramatics of this book, all the drama happened at the end, one thing after another, i felt like it would have felt less jarring if the drama was more spaced out.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and it was a good first experience with arcs

📚 Plot Twist
✍ Breea Keenan
📖 Contemporary Romance
⭐3/5
🌶️ closed door

➡ In the wake of her best friend's unexpected death, Becca Taylor isn't sure she can return to her 'normal life.' When a thread of messages on a writing community app lead her to an impulsive trip to Ireland to visit her beta reader buddy Riley, she thinks a summer away will be just what she needs. But when Riley is not at all the quirky romcom writing single-mom she anticipated, things abroad get complicated fast. As their friendship blossoms into something worth writing about, Becca and Riley must move beyond their pasts if they ever want a chance at a future together.
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🙏 Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the advanced copy of Plot Twist. All opinions are my own.
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🎯 What I loved: I liked that Becca's journey wasn't linear and that throughout the book, she was working through grief, reclaiming her identity and processing her experiences through writing a children's book. And it was sweet that the two protagonists met through their aspiring writing goals- writing sprints and plot plans made for a unique backdrop for a romance novel.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: I finished this book feeling less than convinced that the main couple were actually supposed to be together. Their relationship was complicated and while I appreciate the connection that they built prior to the book taking place through their writing group and chat, I didn't really see a lot of that build-up or connection through the book. There were moments that they spent together, but I never felt the romantic tension in a way that I have with other books. I think this may also have to do with the fact that that the time they were 'romantically together' was literally just a page of the book before they were drawn apart. And, the story was told in dual timelines...with another romance the focal point of the '10 years ago' storyline. It was confusing. On top of their limited togetherness, there were TWO third act break ups....and it was just a lot for my heart to take.
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Read if you love:
*single parent romances
*mistaken identity
*found family
*writer main characters
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See also: By Any Other Name, Between Us, The One that Got Away