I have read and thoroughly enjoyed a couple of Sandy's books. I read the synopsis of 'Shout Out To My Ex' and it certainly sounded like the sort of fun and light hearted romantic comedy that I have come to expect from Sandy. I couldn't wait to dive in and so without further ado, I grabbed a cup of tea, grabbed my Kindle and settled down for a fun afternoon of reading. I really enjoyed reading 'Shout Out To My Ex' but more about that in a bit.

As is usually the case with Sandy's books, I was drawn into 'Shout Out To My Ex' from the start. In fact by the time I got to the bottom of the first few pages, I knew that I was going to become addicted to the story and that I would find it rather difficult to put the book to one side for any length of time. I was spot on too. Part of the reason why I enjoyed 'Shout Out To My Ex' so much has to do with the main character of Elle, who is a lovely young lass. In fact Elle ended up feeling more like a friend rather than a character in a book. I had my own theories as to how the story was going to pan out and I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered off in the opposite direction. I was so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of 'Shout Out To My Ex' and I had to say goodbye to Elle and the others. I found 'Shout Out To My Ex' to be a delight to read from start to finish with laughs aplenty and a generous helping of romance.

'Shout Out To My Ex' is really well written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Sandy Barker. Sandy has an easy going writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading one of Sandy's books feels more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book. I hope that makes sense. Sandy clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. I always find that the sign of a good book is when I find myself becoming far too involved in the story to the extent that I 'interact' with the characters as if they can hear me. Well that's exactly what happened with 'Shout Out To My Ex'. I love the way in which the author makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action.

In short, I really enjoyed reading 'Shout Out To My Ex' and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Sandy's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

There is so much to enjoy in this new book by Sandy Barker that I am not sure where to start! How about with the setting, which I mentioned in my opening paragraph. A large part of the book is set against the backdrop of Paris Fashion Week and all the glamour and mayhem that goes along with it. We get to see behind the scenes at a show, experience the thrill of a showbiz party and take in some of the sights of the City of Lights along with the characters; this surely is something that would make you want to read the book, even before I mention anything else. As a massive fan of armchair travel, it was certainly a big factor in my enjoyment of the story.

Then we have the main premise of the book. ‘The One That Got Away.’ Elle has spent a decade wondering why the love of her life from fashion college, Leo, ghosted her at the end of their course and she has never got over him. No other man has measured up, as can happen when a relationship hasn’t had ‘closure’ and her sister, Cassie, who loves Elle dearly, decides that the only solution is to get them back together. But of course, people can change over the course of a decade. This book is a really fun exploration of whether young love can really be rekindled and whether people can get over feelings of confusion and betrayal caused by a love affair that was never properly resolved. If you want to find out if they can, and how, you’ll need to read the book but I certainly enjoyed the story and found the way it played out very plausible. Many of us have those ‘what if’ relationships in our past that we bring out and examine when our current romantic relationships are unsatisfactory so I’m sure lots of readers will be able to relate.

Finally, there is the involvement of The Ever After Agency and what happens when deceit is involved in relationships. We all know the famous quote from Sir Walter Scott, ‘Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive,’ and that is certainly an apt tag line for this novel, when there are many threads of deception running through the book, of other people and often by the characters of themselves. It is a really clever exploration of the fallout of lying to others and to ourselves about our intentions and, more importantly, our feelings. Is honesty always the best policy? You’ll have to decide for yourselves once you hav read the book.

This is another great book from Sandy Barker, light, romantic and entertaining on the surface but full of layers and ideas to explore if you dig below the surface a little. Everything I look for in a romance novel, which is why I continue to be a huge fan.

Last year I read and enjoyed the first book in the Happy Ever After series, Match Me If You Can. I already knew that I would read the second book, and I might as well declare it now.... I will be reading the next book too!

Elle Bliss is unlucky in love. Unlike her older sister and business manager, Cassie, Elle does go out on dates, but none of the men has ever lived up to the memory of her greatest love, Leo. Elle and Leo were inseparable until he broke up with her and disappeared off the face of the earth. She has searched for him on and off over the years, but there is no trace to be found.

Luckily Elle can throw herself into her work. She is an up and coming fashion designer who is on the verge of a huge career breakthrough. A spot has opened up at Paris Fashion Week and she is going to take it, even though it will be a huge amount of work for her team to get everything ready in time.

Cassie has decided to do something about Elle's love life though. She has enlisted the Happy Ever After agency to try and find out what happened to Leo and maybe, just maybe, orchestrate a meeting between them. However, the whole thing needs to be kept secret from Elle.

As for Leo, he too is an emerging fashion designer known as Lorenzo although his focus is on designing fabulous shoes.

Poppy, whose story we got to hear about in the last book, is back at work after her honeymoon and ready for her latest assignment. If that assignment means popping over to Paris whilst pretending to be a fashion journalist then so be it. But the assignment becomes increasingly complicated as she juggles pretending to be a journalist, trying to ensure that Elle and Leo's meetings appear coincident, and navigating the hurt feelings that are there, just under the surface

Given that Elle and Leo are both in fashion, it should be easy to orchestrate a meeting, especially when there is an opportunity for a collaboration, but Elle was very hurt, and she is also angry.

I liked Elle and Leo, and I understood why they both felt the way that they did. Leo was clearly ready to try and mend bridges with Elle before she was, but once she got past the Lorenzo persona, she did begin to see the Leo she knew and loved hiding under there. But the world of high fashion is cut throat and everyone has their own agenda, so there are plenty of obstacles that get in the way.

Now I am not a particularly fashion conscious person. I am not 100% sure I actually have a style, and my days of wearing sky high heels are a distant memory so some of the fashion stuff passed me by a little. However, you know that I am all about Paris at the best of times, so I loved that this book was at least partially set there in the heady days of Paris Fashion Week.

One of the unusual aspects of this book was that there were two viewpoints. One was obviously Elle, but the other was less obviously Poppy rather than Leo. It was different, but it worked. It was especially lovely to see how Poppy was going given that she was the star of the first book.

If you are after a fun read, featuring fashion and France (see what I did there) give this books a go!!

Thanks to Netgalley, Rachel's Random Resources and the publisher for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour

Rating 4/5

Another fun story from Sandy Barker and i must say I adored Leo and Elles story, the icing on the cake for me was getting an update on how Poppy and Tristan were doing as well. Loved it!

A good story but it was a little hard for me to connect to the characters. I don't know if it was because I haven't read the first book I didn't realize it was a series, or if they just weren't my cup of tea. It was well written and kept me interested.

Read from February 4th, 2024 to February 10th, 2024. Written on February 14th, 2024.

Not what I was initially expecting, but not bad overall.

First off, I did not know that it was the second book of a series. That was my mistake. But it does affect my rating in the end because, as it turns out, the first book influences the storyline of the second book and I didn't particularly enjoy that because, as a reader, I wanted to focus on the main storyline, not the continuous storyline from the first book.

Nevertheless, the writing was good (though the ordinary ARC typo popped up sometimes), the plot was a bit rushed at times but still quite enjoyable. I don't think I have much more to point out, the main thing was really the fact that I wished the author had focused more on the main characters, AKA the couple, and not the characters from the first book. Especially since the book doesn't clearly advertise the fact that it belongs to a series, let alone be the second in it. I would advise to do that in the future to avoid confusion (like it happened to me).

Shout Out To My Ex comes out today so if you enjoy a enemies-to-lovers, second chance romance, full of witty characters, I'm sure you'll like this book!

Signing off,
B.

(Free ARC from NetGalley and Boldwood Books that I chose to review after reading)

This book had a lot going on. There's a matchmaking business, two sisters who are in the fashion business, a second chance at love, a really messy first relationship, family issues and a fake relationship. It is told from an alternating point of view. The two viewpoints are from Elle, the main target of the matchmaking, and Poppy. Poppy seems to have been the main character in the first book of the series. She works for the matchmaking business.

It took me a while to warm up to the book, but it got better as it went on.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Yet another wonderful book from Sandy, with twists and turns that keeps you continually reading the book to the end. Thank you for the ARC.

This is the second book in the Ever After Agency series, which are romance stories centered around an agency that secretly matches couples, usually at the request of a friend or family member. For Shout Out To My Ex, we’re introduced to Elle Bliss, who is on the cusp of becoming a big fashion designer but can’t let go of the boyfriend she was with ten years ago at Fashion School. He left her one day without explanation, and she hasn’t been able to track him down. Her sister and business partner gets the agency involved, and they manage to find Leo, going by Lorenzo now, who is also a fashion designer about to hit it big. Enter Poppy, the matchmaker from the first EAA book, who got her happy ending and is now tasked with giving Elle and Leo theirs. There’s fashion, misunderstandings, paparazzi chases, fake and real romances, and secrets. Although I didn’t quite gel with Elle and Leo, I loved revisiting Poppy and the other characters from the previous book, and I can’t wait to see what they get up in the next. Recommended for fans of fun, light romance, and happy ever afters.

What a fun read this was! A brilliant follow up to Match Me if You Can. It was so great to see Poppy in the next stages of her relationship with Tristan, and Elle and Leo’s journey was a hoot! I’ve read all Sandy Barker’s books and I think she’s a brilliant writer. Her writing style is so easy to engage with (and I do not say that about all writers!), and I just love the humour and warmth in her stories.

3.5 stars!

As a bookworm who adores tales of love and adventure, I couldn't resist diving into this charming enemies-to-lovers romcom that whisks readers away to the magical world of fashion and romance.

A Dreamy Parisian Setting:
From the bustling fashion scene to the quaint cobblestone streets, Barker's vivid descriptions of Paris make the city come alive on the pages. As I followed Elle Bliss, a talented fashion designer, on her quest to conquer Paris Fashion Week, I couldn't help but feel like I was strolling alongside her, taking in the sights and sounds of the city.

A Delightful Love Story:
Elle's journey takes an unexpected turn when her first love, Leo (now known as Lorenzo), reenters her life. Their reunion sparks a whirlwind of emotions, from passion and longing to frustration and humor. Despite their differences, Elle and Lorenzo share a palpable chemistry that kept me eagerly turning the pages, rooting for them to find their happily ever after.

Embracing Life's Imperfections:
What I loved most about "Shout Out To My Ex" is its celebration of imperfection and growth. Elle and Lorenzo are flawed, complex characters who grapple with past mistakes and uncertainties about the future. Yet, through their journey of self-discovery and forgiveness, they learn to embrace their imperfections and take risks in the name of love.

While the storyline may follow a familiar enemies-to-lovers trope, Barker infuses it with humor, heart, and genuine emotion, making it a delightful read from start to finish. Whether you're a hopeless romantic like me or simply craving a feel-good escape to the City of Love, "Shout Out To My Ex" is sure to sweep you off your feet and leave you smiling.

I really enjoyed this second book in the series. I got so invested in this couple! The parts of the book where Elle and Leo interacted were perfection. I was happy to get a little bit more or Poppy and her husband as well. I can’t wait for the next book to see what shenanigans come next.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and Boldwood Books the chance to review Shout Out To My Ex by Sandy Barker. I love a second chance romance and this did not disappoint! Elle was ghosted by Leo after four years, and her sister, Cassie is going to try to play matchmaker. She and lists the help of matchmaker service - matchmaker Poppy is a second POV. Both of the former loves are fashion, designers and puppy and Cassie develop a plan to have the meet up in Paris. Can they give their love a second chance?

I thought this book was so sweet and heartwarming. Leo was a lovely MMC and I quickly forgave him for ghosting Elle. Elle was funny and quirky, and I loved the supporting cast of characters!

I really loved the first book in the series, however I struggled to get into this book and it felt really slow.

Ell Bliss cannot have a proper relationship because she is still mourning the loss of her boyfriend who ghosted her after college Leo. She has searched for him but comes up with nothing this is why her sister KS hires the ever after agency and is assigned Nazarene who gets poppy to head the case Poppy also headed the case and book one in the end it was Poppy who the groom to be Tristan fell for. And this one else says unless he was saving children from a burning building in addition to solving the environment issues she’s not interested in where he’s been. When Poppie’s investigator Maria finds him he’s not doing exactly that but something very close. If only when they see each other again for the first time he didn’t act like a pompous ass maybe more time wouldn’t of been waisted but she has no time for him she has a show in Paris for fashion week as does he with his Lorenzo shoe line and so it’s inevitable they run into each other again but well they fall in love or will Elle get the closure she so desperately needs? I am a big fan of Sandy barkers romance series and I have loved 99% of the books I’ve read from her this one being my least favorite and I didn’t even come close to hating it it just I thought took too long to get to the nitty-gritty but I did love that we got to see poppy and Tristan again as well as her best friend and her coworkers I love that about The authors collections. I think Sandy Barker is a talented author and is very funny you can read just one chapter out of any of her books and know how hilarious her romances are this one included I just think the burn was too slow for me but still enjoyed it. I want to thank boldwood Books and Net Galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

3.5🌟
An easy read, second chance and enemies (ish) to lovers trope.

I like the dual narrative so you follow Poppy from the agency and then also Elle with her blossoming career in fashion and her potential romance on the horizon.

It was sweet though predictable, but I like the variety of different characters within the story as well.

First, big thanks to Netgalley for this ARC
Well, I really, really wanted to love this book. Yes, It was really sweet and cute, but only that. Nothing really gript me.

It was a swet 3 stars read.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this!
This was incredibly sticky sweet and fun. It was nice to see the character Poppy from the Ever After agency resurface; her and Tristan were always adorable. I loved the background of fashion design and the blips into Elle and Leo's career driven lives.
This wasn't very deep and their reunion was a bit quick for my liking? But overall I thought this was very cute. I wish, like the first book in the series, we got Leo as the other POV instead of Poppy, but it was still an enjoyable read!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6247074734

I loved the first book in this series and really wanted the love this one but it just didn't live up to it for me unfortunately. It was over half way before the story really got going and there were quite a lot of side stories on Poppy's side that I think we're unnecessary i.e. conversations with Tristan and the Shaz storyline. They didn't add to the book and took away from the main characters in this story. Not sure the agency added to the story either.

Saying that, once it got going, I loved the chemistry between Elle and Leo and the journey to them reconnecting, and my heart was warmed by the end of the book.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks Netgalley and boldwoodbooks, for me to read this awesome book!!

Unfortunally i didn’t read book 1, but i’m gonna do that soon!
I can’t follow the story of Poppy because she’s in book 1.
After fashion design school and 4 years of loving each other, Leo leaves London and Elle behind without a single word. Elle spends the next 10 years trying to find the right man for her, but none measure up to Leo. Her meddling sister, Cassie, hires Ever After Agency to help reconnect the lovers right before Fashion Week. Leo and Elle are not privy to the match making though. I quite enjoyed this one and would recommend it.