I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was very different than what I've read from Portia before, it was more chick lit women's fiction than pure romance with the intrigue of the rock star lifestyle. I didn't love it to be honest, but my tastes run farther away from chick lit and closed to pure romance so I'm not surprised by that. The couple was definitely one to root for though, even if they did have problems - it was a solid friends to lovers, second chance romance.

Couldn't help but find this one boring, with no real impetus to read through. What Rowan had done kept being alluded to, and at the xth mention without giving us a clue, it got tedious. Nicole pulling her memorabilia to start telling us about Luke felt like something...but then, it turns out the love of her life was Dylan, so why the misdirection which brought nothing to the plot?
All the alluding got unnerving instead of suspenseful and making me want to read, so this book got hard before it ever got interesting for me, sadly.

I enjoyed this second chance romance. Nicole and Dylan have changed so much since their wild touring days but when they are brough back together it is like no time has passed at all.
Nicole is tasked with helping Dylan overhaul his public image and she can’t resist the chance to spend time with her old friend, even when it brings to light some of the parts of her own life that could do with changing too.
Portia Macintosh knows how to get you invested in a love story and this is no exception.

Nicole and Dylan are meant to be together and you know they love each other in a way only each other understands from the second they meet. I liked how you could see how Dylan had grown up into being a man.


I thought too much happened in a short book and the end was rushed. They had a third act break up to make everything magically go back to normal.

“Ex in the City” was a cute read. While I don’t feel that is was a good as previous Portia MacIntosh books, it was still fun nonetheless. It did feel a little too predictable.

Thank you NetGalley, Portia MacIntosh, and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

Portia's books are really great. They are really funny and enjoyable. They are easy to read and great escapism. If you love romance and chick lit make sure you read this one.

I absolutely loved this one and will be reading more from MacIntosh in the future! This was easy to read and hard to put down.

This was a lovely and charming read with delightful characters and a really fun premise. I really enjoyed Portia's style of writing and the humour she provided on the pages.

Ooof! What a thriller. I loved the fast pace of this one and the use of WhatsApp to create intrigue of which of the group was going to be next. It’s also an alarming look into stalking and crime. A new author for me -great!

Ex in the City by Portia MacIntosh

Nicole Wilde, had a life of travel, late nights, partying until dawn with the top rock bands as a music journalist. Now she's living the life of a suburban mom, living with her social media influencer partner while raising his two children. Unexpectedly, out of the blue, a blast from her past shows up on her doorstep and rents out the house across the street.

Dylan King lived his life as a rockstar. This led to him making some not-so-great choices over the years. With his band reuniting he needs to change his 'bad-boy' image into something more 'grownup', more respectable. Who is he to turn to? His good friend, Nicole. Agreeing to work with Dylan, their friendship flourishes and old feelings re-ignite.

I enjoyed the story about Nicole and Dylan and how meeting many years later they were able to pick up where they left off in their friendship. One character that I could have done without is Nicole's partner. Rowan! haha I did not like him at all!

I enjoyed the humor, and how Dylan fit seamlessly into Nicole's life, with the children and their school.

This was a fun read for second-chance romances!

Have read and enjoyed other books by Portia. However this was at best ok, but left me feeling rather meh.

Thank you to the publisher a d Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Lovely romantic book that keeps you turning the pages. I really enjoyed the book and the insight into the music business.

Slightly disappointing read. I’ve enjoyed all the authors previous books but this felt a bit lacklustre and fragmented. I found it difficult to like the characters. I found the book did improve about 75% of the way through and it won’t put me off reading any future books by this author.

Thank you Netgalley

It was a good book, it was a nice rom com, I liked the second chance aspect. I thought the characters were alright could have more growth but overall a good book.

Nicole lived a wild and carefree life back in the day as a music journalist when she hung out with bands and spent her time touring around. But then when scandal broke out around her best friend, Dylan, who was a rockstar, she decided it was time for a fresh start. She is now living a pretty ho hum life. So when Dylan comes back into her life, asking for help with restoring his image, she feels her old life pulling her back in, and wants to give her old life one last go. Spending time with Dylan again, Nicole finds herself being the person she truly is in her heart, but she has a different life now, and when the two begin to collide, Nicole has to decide what she really wants in life and who it is she really wants to be with.
A lovely story written with a lot of heart and emotion. Dylan and Nicole were both great characters and I enjoyed seeing them navigating their present situations and find their way back to each other. The book definitely left me with a smile on my face and happy feeling afterwards. Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy. This is my voluntary review.

After an eventful early twenties, Nicole calms it down and gets involved with a stable man. When she finds out he has done her wrong and her ex best friend shows up across the street, Nicole's life changes drastically.
Opinion
This book was a fabulous read. I found my mind wandering to what was happening in the plot while at work. Nicole's story offered an escape during my busy, stressful life.
I think what I loved most about it was that Nicole rubbed elbows with the rich and famous and even became best friends with one of them. I'm sure we all have had a daydream about similar situations.
This is a great summer read.
Many thanks to Net Galley and to Boldwood Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

The writing was good, the characters were likeable (except where they aren't meant to be, and those ones I loved to hate!), and the plot hooked me from the start. I'll definitely be on the look out for more by Portia Macintosh!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Ex in the City by Portia MacIntosh in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I didn’t like the dynamic at all - living with your ex (who might not technically be your ex yet?) and his children, saying you’re staying for them when you do actually plan on leaving soon anyway? It didn’t make sense. It was awkward and uncomfortable and all I ended up focusing on was feeling sorry for the kids instead of the second chance romance that was supposed to be the focus point. Ultimately, I ended up DNF’ing this at 40% as I had no interest in continuing the story and I felt like the couple definitely should have stayed in the friend zone.

This is friends to lovers to strangers to lovers, one of us is famous trope. These aren’t my favourite tropes to begin with which might have affected my enjoyment.

I love a good second chance romance and Ex in the City came highly recommended. This was a cosy, fun read but didn’t draw me in as I had expected. In a nut shell it’s about relationships, and that sometimes not is all as it seems especially especially when social media plays a huge part.

With many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-arc 🙏