Started reading this as a change from my usual thrillers and what a cosy read it was - perfect for snuggling up with between Christmas and New Year. Sliding Doors meets The Holiday - sometimes its all about being in the right place at the right time - or not! :)

I fell in love with the characters and while its. a little predictable in parts, this almost adds to its charm,

this is a story about fate and time, about finding your person when you least expect it, about invisible strings that tie people together. I really loved the concept, and even though the amount of near-misses felt like too much at some point, the longing for the meeting was worth it! i loved the dynamic between main characters, but also i loved how interconnected their lives were, how even their upbringings were structured in favour of finally drawing them together. the background characters were also fascinating, sometimes i was thinking that i want to read more about edie than about main characters because of how interesting her life seemed, how she captured my attention from the very first appearance.

I loved the idea and premise of this book so much! I found the writing really lovely and the arc of the story was good but I just didn’t love or connect with the characters unfortunately! I really was rooting to love this one as it feels like such a me book but sadly it just didn’t work out that way! For anyone who loves fate/serendipity based trope books then it’s definitely still worth checking out!

I absolutely loved this one and it was just what I needed to get me out of a reading slump.

Light, fluffy and a lot of fun. My favourite part was some of the secondary characters. I would love a cup of tea and a chat with Edie and Travis seems like THE BEST person to go shopping with. Fun story with great characters and a good heart.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read this arc and give a full, honest review.
I was engrossed in the story and its characters, so I truly enjoyed reading it. Nevertheless, I believe that something was lacking; a deeper examination of specific themes or more complex character development would have enhanced the story. Joseph was great at setting the scene; the way she described the atmosphere and landscape was thoroughly engaging, especially those where the characters were abroad.
The main characters were well fleshed out; I found myself hating those we were meant to dislike and liking those we got to meet in more depth. Unfortunately, I do feel as though the chemistry between Wren and Nick was lacking; they felt more like friends than lovers, and I struggle to imagine the pair having feelings for each other. This is a shame, as the book was marketed as a love story. The love was definitely not there for me.

Nick and Wren have never met, yet their path keep crossing over and over again, and something is always getting in their way.

This is a really frustrating one for me, because I really liked the concept, yet I couldn't really get into it. I found the plot itself to be so original and so interesting, which is what attracted to me to the book in the first place. It's honestly also very well crafted, and the build-up to Nick and Wren's official meeting was fun and engaging, but it ultimately makes the ending feel rushed. A good half of the book is centered around their missed encounters, and when they finally manage to me, it is great, but it's still so fleeting. And by the end of the book it's still more time they've spent apart than together, which made it very difficult for me to care about them as a couple. The characters themselves were fine, but nothing exceptional, really, and the same applies to the side characters, who were just... there. There also were so many subplots going on, and it feels like not all of them were really satisfyingly wrapped up, which was incredibly annoying. The pacing felt odd, with the way it kept going back and forth in time when it switched POV, which was understandable at times, but it could have been very well avoided in favor of advancing the story many other times. Overall, it just felt unsatisfying in a way, which is sad, because I really expected to love this, and I really, really did love the concept, I think it had the potential to be great, and the pieces are definitely all there, and it has its strong points for sure.

Many thanks to Bookouture & NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

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.

I don’t fully connect with this book from the start.

There was the element of waiting for the right time to be with the right person which I did think was nice, however, the lead up to this I didn’t enjoy.

I wish our characters had more time together !
Saying this, I did really like the characters individually, I thought they were well written!

This one was really good! The premise of the book was very unique and silly, which I absolutely love in a romance novel. Would absolutely recommend this to a friend!

I didn’t get to finish this book, I got a new Amazon prime account and my kindle deleted everything associated with my previous account including all of my downloads and I only just figured out why it wasn’t appearing whenI tried re-sending to my kindle multiple times. Now I’ve finally found the source of my problem and changed/updated the kindle email and can now download books again. It really messed up my reviews for all of the books I’d requested over the past few months, I apologize. I liked what I was able to read so that’s what I’m rating.

This romcom is about finding your person when the timing is right. Key word being timing as there are many near misses along the way. I liked it, but at times found it a bit slow and boring.

Just really not my type of romance. A case of insta-love and telling rather than showing. Quite disappointing cause the description sounded fun.

*thank you to NetGalley for access to this ARC*

Lily Joseph's The Near Miss deals with Nick and Wren, two people who seem to be one accident away from meeting one another always. They're meant to be meet it seems, but every close encounter seems to be fraught with danger.

I think the premise of the book is a fun play on the idea of missed connections and fate. We've read books where they're always ships sailing right by one another, but rarely does it mean they're always causing accidents and misfortunes around one another. While it could be a sign of an even more unfortunate relationship, I appreciate Joseph's take shows how even with all the chaos, it is their belief in wanting to be together that makes them want to try.

I also do appreciate many of the sub-themes of the story like dealing with mental health, struggles of co-parenting and divorce, and identity. They are heavier themes for sure, but they make for some really good beats in the story and I liked how Joseph incorporated them.

That being said, the only criticism I see with the story is there is almost *too* many accidents and mishaps that have the reader seeing Wren and Nick miss one another and almost not enough of them together. While it is understood to be slow-burn, I almost felt their actual interactions as a couple could have been added onto or at least had more substance added to the existing ones.

Build-up to meeting is cute and all, but readers also want to see more of them interacting beyond that meet cute.

Overall, not a bad story, it is still very cute rom-com esque with some meaningful themes.

thank you so much Netgalley for this ARC.

I was really looking forward to read this book but unfortunately i dont have anytime, so therefore i couldn't give any review or thoughts about this book, but i hope this book is as good as i expecting.

The Near Miss by Lily Joseph is a fun, entertaining, and lighthearted novel about love that is just a whisk away.

Wren and Nick are close but never close enough; they always seem to miss each other.
The novel is about fate, life, and falling in love. It will leave you rooting for our two love interests and have your heart fluttering once they finally reach each other and their previous miss turns into a near miss.
While the novel was delightful, I found the ending slightly rushed, which I found to be a shame; I would have loved to explore Wren and Nicks's connection on a deeper level.

In conclusion, I highly recommend checking The Near Miss out if you are looking for a fun rom-com.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an advanced reading copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, the chemistry between them and the story was really interesting.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for my book

The plot synopsis sounded great, however it was such a let down and was hard to actually finish! Very disappointing.

The Near Miss by Lily Joseph.
This was a really good read. I loved the cover and blurb. I read this in two sittings. I did like Wren and Nick. I didn't like Alex. I did like the ending. 4*.

"The Near Miss" by Lily Joseph is a captivating and emotionally resonant novel that explores the unpredictable twists of fate and the impact of chance encounters. Joseph’s writing is both insightful and heartfelt, weaving together the lives of characters who are connected by a seemingly minor event that ends up changing everything. The narrative skillfully delves into themes of love, destiny, and the paths not taken, inviting readers to reflect on the moments that shape our lives in unexpected ways.

The characters in "The Near Miss" are richly drawn, each dealing with their own struggles and aspirations, and their interactions are depicted with authenticity and depth. As their stories intertwine, Joseph masterfully builds tension and anticipation, keeping readers engaged as they wonder how these lives will ultimately converge. The novel is a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the power of second chances.

With its blend of romance, drama, and thoughtful exploration of the human condition, "The Near Miss" is a compelling read that will resonate with anyone who has ever wondered "what if?" Lily Joseph has crafted a beautifully written story that captures the essence of life's unpredictability and the magic of serendipity.

I was very fortunate to receive an advanced reader copy from NetGalley but all thoughts are unbiased and my own.

So I really like the idea and concepts of the book, but the execution was off. The idea of you can be really connected to someone and off by one degree until it’s the right time is cute, but I really disliked how something always linking them was terrible accidents. The way it was written switching points of view you always knew what was going to happen because one chapter would so obviously foreshadow the incident that was going to occur to the next character when it switched to their point of view. It was all teed up so you knew what was going to happen so I found it to be quite boring.

The writing style just wasn’t my favorite as well. I struggled with how the dialogue was written. It felt almost too fluffy with adverbs and adjectives all scattered in the text….

I wanted to like this more but I really struggled to get into it.