Olivia loves planning and structure and she finds herself thrown into the chaos of India for a few months. In her first few days she (literally) bumps into Jacob. He has been travelling non-stop for years, believes in luck and the universe and doesn't plan anything.
They strike an unlikely friendship, with continuing sexual tension and keep coming in and out of eachother's lives while in India.

I have really enjoyed Houghton's first two books, but this one didn't land for me. Olivia was made SO IRRITATING and it was never believable to me that Jacob would be attracted to her. There were also a few times where they would both be annoyed at each other for minor reasons which didn't ring true for adults in their 20s. And then just when we thought Jacob was ok, she also makes his character SO IRRITATING as we head into a finale which felt forced and contrived.

If you happen to pick this up and enjoy it then please do go back and read her last books because you will love those!! Otherwise I'd only recommend picking this one up if you happen to get a copy and you want an easy enough read while on holidays.

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

Olivia is a planner who has her life mapped out in front of her until she's gifted a trip of a lifetime that totally pushes her out of her comfort zone. Forced to let go and loosen up, and confront some emotions she's buried, she meets Jacob; a free spirited traveller that let's the universe decide his future based on the roll of a dice. The chemistry between the two was there from the beginning, even though they both tried to push the other away.

As a huge Emily Houghton fan, I expected nothing less than a whole heap of emotion and a few tears and this didn't disappoint.

Heartwarming, heartbreaking, beautiful.
Thanks to Transworld and Netgalley for an advance copy in return for my honest review.

I .hate givinga a books a little stars rating, but what can I say I just didn't feel this one.
I didn't connect to the MCs, to the storyline.
It was cute, but not for me.
3 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed the juxtaposition of Olivia and her spreadsheet itinerary and Jacob and his decision deciding dice. The characters develop organically as Olivia loosens up in Jacobs presence and steps off the tourist route of churches and temples to see more of the real India- exactly as her sister had hoped she would.
Both characters influence each other and bring something unique to the blossoming friendship making it a bit more than the standard girl meets boy romantic trope.
a great read!

This was absolutely brilliant. Olivia has a very ordered life, with everything in its place. However when her sister dies of cancer, she leaves Olivia with an unexpected gift - a ticket to travel around India. It's everything Olivia hates - chaotic and uncoordinated, despite her best efforts to plan. She also meets Jacob, a free spirited traveller who determines his next moves on the spin of a dice, her basic opposite.

Whilst in India, Olivia has to learn to let go and also confront her past. Jacob has his own plans to stay solo and travel wherever the dice dictates, but finds himself increasingly drawn to Olivia - but can they both meet somewhere in the middle?

I found this such a good read, heart breaking in places but absolutely beautifully written. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A journey of self discovery for both our main characters in this. Both Olivia and Jacob are stuck with their rituals, after a chance meeting in Delhi, the two keep coming back to each other. However to stay in each other’s lives, they’ll both need to take a chance and make a change.

N.B. This book deals with grief, burnout and cancer.

I had quite a bit of trouble getting into this novel at first, but once I got going things improved. The story revolves around Olivia, who is grieving and not coping with life. She is reluctantly sent on an adventure to India, to possibly broaden her horizons. There she meets Jacob, who travels around on the roll of a dice. Their meeting sparks some interesting scenarios for both of them.
Thank you to Transworld and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Absolutely amazing book! I was hooked from the very beginning. I am a keen Emily Houghton fan and read her previous book and didn’t think it could get any better! Wow, it can! Absolutely loved the twists and turns, I didn’t see the end coming and I was really happy with it.

Only thing that could be better was a longer epilogue with a clue to what happened in the future.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me an Arc in exchange for my review
Emily houghton is my go to and when I received an email on this book
Boy.. did I jump to it

It’s a beautiful story about Olivia, a highly organized workaholic who’s planned her life to the tea, overworked and filled with grief receives a gift from a sister .. a ticket to India
that would change her whole life and Jacob, a free spirited traveller who leaves his life to dices and fates
The two cross parts and life’s never the same anymore

My thoughts:-
I loved the story, the chemistry and interaction between the characters
Even shed a few tears at the end there

But unfortunately, I felt this book missed the emotions, it felt too rushed, they weren’t given enough time to fall in love, big changes happened in a swift which didn’t sit right with me so this one only gets a 3 star from me

Looking forward to loving another book of hers.

I read a couple of books by Emily Houghton, which I enjoyed, so I just started this book without reading the blurb. I didn't expect the story to be mainly located in India, which was quite a surprise, but an interesting one. I must admit I had a bit of a hard time warming up to Olivia and Jacob, I didn't feel the chemistry at all at the beginning. I liked the ending, although it felt a tiny bit rushed. At least, what happens next is left to my imagination.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lovely book of two journeys, where two very different people meet again and again. The writing in this is calming and engaging, making it a struggle to put down.

A healing holiday read.

The only reason I knocked a star off was because I didn’t always buy the chemistry between the main couple. At times they seemed more like chums than potential lovers. For example, they’re alone on a paradise beach in swimwear putting sunscreen on each other, and nothing happens? Not even a thought of something happening? I can’t ignore the missed opportunities for romantic fun.

Otherwise though, a charming story with a heartfelt message. Perfect to read on a lazy afternoon in the sun.

More than just a rom-com, this beautifully written story is thought provoking and will make j about your own life and whether you’re making the most of your days, Olivia is grieving the tragic loss of her sister, It was both sad and heartwarming to read of their relationship and her loss. I loved the setting in India. Such a vibrant, colourful and fragrant country and that really shone through in the descriptive writing. Jacob is incredibly laid back and fre spirited, almost too casual in fact when making big decisions! But I loved him and enjoyed the relationship between he and Olivia. Opposites really do sometimes attract I guess. I have mixed feelings about the endings, and felt it could have been a little more conclusive and is the reason I gave it four stars instead of five. Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for this enjoyable read.

Whisk yourself away with this Indian dream of a five-star read. I must admit I am more Olivia, than Jacob, I always like a plan and the idea of living by the dice would scare the bejesus out of me. This story will take you on a journey of self-discovery as you follow Olivia as she plots her way across India in order to remember her sister and grieve her loss. As we journey with her and meet some amazing characters you can’t help but think what if and wonder about those we may have loved and lost. When we find Jacobs story it makes those what ifs so much stronger. I loved the end, it felt fitting, and true. This is a story that will stay with you, I know every time I see a set of dice, I will be thinking what decision they could make for me. I know one thing they could decide and that would be odds and evens to reading this book as it’s such a good story either would be a winner.

First of all, I am grateful to netgalley and PRH for the chance to read this early. I did like the premise and the setting, but I found the characters a bit annoying and the ending very rushed. I didn't dislike it but I didn't love it.

Take a Chance on Me is a thought-provoking rom-com story.

Olivia lives her life according to a schedule, she's been that way ever since her sister got sick. But after her sister dies and leaves her with a ticket to go traveling around India she must for once try to learn to embrace finding the joy in the unexpected. And there's not much more unexpected that meeting Jacob, a laid-back traveler who leaves his life to chance through making decisions by rolling a pair of dice.

As Olivia struggles to cope with the fast-paced and busy lifestyle that India offers, she also finds herself thinking of Jacob again their paths cross more than once. Yet despite the challenges she faces Olivia also begins to discover how to live a bit differently, and finds herself wondering if Jacob could fit into her new plans after all.

The food, people and places within India shone during this story, it was an unusual setting but tied in so well with the themes of the story. The characters were well crafted and left me wanting to check whether I myself was living life to the fullest.

Right from the start, it was obvious that Olivia and Jacob would be together, but the twists and turns to get there, and the future vision was a real rollercoaster.
I loved the side stories of their friends and parents lives, but did not figure out what secret Jacob was hiding.
A very atmospheric book, taking you to both known and unknown places, richly describing the scenes and smells along the way.
I recognised my own traits in both of them, and could see both sides. Perhaps I should go back to doing yoga!

I've been watching a lot of programmes lately that centre around India. And, when I started Take A Chance On Me and realised it was mainly set in India. I settled in for a great read.

Emily Houghton encapsulated the Indian way of life perfectly. She uses all of the readers senses to build a strong image of where the characters are. The hustle and bustle of Delhi. The tranquility of Goa.

The story is told from the points of view of Olivia and Jacob our main characters. Both are completely different in how they are living their lives and how they perceive things. Olivia is straight up and organised. Whilst Jacob just leaves dice decide his fate.

I wanted to love this book it had it all. The setting, the chalk and cheese characters, the emotion and the will they won't they. But, there was something about the characters that just didn't grab at me and had me invested. It may be the fact that their preferences in life were just repeated a bit too much. At times I wanted to knock Jacob over the head with his dice.

But, despite not being that invested in the characters I still enjoyed the storyline as a whole. And I absolutely loved going to India with them. It was nice to see Olivia despite her reservations, embracing the culture and falling in love with the place.

Please let's have a book following Tracey and her antics. She was a side character that I wanted to see a lot more of.

Another fantastic novel by Emily Houghton. Olivia has her life meticulously planned, and Jacob is so laid back he could end up toppling over. "Fate" brings them together. They both frustrated me in a lovely way. Following Olivia's journey around India made me want to summon up all my courage and go and fulfil the biggest thing on my bucket list. I could smell the smells, teste the food, envisage the breathtaking sights, feel overwhelming panic and hear the manic noise that is India. The book made me annoyed, laugh and cry. I loved it. Now to go and roll some dice to see if I will finally book that trip.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. And also to Emily Houghton for her writing.

I am not sure if this book has left me happy, sad or somewhere in between. The chance meetings, friendship and growing understanding between Olivia and Jacob is slow. Olivia is closed off and doesn’t want anyone to get through to her, doesn’t want to have a friend or a travel companion, no matter how helpful. Along with a few other travellers, Jacob manages to chip away and the exploration of this breaking through of barriers, facing pain and sadness is quite lovely.
Added to this exploration is a vivid description of India. The sights and smells as well as the food and locals and their hopes and aspirations. The book weaves the amazing sights and life in India with a slow slow romance and a real awaking in both Olivia and Jacob. The ending is unexpected, and yet somehow so very very fitting.