A genuinely funny and charming book about getting your life together and redefining your relationship with yourself and with those closest to you. I really appreciated the sense of humour - it was really refreshing and familiar, as a Brit (guess growing up watching Aussie TV will do that) - and I would absolutely read more by Lauren Ford in the future!

Liv is Not a Loser by Lauren Ford is a heartwarming story about Liv and her loser lifestyle. She has never been able to commit to anything- no permanent address, no long term relationships, no pets, and no career. After her brother announces his engagement and her sister announces her pregnancy, Liv realizes that she needs to make some changes. She sits down with to her best friend, her brother, and his fiancé and they create the Liv is a Loser list. One by one, she tries new things and crosses them off her list. Will these changes be enough to allow her to commit to what’s important, or will she go back to her loser ways?

I had quite high hopes for this book.
The description had me hooked as I can quite relate to the feeling of "nothing works out" and so I was hoping that it would be similar in style to Dolly Alderton. Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me. And don't get me wrong, the book certainly has its moments, it had some humour to it, some unexpected spice and the romantic story was quite lovely once it evolved.

I think I was just struggling with the premise of the book. It's supposed to be about a woman who feels like she is failing in life. And yes, it's true, that when it came to her work or living situation, it wasn't ideal but it's also very far from "being a loser". And more importantly when it came to her romantic life, I was expecting her to struggle with bad relationships, bad men - as we all have at some point in our lives. Instead she is oblivious, blind really, to what is right in front of her.

And so I was constantly asking myself - how can I believe that someone is so unlucky when the perfect guy who knows her, appreciates her, always supports her, who is kind AND attractive (?!), basically part of her family already - is right there, available, interested and in front of her. So the title "Liv is not a loser" is, in my opinion, not really reflective of the plot - "Liv is not aware" would be more fitting.

That being said, if you can overlook the, well, credibility of the initial premise of the book - then you can definitely indulge in the romantic story once it evolves. I can get behind a lot of books, even super kitschy (& unrealistic) plots - but if I am being "promised" something, then I expect it to be delivered - so, to me, it just lacked that credibility which, unfortunately, took away from me being able to fully enjoy the rest of the book.

Loved this one! Great and fun read. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for my ARC.

Olivia granger is an astronomy former student who is currently working in a planetarium. The story begin with her need to vacate the apartment she was living in...it's really a simple book describing everyday struggles of a person.
As like any other person Olivia felt devastated knowing that every person she knows out there is successful in one way or the other and she is still lagging behind.

With the help of her friends that includes her now bf too she came to the realisation that the problems around her exist because she doesn't have a long term plan for herself. And so the story goes on as a simple journey of a person finding that missing piece of her life and finally putting it together

While she was on the journey, she even met few failures but didn't feel much of disappointment as she used to before, on pondering it she realised that it was Henry who was with her on this journey and yeah so she met the missing piece of her puzzle.

The book is overall good, some reality problem and some explanation of real life journey which many people can relate too not knowing what to do with their lifes. It's not boring and her pov is chaotic and enjoyable, also I think the chemistry between liv and Henry is really healthy. And i absolutely loved the fact that not every love story needs to start with love at first sight and how oblivious we could be towards people who like us. There are even some hilarious moments that I am sure readers will enjoy.

This was a cute rom-com. The MMC, Henry, was a lovely guy. Liv’s brother was hilarious. Her niece and the niece’s best friend were funny and adorable. Liv’s relationship with them gave a hint as to what her friends saw in her.

I was a little impatient with Liv since she did seem like a loser. She was working in a dead-end job at the cafe in an astronomy observatory museum. She confesses that she’d turned down promotions at that job. She hadn’t finished the courses she was taking in astronomy for no good reason. And she’d spent years at this plateau.

It took a while for her to start making progress on her plans to overcome her loserdom, but sometimes it was two steps forward and one back. I wasn’t quite convinced in what Henry had seen in her for so many years or why her best friend lets her room with her when Liv delayed signing a lease.

The best moments were when Liv was honest and just told Henry what she was thinking. Maybe if he’d been as open with her, they wouldn’t have had all their complications.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

What a cute little romance that reminded me of childhood best friends, your first love, and the growth that comes with age.

I am not one for romance and didn’t truly realize that was what I was reading until about 45% of the way through (and I also thought Henry was Livs brother- I swear my reading comprehension is over 5%) but the last half of this book was incredibly sweet. Was it realistic?? In the ways that childhood love can grow and morph and become something great, yes. The storyline in other places was less developed, like liv and her personal journey early on. It took me a long time to realize she likely wasn’t on the spectrum, just written a little choppily.

All in all, this will be a really cute and sweet book when it’s published. And if Henry ever ends up at my door, I’d definitely open it!

Don't let the rating scare you away (as in, don't forget, a three is good) because this is a debut author I would definitely read from again. So why not a higher rating? Welllll.

I'll admit that considering this is marketed as a romance I found the romance to be the least believable part of the story. At least from one end of the pairing. Henry's feelings for Liv? The little references to his observations, his hidden feelings, it all told a bigger story that Liv took a little longer to catch-on to. Which is fine. But once Liv clued in.. I just didn't feel it. It felt rushed and unrealistic and overall I needed more.

And that's fine. Because ultimately this did read a bit more women's fiction than standard romance both in the telling of it and as there was a lot of growth and discovery and emotional history to work through from Liv's perspective as it came to both her professional life and personal/familial life. And I do like that Ford included Henry in this some of this same endeavour, too, as it felt more realistic. It's not always just one side of relationship pairing that can feel stuck or listless, sometimes it's both; and it seems like women are often the ones portrayed with these particular issues. So I liked that this was somewhat balanced.

What I also liked was the friend slash sibling group -- made up of Liv, her brother Joe, their bestie Henry, and Joe's fiancé, Seth. I wish we had gotten to know Seth a bit more, he ended up being the least fleshed out and with the least page time, but there was one beautiful scene with him that stood out. And it's that which made me wish we'd had more with him. I feel we could've had some of the random antics and flashbacks cut in favour of this and it definitely would've benefited and felt stronger as a result.

And by antics I mean.. the kids. I'm sorry but these were the least realistic-sounding eight year olds ever and it was just one (or two, maybe three) too many bits of weirdness to chew through. It's to a story's benefit to not be too tightly focused on a couple and their drama but sometimes it can also drift off into unnecessary filler and unfortunately I think we had that happen a bit here.

But. If you're looking for a story with a goal of self-improvement, unexpected love waiting in the wings, and some quirky and strange but more loveable than not family dynamics, you should definitely consider picking this one up.

I was really excited to get into this book, I was expecting a romance with friends to lovers and had such high hopes. Unfortunately this book fell really flat for me. I could not connect to the characters, and the fist kiss scene felt so random and out of place, we had barely seen Liv and Henry spend any time together yet. This book just felt way too chaotic for me and I couldn't get into it, so I DNF'd at around 40%. Obviously reading is subjective and this is just my opinion, I can see a lot of people loving it, it just wasn't for me.

I had high hopes for this book based on the description, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. I found myself enjoying the side characters more than the actual premise of the story, and couldn’t get myself invested in Liv’s situation.
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.
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Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Canelo for this book arc! It’s the first romance book I’ve dived into for a while, and here are my thoughts:

I enjoyed the author’s comedic writing, I often found myself chuckling to myself or being generally amused by the antics of different characters: especially side characters like Barry and Daisy who I feel really stole the show every-time they were mentioned. However, whilst on the topic of writing, I sometimes found the writing style to be rather long and sometimes confusing to read. It felt too lengthy at times and that occasionally maybe a sentence should of been shorter or tidied up a bit. I don’t like to nit pick grammar or sentence structures as I do not have an English degree or am in the professional field of writing but it was something I noticed as a reader.

Unfortunately this book, despite at times being very funny, was a miss for me as an overall romance book. I feel like it was more of a book about self discovery with a sprinkle of friends forever insta-love. I often found Liv to be very childish, and not endearing enough where I was rooting for her to change her ways. But, I also think she was a product of her environment. Her family often made me want to bang my head against the wall with the lack of boundaries, and whilst I know this is the reality for a lot of people- I genuinely wished that they got reprimanded more for it. Liv was a loser, childish and irresponsible, but she also was someone who had barely any real support from her family. They were unfortunately quite flat characters for me.

I didn’t mind the romance itself, I like the trope of friends to lovers but I think the main tension was ridiculous and spoke volumes to the main character’s childish behaviour. However, the author acknowledges this and I did enjoy the fact that it was rectified by acknowledging the character needed to self reflect and grow more. I would of thrown in the towel if the character got what they wanted (trying not to spoil here) but instead it was a great opportunity for character development. Henry was an enjoyable love interest, and a great friend to Joe and Liv. I’m glad he got his happy ending as he was one of my favourite characters (alongside Barry and Daisy).

I think overall I would market this more as a comedic self discovery find yourself novel, rather than a romance, I think that if you go into it as a romance you may not enjoy it as much. But, if you, like Liv, am someone unsure of their place in the world and find yourself lost and misunderstood and devalued by your family, then this is a relatable book.

Was this book a cute, heartwarming read? yes. Would I consider that this story to be the "hilarious and heartwarming romcom of the year" as the cover shows on Goodreads and Amazon? Not quite. It had cute elements, but the story dragged, I only wished that there was more development between the love story of Liv and Henry. Maybe if there had been, then it would have been in my opinion rom com of the year.

Regardless, it was a quick weekend read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo Romance for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Liv is definitely not a loser, she just lost her way a little. But with her brother Joe's upcoming wedding to Seth, her long term best friendship with Henry (who is also her brother's business partner and his best friend as well), her inability to commit to her career (although she knows exactly what she wants to do) or to finish her degree and have a meaningful relationship, Liv definitely has some challenges on her plate. So she makes a loser list. She can do this - 3 dates with one guy - no problem, huh! Finishing her undergraduate degree - sure - why not. Finding an apartment rather than couch surfing - should be easy. Or is it! This book had me laughing out loud. I saw so much of my younger self in Liv and just wanted to tell her that it would all work out. Such a great first outing from Lauren Ford. I look forward to reading her next. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to reach this advance readers copy. A great beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC. This was such a good read. It literally had me laughing out loud in spots. I love this whole family. I will defiantly be recommending this book to my friends that like stories like this.

Liv has come to an uncomfortable conclusion, she is a loser. When her brother announces his engagement on the same day her sister announces her second pregnancy she realizes she does not now, nor has she ever had significant news. She doesn’t have a long term place to live, a job she likes, she has never had a relationship last more then two dates, she has never committed to anything. She is tired of waiting for her life to start and with the help of her brother, his fiancé, Seth, and childhood best friend, Henry, she comes up with a list. From getting her first phone plan to going on at least three dates with someone Liv has a blueprint to turn her life into something that she can be proud of that makes her happy.
I really like this book. The feeling of flailing your way into adulthood and not knowing how to get your feet under you is not uncommon and was very relatable. Liv’s relationship with her brother is enviable and he, and his husband to be are so caring and supportive of Liv and her list. This is a great feel good kinda story with a very endearing romance. Thank you to @netgalley and @canelo_co and @laurenfordwrites for letting me review #livisnotaloser in exchange for reading it a bit early. Look for this one July 11 2024.
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Liv is not a loser is a journey . It follows the life of Olivia who is going through a very clear existential crisis of her own , when she comes up with a 10 step 'Liv is not a loser plan'. The list includes her commiting to three dates with a single person, as an attempt to get over her commitment issues, a result of her parent's divorce. As she tries to get through her list, she realizes her feelings for her best friend, has a long due confrontation with her father and tries to correct the mess that she has made.
It has quite a few comedic relief elements which i really do appreciate. The second half of the book however, felt a bit stretched and a few scenes felt just a bit not needed.
But overall, ' Liv is not a loser' is definitely worth a read!

I am very excited to be reading this book! My full review to follow.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a wonderful read. All the characters are relatable and likeable and it was an absolute pleasure reading about Liv and all her family and friends. I think Barry is inspired and he made me laugh with what an old man in a young body he was. Fabulous.

Thank you Netgalley and Canelo for this advanced copy.

This is that LOL, pull you out of your book slump, root for the underdog book. The friendship with Henry that becomes more, the misunderstood relationship with her dad that in the end brings them closer and Livs ever changing list of how to live life is what made this book great for me.

This was a wonderful debut and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Do not be fooled by my 3 stars because there were so much I loved. I mean I absolutely loved everything except the fact that the romance wasn’t believable to me. Let me walk you through it.

The starting of the book was kind of boring and it took me some time to get into it. But at 23 or 25% mark I started enjoying the story. The characters are beautifully written, I loved how vivid each scene read and I found the subplots to be incredibly well done. But more than that, the strength of the book lies in how distinct every character felt, they had their own voices and mind and I literally enjoyed all of them.

And with everything going so well in this book, what absolutely made me sad is how under developed the main love story was. Let me paint you the picture.

Liv and Patrick are childhood friends who grew up together and still are in each other’s lives. In fact they along with Joe(Liv’s brother and Patricks’s best friend), Seth (Joe’s fiancé) are basically part of this close friend group who do everything together. And I loved their inter-relationships. It felt like watching the best episodes of Friends or The Big Bang Theory. And even before we knew them individually, we knew them as a group.

So after years of being friends Liv and Patrick kiss. And the kiss happens before 40% mark. So obviously no slow burn and no angst and no tension and no push and pull. But worse than that is, prior to this kiss, they only had three scenes where we see them actually talk and engage with each other. But the worst part actually comes now- they kiss only because Liv got curious and asked Patrick why he never seriously dates and their faces somehow come close together and the guy was always secretly in love with her but never before that point she even entertained the idea of them together let alone had any romantic feelings towards him. So even though I genuinely liked them both separately, it felt like an ‘she was lonely and he was there’ kind of situation.

But even after they kiss, we don’t get to see their tender side or the love that they talk about but never show. We see a handful of make-out scenes(I love smut but there was zero build up) and few failed attempts to set up date due to their over bearing friends and family always getting in the way. As much as I found those scenes funny, I didn’t get the relationship or romance or pining for each other that I was promised.

And then bam! They have a fallout which now I assume is the writer’s attempt at creating tension. But without the base of romance, the fallout and pining really did not mean much to me. They were great friends and we were supposed to believe they have that more than friends kind of feelings but prior to kissing, we never really see that emotion being explored. If before the kiss they both had more scenes together where we see the girl slowly entertaining the idea of Patrick as her love interest and her falling for him, this book would have been perfect. But without that it feels the opposite of ‘show, not tell’

Saying that, I know reading is subjective. Maybe others would find their romance believable. But either you believe their romance or not, one thing is for sure, I loved reading the book. I hope to read more from the author where she along with writing fully fleshed out characters writes the kind of romance that gives me all kinds of heart-burn.

3.5 stars but I am rating it down as 3 star because without believing in their romance rounding up as 4 stars doesn’t sit right with me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo Romance for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.