I was not a fan of this one. There was alot of hot and cold from Scarlett and not in a good way. I hoped the story would pick up as I continued to read but it did not. In my opinion this book was a bit disappointing.

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

I did enjoy this book but found it a little difficult to get into, I hadn't realised it was a complete rework of a previous novel.

Overall, I loved the airline setting, and the character dynamic was great. I absolutely loved Dylan's character. To me, he is the typical cheeky chappy, regular busker on the streets with dreams of stardom, who happens to fall for Scarlett who is an air hostess determined that she shouldn't be dating.

I really enjoyed the interactions between Dylan and Scarlett, and really completely sure how the book would end although I did have a couple of theories.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The book was entertaining, though I felt both main characters brought some toxic behavior to the relationship. They both made assumptions, lacked in communication, and were all over the place. Dylan put Scarlett on a pedestal, then freaked out when she wasn't perfect, and did/said some things I felt were cruel. Scarlett blew hot and cold, and expected Dylan to read her mind, as well as assigning baggage from previous relationships to Dylan. Overall it was worth reading.

I feel guilty because I always try to finish books but after reading 10 chapters I just could not get into this book! I liked the premise but I didn’t connect to the characters.

Dylan, a street busker, sees Scalrett one day and its love at first sight for him. Scarlett has sworn off men and when Dylan asks her out, she turns him down but they keep bumping into each other around town.

There was no flirting or buildup. Scarlet was cold and hard to read with no sense of humor. Their conversations seemed awkward. She came off abrasive and he seemed clueless but I think he was meant to be aloof. This book was just not for me.

I am not a fan of insta love stories, which this is one. Furthermore, I did not connect with either of the main characters and I found them both to be rather unlikeable.

First and foremost I appreciate the opportunity to have read this book. I enjoyed some parts but I did struggle with staying focused. I'm not sure if it is because I'm a mood reader but I couldn't get into it. Probably once the book is released I'll give it another shot. All in all the story was okay and maybe someone else might like it more than me.

Thank you to Jackie Ladbury, Joffe, ChocLit, and Netgalley for the free book in exchange for my honest review.

Sadly, I had to DNF this book. It just wasn’t holding my attention, and I wasn’t bought into the story. Dylan and Scarlett, to me, were just kind of blah. There wasn’t any tension, or very much character development.

A lot of narration, very little banter.

I also feel like maybe I missed something by not having read Book 1 in this series.

Overall, I can see potential in this story, if it had been a little more developed.

It was cute kinda some slow parts in the book but overall would recommend to my book club, cute rom com

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I loved the premise of the story with two people seemingly falling in love at first sight on the streets of London. Busker, wanna-be rock star Dylan and private airline flight attendant Scarlett have promise as characters and their love story. The book and plot feel rushed with a lot of narration vs. dialogue and at times it felt jumbled and frenetic. Dylan's certainty in the relationship comes off smothering and Scarlett's past makes her a bit skittish but I found myself rooting for them to be together int he end. All in all, it was a good pool-side read!

ARC REVIEW!
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
 
Dylan Willis: Happy go busker who spends his days singing in the streets, parks, or pubs hoping for the day his big break will come along.

Scarlett De Verre: Flight attendant focused on her career who simultaneously has sworn off men and dating.

“Have you ever thought you were made for someone, and you just needed to wait until they turned up? Well, that’s how it felt. She turned up, and I knew.”

Do you believe in love at first sight?

Dylan Willis sure does. The moment Dylan sees Scarlett he knows he wants her to be a part of his life. Unfortunately for him, those feelings aren’t reciprocated. His one big dream just became two: 1. Become famous and 2. Fall in love with Scarlett.

Unknowingly to him, Scarlett is struggling because of the very thing Dylan is chasing after. She isn’t in the right state of mind to be dating, she’s still grieving the life she thought she knew. Despite all of this, Scarlett can’t help but find Dylan charming and starts to wonder if she can find herself moving on despite everything. But you know what they say about the past? It always comes back to haunt you. When Scarlett’s past resurfaces, it threatens everything. Can love conquer all?

✨ He Falls First
✨ Celebrity Characters
✨ Friends to Lovers (ish? – see below notes under thoughts for this)
✨ Grumpy x Sunshine

Thoughts:

* I thought the story line could’ve been promising, I’m just not sure if the writing got me there.
* I didn’t particularly find myself rooting for or liking either of the main characters – I found Dylan to be particularly pushy with the boundaries Scarlett had already tried to set out for him and I found Scarlett to be incredibly rude at times.
* Chemistry, or lack thereof, I guess? It just wasn’t there for me.
* I called this friends to lovers (ish) because it didn’t really seem like they were much of friends before lovers. It seemed like they spent a good majority of the book fighting or in little arguments that could just have been avoided if miscommunication didn’t play a huge role.

Overall, it was a quick and easy read!

🌶️: FADE TO BLACK - If you’re looking for spice, this book won’t include it!

TW: mentions of drug and alcohol abuse (past, minor characters), sexual harassment by person of authority (current, minor character)

Thank you so much to: Joffe Books, Choc Lit, NetGalley & of course Jackie Ladbury for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was NOT a good book. I didn’t like either lead character. Honestly, the only thing that kept me from DNF’ing this was my foolish, optimistic hope that the ending might be better.

Scarlett may as well be modeled after Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold,” as that’s how she behaves. One moment, she’s cold and standoffish to Dylan. The next, she’s suddenly realized she’s in love with him! Yet she keeps trying to push him away, out of fear that history will repeat itself. Frankly, she’s a real bitch.

Dylan isn’t that great, either. He sees a random woman on the street and is instantly smitten. He MUST have her. He MUST know who she is. He KNOWS there is no other woman for him, now that he’s seen her. As they get to tentatively know each other, he acts completely full of himself. “I know I’m good looking,” “I’m the greatest,” etc. The author tells us it’s supposed to be cute, but it’s not. It’s annoying and kind of gross.

They break up for months, see each other once, and BAM, they’re engaged. Ugh. Save yourself the trouble of reading this disappointment.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘩𝘰𝘤 𝘓𝘪𝘵, 𝘢 𝘑𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

Scarlett no esta en el mejor estado mental cuando conoce a Dylan y cuando él intenta invitarla a una cita, ella es grosera y le dice que no, pero el tipo sigue insistiendo hasta que ella acepta.

Se supone que Dylan se enamora a primera vista de Scarlett, pero tenemos escenas con otras mujeres que deja mucho que desear:
- Arabella. A ella la conoce cuando a penas iba a iniciar algo con Scarlett y por unos momentos piensa y se imagina que sería muy bueno tener sexo con ella. Lo bueno es que esta loco por Scarlett.
-Cara. Ella es su primer amor y a lo largo del libro a parece para dar problemas, la primera vez que aparece Scarlett y él acaban de tener sexo, entonces se supone que todo va genial entre ellos, pero el idiota se la pasa viendo a Cara y sonriéndole, incluso se olvida de que su novia estaba ahí; la segunda vez fue cuando ella lo besó, él se dejó e incluso la estaba acariciando, la tercera es cuando ella lo acompaña a una entrevista y se la pasa mandándole besos y el le corresponde. Lo peor es que al final cuando se reconcilian y van a cenar con los padre del idiota él le dice a Scarlett que Cara es su mejor amiga y que siempre estará en su vida.

Dylan es una red flag andante.

¿Que fue esa estupidez que paso en el capítulo 23?

Odie que en el capítulo 25, Scarlett se volvió patética cuando lo volvió a ver después de meses y apareció con otra mujer, la cual pensó que era su novia (no lo era), pues a la tonta se le ocurrió coquetearle sin importarle que pudiera hacer sentir mal a la "novia" y además le dijo a Natasha que era una vaca, lo dijo en su mente, pero cambió mucho mi opinión acerca de ella después de esto.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the airline setting, the characters of Scarlett and Dylan were so easy to get into but I wish someone had said there was another book before that. I loved the airline setting (unique somewhat) and the ending.

The characters were very bland and I found I was not rooting for them. Just unrealistic situations and a lack of healthy perspective. Could not get into this one.

Title: Anyone but you by Jackie Ladbury.

Release date: June, 19th, 2024

3.5 Stars

"Anyone But You" by Jackie Ladbury is a delightful and heartwarming romance that captures the essence of love at first sight, the pursuit of dreams, and the power of second chances. This novel is a charming tale of two individuals, Scarlett De Verre and Dylan Willis, whose paths cross in unexpected ways, leading to a journey filled with love, ambition, and the challenges that come with fame.

Scarlett, a flight attendant with a passion for travel and a determination to leave her past behind, has made a conscious decision to steer clear of romantic entanglements. Her focus is on building a career that allows her to explore the world and keep her personal life uncomplicated.
Dylan, on the other hand, is a musician with dreams of achieving rock stardom. Gigging in small London venues, he harbors ambitions that extend far beyond the confines of the city's underground music scene. When he lays eyes on Scarlett, it's an instant connection, and he's convinced she's the one for him.

Despite Scarlett's reservations about dating someone in the pursuit of fame, she finds herself drawn to Dylan's charm and the way he makes her feel. Their relationship blossoms, and they quickly become inseparable. When Dylan's big break finally arrives, and he's offered a recording contract, Scarlett is right by his side, celebrating his success.

However, the path to stardom is fraught with obstacles, and their journey is not without its challenges. Scarlett has been guarding a secret from Dylan, and when her past resurfaces, it threatens to derail not only Dylan's newfound fame but also their relationship.

"Anyone But You" is a feel-good romance that explores themes of love, ambition, and the importance of honesty in relationships. It's a story of two people who find love in the most unexpected circumstances and learn that sometimes, the heart wants what it wants, regardless of the plans we make.

Jackie Ladbury's novel is a must-read for fans of heartwarming romances, featuring love at first sight, the pursuit of dreams, and the idea that sometimes, the person we resist the most is exactly who we need in our lives.


Thank you to The Publisher Joffe Books | Choc Lit ,The Author Jackie Ladbury & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

This book contains all the good things that make a great chick lit novel. I love the celebrity aspect to it and the suspense of will fame change what is truly meant to be? Also I can’t wait to see what’s secrets are main character is hiding as well! The perfect feel good novel to curl up with this summer!

I really wanted to like this book after reading the description, but I just didn’t.

From the very beginning I knew it wasn’t the book for me. I didn’t really like either main character, and there were scenes where I was cringing at their scenes together. Also, there didn’t seem to be any real chemistry between the characters. The male main character just saw her and thought she was hot and kept asking her out and the female main character judged Dylan (the male main character) so much that i dont know how he kept vying for her attention and didn’t tell her to screw off.

Swoon-worthy! This story was enjoyable and I was immediately drawn to the main characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Four stars.

Thank you NetGalley & Joffee Books for the arc!

DNF @ 40%

I’m not exactly sure where to start.

The premise sounded lovely, but the plot execution felt rushed and unfinished. Truly, the plot moved way too fast. This is more of a narrative-driven novel vs. a dialogue-driven novel. And boy, was there a ton of narration. It made the short story drag on and on. And I didn’t even finish it.

Regarding the characters…yikes. Dylan is extremely pushy to the point where it started making me uncomfortable. He is basically obsessive over Scarlett from page one even though Scarlett herself is very standoffish and curt. Speaking of our FMC, I find her rude and much too aggressive. At one point, she made it known just how disgusting she found Dylan’s place. Like verbally. To his face. And he continues to lust after her like she’s this perfect angel. I don’t know…but everything felt extremely forced and extremely rushed. There was no relationship build-up.

I truly wish I could have enjoyed this. It has potential, but it didn’t grip me. Not enough to keep me reading to the end.