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.

The two main characters meet and instantly I feel like I dislike them. There’s no chemistry, no banter.

Dylan kind of forces himself into her life when she says she doesn’t date anyone at the moment, for a very legitimate reason.

Scarlett thinks very highly of herself in the beginning of the book. She actually wonders at some point if there are bugs in his hat… I mean come on?!

Then all of a sudden she is okay with him coming over to her apartment and he randomly gives her a peck on the lips while persuading her to go on a date with him. It’s just weird. Not rooting for these two at all at the moment.

DNF at 30%

3.5 rounded up because it kept me interested enough to read in one sitting.

Love at first sight, closed door romance. Dylan sees Scarlett and knows it’s love, chases her while also becoming a famous musician. Scarlett deals with her own past (dead boyfriend) and present (awful boss).

The banter was lacking, it felt like something was off in the writing and I didn’t really feel their chemistry for most of the book. Also, knowing it’s a love at first sight this makes sense but I struggled to see why either character quickly falls in love with the other. We don’t know a ton about them and they don’t know much about each other, either.

A few other issues I had with the book - early on, it appears that Dylan says her name even though he doesn’t know it yet? Maybe I read this wrong but that felt like a pretty big oversight. Also, all of the women in this book are servers in some way, and I didn’t love it. All of the men have big powerful jobs while the women are below them. Finally, I was little confused on time passing during second half and how quickly Dylan becomes famous. It feels like a lot of time has passed but also that only a couple of months has gone by, so this was a little distracting.

Slight spoiler - The main conflict comes earlier than I expected in the book, again giving us even less time to understand why these two are meant to be together.

This book was a great romcom. I enjoyed the witty banter. It was a fabulous read and I highly recommend it to fellow romcom readers!

Anyone But You by Jackie Ladbury
Rating: 4/5
Release Date: 19 June 2024

Scarlett De Verre has given up on men, focusing on her career as a flight attendant to leave her past behind. Dylan Willis, an aspiring rock star stuck in small London gigs, falls for Scarlett instantly and pursues both fame and her affection.

Despite her reluctance to date someone seeking fame, Scarlett can't deny her attraction to Dylan, and they soon become inseparable.

As Dylan lands a recording contract, Scarlett celebrates with him. However, their journey to stardom faces a challenge when Scarlett's undisclosed past comes to light, making her the centre of media attention instead of Dylan.

Dylan is portrayed as a lovable, albeit awkward, character with a heart of gold. Despite his clumsiness and tendency to say the wrong thing, he genuinely cares for Scarlett and falls for her first. He brings sunshine to the story with his unwavering loyalty to Scarlett.

Scarlett, on the other hand, struggles with inner turmoil and initially pushes Dylan away due to her own insecurities. While she may come across as cold at first, as the story unfolds and her backstory is revealed, her behaviour becomes more understandable.

The narrative is presented in third person, a refreshing departure from the usual first person, dual/multiple POV format. The descriptive writing style immerses readers into the story, allowing them to fully experience the characters' journey.

I would happily recommend “Anyone But You” if you enjoy an easy, sweet contemporary read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Joffe Books | Choc Lit, and the author, Jackie Ladbury, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

I really enjoyed this story at the beginning. The characters were likable. The plot was far-fetched perhaps and a bit cliche, but I didn’t mind; it was a light, easy read. There was a cute niece and a cute dog, etc. The story got a bit darker later, but had a good message about the dangers of drugs.

Later in the story, though, I was put off by all of the cliche, contrived fights and miscommunication leading to weird games; the mixed messaging about unwanted kisses and about alcohol overuse; and the inconsistent character motivations. It didn’t lead me to believe that Dylan and Scarlett could have a happy, healthy relationship.

Even though the story wasn’t my cup of tea, I could still see many others enjoying it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free eARC. This review contains my honest opinions.

Content note: story contains references to off-page drug use.

**Advance copy provided for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and Choc Lit! All views expressed are entirely my own**

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I couldn’t put it down! I was in the mood for a feel-good, light read and this definitely scratched that itch for me.

We meet our male main character first, a street busker named Dylan who wants to make a name for himself with his music. He spots our female main character, Scarlett (an air stewardess for a private plane company), one day while busking and is immediately enamoured when she stops to listen to his music and gives him some money. Dylan hopes to see her again so he can ask her on a date, and looks out for her every day while he is busking. When they see each other again, Scarlett gives Dylan a frosty reception and tells him she doesn’t date. Scarlett’s ex died of a drug overdose two years prior, and she hasn’t been with anyone since - stuck in her grief and guilt over not getting him help. Dylan won’t be deterred, though, and makes it his mission to get Scarlett to fall in love with him.

Dylan is an absolute cinnamon roll, I loved his character! He has his flaws - he’s seriously awkward and seems to suffer with a bad case of foot-in-mouth disease, but he means well. He’s seriously ride or die for Scarlett and he definitely falls first. The whole premise gives off serious grumpy/sunshine vibes, but in this instance he is the sunshine.

Scarlett just can’t seem to get out of her head and out of her own way. I found her a little irritating at first because she’s super standoffish and cold toward Dylan (poor guy is trying his best!) but as the book went on and we got more backstory on her, you can kind of understand why she acts that way in the beginning.

The writing is in third person, which I quite enjoyed. I’m so used to first person, dual/multiple POV stories that this was a nice change for me. I found the writing to be excellent, very descriptive and immersive. I was gripped from start to finish by this book and I feel it absolutely deserves 5 stars!

Overview of the book:
Friends to lovers
He falls first
Celebrity characters
CW: off-page drug overdose
Fade-to-black sexual scenes
CW: sexual harassment (not by MCs, FMC’s boss is harassing her)
HEA
Part of a series but can be read as a standalone
Cinnamon Roll MMC
Grumpy FMC
Slight ow/om drama (no cheating between MCs, but there are misunderstandings and jealousy)

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely! If you’re looking for a sweet contemporary romance, and enjoy the friends to lovers trope, this is definitely the book for you.