3.5 stars
This is a story about matcmakhing. Greta's boss only wants what's good for her, so she goes behind her back and hires a matchmaking agency, but Greta finds out immediately. So Greta and her agent Poppy take a different tack, and in between, Greta meets a gorgeous guy named Ewan, in addition to the "best" candidate. Who will she choose in the end and will the lies ruin everything?
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgalley

I have enjoyed the other books in this series by the talented author Sandy Barker, and this one was no exception. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a funny and heartwarming romance with strong female lead characters. The "will they or won't they" dynamic is portrayed perfectly, making for a wonderful story that provides a great escape. I believe most readers will be able to relate to Greta's romantic challenges and will enjoy following her journey to find out if true love awaits. I am eagerly anticipating the next book in this series, and if you read them, I can assure you that you will be too.

There’s a lot of skullduggery going on here! Greta is a magazine editor; her boss Anjali is really worried about Gretas lack of love life after a flippant comment from her; and Anjali has a friend who runs an exclusive matchmaking agency so an idea is pitched for Greta to get write an article on dating hazards! Unfortunately Greta is on to them and hereby ensues a lot of people keeping a lot of secrets. In the meantime; Greta has taken a liking to Ewan who works in her local coffee shop…could there be more than friendship there? A great easy read.

This book felt very relatable with layered friendships, work rivalries and complicated dating lives that most people will understand. I was unaware of this series before staring this book so I am excited to go back and read the previous books and keep an eye out for new additions. This book was filled with humour and warmth that kept me engaged from start to finish.

This is a series that is going from strength to strength. I loved this book so much, it was entertaining, and you were definitely kept on your toes as to who knew what about who.

I loved getting to know Greta, who works at Noveau Life magazine, and her boss (and friend) has decided that Greta really needs some love in her life, and has employed Poppy at the Ever After Agency to help.

What follows is brilliant fun on so many levels, as Greta agrees to go on some dates with a view to writing an article and agrees to try a few frogs first! In the meantime there is a clear front runner for her heart, which just about everyone apart from Greta can see!

And it is always good to catch up with Poppy and her colleagues at the agency. Again I'm in awe of the whole set up and loved every second of my time spent with her matchmaking, as well as seeing her own relationship develop further.

Add in some minor mysteries, a bit of sabotage, some truly hilarious dates, and a couple of really gorgeous men, and you have a fabulous story that I couldn't get enough of.

I'm already eager to read the next book in the series, and can't help but think that this series would make a brilliant sit-com! Please make it happen.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily

This was an absolutely delightful story. I fell in love so easily with the characters, especially Greta. I saw myself in her which definitely helped me relate to the book more. The writing was really nice and made it super quick to fly through! Was a perfect romance for the summer. Rated 3.5 stars

Sex and the City meets When Harry Meets Sally in this charming, delightful and hilarious romantic comedy by Sandy Barker: The One That I Want.

Greta Davies has the world at her feet. A successful magazine editor with an enviable lifestyle, Greta seems to be living the dream. The only fly in the ointment is that her dating life is a complete and utter disaster. Far from meeting her Mr Right, Greta seems to lurch from one disaster to another in the romance department, but help is at hand thanks to her boss and good friend who secretly enlists the help of the Ever After Agency. Is Greta finally going to meet her knight in shining armour? Or is she being set up for further heartache and disappointment?

Convincing Greta not to turn her back on the dating world soon proves easier said than done, so her boss will need to deploy some very creative thinking. A column about dating in the city seems to be just the thing for Greta to dip her toe back in that world, but with her first few dates being excruciating disappointments, it looks like she is going to give up before she has even started – until it becomes apparent that Greta’s happy ending might have been right under her nose all along!

Sandy Barker’s romantic comedies never fail to make me laugh out loud and have me reaching for the tissues and The One That I Want is another gorgeous treat that I was completely gripped by. An enchanting and enjoyable romance that perfectly balances humour and emotion, cancel your plans, put your feet up and get ready to fall in love with the latest must-read by Sandy Barker: The One That I Want.

Another Ever After Agency win! I have enjoyed every book in this series and look forward to both reading the antics of new and recurring characters.

Greta and Ewan were great. I love a slow burn vs insta love and the fact that they fell in love while building their friendship first. Adorable!! I also love how both Ewan and Greta were building their businesses, so the author could showcase strong, like minded characters who just so happened to be meant to be. Doubly adorable! Thanks for the laughs and the swoons, Sandy Barker!

PS The fact that Ewan looked James McAvoy- yum!!

Thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and the author for the chance to read this book.

This is the 3rd book in Sandy Barker's Ecer After Agemcy series. I enjoyed this just as much as the first two. We get more of Poppy and her happily ever after from the first book and also meet some new characters.

The book centres around Greta, who is a successful career woman who wants love in her life. Her boss is kind but misguided in her attempts to help, and this sets up a whole heap of issues.

There are some very sweet moments throughout the story and some that have you shaking your head knowing the hole that Greta is digging herself. Overall, though, it is an easy and enjoyable read.

In this tropey romcom set in the heart of London, readers follow Greta’s journey for romance -- as set up by her boss. With the launch of a new angle for the women’s magazine she works at, Greta’s boss hires the Ever After dating agency to find love for Greta under the guise of a series of articles for the publication. Stubborn and dedicated to her work, Greta goes along with the scheme to start, but it seems that maybe there’s love in her life, if not from the place she expects. With lots of tropes and chaotic situations to throw obstacles into her path, Greta’s story is charming, heartwarming, and romantic, and she is a fascinating, strong, and stubborn protagonist who’s had some troubles with love in the past. Tropey in the best ways, Barker’s narrative is romantic and joyful with the various hallmarks of the romcom genre, and she populates the novel with characters who are clever, charming, and romantic. With complications and twists and turns on almost every page, Greta’s quest for love with the Ever After Agency -- and perhaps on her own -- is a fun, immersive, and enjoyable read that fans of the genre will definitely enjoy.

Favorite Quotes:

Blimey, if I keep on like this, I’ll get a call from Disney asking for the rights to my life story for their next animated feature. The Thirty-something Princess and the Frogs of London coming to a cinema near you.

I don’t like it when people use the word ‘lost’ to mean someone’s loved one has died. Poor Ian didn’t lose his wife– they weren’t shopping in IKEA. He didn’t misplace her amongst the dinglehoppers and snarfblatts. She passed away.

I will lampoon him so severely, Taylor Swift could mine my article for lyrics.

Dreamboat? Where are you getting these words? Do you have a time machine or something? Are you frequenting the 1960s?


My Review:

This was a fun and cleverly amusing read that is the third in a popular series but I found it to have strong legs and quite capable of standing and dancing on its own. Although, it also has me wanting to track down and read all the previous installments. I enjoy this smooth storyteller’s wry wit and sneaky hits of humor.

Sandy is a go to author for me so I jumped at the chance to be on the blog tour.

Sandy’s books go down like a nice large glass of blush rose - extremely well!

I am a sucker for romance and a romcom. So this was perfect for me.

Being single and having to date in mid thirties can be hardwork but imagine if it’s your boss who tries to set you up via a matchmaker.

This was a really fun enjoyable read and the dating element had me laughing. You never know who you are gonna go on a date with or when you will meet the one….

Greta was an editor at a women’s magazine and this added cool vibes to the book. I also loved the coffee shop setting. I want to visit there! ☕️

The friendship element really drew me in too. The female characters were great and provided friendship goals, which I love reading about in a book.

It wouldn’t be a true Sandy book if there wasn’t a travel destination mentioned. Porto is on my list and the way Sandy describes it is making me want to book a flight straight away.

This is the 3rd book in the series but can be read as a stand alone too. I would read them all though as they are fab.

Thank you for letting me be part of the blog tour.

This is the third book in the "Ever After Agency" series and is told from a dual POV of Poppy, the agency's matchmaker and Greta, the main character in the story who Poppy is working with to find a match.

I enjoyed this book more than the second one in the series but I would rather see the POV of the male lover interest than Poppy's. I don't feel like her POV really adds anything to the storyline.

Greta is an editor at a fashion magazine and has just launched a new online "vertical" and she accidentally let slip to her boss that she hasn't dated or been in a relationship with anyone in a very long time. Even though she's happy with her life, she would like to meet someone and maybe start a family as she's 35 now and doesn't want to leave things too much longer.

Her boss contacts the Ever After Agency and Poppy is assigned the case but without Greta's knowledge - they agree that Poppy will be doing an advice column while Greta will be doing a series about dating and who better to set her up with dates than Poppy! It takes all of about 5 mins for Greta to realise what is going on but she doesn't want to confront her boss about it and agrees to go on the dates that Poppy sets up for her.

To get out of the office, Greta has been spending time working at a new coffee shop around the corner and there she meets Ewan. They strike up a friendship but it's clear that Ewan wants more with Greta but seems to be too afraid to tell her so when he finds out she went on a date with a bunch of guys, he's not particularly happy to start with.

As is usual with these stories - communication would have saved them all a lot of grief! But then we wouldn't have a story to start with. I did think for someone who is content being single, when she was given the file for her "perfect match" she became very obsessed with him and was convinced that this is the man she was going to fall in love with. Overall, a really good story and I highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this!
Book 3 in the Ever After Agency series might be my favorite! This is a loose friends-to-lovers story as we follow Greta, a magazine editor lost on love and Ewan, a new coffee shop owner who is her friend but so clearly wants more. Poppy and the Ever After agency step in to help Greta find love through a series of dating fiascos set against a magazine feature, and we see alot of our previous characters pop up for bits of reprieve. The dual POV switches between Poppy and Greta and as usual, is witty and full of banter.
I thought this was SO cute. Its got some great dialogue, the meet-cute between Greta/Ewan is adorable, and their romance has a great timeline: it never once feels forced or badly paced. I love watching the interworkings of the Ever After Agency and I thought the 'business' side was done really well (in my opinion better than Book 2). I also really liked the magazine: showing women in leading careers is one of Sandy Barker's strengths, and I think here it really shined.
Is this the deepest book ever? No, but I like it because of that. It was a sweet and enjoyable, very PG-13 read.

really enjoyed Sandy’s previous books, The Christmas Swap, The Christmas Trip and Shout Out to my Ex.

The One That I Want was a book that I was looking forward to. I liked the idea of the women’s magazine, and the start of the novel drew me in.However, I quickly got irritated with Greta and how she repeated the origin of her names. I didn’t identify with her or the other characters and they and the plot felt flat and underdeveloped.

I wanted more about her personal life and dates and less about her work issues. I didn’t feel like the magazine itself was visual or iconic enough. Everything could have been more fun and it wasn’t romantic enough.

Sadly, The One That I Want was a DNF for me. I hope I enjoy Sandy's next book more.

Thanks to Sandy Barker and Boldwood Books for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

2 stars

📚BOOK REVIEW 📚

The One that I Want - Sandy Barker

I absolutely adore the Ever After Agency Series. It's such fun reading and the perfect escapism.

I enjoyed Match Me If You Can and Shout Out to my Ex, but I think The One that I want might just be my favourite. Greta and Euan are so cute!

Greta's boss hires Poppy from the Ever After dating agency to help as a matchmaker for Greta. She loves her colleague and wants her to find love. Under the guise of writing articles for a work assignment so as not raise suspicion, Greta finds herself going on a lot of dates to write a column for the magazine.

Each date is more disastrous than the last but makes some very entertaining reading for the reader. Whilst all this is going on she relies on her beloved coffee where she meets Euan. They strike up a great friendship and she doesn't see the the signs that maybe they could be more. But she enjoys his company and looks forward to meeting him. I loved Euan!

There is drama and hilarious antics galore in this story. And throughout it all she has her best friend Tiggy on hand with one liners and providing her with advice. It's a great character driven story. This series is so much fun. I love it. I would recommend reading them in order as the characters do pop up again especially the loveable Aussie, Poppy.

Thank you @netgalley and @theboldbookclub
For an early advanced copy. You can now get this book on KU as well as the rest of the series.

#everafteragency #sandybarker #romanticcomedy #fun #loving #dramatic #characterdriven #dates #coffee #gretaandeuan

I have loved the other books in this series by the wonderful Sandy Barker and this was no different. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a laugh out loud romance with strong female protagonists. I love the will they won’t they trope and this pitches it perfectly to create a wonderful story to escape into. I can guarantee most readers will relate to Greta’s ‘romance struggles’ and will love following along with her while she finds out if her true love exists. I am eagerly awaiting a new book in this series and if you read them, I promise you will be too.

The One That I Want
By: Sandy Barker
Review Score: 4 Stars

Boogie’s Bulletpoints
•I loved jumping back in with the Ever After Agency.

•It was so fun to follow along on Greta’s dates, they were hilarious!

•I love that there was a bit of mystery in this book as well.

•No spoilers, but there is a well placed plot twist that I did not expect AT ALL.

—————————————————————————————————————————————

The One That I Want was kindly provided as an ARC by NetGalley and Boldwood Books. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book!

It was so much fun to step back into the Ever After Agency as they work to find Greta her perfect match. I loved Greta as a character, it was fun to hear about her work and her dates as the story develops.

I always love sequels that cover adjacent characters in a story, and this one hits that mark perfectly!

No spoilers, but there is also a perfect executed plot twist that I DID not see coming at all. It was so well done!

If you’re looking for a fun rom com, check this book out!

This sounded like a good story to me but unfortunately it failed to deliver.

I found it quite boring and found the switching of POV between Greta and Poppy quite jarring and an unusual way to tell a story, especially in first person.

I couldn't take to any of the characters which meant I had little interest in the book itself. Ended up skim reading until the end.

This book is such a heartwarming rom-com !

I thought the main characters were super lovable, and the chemistry between them was just great. It’s fun and lighthearted, the kind of story that just makes you smile.

Greta, the FMC, is really relatable—I especially liked that she works in a women's magazine. I loved that about the story because I’m all about powerful women !
The MMC is a total sweetheart, and their relationship felt so good to read about.

The side characters are also well written; I really enjoyed reading about them, too. The new characters in this book makes the series even better, with strong female characters and great friendships.

This is the third book in The Ever After Agency series, and honestly, it’s just as good as the first two (Match Me If You Can and Shout Out To My Ex). You can totally read it as a standalone, but if you like this kind of story, I highly recommend reading the entire series. It’s just so much better because you get to see Poppy again, and who doesn’t love Poppy?

Overall, this is a really fun rom-com with an intriguing media setting, themes of honesty and self-confidence, and plenty of positivity. I’m giving this 4.5 stars and would recommend the series as a whole !

Thank you NetGalley Boldwood Books and Sandy Barker for the ARC of The One That I Want.