I am having trouble reviewing this book because I hate the main character. This is a book about a cheater. She makes a conscious decision to cheat and chooses to carry on the affair for months. I felt bad for the emotional issues she developed because of the affair but her pain was self-inflicted so I found myself feeling like it was well deserved. In the end, I wondered why the man she married would ever trust her since he knows her history.

I like that Louise has a large friend group and a good job. I like that her friends were honest with her telling her that what she was doing was wrong. I even understood why the friend group seemed to accept the affair. Dan is a married man with children. He is also a cheating scumbag. He earned all of the pain he created with his cheating. There is nothing that I like about him.

I didn’t like this story because of the content. I think the author managed to write a story that evokes emotion. I think there will be readers that like this story and enjoy the writing. I don’t know if I’ll read more from this author in the future.

I have to be honest that this wasn’t really my cup of tea.
It was well written and I loved the nostalgia of the time period - this was my era! I was dating in the early noughties so loved the music/ pop culture references.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy to review.

I Didn't See That Coming by Sarah Whitton

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Cranthorpe Millner and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

I realised I’d made an even bigger mistake.

I’d made the wrong choice…

It’s her third wedding of the year, and 33-year-old Louise is tired of living vicariously through other people. She just wants to meet a man she connects with; someone who puts her first. But all her relationships seem doomed to fail from the beginning.

Father-of-two Dan is no exception. Sure, he’s funny, sexy, charming… but he’s married. Louise doesn’t want to be a homewrecker; she wants someone who can commit to her and their relationship. But she has always fallen hard and fast, and Dan… he feels like the one.

As Dan continues to shower her with affection, Louise becomes convinced that he is her only shot at true happiness. But her friends are not so sure – especially handsome best friend Flint, who has always been Louise’s shoulder to cry on – and with their support, Louise slowly begins to realise that love doesn’t need to be new and exciting to be real.

My Opinion

I Didn't See That Coming isn't a book I would normally have chosen to read, but I had seen some good things about it and thought I would give it a go. This is not a light, easy read but Sarah Whitton has written a delicate novel about being the other woman. Louise hasn't had the best luck when it comes to relationships and when she meets Dan she thinks that he deserves a chance - even if he is married.

Sarah has written this book in such a way that you will feel Louise's emotions. If you are looking for something out of your comfort zone then look no further, I Didn't See That Coming might just take you by surprise. I read this over two sittings, but even when I wasn't reading I felt like the story was still with me.

Rating 4/5

Oooh where to start with this book? First things first, the title and the cover I feel don’t match what this book is about. Louise and Dan were both the most unlikeable characters both individually and together. Louise and her friends acted more like 18 year olds than 30+ year olds. Although the ending wasn’t bad, I was just ready for the story to end. Most of the book is them going back and forth and felt drawn out. She definitely should have seen that coming. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Sarah Whitton's writing style in I Didn't See That Coming. The characters were flawed everyday individuals with beautiful friendship. The main character, Louise, has a lost sense of self and makes poor decisions but we are guided through her self discovery. I couldn't help my own feeling of cheering her on to get out of the situation she got herself into. This was tough to read being complete opposites from the main character. I felt a little like if I were in a room with Louise and her friends, I would very much be the black sheep. However, Sarah Whitton's writing style and focus on flawed characters made this a good read.

Thank you NetGalley and Cranthorpe Millner for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was really looking forward to reading this book from Sarah Whitton as it is my first from the author and the cover is just to die for. I was actually suprised at the tone in which this book was written, at a first glance it seems to be a hopeful lighthearted book about a women trying to find
"the one" but I was not expecting the heaviness and reality of some of the topics it covered (i.e. unhealthy relationships, infidelity, etc.). Given Louise's lack of luck in the love department, she seemingly couldnt let go of Dan, or at least the idea of him, despite him being, at least to me, unlikeable. What really made this book stand out was the support she had from her friends.

While this book took on a totally different tone to what I am normally used to I think it is insightful and relateable and for that I can certainly appreciate it.

I started this debut from Sarah Whitton before I went on holiday and it was a good companion as I finished reading it under the hot Floridian sun.

I know Sarah from social media and have followed her publishing journey with interest so I was delighted to receive an arc via NetGalley.

It’s an unusual premise compared to many books, as the MFC Louise starts an affair with a married man called Dan, so you see the affair from her side. The waiting around to be fitted into his life, the furtive phone calls etc. Sarah writes a wrong’un very well and the reader along with Louise’s fantastic bunch of friends see Dan in a different light to Louise. Will Louise get her happy ever after this time? 🤔

I particularly enjoyed all the musical references, and Louise’s eclectic group of friends, especially Flint and their wild nights out and in! I also liked that Louise was a flawed character and was much better at sorting out other people’s problems than her own.

I was happy with the ending of the book and I feel Sarah captured the headiness of embarking on a new relationship - even if your new partner is married to someone else!

Sarah’s debut novel I Didn’t See That Coming is published on 20th August by Cranthorpe Millner. Definitely one to pack in your suitcase. Can’t wait to see what Sarah has planned for Book 2!

"I Didn't See It Coming" is a poignant story about the tumultuous relationship between a single Louise and a very married Dan.  The novel provides a unique look at the experience of being the 'other woman.'

Throughout the story, I found myself deeply invested in Louise’s journey, wanting to comfort her while also feeling a strong urge to shake some sense into her so that she could leave Dan and their toxic relationship behind.  My heart broke for her as she would pick up the pieces of her heart and hang onto the scant affection that Dan could offer.

Louise’s friends, especially Heidi and Flint, provided a support system that was both admirable and relatable.  The book also addresses mental health and the stigma surrounding therapy, which adds depth to the narrative.

This book is also about how you can't always choose who you fall in love with; the significance of time and space for personal healing and growth; and the necessity of self-acceptance and self-love before seeking validation from others.

TW: Infidelity, Toxic Relationship, Alcoholism, Mental Health Struggles

Favorite Quotes:
ᥫ᭡ "What I'm trying to say is, you'll meet someone else, and this bloke will be your naughty boy. We all have them, but we must forget them. There's not a happy life with a naughty boy.  And remember, he'll always be a cheater.  He started you and him off being a cheater.  And I promise, that will eat you up."

ᥫ᭡ "When you see him, you tell him this: "You can't have me now, but in another life, you can have the whole of me, for your whole life."

ᥫ᭡ "..we're always the best version of ourselves when we're loved by someone, especially someone we want to love us."

Thank you NetGalley and Cranthorpe Millner for the electronic advanced reader's copy.

this was interesting! it's not usually my vibe but i enjoyed the characters. the writing was well done and i think i'll be adding it to my collection

3.5 ⭐️ - Warning: This is not a light/happy romance (although it does have its moments). It’s also definitely not an easy topic to digest however, Sarah Whitton wrote it beautifully!

I started off not loving the FMC but once the book dove further into the web the MMC was spinning, I really started to feel for Louise. Dan was a giant walking red flag, that for some reason, Louise couldn’t get enough of. I suppose after years of having horrible luck in love, she truly believed she had met the man for her (with some inconvenient extras) & just couldn’t let it go.

That being said, there were many moments throughout this book where I found myself frustrated with the FMC for not being able to walk away. Louise’s friends though - 10/10. She may have felt she was lacking in the romance department, but she was thriving in terms of friendship. I loved this group & how much they loved one another.

I did feel like eventually, the plot just started going in circles and lost interest ~3/4 of the way through. The ending though(!!!!), sucked me right back in & I was so excited about the direction things ended up going.

This is a rollercoaster of a book that covers some heavy topics (infidelity, toxic relationships, mental health struggles) and I would not recommend if you find any of those topics to be triggering. However, for the rest of you - if you’re looking for a romance book that’s a bit different than your usual reads, highly recommend checking this new release out on 8/20/2024!

Thank you NetGalley & Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for this ARC

Found this hard to connect to and read. The main character was whiny and annoying and I didn’t very much enjoy reading from “the other woman” pov. However if you want a book set in early 2000s you might enjoy it if you can handle an unlikable fmc.

I think this one will divide opinion as people automatically hate a married man and a woman so in love. However, I found this to be accurate, relevant and quite moving.

I was rooting for Louise from the off, although there were many times I wanted to scream at her to not pick up the phone, answer the call or go and see Dan. As a 34 yr old woman myself who deems herself unlucky in love, I found Louise relatable and a bit frantic which is something I can definitely understand!

A well paced novel, although I admit I'm intrigued why it was set so many years ago and not more modern day.

I did find the ending too abrupt and after two years being shown, the ending fell a bit short for me like a quick wrap up.

Overall though, an interesting read and I look forward to seeing more from this author.

“I Didn’t See That Coming” by Sarah Whitton was a very emotional read, to say the least. It made me feel a lot of emotions of anger, sadness, and annoyance for the majority of the time. The main characters in this book were extremely frustrating, I wanted to grab Louise, shake her, and scream “what are you doing!!” The book made me feel these real emotions which unfortunately, I have related to in the past.
I didn’t mind the toxic affair trope, though there was a lot of unnecessary back and forth in the book, I felt like I was waiting for a good while for something different or interesting to happen.

A few things I noted while reading:
The timeline of the book is spread out through a few years, though the dates were a little confusing to keep track of throughout the story.
The spicy scenes were somewhat bland, I wanted a little more.
All of the characters were a key part of this book. They were well written and incorporated beautifully into the story.
I absolutely loved the abrupt ending, I truly didn’t see that coming! But it was perfect and definitely a sigh of relief for the main character Louise.

I found this book to be very engaging and emotional, I did enjoy it and would give it 3.5 stars. Thank you for this advanced reader copy.

I am so excited to be reading this book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and was optimistic about it, despite the fact that it isn’t something I’d usually go for.

Unfortunately, the toxic married-man trope just did not work for me… at all. While I can empathize with how desperately Louise wanted a relationship, I found it hard to root for any of the decisions she was making and I ultimately couldn’t push through.

If this is your thing, you’ll probably be into it. Just not for me and I should’ve anticipated that. Woof.

I tried. I got to 50% hoping Dan wouldn’t be such a controlling narcissist or maybe Louise would quite being selfish and wake up to the brainwashing when her own job deals with the same situations. I was waiting for Flint to knock some sense into her but he just encouraged her if that’s what made her happy. Not worth finishing for me. Thank you to NetGalley for this free advanced copy. I’m leaving this honest review voluntarily

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and I was excited for it.

Unfortunately it fell flat for me. The main character falls in love with a married man and it just goes downhill from there.

I am not exaggerating when I tell you that 79% of the book is her in love with said married man, sad and moping about him, arguing with her friends about him and being more off than on with him. I felt for her, but honestly if she was my friend IRL I would have been so tired of hearing about this man she can never be with after 2 years.

The book is called “I didn’t see that coming” and it’s like girl how did you not??? And then she finds real love in the last 20% of the book and it’s fine but they made it so boring.

thank you to NetGalley and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for this advanced copy.

What a read! As other reviewers have said before me, it is new to read a book from the perspective of The Other Woman. There is so many sides to this story that make you think - about how you can't always choose who you fall in love with, about you can make the choice to choose or not choose them, about how we're all just a little lost trying to find our way sometimes.

The author did a great job at writing all of these points into the story, the book grips you from the very beginning. The end was very satisfying to me, but I'll leave more details on that out of this review so as not to spoil!

I did think there were some overlaps storywise with other stories, most notably Sex and the City. Then again, if I didn't rewatch that recently which brought the details still fresh in my mind, I don't think I would have noticed.

Thanks for the ARC!

I found this book quite refreshing with a toxic relationship that is handled as such and the 00s setting. I enjoyed Louise and her character arc, the author truly managed to make her sympathetic to the reader despite being a home-wrecker. Would recommend

Overall this book was nothing I saw coming in terms of storyline. The book however was really well written and the characters were really well developed as well as their personalities. The character of Louise sometimes really did annoy me and I definitely wanted to scream sometimes. This book was not my typical read but the writing was really good. This book really does show you the importance of loving yourself first and self worth. I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read the ARC for this book before it comes out.