2.5 ⭐

Not enough romance at alllll and too many POVs from previous books' characters 😔 I skipped a lot of paragraphs and pages because it was all about other people and barely about the main characters 🫥

(Posted on Goodreads)

Book Review: Someone Like You by Sandy Barker

Sandy Barker delivers another delightful instalment in her Ever After Agency series with Someone Like You, a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy full of heart, hilarious moments, and the sweet tension of unspoken feelings.

The premise is wonderfully relatable and perfect for fans of the will-they-won't-they trope. Gaby has been best friends with Raff for years, knowing him inside and out. But when Raff’s career as Britain’s Best Baker brings him newfound fame and an onslaught of disastrous relationships, he turns to the Ever After Agency to help him find true love. Gaby, ever the supportive friend, wholeheartedly agrees to help him find his perfect match, but she doesn’t expect the deep-seated jealousy and longing that starts to surface as Raff’s romantic life takes shape.

What unfolds is a beautifully crafted story of friendship, love, and self-discovery. Gaby’s internal struggle is palpable—she’s caught between wanting to help Raff find love and the overwhelming fear of ruining their friendship. The moments of jealousy and vulnerability she experiences are both funny and deeply touching, making readers root for her every step of the way. Meanwhile, Raff’s charming and somewhat clueless nature makes him the perfect swoon-worthy hero. As the two of them navigate their emotions, you can’t help but wonder if they’ll ever take that leap from friendship to something more.

Barker’s writing is filled with sharp wit and tender moments, and her characters are wonderfully endearing. The settings of London and Seattle add to the charm, providing the perfect backdrop for the unfolding romance. What’s more, the festive, feel-good atmosphere of the book makes it the ideal read for those who enjoy a lighthearted, romantic escape.

Fans of authors like Emily Henry, Mhairi McFarlane, and Lindsey Kelk will find Someone Like You to be an absolute treat. With its smart banter, swoony hero, and a heroine who is both relatable and lovable, this book is the perfect mix of romance, friendship, and heartwarming moments.

Rating: 4.5/5
Someone Like You is a sweet, funny, and utterly charming read that will leave you with a big smile on your face and a warm feeling in your heart. Sandy Barker has once again delivered a romcom that fans of the genre will devour.

I loved this story. I really was rooting for the main characters from the beginning and everything just fell in to place so beautifully with the story. It felt like exactly the kind of read I needed at the time and I have read all the others in the series and loved those too!

In this fun new romance novel and the latest in Sandy Barker’s rom-com series, readers follow Gaby and Raff following Raff’s new celebrity as the best baker in Britain when Gaby and their other friends decide that Raff needs the Ever After Agency to find true love (rather than another disastrous relationship). Gaby is at first totally supportive and works with the Agency to help, but her feelings for Raff are only growing -- and coincide when he falls for one of his matches -- so she must decide if she wants to risk her heart and their friendship for the chance at a happy ending. With a host of brilliant characters and beautiful locations in London and Seattle, readers will love the latest book in this fantastic series for the new stakes, multiple narrators, and rom-com tropes of the genre. The characters are the star of the novel, and the growing relationship between Gaby and Raff will keep readers hooked with a good old-fashioned unrequited friends-to-lovers plotline. The emotional heart of this novel is absolutely fantastic, and Barker is great at making readers emotionally connect with each of her novels and the romance storylines in each, and this book is no exception.

I have enjoyed this series a lot, especially having a few chapters with Poppy’s point of view (the matchmaker from book 1)! I’m always grateful for the decision I made to start with book 1 - this series is so much better reading from the beginning, because the whole thing will make a lot more sense whenever Poppy appears!

Gaby and Raff are BFFs. He’s just won a baking competition show, and she somehow agreed to help find him a girlfriend… even though she’s been in love with him forever. Also somehow, Poppy and the Ever After Agency winds up being secretly recruited, and working behind the scenes to get girls in Raff’s path (so he doesn’t know he’s being set up) - much to Gaby’s terror. What has she done?!

Best friends to lovers, secret/unrequited crushes, famous reality tv stars… a lot of fantastic tropes, Barker’s usual romcom brilliance, and we have ourselves another winner! Definitely a great series and book to pick up when you need a great comedic romantic break.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the early copy. This is my honest feedback.

When the most exciting and rewarding day of Raff's life turns into the day his girlfriend leaves him (and his reaction is broadcast on live television) his best friend and colleague Gaby is there to offer support. 3 months later when the show finally aired and Raff is still crushed by the break up their mutual friend offers an opportunity; her matchmaking agency will find him his perfect match.
In true rom-com fashion this leads to shenanigans.
I light and fun read about two friends and colleagues who must overcome obstacles to find their happiness.

As usual, another Ever After Agency hit from Sandy Barker! Right off the bat, I loved Raff and Gaby. Besties through thick and thin, plus a celebrity baking competition to boot! I also adored the many appearances of Poppy and Tristan, plus the other matchmakers including Freya.

I also didn't realize this took place at Christmas as I started reading this in December. What a fun twist with Raff coming home to Seattle for Christmas with Gaby and her family. So fun!! While Poppy and Tristan will always be my OG faves, each couple in the Ever After series has a piece of my heart (and my laughter!).

Words can't express how much I am loving this series from Sandy Barker. And this is yet another fabulous addition to it.

While still featuring Poppy as our main matchmaker, and being able to catch up with everyone else at the agency, this is the story of Raff's match.

Raff who has just won a TV Baking competition is best friends with matchmaker Freya, and Gaby, and is unlucky in love.

He sort of agrees to let himself be matched so long as he doesn't have to go on dates.

So Freya and Gaby between them with Poppy start putting potential women in his path.

Just one teeny tiny thing, one of the best friends appears to have caught feelings for Raff, but has to stay quiet.

I really loved Raff and Gaby, and seeing their dynamics.

And once the action moved to Seattle for Christmas, this book steps up another gear. There is romance, entertaining family dramas, festive fun and a whole lot more. It's just what you want in a Christmassy book and more.

A pure delight to read, I was loving every single word of this.

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

I thoroughly enjoyed this author's style; very much feel like you get to know everything about the characters and even the unlikeable ones, you can empathise with! Part of a series, you don't have to read the others but they're nicely intertwined so it's well worth reading the others. Given four stars as Raff seemed oblivious at times as to what was in front of him which made the book longer than it needed to be, but still enjoyable & a great comfort read. Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy

3.5 stars rounding up

I really do enjoy this series and was happy to pick up the next installment to read. This could also work as a standalone if you haven't read the rest in the series.
The second half of the book was better when the setting was changed as it picked up pace. I enjoyed the friends to lovers troupe, but wished that we had a few chapters from the pov of Raff.

Overall this was an enjoyable read 😊

Someone like You is the fourth book in the Ever After Agency series and it was so amazing. Almost has good as the first one Match Me If You Can (I'm a s*cker for Poppy and Tristan love story so sorry, not sorry).

Once again we get to meet Poppy but this time we also get to meet her co-worker Freya a little bit more since she is the best friend to both the MCs in this book and is the one that enlist Raff to the agency but only under one condition, NO DATES.

The no dates part made the book even better and I was curious how Poppy and her co-workers would handle this case because that must be hard when you are working at an dating agency.

The MCs are easy to fall for and the story as well as their background stories were well written (didn't expect nothing less from this author). And can we just take a minute to talk about the title of this book or better yet of all her other books? I'm so in love with them because they are really catchy, easy to remember and some makes me wanna sing 🫣.

If you wanna read a cozy, funny, romantic book that takes place in both London and Seattle during winter then this one is for you especially if you have read the others in this amazing series.

Now I can't wait to see what happens next because I'm ready for book 5 right this instant (too bad it is released first on April 1 but I forgive you due to the title of the book and the excerpt I've read 😉).

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It's was a really wonderful book!

What a delightful book! It is heartwarming and I love the swoony vibes from Raff! The book is full of great characters, laugher & complex feelings that just become more complex. Both Gaby and Raff could not be more opposite of each other. They have a very strong friendship both at work and outside. It is this friendship that complicates everything as Gaby realizes she might feel more for Raff than she thought.

The Ever After Agency series is such a charming series. Even though the book is part of a series, it remains a standalone and by far my favorite in the series! I adore the characters and what happens in this book. It is a fun, entertaining and great addition to the series.

Absolutely brilliant book!
I am a big fan of this author and love the writing style!
I cant wait to read more!

Really lovely & sweet rom com. Best friends to lovers, one bed, Christmas wedding (not theirs!) and contrasting families.

Such an adorable story, I'm so glad I got the chance to read it early.

It was lovely to get an update on Poppy and Tristan from Match Me If You Can, too!

I love rom-coms and I really liked this one. It was funny, cozy and the characters were so real. It kind of reminded me of Sarah Adams Rom-Coms.

🌟 Rating: 3.5/5

This is a light, breezy friends-to-lovers story that had its sweet moments but didn’t completely land for me. The premise is fun—Gaby and Raff, inseparable best friends, navigate Raff’s love life with the help of a matchmaking service, only for Gaby to realize she might not be as ready to see him with someone else as she thought. It’s a classic setup for romantic tension, with plenty of potential for laughs and heartfelt moments.

Gaby and Raff’s friendship is the heart of the story, and it’s easy to see why they’re so close. Their banter feels natural, and there’s a warmth between them that makes you want to root for their happily ever after. Raff, especially, is charming, with his mix of baking fame and relationship mishaps. And while Gaby’s jealousy felt a little predictable, it’s also relatable—it’s tough watching someone you love fall for someone else.

Where the story fell short for me was the pacing. It took a long time for Gaby and Raff’s relationship to develop, and when it finally did, the payoff felt rushed. Some of the secondary characters, like the women Raff dates, were fun but underdeveloped, which made their storylines feel more like distractions than meaningful additions.

That said, the book still has plenty of charm, especially for fans of sweet, slow-building romances with a dash of reality TV-style drama. The baking competition and matchmaking agency add a playful twist that keeps things interesting.

If you’re looking for a cozy read with a friends-to-lovers trope and some lighthearted humor, Someone Like You is worth a try. It’s not groundbreaking, but it has enough warmth and charm to make for an enjoyable escape.

I enjoy this series so much and cannot wait for the next installment. Someone Like You took us a little more outside of the agency and into America for a fun treat.

Someone Like You by Sandy Barker is a delightful journey that beautifully captures the essence of love, family and friendship. Set across stunning London and Seattle, the story follows Gaby and Raff as they navigate the complexities of romance and personal growth.

Gaby and Raff are best friends but with the disastrous relationships of Raff, he is enlisted in the Ever After Agency to help him find love. Gaby initially supports Raff, but is struck with jealousy when he falls for one of his dates. She must keep her emotions under control to find Raff's feelings.
This matchmaking turns out worse for her.

Both Gaby and Raff are relatable protagonists whose quest for self-fulfillment resonates deeply. Raff's charm and depth with Gaby's helping attitude adds an intriguing layer to their developing relationship. Barker excels in crafting multi-dimensional characters that readers can root for.

Sandy Barker's writing is engaging and vivid, creating a nice matchmaking experience while delving into the emotional landscapes of her characters. Her ability to balance humor and heartache keeps the story both light and impactful. I liked Poppy's POV but wanted more towards the end and also of Raff.

The book explores themes of self-discovery, the importance of taking risks, and the transformative power of love. Also, to all the readers who love a protagonist who is baker, this is for you. It was funny, delightful, witty and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Someone Like You is a must-read for fans of romantic comedies. Barker has penned a story that is as heartwarming as it is inspiring, making it perfect for anyone looking to escape into a world of romance and exploration with a tinge of family drama.

such a lovely light read, with a friends to lovers done right, I really felt for Gaby as that feeling of unrequited love is so horrible. I was really rooting for both of them and hoping for their happy ever after!