The plot of this book sounded really cute, but was poorly executed. I would’ve had an easier time believing they were teens rather than in their 30s. Angie is the best character in the entire story. I barely feel like I know MMC, and Martin doesn’t know how to romance his own wife??? please. I would’ve DNFed if this wasn’t an arc, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt.

Thank you one more chaperone for the arc

I don’t know how to rate this, the first 30-40 ish percentage did not even have romance in it, it was more like setting the plot and the story but to me the characters were not really a couple, it felt more like they are friends, and this feeling stayed with me until the end of the book
It is fats paced and it’s easy to read but im kinda bummed

It took me a while to get into this one and although well written the romance angle wasn’t quite enough for me. The characters were brilliantly brought to life and engaging but I would have liked the relationship between will and Allie to have had more air time. They are such brilliant characters and their relationship had so much potential but it was all a bit too easy. All in all it was a good read but fell slightly short of my expectations.

not sure what i read. it didn’t feel like a romance book at all. they barely interacted and it felt like there wasn’t any plot. it was a bit tough to read unfortunately. i felt like we didn’t really get to know who will was.

thanks netgalley for the advanced copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper UK for the e-arc!

Unfortunately, this book just didn't hit for me. I got about 40% in and it just felt like it was trying to be Beach Read but funny. I think the premise is really cute but since I've already read Beach Read, which is pretty dang similar, it just felt unoriginal. It's also less romancey and more like a litfic/contemporary in my opinion. I didn't really get that classic romance novel vibe from it, which is critical.

I wouldn't write this book off entirely, I'm sure it will resonate with its target audience! I am just not that audience, unfortunately. I did end up DNFing this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of The Plot Twist in exchange for an honest review.

I was attracted to the cover on this one and giving the tag line, “their love story is a work in progress”. I thought I was getting into a romcom, but unfortunately for me, this was a miss in the romance department, and mismatched to those expectations.

Allie is our main protagonist, a romance writer who is struggling with writer’s block. There is a lot about that throughout the book and the stresses of not having a manuscript ready.

She sets out to find some “inspiration”, which happens between her love interest, Will, and her new writing partner, Martin, who finds himself in a similar writing block situation.

I appreciated the scenes with Martin and the writing banter between them. I wish there was more of that.

The story gets a little thrown off with a side conflict with Allie’s editor and another dude at the publishing house that she doesn’t like. I could have done without that story in exchange for more interactions with Will.

I’m not categorizing this one as romance because there was little of that. Will, has only a handful of scenes and their first intimate action happens off page! There was little chemistry with him and all we really know about him is that “he’s hot” and has a forearm tattoo.

The main conflict falls into the miscommunication troupe, which is my least favorite because it frustrates me so much! I struggled with Allie’s decisions.

Overall, this ended up slower for me because I was expecting romance and a reason to turn the pages, and this lacked the focus on that part, in my opinion.

If you like books with zero spice and relate to writing woes, this might work for you, but I wouldn’t recommend if you’re seeking a traditional romance novel. This is more so contemporary or chick lit.

3.8- 4 ⭐️, It was kinda a little slow paced for a short book.
Did take me a few days to get into it but I flew through the last 25%. There was a lot going on at once, kinda confusing at times, the fmc was pretty immature so that was off putting, found it hard to connect with Allie.
I also would’ve preferred more interaction with the two mc’s but there was a lot going on so I felt that area could’ve had more. Developed them more together would’ve been nice. It was nice like she had the good relationship with the other author but I would’ve loved if maybe another 3/4 chapters to just focus on building the relationship with the mc’s.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

ARC review: thank you to Eleanor Goymer, NetGalley, and Harper Collin’s for the copy. Generally I enjoyed this book. Overall, the plot was decent, I loved the characters, and the relationship between Martin and Allie. My biggest complaint is that the writing was a little hard to get into, it took me until around 20% into the book to really WANT to keep reading. Also just personal preference, but I like contemporary romances to be in 1st person rather than 3rd, but if you prefer a 3rd person narrator, you’ll probably like this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Allie is a writer who has recently published another novel but is having some writer’s block. Afraid she has lost her magic with romance novels (due to her unfulfilling love life) she partners up with Martin who is also having writer’s block in order to get some spark back. Allie soon starts to get inspiration from Will (a waiter at one of the events she was at) and there’s some trouble ahead which won’t be spoiled.
I think overall the novel was fine, I just wish we had more time with Allie and Will to build their relationship, I feel like some of the problems Allie and Will had were very meh. I just wish there had been a deeper connection with them. This novel wasn’t bad, but I wasn’t really reaching for it either.

I thought this was a fun, uplifting book that was enjoyable and easy to read. This one was a bit predictable but the story was lovely.

Really been enjoying this one.
Wasn't the biggest fan of how Allie & Will first started their romantic fling (had hoped the first kiss would have had a bigger impact) and the constant sexual yearning for a man she just met, compared to how the rest of the story felt, wasn't for me, so I'm docking a star for that, but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The plot twist was so heartwarming and feel good. I fell in love with the main characters and found myself feeling so sad when this book was over.
Thank you to netgalley for the e-arc .

This is a great romance if you've got an older teenager who needs a little bit more maturity but isn't quite ready for the intense spice of a complete adult romance. Dominic was really pissing me off, ugh. Really could've done without his character coming in during the final act, but that's fine. I liked the ending.

The Plot Twist follows Allie - a best selling romance author who we meet in the midst of a writing slump. The novel follows her as she finds her passion again - in more ways than one, through friendship, love and her writing.

The premise of this one was really promising, but the execution fell shy of my expectations.

The first issue that I had was that i felt that this book was almost doing too much - the amount of different storylines that are explored in such a short amount of pages results in a weak narrative and elements that feel performative. At the end of the novel -which is primarily a romance novel - I remained with little to know knowledge about the male romantic lead, he still felt like a shell and lacked any real depth. I think this issue continues throughout the book as a lot of the characters feel underdeveloped and lack any real depth. Allie (our FMC) is very short-sighted and feels immature with repeated dialogue about how her belief in true love died a long time ago yet this is never relfected within her inner monologue clearly in a way that is shown to the reader, Martin is reflective of a teenage boy with no emotional self-reflection.

Another issue i had was the pacing of the book, much of it felt like snippets, and half scenes, before jumping to the following day- making it difficult to emotionally connect to the characters or the plot - and ultimately i wasn't rooting for anybody or anything in this book - apart from myself getting to the end of it.

This book ultimately felt like it was lecturing to me a lot, telling me key things rather than showing me and leading me as a reader to form a conclusion or to make my own discovery. There was a lot of messaging and commentary on sexism and the patriarchy spread throughout - which I would find no issue with - and honestly the comments I agree with, but they felt almost forced upon me as a reader as they cropped up in times where it didn't sit naturally within the text, or wasn't even fully a product of the story. The core example of this that stands out is when our FMC asks one of her friends if she is pregnant - in which the response is for the friend to enter into a rant about the patriarchy and how men are never asked this question - the rant here felt unnecessary and inauthentic to what was happening. Ultimately a lot of this felt as though it was there just to drive home a message - that would have been more effectively shown through character action and plot rather than dialogue.

Eleanor Goymer’s The Plot Twist is a heartwarming and clever romcom that deftly blends themes of love, friendship, and second chances. Fans of contemporary romance and authors like Emily Henry will enjoy this delightful tale of two writers navigating writer’s block and life’s complications.

Ali Edwards, a romcom author plagued by writer's block, meets fellow bestseller Martin Clark, who is also struggling to create. Their solution? To write about each other’s lives in hopes of breaking through their creative roadblocks. This unique premise not only draws readers in but also provides a canvas for a touching exploration of human connection and growth.

The heart of the story lies in Ali and Martin’s relationship, which evolves into a heartwarming father-daughter dynamic. Their bond, along with Martin’s supportive and vibrant wife, creates a sense of found family that enriches the narrative. Ali’s journey is further complemented by her romance with Will, a charming events caterer who adds a dash of swoon-worthy sweetness to the plot.

While Ali and Will’s relationship brings romantic energy, it occasionally feels underdeveloped amidst the book’s many subplots. However, this is a minor quibble in an otherwise engaging story. The characters are fresh and unique, standing out in a genre often crowded with familiar archetypes.

Goymer’s writing is both warm and witty, capturing the charm of its characters and the emotional depth of their journeys. The Plot Twist strikes a perfect balance between heartfelt moments and light-hearted humour, making it a thoroughly enjoyable read.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

i really enjoyed this book. i thought it was a quick and easy read and it was a unique plot (which i find is rare now!). the book was in third person and i feel like it may have felt more personal if it was in first so that we could really find out how allie was feeling and then potentially had the perspective of will as i feel like his character wasn't explored as much as it should have been (i love him so i just wish we had more from him). but i liked how the book wasn't just focused on the romance and there were a few little storylines as i never felt bored and i managed to read it all in one day. quite early on i had guessed the little plot twist about how two of the storylines connected but i still thought it was a fun twist and, again, made the book more interesting. i would definitely recommend the book and i look forward to reading more books from this author.

I received a free copy of, The Plot Twist, by Eleanor Goymer, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Allie and Martin are both authors who have no idea what to write about, so they decide to switch plots, Allie will write a crime novel, while Martin writes a romance novel. This was a nice story. good characters and plot.

The plot twist is the perfect quick and fun romcom read. The writing style is engaging making it easy to binge. The setting of this book is perfect, and I really liked the supportive relationship between Allie and Martin. While the story is somewhat predictable, it remains entertaining in a satisfying way. It also tackles more serious themes like feminism and workplace dynamics, which are both interesting and relevant.

However, the fmc was a bit annoying at times because she kept many secrets and struggled with communication. All in all, this book included too much miscommunication which made me dislike the fmc. There are two main plot lines in this book and I had the impression that they didn't always work well together. By the end of the book, I felt like I still didn't know much about the male love interest, which was frustrating given his importance to the story

Overall, the plot twist is an enjoyable romcom, especially for readers interested in stories about finding true love and the publishing industry.

Thank you netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Allie Edwards is a successful romance author with six best sellers under her belt. At book launches she always credits her boyfriend Dominic as her inspiration, but in reality her romances are all about what Allie wishes Dom would do. But Now Allie is stuck, she has writer's block, her lovely editor Verity has given her several extensions but Allie has lost all inspiration and doesn't believe in Happy Ever After any more.

Her publisher throws a swanky party at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Allie attends reluctantly, although she does have a bit of a spark with one of the waiters serving canapes, and ends up getting locked out accidentally where she meets a fellow author, best-selling crim novelist Martin Clark, who, she discovers, is similarly inspiration-challenged and hasn't published anything for years.

Following the party, Allie and Martin meet up at a café where Martin regales Allie with tales of his marital woes and Allie gives him some advice from her expertise as a romance writer.

Meanwhile, Allie meets Will, the sexy waiter from the V&A event, again and finally starts to feel some of the spark/butterflies that she has been writing about for so long, but never really felt. Drawing on the feelings Will evokes and using Martin's memories of when he and his wife first met, Allie finds inspiration to write a new romance. But is it ethical to write a novel which draws so closely on Martin's life, and will her inspiration fail if Allie and Will become a couple?

Throw in shenanigans at her publishers and Allie has a lot on her plate.

This was fun, I read it in just over a day. I did get frustrated that Allie couldn't/wouldn't tell the truth, but I also think it was well sign-posted because she wouldn't admit to Verity that she hadn't written anything for her new novel and continued to promise a synopsis/first few chapters in a few days.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

I ended up DNFing this book at about the 25% mark. Very predictable and underdeveloped characters. Allie is super frustrating and short sighted and I just could not find myself wanting to continue.

Thank you for the ARC, I am sorry I cannot offer more feedback than this.