3.4⭐ // romance, women’s fiction, adult// 💫

💗🏚️🐓

❝i never thought i’d ever be able to love, or be loved by, someone like him. i didn’t even know love like that existed until i met your brother.❞

release date: december 5th

୨⎯ plot ⎯୧
this book follows felicity, a woman who is heartbroken and unemployed after her ex-fiancé's wedding. she impulsively buys a fixer-upper farmhouse in the country. the only good thing about her new life is the handsome and helpful neighbor, jesse. when felicity has a mishap with her roof, jesse offers to help her and let her stay at his place. as they work together, felicity starts to fall for jesse, but she's afraid to trust him after her past heartbreak.


୨⎯ my review ⎯୧
this book was cute and enjoyable. it was a rather slow start, but i quickly got into it. 1 week is around 60% of the book which was a drag. personally i felt the characters were a bit lacking and could’ve used more depth. i liked jesse’s personality but we could've gotten to know him better. the “breakup” was super unnecessary but i got where she was coming from. loved her character arc tho. my heart broke for jesse, he deserves so much <3

might recommend this book to those who like romcoms with emotional growth.

୨⎯ tropes ⎯୧
💞city girl x country boy
✨meet-cute
💞independent fmc
✨small town
💞renovation project
✨hea


thank you to boldwood books and netgalley for an arc in exchange for my honest review

I wanted to give this a higher rating, however the writing style was what did it for me. It said adult like things but in a very juvenile way. The story was fine, but there were some long drawn out spots that made it hard for me to focus. The beginning was tough to stay into as well.
Wasn’t for me, perhaps could be very great for someone else!

It was a nice read, like those movies you can see on TV. The main character loses their job and move somewhere else as their life is spinning out of control. It was funny. I immediately liked Felicity. We are crying with her as much as we are cheering for her and laughing by her side.
It was a cute small town romance. I loved the relationship between Felicity and Jesse.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

Felicity DeVere gets dumped by her fiancé Adrian and loses her paid-for dream wedding in one fell swoop, gets drunk, makes a faux pas in an online business meeting and gets fired, and in "clearly not a considered and thoroughly researched decision" sells her London flat and buys a dilapidated Victorian farmhouse with acres of land and chickens, called Paradise Farm, "in the arse end of nowhere", as she charmingly puts it.

In a literal "knocking someone off his feet" move she bowls over a man with a plank in a DIY shop then gets rained on until her clothes basically disintegrate. This is how she meets dishy Jesse Woods and leaves a spectacularly memorable first impression on him.

Felicity's family used to be rich until her father squandered it all away on his second wife. Fliss has clawed her way back to having money by staging properties, although not as much money as before, but the mental scars haven't left and she now suffers from trust and commitment issues, originating from how her so-called friends turned their backs after her fall from grace.

She is fiercely independent and has a problem with accepting help, even when a tree crashes through the roof of her new house in a storm, nearly killing her. "Thanks, but I can manage" and variations thereof are her most uttered sentences.

Thankfully, kind Jesse takes no notice and offers his help anyway. His cousin was the one selling Fliss this wreck and he feels responsible. A lot of tradesmen owe him, a building renovator, favours and he is now calling them all in. And if he loses his heart in the process, so be it. He lost his wife five years ago and the entire village community, including his lovely sister Julie, thinks it's time for him. But will Fliss agree?

This was extremely fun to read. A heroine who uproots her entire life is a popular trope and I love a good renovation project, a strong-armed hero and cute animals. The light-hearted banter is exquisite, and even though it was very predictable, Fliss and Jesse's slow-burn romance had me engrossed. The only thing I was annoyed about was that cousin Joe never got his comeuppance, and the third-act break-up felt superfluous.

This is nevertheless so well-written, humorous and heartwarming that I will forgive it. This charming, cosy and escapist read with plenty of time for personal growth will make you happy. It's my first book by Maxine Morrey but it won't be the last.

4.5 stars

💫 BOOK REVIEW 💫
Reach For The Stars by @scribbler_maxi
Publisher @theboldbookclub
Publication Date 5th December 2024

The BRAND NEW romantic comedy from bestselling winner of the RNA Romantic Comedy Award 2024

Blurb
Felicity was never meant to end up with a money-pit farmhouse to renovate and a broken heart to heal…

But when Fliss attempts to drown the sorrow of seeing her ex-fiancé and his new wife’s magazine-worthy wedding all over social media, one rash decision loses her a job and gains her a doer-upper in the blink of an eye.

The only bright spot of living in the country is the very dishy and very handy loveliest-man-ever Jesse Woods. And when Fliss’s new roof has an ill-advised meeting with a tree in the middle of the night, resulting in her literally seeing stars, there’s only one thing for it. She’s going to have to accept Jesse’s help and a place to stay.

City girl Fliss is at rock bottom, but if anyone can teach her to turn her gaze from the gutter to the stars it’s Jesse Woods. She’s been burnt trusting men before, but Jesse may just be worth breaking her own rules for…

🏡❤️🎨 🏡❤️🎨🏡❤️🎨🏡❤️🎨

I absolutely loved this book right from page 1, a real page turner & absolutely laugh out loud funny. I think I read most of this book with a smile on my face! 😁 Absolutely brilliant writing, fab pace, plot & characters!
I didn't want it to end 💫

The perfect book to curl up in your hygge nook with! 🤎

Thank you to @theboldbookclub & @netgalley for the ARC copy!

here wasn't anything I disliked about this book. the writing style and format was good and engaged me the whole way along, the storyline was absolutely riveting and thought provoking. I couldn't put it down and I can't stop thinking about it. I will never stop recommending this book.

A perfect Christmas read, all a bit silly, lighthearted with a story that kept you turning the pages eagerly until the ending which just leaves you smiling.

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

I devoured this book, losing myself in its stories and characters so completely that I lost all track of time! The relationship between Felicity and Jesse felt so organic—the humor at first, the frustration, and then, FINALLY, they realize what they mean to each other. My favorite thing about this book, though, was Felicity’s transition! She was so broken and lost at first, and all the catastrophes added to her feelings of inadequacy. But those things all made her stronger, and finding friendship and love made her finally feel worthy of love and family. Thank you to the publisher for providing me an advance reader copy of ths is lovely book.

Reach for the Stars" by Maxine Morrey is a charming romantic comedy that follows Felicity, a city girl who finds herself at a crossroads after a disastrous breakup. As she attempts to heal from her past and manage her unexpected new life in a run-down farmhouse, she encounters Jesse Woods, a handy and charismatic local who might just help her rebuild more than just a roof.

The narrative is infused with humor, relatability, and warmth, capturing the essence of personal growth and second chances. Readers appreciate Morrey's knack for creating vibrant characters that resonate, making this book an enjoyable escape. The dynamic between Fliss and Jesse adds a delightful romantic tension, underscored by themes of trust and vulnerability.

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚

Reach for the Stars By Maxine Morrey
Publication Date: December 5, 2024
Publisher: Boldwood Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
(Rounded Up To 5⭐)

📚MY REVIEW:

Whenever I am looking for a rom-com that's sure to make me smile, I know I can always count on a read from Maxine Morrey to do the trick! Reach for the Stars, the upcoming book from Morrey (one of my favorite rom-com authors), did not disappoint! This was a really fun read, with its lovable characters, its English countryside setting, and its happily-ever-after vibes.

In this story, we meet Felicity, whose 'perfect' life implodes in London after the ending of her ten-year relationship with her ex. Propelled by an alcohol-fueled bender, Felicity finds herself jobless, and the new sight-unseen owner of a fixer-upper cottage in a small village in the English countryside. Through a comedy of unfortunate mishaps once she comes to town, Felicity meets handsome Jesse, and the two enter into an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers situation as they work together to turn Felicity's new home into a livable residence.

Maxine Morrey just has this way of telling stories that make readers want to uproot their entire lives and move to a village in a rural English countryside. [Okay, maybe that's just me, but the thought definitely crossed my mind several times during this book.] This is now my second read from Morrey, and I can genuinely say she is an auto-read author for me! The stories in her rom-coms always have such heart and captivate my attention so brilliantly -- I always wish I had a few more chapters of the characters' lives within her books. Morrey writes stories that transport readers to a dreamy world, a fictional setting that - while it may not exist - is a place they'll feel they've been longing to visit all their lives.

A really big thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and the author herself for this advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest review!

#ReachForTheStars #MaxineMorrey #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #BoldwoodVIPs #boldwoodbookclub #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #romcomreads #romcoms #bookcommunity #booklover

Sooooo I’m not really sure how I feel about this book…
It’s trying to be a small town romance, but I’m not really feeling it that way. I honestly didn’t really know what was going on until later on- the first few chapters I felt were slightly unnecessary (buying wood and running into a handsome man but nothing comes out of it… it’s a bit all over. Not the best read, not the worst.

I spent some enjoyable hours with this story. I liked the characters, not only the main protagonists, but the whole warmhearted community. I enjoyed the banter between Felicity and Jesse and was glad that they had their happy ending.

The beginning of the story is hazy as Felicity wakes up having gotten drunk, lost her job and very quickly sold her city flat and bought a countryside cottage (with sheep). The reality is less than idyllic and then disaster further strikes which threatens to drain the last of her finances and sanity. Of course, this being the small town romance book that it is, a host of neighbours and one particularly handsome builder, come to her rescue. There's a clear development of Felicity's character from city girl to country lass, but also with addressing her insecurities and past. I would have perhaps liked more chemistry and build up to the romance aspect as the bond between them seemed a bit fragile throughout, but I did love the back stories of both Felicity and Jesse and it feels there's also more to share between these two (& other characters) for further books.

Another unputdownable emotional rollercoaster of a book guaranteed to put a big smile on your face and give you all the feels. Every Maxine Morrey book is a treat from beginning to end and they just keep getting better! The characters, writing, setting, storyline are all romantic perfection. A must read for fans of Heidi Swain, Sarah Morgan, Julie Caplin.

Enjoyable read about a city girl looking for a fresh start in the country. It's basically a money pit and she's way out of her element, but she's ready to try and the help of her hot, good with his hands neighbor, sure does help. The meet cute was great and the follow up had me chuckling out loud. How did the author come up with those overalls?
The romance was slow burn, sweet, and behind closed doors. The banter was cute, but I feel like they spent a rather large portion of time apologizing to each other. I started to notice and get distracted by it. Otherwise, the wiring style was great and easy reading.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great , funny and good read. Also a lovely love story . The way everyone pulled together was lovely. Some good twists . Your up bringing does impact on you. Read it. A good wet Saturday afternoon read .

It's a typical story about work oriented "city girl" who finds love in a village and grows as a person.
I was hooked from page 1. The scenes were funny, main characters had great chemistry. The dialogue did get repetitive, with Felicity constantly thanking and apologizing to everyone. At about half point I started to get bored.

When it comes to romance, I would consider it slow burn. It was well developed; I could actually see why they would fall for each other. But once they got together there was nothing of interest happening. Third act situation seemed very forced and artificial to me. And personally, I didn't like how it was resolved.

I would recommend this to readers who are looking for a light, more or less dramaless, sometimes funny contemporary romance novel.

Reach for the stars by Maxine Morrey

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for letting me read this ARC. This review is of my own personal opinions.

This story follows Felicity a fiercely independent city girl who impulsively bought a farmhouse in the country during a drunken night following a nasty breakup, and Jesse a gentle giant with enough heartache to last a life time.

With one disaster after another Felicity or Fliss has to work together with Jesse to get a roof back over her head.

Felicity has a lifetime of trust issues standing between her wanting to get to know Jesse and Jesse has a lifetime worth of heartache standing between him the growing connection with Fliss.

There was so much to love about this story. I love how the characters grow and learn to live with the traumas of their past while also changing and making decisions that positively influence their futures.

My favourite part of the story was definitely leaning about Nanny. Such a beautiful and special character. I think I could read a whole story about Felicity’s childhood with Nanny.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I love this book! Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for my arc copy!

Pub date is on December 5,2024 be sure to grab yourself a copy!

Full review to follow

Enjoyable new story from Maxine Morrey. I’ve been a fan of hers for a while and I think this is one of her better books. Felicity is an interior designer whose life falls apart after being left by her fiancé and fired from her company. While inebriated, she purchases a fixer upper farm house in a small village sight unseen. When she arrives, the house is in disrepair. She befriends a local, Jesse, who helps her make connections for fixing up the house. As time goes on, their relationship develops. There is added drama of Felicity’s wealth and being a fish out of water in the country to play off of local everyman Jesse. This story felt very natural and the relationship development was great. It dealt with some heavier topics, mostly life after loss. This was a romantic, fully closed door story. Check it out.

Thank you Boldwood Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.