* I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. I highly recommend

I didn’t want to but I dnf’ed this book because I really wasn’t comfortable with the age gap between them. Also I feel like I could’ve ignored it if it wasn’t the entire plot point of this book lol.

Thanks to Netgalley I was given the opportunity to read a digital advanced reader copy of Anyone But Him by Ronali Collins. This was such a cute read about life’s second act. The novel opens with the FMC Ingrid realizing that her husband, a man who has been on a yearlong self-actualization journey wants a divorce. He has spent their time apart from each other sleeping with anyone he wants. To help her deal with this new change in her circumstance Ingrid’s sister offer to watch their niece Lily while Ingrid goes on a brief trip to gather herself and her thoughts. For most of their relationship Lily managed everything while her husband Matt was big useless. While on her vacation Lily has an accident while hiking that lands her in the arms of Jacob, the novel’s MMC. This is a slow burn novel so the tension between the two was chef’s kiss. After their brief encounter Ingrid is convinced, she will never see the sweetheart that saved her ever again, luckily, she’s wrong. Jacob is her accounting firm’s new outside consultant and the two are forced together. Without giving too much of the novel away Ingrid and Jacob have a slow courtship that starts as friends as Jacob helps Ingrid and Lily find their sparks again as they navigate Ingrid's divorce from her useless ex-husband. I truly enjoyed this novel, it was a quick fluffy slow burn that made me care about all of the characters.

This was very cute! It’s very very British so the formatting and writing style might not be for everyone. But it had some great humor and chemistry between the main two characters. It’s pretty closed door/fade to black so not a lot of spice. Though I adored the main couple, the ex husband was just such a dick and I’m so sad that the FMC even put herself through his bs. I was like Girl STAND UP!

This heartwarming and feel-good romance novel is a must-read for anyone who loves stories about self-discovery, second chances at love, and the courage to take risks.

Follow Ingrid as she navigates the complexities of a messy divorce, rediscovers her independence, and unexpectedly finds herself drawn to a charming stranger. As Ingrid grapples with the pain of her past and the uncertainties of her future, she must learn to prioritize her own happiness and embrace the possibility of new love.

With vivid characters, relatable struggles, and a heartwarming message, this book will stay with you long after you turn the last page. It's a story about finding hope in the midst of heartache, discovering strength in vulnerability, and learning to love again.

Anyone but Him by Ronali Collings is a captivating story of self-discovery, healing, and unexpected romance. Ingrid, a woman who has always put others first, is shaken when her husband returns with divorce papers. Seeking solace, she takes a trip to the Lake District, where a chance encounter with the charming Jacob sparks a fleeting connection. However, when Jacob turns out to be her new colleague, Ingrid is faced with the dilemma of balancing her messy personal life with an undeniable attraction. With relatable characters and a fresh take on love and self-empowerment, this novel is a perfect blend of heart and humor.

The prologue introduces us to Ingrid, her baby, and her already absent husband. The book picks up about 10 years later when her husband returns from a yearlong sabbatical and requests a divorce. Ingrid has spent her life pleasing her family, her husband, and trying not to make waves at work. It is clear from Ms. Collings writing that Ingrid is smart and dependable but maybe not happy with her life. She meets Jacob, a younger man, that has faith in her and finds her beautiful. And slowly she starts to turn her life around.

Ms. Collings does an amazing job of bringing us into Ingrid's life. We get to meet her complicated family and her co-workers. With every dig or slight thrown Ingrid's way, I tensed. I felt angry on her behalf. I love that she was able to bring me to Ingrid's side.

I found the story slow, especially in the beginning. It took a while for me to get into the story. And I tried not to be frustrated with Ingrid. I like my heroines feistier. Have a younger MMC worked, but the age gap was 15 years and was treated like it was closer to 30 years. He was a grown man and she was not an old lady. She was mid-40s with a 10 year old daughter. He was possibly the most emotionally intelligent person ever to live. I appreciate that he helped Ingrid and her daughter grow, but I wish she needed him a little bit less.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I liked that this book had a woman going through divorce taking control of her life again and no longer holding back due to her marriage which is something new to me.

However I just didn't feel like the romance was engaging at all and I didn't have that pull of wanting to see them together which really let me down. I do think Jacob was a nice guy and one we all deserve but he didn't feel real to me.

This book was okay but I just wanted more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Embla Books for the ARC!

This book was cute, but it wasn’t for me. Jacob is too perfect to the point where it took me out of the story completely at times. Ingrid was incredibly frustrating at times and it was hard to relate to her. I did love her daughter, and her relationship with her sisters.

Ingrid is in her mid forties and she has spent most of her life as a bit of a pushover, going along with her husband mistreats her, giving in to the demands and expectations of her mother, and not rocking the boat when her job doesn’t value her with the same partner percentage as her male peers despite brining in more business. When her husband returns home after being away “finding himself” for a year and ask for a divorce, Ingrid finally starts making changes in her life for the better. When her older supportive sister suggests spending some time away at a retreat, she is rescued by a handsome stranger when she gets separated from her group and lost. Ingrid is very shocked when her wilderness savior shows up as a temporary consultant at her firm.

I really liked this book. Ingrid is a complex character and at times you just want to shake some sense into her. You wonder how can someone just constantly let every single person in her life walk all over her. What I loved about this book is that the author has a way of explaining why Ingrid seems to be so willing to settle for less than she deserves in a believable an relatable way. The way that Ingrid embraces her new life and at the same time opens herself to a relationship with Jacob is a super relatable read. This is a debut novel and a good read.

For starters, with a husband like the one in this ANYONE deserves better. What a poor show of it. And still the man tried to stroke back in as the wronged one. Yuck.
Then we have Ingrid who for many reasons seems to feel the need to be everything for everyone. And they allow her to. And she's just so lovely with it.
The trouble is it only leaves her heartbroken and feeling broken as a person to.
So times for action as she makes her way on a retreat. And it's there that she meets someone completely lovely. And who's lovely to her. Which takes a while for Ingrid to believe is possible or positive.
And then when he enters her life back home? Eek!
I so wanted Ingird to find her happiness. And find someone who actually showed it to her. Could she let Jacob be the person to do it?

This book follows Ingrid, a Sri Lankan woman in her 40s, living in London and raising her 11 year old daughter pretty much on her own—despite technically being married. Her husband has been absent for a year and suddenly returns, asking for a divorce. But the truth is, he wasn’t just physically absent —he was absent in the marriage too. While Ingrid worked and took care of their daughter, he was off doing his own thing, contributing nothing to their family life. Now, just as she’s trying to navigate this new chapter, she meets Jacob—a man in his 30s who is everything she’s ever wanted. He’s kind, respectful, charming, and warm. But of course, life isn’t that simple. Between her selfish husband, her overbearing family, and cultural expectations, Ingrid starts to feel like she doesn’t deserve happiness or a fresh start. The question is: will she let them dictate her future, or will she finally put herself first?

Now, onto my thoughts…

This book was okay. Some parts were predictable, and a few moments felt unrealistic. It also started off quite slow, but it picked up as the story went along. One thing I really couldn’t stand was Ingrid’s husband—what a vile man! He checked out of their marriage long before he physically left, leaving Ingrid to do everything alone. And then when he finally decides he wants a divorce, he somehow still acts like he’s the one being wronged?! The audacity. Men like him deserve nothing. I was rooting for Ingrid the whole way—I wanted her to find love, happiness, and show her ex exactly what he was missing.

Jacob, on the other hand, was almost too perfect. Don’t get me wrong, he was lovely, but at times it felt like he didn’t have a single flaw, which made his character a little boring. I would’ve liked to see more depth there.

One of the strongest parts of the book for me was Ingrid’s relationship with her sister—it felt so real, so authentic. The family dynamics in general were well done, especially with her mother, who cared way too much about appearances and what people would say. Are all immigrant parents the same? Lool. That part really resonated.

Overall, this was a decent read—frustrating at times, heartwarming at others. If you like stories about second chances, complicated families, and love that comes when you least expect it, this one might be worth checking out.

This book was an easy straightforward read. Was nice to just not have to focus on anything. Thanks Net Gallet

I didn't have any major issues with this book, it was just fine. The biggest issue for me was that all the conflict between Ingrid and Jacob was becasue of their 13 year age gap. It felt like every other page I was reminded about their age gap and it was treated like 30+ years, not 13. 32 to 45 is not a massive difference in maturity and life stage. Everyone kept being worried about Jacob wanting kids, but, honestly, at 32 most everyone knows if they want kids or not firmly. His mom and Ingrid kept reacting to him like he was a kid, not a successful 32 year old man. It just felt off to me.

Other than that, there's a bit of a slow start to this book, but the characters are a ton of fun. Ingrid's family is a LOT, especially her mother, but they all come out on the better side of it by the end. Her ex, Matt, and the sleazy coworker, Tim, can go kick rocks and that's the extent of my thoughts on them.

Overall, a fun book but one I won't go back to or that will even pop up in my mind later in the year.

This book delivered a cinnamon roll book boyfriend, an eye-rolling awful estranged husband, and not enough on page chemistry to make me swoon. I wish the author would have given us more insight into why Ingrid and Jacob were perfect for each other.

#AnyoneButHim
#NetGalley

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book, I read it in one sitting so you know I enjoyed it!
The story focuses on a woman in her 40s who's stuck in a hopeless, loveless marriage but everything gets turned upside down when her husband returns and asks for a divorce 😮

The book follows a journey of self-discovery and change as Ingrid comes to terms with the shock of the divorce and the realisation that she needs to make some major changes in her life, her career and life. And this wouldn't be for me if there wasn't romance! It's an age-gap romance, one of my favourite tropes. Jacob is the perfect gentleman, he’s hot, considerate, caring and absolutely amazing with her daughter. However, he was a little too perfect times. One thing that did bug me was the focus on their age gap when nowadays, age isn't that big of a problem...well not for me anyway.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of Ronali Collings books in the future!

ARC - PUBLICATION DATE 11TH FEBRUARY

4 ☆

『 tropes 』
•age gap
•single parent
•found family
•forced proximity
•slow burn
•love after divorce
•close family

『 plot 』
the story follows ingrid, a 45 year old, who is a partner at her firm and is raising her 11 year old daughter. her husband has been away for a year, and returns wanting a divorce. her careful, safe home life is unravelled and she needs to clear her head, so she books a week away in the lake district where she meets jacob, a younger man who helps her when she gets lost in the rain. there’s a spark between them and knowing she’s never going to see him again, she harmlessly flirts with him. that is until he ends up being the new consultant on her work project. so now ingrid has to deal with her messy divorce and terrible soon to be ex husband, raise her daughter and still be the best at work, deal with her mothers judgement and her two sisters interfering. but will jacob make her see that her carefully planned life doesn’t have to be so mundane?


『 my thoughts 』
i really enjoyed this book. ingrid is such a relatable character, she’s gone through life making sure everyone else is looked after and are pleased and happy, but at the expense of her own happiness. the only good thing out of her 15 year marriage, with someone who clearly never appreciated, is her daughter lily. with the divorce and needing to lean on her sisters more, she starts to see that she can have more from life and that her sisters have her best interests at heart. i feel the family relationships, the one she has with her parents and the one she has with her sisters was shown in such a real and imperfect way, not all families are perfect but at the end of the day, they’ll be there for you.

her relationship with jacob was just really sweet and also very real. i like that, in the beginning, they tried to keep it professional but there was always that underlying tension and attraction that was threatening to surface, which created great angst and made you root for them. their relationship had very real problems that were dealt with (for the most part) maturing and rationally, which was refreshing to read.

i enjoyed this so much. it was real, sweet, mature and beautiful. glad i found this on netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. Reverse age gap? YES PLEASE. Really enjoyed the chemistry between Ingrid and Jacob - you could feel it from the first meeting. Didn’t quite make me kick my heels and giggle but it was a cozy quality romcom.

This was an okay read for me. Ingrid had a lot going on which made you feel for her. Her husband was an annoying cliche and the love interest was good but a little too perfect which I’d not make him feel real enough. Overall though good chemistry between him and Ingrid. I did like the dynamics between Ingrid and her family which felt relatable in all their messy glory. 3 🌟

Amazing cute novels,

Definitely need to put this on your TBR if you're fan of Christina Lauren.

The best book and ressemble to hers, I just fell in love.