Lucy is a master romance comedy writer and this is another beautiful example of that.

Hazel and Cam are super fun and enjoyable to read. I am really likening the green flag and character developments in her books. She is a must read author because her characters are just amazing.

This book gave me so much joy, I could not stop smiling and I just adored Hazel and fell in love with Story Lake. I need to go and read more of Score's work.

A funny and wholesome read that you do not want to put down. Lucy Score is a master of swoon worthy romance and small towns you want to be a part of.

I am one of the biggest fans of this author so I was incredibly excited to get my hands on this. Let me tell you I read this book smiling the whole time. It is a pure joy to read. You will fall in love with the characters and even the location. Honestly couldn’t put this down. Absolutely fantastic! Ooo and sizzling hot romance scenes… wow!

4.5⭐
2🌶️

It's been a while since I've read a book from Lucy, and I seriously don't know why I've kept away for so long! SOML was just pure, small town love that felt like a big squishy hug, leaving you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. You seriously can't help but fall for it's charm!

Hazel is a romance writer, who's got deadlines to meet but is currently sitting on zero words. With the world's worst writers block (courtesy of her ex-husband) and an impending eviction from her current apartment, she (drunkenly) comes across an article one night that makes her (drunkenly) impulse purchase a house in Story Lake, Pennsylvania. With nowhere else to go, she packs up and leaves, hoping for the best at Story Lake.

Noone literally writes small town romance quite like Lucy! Her characters were funny, ridiculously quirky and literally nothing like you've even seen. Hazel and Cam were the true definition of opposites attract, but did they get on like a house on fire or what! 🔥 I found Cam's grumpiness amusing, who stood no chance with Hazel's crazy charm, and how she changed him for the better (he actually SMILES 😊). Cam tries to play it cool with Hazel, 'fake dating' without the whole town knowing, but boy, did he get more than be bargained for! 💗 The banter, love and special bond he had going on between him and his family were so on point. I couldn't adore them more.

I literally loved everything about Story Lake.. from the town mascot, Goose 🦅- The Bald Eagle and Bertha 🦝, the newest residence of Heart House. It's literally everything you didn't know you wanted! I had an absolute blast reading this. You definitely don't want to sleep on it! 💕

Thank you to Lucy, Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC, in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏼

4.5 ⭐️ Rounded up
3🌶

Hazel, wow, you were the definition of hot mess. Campbell , you was hot, grumpy and a family man. Not many books manage to actually make me laugh out loud. I think I could count the amount of books I have laughed out loud to on one hand. This was hot, funny, sweet and so uplifting. I love Hazel with all my heart, she is messy, but human and honest. The third act break up was needed for Campbell to work on himself and for Hazel to pull through and prove that she wasn't going to fall apart when broken-hearted again. I felt like this also gave a unique perspective to what writing a book is like from an author's perspective. This has everything that you love about Lucy Score's books. I cannot wait for the next book. This book left me feeling happy, and sad but only because the book was over. I could have read another 500 pages about Hazel and Campbell.

Thank you for this review copy in exchange for my honest review.

i was unfortunately unable to read this by pub date, but not from a lack of interest! life gets in the way and i still love lucy score’s romances- they are the perfect way to dive into slow burn small town romances!! 💫 i would still highly recommend picking up her books!

Story of My Life was one of most anticipated releases so I was bouncing with excitement to read it. It was SO GOOD! It is / has:
🔨 F/M small town romance
📑 She’s a writer looking for inspiration, he’s the grump that might just be able to help
🔨 This can’t be anything serious…
📑 MCs in 30s
🔨 Love after divorce
📑 Forced proximity (he’s renovating her home)
🔨 Dual POV, start of the Story Lake series

This is a book is joyously funny, it’s a story for romance readers, especially if you love small town romances with a good dose of slightly odd / quirky town happenings. I laughed out loud on multiple occasions and just wanted to keep reading and not put it down.
Some thoughts below:
•This is a classic Lucy Score book, bringing in elements I love her writing. It’s humorous (with perfect side of ridiculous), older MCs, and excellent banter (and this banter is not just in the relationship).
•The characters, from our MCs to most of the inhabitants of Story Lake were so loveable. I wish I could go there immediately! More on this ⬇️
- Many of Score’s books contain a feisty FMC, Hazel may be down on luck at the opening of the story but she comes out fighting; I loved how her tenacity developed.
- Cam was a delightful grump, his early reluctance and ultimate soft centre made me swoon.
- The friendships (especially Hazel and Zoe’s) and family relationships (of course I’m thinking of the Bishop siblings) had me cackling, smiling and wishing I could join their friend groups and/or family.

In short this was an excellent start to the Story Lake series, I am keeping everything crossed for books for all the Bishop siblings, they all MUST have a happily ever after.

Definately pick this up if you liked Score’s previously books (especially the Knochemout trilogy and Rock Bottom Girl).

This was so cute, hilarious & just a fun read!

⭐️: 4.75/5
🌶️: open door, several descriptive scenes

Hazel was such a witty character, I loved her inner (and outer) dialogue so much!
She’s a romance writer in her mid-30s, going though a breakup and looking for inspiration for her next novel/series.

After reading an article about the small town of Story Lake, Hazel impulse-buys a historical home & moves there.
Enter grumpy contractor Campbell Bishop 🛠

I love how Hazel hides behind “research” as she gets to know Cam, all while he’s falling for her SO fast and SO hard 🥹
I LOVED their communication, especially from Cam’s side.

The side characters in this one were fantastic, and I can’t wait for more from this town, Cam’s siblings, and Hazel’s agent Zoey.

🎧 audiobook thoughts:
Lila Winters & Sebastian York narrate this one, and they were perfect as Hazel & Cam!

read if you love:
🤫 fake dating & secret friends with benefits
🌦 grumpy sunshine
💻 romance author fmc
🛠 contractor mmc
🫶🏼 family & found family
💙 he falls first
🌳 small town
💞 dual 1st person pov

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Hambright PR for advanced copies. All opinions are my own.

ARC REVIEW- STORY OF MY LIFE
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes
☀️Grumpy/Sunshine
☀️Small Town
☀️Frenemies with Benefits
☀️Second Chance at Love
☀️Contractor MMC x Romance Author FMC
______________________
Thanks to Lucy Score, Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC! I received an advanced copy of the book and am leaving an honest review. All opinions are my own.
______________________
After reading Lucy Score's Blue Moon and Knockemout series, I was so excited to see her back with a new small town series. Story of My Life is book one in the Story Lake series and follows romance author Hazel move to a small town in Pennsylvania in attempts to get inspiration for the book she simply cannot write. She was completely screwed over by her ex husband and hasn't been able to write since the divorce.

Campbell Bishop is the grumpy contractor tasked with renovating the house Hazel bought sight unseen. Their heads butt against every turn and there's banter for days. Add in a bald eagle with scarily accurate aim and a small town full of quirky characters and you've got a Lucy Score rom com.

I really really enjoyed this book. I was laughing at all the hijinks Hazel gets into and the whole hilarious town. A teenager mayor? A family full of insanely good looking men who are good with their hands? A feral raccoon who decides to move in to Hazel's house? I laughed so much and had a smile on my face the whole time. And then there were the sexy times.

Cam has got growly, grumpy blue collar man down to a tee. He's grumpy but he can't help but like Hazel. The nicknames everyone has for him are hilarious. I will say that he could have used a bit more fleshing out for his character, it seemed like his only personality trait at times was that he was grumpy. And there needed to be more groveling after the third act breakup- he had his work cut out for him!

I loved the entire plot with Hazel getting her mojo back and being inspired after moving to Story Lake. Moving on after divorce and being able to open your heart to the possibility of love made for a very rich character arc for Hazel. I also loved her friendship with Zoey and the tough love she had for her, being supportive but also trying to motivate her to get writing again.

I had such a fun time reading this book and can't wait for the next in the series! I hope we get more of Cam's brothers Gage and Levi. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and spicy romantic comedy and lovers of Gilmore Girls and Schitt's Creek.

Lucy Score has become a firm favourote of mine since the Knockemout series.....and this one is shaping up to be the same. Absolutely devoured this, romance and friendship with the inevitable happy ever after 🩷

Thanks Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton.

I loved the Knockemout trilogie and was looking forward to this book. I did like it, but I don't love it. I didnt connect with Hazel the FMC and that is for me an important thing to love a book. And also the humor was for me over the top, and too much.

But if you love small town romance and a lot of humor, with a variation of characters, please pick up this book. You're gonna love it.

I adored this book! I have no idea what Lucy score does to her books but I’ve enjoyed everyone that I’ve read.

Small town romanices are one of my favourite tropes and this one gave me everything I wanted. Grumpy Cam needed to learn how to communicate but that was his only flaw. Whereas I really enjoyed how Hazel developed into an amazing self assured person at the end.

I would recommend this book to any romance lover! It has me giggling and kicking my feet!

Read if you like: small town, romcom, grumpy MMC, grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, miscommunication, third act breakup

Hazel is depressed, divorced, and experiencing the worst writer’s block. On a whim, she’s decides to move to a small town to get some inspiration for her romcom.

In comes Cam, a hot grumpy contractor who can’t help but help her. Laura (Cam’s sister) perfectly describes Cam as “prickly on the outside but a big ‘ol squishy teddy bear of family loyalty on the inside”.
Cam and Hazel’s dialogue was so good and their first “date” was so full of tension and chemistry I was dying!! The first kiss was so hot I had to take a break from reading to scream 🥵🥵

ALL of the side characters were INCREDIBLE!! I have a special place in my heart for Zoey, she had me constantly giggling.

What I didn’t like:
How Cam said that Hazel had bad communication like speak for yourself bro 🤨😤 she was the only mature one and he couldn’t even give a a proper apology?? Flowers are not good enough 😒 also his outing to the whole town?? NAH MAN you can’t fkg do that 😡 he TRAPPED her into a relationship

Overall I really enjoyed this book! It has the best small town feels, it was funny, and it still had depth to the story! The side characters + animals + meddling family and neighbours made the story so fun to read 🤩

I will be recommending this to absolutely everyone! Probably the best book Lucy Score has published! I am in love with all the characters and this town! I've been blushing and giggling on the buses on my way to work! It's just perfect! Will 100% be getting a physical copy!

I enjoyed this book soo much! It's a hefty one too, but I was not bored for even a moment! It's a ride, with a supremely grumpy man, and the woman who finds her muse in him. It was funny too, the way at the beginning she treated him borderline like a science experiment, if that makes sense? Like, her only interest in him was how he objectively he'd be helpful in her writing.
And then seeing them fall for each other? Beautiful.
This small town has its quirkiness too - and I enjoyed all of it. And the whole Bishop clan was a hoot! The nicknames for each other? Fun! I hope the brothers get their own stories, because I truly cannot wait to read more from this series!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

‘Happily Ever After Starts Here.’

This book is a bundle of cute!! Lucy Score truly knows how to deliver a story that brings all the small town shenanigans, laugh out loud humour and cheeky spice with sweet emotion.

Hazel Hart is scrappy and sure at times unhinged but with the best kind of heart (you betcha pun intended 😉♥️) and I loved how utterly adorable she is. She is genuine and loyal and I loved seeing her become unapologetically herself in every way.

Cam is 💯 a ‘walking, talking grump who seemed hell- bent on doing the right thing.’ No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t hide his secret swoony side for Hazel and I loved it.

Best moments are:

🌷Sweet Hazel and Snarky Zoey are a vibe
🌷Bishop siblings found family is everything
🌷Text threads will forever remain Iconic
🌷Justice for Goose
🌷Pancake to the Face
🌷”Little stashes of happiness.”

Story of my Life brought all the vibes of Gilmore Girls meets Hart of Dixie with Schitts Creek smartass humour.

It’s a redemption comedy with a heart of gold and characters that made me cackle, want to hug them or fight them, which Score does so well.

I’m already so keen for Gage and Zoey’s story (with a ‘meet cute’ like theirs how could I not be)!

Favourite lines are:

“Sorry. I’m a writer. Not a professional murderer.”

“I’m not locking you up. I’m locking you down. For exclusive fucking.”

“You are a real-life heroine. My heroine.”

Thank you to the author, Hodder & Stroughton and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review 🩶

lucy score’s so back with a new book and series and what a hilarious and adorable start it was!!

i would like to advice to read this one in particular for the fans of gilmore girls because if u love the small town vibes given by stars hollow u will absolutely love the vibes of this very unique and lovely small town full of amusing and sweet characters so be ready for an amazing and unforgettable trip to story lake!!

hazel hart’s our city romance author needs a new start and i mean everyone at a certain point needs one and one night she makes a choice that takes her to story lake where she finds campbell bishop the grumpy contractor that will renew her house with his brothers because it’s truly needed to be fixed but is it the only thing that needs a fix? nope! the more u read about hazel’s story the more u’ll realize how this lighthearted reading can be also inspiring and relatable as well…

the grumpy sunshine banter was amazing and comical but i wasn’t really surprised by this tbh because lucy score’s known to deliver a good book that captures with these kinda of vibes and characters and she did it again 😁 plus i’m a fan of the found family trope and seeing how hazel and her best friend zoe settled in story lake with the bishop fam and the rest of the gang was so sweet and again hilarious!!

least but not last i need to mention the eagle because it was a must to mention thing because if u know u know and if u don’t well now u have another reason to add this book in your tbr and be ready to read about hazel hart’s story :)

i’m so curious to read about the next one and be back in story lake hopefully soon!!

i want to truly thanks a lot netgalley and hodder & stoughton for sending me the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

Hazel used to write small town romcoms, but she's been struggling to bring pen to paper ever since her divorce. Maybe she needs to embrace the small town experience herself? On a whim she buys a house in a small town and once there asks one of her contractors to fake date her for research. What could possibly go wrong with a no-strings-attached-fake-dating-with-benefits agreement? And should I mention it's a small town that needs rescuing?

I came for the romance and the banter and I wasn't disappointed at all. Five stars and I am looking forward to more books in this new series.

R E V I E W

Story of My Life by Lucy Score

☆☆☆☆

Lucy Score makes writing immersive romance stories seem easy. Story of My Life follows her Knockemout series in both style and narrative success, combining swoon-worthy romance, a charming small-town setting, and an assortment of crazy but loveable side characters to create a heartwarming tale of second chances and new beginnings.

Much like Score's other romances, Story of My Life is a lengthy book for its genre. However, with main character Hazel Hart slowly beginning to heal her soul and reclaim her life after the dissolution of her destructive marriage, I felt the breadth justified by her journey. Love interest Campbell Bishop was very reminiscent of Knoxx Morgan from the Knockemout series; the gruff eldest brother with a penchant for growling, making violent threats and occasionally pummeling his siblings. Since this was a combination that worked for me in The Things We Never Got Over, I saw no reason for these similarities to bother me. If it works, why change it?

It took me a couple of chapters to really sink my teeth into this story, but that may have been a result of how effectively the author portrayed Hazel's mental well-being at the start. Once we find ourselves in Story Lake alongside Hazel and her loyal best friend Zoey, this is when the book truly begins, as we go from meet cute to meet cute and quickly become embroiled in the towns quirky antics.

As always, Score seamlessly blends humour with emotional weight, weaving bonds between characters and places until we feel as if we know them. I loved the steamy interactions between Cam and Hazel but ultimately wished for a few more in the latter part of the book. Whilst I anticipated the third-act break-up, I had been cautiously optimistic that we might avoid one after Hazel boldly calling Cam out on his shit pretty early on in their relationship with her author insight but sadly it was not to be. After this point, I did feel we went from zero to sixty, break-up to proposal too quickly, and whilst I am here for a grand gesture, even I felt what Cam did was a bit much. I think the books and confronting ber ex would have been sufficiently grandiose and I would have preferred that he simply move his stuff in without the nuptual fanfare, manoeuvring Hazel along in the relationship as he had throughout the rest of the story. Masterful in its subtlety. Confident in its unremarkableness. Instead, I felt the happy ending to be a bit forced and unrelatable, especially considering Hazel wasn't long out of her first misbegotten foray into matrimony.

I could also have done without the lame epilogue, where Hazel suddenly changes her narrative voice to randomly address the reader and unnecessarily explain who the next book would be about.