This is fun and silly. There’s moments where the book feels like you’re missing parts of the story because I am assuming they’re being saved for the other books in this series. So for the other revenge plots you get a glimpse of some drama and then the door is closed on that scene.
I’m not sure I was wholly convinced that these 4 women could’ve bonded so strongly after just a few hours more so than Paige and Oliver living together after weeks but I did appreciate the commitment.
I wasn’t overly taken by the humour of the revenge and think that was just a personal preference I enjoyed the writing style and the characters were all well thought out with depth and charm.
I’ll be interested to read more from Amy Andrews
I received this book as an ARC and provide an honest review.

Thank you to Boldwood Books, Netgalley and Amy Andrews for my Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of The Payback Plan

I love the start of this book, how all the women left at the airport, and the table situation made me laugh out loud. How they started talking and then how the plan was introduced made me so happy. How is this going to work?

In this instalment, we follow Paige as she goes with Bella's ex on her revenge plan for Oliver. Paige arrives in Cornwell and is all geared up for the plan. The hamster and text made me laugh so much. They added a tremendous comedic effect to the book, and each time Oliver got frustrated at those random hamster texts, I smiled.

Although the book and direction are somewhat predictable, I enjoyed it and read this book in two days. I love the writing style. Let's not forget Doris and the WI women who helped Paige integrate into the community. They are a great addition and a right hoot, as well as Casper and his antics, which made me laugh that the dog travels !

#ThePaybackPlan #RomanticComedy #BookReview #ARC #AmyAndrews #Cornwall #FunReads #Humor #BookLovers #ReadingCommunity #WomenInLiterature #ChickLit

I love when books surprise me and having that feeling that you just can’t stop reading until it’s done. That was the case for me with The Payback Plan. It took me a while to really get into the story but once it took off, it was a great ride.

The story revolves around a group of women who meet unexpectedly at an airport and they all bond by their respective desire to get well deserved revenge on their exes. So they all form a bond and a friendship on this common goal and each tackle another’s friend ex. Giving very much “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” sort of vibes for me.

The narrative was unbelievably funny, the chemistry was there, the tension and character growth was amazing. I could feel the connection they were making - in friendships and relationships as well - and it didn’t feel rushed or forced. A great read and a pleasant surprise to enjoy as much as I did!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

PS: I was very happy to learn that this will be a series written by different authors and each of the girls will have their moment and story. Excited for Bella’s turn next!

Premises sounded interesting but I found myself drifting as I was reading. The insta friendship between the 4 ladies did not feel very authentic to me and I was not particularly invested in the Paige and Oliver of it all. I am sure others will enjoy it more but was not for me. 2.5 stars.

This book is a wonderful read. My first time reading work from Amy, I want to read more of her books.
This book has witty banter galore. What starts as a revenge plot ends as a slow burn where they cannot deny their true feelings.
The spice was a delicious morsel, just enough to make you happy without taking over the story. The plot is rather interesting.

The Payback Plan by Amy Andrews 📕

I was very intrigued to start this book because I really liked the description and I could picture myself giggling away whilst reading it.
However, whilst I did giggle reading the first few chapters, by chapter seven I had lost my motivation to read. Nothing much was happening and the pace was very slow. The texting about Hamster facts was underwhelming in terms of humour and although I liked the stray dog saving, it also felt flat.

I wasn’t a fan of the MFC because I couldn’t connect with her. I could not understand why she decided to leave university because of the pictures and essentially hide and change her whole life because of her ex. For someone who’s confident enough to stay in a strangers/new-friends-ex’s house for three months and get involved with him, I think she demonstrates conflicting personality traits.

I was waiting and waiting for the romance to start but there just wasn’t enough angst between the MFC and MMC for my preference. When they finally did get together, they seemed good together and the 🔥 between them was evident. However it felt like the only reason they got together was because of close proximity and convenience and I felt that back in the wider-world, they wouldn’t have gravitated towards one another.

I did enjoy how the MMC called MFC out for hiding away and punishing herself over the pictures. The MFC reaction to it seemed childish - the fact she felt the need to ‘make a point’ and felt moments of triumph over it - didn’t change my mind or my opinion of her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC.

Overall 2.5/5 ⭐️

After a plane delay 4 women sit together and get talking. They soon realise they all had their hearts broken by men and that karma is the best dish to be served. So they come up with the karma club and it’s brilliant from start to finish.
Absolutely brilliantly written. So funny and I had a notebook and took some well needed notes.
Cannot wait for book 2

I am so pleased to have been given the opportunity to receive an advanced copy of The Payback Plan.

This story made me laugh, cry and nearly throw my kindle Lol.

If you are feeling like a rom-com set during the Christmas time then this one is for you!

pavarotti, casper, the exceptionally bad violin playing.. spectacular give me 14 of em right now.
this book was so funny and a great lead in to this interconnected series! it had me giggling the whole read and i just loved being a fly on the wall watching Paige wreak havoc on Oliver’s life. and i already cannot wait to read about the other girls as well!

Amy Andrews is a new author for me. I was attracted to this book by the plot, I liked the basic premise of this book, the first in the Karma Club series - it sounded like fun & the sort of book I enjoy reading. The opening chapter “In the Beginning” sets the scene for the series: 4 single women in their twenties, Paige, Sienna, Astrid & Bella, meet at snowbound O’Hare Airport in Chicago on their way home for Christmas & quickly bond over Prosecco as they share their bad experiences at the hands of their former partners. They resolve to exact revenge on their exes, forming the Just Desserts WhatsApp group (named for the airport cafe where they’d met) to share their experiences & progress. Paige (FMC) is to plague Oliver, who is Bella’s ex; his crime was to dump her by text on the morning of their wedding. Bella arranges for her new best friend to stay with Oliver at his home in Cornwall, which is handy as Paige is on her way home to England to see her family for Christmas.

The story proper begins with Paige arriving at Oliver’s Cornish home, complete with a cage containing her nephew’s pet hamster & various items of mismatched luggage which contain the tools of her trade: for her day job as a virtual assistant & for her new pastime - to plague Oliver & make his life miserable! She’s clearly put a lot of thought & planning into her campaign with Oliver, & there are a lot of lol moments as the story unfolds. I loved that Paige actually manages to create some edible food amidst all the chaos she creates in Oliver’s pristine kitchen! Paige finds herself settling into the village & making friends with locals, including the local Women’s Institute who are regulars at her favourite cafe in the village & a stray dog - which follows her home from the beach & unleashes all sorts of mayhem. However, it wasn’t in the plan that Paige & Oliver might actually enjoy each other’s company.

I found the characters to be believable & well rounded, I liked Paige & Oliver & enjoyed getting to know them & their story as it developed with all the twists & turns. It lived up to my expectations, & more. It was very funny, but also sensitive in its handling of issues around the failed relationships of the characters;, which led each of them to build walls to protect their heart. However I should just mention that if you are someone who is easily embarrassed I wouldn’t recommend reading this book in a public place as you may find you embarrass yourself by laughing too much!!!

It’s a great story & I’d recommend this book as a holiday read & to anyone in need of some light reading. I will now read more of Amy Andrews’ books, & I am also looking forward to the next instalment of The Karma Club - although that is by a different author.

Just finished The Payback Plan by Amy Andrews and I'm obsessed! This book is the perfect mix of fun, heartfelt, and empowering. Imagine a snowstorm, an airport, and four strangers bonding over bad exes – that's how The Karma Club is born. Their plan for revenge? Absolutely wild and completely entertaining.
Paige's story really grabbed me. Her journey of healing felt so authentic and relatable. It's not about erasing the past but learning to live fully in the present. Watching her take back her power was fantastic.
The friendship between these women is the heart of the story. Seeing them connect and support each other, despite their differences, was so refreshing. It's the kind of strong female bond I crave in my romance reads.
Yes, their payback scheme is a recipe for chaos, especially when Paige ends up in Cornwall with the grumpy but intriguing Olly. Their interactions were full of humour and undeniable chemistry. I was completely invested in seeing how their story unfolded.
If you love sweet and empowering reads with fantastic female friendships, definitely pick this one up. I'm already counting down the days until the next book in The Karma Club series!

This is a charming read with an undeniably cute ending, leaving a warm feeling as the story wraps up. However, I found myself struggling to fully enjoy it due to a significant breach of "girl code" that occurred early on. The violation of such an important friendship boundary left a lingering discomfort throughout the book, overshadowing some of the sweeter moments. While the conclusion was heartwarming, I couldn't quite get past that central issue, which made it hard to fully embrace the characters and their journey.

Holiday travel can be stressful- but for Paige, Astrid, Sienna and Bella, it can be life changing. Admist the chaos, 4 ladies find a single table and become fast friends. While they wait out the storm, there is plenty of dessert, wine and sharing of past drama. Each lady has a tale of being wronged by an ex, and they devise a plan. All four will work to bring about revenge for another girl in the group, and this book focuses on Paige and her plan for Oliver. She starts off bringing every annoyance she can think of into his life, but begins questioning the plan the more time she spends with him…

⭐️⭐️

While I personally wouldn’t recommend this read, I do want to add the disclaimer that I seem to be in the minority of reviews so far.

I first want to highlight a few aspects I did enjoy—the animal sidekick characters with large personalities, the size inclusivity of a FMC that isn’t seemingly a size zero, and the small town vibes.

The plot of this book was exciting and seemed right up my alley, but it ultimately fell short for me and I was left a smidge bored while reading. The connection between the four girls seemed like the friendship version of insta-love and I didn’t buy the “bestie” relationship from an airport run-in. What’s more is that despite the spicy scenes, the chemistry between Oliver and Paige felt forced. Without being interested in the primary romance, it was quite difficult to enjoy this story. The other books that will be a part of this series were teased in this plot, but I wonder if this would’ve been more interesting to have explored in a single multi-POV story. I am somewhat intrigued by how the different revenge stories will go, but I doubt if I will actually go looking to read them once they’ve been published.

TL;DR: This was the start to a rom-com series that wasn’t for me- but I can see other people connecting and enjoying the light reads.

I laughed so much through this unique romcom! Paige has been hiding in her own life for the past four years, but her luck changes in an airport one day. She meets three other women who have recently had bad break-ups. They decide to get some payback on those rotten men, and they each take another's ex to irritate. Paige's choice, Oliver, is not a bad guy, according to his former fiance, so Paige merely intends to shake up his ordered world for a while. This plan involves an unusually expressive hamster, a stray dog, and a ridiculous amount of crumbs. It is absolutely hilarious! Paige is very intelligent, and she turns every situation to her advantage. Oliver has no idea what has hit him. But they slowly get to know each other amidst the chaos, and neither can deny the attraction between them. And neither can deny that they are making each other's lives better. I loved their banter and their honest conversations. I loved the pets and the secondary characters. Mostly, though, I enjoyed the craziness and surprises. I am really looking forward to the other books in the series because I have to know what happens with the other ladies.

This is the first book in the karma club series and focuses on Paige and Oliver. The story starts with four women meeting in a dessert shop in an airport, and after several proseccos and desserts, they make a pact to take Payback on each of their exes.
This is a great start to the series, I loved both Ollie and Paige and how they both managed to bring the best out in each, so much that the fine line between love and hate definitely got blurred! The story was heartwarming and really funny in parts, and even though what Ollie had done was awful, it was for the right reasons! I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Four strangers meet in a snowstorm and find they have one thing in common - a horrible ex. They plan to get revenge on each of the men but it doesn’t go quite to plan.

The idea is really good, especially as a interconnected series written by four different authors. This book deals with Paige and Olly (Belles ex - left her at the alter). I really enjoyed it, but found there was a little too much conflict at the end of it.

Can’t wait to read the next book and find out what happened to Belle.

ARC review
Publication date: 26 Apr 25

"The Payback Plan" by Amy Andrews is the first book in "The Karma Club" series.

Thank you Boldwood Books for the advance reader copy via Netgalley.
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

Page Parker is stranded at O'Hare airport during a snow storm and she meets three strangers with which she quickly bonds tales of betrayal and heartbreak.
The women decide to make a revenge plan on their exes.
So Paige finds herself in Conrnwell with Olly Pendergast, a grumpy recluse, responsible for jilting his fiancé on their wedding day with a text message.

This was a funny and also heartwarming read.
I enjoyed the way Paige tried to bring karma to Olly, even if not all her plans worked.
The first part was fun and lighthearted, but there are also some serious issues treated in the book.
The story is told in dual POV, which I like in books, as we get to know the characters better this way.
Olly started as a grump, but along the way we find out more about his past and the reason why he left Bella.
Even if they were attracted to each other from the start, the romance develops slowly and they go through some issues before the happy ending.

I would recommend this book if you like books with forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine characters, humour and a bit of spice.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advanced reader copy of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

It starts with the main character in this book Paige getting stuck at an airport due to weather conditions and sharing a table with 3 other women. After chatting and getting to know each other over Prosecco, they realised they all had awful experiences with their ex boyfriends and form a plan for payback - each woman picking another’s ex to mess with.

Paige ends up with Bella’s ex Oliver but the payback plan doesn’t quite go as expected.

I really liked the characters of Paige and Oliver. Paige was instantly likeable - the kind of girl I want to be friends with! Oliver was written well as the son of a famous actor - posh, rich and slightly entitled. I liked learning more about each of them and understanding more about their backgrounds.

The only thing I wanted was more about the other women and their payback stories but then I realised there are other books in the Karma Club series following these.

Overall I found it a lovely, easy to read book which I struggled to put down! I’m definitely going to read the other Karma Club books and more from Amy Andrews!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ARC Review

This is Book One in The Karma Club series. A WHOLE Series about girls getting their revenge on their exes, sign me up!

This book follows Paige's revenge on Oliver, and whilst very tame, it ticked all of the boxes to get under his skin.
This was a little spicy, cute and I really enjoyed Oliver and Paige together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the gifted copy.

Thank you Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Amy Andrews for this eArc! I will be giving my honest review.

This was a delightful first book in a new series (The Karma Club) where 4 women (Sienna, Paige, Astrid & Bella) serendipitously meet at an airport after delayed flights. They end up sharing stories of their atrocious exes and concoct plans for revenge. It was such a Meet-Cute but for friends.
This story centers on Paige who is causing mischief for Bella’s ex Olly who left her at the altar with only a text. So Olly out of guilt agrees to put up Bella’s friend Paige who unbeknownst to him is coming for payback. She wreaks havoc in the house using animals, a violin, a burner phone and a variety of other ways.
This plot definitely gave vibes reminiscent of First Wives Club meets Horrible Bosses meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. (Some of my favorites)
Side note: I also really enjoyed the ongoing banter over if Die Hard is a Christmas movie or not.

Overall this was so fun and quirky. I loved the female friendship & shenanigans. The author’s humor is so witty and relatable you feel like you’d have a blast over drinks. I’m very much looking forward to the other installments of this series!