Book Review | My Year of Saying No

Title: My Year of Saying No

Author: Maxine Morrey

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Published: 16th April 2020

Pages: 372 pages

Length: 10 hrs 34 minutes

Buy Now: Amazon UK | Audible UK | Waterstones 

Format: Kindle via NetGalley

Rating: 5 * * * * *

Acquired: NetGalley copy received in exchange for an honest review

Blurb:

When a long-term relationship ended, her best friend’s scheme to get Lottie back in the swing of things seemed like a good idea. She’s kept her promise to Jess to see it through but, as a lover of the quiet life, Lottie couldn’t be happier to say hello to a brand new year – The Year of Saying No! 

Unfortunately, the one thing she still seems unable to say no to is the crush she has on her best client and now friend, Army veteran, Seb Marshall. But she’s working on it, and with rescue dog Humphrey at her side, she knows that she’ll manage just fine.

Lottie’s decision to stop trying to please everyone has brought a sense of relief beyond what she had expected. Her actions and determination have also begun to send ripples throughout her life and those closest to her, bringing about changes none of them could have expected. 

Review:

This is my third #MaxineMorreyMarch read and I am in love. Maxine Morrey writes in a special kind of way. Every one of her books I've read (now 4!) has that extra bit of something-something.

My Year of Saying No is her latest release, and I will admit her writing has got better as her novels have gone on and this is definitely one of her best (#NoFilter is an equal first place - read my review here). 

My Year of Saying No follows Lottie who embarks on... a year of saying no. After a year of saying yes. I did love that the beginning of this book there was a flashback style chapter where it gave you a hint of what happened during her year of saying yes and gave some background info as to why Lottie would finally want to start saying no! It gave a bigger understanding which made me more invested in the story. 

Lottie is fabulous. I loved reading about a main character with such strong views about what she wants for herself. Lottie took a chance and did the Year of Saying No because her best friend asked her too, but then her Best Friend found love, and Lottie found less desirable things coming her way. But when she stands up for herself she changes, and she takes the same attitude and decides to do what she wants to do and I 100% think we could all learn something from Lottie. 

Lottie is a Self Employed Virtual Assistant so her relationship with Seb, her hottie of a Client is purely virtual. So I loved seeing this virtual relationship blossom into something so beautifully written. See and Lottie are bloody adorable. Even as friends I loved them. 

Seb was a fantastic character. Maxine Morrey seems to include characters with aspects most rom-com type novels don't often contain. My Year of Saying No addresses aspects of Soldiers back forms he war and the difficulties some of them face in a slightly uncensored way. Her knowledge is there and it shows. Nothing about Sex felt faked or embellished. He was very realistic and very well written. He had a kind-hearted nature and his personality was so strongly written he became a very lovable character. In a roguish kinda way. 

MYOSN had some ups and down and the suspense was built and everything I wanted to happen, happened. Without spoiling it of course. 

Maxine Morrey writes the best relationships. I think sometimes it's about what isn't written than what is, and to build that suspense and anticipation on paper. Is just the best thing to experience and it's why I love to read. 

I honestly fell head over heels in love with this book. I love Maxine and everything she writes it's just pure bliss.

My Year of Saying No is an uplifting novel that gives you the courage to stand up and do what makes you happy and stop doing so many things that's just expected of you. When you read a Maxine Morrey novel you invest in the storyline you find yourself eclipsed in nothing else. It's all you read. They get your devote attention and they deserve it too. I promised myself 2020 would be the year that I did what I wanted to do and I left a job of nearly 5 years to make myself happy. It was a totally selfish and very drastic choice. My Year of Saying No only made me feel more confident in that everything is going to be ok. And sometimes saying no, is ok too. 

I cannot stress enough how much I think you should read this novel.

Rebecca x

Book Review | Coming Home to Wishington Bay

Title: Coming Home to Wishington Bay
Author: Maxine Morrey
Publisher: HQ Digital
Published: 11th July 2019
Pages: 384
Length: 9hrs 18minutes
Buy Now: Kindle UK | Amazon UK | Audible UK | Waterstones
Format: Mainly Audio
Rating: 4 * * * * 
Acquired: Bought using Audible Credit / bought via Kindle UK

Blurb:

Home is where the heart is… 

Holly doesn’t have time for a holiday this year. But when her job threatens to send her over the brink, her boss insists she take a sabbatical. So she packs her bags and escapes to her beloved grandmother Gigi’s house on Wishington Bay, which has sat empty since Gigi passed away.

But Holly’s dreams of a coastal escape take an unexpected turn. Holly didn’t expect to spend time with any man this summer – let alone an Aussie Adonis…but when she meets her next door neighbour Gabe and his little dog Bryan, it’s clear her quiet summer of strolling along the sand and wandering through the seaside village’s tiny streets on her own will come with a hefty dose of distraction.

With a summer to fill and Gigi’s wonderful and surprising house to sort through, Holly knew it would be a summer packed with old memories. She just didn’t expect to make so many new ones…

Review:

I really loved this book, but after reading #NoFilter I don't think it 100% got the love it deserved. I genuinely think had i have not read a 5* before this it would have been a 5* itself, but there was something that just didn't quite live up to what #NoFilter was for me. 

Coming Home to Wishington Bay is focused on Holly. A workaholic who has rarely left the city or stopped working for five minutes takes a sabbatical to go down to her Late Grandma's house that she left to her in her will, in Wishington Bay. Holly spent a lot of her childhood with her Grandma Gigi at her seaside home so those homely, loving vibes really resonate with me when I was reading this book. There's nothing better than  book that takes you back to that feeling of being so innocently naive of the world, carefree. 

When Holly unexpectedly meets her neighbour Gabe, who is a tenant in her small extra property her Grandma owned she instantly takes a u-turn in her feelings towards being in Wishington Bay. But who doesn't love a hunk with a dog?! Duh. 

I loved Holly. She was so realistic in a way that she wasn't perfect. Things went wrong that didn't magically just fix themselves. She worked on her imperfections or learned to own the way she was. I really liked that she suffered with Anxiety (liked seems the wrong word?!), but it gave her an element of depth and realism which is something you don't often find done in such a way. 

I think the one think that stopped this novel being a 5* for me was that Gabe was an exceptional character. The character building with him was great but his 'attractive' qualities were more about his looks than his personality. Given it was more 60/40 but I'd rather it be 60/40 the other way. but that's just me, it was nothing against the novel or storyline itself. It didn't give or take anything away for me it would have just been nice if there was a little less emphasis on his dashing good looks. 

FYI Wishington Bay is stunningly described. It sounds picture perfect. Maxine Morrey has such a colourful imagination she brings to life even fictional towns and places to make you believe they're real. Whilst keeping in mind the very British Seaside vibes.

What I loved the most about Coming Home to Wishington Bay was that, yes it is a romance based novel, which is great. But it was so much more than that. It was about the modern day independent women and personal growth. It's about doing what makes you happy.

When I lost my Nan in December it was really difficult to deal with and hit me harder than I ever expected it to be. So this book was very close for me especially when it still feels quite soon. It gave me a feeling of somewhat closure that I didn't know I needed. This book will stay somewhat, different, for me. 

Rebecca x

Book Review | #NoFilter by Maxine Morrey

Title: #NoFilter
Author: Maxine Morrey
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Published: 7th November 2019
Pages: 348
Length: 14hrs 27 minutes
Buy Now: Kindle UK | Amazon UK | Audible UK | The Works
Format: Audio
Rating: 5 * * * * *
Acquired: Bought using Audible Credit / bought via Kindle UK

Blurb:

In an Instagram world, can you find love just by being yourself…

Popular lifestyle blogger, Libby Cartwright, is being boggled by business when help shows up in the shape of gorgeous but shy, Charlie Richmond. Libby’s determined to keep it at ‘just good friends’ – she’s dated someone from ‘Corporate Land’ before and it didn’t end well. As she and Charlie begin spending more time together, Libby is starting to waiver  – until she discovers something which makes her question if she’s ready for love.

Still reeling, she suffers another blow as her blog is attacked in a national newspaper, for promoting unachievable perfection. Libby knows it’s not true – but the only way to prove that is to strip off the armour she’s been wearing for years. 

Is she brave enough to show the world she’s far from perfect? And will Charlie be by her side if she does…

Review:

I absolutely loved this book. I started reading it on Monday morning then finished it Wednesday night and it's really unlike me to come home from work and finish a book. I rarely read in the evening because I'm too tired (12 hour work days do that!).

I have started my #MaxineMorreyMarch and I think I picked a stunner of a book to start with. I had recently read her Winters Fairytale and loved that so knew I'd be in for a treat regardless of what she wrote.

#NoFilter follows Libby. An 'up and coming' Lifestyle and Beauty YouTuber and Blogger. She's happily single and enjoying her life. She struggles with the financial side of her blogger business. So when her Friend offers his Brothers accounting services she obliges without expecting the drop dead gorgeous but very shy Charlie to turn p to save her day. #NoFilter follows Lbby throughout all the highs and lows that come with the blogging world and the real commitments that come with it. I think Maxine managed to find the pure soul of what being a blogger means and it was really nice to see and read. I absolutely fell in love with Libby, she's pure gold. I think she reflected what being a woman in this day is really about. She isn't perfect and doesn't pretend to be either. She has mishaps and downs and manages them the way any strong woman would. Although reading more and more about Libby and having had many a conversation with Maxine it is evident she is the life and soul of this novel.

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. Don't you just love it when an Author writes a truly perfect, yet realistic hero of the novel? Me too! Charlie was a beautiful character. You can imagine him in real life, and he was written in a truly perfect manner. Without giving too much away I loved how he was with Libby. He is such a kind hearted character that Maxine makes sure you fall head over heels in love with him and their journey together, even as friends.

There were other characters in this story of course. Amy, Libby best friend is such a laugh. I loved her. She's bubbly and she was exactly what Libby needed in her life to make her see exactly what she needed and where she needed to be and with who! Tilly, her assistant was wonderful. A good soul with a good nature and she always meant well. Even if it doesn't quite go to plan for her.

I ended up getting about 30% into this book and became utterly addicted with even word. I had to know what happened. There were so many moments that took me by surprise and I really think this gave it an edge against other romance novels out there. I did listen to he rest of this via Audible because I wanted to get more reading in and even read after work which I am usually far too tired to do.

I just utterly adored every page.

Will you be picking up #NoFilter ?

Rebecca x