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Take a Chance on Me
Meet Patrick Cooper– desperately down on his luck, and head-over-heels in unrequited love with his best friend Bridget. Meet Bridget's sister, Emma Donovan -eternally single maker-of-cakes for many a happy couple, whilst never making it down the aisle herself. Emma has four younger sisters, all of whom are married or getting married, and an Italian mother who can’t understand what is ‘wrong’ with her eldest daughter, who seems to be stranded on the shelf. Despairing of her own ability to find a suitable husband, Emma agrees to be part of a compatibility project to get married at first sight.
Meanwhile Cooper is struggling to get over his crush on Bridget and seems destined to stay firmly on the shelf too. Perhaps it’s time his fate was taken out of his hands…
Is happily-ever-after just about daring to take a chance, or do you need some extra magic to make love last?
Join Beth Moran, Cooper and the Donovan sisters on this life-affirming and uplifting tale of love, family, friendship, and risking it all for happiness.
Praise for Beth
'Beth Moran's heartwarming books never fail to leave me feeling uplifted' Jessica Redland
‘Life-affirming, joyful and tender.’ Zoe Folbigg
'Every day is a perfect day to read this.’Shari Low
'A British author to watch.'*Publisher's Weekly
'A wonderfully warm-hearted story full of love and laughter.'Victoria Connelly
Meanwhile Cooper is struggling to get over his crush on Bridget and seems destined to stay firmly on the shelf too. Perhaps it’s time his fate was taken out of his hands…
Is happily-ever-after just about daring to take a chance, or do you need some extra magic to make love last?
Join Beth Moran, Cooper and the Donovan sisters on this life-affirming and uplifting tale of love, family, friendship, and risking it all for happiness.
Praise for Beth
'Beth Moran's heartwarming books never fail to leave me feeling uplifted' Jessica Redland
‘Life-affirming, joyful and tender.’ Zoe Folbigg
'Every day is a perfect day to read this.’Shari Low
'A British author to watch.'*Publisher's Weekly
'A wonderfully warm-hearted story full of love and laughter.'Victoria Connelly
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 4, 2019
About the author
Beth Moran
18 books748 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Beth Moran initially worked as a biochemist and then taught antenatal classes before becoming an author. She loves to write contemporary women`s fiction set in and around Sherwood Forest, where she lives with her family
Beth Moran initially worked as a biochemist and then taught antenatal classes before becoming an author. She loves to write contemporary women`s fiction set in and around Sherwood Forest, where she lives with her family
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 387 reviews
February 6, 2021
3☆ A Romantic Saga
When I first read the blurb for this book I was really excited, but unfortunately it didn't quiet hit the spot for me.
Firstly at the very start of the book it geared up to be an interesting and funny read.
But then I got introduced to a whole host of characters all at once, and from that point it felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story.
There was far too many characters and sub stories running alongside, that it was difficult to keep track with who, was who, without keep going back and checking which isn't easy when your reading on your mobile kindle app.
I loved the idea of a large family of sisters but I think the plots got tangled up too much, I think there should of been one main story and kept the others for a different time as the sisters certainly were an interesting bunch.
That said, the characters were written well, the storyline had lots of potential.
I was definitely intrigued by the idea of taking part in an experiment to decided your fate in love, it was certainly different. Overall a good read just wasn't my favourite. I will however definitely give this Authors other books a try.
Thank you to Rachel Random Resources & Boldwood books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
You can Find this Review and all my Other Reviews on My Blog :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2021/0...
When I first read the blurb for this book I was really excited, but unfortunately it didn't quiet hit the spot for me.
Firstly at the very start of the book it geared up to be an interesting and funny read.
But then I got introduced to a whole host of characters all at once, and from that point it felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story.
There was far too many characters and sub stories running alongside, that it was difficult to keep track with who, was who, without keep going back and checking which isn't easy when your reading on your mobile kindle app.
I loved the idea of a large family of sisters but I think the plots got tangled up too much, I think there should of been one main story and kept the others for a different time as the sisters certainly were an interesting bunch.
That said, the characters were written well, the storyline had lots of potential.
I was definitely intrigued by the idea of taking part in an experiment to decided your fate in love, it was certainly different. Overall a good read just wasn't my favourite. I will however definitely give this Authors other books a try.
Thank you to Rachel Random Resources & Boldwood books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
You can Find this Review and all my Other Reviews on My Blog :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2021/0...
February 26, 2021
2.5 rounded up
I generally love Moran's books, but this one was kind of a mess. The overall premise was cute, but it wasn't really uplifting for me, it was honestly a bit sad.
There were two main problems I had with the book.
The first one is that there were way too many stories. I think this would have made a MUCH better series with each book (or even novella) focusing on a different sister. As it was, there were just too many side stories with the various sisters that took away from the main storyline, and the side stories weren't given the thoughtfulness that they needed for as heavy and dramatic as they were (near-affairs, infertility, decisions about having children at all, etc).
The second problem was that the whole love triangle thing was just awful, depressing, and I was never so glad as when Emma finally had it out with Bridget and told her how she felt about the deception. That made me like the book more for its honesty. Added to this Emma's martyrdom and her weird decision at the end to forego even dating a guy she was attracted to...meh.
There were some funny parts and I love books that feature bakeries, but mostly this book just didn't really work. Hopefully the next read I have by Moran will be better.
I generally love Moran's books, but this one was kind of a mess. The overall premise was cute, but it wasn't really uplifting for me, it was honestly a bit sad.
There were two main problems I had with the book.
The first one is that there were way too many stories. I think this would have made a MUCH better series with each book (or even novella) focusing on a different sister. As it was, there were just too many side stories with the various sisters that took away from the main storyline, and the side stories weren't given the thoughtfulness that they needed for as heavy and dramatic as they were (near-affairs, infertility, decisions about having children at all, etc).
The second problem was that the whole love triangle thing was just awful, depressing, and I was never so glad as when Emma finally had it out with Bridget and told her how she felt about the deception. That made me like the book more for its honesty. Added to this Emma's martyrdom and her weird decision at the end to forego even dating a guy she was attracted to...meh.
There were some funny parts and I love books that feature bakeries, but mostly this book just didn't really work. Hopefully the next read I have by Moran will be better.
January 26, 2023
*A crowded tale*
This is the story of the Donavon Sisters, Emma, Anna, Orla, Sophia & Bridget - the main story is about Emma & Bridget and Patrick “Cooper”
Emma is the eldest sibling who met her forever person who broke her heart, that being said she really wants to get married and settle down. That is how all the sisters have been raised. What does not help is that all her younger siblings are getting married or about to be. Their mother is Italian and often puts her foot in it being outspoken and their poor father suffering terribly from M.E.
A compatibility test is done by Bridget the youngest sister who is a scientist and Cooper her fellow scientist and best friend who has been in love with Bridget for years. Emma agrees to marry whoever she is matched to after many rotten dates.
We see the fallout and whether or not science really can help sparks fly and so it goes on with the other sisters and their dramas.
The idea of this book is a good one but I would have loved for the author to have concentrated on the main characters as there is a lot of info to digest which detracts from the main characters and story. Other reviews have said similar and now I can see why.
I would also have loved to see more about their mother and Father and their story, but in a separate book. The mother is a hoot and very embarrassing lol 😂
This is the story of the Donavon Sisters, Emma, Anna, Orla, Sophia & Bridget - the main story is about Emma & Bridget and Patrick “Cooper”
Emma is the eldest sibling who met her forever person who broke her heart, that being said she really wants to get married and settle down. That is how all the sisters have been raised. What does not help is that all her younger siblings are getting married or about to be. Their mother is Italian and often puts her foot in it being outspoken and their poor father suffering terribly from M.E.
A compatibility test is done by Bridget the youngest sister who is a scientist and Cooper her fellow scientist and best friend who has been in love with Bridget for years. Emma agrees to marry whoever she is matched to after many rotten dates.
We see the fallout and whether or not science really can help sparks fly and so it goes on with the other sisters and their dramas.
The idea of this book is a good one but I would have loved for the author to have concentrated on the main characters as there is a lot of info to digest which detracts from the main characters and story. Other reviews have said similar and now I can see why.
I would also have loved to see more about their mother and Father and their story, but in a separate book. The mother is a hoot and very embarrassing lol 😂
February 9, 2021
I thought this book was slow to get started and it really felt prolonged but, paradoxically, rather chaotic too. With a large cast of characters to keep track of and a muddle narrative style, I did not feel as engaged with the story as I wanted to.
First of all, I was really excited about the premise of two strangers getting married and then growing to know each other after the event. After all, it’s something we have seen on television and in films before and I like the romance associated with it.
However, I did not feel that Moran’s plot development really grabbed the essence of the story. It felt really slow to get going: the marriage doesn’t actually occur until half way through the story. Although the writer is establishing the reason behind these two characters getting married, I was hoping there would have been more focus on the couple’s relationship, rather than the events leading up to it. After the ceremony, I thought the story rushed forwards too much to reach the closing academic dinner, where the challenge had been established a year previous. I couldn’t see there was enough focus on watching Emma and Cooper grow as a couple. Consequently, I don’t think Moran found the right balance in the story and by speeding up the first half, could have allowed better plot development throughout.
There are a lot of characters in this story which I was generally able to keep track of. However, at the same time, I wanted to know more about their circumstances. Emma has four siblings, all at very different stages of relationships. They are implied as big personalities, but Moran assigns them as supporting characters. Instead, I think there is enough material to break this book into a series: focusing on each sister and the “crisis” you would expect them to encounter in a book of this genre. The sisters are all very individual and I think it is a shame this was not considered. I don’t normally request for books to be broken into a series but this time I think there is plenty of scope and opportunity for excitement.
My biggest distraction in this story was Moran’s writing style. The sentences were far too long for my liking. There were very, very long sentences – they could be an entire paragraph – with too many clauses and commas. I found it very muddled and that’s how my brain responded too. Often, I found myself re-reading big sections (ie, a single sentence), because I had lost the drift and focus. I wish this had not been the style of writing because it really ruined my enjoyment of the story, leading me to consider this as an average read. I struggled to engage with the characters and did not have a spark with the story – a bit like Emma’s own relationships. As such, when I reached the final chapters, I was quite relieved, caring little about the experiment that Emma has become involved in.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a lovely story but I think it could have been refined further to make it even better. My biggest criticism is based on the sentence structures: if they had been more controlled, I think I would have engaged and enjoyed this story far more.
With thanks to Boldwood Books, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, I was really excited about the premise of two strangers getting married and then growing to know each other after the event. After all, it’s something we have seen on television and in films before and I like the romance associated with it.
However, I did not feel that Moran’s plot development really grabbed the essence of the story. It felt really slow to get going: the marriage doesn’t actually occur until half way through the story. Although the writer is establishing the reason behind these two characters getting married, I was hoping there would have been more focus on the couple’s relationship, rather than the events leading up to it. After the ceremony, I thought the story rushed forwards too much to reach the closing academic dinner, where the challenge had been established a year previous. I couldn’t see there was enough focus on watching Emma and Cooper grow as a couple. Consequently, I don’t think Moran found the right balance in the story and by speeding up the first half, could have allowed better plot development throughout.
There are a lot of characters in this story which I was generally able to keep track of. However, at the same time, I wanted to know more about their circumstances. Emma has four siblings, all at very different stages of relationships. They are implied as big personalities, but Moran assigns them as supporting characters. Instead, I think there is enough material to break this book into a series: focusing on each sister and the “crisis” you would expect them to encounter in a book of this genre. The sisters are all very individual and I think it is a shame this was not considered. I don’t normally request for books to be broken into a series but this time I think there is plenty of scope and opportunity for excitement.
My biggest distraction in this story was Moran’s writing style. The sentences were far too long for my liking. There were very, very long sentences – they could be an entire paragraph – with too many clauses and commas. I found it very muddled and that’s how my brain responded too. Often, I found myself re-reading big sections (ie, a single sentence), because I had lost the drift and focus. I wish this had not been the style of writing because it really ruined my enjoyment of the story, leading me to consider this as an average read. I struggled to engage with the characters and did not have a spark with the story – a bit like Emma’s own relationships. As such, when I reached the final chapters, I was quite relieved, caring little about the experiment that Emma has become involved in.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a lovely story but I think it could have been refined further to make it even better. My biggest criticism is based on the sentence structures: if they had been more controlled, I think I would have engaged and enjoyed this story far more.
With thanks to Boldwood Books, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 17, 2022
Tropes: Best Friend's Sibling / Sibling's Best Friend, Bet / Wager, Blast from the Past / Shared Past, Blind Date, Circle of Friends (except sisters), Friends to Lovers, Love Triangle, Marriage Tropes (Arranged Marriage - married at first sight), Roommates / Cohabitation, Unrequited Love, Workplace Romance
Genres, settings, categories, themes: contemporary fiction, romance (M/F), women's fiction, family, sisters, small town, family dynamics, christianity
POV: alternating chapters between 1st person (Emma) & 3rd person (Cooper)
Series/Sequencing Style: standalone, minor cliffhanger imo
Overall ratings
Heat level: wholesome/clean (from Susanna Carr's categorizations – wholesome/clean, sweet, sensual, sexy, erotic)
The "heroine & hero" are unclear. The main characters are Emma, Cooper, Bridget, Ben, and all of Emma & Bridget's other sisters & their husbands.
Emma 2/5, Cooper 2/5 Bridget 2/5 Ben 4/5
Side characters 2/5
Pacing 3/5
Plot 1/5
Romantic connection(s) 1/5
Writing & grammar 4/5
Reading enjoyability & fun 2/5
Depth & meaningfulness (light & fun --> more serious, addresses heavier topics?) 2/5
Diversity & representation: religious Italian-Irish family in England & their significant others
Angst level: high
Sadness level: medium
CW/Triggers: cheating, chronic illness, infertility, workplace harassment, *yech* factor
Review/Notes
I can see a specific type of reader liking this book, but it's not me. The story is convoluted, centered around a large, religious family in England and their relationship struggles and family dynamics. The basic plot is that Bridget arranges a marriage between her "best friend" (who ghosted her for 4 years, Idk if I'd call them best friends, but ok) / colleague & her sister, for this "scientific" study started because of a bet by an egotistical, sexist jerk boss. Aside from being bored by all the family interplay and not into the religious aspects, I didn't like any of the "romances" in this book. The obsession around Emma being the last single one as the oldest is annoying (and her mum is annoying) and it's pretty obvious to me from the beginning
Genres, settings, categories, themes: contemporary fiction, romance (M/F), women's fiction, family, sisters, small town, family dynamics, christianity
POV: alternating chapters between 1st person (Emma) & 3rd person (Cooper)
Series/Sequencing Style: standalone, minor cliffhanger imo
Overall ratings
Heat level: wholesome/clean (from Susanna Carr's categorizations – wholesome/clean, sweet, sensual, sexy, erotic)
The "heroine & hero" are unclear. The main characters are Emma, Cooper, Bridget, Ben, and all of Emma & Bridget's other sisters & their husbands.
Emma 2/5, Cooper 2/5 Bridget 2/5 Ben 4/5
Side characters 2/5
Pacing 3/5
Plot 1/5
Romantic connection(s) 1/5
Writing & grammar 4/5
Reading enjoyability & fun 2/5
Depth & meaningfulness (light & fun --> more serious, addresses heavier topics?) 2/5
Diversity & representation: religious Italian-Irish family in England & their significant others
Angst level: high
Sadness level: medium
CW/Triggers: cheating, chronic illness, infertility, workplace harassment, *yech* factor
Review/Notes
I can see a specific type of reader liking this book, but it's not me. The story is convoluted, centered around a large, religious family in England and their relationship struggles and family dynamics. The basic plot is that Bridget arranges a marriage between her "best friend" (who ghosted her for 4 years, Idk if I'd call them best friends, but ok) / colleague & her sister, for this "scientific" study started because of a bet by an egotistical, sexist jerk boss. Aside from being bored by all the family interplay and not into the religious aspects, I didn't like any of the "romances" in this book. The obsession around Emma being the last single one as the oldest is annoying (and her mum is annoying) and it's pretty obvious to me from the beginning
January 15, 2021
This book sounded amazing, I mean.. getting married at first sight? sign me up!
BUT NO. This one fell so short even giving it two stars feels a little bit too kind.
First, there are so many characters to keep track of I just couldn't keep up. And they should all have their own books or something, their issues just kept adding up in the book and this easily could have been a series of all the sisters.
Second, THE FEELINGS. Who knowingly marries your female best friends sister while you still have feelings for the best friend? UGH. WTF.
Lastly, the ending. I wasn't satisfied with how it ended. I mean if this happened in my family there's no way we be all happy go lucky bff's.
If you're looking for a sweet, uplifting romance.. this isn't it.
BUT NO. This one fell so short even giving it two stars feels a little bit too kind.
First, there are so many characters to keep track of I just couldn't keep up. And they should all have their own books or something, their issues just kept adding up in the book and this easily could have been a series of all the sisters.
Second, THE FEELINGS. Who knowingly marries your female best friends sister while you still have feelings for the best friend? UGH. WTF.
Lastly, the ending. I wasn't satisfied with how it ended. I mean if this happened in my family there's no way we be all happy go lucky bff's.
If you're looking for a sweet, uplifting romance.. this isn't it.
October 7, 2021
This was cute and fluffy and fun to read, i really recommend it if you want to give your brain a rest 👌
February 17, 2021
'Be willing to take a chance if it comes your way, because you never know how perfect something could turn out to be'
Looking through Goodreads reviews for this book I came across so many poor reviews & I don't get it, why? Yes, this book started off slowly, giving you a chance to get to know all of the Donovan family, then it just flowed into an original, heartwarming, feelgood love story. I couldn't put it down & read it in less than 24 hours. People who say they were confused by there being too many characters have clearly never been a Lord of the rings or Game of Thrones lover.
The Donovans are Irish/Italian & to them family is everything. Bear & Gabriella have five daughters & Emma is the last of their brood to tie the knot, but her wedding is going to be far from conventional, she's marrying a man that she's never met before.
𝗜 ����𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
Looking through Goodreads reviews for this book I came across so many poor reviews & I don't get it, why? Yes, this book started off slowly, giving you a chance to get to know all of the Donovan family, then it just flowed into an original, heartwarming, feelgood love story. I couldn't put it down & read it in less than 24 hours. People who say they were confused by there being too many characters have clearly never been a Lord of the rings or Game of Thrones lover.
The Donovans are Irish/Italian & to them family is everything. Bear & Gabriella have five daughters & Emma is the last of their brood to tie the knot, but her wedding is going to be far from conventional, she's marrying a man that she's never met before.
𝗜 ����𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 ⭐ 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
August 1, 2023
If you want a romance this is not the book you’re looking for.
If you want to read about 5 sisters who are all going through marriage problems and a book where the main character ends up single and alone after being betrayed by the person she’s closest to then perhaps you’ll enjoy this. I certainly didn’t.
If you want to read about 5 sisters who are all going through marriage problems and a book where the main character ends up single and alone after being betrayed by the person she’s closest to then perhaps you’ll enjoy this. I certainly didn’t.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2021
Rating 3.5/5*
Thinking about it, this reads more like a contemporary family saga than romance. It is told from the points of view of Emma Donovan and her sister Bridget’s best friend from Uni, Patrick Cooper. Emma is the oldest of five sisters and she’s the only one who isn’t in a long term relationship. When Bridget’s task at University is to endeavour to trial a compatibility project with the hope of getting a couple to marry at first sight, Emma volunteers to participate and is matched, thanks to some skulduggery on his part, with Bridget’s co-worker, Patrick Cooper. Cooper fell in love with Bridget at first sight at University and, despite knowing she’s in a long term relationship with her childhood sweetheart, has always longed for a closer relationship with her. Now she’s engaged and about to get married he needs to move on and hopefully this will prove the way for him to do so…..
Meanwhile the other sisters and their partners are also having their own dilemmas, their Irish and Italian parents are coming to terms with his diagnosis of ME and there are family dramas galore. This isn’t a story where everything ends with everyone settled living their HEA in bliss. It is a story where some folks do get there but there are others still to do so. It really feels like a saga that needs continuing but I have no idea if there’s more to come or not.
The story is set in and around the Nottingham area and includes some places that are familiar to me. There’s even mention of the Nottingham Panthers who I’ve been to watch playing – though I actually support one of their rival teams (Sheffield Steelers). There are so many tasty treats, throughout the story and it also helps raise awareness for the dreadful condition, ME. It feels like a story of real folk, one that is on going and definitely not finished yet as they still have their lives to lead and futures to face.
Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.
Thinking about it, this reads more like a contemporary family saga than romance. It is told from the points of view of Emma Donovan and her sister Bridget’s best friend from Uni, Patrick Cooper. Emma is the oldest of five sisters and she’s the only one who isn’t in a long term relationship. When Bridget’s task at University is to endeavour to trial a compatibility project with the hope of getting a couple to marry at first sight, Emma volunteers to participate and is matched, thanks to some skulduggery on his part, with Bridget’s co-worker, Patrick Cooper. Cooper fell in love with Bridget at first sight at University and, despite knowing she’s in a long term relationship with her childhood sweetheart, has always longed for a closer relationship with her. Now she’s engaged and about to get married he needs to move on and hopefully this will prove the way for him to do so…..
Meanwhile the other sisters and their partners are also having their own dilemmas, their Irish and Italian parents are coming to terms with his diagnosis of ME and there are family dramas galore. This isn’t a story where everything ends with everyone settled living their HEA in bliss. It is a story where some folks do get there but there are others still to do so. It really feels like a saga that needs continuing but I have no idea if there’s more to come or not.
The story is set in and around the Nottingham area and includes some places that are familiar to me. There’s even mention of the Nottingham Panthers who I’ve been to watch playing – though I actually support one of their rival teams (Sheffield Steelers). There are so many tasty treats, throughout the story and it also helps raise awareness for the dreadful condition, ME. It feels like a story of real folk, one that is on going and definitely not finished yet as they still have their lives to lead and futures to face.
Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.
February 3, 2021
This was an unusual plot which was quite refreshing.
I am a big fan of First Dates and that genre of styles so I did like the premise.
I did find the amount of characters quite confusing and had to keep searching who was who🙈.
A lovely romance which made me smile a lot.
I am a big fan of First Dates and that genre of styles so I did like the premise.
I did find the amount of characters quite confusing and had to keep searching who was who🙈.
A lovely romance which made me smile a lot.
October 30, 2022
4 solid stars for love, family and laughter. Beth Moran's TAKE A CHANCE ON ME is a delightful walk through the middle of a truly loving family with five sisters. How else would their life be but messy, a little outrageous at times, and completely entangled due to the hard solid love these women had for one another, for their parents, and their parents for them. Lucky are the men who were invited into their world and us readers who were able to laugh and cry along with them. I listened to the audiobook, the accented narration make it all just that much better. Wonderfully written story and well done narration, I highly recommend it.
January 13, 2021
„Take a Chance on Me“ introduces us to 5 Donovan sisters – 3 of them are married, one is about to get married, and Emma, the oldest one, is still single. She’s not desperate to tie the knot, however, eventually, after one date that went wrong too many, she agrees to blind marry a man in her sister’s neuroscience project. She doesn’t know the man, the man doesn’t know her, it is the Compatibility Test matched them together. And they should stay married for at least one year. She knows that there are so many things that can go wrong, but maybe, just maybe, could it potentially work?
I didn’t get quickly into the book, and it already was the first alarm bell as it has never happened with Beth Moran’s book before. I was confused with the subject, for a moment I thought it’s going to be some kind of a sci – fi story, to be honest, and till the end I didn’t warm to this idea, it didn’t sit with me so completely. What also bothered me was the huge number of characters – there were simply too many of them to follow because the book wanted to tell stories of them all and it was too much. I didn’t have a problem with the multiple points of view but I had a problem with the fact that there weren’t main characters in the end, the book didn’t know on whom it wants to focus – there were so many problems, subplots and threads and in the end all of them felt a bit too superficial – maybe focusing on one sister would be a better idea, and then writing another book about the other ones. Yes, I felt a little lost and uninspired, it all felt too choppy and not too well intertwined.
Beth Moran has already got me used to her brilliant characters. Sadly, this time, I didn’t feel like caring for any of the sisters. Not sure why but I couldn’t so completely got into their stories and into their heads. There are 5 of them and in the end I didn’t feel as if I knew them enough. Also, the author gives a lot of detail about them, their lives, challenges and their own families and it is really not easy to see what the main point of the book is. Emma is the oldest one and she’s not married, which seems to be a huge problem for her mother, especially as the youngest sister is just about to get married. Each of them have to face many obstacles and problems in their lives that are sometimes really heart – breaking, but they are always there for each other and in the end this is what counts. Mamma was sadly very annoying, though Papa Bear was a lovely character.
I have to say – sadly – that it was my least favourite book by this author. This one has, somehow, lost this magic and sparkle, it didn’t feel like reading Beth Moran’s book, it was sad. I was not so sold on the idea of this scientific experiment where you blindly agree to marry someone you have never met. But, despite all my problems, I stuck with the book, as I really love Beth Moran and her stories. In the end I started to appreciate the unique plot, although it was a bit too late to save the story. Nevertheless, the novel had it moments and one of the strongest messages is about family, about staying together no matter what. The „SisterApp“ was a brilliant idea and really, always when I read books that feature siblings in them I wish I had more than one sister – their antics and meddling in each other’s lives was so lovely written, there was this overwhelming feeling of love and acceptance and I liked it so much.
Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.
I didn’t get quickly into the book, and it already was the first alarm bell as it has never happened with Beth Moran’s book before. I was confused with the subject, for a moment I thought it’s going to be some kind of a sci – fi story, to be honest, and till the end I didn’t warm to this idea, it didn’t sit with me so completely. What also bothered me was the huge number of characters – there were simply too many of them to follow because the book wanted to tell stories of them all and it was too much. I didn’t have a problem with the multiple points of view but I had a problem with the fact that there weren’t main characters in the end, the book didn’t know on whom it wants to focus – there were so many problems, subplots and threads and in the end all of them felt a bit too superficial – maybe focusing on one sister would be a better idea, and then writing another book about the other ones. Yes, I felt a little lost and uninspired, it all felt too choppy and not too well intertwined.
Beth Moran has already got me used to her brilliant characters. Sadly, this time, I didn’t feel like caring for any of the sisters. Not sure why but I couldn’t so completely got into their stories and into their heads. There are 5 of them and in the end I didn’t feel as if I knew them enough. Also, the author gives a lot of detail about them, their lives, challenges and their own families and it is really not easy to see what the main point of the book is. Emma is the oldest one and she’s not married, which seems to be a huge problem for her mother, especially as the youngest sister is just about to get married. Each of them have to face many obstacles and problems in their lives that are sometimes really heart – breaking, but they are always there for each other and in the end this is what counts. Mamma was sadly very annoying, though Papa Bear was a lovely character.
I have to say – sadly – that it was my least favourite book by this author. This one has, somehow, lost this magic and sparkle, it didn’t feel like reading Beth Moran’s book, it was sad. I was not so sold on the idea of this scientific experiment where you blindly agree to marry someone you have never met. But, despite all my problems, I stuck with the book, as I really love Beth Moran and her stories. In the end I started to appreciate the unique plot, although it was a bit too late to save the story. Nevertheless, the novel had it moments and one of the strongest messages is about family, about staying together no matter what. The „SisterApp“ was a brilliant idea and really, always when I read books that feature siblings in them I wish I had more than one sister – their antics and meddling in each other’s lives was so lovely written, there was this overwhelming feeling of love and acceptance and I liked it so much.
Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.
August 2, 2023
Sweet unusual romance with no spicy scenes. I was a fan!
February 7, 2021
Oh my goodness, where do I start with this one? I’ve spent the most perfect couple of days surrounded by the warmth of the wonderful Donovan family, and when I finally found myself alone again I felt quite bereft – I entirely loved this book, and it’ll definitely be a contender as one of my books of the year. It’s not very often that I start a review like that, but I was mildly horrified to see a few distinctly lukewarm early reviews – I’m really not sure what those readers were expecting, but trust me, I felt it more than delivered on its promises at every possible level.
There is a large central cast – five sisters and their Irish Italian parents, plus all their various partners and family members. While the main focus may be on Emma and Connor and their involvement with the compatibility project – marrying someone you’ve never met – the book also follows all their individual stories, and that (for me, at least) lifted the book into a whole different “romcom-plus” category.
Bridget (the Young One) works on the project for the horrendous Professor Cole, alongside the wonderful Connor (who I loved from our very first introduction): she’s been engaged to Paolo forever, Connor knows he has no hope of ever winning her heart, and as her marriage draws nearer resigns himself to the fact that he’ll never be more than her closest friend. Her twin, Annie, is married and lives in New York – distance proves no obstacle to keeping in touch, but her sisters feel there’s something not quite right within her marriage. Orla’s the one with the family of her own, a touch stifled by it all, making a bit of a bid for freedom: Sofia and husband Moses run the New Life church, and she’d give anything to have a family.
Then there’s Emma (the Old One) – firmly on the shelf to the consternation of her mother Gabriella (who is perhaps the best character in the entire book…), running a successful cake making business, supremely organised and capable, but believing that true happiness can only come by finding a partner of her own. And the family’s completed by father Bear (maybe the second best character in the book…), who gives the very best hugs and sage advice, but struggles with the debilitating impact of ME.
The central premise – the marriage at first sight and everything that comes after – is superbly handled, and that story is threaded through all the twists and turns of everyone else’s lives. The voices of the book are Emma and Connor – both tremendously endearing as you share their inner thoughts and emotions, and yearn for them both to find whatever happiness they can. But more than anything else, this is a story about love and family – there’s a closeness, a fierce and precious love that warms your heart, that makes you wish it was a family you could be part of, that brings a tear to your eye on so many occasions. There are the compulsory sprawling Sunday lunches when Gabriella catches up with their lives (and shares her opinions – whether they want to hear them or not), the Wednesday wine nights when they catch up with each other – and, in between, there’s the Sister App where they share their thoughts (except for those times when they don’t). They might hurt each other at times, intervene and interfere when it’s not invited – but this is a family that loves and forgives, and one I’ll never forget.
This book made me cry at times, to want to leap in and be able to sort things out for them – but, as I couldn’t do that, I’d have been happy just to give a few of them a hug when they were hurting. And I’ve just realised I haven’t mentioned that the book is also extremely funny – if I was a “laugh out loud” person, I’d have done so many times as these very real people behaved as real people do. The book’s ending is perfect, emotional and perfectly judged, absolutely everything I’d hoped for – and the fact that neat bows aren’t tied on every single thread made it feel even more like a slice of real life than it already did. I’d love to spend more time with this wonderful family – if the author ever thinks of writing a sequel, I’ll be first in the queue.
As the book clearly wasn’t what some readers expected, I wondered if it would help if I made some “if you like x” comparisons. My first thought was Marian Keyes – and yes, I thought this book really was that good, with a very similar feel to her earlier writing. A touch Cathy Kelly maybe (although I haven’t read a book from her in years…), a bit Anna McPartlin (with added Italian touches…), maybe a bit Mhairi McFarlane in the romantic parts? But Beth Moran has a style and presentation all of her own – I really loved this book, and recommend it most highly.
There is a large central cast – five sisters and their Irish Italian parents, plus all their various partners and family members. While the main focus may be on Emma and Connor and their involvement with the compatibility project – marrying someone you’ve never met – the book also follows all their individual stories, and that (for me, at least) lifted the book into a whole different “romcom-plus” category.
Bridget (the Young One) works on the project for the horrendous Professor Cole, alongside the wonderful Connor (who I loved from our very first introduction): she’s been engaged to Paolo forever, Connor knows he has no hope of ever winning her heart, and as her marriage draws nearer resigns himself to the fact that he’ll never be more than her closest friend. Her twin, Annie, is married and lives in New York – distance proves no obstacle to keeping in touch, but her sisters feel there’s something not quite right within her marriage. Orla’s the one with the family of her own, a touch stifled by it all, making a bit of a bid for freedom: Sofia and husband Moses run the New Life church, and she’d give anything to have a family.
Then there’s Emma (the Old One) – firmly on the shelf to the consternation of her mother Gabriella (who is perhaps the best character in the entire book…), running a successful cake making business, supremely organised and capable, but believing that true happiness can only come by finding a partner of her own. And the family’s completed by father Bear (maybe the second best character in the book…), who gives the very best hugs and sage advice, but struggles with the debilitating impact of ME.
The central premise – the marriage at first sight and everything that comes after – is superbly handled, and that story is threaded through all the twists and turns of everyone else’s lives. The voices of the book are Emma and Connor – both tremendously endearing as you share their inner thoughts and emotions, and yearn for them both to find whatever happiness they can. But more than anything else, this is a story about love and family – there’s a closeness, a fierce and precious love that warms your heart, that makes you wish it was a family you could be part of, that brings a tear to your eye on so many occasions. There are the compulsory sprawling Sunday lunches when Gabriella catches up with their lives (and shares her opinions – whether they want to hear them or not), the Wednesday wine nights when they catch up with each other – and, in between, there’s the Sister App where they share their thoughts (except for those times when they don’t). They might hurt each other at times, intervene and interfere when it’s not invited – but this is a family that loves and forgives, and one I’ll never forget.
This book made me cry at times, to want to leap in and be able to sort things out for them – but, as I couldn’t do that, I’d have been happy just to give a few of them a hug when they were hurting. And I’ve just realised I haven’t mentioned that the book is also extremely funny – if I was a “laugh out loud” person, I’d have done so many times as these very real people behaved as real people do. The book’s ending is perfect, emotional and perfectly judged, absolutely everything I’d hoped for – and the fact that neat bows aren’t tied on every single thread made it feel even more like a slice of real life than it already did. I’d love to spend more time with this wonderful family – if the author ever thinks of writing a sequel, I’ll be first in the queue.
As the book clearly wasn’t what some readers expected, I wondered if it would help if I made some “if you like x” comparisons. My first thought was Marian Keyes – and yes, I thought this book really was that good, with a very similar feel to her earlier writing. A touch Cathy Kelly maybe (although I haven’t read a book from her in years…), a bit Anna McPartlin (with added Italian touches…), maybe a bit Mhairi McFarlane in the romantic parts? But Beth Moran has a style and presentation all of her own – I really loved this book, and recommend it most highly.
December 29, 2020
This book was unique. It was hard to get into at first and a bit slow to pick up. Beyond that, it's a very cute story about following through with what's right, or chasing after what you truly want – who you truly want. But the element of reality in this book is what set me back a bit. Pursuing a science field simply because you're transfixed on a girl? Fixing a science experiment for experienced scientists? Deciding that dating is too challenging and agreeing to blindly marry someone you've never met? And then everything falls apart when those very same people seem to own up to the feelings they have for other people in the first place. Like I said: cute story, but not really a realistic one.
May 26, 2021
Doskonała rozrywka na lato
February 15, 2021
I’ll start by saying I really enjoyed the writing of this book. The flow, the character development, the stories within stories. It was all good. Each character had a background and their own things going on that we knew enough about to be invested in, without it overtaking Emma’s story.
With that said, I wasn’t a full fan of the story itself. I absolutely hated Cooper. He was terrible and selfish and was doing something that would only end up hurting the people around him. I never liked or trusted him, and hated the fact that everyone let him go about his business. Reading this as Emma’s story, it’s heartbreaking knowing Coopers truth, and having a feeling that things won’t work out for Emma.
I enjoyed Emma as a character until her enlightening speech at the end. I just hated her high and mighty stance and the fact that she has just given up completely on other people. It wasn’t real to me that she would reject everything around her so much.
With that said, I wasn’t a full fan of the story itself. I absolutely hated Cooper. He was terrible and selfish and was doing something that would only end up hurting the people around him. I never liked or trusted him, and hated the fact that everyone let him go about his business. Reading this as Emma’s story, it’s heartbreaking knowing Coopers truth, and having a feeling that things won’t work out for Emma.
I enjoyed Emma as a character until her enlightening speech at the end. I just hated her high and mighty stance and the fact that she has just given up completely on other people. It wasn’t real to me that she would reject everything around her so much.
May 26, 2023
Wow, this family has a lot of self-made drama that could have all been avoided if they had just communicated better or stopped to think how things actually made them feel before just jumping into it. The amount of drama had me thinking about DNFing it, it just all got to be alot, everyone is in everyone elses business without actually stopping to think or look at how their actions affect anyone else around them.
December 22, 2020
Loved this story about a tight knit family of sisters that go through so many obstacles in their lives. The compatibility test that Emma takes and her sisters best friend Cooper takes that he makes sure his answers line up with hers. Just goes to show that tests regarding long lasting love are not always the most accurate, and don't guarantee you will end up with whom you truly want to be with.
February 4, 2021
Not What You Expected, But What You Need. As is often my norm when getting ready to write reviews, I had a look through the existing ones first. And so many were so critical of this book claiming it was effectively a bait and switch and had too many characters.
Now, I'm a man that can have and has had a dozen different books going, and can easily track what is happening in all of them. I've compared my (Autistic) mind to an AEGIS threat detection and tracking system before - able to track *far* more things than most can even readily know is happening. I also happen to be the child of two people who each have more siblings than our lead female does here, so again, I'm used to large families and tracking everything. But yes, if your mind is smaller in scale and can't cope with a dozen ish important characters... you're going to struggle with this tale. For me, this was actually fairly normal and I thought the dynamics were very solidly portrayed, with no characters feeling unduly flat, other than perhaps the children that were only in a scene or two. (And even then, within those scenes the children in question felt quite alive.)
As to the "bait and switch" of "claiming to be a romance" and actually presenting a "women's fiction"... The timing for me was actually quite interesting, as in a prominent multi-author book group on Facebook, one of the founding authors asked *just yesterday* what kind of endings people preferred. Of 416 responses across 8 options, with multiple selections allowed per voter, over 2/3 of the respondents to this particular (18 hr old at the time of this writing) poll responded with some form of "surprise me (174) / give me something to think about (75) / messy endings are fine (17) / pull lots of threads together (15)". So at least in this particular group of readers, I honestly think most of them would be along the lines of how I personally felt about this: I personally thought it was a wonderful tale of life, love, and other mysteries. (Kudos if you get that reference, you're awesome! :D) YES, if you are an RWA purist, this book will NOT fit all of the RWA rules for "romance". If you argue (as I do) that Nicholas Sparks writes romances that are often *far* more emotional and loving than many RWA-pure romances and thus should be considered romances themselves... you'll be fine here. (Though note: This is NOT a tragedy ala Sparks, but that is as close as I get to revealing anything here.) Further, examining the description and even genres listed by the publisher on Amazon, I find no evidence of them claiming this is a romance novel. Instead, the marketing tagline is that you will get a "life-affirming and uplifting tale of love, family, friendship, and risking it all for happiness".
I would argue that the tagline given is *exactly* the book we ultimately get, and thus any claims of being led to expect one thing and being given something else (aka "bait and switch") are ultimately baseless and indeed utterly absurd.
For me, this book was a very solid, very fun tale with aspects not seen in many other places, including struggles with childlessness, fostering, different takes on what it means to be married/ have a happy marriage, and even, yes, its central premise and ultimate resolution thereof. For me, this was a book that completely worked from top to bottom, and enough that I personally will be on the look for future books from this author. Which means that, of course, this book is very much recommended.
Now, I'm a man that can have and has had a dozen different books going, and can easily track what is happening in all of them. I've compared my (Autistic) mind to an AEGIS threat detection and tracking system before - able to track *far* more things than most can even readily know is happening. I also happen to be the child of two people who each have more siblings than our lead female does here, so again, I'm used to large families and tracking everything. But yes, if your mind is smaller in scale and can't cope with a dozen ish important characters... you're going to struggle with this tale. For me, this was actually fairly normal and I thought the dynamics were very solidly portrayed, with no characters feeling unduly flat, other than perhaps the children that were only in a scene or two. (And even then, within those scenes the children in question felt quite alive.)
As to the "bait and switch" of "claiming to be a romance" and actually presenting a "women's fiction"... The timing for me was actually quite interesting, as in a prominent multi-author book group on Facebook, one of the founding authors asked *just yesterday* what kind of endings people preferred. Of 416 responses across 8 options, with multiple selections allowed per voter, over 2/3 of the respondents to this particular (18 hr old at the time of this writing) poll responded with some form of "surprise me (174) / give me something to think about (75) / messy endings are fine (17) / pull lots of threads together (15)". So at least in this particular group of readers, I honestly think most of them would be along the lines of how I personally felt about this: I personally thought it was a wonderful tale of life, love, and other mysteries. (Kudos if you get that reference, you're awesome! :D) YES, if you are an RWA purist, this book will NOT fit all of the RWA rules for "romance". If you argue (as I do) that Nicholas Sparks writes romances that are often *far* more emotional and loving than many RWA-pure romances and thus should be considered romances themselves... you'll be fine here. (Though note: This is NOT a tragedy ala Sparks, but that is as close as I get to revealing anything here.) Further, examining the description and even genres listed by the publisher on Amazon, I find no evidence of them claiming this is a romance novel. Instead, the marketing tagline is that you will get a "life-affirming and uplifting tale of love, family, friendship, and risking it all for happiness".
I would argue that the tagline given is *exactly* the book we ultimately get, and thus any claims of being led to expect one thing and being given something else (aka "bait and switch") are ultimately baseless and indeed utterly absurd.
For me, this book was a very solid, very fun tale with aspects not seen in many other places, including struggles with childlessness, fostering, different takes on what it means to be married/ have a happy marriage, and even, yes, its central premise and ultimate resolution thereof. For me, this was a book that completely worked from top to bottom, and enough that I personally will be on the look for future books from this author. Which means that, of course, this book is very much recommended.
February 5, 2021
More of an inspirational read than the lighthearted rom-com I was expecting.
Some years prior, Emma was abandoned by her fiance weeks before their marriage.
Since then, she had dedicated herself to learn how to bake and build her baking business from scratch.
Being the eldest of five sisters, it was tough for Emma to learn her youngest sister was getting engaged, leaving her the last unmarried person in the family.
When her sister started a ‘blind wedding’ project at the neuroscience institute she worked for, Emma decided to take a leap of faith and join in agreeing to marry a complete stranger chosen for her based on data analysis and DNA samples.
It reminded me of Married at First Sight, a reality show that in a way emulates the experiment described in the book. I was curious to find out how it would play out in the book.
The story turned out to be quite different from what I was expecting, but not in a bad way.
I enjoyed the family vibe, especially the overprotective Italian mom and the lovely Irish Dad. The sisters also seem very real and easy to relate to.
Cooper was a sweetheart. He was shy, insecure, but loyal and lovely.
Emma had a sweet nature and a scarred heart. She was so brave to put herself out there and take that chance.
The story is not very romantic, but it deals with the character’s inner struggles in a fascinating manner. It shows that nobody is perfectly happy and that happiness is a choice one has to make every day, whether single or in a relationship.
Take a Chance on Me is less of the lighthearted rom-com I was expecting and more of an inspirational read about life’s purpose and happiness.
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*For more reviews, book art, and book-related articles, please visit https://lureviewsbooks.com *
Some years prior, Emma was abandoned by her fiance weeks before their marriage.
Since then, she had dedicated herself to learn how to bake and build her baking business from scratch.
Being the eldest of five sisters, it was tough for Emma to learn her youngest sister was getting engaged, leaving her the last unmarried person in the family.
When her sister started a ‘blind wedding’ project at the neuroscience institute she worked for, Emma decided to take a leap of faith and join in agreeing to marry a complete stranger chosen for her based on data analysis and DNA samples.
It reminded me of Married at First Sight, a reality show that in a way emulates the experiment described in the book. I was curious to find out how it would play out in the book.
The story turned out to be quite different from what I was expecting, but not in a bad way.
I enjoyed the family vibe, especially the overprotective Italian mom and the lovely Irish Dad. The sisters also seem very real and easy to relate to.
Cooper was a sweetheart. He was shy, insecure, but loyal and lovely.
Emma had a sweet nature and a scarred heart. She was so brave to put herself out there and take that chance.
The story is not very romantic, but it deals with the character’s inner struggles in a fascinating manner. It shows that nobody is perfectly happy and that happiness is a choice one has to make every day, whether single or in a relationship.
Take a Chance on Me is less of the lighthearted rom-com I was expecting and more of an inspirational read about life’s purpose and happiness.
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*For more reviews, book art, and book-related articles, please visit https://lureviewsbooks.com *
December 24, 2020
Beth Moran, in “Take A Chance On Me,” explores whether the concept of happily ever after is simply about daring to take a chance or if extra magic is needed to make love last.
The Donovan family is a tight-knit Irish-Italian family with 5 daughters; 4 of whom are getting married or already married. When the protagonist and still single oldest sister, Emma, is made aware of the Compatibility Project she eagerly signs up to marry at first sight. After all, it can’t be as bad as her 37 dates in the past three years, only 5 of which made it to a second date. What’s the Compatibility Project, you ask? Well, simply put, it’s a computer program that calculates your compatibility within the database and suggests someone for you to marry. I know what you’re thinking and you’re correct - there’s so much that can go wrong with this! On the flip side, it could potentially work. Emma is about to find out as a match is found and marriage is imminent. Can she make this work? Does love play a role?
This book needs some of your patience as it’s tough going for the first half. I think the biggest problem for me was that I had difficulty with so many subplots. There are 5 sisters and the author gives great detail about each one and their significant other and the challenges they experience. In fact, the Donovan sisters could feature as a separate book as could Emma’s story stand alone in a separate book. Throw into the mix different viewpoints and timelines and it left me confused and frustrated at times. I think I needed the subplots to dovetail more seamlessly. I found myself flipping back to find out if I’d missed something because what I was reading wasn’t making sense. More often than not, it was because there were no time indications. What I was reading happened in the past, but I had no reference nor indication that it wasn’t present day. Many of these confusions happened within chapters. That being said, I stuck with it and was glad I had. It’s a unique plot with a great cast of characters. I loved the ‘SisterApp’ and wish such a thing were available for me and my sisters to communicate. You’ll have to read to discover if Emma is the next sister to marry or if she’s going to pass on the technology and enjoy her freedom. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this romance is to be published February 4, 2021.
Thank you to Beth Moran, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Donovan family is a tight-knit Irish-Italian family with 5 daughters; 4 of whom are getting married or already married. When the protagonist and still single oldest sister, Emma, is made aware of the Compatibility Project she eagerly signs up to marry at first sight. After all, it can’t be as bad as her 37 dates in the past three years, only 5 of which made it to a second date. What’s the Compatibility Project, you ask? Well, simply put, it’s a computer program that calculates your compatibility within the database and suggests someone for you to marry. I know what you’re thinking and you’re correct - there’s so much that can go wrong with this! On the flip side, it could potentially work. Emma is about to find out as a match is found and marriage is imminent. Can she make this work? Does love play a role?
This book needs some of your patience as it’s tough going for the first half. I think the biggest problem for me was that I had difficulty with so many subplots. There are 5 sisters and the author gives great detail about each one and their significant other and the challenges they experience. In fact, the Donovan sisters could feature as a separate book as could Emma’s story stand alone in a separate book. Throw into the mix different viewpoints and timelines and it left me confused and frustrated at times. I think I needed the subplots to dovetail more seamlessly. I found myself flipping back to find out if I’d missed something because what I was reading wasn’t making sense. More often than not, it was because there were no time indications. What I was reading happened in the past, but I had no reference nor indication that it wasn’t present day. Many of these confusions happened within chapters. That being said, I stuck with it and was glad I had. It’s a unique plot with a great cast of characters. I loved the ‘SisterApp’ and wish such a thing were available for me and my sisters to communicate. You’ll have to read to discover if Emma is the next sister to marry or if she’s going to pass on the technology and enjoy her freedom. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this romance is to be published February 4, 2021.
Thank you to Beth Moran, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 4, 2021
I struggle quite a bit with how to rate this book.
Emma is a baker and has been single for a long time after having her childhood love get caught making out with her enemy 2 weeks before their planned nuptials. She also has 4 younger sisters that she is extremely close to.
Cooper has been in love with Emma's youngest sister, Bridget, since their university days. The problem is that she is now engaged to her childhood love.
Cooper and Bridget's boss, a professor of neuroscience, makes an extremely terrible bet with a psychology professor at a banquet, saying that he can manage to find 2 people to get married and fall in love so easily, just like the psychology professor does on her famous TV show, demonstrating the lack of rigor in psychology as a science. This, of course, becomes a problem for Cooper and Bridget to actually figure out. After getting tons of terrible applicants, they're very stressed. Because Emma has had many terrible dates, she decides to sign up for the matchmaking program. Cooper wants to get over Bridget, so he signs up too, making his answers align with Emma's so they get matched.
So they get married, which is, of course, a terrible idea. Emma tries really hard to fall in love with Cooper while dealing with a ton of family drama and Cooper tries to fall in love with Emma while forgetting about Bridget. Throughout this all, Emma's sisters are all dealing with their own drama and we see the struggles they're going through and how they try to support one another and figure things out.
All in all, this book isn't really a romance, despite how it's marketed. It's really a women's fiction novel, with the focus of the book being on Emma and her sisters figuring out their lives. I think I could have enjoyed it more if I went into the story expecting it to be about the Donovan sisters, not about Emma and Cooper falling in love (spoiler alert: they don't). The marketing just really through off how I thought this story was going to go and made me question a lot of the choices being made throughout.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Emma is a baker and has been single for a long time after having her childhood love get caught making out with her enemy 2 weeks before their planned nuptials. She also has 4 younger sisters that she is extremely close to.
Cooper has been in love with Emma's youngest sister, Bridget, since their university days. The problem is that she is now engaged to her childhood love.
Cooper and Bridget's boss, a professor of neuroscience, makes an extremely terrible bet with a psychology professor at a banquet, saying that he can manage to find 2 people to get married and fall in love so easily, just like the psychology professor does on her famous TV show, demonstrating the lack of rigor in psychology as a science. This, of course, becomes a problem for Cooper and Bridget to actually figure out. After getting tons of terrible applicants, they're very stressed. Because Emma has had many terrible dates, she decides to sign up for the matchmaking program. Cooper wants to get over Bridget, so he signs up too, making his answers align with Emma's so they get matched.
So they get married, which is, of course, a terrible idea. Emma tries really hard to fall in love with Cooper while dealing with a ton of family drama and Cooper tries to fall in love with Emma while forgetting about Bridget. Throughout this all, Emma's sisters are all dealing with their own drama and we see the struggles they're going through and how they try to support one another and figure things out.
All in all, this book isn't really a romance, despite how it's marketed. It's really a women's fiction novel, with the focus of the book being on Emma and her sisters figuring out their lives. I think I could have enjoyed it more if I went into the story expecting it to be about the Donovan sisters, not about Emma and Cooper falling in love (spoiler alert: they don't). The marketing just really through off how I thought this story was going to go and made me question a lot of the choices being made throughout.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2020
I liked the cover and the premise which prompted me to request and read this. However, this was far from cute. Being unable to get over your best friend who never has the same feelings and is also the sister of your other best friend, no thanks. A been there, done that kind of a story. Also there were too many points of views at once it was hard to get settled into the story that I just just did not care what happened anymore. Just my opinion and I dislike giving bad reviews.
Hence, cannot recommend this.
Thanks to Netgalley, Beth Moran and Boldwood Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Available: 2/4/21
Hence, cannot recommend this.
Thanks to Netgalley, Beth Moran and Boldwood Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Available: 2/4/21
June 27, 2019
Could this be THE perfect summer read? Quite possibly. This book has it all: romance, a gorgeous island setting and buckets of laughs. Literally every other page had me laughing out loud. Even though there is much to love about the second-first-kiss plot, it was the summer friendships that made my heart sing. I couldn't put this book down. If you're a fan of Beth Garrod's SUPER AWKWARD series then this book will absolutely not disappoint.
January 2, 2021
Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a confusing, action packed romance told through multiple points of view and on various storylines that left me feeling lost and uninspired. I wish the author would have either stayed on one storyline or intergrated their story a lot better.
This was a confusing, action packed romance told through multiple points of view and on various storylines that left me feeling lost and uninspired. I wish the author would have either stayed on one storyline or intergrated their story a lot better.
March 12, 2023
brill, had a fight club reference which was just perfect haha
February 8, 2021
I have been a fan of Beth’s work for a little while now. I haven’t quite caught up with everything that she has written but I am getting there. I read the synopsis for ‘Take A Chance On Me’ and it certainly sounded like the kind of read I have come to expect from Beth Moran- a fun, light hearted, amusing read. Well it certainly was that and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Take A Chance On Me’ but more about that in a bit.
I loved the characters of Emma and Patrick and I warmed to them from the start. In fact it didn’t take me long to consider them to have become friends of mine. Both are a bit lost at the moment. Emma is the last remaining single Donovan woman. Her sisters have paired off and have either got married or become engaged. Emma was attached but for one reason and another that didn’t work out. Emma is kind, funny, determined, occasionally stubborn and compassionate. Patrick had a crush on Emma’s sister back in the day, which to a degree still applies today. Patrick is having a bit of hassle work wise and ends up finding a job at the same place as Emma’s sister. Patrick is funny, sometimes a bit too serious, kind, compassionate and very caring. Is Patrick destined to be with Emma, her sister or somebody else entirely? Will Emma find the ‘happy ever’ after ending that she so deserves?
I have to be honest and say that it took me a little while to get into this story but when I got into it that was it, I just couldn’t put the book down. My book wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I think part of the reason for my addiction to this book was because I took so well to the main character of Emma and Patrick and I had to keep reading to see if they both found their ‘happy ever after’ ending. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen and I needed to know how the story panned out for them both. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly the pages were turning. All too soon, I came to the end of the story and I had to say goodbye to Emma and Patrick.
‘Take A Chance On Me’ is really well written but then I have thought that to be true of all of Beth’s books to date. She has a way of grabbing your attention and subtly drawing you into the story. I like the way in which Beth writes such fun, light hearted romantic comedies that make the reader feel included in the story, as in the reader is another character. That’s how I felt at any rate. For me, ‘Take A Chance On Me’ was a delight to read from start to finish and kept my attention throughout.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Take A Chance On Me’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Beth’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.
I loved the characters of Emma and Patrick and I warmed to them from the start. In fact it didn’t take me long to consider them to have become friends of mine. Both are a bit lost at the moment. Emma is the last remaining single Donovan woman. Her sisters have paired off and have either got married or become engaged. Emma was attached but for one reason and another that didn’t work out. Emma is kind, funny, determined, occasionally stubborn and compassionate. Patrick had a crush on Emma’s sister back in the day, which to a degree still applies today. Patrick is having a bit of hassle work wise and ends up finding a job at the same place as Emma’s sister. Patrick is funny, sometimes a bit too serious, kind, compassionate and very caring. Is Patrick destined to be with Emma, her sister or somebody else entirely? Will Emma find the ‘happy ever’ after ending that she so deserves?
I have to be honest and say that it took me a little while to get into this story but when I got into it that was it, I just couldn’t put the book down. My book wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I think part of the reason for my addiction to this book was because I took so well to the main character of Emma and Patrick and I had to keep reading to see if they both found their ‘happy ever after’ ending. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen and I needed to know how the story panned out for them both. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly the pages were turning. All too soon, I came to the end of the story and I had to say goodbye to Emma and Patrick.
‘Take A Chance On Me’ is really well written but then I have thought that to be true of all of Beth’s books to date. She has a way of grabbing your attention and subtly drawing you into the story. I like the way in which Beth writes such fun, light hearted romantic comedies that make the reader feel included in the story, as in the reader is another character. That’s how I felt at any rate. For me, ‘Take A Chance On Me’ was a delight to read from start to finish and kept my attention throughout.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Take A Chance On Me’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Beth’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.
February 28, 2021
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Boldwood Books for approving me for an ARC of this book.
I love a feel good romance with loveable characters, a brilliant family and plenty of drama. The Donovan’s were fantastic, they reminded me of a family from a tv show I used to watch, 7th Heaven. They were chaotic, close knit and infectious, at the centre of it all was the mum Gabriella. She was the glue that held them all together and I often found myself giggling at her brutal by honest way of addressing everything. The sisters all had their quirks but Sofia was my favourite, despite what she was going through she always managed to find time to help one of the others and make them see sense. She was definitely cut from the same cloth as her mum, with a more subtle way of being honest, and managed to look out for her siblings even when they didn’t realise. Bridget was my least favourite sister, she almost seemed a little spoilt to me. From the start her manner and way she treated Cooper seemed really off and I couldn’t warm to her.
During the story the author explores the long term illness ME (chronic fatigue syndrome). This is a fairly new illness that not many know an awful lot about but Beth Moran explores the side effects and plights that many with this illness face. I thought the inclusion of it was done really well without being too clinical and over the top and she has definitely shined a light on an illness that is often tagged as someone being lazy, which it certainly isn’t!
The whole concept of getting married at first sight is completely unusual but highly entertaining! I don’t know if I could be brave enough to do it but Emma’s reasons for joining seemed to make sense to me. I felt sorry for her because she legitimately went into it in the hopes of finding her happy ever after and Cooper joined to get over Bridget, which is of course what you should do when getting over someone! After they were married I enjoyed seeing how they both adjusted to this new way of life. As the story went on I really warmed to them as a couple and thought Cooper was turning into a lovely partner for Emma. Whilst they had some issues to work through they both seemed willing to give it a try.
This was more than a story about being married to a stranger. It was a story of hope, family, belonging and taking a chance. Whilst I wasn’t keen on the ending I did love the Donovan’s and all they had to offer. The strength of sisterhood was tested and there was plenty of moments to make laugh and well up. The perfect bit of light reading as the warmer weather hits.
I love a feel good romance with loveable characters, a brilliant family and plenty of drama. The Donovan’s were fantastic, they reminded me of a family from a tv show I used to watch, 7th Heaven. They were chaotic, close knit and infectious, at the centre of it all was the mum Gabriella. She was the glue that held them all together and I often found myself giggling at her brutal by honest way of addressing everything. The sisters all had their quirks but Sofia was my favourite, despite what she was going through she always managed to find time to help one of the others and make them see sense. She was definitely cut from the same cloth as her mum, with a more subtle way of being honest, and managed to look out for her siblings even when they didn’t realise. Bridget was my least favourite sister, she almost seemed a little spoilt to me. From the start her manner and way she treated Cooper seemed really off and I couldn’t warm to her.
During the story the author explores the long term illness ME (chronic fatigue syndrome). This is a fairly new illness that not many know an awful lot about but Beth Moran explores the side effects and plights that many with this illness face. I thought the inclusion of it was done really well without being too clinical and over the top and she has definitely shined a light on an illness that is often tagged as someone being lazy, which it certainly isn’t!
The whole concept of getting married at first sight is completely unusual but highly entertaining! I don’t know if I could be brave enough to do it but Emma’s reasons for joining seemed to make sense to me. I felt sorry for her because she legitimately went into it in the hopes of finding her happy ever after and Cooper joined to get over Bridget, which is of course what you should do when getting over someone! After they were married I enjoyed seeing how they both adjusted to this new way of life. As the story went on I really warmed to them as a couple and thought Cooper was turning into a lovely partner for Emma. Whilst they had some issues to work through they both seemed willing to give it a try.
This was more than a story about being married to a stranger. It was a story of hope, family, belonging and taking a chance. Whilst I wasn’t keen on the ending I did love the Donovan’s and all they had to offer. The strength of sisterhood was tested and there was plenty of moments to make laugh and well up. The perfect bit of light reading as the warmer weather hits.
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