Review & Giveaway: 'You Can't Fall in Love With Your Ex (Can You?)' by Sophie Ranald (2015)

Thirteen years ago, Laura thought her life was over. Now, she’s nailed being a grown-up. Married to the gorgeous Jonathan, she has two wonderful (if high-maintenance) children and a free pass into the school-gate elite. So what if once in a blue moon she still daydreams about Felix, the man who broke her heart? After all, living well is the best revenge. 

But then an unexpected encounter turns everything upside down. How can Laura risk throwing away everything she has for a dream of the past? She can’t be falling in love with Felix all over again... can she?

I've had the absolute pleasure of reading and reviewing some of author Sophie Ranald's work before and I really loved her romantic comedy novels 'A Groom with a View' (click here to read my review) and 'The Frog Prince' (click here to read my review). Sophie's writing style is always a joy to dive back into and combined with a captivating plotline and convincing group of characters I have come to look forward to picking up whatever she has written. So, when I heard about her latest novel 'You Can't Fall in Love with Your Ex (Can You?)', which was released in August 2015, I couldn't wait to give it a shot!

Thirty-something Laura has everything many women dream of: she's happily married to her handsome husband Jonathan, they live in a beautiful home with their two lovely kids, and as a stay-at-home mum Laura fits in perfectly with the elite group of school-gate parents. However, sometimes Laura can't help but think back to her twenties, when she was a promising ballerina and still in love with her ex, Felix. When Laura goes to a modern-day version of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', the unexpected happens when she bumps into Felix, after all these years. Suddenly, she finds herself questioning her current life and the decisions she has made, wondering what if and whether she really has to let go of the past or not.

From the first few chapters of this novel, I was already fascinated by the characters and storyline and was really curious to find out more, just like with the other Sophie Ranald novels I've had the pleasure of reading. Protagonist Laura finds herself in a situation where she is suddenly confronted with her past and she starts to wonder what many of us asks ourselves every now again: what if? What if she had stayed with her ex Felix? What if things had gone differently? I think Laura is a character many readers will be able to relate to and I personally really liked the fact that as a reader I got to know Laura in both her twenties and her thirties, thanks to the various flashbacks. This really showed what happened to her and what got her to this point in her life. 

There is a realistic and fascinating cast of characters at the core of the novel, such as Laura's ex Felix and her new friend Ze. I liked the fact that there was also more to the story than just Laura's experiences, giving the story more body. However, I can't really put a finger to it, but I was missing something that the author's other stories did have. I missed the humour and I somehow didn't connect with Laura as much as I would have liked. The book was enjoyable and the writing was well-paced and flowed well, but it isn't my favourite Sophie Ranald read. Overall, 'You Can't Fall in Love with Your Ex (Can You?)' is a light and entertaining read which I enjoyed, but just wasn't entirely blown away by. If you're looking for your next women's fiction read, don't hesitate to pick up a Sophie Ranald novel, it'll be worth it!
Rating:8/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Giveaway of 'You Can't Fall in Love With Your Ex (Can You?)'!
I'm incredibly excited to be able to make 2 readers very happy with an e-book copy of Sophie Ranald's latest release! Just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter below; good luck to everyone! :)
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