Review: 'The Best Thing That Never Happened To Me' by Laura Tait & Jimmy Rice (2014)

Everyone remembers their first love. 
Holly has learnt that life isn't about seizing the moment. She might have harboured dreams about travelling the world as a teenager, but she let go of those - just as she let go of Alex.
But what if the feelings never really went away? 
Alex wants to make every moment of his new job count. It's a fresh start in a new city, and he knows that moving to London has nothing to do with Holly. Well, probably.
How do you know if it was meant to be, or never meant to happen at all?
I was SO incredibly excited when I found a review copy of ‘The Best Thing That Never Happened To Me’ in my mailbox! As soon as I heard about Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice’s debut novel, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I continued to only hear positive things from other bloggers and everyone was just incredibly excited about this recent e-book release (the paperback will be available from the 3rd of July). Thankfully, I was lucky enough to receive a review copy as well and now it’s my turn to share in the excitement!
When they were teenagers, Holly and Alex were really good friends. Whenever Holly got herself into trouble, Alex would be waiting by the phone for her call. Yet, the two never realised that they both secretly wanted their friendship to turn into something more. Now, 11 years later, Holly has a slightly boring job working as a PA for her boss Richard, whom she is also sleeping with. Alex has decided to leave his hometown behind and move to London to start a challenging job as a teacher at a secondary school. He gets into touch with Holly to catch up now that they are both living in the same part of the country again. But can the two of them get back to their friendship after all this time or are there still traces of their true feelings for one another...?
L-O-V-E. That’s not just the main topic of this fabulous read, but also the only thing I felt while reading this book: pure and unquestionable love. I honestly loved every single thing about it, from the storyline to the characters to the writing to the gorgeous cover. From the flashback on the first page, I liked both Holly and Alex and warmed to both of them as the story progressed. Holly is a bit more carefree and spontaneous, while Alex is the more serious and loyal one and it was great to see both of them as teenagers and adults. Next to the main characters, there’s also a wonderful cast of secondary characters such as Holly’s colleague Jemma (who managed to make me laugh out loud continually) and Alex’s best friend Kev.  
The fact that the book is written by two authors actually convinced me even more that I needed to check out this novel. It immediately reminded me of Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees whose books I love and used to read over and over again when I was younger. Just like them, Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice prove that a book written by two authors can work brilliantly. I loved the fact that the book was written from both a male and female point of view, and the writing style in general was well-paced and managed to keep my complete attention page after page. I could continue gushing about this novel, but I hope I’ve managed to make my opinion quite clear: ‘The Best Thing That Never Happened To Me’ is a sparklingly captivating, funny, warm and feel-good read, filled to the brim with love. Without a doubt a duo to keep your eye on, I honestly can’t wait to see what they come up with next! Rating:

10/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk/ Amazon.com/ Goodreads       Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books On My Spring 2014 TBR List

'Top Ten Tuesday' is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Lately I've seen some other book bloggers being quite enthusiastic about this weekly meme, so I decided to join in with the fun and try it out myself as well!  

  Top Ten Books On My Spring 2014 To-Be-Read List   Today's Top Ten Tuesday gives me the chance to tell all of you about the 10 books that are on my Spring 2014 to-be-read list! I have to admit, my to-be-read list usually consists of tons of books and I only end up reading a few of them because there's just not enough time to read all of them! So, I decided to go with a top 10 of books I will definitely read before the start of the summer, either because they're already lying on my bookshelf, waiting to be picked up, or because I am 100% sure I'll buy a copy of the book as soon as it is released because I am so excited about it. Here we go!

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1. 'If I Could Turn Back Time' - Nicola Doherty (April 2014)

The paperback version of Nicola Doherty's latest release 'If I Could Turn Back Time' will be released in April, and I was lucky enough to receive an early review copy from the publisher. The book has been lying on my bookshelf for quite some time now, because I was asked to review it around the release of the paperback version, and I really can't wait to finally read it this Spring!    

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2. 'A Special Delivery' - Clare Dowling (February 2014)

The lovely Clare Dowling herself provided me with a copy of her most recent release, 'A Special Delivery.' After my first experience with Clare Dowling's work earlier this year (click here to read my review of 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You'), I really look forward to reading more of her work which is why 'A Special Delivery' is at the top of my to-read-list for the upcoming months. 

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3. 'The Little Beach Street Bakery' - Jenny Colgan (March 2014)

Jenny Colgan is an amazing writer and her books never disappoint. 'The Little Beach Street Bakery' was released last week and tells the story of main character Polly who is forced to move to Cornwall where she opens her own bakery. The combination of all kinds of yummy treats and Jenny Colgan's writing is enough reason for me to straight away add this book to my to-read-list!

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4. 'One Night in Italy' - Lucy Diamond (June 2014)

The next Lucy Diamond novel will be released at the start of June, which is still Spring, so it means I can add it to this top 10! I adore Lucy's work and I loved loved loved her previous novel 'Me and Mr. Jones' (click here to read my review). I have high hopes for 'One Night in Italy', but I am sure I won't be disappointed!

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5. 'Carry You' - Beth Thomas (April 2014)

I just received a review copy of 'Carry You' yesterday, because I was asked to be a part of the blog tour for Beth Thomas' upcoming release. I straight away loved the pretty cover of the book, and the blurb promises a captivating story about a young woman named Daisy who has just lost her mother to cancer and is now trying to find a way to go on with her life. Another promising Spring read!

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6. 'Thirteen Weddings' - Paige Toon (May 2014)

I've never met a chick lit fan who doesn't love Paige Toon's work, so it's no wonder the entire chick lit community is excited about Paige's upcoming release, 'Thirteen Weddings.' The book promises another charming and bittersweet story, has a gorgeous cover, and the fact that weddings play a key role have convinced me that this is a read I do not want to miss!

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7. 'The Time of Our Lives' - Jane Costello (March 2014)

Another popular chick lit author is treating us to a new and exciting release this Spring, namely Jane Costello. Her novel 'The Time of Our Lives' will be released at the end of March and I can't wait to read another one of her feel-good and heart-warming novels! 

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8. 'You're the One That I Want' - Giovanna Fletcher (May 2014)

Giovanna Fletcher released her debut novel 'Billy and Me' last year and it was one of my favourite reads of 2013 (click here to read my review). At the end of May her second novel 'You're the One That I Want' will be released and I really look forward to reading it! The cover is absolutely stunning and the blurb promises a fabulous romantic story... A book I have high hopes for and I have a feeling I will probably love it as much as I loved 'Billy and Me'! 

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9. 'The One and Only' - Emily Giffin (May 2014)

One of my all-time favourite chick lit novels is Emily Giffin's classic 'Something Borrowed', so I can't help but get excited whenever a new Emily Giffin novel is released. 'The One and Only' tells the story of Shea Rigsby who has always lived in her beloved hometown in Texas, until an unexpected tragedy forces her to confront her fears and secrets. It definitely sounds intriguing and I look forward to picking up my own copy of the book this Spring!

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10. 'The Best Thing That Never Happened To Me' - Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice (April 2014)

Lots of bloggers have been talking about this April release by Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice and it has made me quite curious! The cover is lovely and the blurb sounds like a great story I think I could easily fall in love with. I usually really enjoy novels written from both a male and a female perspective, so 'The Best Thing That Never Happened To Me' sounds like a great read to end this Top 10 with! 

Which novels are you looking forward to this Spring? I'd love to hear from you!