Someone Like You

by Rachel Dove

One broken marriage. One broken heart. One chance to meet someone new.

Hannah leaves her unhappy marriage with her daughter Ava and moves to the village of Leadsham to start afresh. She plans to keep a low profile, focusing on Ava and making a new life for them, far away from her violent ex-husband.

What she hadn’t counted on was Andrew Brody. A police officer with a strict moral code, he knows something’s wrong as soon as he meets Hannah, and he wants to help. But Hannah has been let down by the police – and men – before, and pushes him away.

But the more Hannah tries to ignore Brody, the more she’s drawn to him. Caring, kind and patient, he’s nothing like the man she’s running from. Can Hannah finally put her past behind her, and open her heart to someone new?

Genres: Romance, Adult, Audiobook, Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Small Town Romance

Audible Audio

Published November 10, 2022

About the author

I am a wife, mother of two boys, avid reader and writer of words. I sometimes sleep, always have eye bags and dream of retiring to a big white house in Cornwall, with 2 shaggy dogs, drinking wine on my seafront balcony whilst creating works of romantic fiction. All done with immaculate make up and floaty dresses.

In the meantime I nearly always remember to brush my hair, seldom have time to look in a mirror and write many, many to-do lists. I write fast paced sexy medical romances for Mills & Boon, and contemporary fiction and romantic comedies for HQ Digital and Boldwood Books. I always have a few books in progress, and am always jotting down new shiny ideas to torment myself with.
Rachel Dove Bursary founder - RNA 2018 - 2020 (stopped due to RNA restructure)
Writers Bureau Writer of the Year - first place 2016
Come say hello on social media! @writerdove

Reviews

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and heart warming read that you can easily get lost in! 💫

I wish this novel had a summary on the GR page as usually novels do.
Especially as this was such a cute fluffy read.

Be aware this novel involves physical abuse and overcoming it.

This novel is a heart warming read about Hannah and her baby daughter Ava who have moved to Leadsham, a small town for the fresh start they need. Not long in, they meet Broady (also known as Andrew) , a police officer who is a gentleman and has been drawn to her since he laid his eyes on her.
There is so much cuteness within this, the friendships as well and the love they are showing Hannah and Ava, two strangers who have arrived at their village. This novel mentions the serious topics in a nice way. As in, I wouldn’t normally pick up a novel that would mention it but it done so in a not ‘in your face’ type of way.

I agree with others where the dialogue was a bit confusing with no he or she said.

Normally novels fill you in on what was done over the last few weeks I felt this could have been done a bit better.

If you are looking for a slow romance as well as rebuilding yourself then, this novel is it.

Review: https://clife.blog/2022/09/08/book-re...

[Danielle Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dove into this book without having any idea what it was going to be about. I saw it on NetGalley and the cover looked adorable, so I requested it.

I expected a cute summer type rom-com, but what Rachel Dove gave us is a thousand times better.

Hannah is a single mom to a new baby, running away and hiding from her previous life. She is doing the hard work of completely starting over from scratch, not knowing a single soul in her new town, and having to do it with even more at stake.

Brody is a cop, with the best partner there is, Bullet, a trained K9 on the police force with him. He’s a lone wolf, and he only has a few people he really can trust and rely on.

Fate brings them together in such an abrupt way, but chance keeps them orbiting each-others lives on a regular basis.

The relationship between Hannah and Brody isn’t instantaneous and while I’m typically a fan of “hurry up a kiss!”, I really loved how the author played their relationship out. Brody didn’t rush her to open up, even though he knew that something was obviously going on in Hannah’s life to make her the way she was. He didn’t try to play the knight in shining armor, or try to take over as Ava’s dad. He just wanted them to be happy and safe, and I fell a little in love with him myself during this novel.

Hannah’s inner monologue felt so honest and real. As a survivor of domestic violence she is very hesitant to trust all the good around her, and questioning her own choices at every turn. That hit home for me, and the author did such a beautiful job of writing a book that touched on those very real and heavy emotions, without rushing through them to get to the happily ever after.

A big thanks to NetGalley, Team Harper Collins UK, and Rachel Dove for letting me read an ARC of this book for an honest review. This book is set to release on September 21, 2022!

[Flavia 🌙 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow wow wow

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to receive an ARC of this book. I admit I went to it blind, as I do with most books, but I was attracted by the cover so much.

I was very surprised to find out from the start what the book was about. I feel absolutely in love with Hannah and her story, she has the strength I hope to have if I ever find myself in a situation like this.

Rachel Dove has an amazing way with words. The storyline kept me interested all the way through and watching Hannah recover from her past experiences, deal with her trauma and grow back into the incredible and strong woman she was was an incredible journey.

Ava and Bullet will absolutely melt your heart and so does every single character in this story.

And Brody… well. I can’t say it better than Hannah did herself “He really was a teddy bear, with a gruff grizzly coat”

I wish we had a bit more of this fantastic book.

[Sarah (sarahknowsthestory) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone Like You has the makings of a good romance. A mother who has fled her violent marriage with her young baby, a small village of lovely helpful folk and a cute policeman with a dog. However, it ended up being a fairly average read.

I was really enjoying things up until about halfway – we had a surprisingly shocking meet-cute (our Hannah has to wrestle with a bag-snatcher in the park) and a little hesitant dancing around each other between her and the lovely copper before they admit feelings. But from there things were just flat – they move in together REALLY quickly, sleep in the same bed but don’t touch each other (is this common in “proper” romance? I must admit I’ve only ever read closed-door before), and hanging over it all is the looming threat of Hannah’s very bad, very violent ex finding her. I really didn’t understand why the main characters weren’t sleeping together – there was no religious element, only a vague excuse of “not wanting to pressure you when you’re still finding your feet”.

It wasn’t hard to guess what the climax was and I was not looking forward to it. If I want monsters battering down doors I’ll read a thriller. But no worries, everything comes up roses and we get our HEA.

Only recommended if you’re a fan of proper romance, but be aware this isn’t overly sweet or cute – the aggressive acts that move the plot along – the abusive marriage (remembered vividly at points), the bag-snatcher and the extreme escalation of her ex in the finale – give the book a darker tone.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher HQ for giving me this ARC in exchange for honest review.

[Shamilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Hannah was such a strong character, it made me so proud reading her story. It was just the perfect read for a romance book! I could see this being a very popular tv show/film one day!

[Assia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blurb (from NetGalley):
One broken marriage. One broken heart. One chance to meet someone new.

Hannah leaves her unhappy marriage with her daughter Ava and moves to the village of Leadsham to start afresh. She plans to keep a low profile, focusing on Ava and making a new life for them, far away from her violent ex-husband.

What she hadn’t counted on was Andrew Brody. A police officer with a strict moral code, he knows something’s wrong as soon as he meets Hannah, and he wants to help. But Hannah has been let down by the police – and men – before, and pushes him away.

But the more Hannah tries to ignore Brody, the more she’s drawn to him. Caring, kind and patient, he’s nothing like the man she’s running from. Can Hannah finally put her past behind her, and open her heart to someone new?


REVIEW:

When I saw this cover on NetGalley, I thought it'd be a cute little romance, with maybe some banter or something. And wow, this book definitely took me by surprise. In a great way!

The story is way more emotional, deep and layered than I initially thought. It made for an intertaining read yes, but also a very interesting and educating one.
So yes, it is a romance story, but it's also a story about a journey to self rediscovery, to self affirmation of a brave young mother.

The characters were really well portrayed!
Brody is truly amazing! I fell so in love with him way too quickly 😂 I mean, we all need a Brody in our life. He's compassionate, caring, a little protective, funny, just what you need.
Hannah... Hannah is the epitome of a strong FMC, the portrait of a single mother ready to do anything for her child. I was in awe all along, watching her go through life, building herself back up while trying to provide for her daughter.

I didn't give a 5 star because the writing felt a bit choppy at times. The dual POVs are not separated but chapters or a different font. So it took a couple of chapters to get used to! But the plot and the characters were definitely 5⭐ material.
This book has a truly powerful story. I can only recommend it!

🛑 Do check the TW first please, as the book touches quite a few heavy subjects.

💁🏽‍♀️ Read if you like: small town romance, dual POVs, single parent, policeman MC, dog as a side character

Thank you NetGalley, HQ and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

Representation: N/A
Trigger warnings: Domestic violence and abuse, displacement, physical injury, cheating, attempted kidnapping, divorce
Score: Six points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.

Oh dear. I wanted to read this for a while and then after I saw it in one of the two libraries I go to I finally picked it up and read it. Though I enjoyed most of the book some aspects did not sit right inside me and that made me uncomfortable reading this, by the way did I mention this is no ordinary romance novel? It's heavier than I expected and not a light one by any means. It starts with the main character Hannah whose last name I forgot who lives in Leadsham which is presumably set in the UK based on the name and other information. She left her husband because the relationship was what I would best describe as on the verge of breaking, like there's barely any connection between them at this point when suddenly there was a police officer named Brody who helped Hannah when something happened to her. An intriguing thing about this is that soon Hannah discusses about meet-cutes and technically this was one (Hah! Meta!) This is the first time I've seen a novel like this do something like that. Sooner or later Hannah further develops her relationship with Brody which made me feel uneasy, like when you look at it it does not feel right because I don't understand why Hannah has not divorced with her partner whose name I forgot, it might be something to do with the domestic abuse/violence happening which forced Hannah and her daughter to be on the run. Or something else entirely. The ending was dramatic but at least there's a divorce, the police arrested the antagonist and there is a high note.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not knowing much about this book, I requested it because of the adorable cover. I expected a cute rom-com that was fun and light, but this book gave a lot more than that. Dove takes you through a single mom’s journey to keep her and her daughter safe from an abusive husband. Hannah and her daughter Ava move to Leadsham for a fresh start. Hannah is a determined, strong woman who would do anything for her young daughter. The mother/daughter duo meet some amazing people in the small town and as a reader I really enjoyed every single character.

When reading about the relationships Hannah develops with such wonderful people it kept bringing me back to the quote “it takes a village”. She truly meets strangers that turn into friends who support and help her when she needs it most. The way these relationship were written was something I enjoyed the most about this book.

Of course there is also a love relationship that comes into play and you cannot help but root for Hannah and Brody! He is everything she deserves after such a terrible relationship she is trying to escape. You could really feel how hesitant she was about trusting Brody based off of her past and is a theme that is well portrayed throughout the book as Hannah copes and moves on.

The story does start off a bit slow and I found myself waiting and waiting for something to happen. The dialogue also was a bit confusing and it was hard to understand who was saying what at times.

I would like to extend a special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, who provided me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Khairun Atika · Rating 3 out of 5]

"He had never been so full of words before. She'd brought him back to life, and she didn't even see that." - Someone Like You by Rachel Dove

Heartwarming, emotional and simply charming, this is a story that was both poignant and a breeze to read. Rachel Dove's writing is almost seamless as she tells the story of domestic violence and abuse, in this beautiful story of hope and redemption.

Hannah White has settled in the beautiful Yorkshire village of Leadsham, after finally leaving her abusive and controlling husband, Victor. With her beautiful baby Ava in tow, Hannah vowed to start anew by living a quiet life in the countryside, away from the scrutiny of others. Yet things take an unexpected turn on a beautiful day in a park when Hannah finds herself in danger - and suddenly crossed paths with brooding policeman Andrew Brody.

As Hannah tried to distance herself from everyone, she found herself crossing paths even more often with Brody, and being involved in the lives of the other villagers as well. As her fear of being found grew, Hannah took it upon herself to be brave in truly moving on - by starting over with her new family.

This book focuses a lot on the impact of domestic abuse. Hannah is often seen as doubtful and suspicious of others, yet she is sharp and conscious of the demeanours of others. Hannah is also learning to be strong, to move on from her dark past for the sake of her daughter, Ava. I liked how the story focuses a lot on Hannah's independence and fierce determination to move forward despite the trauma she still faced. It is a beautiful story of hope and faith, of how the love and support of others can always give the courage for a person to move forward and be strong to overcome an adversity.

[B · Rating 2 out of 5]

The more I think of this book, the more I struggle to know how to rate it but I will settle with 2 stars because I did really like the writing of this author and our main character of Hannah (most of the time) but there is so much improvement needed in this book.

I think this writer has potential as the writing is easy to read and understand (there were some errors in my arc copy but as it was an arc take this comment with a pinch of salt).

The main difficulty I have with this book is the main characters personalities and unrealistic nature of the situation.

I found Hannah to be inconsistent in her thinking. She says that she is fearful and has a hatred for the police because her abusive husband is a police officer and when she reported him they protected him and didn't believe her therefore it didn't make sense for her to easily fall in love or should I say lust and trust a police officer (Brody) days after barely escaping with her baby from her abusive husband. Hannah's story very early shifts from her desire to protect her baby to her desire for Brody. We see the inner battle she has over her feelings for Brody but she's not very strong as a character or in her conviction to protect her daughter and not get involved with Brody. I also found it weird how quickly they start to "date" and eventually move in with one another. You would think Hannah would have learned her lesson to be more careful. The cherry on top of the ridiculousness that is Hannah is that after her husband is arrested for trying to break into Brody's house is that she makes a comment about how she wants to undress Brody. I mean personally if I was just nearly killed by my abusive husband I would probably not be thinking that after he's arrested. Personally, I would have liked to have seen more of Hannah being strong her resolve not to let him in and then maybe midway through she bonds with him and let's her guard down.

Next is Brody and he was just a man written to be there. He's meant to be the perfect man but honestly he's an idiot. How does a trained cop not see and recognize the signs of a battered woman? Also he doesn't fancy Hannah, he just lusts for her and he just made me cringe reading. Also how is this small time village cop taking down a huge organizational crime ring of dog fighting - make it make sense!

Also one of the side characters also turning out to be a survivor was just weird cause it added no real value to the plot. It would have made more sense for that to be revealed early on as we see Hannah grow and trust people.

Overall, it was a decent read as the writing is good but as I got bored 70% of the way in I just thought this is getting ridiculous and is becoming unrealistic. I will give the author credit this is the only cheating storyline I read that I was okay with cause technically Hannah isn't divorced but based on her struggle we know why divorce wasn't an option.

[Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure why there's no synopsis for the book on Goodreads but let me tell you about it. Hannah and her baby Ava have moved to a new town to try and escape her abusive husband. When she meets handsome police officer Brody, she tries her best not to get involved. Wary of men and protective of her daughter, she keeps her distance, but fate intervenes and the two find themself drawn to each other. 

So, it wasn't just a cute love story like I thought. There was so much depth to this book with the issues the author tackled. I absolutely loved our main characters and how strong Hannah was to restart her life again, after everything she'd been through. If you like love stories that tackle more serious topics, please consider picking this book up.  

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading Rachel Dove but certainly won't be my last! A fun, heartwarming book about Hannah and her daughter Ava who move to Leadsham for a fresh start and meet Brody, a police officer who is drawn to Hannah. In addition to the loveable main characters, Someone Like You also has a wonderful supporting cast. A nice, lighthearted story that's a quick read for anyone who is a fan of romcoms!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy!

[Zoe Pewtner · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC received from NetGalley / harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.
It’s great to see this topic being broached in this book and to see the character so humanised through this work.
Really quick read and I enjoyed the different aspects within this book.
A bit different of a read for me but enjoyed it overall.
The authors writing flowed well throughout and it was paced well.

[sally king · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very similar storyline to Sleeping with the Enemy but with a baby involved. And her new man is a hot cop with a service dog. Loved it! Read in a day.

[Majbritt Bøge · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am sorry but for me this book was too cliche and shallow :)

[giasbooknook · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all thank you so much to Rachel‘s team for giving me this ARC - I am extremely grateful and thank you!

I have been given this ARC in exchange for a an honest review and will do so, here’s my opinions on Someone Like you by Rachel Dove.

I don’t know what it was about this book, but I personally did not enjoy it. I didn’t find it captivating or interesting or constantly pulling me in, like I never not wanted to put it down. That was not how I felt, and I feel like for me to be interested or invested in a book I would constantly be attached and hooked. I think the story line basis – the plot is good, but it was not what I expected.

The cover was, really cute and that was one of the main reasons why I chose to pick this book. Personally, I just don’t think it was for me but I can understand why some people would have appeal to this book. For me, I didn’t really love the single mum trope even though the single dad is one of my favourites, this just didn’t really appeal to me personally.

I just didn’t really connect to Hannah, but I think that is just me personally but I did think that the plot basis is really good and will appeal to other readers.

I feel like maybe, if I got the actual book when it’s released, maybe I can try again and see if it will captivate me. But I definitely feel like, even if this wasn’t for me, I could try again and see if this has anymore appeal to me.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone Like You follows Hannah as she escapes her abusive husband, with her daughter Ava, to a small village in the hopes of hiding. It’s while there that she meets Brody, and she begins her journey to a new life.

It’s written in 3rd person but is also Dual POV. Sometimes it changes POV in the middle of chapters, sometimes for just a few paragraphs, which can be a little confusing if you’re not paying attention (nobody’s fault and has no effect on my rating but I was further let down by my kindle app just removing the paragraph  breaks, meaning the POV was changing sentence to sentence).

I sped through the first half of this, though I then found the pacing seemed to slow dramatically and I was just pushing through to get to the final resolution. It’s also very insta-lovey and think time jumps may have helped with both of these. I appreciated that while Brody is a policeman who wants to help Hannah, its clear she has been let down multiple times in the past by people who should have been there for her, making it feel more realistic. I thought the portrayal of Hannah’s courage and determination,  strengthening slowly and though it wavers at times, she is able to overcome so much to find happiness for herself and her daughter.

[Mariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure where to start this review. I picked this book mainly because of its adorable cover and because I found the description interesting. It’s got a single parent (one of my all time favourite tropes) a cute dog and it’s set in a small town - the perfect combination for me. Yet I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit disappointed.

I had a really hard time finishing this book. I’m not even sure why… there’s nothing wrong with the book per se; it’s just that it’s a bit too slow and I feel like much happened in the book tbh, not until the very end anyway. It doesn’t exactly focus on Hannah’s past and her abusive relationship but at the same time the romance is lacking and I didn’t really feel their emotional connection.

I liked both main characters but I feel like I don’t know all that much them and for that reason it was really hard to connect to either of them. Having said that, it was great to see Hannah grow throughout the book and how hard she fought for her and her daughter’s happiness.

Overall, this one wasn’t my cup of tea but I definitely see how it would appeal to others.

★ 3/5 Stars ★

A huge thank you to HQ and Netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[TW: Domestic Violence]

[Helena · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover of this book gives the impression it’s a cute Rom com type story, but it is much more than that and deals with some very difficult topics.

Hannah and her daughter Ava have managed to escape Hannah’s emotionally and physically abusive husband, Victor. They settle in the small town of Leadsham with the difficult task of starting to try to rebuild their lives while Hannah is constantly looking over her shoulder. When she least expected or wanted to, she meets Brody, a local policeman and a relationship between the two starts to develop.

This book is a slow burner, and at certain points I felt it needed to pick up the pace a little, particularly towards the second half. I also struggled with the dialect at times, how it switched between characters halfway through a chapter unexpectedly, making it hard to understand who was saying what.

Overall, I thought this book was ok, and it was a pleasant read. I liked the characters Hannah and Brody, and the supporting characters in the small town were also great. There was just something lacking somewhere, but I can’t put my finger on it because the plot line had the potential for this to be a fantastic read.

[Gemma Reeve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This story gave me a huge mix of emotions, it was chilling to the core but the adventure Hannah goes on was absolutely beautiful. There were so many layers to this story, filled with self-discovery, maternal instincts and finding trust in people.

Following Hannah through this journey had me on the edge of my seat, I was rejoicing at her new found love, not just from Andrew Brody! (sigh, what a character) but all of her new friends, congratulating her when she got a win (for leaving Victor, for getting a house, for getting a job) and also cried for her when the times got hard. I wanted her to win at life, to thrive and be happy. I’m glad that she and the other characters in this story, got their happy ending.

This story is so hard hitting and I loved the language used, the writing style was engaging, brutal in areas but soft in others. Details to certain things were almost minut and I found myself being protected from the brutality of the situation. Events that were explained weren’t in high detail, as if all that I had gleaned from conversations made the full picture instead of it being spelled out for me or the gaps were filled in from my imagination. Hannah’s situation was brutal, and horrible and even unthinkable to those who are lucky to not witness/experience these acts. But we know they happen and it’s almost like the writing was supposed to reflect that. Keep us guessing, thinking, imagining what the situation would be like and be thankful to not be in it.

I loved Hannah, I fell in love with Ava and Brody and Bullet. Seeing her blossom from a little seed in the grass into a full blown oak tree with maternal instincts to match was such a joy. I was rooting for Hannah, I almost thought it was justifiable that Victor should have died (I really didn’t like him) and I like that it didn’t happen, because it would have tainted Hannah and all she deserves is joy and love, not to have something sinister haunting her like a cloud.

A wholesome read, one with a very important message to send to this world and I loved every word of it. Courage and bravery is always there, you just need to grab a hold of it and let it lead the way.

[✩ zahara ✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐3.5 stars rounded up⭐

What To Expect
single-parent 👩‍👧
second-chance at love 💞
small town ᨒ↟𖠰🏘️↟☀︎ᨒ🏠↟𖠰
slow burn ❤️‍🔥
reverse grumpy x sunshine vibe 😐
healing from trauma ❤️‍🩹
found family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🏘️
gentle giant MMC 👮🏻‍♂️


Summary (spoiler free)

Hannah, a young mother, escapes an abusive marriage and relocates to the small, quiet village of Leadsham with her daughter, Ava. She hopes to rebuild their lives under the radar—just focusing on their safety, stability, and peace. But her fragile new world is shaken when local policeman Andrew Brody intervenes to stop a thief targeting her. Despite being hurt and mistrustful, Hannah can’t ignore Brody’s kindness, patience, and genuine care. As they grow closer, Hannah must learn to trust again—and consider that opening her heart might be the start of her true healing.


Hannah White

Resilient, deeply protective mother—her daughter Ava is her world 👶🏻💖🌎
Emotionally scarred from a violent, abusive marriage—cautious, anxious, and reluctant to trust 😰
Practical and grounded; focused on building a stable life
Warm-hearted underneath her fear—capable of connection once she feels safe 💗
Moving on from fear and isolation toward trust, self-worth, and love ❤️‍🩹


Andrew Brody

Local police officer, principled and protective 👮
Kind, patient, and reliable—pursues Hannah with integrity, never forcing connection 💕
Gentle giant energy—strong yet emotionally attuned, offering safety rather than dominance
Steady presence in Hannah’s life; doesn’t overshadow but supports her journey 🏙⁀જ🚝⁀જ𖠰🏘️


Overall Vibe

A heartfelt, slow-burn, single-parent romance with emotional depth, grounded characters, and genuine healing. It’s less about over-the-top drama and more about trust, community, and cautious love that blossoms amidst vulnerability.

Would thoroughly recommend! 🫵📖

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC by NetGalley and HQ publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t know what I was getting myself into but wow this book was a roller coaster of emotions for me. It was almost like looking into a mirror. Hannah is the first book character I saw myself in. We both lived through the same trauma, and it was refreshing to see someone just like me in a book. For a long time, I avoided books with this topic, but for some reason, this book spoke to me. I’m so glad I had the honor of reading it. Not to mention the epilogue was an exact replica of what happened to me and my forever. Dog and all.

Some of the things I loved was the setting and the friendships between all the characters. It really provided such a small town feel with everyone knowing everyone. The friendships Hannah made really showed the care everyone had for her and her daughter. Not to mention Andrew is such a gentleman. I was constantly swooning over him.

I did have some issues with the dialogue. I found some points to be confusing and hard to tell who was speaking. Some points didn’t have “he said/she said” so I had to go back a few times to try to understand the conversation. Another issue I had was that we occasionally missed weeks at a time between scenes. I think it would have been nice to see them getting closer to make their relationship more believable. Even if it was just a look into their text conversations. It wasn’t until the end that I finally accepted that they made sense together.

If the content of DV isn’t triggering to you, I highly suggest you pick up this book. Romance aside, this was an empowering book about a woman taking control of her life and getting the freedom and independence she deserves.

[Elle | The Wild Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartfelt, Sweet and Touching.

Main tropes you can expect:
- small town
- single mother
- found family

In Someone Like You we follow Hannah's journey escaping her marriage, changing her identity and trying to build a better life for herself and her daughter, Ava, far away from the violence and the constant abuse of her husband Victor.

The abusive marriage theme is quite tough to read about, but it's handled with extreme care. The author does not shy away by the ugly and difficult reality of escaping by an abusive marriage, but the heavy emotions are very well balanced by heartwarming and funny moments all throughout the story.

Despite being new to town, Hannah soon found amazing people who came together to help her and Ava settle in, build a new life, protect them and becoming their 'village'. The whole cast of secondary characters is very well fleshed out and the small town atmosphere was very much palpable, creating a strong found family vibe, which I loved so much!

The romance is very sweet. Andrew slowly but surely tore Hannah's walls down by just showing up, giving her time to trust him, respecting her need for independence and, most importantly, respecting her boundaries.

I really enjoyed the writing style. I was gripped from page one and read it all in one sitting and I think that Hannah's story will stay with me for a long time.

100% would recommend to anyone in the mood for a heartfelt, sweet and touching read. You'll fall in love with Hannah's resilience, Brody's quiet love and the small town's loud and sometimes nosy involvement and support!

TW: past domestic abuse

***Thank you Netgalley, HQ Digital and Rachel Dove for the eARC of Someone Like You in exchange for my honest review***

[Bridgette Holman · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

As a serial romance reader, sometimes I find that some romance novels don’t have a lot of plot outside of the main romance (this isn’t a huge issue for me, but something I've for sure noticed). Someone Like You doesn’t fall into that category. This book follows that story of a mother who escapes from her abusive husband and a lonely life with just her baby and the clothes on their backs. She then works to put together an incredible life for her daughter and herself, finds a community, and love when she least expects it.

This book deals with some heavy topics (domestic violence, spousal abuse, etc), but Rachel Dove approaches this topic with respect and highlights the strength of survivors. I found this book to be fairly lighthearted, something I wasn’t quite expecting with the subject. I thought the book moved at the perfect place, not too fast and not too slow.

What I loved:
🌟Romance novel with a ton of plot
🌟This book will bring a smile to your face! Watching Hannah find a community, start finding/believing in herself again and her relationship with Brody was heartwarming.
🌟Brody. Brody was an absolute dream!
🌟The side characters in Someone Like You are incredible. You are able to get glimpses of their personality and they are just delightful.

I literally couldn’t put this one down. I read it in a few hours and now will be moving on to other Rachel Dove books!

All in all, I loved Someone Like you! If you love a sweet romance with a ton of plot, you have to check this one out!

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Dove, and HQ Digital for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Hannah Edmonds · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a cute little book, but so badly edited, it became confusing pretty regularly. Pronouns and names got mixed up pretty often to the point where I had to reread certain sentences over again to work out who was doing what.

Hannah is on the run with her baby daughter from her abusive husband, Victor. She arrives in the Yorkshire village of Leadsham which seems peaceful and quiet, just what she needs.

Soon after her arrival, Hannah is almost mugged and she meets Officer Andrew Brody who can sense in her a need for help.

I would've liked a little bit more angst, but this book was pure fluff with little drama, apart from the inevitable search by Victor and one violent police case where Brody gets hurt.

The writer is one who tells rather than shows what's happening which makes the book feel quite stilted and at times juvenile. I do enjoy the occasional romance, but I was a bit disappointed in this one, the romance aspect was sadly lacking. It needed a bit more passion.

There was some stuff that was downright silly and unbelievable like village police officer Brody working on a huge case of illegal dog breeding.

I also find it insane how fast a supposedly terrified abused woman moved on from her marriage with a man working in a career that Hannah didn't trust. It's like she didn't learn anything from her abuse. Andrew seems like the perfect man, but their relationship moves scary fast, maybe he's just love bombing her. I don't know, but there were some red flags between the two main characters.

[Whitney Belcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC by NetGalley and HQ publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Prepare to fall in love with Hannah, Ava, Brody, and Bullett. I'm a sucker for any book that uses a library or bookstore as a setting, and this book did not disappoint. It just feels like it adds to the romanticism to me.! This was such a cute story that made me find myself smiling and giggling and, of course, rooting for the good girl and the good guy to win. Be prepared to finish this book in one sitting. It's an easy, light-hearted read that everyone is sure to love! I look forward to reading more from Rachel Dove.

Hannah must make a new life for herself and her daughter in order to get away from an abusive husband. As someone who has been in a tumultuous relationship, I know those feelings. This book didn't delve too far into the abuse but enough to let you know the backstory. It didn't feel triggering to me. One day, Hannah finds herself and her daughter in another perilous situation when along comes an off-duty police officer, Brody, and his canine companion, Bullett. Untrusting and constantly looking over her shoulder, Hannah starts to find herself getting more and more comfortable around the community that she is growing to love including, most importantly, Officer Brody. When she is forced to face the truth of her past, Hannah will find out just who truly has her back.

[ty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Rachel Dove , NetGalley and HQ Stories/ Harper Collins for letting me read an ARC of this wonderful book. Set to release September 21, 2022

I read almost all of this book in one sitting I loved it so much 🤭 I just finished this today and had to review it right away!! This story was fun and heartwarming, with loveable characters who I just couldn’t get enough of.

Hannah and her little baby Ava are running from the past. I love how hard Hannah fights to make sure her daughter has the life she deserves and never has to experience anything like their old life again. Hannah is so strong and resilient in the face of a very tough situation, I admire her for never giving up.

Andrew Brody is probably my favourite character in this book. The way he cared for Hannah and Ava, he just wanted to protect them all the time and for them to be happy 🥹🥹🥹 I also love that he never rushed Hannah into a relationship after knowing what she’s been through, he was so kind and understanding.

There were lots of other amazing characters throughout the whole story. This book really shows the importance of friendships. In Hannah’s new life she’s made for herself she is never alone, she has many people she can turn to at all times.

TW : This book deals with domestic violence and some pretty heavy emotions throughout .

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember the old 1990's movie with Julia Roberts called Sleeping with the Enemy? Well, I thought of that movie constantly while reading this book. (I guess that shows my age. lol) It's sort of like a cross between that thriller movie and a Hallmark movie. The heavy theme of escaping domestic abuse is sort of simplified and lightened up, like Hallmark would do to most stories. I do think this book shed an important and emotional light on domestic abuse and the courage it takes to escape, but it packaged the story a little to neatly.

Hannah, the protagonist in this story, had a supportive friend to help her escape, then she made instant new friends and a quick love connection, which gave her immediate support. Most domestic abuse victims do not escape quite so easily and smoothly. Because of this, I was torn on my feelings about this story.

I also wish that the cover was different. The cartoon cover just made the book look too much like a Rom Com, which it really wasn't. This was an emotional, suspenseful, and heartfelt story. I really was invested in Hannah from the first chapter, and was very interested in where the story was going. I was hoping for a Happily-Ever-After!

I did really like this book, and I will read more books by this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I rate it 4 solid stars!

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get ready for the emotions!

This book tackled a very tough subject, PTSD as a result of domestic violence, and it handled it very well. Hannah and her baby daughter Ava have run from her violent husband, Victor and landed in Leadsham, a small town, with the help of her midwife friend Kate.

Hoping to live a quiet, unremarkable life in Leadsham, Hannah and Ava stay mostly at home, venturing out only when necessary. One day Hannah decided to take a chance on a visit to the park, and an attempted mugging cut her plans short, and also brought her to the attention of a local policeman, Andrew Brody. There's an unmistakable attraction between Hannah and Brody (as locals call him), but Hannah is still so afraid of men that she's reluctant to take a chance.

This story has a mix of emotions...fear, distrust, friendship, strength and love. Hannah has to learn to trust again, open her heart to others, find a way to survive on very little (including find work with no ID) and raise Ava as a single mom.

I liked the story, although the dialogue was a bit hard to follow at times without identifying who is speaking. This may be fixed before publication, though, so don't worry.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

[Syifa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I picked this without really paying attention and I was surprised on how heavy the issue brought since the first chapter was. It gives clear picture on what's going on and where the main character will go from there. I really sympathize with what happened to Hannah and kind of anxious throughout the whole story untill the main issue was resolved, but I enjoyed it a lot! The plot and story was well-written, it almost feels like I'm fighting side by side with the main characters and oh boy what an adorable male character Andrew Brody is! Though I said that I was anxious, but everytime there's a scene of Hannah and Andrew together, it's heartwarming and so overwhelmingly adorable! (please tell me where to get Andrew Brody irl!!). I also love how this book highlighted how Hannah, a woman, pick herself up and get back up again and solve the issue on her own strength (not to discredit the whole support she got from the town and Kate, of course!). It's really satisfying to see! Also all the side characters are adorable except for Victor.

Overall, it's truly an emotional yet heartwarming and overwhelmingly cute story and I can't get enough of their little family cuteness!

TW:: domestic abuse victim