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The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean
It’s her wedding day and it’ll be the happiest day of her life…won’t it?
Amanda Dean would say she’s an okay artist and a loyal friend, but what she’s best at is falling in love. A self-proclaimed bi disaster who has had her heart broken more times than she cares to count, Amanda can’t help opening herself up. As she gets ready on the day she’s waited a lifetime for, memories of her past loves run through her mind, with one glaring red sign blinking above them—is this “the one”?
Will it be:
the fit water polo player,
the fashionista,
the dependable hedge fund manager,
or the one where the timing was never quite right.
Now, on the day of her wedding—a day where everything already seems to be going wrong—Mandy must decide if she’s willing to risk it all one last time or if she’ll escape while her whole heart is still intact.
Equal parts heartwarming and bittersweet, The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean expertly weaves the wonder and terror of falling in love into a beautifully crafted story about the joy that can be found when you’re willing to dust yourself off and try again.
Amanda Dean would say she’s an okay artist and a loyal friend, but what she’s best at is falling in love. A self-proclaimed bi disaster who has had her heart broken more times than she cares to count, Amanda can’t help opening herself up. As she gets ready on the day she’s waited a lifetime for, memories of her past loves run through her mind, with one glaring red sign blinking above them—is this “the one”?
Will it be:
the fit water polo player,
the fashionista,
the dependable hedge fund manager,
or the one where the timing was never quite right.
Now, on the day of her wedding—a day where everything already seems to be going wrong—Mandy must decide if she’s willing to risk it all one last time or if she’ll escape while her whole heart is still intact.
Equal parts heartwarming and bittersweet, The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean expertly weaves the wonder and terror of falling in love into a beautifully crafted story about the joy that can be found when you’re willing to dust yourself off and try again.
368 pages, Paperback
Published September 17, 2024
31 people are currently reading
10868 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
October 6, 2024
**Many thanks to Berkley and Ann Rose for an ARC of this book!**
"If I know what love is, it is because of you." - Herman Hesse
Amanda Dean has finally made it to the Big Day...but is she heading toward yet ANOTHER Big Disaster?
You see, Amanda has never exactly been lucky in love. She calls herself a 'bi disaster', as she has moved from boyfriend to girlfriend and back again over the years, but has never felt quite certain if she's found 'the one.' She has tried to keep her focus on her fledgling art career, but she's had so few constants in her life...aside from her closest friend Marisa (or Isa, as she calls her). But even this relationship has had its ups and downs (to say the least) with the pair being at times incredibly close, not speaking, and back again...and trust me, it's enough to give anybody whiplash!
But as troubles mount on the wedding day to her mystery love (we are not let in on WHO her betrothed is until nearly the end of the book), will the day she's been dreaming about for years lead her to the Happily Ever After she's not even sure she deserves? WHO was the love to break through the noise and confusion, stand by her side, and take this giant risk for a chance at wedded bliss? Or will Amanda's propensity to ruin everything she touches when it comes to matters of the heart take what should be the happiest day of her life...and cement it as the worst?
First off, it was INCREDIBLY difficult to write a synopsis for this book without giving anything away. So much of the plot revolves around the love of Amanda's life, but telling you who that is in any shape or form (or even alluding to it!) completely spoils the book. The premise, however, is fairly simple, in that we essentially spend the 300+ pages of this book revisiting Amanda Dean's love life (a la "This is Your Life"), and trying to determine who the lucky person is that completely stole her heart. This would be fine, and even sounds fun in theory....but there is one tiny (okay, GIANT) problem with all of this.
This book is ALL OVER The Place...more so than ANY time travel or time hopping book I have EVER read...and after a while, the headache just didn't feel worth it.
We literally visit Amanda in no less than 5 or 10 different years in her life (after a while, I stopped attempting to keep track), and not only did this give the book a painfully disjointed feeling, I could not feel grounded for more than 5 minutes while reading. I had no idea how old Amanda was at any given moment, what grade she was in, what friends she was or wasn't speaking to, or even keep track of the long list of 'who's who' from her dating pool. Not only was this frustrating, but it put such roadblocks in the way of character development not knowing when or where we were at any given moment, and somehow this also managed to slow the pace down too, to the point where it took me SEVERAL days longer than it should have to finish the book...and unfortunately, it wasn't because I was savoring every moment.
That isn't to say this was all bad by any stretch: Amanda is an interesting character, and I did feel very drawn to wanting to know what happened with several of the relationships in question...I just felt stonewalled by the disastrous book structure. To be honest, once you know who the 'central' love is, you'll wish that the book had sort of clearly focused on this relationship and left so much of the extraneous detail provided to keep everything a mystery out entirely: this just wasn't needed to make it a decent read. There was more than enough content and potential for a deep dive into the intricacies of the relationships explored here without the added layer of "can you guess?" throughout. (And again, no spoilers, but this one is very YA in its ending as well...if you DON'T predict it, you probably fell asleep somewhere along the way!) To top it all off, since so much of this book is focused on Amanda's younger years AND the author comes to the NA world from YA...plenty of these sections read exactly like YA, so if this is a no-go for you as a reader, I would also give it a pass.
And after finishing this book, the only thing that was 'seemingly impossible' to me was a lot less the very predictable HEA of Amanda Dean...but instead finding a cure for my aforementioned (and lingering) headache. 😣
3 stars
"If I know what love is, it is because of you." - Herman Hesse
Amanda Dean has finally made it to the Big Day...but is she heading toward yet ANOTHER Big Disaster?
You see, Amanda has never exactly been lucky in love. She calls herself a 'bi disaster', as she has moved from boyfriend to girlfriend and back again over the years, but has never felt quite certain if she's found 'the one.' She has tried to keep her focus on her fledgling art career, but she's had so few constants in her life...aside from her closest friend Marisa (or Isa, as she calls her). But even this relationship has had its ups and downs (to say the least) with the pair being at times incredibly close, not speaking, and back again...and trust me, it's enough to give anybody whiplash!
But as troubles mount on the wedding day to her mystery love (we are not let in on WHO her betrothed is until nearly the end of the book), will the day she's been dreaming about for years lead her to the Happily Ever After she's not even sure she deserves? WHO was the love to break through the noise and confusion, stand by her side, and take this giant risk for a chance at wedded bliss? Or will Amanda's propensity to ruin everything she touches when it comes to matters of the heart take what should be the happiest day of her life...and cement it as the worst?
First off, it was INCREDIBLY difficult to write a synopsis for this book without giving anything away. So much of the plot revolves around the love of Amanda's life, but telling you who that is in any shape or form (or even alluding to it!) completely spoils the book. The premise, however, is fairly simple, in that we essentially spend the 300+ pages of this book revisiting Amanda Dean's love life (a la "This is Your Life"), and trying to determine who the lucky person is that completely stole her heart. This would be fine, and even sounds fun in theory....but there is one tiny (okay, GIANT) problem with all of this.
This book is ALL OVER The Place...more so than ANY time travel or time hopping book I have EVER read...and after a while, the headache just didn't feel worth it.
We literally visit Amanda in no less than 5 or 10 different years in her life (after a while, I stopped attempting to keep track), and not only did this give the book a painfully disjointed feeling, I could not feel grounded for more than 5 minutes while reading. I had no idea how old Amanda was at any given moment, what grade she was in, what friends she was or wasn't speaking to, or even keep track of the long list of 'who's who' from her dating pool. Not only was this frustrating, but it put such roadblocks in the way of character development not knowing when or where we were at any given moment, and somehow this also managed to slow the pace down too, to the point where it took me SEVERAL days longer than it should have to finish the book...and unfortunately, it wasn't because I was savoring every moment.
That isn't to say this was all bad by any stretch: Amanda is an interesting character, and I did feel very drawn to wanting to know what happened with several of the relationships in question...I just felt stonewalled by the disastrous book structure. To be honest, once you know who the 'central' love is, you'll wish that the book had sort of clearly focused on this relationship and left so much of the extraneous detail provided to keep everything a mystery out entirely: this just wasn't needed to make it a decent read. There was more than enough content and potential for a deep dive into the intricacies of the relationships explored here without the added layer of "can you guess?" throughout. (And again, no spoilers, but this one is very YA in its ending as well...if you DON'T predict it, you probably fell asleep somewhere along the way!) To top it all off, since so much of this book is focused on Amanda's younger years AND the author comes to the NA world from YA...plenty of these sections read exactly like YA, so if this is a no-go for you as a reader, I would also give it a pass.
And after finishing this book, the only thing that was 'seemingly impossible' to me was a lot less the very predictable HEA of Amanda Dean...but instead finding a cure for my aforementioned (and lingering) headache. 😣
3 stars
March 13, 2025
This is a debut novel that will take readers back in forth in time. Readers will also know that they are going to be wedding guests to Amanda’s (Mandy) wedding, but unclear as to who she is marrying. Because the author is taking us on an engaging, and somewhat dizzying roller-coaster ride through time, readers will watch as characters explore the complex experience of understanding oneself, let alone love and relationships.
This is a charming and heartfelt romance. Readers will be let into Amanda Dean’s life, one that is filled with much heart-break…and, joy. But finally, Mandy will be married. And, for this, readers are anxious to know that at least someone has brought her to this place of a HEA ending. But who could it be?
And, that is what makes this a truly heartwarming, bittersweet, accepting, nuanced romantic story. Please read this story with an open-mind. Not all HEA’s are typical.
This is a charming and heartfelt romance. Readers will be let into Amanda Dean’s life, one that is filled with much heart-break…and, joy. But finally, Mandy will be married. And, for this, readers are anxious to know that at least someone has brought her to this place of a HEA ending. But who could it be?
And, that is what makes this a truly heartwarming, bittersweet, accepting, nuanced romantic story. Please read this story with an open-mind. Not all HEA’s are typical.
May 7, 2025
4💫
a beautiful story told from multiple places in time about how the past loves in your life lead you to who you are meant to be and meant to be with. the story jumped around into many different points in time in mandy’s life, taking you through big milestones in her personal life. you get a glimpse into the many relationships she has been in her life and how it shaped her as a person, as well as how she was never able to let go of her first true love.
the story starts off on mandy’s wedding day (partner is unknown until the last chapter) as she is preparing to make one of the biggest transitions in her life. she battles with self doubt and overall nerves of the day, leading into the reminiscent chapters of the book. the story jumps bag and forth between past and present, giving the reader a glimpse into how her past experiences with loved prepared her for this day.
mandy and isa had such a special connection with one another. they were truly each other person, and i loved seeing their relationship progress over time. it is so important to have that one person in your life who truly knows you better than anyone else and loves you deeper than anyone you will ever meet.
my only complaint was that the switch between past and present was way to confusing. the chapters would jump from 2019 to 2006 to 2013 to 1999 to 2011 and you are just expected to remember each storyline of each year as you go on. because its not chronological, i got a little frustrated following along because i wasn’t sure what was going on in her life. other than the story structuring, i loved this one!
highly recommend this book!
a beautiful story told from multiple places in time about how the past loves in your life lead you to who you are meant to be and meant to be with. the story jumped around into many different points in time in mandy’s life, taking you through big milestones in her personal life. you get a glimpse into the many relationships she has been in her life and how it shaped her as a person, as well as how she was never able to let go of her first true love.
the story starts off on mandy’s wedding day (partner is unknown until the last chapter) as she is preparing to make one of the biggest transitions in her life. she battles with self doubt and overall nerves of the day, leading into the reminiscent chapters of the book. the story jumps bag and forth between past and present, giving the reader a glimpse into how her past experiences with loved prepared her for this day.
mandy and isa had such a special connection with one another. they were truly each other person, and i loved seeing their relationship progress over time. it is so important to have that one person in your life who truly knows you better than anyone else and loves you deeper than anyone you will ever meet.
my only complaint was that the switch between past and present was way to confusing. the chapters would jump from 2019 to 2006 to 2013 to 1999 to 2011 and you are just expected to remember each storyline of each year as you go on. because its not chronological, i got a little frustrated following along because i wasn’t sure what was going on in her life. other than the story structuring, i loved this one!
highly recommend this book!
September 30, 2024
This was a unique romance with great queer representation. The book jumps around in time a lot to show you the path of Amanda Dean’s love life. It was a little hard to follow at times as characters or situations would be shown before they were explained but near the end when it came together it all made sense. I’m still not positive it was the best way to tell a story, but I did like that it was unique. In some ways it broke the rom-com rules because you don’t go through the problem that tears the lovers apart you get to skip those parts and get to the end. Amanda Dean, or Mandy, is an artist who is about to get married. As she gets ready in between calls about bumps for the day she reminisces about her past and thinks of all of the people she has loved and how she got to be where she is today. It was a sweet story with a predictable but satisfying ending. Overall I gave it 3.5 stars rounded up for the creative way the story was told.
September 20, 2024
There's a lot that I loved about this contemporary romance with a bi-disaster heroine! She is a flawed person who keeps trying and gets better over time. We get insight into her past from childhood and adolescence, the college years, and finding herself in her 20's. Not a lot of romances today do that and I think it creates a much richer understanding of who these characters are. And you can tell that this author has written YA under another name because the adolescent sections are really well done. I loved where the romance ended up and was rooting for the couple despite all the hurdles it took for Mandy/Amanda to get to her happily ever after.
The thing I have more mixed feelings on is the structure of the book. Please take my thoughts with a grain of salt because it seems a lot of reviewers are LOVING it. And I am probably biased because I tend to be a hard sell on time skip books in general.
The story opens the morning of Mandy's wedding day in 2019. She is getting ready and anxious about whether things are going to crash and burn, thinking back to all her past relationships. Then we get scenes from several different periods of her life ranging from the 1990's to 2016 and her relationships across time, periodically interrupted with another snapshot of the current timeline, moving up to the wedding itself at the end of the book.
Now, this is really difficult to do well. It requires a ton of organization to pace things along the arc and plot beats of the story. I think the author did manage that, however I still think I would have preferred the story to be told in a somewhat more linear way, even if we kept the wedding day as a framing device. Because there is so much jumping around in time, I sometimes found it difficult to follow and didn't immediately remember what was happening in each timeline of Mandy's life. I also think this is supposed to create a sense of mystery and suspense about WHO she is actually marrying. In practice, I found it to be pretty obvious which character was going to be endgame from early on. And because this is a romance, I'm more interested in following the characters emotional journeys than in having a mystery element about who the ultimate romance is with introduced.
Again, I think a lot of readers are enjoying this structure and finding it fresh and interesting. And I do think the story and the writing are really great, with memorable and well-developed characters. I just don't think it necessarily needed this structural creation of suspense to work as a story, even if I'm sure it was very labor-intensive to pull off. That said, I did quite enjoy this and look forward to reading more from this author in the future! I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.
The thing I have more mixed feelings on is the structure of the book. Please take my thoughts with a grain of salt because it seems a lot of reviewers are LOVING it. And I am probably biased because I tend to be a hard sell on time skip books in general.
The story opens the morning of Mandy's wedding day in 2019. She is getting ready and anxious about whether things are going to crash and burn, thinking back to all her past relationships. Then we get scenes from several different periods of her life ranging from the 1990's to 2016 and her relationships across time, periodically interrupted with another snapshot of the current timeline, moving up to the wedding itself at the end of the book.
Now, this is really difficult to do well. It requires a ton of organization to pace things along the arc and plot beats of the story. I think the author did manage that, however I still think I would have preferred the story to be told in a somewhat more linear way, even if we kept the wedding day as a framing device. Because there is so much jumping around in time, I sometimes found it difficult to follow and didn't immediately remember what was happening in each timeline of Mandy's life. I also think this is supposed to create a sense of mystery and suspense about WHO she is actually marrying. In practice, I found it to be pretty obvious which character was going to be endgame from early on. And because this is a romance, I'm more interested in following the characters emotional journeys than in having a mystery element about who the ultimate romance is with introduced.
Again, I think a lot of readers are enjoying this structure and finding it fresh and interesting. And I do think the story and the writing are really great, with memorable and well-developed characters. I just don't think it necessarily needed this structural creation of suspense to work as a story, even if I'm sure it was very labor-intensive to pull off. That said, I did quite enjoy this and look forward to reading more from this author in the future! I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.
September 16, 2024
I absolutely loved this debut queer romance featuring bisexual disaster Amanda Dean and her many failed love affairs. What made this story so unique is that it starts off on Amanda's wedding day but we don't find out who she's marrying until the very end of the book. Told through alternating timelines, this story jumps around from past to present and is as much a coming of age female friends to lovers story as a breakdown of Amanda's various major romantic relationships. Full of heart and heartbreak, this had so much emotional depth and nuance and I loved the narration by Victoria Villarreal. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! Perfect for fans of authors like Mazey Eddings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2024
Extremely mid
Read
April 28, 2025I really enjoyed this book! I am so happy that Mandy ended up with the person I wanted her to! I love dual timelines so I was very intrigued by the nonlinear timeline. I liked bouncing around to different times in Mandy’s life. And I can’t wait to read more from this author!
September 17, 2024
I received an early version of this book and it’s hard not to love “bi disaster” Amanda Dean. (Though, TBH, that’s more how she would describe herself than reality.)
Each chapter is also “a chapter” of her life that leads up to where the reader begins—the morning of her 💒 wedding—and the existential questions we ask ourselves on such a day.
However, this book is not just about love, but about friendship, family, and the struggle to find yourself as much as to find “the one.”
It’s heartfelt, clever, and you’re definitely going to ship
Mandy and a certain someone.
Each chapter is also “a chapter” of her life that leads up to where the reader begins—the morning of her 💒 wedding—and the existential questions we ask ourselves on such a day.
However, this book is not just about love, but about friendship, family, and the struggle to find yourself as much as to find “the one.”
It’s heartfelt, clever, and you’re definitely going to ship
Mandy and a certain someone.
March 31, 2024
What a fun twist on a tale of true love! I was fortunate to get an advanced copy of this book and really enjoyed it. With the perfect balance of heart and humor, it takes readers on a journey of Amanda Dean’s (seemingly impossible) love life, starting with her wedding day and venturing back from her earliest crushes to her biggest heartbreaks and everything in between. There are so many great lessons, failures, and triumphs in romance throughout Amanda’s life that by the time you get to the end—and find out who she ends up with—your heart with sigh with happiness.
September 1, 2024
Holy smokes, I'm incredibly impressed by Ann Rose's The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean! I read the first 3/4 of the book in one night lol, I couldn't put it down.
My favorite part of this story is how beautifully Rose weaves the time skipping. This is extremely hard to do well, and Rose executes it masterfully. This clever reveal of how Amanda and Isa's relationship developes, implodes, and all the how's and why's so much to this splendid tale.
an ARC of The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean was provided by Berkley Publishing Group, via NetGalley, for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
My favorite part of this story is how beautifully Rose weaves the time skipping. This is extremely hard to do well, and Rose executes it masterfully. This clever reveal of how Amanda and Isa's relationship developes, implodes, and all the how's and why's so much to this splendid tale.
an ARC of The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean was provided by Berkley Publishing Group, via NetGalley, for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
October 15, 2024
2.5 stars (rounded up).
I have to say, I absolutely haaaaaaaated the narrative style of "The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean" by Ann Rose. The chapters flip from past to present with no rhyme or reason. The timeline spans years in a non-linear fashion. One chapter will be in 2009, and the next will be in 2019, then the present, then 2015, then 2019 again. It was confusing, and it contributed to my lack of appreciation for and caring about the main characters. I found the reading experience frustrating at best. Luckily, there is good bi-representation here, so that was a massive plus. Unfortunately, this did not grab me like most romance novels do. I found myself struggling to push through reading this until the end. Amanda Dean was very stubborn and didn't listen to anything anyone said. I like the "bi-disaster" commentary, but liked little else. Still, it is a mostly cute if predictable romance with a few laughs here and there.
Thank you to NetGalley, Ann Rose, and Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
I have to say, I absolutely haaaaaaaated the narrative style of "The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean" by Ann Rose. The chapters flip from past to present with no rhyme or reason. The timeline spans years in a non-linear fashion. One chapter will be in 2009, and the next will be in 2019, then the present, then 2015, then 2019 again. It was confusing, and it contributed to my lack of appreciation for and caring about the main characters. I found the reading experience frustrating at best. Luckily, there is good bi-representation here, so that was a massive plus. Unfortunately, this did not grab me like most romance novels do. I found myself struggling to push through reading this until the end. Amanda Dean was very stubborn and didn't listen to anything anyone said. I like the "bi-disaster" commentary, but liked little else. Still, it is a mostly cute if predictable romance with a few laughs here and there.
Thank you to NetGalley, Ann Rose, and Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
April 3, 2025
While I love a past/present storyline, THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE LOVE LIFE OF AMANDA DEAN took me all over the place as it follows Amanda through her life. Each chapter jumped around, making it hard to catch up.
What begins on Amanda’s wedding day as she ponders whether this is her true love, and from there keeps you guessing on who Amanda will end up with.
I paired the book with audio and loved the narrator!
*many thanks to Berkley, PRH audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review
What begins on Amanda’s wedding day as she ponders whether this is her true love, and from there keeps you guessing on who Amanda will end up with.
I paired the book with audio and loved the narrator!
*many thanks to Berkley, PRH audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review
September 25, 2024
Thank you to Berkley Romance for the free book and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.
This romance is such a unique format. We first meet Amanda Dean on her wedding day, as she is wondering whether this love will truly stick. But she never mentions who the love interest is. From there, we skip through different times in her life and different love interests. As we go, we learn a lot about her and guess who she will marry.
I found I really needed to pay attention to the dates at the start of each chapter and to focus. Otherwise, I wasn't able to follow the chronology and know which relationships ended when. I was especially pleased that the tracks in the audiobook included the dates in the title, as they facilitated my reading.
I really liked Mandy and loved seeing how she grew over the years. I quickly determined who I wanted the love interest to be and how I wanted the story to end. And I especially loved that she was bisexual, and both female and male love interests seemed to have equally plausible chances at a long-term relationship.
I think this book is great for people like me who are especially interested in the character aspects of romances. It's quite a unique format and one that I enjoyed. I found it contemplative and fascinating.
Victoria Villarreal did an excellent job narrating throughout the audiobook.
CW: death of a loved one
This romance is such a unique format. We first meet Amanda Dean on her wedding day, as she is wondering whether this love will truly stick. But she never mentions who the love interest is. From there, we skip through different times in her life and different love interests. As we go, we learn a lot about her and guess who she will marry.
I found I really needed to pay attention to the dates at the start of each chapter and to focus. Otherwise, I wasn't able to follow the chronology and know which relationships ended when. I was especially pleased that the tracks in the audiobook included the dates in the title, as they facilitated my reading.
I really liked Mandy and loved seeing how she grew over the years. I quickly determined who I wanted the love interest to be and how I wanted the story to end. And I especially loved that she was bisexual, and both female and male love interests seemed to have equally plausible chances at a long-term relationship.
I think this book is great for people like me who are especially interested in the character aspects of romances. It's quite a unique format and one that I enjoyed. I found it contemplative and fascinating.
Victoria Villarreal did an excellent job narrating throughout the audiobook.
CW: death of a loved one
September 1, 2024
I’ve had such good luck with debut authors lately, this was such a good read. The structure was unique, it’s Mandys wedding day and then it keeps flashing back to different times in her life and romantic relationships leaving you to guess who she will marry. I loved Mandy, she’s complicated and endearing and the whole thing was adorable and heartwarming. The narrators voice matched exactly to what I imagined and she great.
September 7, 2024
Sorry, but I did not like this book. My biggest pet peeve is when authors randomly skip from one time to another, from chapter to chapter, for no justifiable reason. This is one of the worst examples of that writing device. At the start of each chapter, I had to calculate (based on the year) approximately how old Amanda (Mandy) was, and each time, it took me out of the story. Sometimes she was kindergarten age, then in her late twenties, or just 17, heading over to London, then second grade and so on. Not only were the loose ends not tied up at the end, but I also felt like the author intentionally misdirected readers about who Mandy was going to marry. It just all made my head spin and kept me from feeling at all engaged with the main characters or the story. Not recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
January 13, 2025
3.5 rounded up, especially because of the ending
Reading this one felt like trying to untangle a mystery, given the premise of the book is that you have no clue who’s the right one for Mandy. That aspect was both a kinda fun take on a romance book and mildly annoying because all of the jumping around between timelines left me wanting more time to develop the several romantic partners Mandy has. Two of the main ones blended together and I was confused as to who was who because they weren’t very well defined due to time constraints and the jostling between their scenes.
Big fan of the grief representation in act three. Very, very realistic as someone who’s on that journey right now.
Reading this one felt like trying to untangle a mystery, given the premise of the book is that you have no clue who’s the right one for Mandy. That aspect was both a kinda fun take on a romance book and mildly annoying because all of the jumping around between timelines left me wanting more time to develop the several romantic partners Mandy has. Two of the main ones blended together and I was confused as to who was who because they weren’t very well defined due to time constraints and the jostling between their scenes.
Big fan of the grief representation in act three. Very, very realistic as someone who’s on that journey right now.
August 24, 2025
The structure of the timeline did not work here with the writing. Amanda was an…interesting character.
September 10, 2024
BI ROMANCE ALERT 📣
Thanks so much to #partners @berkleyromance & @prhaudio for my #gifted copies. #berkleyromancepartner #berkleyIG #penguinrandomhousepartner
The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean
Ann Rose
Available September 17th
Amanda's getting married! Shes a hopeless romantic whose search for her one true love hasn't always gone her way. Until now, when she and her spouse-to-be are about to tie the knot. But as the "I do" moment approaches, and nothing is going as planned, Amanda finds herself reflecting on her past loves.
The set-up is clever; it's a multi-timeline novel, with the present time taking place on Amanda's wedding day, where she's about to marry ________ (we don't know), alternating with a series of flashbacks to past relationships (of which there are many) from childhood through adulthood. And while the reader doesn't know which person she'll end up with, we have a pretty good guess who it'll be. 🥰
TSILLOAD is a lighthearted, enjoyable romcom filled with nostalgia, friendship, family, and one bisexual woman's quest to find love, and find herself in the process. Despite the incorporation of a few heavier themes, this felt pretty low stakes due to the tone. And that's ok! Not every book needs to be deep. Sometimes a playful, easygoing romcom hits just right.
🎧 I listened along with the audiobook, and really enjoyed Victoria Villarreal's narration. She differentiated in pitch to indicate younger vs. older Amanda, which helped me keep track of past/present timelines. While I did sometimes get confused with the dialogue and who was speaking, her voice really matched the vibe of the book and characters and made for a pleasant experience.🩷
Thanks so much to #partners @berkleyromance & @prhaudio for my #gifted copies. #berkleyromancepartner #berkleyIG #penguinrandomhousepartner
The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean
Ann Rose
Available September 17th
Amanda's getting married! Shes a hopeless romantic whose search for her one true love hasn't always gone her way. Until now, when she and her spouse-to-be are about to tie the knot. But as the "I do" moment approaches, and nothing is going as planned, Amanda finds herself reflecting on her past loves.
The set-up is clever; it's a multi-timeline novel, with the present time taking place on Amanda's wedding day, where she's about to marry ________ (we don't know), alternating with a series of flashbacks to past relationships (of which there are many) from childhood through adulthood. And while the reader doesn't know which person she'll end up with, we have a pretty good guess who it'll be. 🥰
TSILLOAD is a lighthearted, enjoyable romcom filled with nostalgia, friendship, family, and one bisexual woman's quest to find love, and find herself in the process. Despite the incorporation of a few heavier themes, this felt pretty low stakes due to the tone. And that's ok! Not every book needs to be deep. Sometimes a playful, easygoing romcom hits just right.
🎧 I listened along with the audiobook, and really enjoyed Victoria Villarreal's narration. She differentiated in pitch to indicate younger vs. older Amanda, which helped me keep track of past/present timelines. While I did sometimes get confused with the dialogue and who was speaking, her voice really matched the vibe of the book and characters and made for a pleasant experience.🩷
November 9, 2024
Painful - about 100 pages too long for what you got.
Amanda Dean is incredibly annoying, privileged, and the author must be super-bougie because everything is written like Mandy's life was typical.
Also annoying: calling England Europe, and the many many references to Mandy living in Europe when she lived in London.
Amanda Dean's love life was only seemingly impossible because of the obnoxious narrative structure of switching back and forth between decades.
I don't know why I kept going. Blame the post-election fatigue.
Amanda Dean is incredibly annoying, privileged, and the author must be super-bougie because everything is written like Mandy's life was typical.
Also annoying: calling England Europe, and the many many references to Mandy living in Europe when she lived in London.
Amanda Dean's love life was only seemingly impossible because of the obnoxious narrative structure of switching back and forth between decades.
I don't know why I kept going. Blame the post-election fatigue.
June 14, 2024
I was so lucky to be an early reader of this title and I cannot wait for it to be out in the world! Heartwarming, thoughtful, and with a protagonist who's so easy to root for, this is a book that should be on any shelf, whether you ALSO happen to self-identify as a "bisexual disaster" or not. :)
dnf
September 19, 2024Got thru a quarter of book and had whiplash from the time zig zags and multitude of loves.
I had guessed the ending in the 1st chapter
No need to read or bounce along any further…
I had guessed the ending in the 1st chapter
No need to read or bounce along any further…
October 16, 2024
Many thanks to Berkley Romance and PRH Audio for the digital and audio advanced copies of this sweet, introspective story about the unexpected, winding paths to love. #berkleypartner #prhaudioinfluencer
Amanda Dean is an artist and self-proclaimed “bi disaster” whose greatest skill might just be falling in love. We meet her on what should be the happiest day of her life—her wedding day—but everything that can go wrong is going wrong. As she navigates the chaos, the story takes us on a journey through a lifetime of loves, friendships, and heartbreaks that have shaped her and brought her to this moment. From broken engagements and missed chances to serendipitous encounters, Amanda’s story is an honest exploration of the fear, joy, and messiness of love.
Mandy’s life is a mix of bold, adventurous choices and deeply relatable struggles. The narrative sweeps readers from Europe to art galleries, from middle-class schooldays to over-the-top fashion moments, all interwoven with quiet, introspective reflections. Told in a non-linear format, each chapter drops into a different moment of her life, creating a rich, layered portrait of her journey. Amanda’s path is filled with mistakes, heartbreak, self-discovery, and the longing to be seen for who she truly is.
The most delightful aspect? We don’t discover who Amanda is marrying until the very end, keeping the anticipation high and leading to a beautifully satisfying conclusion punctuated by a perfect, five-word epilogue.
The audiobook, narrated by Victoria Villarreal, runs just under 10 hours and is a wonderfully immersive solo performance that captures Amanda’s spirit and brings her story to life.
Amanda Dean is an artist and self-proclaimed “bi disaster” whose greatest skill might just be falling in love. We meet her on what should be the happiest day of her life—her wedding day—but everything that can go wrong is going wrong. As she navigates the chaos, the story takes us on a journey through a lifetime of loves, friendships, and heartbreaks that have shaped her and brought her to this moment. From broken engagements and missed chances to serendipitous encounters, Amanda’s story is an honest exploration of the fear, joy, and messiness of love.
Mandy’s life is a mix of bold, adventurous choices and deeply relatable struggles. The narrative sweeps readers from Europe to art galleries, from middle-class schooldays to over-the-top fashion moments, all interwoven with quiet, introspective reflections. Told in a non-linear format, each chapter drops into a different moment of her life, creating a rich, layered portrait of her journey. Amanda’s path is filled with mistakes, heartbreak, self-discovery, and the longing to be seen for who she truly is.
The most delightful aspect? We don’t discover who Amanda is marrying until the very end, keeping the anticipation high and leading to a beautifully satisfying conclusion punctuated by a perfect, five-word epilogue.
The audiobook, narrated by Victoria Villarreal, runs just under 10 hours and is a wonderfully immersive solo performance that captures Amanda’s spirit and brings her story to life.
September 29, 2024
4.5
I really enjoyed this one! Going in, I had no idea what to expect. I kinda just had it and the premise of a wild love life and honestly being in chaos just sounded fun - so I picked it up... Then suddenly... I read it all. In a day... HOW?! No clue, but that just goes to show how easy to read and entertaining it was.
This book follows Amanda Dean (obviously?) as she navigates her relationships. She always thought she was unlucky in love and we get to follow different times in her life and relationships that led her to think that way. From the highs of romance starting and the lows of how they ended.
The reality and rawness of this book was so real! Amanda was very relatable and while she proclaimed herself to be "a self-proclaimed bi disaster", I feel like everyone will be able to see a little bit of themselves in her.
Watching Amanda grow up and mature throughout her different relationships was so much fun! The balance of all the emotions were so well done. I loved the storytelling and how the author got you to love Amanda and all the side characters as well. Even the platonic relationships that Amanda forms throughout her life was so important.
I loved that there were lessons in every relationship. You always left the relationship learning a little more about Amanda and seeing how she became the woman on her wedding day. I couldn't stop rooting for Amanda to find the happiness she deserved - even when she felt like she didn't deserve it.
I genuinely couldn't put this book down and it was so easy to read! I was nervous with the jumping of timelines that it would've been hard to follow but I didn't feel that way at all. I always knew where we were and who we were with. The format going between timelines also just made sense.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this one!
TW:
I really enjoyed this one! Going in, I had no idea what to expect. I kinda just had it and the premise of a wild love life and honestly being in chaos just sounded fun - so I picked it up... Then suddenly... I read it all. In a day... HOW?! No clue, but that just goes to show how easy to read and entertaining it was.
This book follows Amanda Dean (obviously?) as she navigates her relationships. She always thought she was unlucky in love and we get to follow different times in her life and relationships that led her to think that way. From the highs of romance starting and the lows of how they ended.
The reality and rawness of this book was so real! Amanda was very relatable and while she proclaimed herself to be "a self-proclaimed bi disaster", I feel like everyone will be able to see a little bit of themselves in her.
Watching Amanda grow up and mature throughout her different relationships was so much fun! The balance of all the emotions were so well done. I loved the storytelling and how the author got you to love Amanda and all the side characters as well. Even the platonic relationships that Amanda forms throughout her life was so important.
I loved that there were lessons in every relationship. You always left the relationship learning a little more about Amanda and seeing how she became the woman on her wedding day. I couldn't stop rooting for Amanda to find the happiness she deserved - even when she felt like she didn't deserve it.
I genuinely couldn't put this book down and it was so easy to read! I was nervous with the jumping of timelines that it would've been hard to follow but I didn't feel that way at all. I always knew where we were and who we were with. The format going between timelines also just made sense.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this one!
"She had many flaws and had made so many mistakes, but someone who's never failed never truly learned either." (69)
"They were each other's shield from anything that could hurt them. When one of them felt weak, the other would give them some of their strength." (88)
"The only person you need to make happy is you." (170)
"As tough as it is, actions have consequences. Sometimes there's no going back to the way things were. But maybe if you give it a little time, you can make something new." (180)
"Don't sweat the small stuff. Money comes and goes, but it's the people you surround yourself with that will keep you happy. So when times get tough, 'cause they always do, remember what brought you to this moment right here." (228)
TW:
January 4, 2025
This books read a bit like how I met your mother if a) the mother wasn’t killed off for a plot point, b) Ted was a bisexual woman, and c) the story was being told to someone that wasn’t their children.
This book nonlinearly opens on the main character’s wedding day then jumps between more than two decades of her life as she navigates her best friendship, finding herself, growing up, and figuring out what it means to love and be loved. This book was a sweet, quick read, and though it feels fairly clear who she’ll end up with early on, wondering how she’ll get to that point definitely kept me reading. And of course bonus points for 🌈💅
3.5/5 rounded down because a lot of the characters felt a bit underdeveloped and so much was packed in that I think some of the journey was lost at times. Still a good read but it made getting to the final destination a bit less exciting when some of the other love interests that popped in and out felt a bit flat / unifaceted in their development. Though this helped show why the final love interest was the best, it also felt like well why is she with this other person and when can we be done with them? I loved that the relationships that were fleshed out also extended to family / friends / the best friend’s family
This book nonlinearly opens on the main character’s wedding day then jumps between more than two decades of her life as she navigates her best friendship, finding herself, growing up, and figuring out what it means to love and be loved. This book was a sweet, quick read, and though it feels fairly clear who she’ll end up with early on, wondering how she’ll get to that point definitely kept me reading. And of course bonus points for 🌈💅
3.5/5 rounded down because a lot of the characters felt a bit underdeveloped and so much was packed in that I think some of the journey was lost at times. Still a good read but it made getting to the final destination a bit less exciting when some of the other love interests that popped in and out felt a bit flat / unifaceted in their development. Though this helped show why the final love interest was the best, it also felt like well why is she with this other person and when can we be done with them? I loved that the relationships that were fleshed out also extended to family / friends / the best friend’s family
September 27, 2024
🏆Most Unique Romance I’ve read in 2024🏆
The best way I can describe this book is like a puzzle. Ann Rose dumped out all the pieces and the reader puts them back together in a non-consecutive timeline. At first I found it a little bit confusing, but as we get further into the story, you can use the different time periods to build a skeleton of her life. It was like a love story and a mystery at the same time! 🤯 I haven’t been consumed by a book like this in SO long!
This book was written in such a unique way. In most books we learn who the love interest is in early on, but in this book the reader is left in the dark about who Mandy will marry. The focus is more about the history of how she got to her current love then building their current relationship. I don’t want to give anything away because figuring out who she is going to end up with is part of the fun.
I think a lot of people are going to be able to relate to Mandy in some way. The reader follows Mandy through multiple relationships and heartbreaks in her youth, mistakes in love and life and finding herself in her twenties.
I found this book so nostalgic. Mandy graduated from high school in 2005, and I graduated from high school in 2006. I found the pop culture references to be spot on as a millennial. The book isn’t in any way saturated with references, but the few that were in there made me smile.
Engaging ✔️ Unique ✔️ Nostalgic ✔️
Mystery ➕ Romanc
🏳️🌈 Queer rep
What more could you want?!
Thank you so much to @berkleyromance for the free copy of The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean by Ann Rose; all thoughts are my own.
The best way I can describe this book is like a puzzle. Ann Rose dumped out all the pieces and the reader puts them back together in a non-consecutive timeline. At first I found it a little bit confusing, but as we get further into the story, you can use the different time periods to build a skeleton of her life. It was like a love story and a mystery at the same time! 🤯 I haven’t been consumed by a book like this in SO long!
This book was written in such a unique way. In most books we learn who the love interest is in early on, but in this book the reader is left in the dark about who Mandy will marry. The focus is more about the history of how she got to her current love then building their current relationship. I don’t want to give anything away because figuring out who she is going to end up with is part of the fun.
I think a lot of people are going to be able to relate to Mandy in some way. The reader follows Mandy through multiple relationships and heartbreaks in her youth, mistakes in love and life and finding herself in her twenties.
I found this book so nostalgic. Mandy graduated from high school in 2005, and I graduated from high school in 2006. I found the pop culture references to be spot on as a millennial. The book isn’t in any way saturated with references, but the few that were in there made me smile.
Engaging ✔️ Unique ✔️ Nostalgic ✔️
Mystery ➕ Romanc
🏳️🌈 Queer rep
What more could you want?!
Thank you so much to @berkleyromance for the free copy of The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean by Ann Rose; all thoughts are my own.
October 6, 2024
Let me tell you. There's a character in this book named Theo who doesn't really like romantic comedies, but he loves horror movies, and that's me. I'm Theo (well, not really since Theo's got money, and somebody to clean his house. And I just like horror movies). But anyway, as somebody who doesn't really like the romance genre, I have to say, The Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean is a great novel, through and through. It's the characters! Even though the story is centered around a wedding, the author weaves an engaging story of friendship, lovers, and everything in between. It kept me flipping pages to the very end. I also really like the structure as it bounces around in time like the movie Memento, which always kept me intrigued. This is just a good, well-written story, and I loved it to bits... even if there weren't any hockey mask wearing killers. It's still great stuff! I'm so happy I read this!
January 25, 2026
First off, thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
OUTLIER ALERT!!! 🎶It’s me🎶!! This was just not my cup of tea ☕️! As a Christian, I found this book does not align with my personal beliefs. So I do not recommend this book.
✨Please note that others will probably love the book so don’t base your decision to read it only on my review.✨
OUTLIER ALERT!!! 🎶It’s me🎶!! This was just not my cup of tea ☕️! As a Christian, I found this book does not align with my personal beliefs. So I do not recommend this book.
✨Please note that others will probably love the book so don’t base your decision to read it only on my review.✨
September 9, 2024
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Ready for a fun tale of true love with a long journey on getting there? Then this one is for you!
Meet Amanda Dean, who has bopped from person to person her whole life while really only wanting one. Who tore herself away from her one true love so that person could become all they needed to be.
This story if told in alternating past and present day chapters. I will say at first this threw me a little. The chapters are headed with the years and I just didn't think they were necessary. It would have been easier for me to keep up had it been the main character's age listed. Then things would have made more sense earlier on. I also found it hard to keep up with the flow because it's actually told in three different time lines. Once I got about 50% into the book, this was easier to differentiate. But overall it was quite confusing at first and was taking me out of the story.
You meet Amanda on her wedding day but just who is she marrying? I will admit, I kind of guessed it from the start, but the journey was still fun to get to that point.
I liked Amanda and her growth throughout this story. You can see how she changes and morphs and becomes what she needs to be in order to find everlasting love. There were times I found her a bit whiny or annoying. She was in her head way too much. And she was too stubborn to listen to what others around her were telling her.
I liked the LBGTQ+ representation in this book. It was interesting to watch Amanda struggle with who she was and find her truth north. I feel like there could have been more to it, though. I didn't totally feel her struggle and I wanted that more than anything else.
It's not the traditional romance I was looking for. There's a bit of mystery in the plot. But you do get friends to lovers and second chance romance in the plot line.
Overall it was enjoyable enough but will not go down as a favorite romance that I would re-read.
Ready for a fun tale of true love with a long journey on getting there? Then this one is for you!
Meet Amanda Dean, who has bopped from person to person her whole life while really only wanting one. Who tore herself away from her one true love so that person could become all they needed to be.
This story if told in alternating past and present day chapters. I will say at first this threw me a little. The chapters are headed with the years and I just didn't think they were necessary. It would have been easier for me to keep up had it been the main character's age listed. Then things would have made more sense earlier on. I also found it hard to keep up with the flow because it's actually told in three different time lines. Once I got about 50% into the book, this was easier to differentiate. But overall it was quite confusing at first and was taking me out of the story.
You meet Amanda on her wedding day but just who is she marrying? I will admit, I kind of guessed it from the start, but the journey was still fun to get to that point.
I liked Amanda and her growth throughout this story. You can see how she changes and morphs and becomes what she needs to be in order to find everlasting love. There were times I found her a bit whiny or annoying. She was in her head way too much. And she was too stubborn to listen to what others around her were telling her.
I liked the LBGTQ+ representation in this book. It was interesting to watch Amanda struggle with who she was and find her truth north. I feel like there could have been more to it, though. I didn't totally feel her struggle and I wanted that more than anything else.
It's not the traditional romance I was looking for. There's a bit of mystery in the plot. But you do get friends to lovers and second chance romance in the plot line.
Overall it was enjoyable enough but will not go down as a favorite romance that I would re-read.
November 26, 2024
I normally like multiple timelines, but this book did too much. There were so many, not always in the same order, and sometimes a chapter would slip into a prior timeline without any sort of notation. The ending was pretty obvious from about chapter three. I love a bisexual disaster, but the author wanted Mandy to be one and she wasn't.
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