The Hopeless Romantic

by Lola Walker

Diana's life has quickly become a chaotic mess as she grapples with the weight of her soul-sucking job, her toxic relationship, and her troubled past. The overwhelming nature of it all has led her to see her life as a joke and to lose hope.

When she crosses paths with a mysterious witch and receives an enchanted book, her entire reality shifts as she is drawn into the book, forcing her to embody various heroines within its chapters. She must embark on a journey rife with dangerous men and unknown perils, igniting her passions and possibility a glimmer of hope in her chaotic existence.

Will she remain confined to the enchanted book or find a way to reclaim her own identify outside of its pages? Will she find the courage to rewrite her own destiny and shape her own narrative?

Genres: Contemporary

230 pages, Paperback

Published June 3, 2024

Reviews

[Lotte Hof · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, I love this book so much!
I think Lola did an amazing job writing this book.
I adored the friendship between Diana and Jordan.
The book also ended perfectly.
5⭐ read in my opinion!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very entertaining and a quick read! I absolutely loved Diana and her best friend Jordan! The narrator was hilarious! The ending was perfect!

[Payton Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic debut from the author. I enjoyed reading this book so much! There were parts that made me cry, parts that made me laugh, and parts that made me so angry and annoyed with the characters. I found the characters to be very relatable and loved to watch the main characters self-discovery/growth throughout the novel. The concept was unique and not something that's been done much before! It had 2 twists at the end that I did not see coming and left me wanting more! I can't wait to read the next book and find out what happens next!

[Wendy Knol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely (funny) romance about Diana who is in a horrible relationship and has the most dreadful job. In this book you follow her on a journey for a better life in a very original and sometimes funny way. Loved to read it

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun read! I was immersed into Diana’s world(s) and was rooting for her and the journey she went on. The storytelling allowed me to visualize her life as I entered into the one in reality and the one in the enchanted book. And within this novel, Diana’s personality gleamed through the pages making me want to continue to turn the page!

[Shushan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great short read! Loved every moment of this book as it has a bit of everything - love, heartbreak, and friendship! Diana and Jordan’s friendship is such a great story and feels like something that is real life! The ending was amazing and I totally cannot wait to read the next adventure that Lola writes!

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It!!!

I'll admit that the first part of this book made me want to throw things across the room every time the FMC had an encounter with her less than admirable boyfriend 😡. His name should just be a string of curse words. This book was like a romantic adult spin off of The Pagemaster which was probably my favorite movie as a kid. I definitely could have read more. You could double the pages & I would still be obsessed. I know a lot of people prefer a strong bada** FMC to start off with, but this is a story of growth & I love that our girl grew into herself at the end. It brings more humanity to the character & the story, especially for those of us who have ever endured a Tom or a Charles. Or both. I am also a sucker for any HEA because life is hard enough, so my books should always end happy 🤣. And because I follow this author elsewhere, I will add....never cut the details. If you write it, I'll read it. If it's important to you, it's important to your character. It's important to your story ❤️. This was a perfect, happy, & slightly emotional read, and I am thankful that you took the leap & allowed us all to read it.

[Rachel Hanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three weeks later, and I am still cracking up over Diana. Her ridiculous and over-the-top predicaments had me flipping pages faster than that dang book--you know the one;) And can I just say--i've always been a fan of a sexy sea captain.

I laughed, I hollered, and I still live and breath for that ending. Such a fun read, a thousand times recommend!

[sycokittykat - Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magic book brings new perspective

First off I absolutely love the idea of this freaking book.

Diana has been stuck in her life. Between her past trauma and her very long time boyfriend she is forced to confront all the things she believes and discover exactly what she wants.

Each chapter of this magic book gives her a new sexual adventure and new perspectives on love, lust and sex. Will Diana finally discover what she has been missing in her life and her relationship?

I love how each adventure took her out of her comfort zone and made her deal with things she never even thought were an issue as well and learn that her sex life is mediocre at best.

[Alison Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Hopeless Romantic, Lola Walker has crafted an excellent standalone fantasy with elements of romance that don't stop at damsels in distress but include a main character searching for the courage to love herself. After getting fired from her dead-end job and discovering her boyfriend of eight years cheating, Diana thinks her life can't get any worse. Thankfully, for the reader at least, it kind of, can. Crying and full of self-loathing, the young woman stumbles into a strange bookshop during a storm and gets sold, rather forcefully, an odd yet mesmerizing book. Not long after, Diana accepts the 'rules' laid out at the beginning of the book and finds herself magically swept into its enchanted chapters. What follows is a thoroughly entertaining read with self-discovery happening alongside romance and action. If you're looking for a standalone story with a relatable and likeable protagonist whose journey is both illuminating and full of heart, The Hopeless Romantic is for you. The only I held against this story (in a very minor way) is that I wanted more of it. This actually a 4.5 stars.

[Blaize · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED this book. If you’re looking for something fun and romantic, this book is definitely for you. If you want to get an itch to punch someone in the face from time to time, this book is for you. If you want to laugh out loud (the real kind), then this book is for you. And if you think just MAYBE it would be nice to have some darkness, then yeah! This book is for you.
I don’t know exactly what I expected when I started reading this book, but I loved it. And I want more.
Without giving too much away, here are some things I’ve learned:
1. If a sexy voice tries to tell you something, you should probably listen
2. Beware of ladies giving you free books- you might be WAY in over your head
3. Don’t drink and read
4. Maybe you shouldn’t sleep with every guy you meet… but then again maybe you should??
5. Sex makes you more attractive… or maybe it’s confidence and self love. Although. Maybe it’s all the same thing.
6. And lastly, something I don’t think really needs to be said but I will say it anyway. Sometimes, all you really need is a good book.

[CoffeeAndHEA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was the perfect balance of contemporary and fantasy with some of the most relatable characters I have read in a long time! We have all been Diana, struggling to work through past trauma while learning what we are truly worthy of receiving in life. Through a magical book she is able to learn lesson after lesson that brings her to the best version of herself. (The Narrator was the star of the show!) I loved the true friendship she had with Jordan and the comical moments woven at just the right times! The ending was phenomenal and one I will be thinking about over and over again. Let this story of beautiful growth take you away! You'll never know where each chapter may lead! Bravo, Lola! So excited to read your next book!

[Jolene Fine · Rating 5 out of 5]

True to the title, a jaded girl turns out to be a hopeless romantic. This was a good story. A seasoned writer would have had a hard time with this complicated story. Very impressed with how well, Lola Walker seemlessly went back and forth in between the real world and a book world to have Diana grow.

I would recommend this book.


As a personal note, I did feel like the amount of profanity was unnecessary and didn't add to the story or characters. I skipped the spice. Words are harder to skip because you have to read them to skip them. ;)

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would happen if you were living your normal life, going to the job you hate etc; then one day you find yourself sucked into a book. Living within the chapters of a story, always as the heroin in ever increasingly dangerous situations. You get a lot of fun and excitement is what you get! I will be re-reading this one later!

[Chantel Back · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you could ever want in a rom-com novel! I read this book faster than any book I've picked up in years. I'm typically not a romance novel girl, but this was a great balance of all the elements. The only thing I would change is some of the language, but only because that's my personal preference. Great work!

[Nicole Ortiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* for the story.

The narrator did a good job. My first thought was this is an adult version of Neverending Story and then Diana mentioned the movie in the next chapter. I found this intresting and entertaining and a bit funny. I just wish Diana had a bit of a backbone sooner than at the end. My own preference I am not a fan of characters who are doormats.

[A E Tillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should become a movie! I can picture all the scenes in my head while reading it. I found myself rooting for the main character through out the entire book and didn’t want it to end! It’s funny and serious all at the same time. You need to read this book!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read to all my Booktok girlies! Also to all my genXers It gives you a neverending story vibe with a romantic twist! Could not put it down!