The Year of What If

by Phaedra Patrick

Can the future be rewritten?

On the verge of her second marriage, Carla Carter knows she's finally found the one. She and her fiancé, Tom, met through Logical Love, a dating agency she founded for the pragmatically minded, and she's confident that, together, they will dispel an old family curse claiming Carter women are unlucky in love.

But Carla's highly superstitious family insists she visit a fortune teller before her big day, and the tarot cards reveal that a different man holds the key to Carla's happiness – someone she met while travelling during a gap year, twenty-one years ago. This startling information spurs Carla to trace and revisit the ex-boyfriends she met during that time before she walks down the aisle.

From Barcelona to Amsterdam, Turkey to Paris, will Carla find her perfect match? And can a face from her past help Carla rewrite her entire family history, forever?

PRAISE FOR PHAEDRA
'A feel-good story with oodles of charm' Daily Mail
'A balm for the soul and the heart' Sun
'A gorgeous journey' Heat
'The perfect book to read when you want to give your heart a holiday' Sally Page

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Audiobook, Travel, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Adult Fiction

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 25, 2024

About the author

Phaedra Patrick studied art and marketing and has worked as a stained glass artist, film festival organiser and communications manager. An award-winning short story writer, she now writes full time in Saddleworth where she lives with her family.

Her debut novel, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, was translated into over twenty languages worldwide and has been optioned by a major Hollywood film studio.

Her second novel, Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone (named Wishes Under the Willow Tree in the UK), has been made into a Hallmark Movie and will premiere on TV in Autumn 2021.

Her third novel is The Library of Lost and Found, and the fourth one is titled The Secrets of Love Story Bridge (The Secrets of Sunshine in the UK).

You can find out more about Phaedra and her books at www.phaedra-patrick.com including writing tips

Please follow her on:

www.facebook.com/phaedrapatrick
Twitter @phaedrapatrick
Instagram @PhaedraPatrick

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was delighted to see a new book by Phaedra Patrick so I picked it up immediately. I had previously read The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, The Library of Lost and Found and The Messy Lives of Book People and enjoyed every single one of them.

Description:
Can the future be rewritten?

On the verge of her second marriage, Carla Carter knows she’s found the one. She and her fiancé, Tom, met through Logical Love, a dating agency she founded for the pragmatically minded, and she’s confident that, together, they'll dispel an old family curse claiming Carter women are unlucky in love.

But when Carla’s superstitious family insists she visit a fortune teller before her big day, the tarot reveals that the love of Carla’s life is not Tom, but one of the men she dated on a gap year—twenty-one years ago. With her wedding just weeks away, Carla sets off across Europe, tracking down her exes from that unforgettable year to prove the fortune wrong. From Spain to Portugal, Italy to France, will one of them be her perfect match? And could a face from Carla's past help her rewrite her entire family history forever?

My Thoughts:
This was a charming book and was true to the author's previous style. I liked the magical aspect of the curse on the family and the fortune teller. Carla's search for true love was daunting with questions raised by the fortune teller driving the plot and Carla's search. Her company and way it matched people was interesting and different. It was interesting to see what happened to the men Carla had met during her gap year. Delving into the origins of the family curse was fun. I loved the characters in the book, some were quirky and overall they were fun. I think we all think about "what if" sometimes.

Thanks to Park Row through Netgalley for an advance copy.

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carla didn’t believe in the family relationship curse.

She knows she found the love of her life and wanted to prove them wrong.

But then her family took her on a mystery evening to have her fortune read.

She didn’t want to have her future read or determined by tarot cards.

She went ahead anyway and had it done, but then she couldn’t get the revelations out of her head.

Wonder if there really is someone from her past she is meant to spend the rest of her life with instead of fiancé Tom who will be her husband in three weeks.

Still determined to break the family curse, she heads back to Spain to find one of her loves from when she was 22 years old.

What will she find?

It was fun following Carla.

Ms Patrick’s newest will have you also thinking about “what if” as you share everything with the lovely characters. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was the second book that I've read by Phaedra Patrick. The first one was The Messy Lives of Book People. I loved this one because Carla was able to get closure on her past relationships. The ending was different than what I thought it would be. It was better. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this i exchange for an honest review.

[Leighanne Medina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out fun, but by the end I was so sick of Carla that I didn’t really care what happened!! I can’t really figure out who she is, and a “family curse” is not enough of a through-line to keep me interested!! The many plot twists at the end left me dizzy, and this book was an utter slog to complete!!

[Andrea]

DNF.
I’ve really enjoyed some of Phaedra Patrick’s books, but I’m afraid I couldn’t get past this narrator 😕

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was such a disappointment. It didn’t offer the sparkling narrative that I have come to associate with this author, instead making this book a trudge that was difficult to get through.

Instead, the plot felt incredibly similar to another story I have read and I couldn’t shake this at all. I became frustrated with the protagonist and disagreed with her clinical approach to love. I didn’t find it a surprise that her love matches were flawed and found myself cringing at her business where love matches are made based on formulas and spreadsheets. It takes the soul out of love – a little bit like this story.

In my opinion, there was nothing special about this read and it was one that will be forgettable quickly. Carla retraces her gap year exes to check whether marrying her fiancé, Tom, is the right decision. It’s a step down memory lane for Carla as she tours around Europe, remembering the loves and losses of her gap year. Except, all the time, she cannot shake the curse that haunts her family, forbidding any relationships to be long-lasting.

This is where I think Patrick attempts to add magic to her story – with the family “curse”. Throughout the novel there are references to lucky charms, beliefs and fortune tellers which, to be honest, didn’t really capture my imagination. Carla is presented as quite frustrated by the curse, to the point that she doesn’t believe it and would be grateful to disprove her family’s superstitions. Yet, she cannot shake the premonition that her marriage to Tom shouldn’t be taking place. In my opinion, she is just trying to find an excuse to escape the relationship, as I was never convinced her feelings are genuine – unlike her connection with her ex-husband.

I thought the story dragged on a bit and was grateful to reach the end. It was a romance story of sorts but I don’t think it was too dissimilar to other books of this genre. There was something significantly lacking in the narrative and even though readers are taken around Europe, I don’t think it was enough to catch my imagination.

With thanks to Aria and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Year of What If tells the story of Carla Carter, who comes from a very superstitious family and who lost her mother when she was young. Her relatives tell her about a family legend which says that a witch put a curse on their family about 100 years ago and since then, no Carter relative has ever had long-lasting love. Carla believes this is true, especially when her first marriage leads to divorce. She decides to start her own matchmaking company called Logical Love, to help other unlucky-in-love folks to find their soul mates in a logical manner, and as the novel begins, she is planning her wedding to Tom, who she matched with through her company. After her family takes her to a clairvoyant - who tells her that during her gap year, many years ago, she met a man who is very important to her future happiness - she gets on a plane to track down her old boyfriends. There is so much going on in this story - fun, likeable characters, a mystery, family secrets - so much that I couldn't put it down. Phaedra Patrick's writing style is easy-to-read and I was sorry when it ended. I'd love to read a sequel! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phaedra Patrick's books have a way of letting me fall into a story, which always feels good. The occult makes me uncomfortable, and played a large role in The Year of What If, but looking at it almost as a fairy tale helped. I liked the way I could feel all the things that Carla, the MC, felt, which to me is a big part of what makes a good book.

[Heather Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read and I really enjoyed the travel aspects (reminded me of Arthur Pepper, on my ideal book shelf). I have often thought about my own "What If..."

[Bev Stegmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carla and Tom are excited for their upcoming wedding in one month. Things take a twist when Tom has a work opportunity to travel to the United States to attend a three week convention in Las Vegas. Carla, feeling dejected because Tom had insisted he did not have time for them to take a honeymoon after they were to be married but he had time to travel before hand to Las Vegas, decides to revisit her trip she had taken ten years prior and reconnect with the men she had met along the way after her bridal shower tarot card reading telling her she would meet a lost love. Secrets are uncovered, surprises are revealed, wounds need to be healed. Fun read. I was given an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

[Chispita Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

fucking finally. this contributed to my WORST slump in MONTHS. jesus. what a slog of old lady boring boo hoo back and forthness. and the writing was also awful. sorry this is so mean but my god i shouldve dnfed in the first twenty pages bc it sounds like a 50yo AI wrote it. The back flap summary is such an enticing LIE. 😡😡😡😡😡😡

[Carol Scheherazade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun quick read. Love, family and a little mystery. Love all Phaedra’s books! Make me smile.

[Linda Kemmerer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually love her stuff. But this one was just not that great.

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review

Carla Carter is only weeks away from marrying Tom, the man she matched with through her company Logical Love, when her sister & the other women in her family blindfold her and take her to a fortune teller to get their fortunes read. Her sister insists it is just to make certain that Tom is the one for Carla. Carla doesn't believe in fortune telling, or any of the other superstitions her family embraces. That is why her company Logical Love is based solely on algorithms, none of that swiping left or right or filling out dating profiles and people choosing off of superficial things like looks. When the fortune teller reveals that the love of her life is NOT Tom, but is instead one of the men that she dated during her European gap year, Carla decides to revisit all of the men that she dated to make sure there were no sparks, and confirm that they weren't the one.

This was another great romance from this author. I loved the combining of superstitions and love, and trying to decide how to tell what was real & what you had just bought into because of your beliefs. This book had a great cast of characters, and you will really love Carla and the journey she is on - literally and emotionally. This book is perfect for not only romance lovers but also for anyone who just loves a good story.

[Di · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy Ms Patrick's books…..they are fun reads but with some substance. They all leave me smiling at the end. This is a nice light read with a few life lessons thrown in.

The women in the Carter family believe that the women in the family were cursed to have failed relationships. Our main character, Carla, is determined to either prove that it is not true or to find out the source of the curse. The quest takes her to Spain, Portugal, Paris and Sardinia. We meet some interesting characters along the way.

While I don't agree with some of the decisions Carla makes, it was an interesting and revealing journey. The was some magic realism involved (fortune teller with crystal ball, Tarot cards), so I had to suspend my own beliefs a little.

It was quick and entertaining, but I didn't enjoy it as much as her earlier books. Still, I look forward to the next book.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Claire Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy light reading. A little twist at the end. Perfect summer holiday reading

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Phaedra's writing. Her books are a little formulaic but I love the process. I enjoyed how the ending was wrapped up, but open ended at the same time. A solid read.

[sarah_is_booked · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the author’s The Little Italian Hotel so I was excited for her new book. This one delivered the same charm that I was hoping for. Her writing is engaging and makes for an easy read. I enjoyed following Carla from city to city, as she looks to her past for answers. After embarking on her journey, Carla learns a lot about herself, finds some answers she was looking for, and some surprises she did not expect. I was surprised by the direction of the story, but I did enjoy the ending. I would recommend this one.

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok...it reminded me of Eat, Pray, Love in some ways. I cared, but wasn't compelled.

[Julia Booksniffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I see that my copy was first published in the United States in 2024. This might explain then, why there's an absolute abundance of American spellings and words. These are fine in a novel set in the United States, I have no problem with that, but this is set in North West England, so they've probably been changed from the author's original copy, (so it's not her fault) but why here?!

These Americanisms start as early as page 3 with 'traveling' and continue to the very end - here are a few - program, color, bangs (fringe) bachelorette party (hen party) shoveled, math (maths) ,stroller, (buggy) rest room, Clue (for Cluedo), tire (for tyre), highway (good grief!!) and honey as a term of endearment, - would a Gran for Lancashire really call her granddaughter 'honey'? I very much doubt it.

Setting all these aside, (and I find it difficult, as you can see) at most, It passes the time.
The plot - well documented in these reviews, - girl ( Carla) seeks out previous boyfriends after a fortune telling session three weeks prior to her wedding, to make sure that her intended is "the one", seems too full of convenient coincidences to me, whilst her relatives, especially her older ones appear one dimensional, stereotypical even .
I didn't even warm to Carla much herself I'm afraid.

If you want a 'romantic road trip' read though, and you're not bothered by the Americanisms, then it might be the book for you. It's a light and easy fiction, probably suited to a holiday read and if you're in your twenties or thirties too you'll probably appreciate it more than me.

I do intend to read other Phaedra Patrick novels to do a 'controlled test' (I'll check for spellings first!). For me sadly, this is probably the wrong book at the wrong time.

[Tasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best part of this book was the cover. I know it’s really hard to write a successful and believable novel and I’m so so sorry every time I rate one low but I just really couldn’t stand this book. It was like My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. Promises of European travel and romance and zany family drama but it was only bad. Like fingernails on a chalk board to me and yet I really needed to know what happened in the end so I kept on even though duh, the obvious things all happened in the end. I’m sure there’s an audience for this book but it’s not me.

[Rachel Whitmore miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought her other books were cute - this was not good. A silly mish mash imo

[Leane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always entertaining, Patrick’s novels always leave me feeling positive as she weaves heart-felt inner struggle and every-day circumstances with some overriding quest—usually using an unveiling of the past—and always a bit unexpected, realistic, and satisfactory conclusion. In this novel, Carla is planning her wedding to Tom who she has matched with using her own company, Logical Love, a scientific match-making service. Her family believes they are cursed in love and are steeped in superstition, often consulting a fortune teller and Tarot cards to guide their decisions. Carla is the most logical of the bunch and the tensions between the hilarity of the exaggerated aunts and cousins’ beliefs and practices and her mission to uncover her own past, also lead her to discover family secrets as she tries to decide if Tom is the “one.” She is a compelling CH, well-designed, even if, at times, I grew tired of her repeated internal debates. Her grandmother, sister, fiancé, other aforementioned family members and new friends, Babs and Diego, and ex-husband all add to the cast of humorous CHs and interactions with great dialogue and text messages. The settings ranges from her grandmother’s London bungalow and Carla’s business to the details of her travels to Spain, Portugal, Amsterdam, Sardinia, and Paris with the cultural nods to food, drink, and Carla’s various clothing dilemmas. Like most of Patrick’s other novels, the twist comes unexpectedly, there are multiple resolutions, and the generations offer their own viewpoints using humor and sincere emotion. Parenthood, sister and family dynamics, and the scientific vs the emotional path to love vibrates as themes in this enjoyable, literal and mental travelogue story. The occult plays out in a variety of levels, historical and metaphorical. RED FLAG: Miscarriage. Readalikes may be Fredrik Bachman, Rachel Joyce, and Nina George. And for some occult tinges, perhaps Brunonia Barry’s The Lace Reader.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story and found it perfect for someone who loves romance. Within the book, we follow Carla as she navigates her way through her past relationships, on her journey for happiness and clarification.
I really liked the element of the fortune teller and the family curse, as this provided a little mystery to the story. Finding out about the history of the curse and her family was an interesting twist and I liked how it all came to light in the end.
I really liked Carla's character and really felt for her at certain points within the story. You could see her character development as the story progressed and we followed her on her journey of self discovering. The side characters within the book were all really well written and it was interesting to see what had become of her past boyfriends.
The settings within the story were beautiful, from the beaches of Portugal to the canals of Amsterdam, the author really made you feel as if you were there.
I really enjoyed the ending of the book and thought it was going to finish a different way at one point. It would be nice to catch up with the characters again and see what had become of them, especially Carla's sister.

[Ritu Bhathal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aren't we all guilty of a little 'what if?' in our lives?
This new Phaedra Patrick story hits the nail on the head with the concept.
Carla is once bitten, twice shy. Married and divorced, she is convinced that romance and her won't meet, especially since the females in her family are cursed never to have a fulfilling relationship.
However, she decides she doesn't believe in curses and finds herself a wonderful partner, through her own matchmaking company, Logical Love, where questionnaire answers match potentials with a compatibility percentage.
Almost on the eve of her wedding, her family ladies take her on a hen do, involving some mystical shenanigans which lead Carla to question her past and embark upon a journey of (re)discovery, travelling destinations she visited in Europe as a young woman, and meeting old flames...
A great concept, and many secrets unfold as Carla meets old faces anew, and begins to question her own feelings on love and how you meet 'the one'.

[Denise Deen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely tale of a woman searching her past and herself for her one true love, who she thinks she might have met during a year long sojourne across Europe when she was in her early twenties. I adored Carla's journey retracing her adventures from when she was 25 years younger. It is easier to relate now-a-days to women over a certain age and I had a ball with Carla and her wacky family. This was like going on vacation in a book. I listened to this on audible and absolutely loved the orator. Her accent and inflection was comfortable, cozy and fun. I highly recommend this sweet and enchanting listen.

[Mary Conway · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of this author's writing, but this one was weak, I thought -- interesting concept, but the characters weren't compelling (they were nuts, and not in a funny way). She has no money but is gallivanting around Europe. Just weird. And it's not a year, it's a month. Lots of other smaller challenges with it too.

[Tyria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very cozy read and I loved every minute of it. I love that it wasn’t just a typical romance and she actually got to find herself on her quest to question the ‘family curse’. I would definitely like to read more from Phaedra Patrick as I found her reading her writing an enjoyable experience. Over all I would give this four stars.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid entry from Phaedra Patrick. She explores her usual theme of love and second chances for people not in their 20s, but, as always, adds elements to make the plot unique. This one reminded me a little of her debut, The Mysterious Charms of Adam Pepper, in that the main character had to jump from country to country in search of something from her past.

Carla, divorced, is the founder of Logical Love, an online dating service. She's also a member of a highly superstitious family, and engaged to a man her service said was a great match for her. But then a glitch is found in the system and a fortune teller informs Carla that a man from her past is waiting for her in Europe. While her fiance runs off to America for a game convention, Carla goes back to visit the men she dated during her gap year of college, trying to make sure Tom is really the right man for her.

There are surprises and good characterization along the way. Again, one of my favorite things about Patrick's novels is the second chance, and that she doesn't give you the Pollyanna ending so typical in romantic novels. I do wish she'd do another one from a male point of view, like her first two novels.