Liv Is Not A Loser

by Lauren Ford

Should Liv take herself out of the friend zone, or are they better off there? Liv Granger has been flailing through life since her teens. When her brother, Joe, announces his engagement to his long-term boyfriend, Liv realises that she has never been able to commit to anything – a career, a fixed address, a relationship – and she may, in fact, be a massive loser.

With the help of Joe and Henry, her oldest friend, Liv comes up with the Loser ten tasks to change her life. The most challenging – three dates with the same person. After each increasingly disastrous date, Henry is always there to the rescue. Has what she’s been looking for been right in front of her the whole time?

Between restraining her mother’s wedding planning and doing everything in her power to not be her father’s wingman for his various short-lived girlfriends, Liv learns that the path to self-improvement needs to start with a little self-acceptance…

A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy for fans of Sophia Money-Coutts, Sarah Hogle and Sally Thorne.

Praise for Liv is Not a Loser ‘A delight to read... hilarious, heartwarming, and healing. Henry and Liv's friends-to-lovers journey was swoon-worthy’ Camilla Isley

‘Glorious fun and full of warmth, with a red-hot cinnamon bun love interest. Heartily recommended!’ Laura Starkey

‘An adorable story that you won't put down until you've turned the last page. This is definitely a romance author to be watched! What a way to brighten my weekend’ Aimee Brown

Genres: Romance, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary, Audiobook, Friendship, Fiction, Contemporary Romance

354 pages, Paperback

Published July 11, 2024

About the author

Lauren lives in Australia with her husband, two daughters and one overly excitable Sheepadoodle.

Her debut novel, LIV IS NOT A LOSER, is a best-friends-to-lovers romantic comedy about a woman who realises she’s a loser and puts together a ten-step plan to change her life.

Her latest novel, ONE LAST NIGHT, is a contained enemies-to-lovers, fake dating rom-com where a once-in-a-lifetime storm traps the staff overnight at a local seafood restaurant.

Reviews

[h o l l i s · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't let the rating scare you away (as in, don't forget, a three is good) because this is a debut author I would definitely read from again. So why not a higher rating? Welllll.

I'll admit that considering this is marketed as a romance I found the romance to be the least believable part of the story. At least from one end of the pairing. Henry's feelings for Liv? The little references to his observations, his hidden feelings, it all told a bigger story that Liv took a little longer to catch-on to. Which is fine. But once Liv clued in.. I just didn't feel it. It felt rushed and unrealistic and overall I needed more.

And that's fine. Because ultimately this did read a bit more women's fiction than standard romance both in the telling of it and as there was a lot of growth and discovery and emotional history to work through from Liv's perspective as it came to both her professional life and personal/familial life. And I do like that Ford included Henry in this some of this same endeavour, too, as it felt more realistic. It's not always just one side of relationship pairing that can feel stuck or listless, sometimes it's both; and it seems like women are often the ones portrayed with these particular issues. So I liked that this was somewhat balanced.

What I also liked was the friend slash sibling group -- made up of Liv, her brother Joe, their bestie Henry, and Joe's fiancé, Seth. I wish we had gotten to know Seth a bit more, he ended up being the least fleshed out and with the least page time, but there was one beautiful scene with him that stood out. And it's that which made me wish we'd had more with him. I feel we could've had some of the random antics and flashbacks cut in favour of this and it definitely would've benefited and felt stronger as a result.

And by antics I mean.. the kids. I'm sorry but these were the least realistic-sounding eight year olds ever and it was just one (or two, maybe three) too many bits of weirdness to chew through. It's to a story's benefit to not be too tightly focused on a couple and their drama but sometimes it can also drift off into unnecessary filler and unfortunately I think we had that happen a bit here.

But. If you're looking for a story with a goal of self-improvement, unexpected love waiting in the wings, and some quirky and strange but more loveable than not family dynamics, you should definitely consider picking this one up.

** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

---

This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.

[Dab · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored One Last Night, and I was very curious about this author’s debut. Well, the good news is: she’s improving - because this wasn’t as good.

Liv has a very tight-knit group of friends: her brother Joe and his boyfriend Seth, plus their childhood friend Henry, who is also Joe’s business partner. They hang out all the time.

Their dynamic was great and their banter was absolutely hilarious. Everyone should have a support system like that. It was pretty obvious from the start that Henry had a soft spot for Liv, and the transition from friends to lovers went very smoothly - which I loved. No hesitation, no annoying push-and-pull—it was glorious.

Until it wasn’t.

Because the third-act breakup—or should I say, halfway breakup—happened. I’m not even sure when exactly, but the book dragged so much after that it felt like halfway. There was all sorts of drama—some real, some very much fabricated—plus immaturity and a slightly cringe grand gesture. Yikes.

I love this author’s writing, and it definitely saved the story for me. (And Henry. Henry was perfect. 🥰) It was still fun to read, despite the issues I had with it, and I’ll absolutely read whatever she writes next.

[Lusi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Canelo for this book arc! It’s the first romance book I’ve dived into for a while, and here are my thoughts:

I enjoyed the author’s comedic writing, I often found myself chuckling to myself or being generally amused by the antics of different characters: especially side characters like Barry and Daisy who I feel really stole the show every-time they were mentioned. However, whilst on the topic of writing, I sometimes found the writing style to be rather long and sometimes confusing to read. It felt too lengthy at times and that occasionally maybe a sentence should of been shorter or tidied up a bit. I don’t like to nit pick grammar or sentence structures as I do not have an English degree or am in the professional field of writing but it was something I noticed as a reader.

Unfortunately this book, despite at times being very funny, was a miss for me as an overall romance book. I feel like it was more of a book about self discovery with a sprinkle of friends forever insta-love. I often found Liv to be very childish, and not endearing enough where I was rooting for her to change her ways. But, I also think she was a product of her environment. Her family often made me want to bang my head against the wall with the lack of boundaries, and whilst I know this is the reality for a lot of people- I genuinely wished that they got reprimanded more for it. Liv was a loser, childish and irresponsible, but she also was someone who had barely any real support from her family. They were unfortunately quite flat characters for me.

I didn’t mind the romance itself, I like the trope of friends to lovers but I think the main tension was ridiculous and spoke volumes to the main character’s childish behaviour. However, the author acknowledges this and I did enjoy the fact that it was rectified by acknowledging the character needed to self reflect and grow more. I would of thrown in the towel if the character got what they wanted (trying not to spoil here) but instead it was a great opportunity for character development. Henry was an enjoyable love interest, and a great friend to Joe and Liv. I’m glad he got his happy ending as he was one of my favourite characters (alongside Barry and Daisy).

I think overall I would market this more as a comedic self discovery find yourself novel, rather than a romance, I think that if you go into it as a romance you may not enjoy it as much. But, if you, like Liv, am someone unsure of their place in the world and find yourself lost, misunderstood and devalued by your family, then this is a relatable book.

[Bookphenomena (Micky) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Headlines:
Friends to more
Stuck in a rut
Escaping the rut

This debut from Lauren Ford was full of whip-smart wit, a great crop of characters and a plot that felt relatable. Rom-com feels were engaging from start to finish with a heroine to cheer for and a good guy giving longing looks.

Liv was the kind of character that was endearing. She didn't have her act together and she lacked self-belief. The loser list actually became something useful to her as she tried to focus her life a little, starting with dating, a phone plan and a pet.

The side characters in this story were rich and a big part of the tale, especially Joe, Seth and Felicity. Liv had daddy issues and that made for interesting self-discovery. All through this book, while I enjoyed Liv's chaos, I was willing her to find her way, accomplish her dreams and of course, get her man.

Henry was a bit of catnip to me. I love a friend that becomes something more, especially a good guy. He lifted Liv up, he empowered and encouraged her, laughed with her and gave great hugs. The twist that fell about two thirds in, really felt unexpected and left me feeling uncertain almost till the end.

This was a fantastic debut and I cannot wait to read more from Lauren Ford.

Thank you to Canelo for the review copy.

[Anna-Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

In diesem Buch geht es um die Astronomiestudentin Liv Granger, die im Moment in ihrem Leben nichts auf die Reihe bekommt. Bis sie eines Tages eine Loser-Liste erstellt, die sie zwingt auf drei Dates mit dem gleichen Mann zu gehen. Dabei rettet sie ihr bester Freund Henry.
Das Buch hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Vor allem der Humor der Autorin, der die Geschichte unterhaltsam machte. Die beiden Hauptfiguren Liv und Henry waren mir von Anfang an sympathisch. Ich weiß nicht, wie alt Liv ist, aber ich konnte ihre Lebenssituation so gut nachvollziehen. Manchmal fühlt man sich eben wie der größte Loser.
Henry hingegen ist der absolute Traummann und seine Freundschaft (und darüber hinaus) ist so süß.
Eine Sache hat mich allerdings gestört. Der Konflikt am Ende war aus meiner Sicht ein bisschen unnötig und langgezogen

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes you need a book that isn't too topic-heavy, no complicated plot lines that you have to keep track of, no slow burn romance that you have to patiently sit through 500+ pages for etc.

Sometimes you need a book like this one.

'Liv Is Not A Loser' is part of Tadem Collective's Readalongs that they were hosting on Instagram. As soon a I read the synopsis, I knew I wanted to take part. I've been in the mood for lighter, contemporary reads and I was hoping this one would satisfy my mood. The book follows our main character, Liv, a twenty-something woman who is feeling a bit stuck in her life. She feels like she is missing out and falling behind in all areas of her life– in her career and in her personal life– and when her brother announces his engagement to his long-time partner, that was the final nail in the coffin. Liv decides to make a checklist of goals that she wishes to achieve in order to bran herself as not a loser.

The romance was sweet. I love a childhood friends to lovers story, and this was one of the good ones. It might've progressed a little too fast for my taste, but it still concluded nicely. This book was almost a comfort read for me. I relate a lot to our main character and it was nice to witness her go through enough character development to realise that ultimately it's up to you to decide how you live your life and the at the end of the day we have choices. Liv's story is a testament to the strength found in vulnerability and the triumph of self-belief.

3.5

Novelstorian (Blog) ✨ Instagram ✨ Twitter ✨

Star ratings and their meanings:
★★★★★: I loved everything about this book! I would re-read it and would highly recommend it to you, your family and your cat!
★★★★: I liked it. I didn’t love it but I still liked it enough to still rate it highly. I could see myself still recommending this book to a lot of people
★★★: It was an okay book. There maybe have been a few things that bothered me while reading this book but for the most parts the likes outweigh the dislikes.
★★: the cons outweigh the pros, unfortunately. There might be some things that were lacking in some areas—writing, characterisation, plot etc, but there may have been a few moments that I liked.
★: Nope. I should've just appreciated this book from afar.

[Cozy Taurus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liv Granger has never been able to commit to anything – a career, a fixed address, a relationship – and she may, in fact, be a massive loser. With the help of brother Joe and her best friend Henry, they come up with ten tasks to change her life.

My Grade: DNF-D+ ⭐️⭐️ I thought that this book had so much promise, and there are some of my favorite tropes included (childhood friends to lovers, he falls first, secretly dating). But the FMC was too immature, and the romance was rushed. Very disappointing.

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ Some pretty steamy kisses and make out sessions, but unsure on how far it actually goes.

Why the Score?

-The FMC Liv was tough to understand. The book labels her as a "loser", but in actuality she is just a person who acts like a young teenager and has the inability to act like a responsible human.

-A romance between the FMC and her childhood bestie Henry is done so quickly and is really confusing. There needed to be more of a buildup, and perhaps more flashbacks to their childhood. It all came together so extremely awkward.

-The 3rd act breakup left me frustrated and just didn't make any sense. (not that they generally do anyways)

-Once an animal dies for no damn reason, I immediately DNF. This was so completely unnecessary and I don't know why this was included. Terrible.

[Duckfacekim09 (Kim Howell) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing I knew about this book going into it was that it was a romantic comedy and I'm not going to spoil it by saying what the tropes are because my surprise at that, and therefore the plot, was one of my favourite things about this book. But let's just say, it's my all-time favourite trope. And honestly if we'd just had a book which focused on their relationship without any disturbances then I probably would have rated it 5 stars because THESE TWO 😍

This book is for anyone who feels stuck in a rut and doesn't know what to do with themselves. Anyone who wants a laugh. Anyone who wants to feel something and ESPECIALLY loves a good romance. And even if you don't like any of those things then you'll probably find something you like (and you might learn a cautionary tale and start writing your own list). So fun

[Cassie Renais · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute friends-to-lovers glow-up story that had very sweet themes of friendship, family, and reconciliation. I liked the way it affirmed different ways of living and that getting stuck is not the end of the story. Liv goes on a real journey to address the areas where she's struggling and make commitments to the future she wants to have.

That said, I feel like the characterisation was a little flat. Liv is a real mixed bag of impulsivity, judgement, and sudden epiphanies. I couldn't get a good read on why she'd stagnated to the point she's in at the beginning of the novel, or what supposedly changed to kick-start her from there. Henry, the love interest, is adorable and wonderful, but doesn't have a huge amount of character outside of his long-unrequited love for Liv.

Besides those two main characters, the book had the standard cast of quirky, funny friends, family and town fixtures who keep you laughing throughout the book. Possibly a few too many. As with all romcoms, there will be jokes and characters that fall flat, and others that hit perfectly. This book had a few cliches, but also a few new things. The dates with Patrick were hilarious.

As for the conflicts/complications, these felt a little forced to me. Not quite misunderstandings, but just overreactions and melodrama for the sake of it. Henry, in particular, seems like the sort of person to just talk it out, so it's hard to buy into the sudden 'impossibility' of their romance.

Overall, a sweet book with a cute message, but slightly clunky characterisation and plotting.

[Pheadra · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're wanting a feel-good, charming, funny, sad read all rolled into one, this is it! I read this through my online bookclub Pigeonhole, and fell in love with several of the characters but in particular Barry, a biscuit of a boy, wise beyond his years and was delighted to hear that he, together with his love interest Daisy, are to be featured in a forthcoming book. 5 stars

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liv Is A Loser, is so adorably funny. I just can’t believe that this romantic comedy, best friends to lovers, novel, is Lauren Ford’s first novel.

It’s not very nice being evicted, with no where else to go, and being homeless, but sadly, Liv is in that situation. She has all her belongings in one suitcase and two plastic shopping bags with a bearded dragon just sitting on the side of the road.

Liv is quite lucky, her friend Felicity is putting her up, in her spare room, but there’s just one tiny thing, Liv forgot to tell her friend about Falkor her reptile. Well it’s not everyone’s cup of tea having a bearded dragon stay in your house. With her brother Joe and her best friend Henry Liv is going to set some tasks, to change her life with a set of ten rules, that I wondered if Liv will see this ten rule list through, and accomplish them all.

1, Commit to one drink at a time.

2, Get a new phone

3, commit to three dates with the same person

4, Find a permanent address.

5, Finish my degree.

6,Pursue and internship in my field.

7, Book and pay for a holiday that’s over six months away.

8, Start a savings account and direct deposit money into it every week.

9, Purchase a houseplant, and I also add to it

10, Buy a pet and keep it alive at all costs.

Liv Is Not A Loser is fans of Lindsey Kelk, and Sophie Kinsella

[Irene Brouwer · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I really loved this! It wasn't super clear initially where this novel was set, and I don't think we ever got a state/suburb, but eventually I worked out that this was Australian. The banter between characters was really fun and entertaining. I loved the friend and family dynamics, and loved the relationship between Liv and Henry.

I will say the conflict between them didn't really make much sense and I was annoyed with Henry for pushing Liv to commit when she was only newly realising her feelings for him, so I don't think that was fair (nor was it fair for her to get upset when Henry only went overseas for a few months). But still. I'm also a little sad that we rushed through them getting back together and their relationship while he was away and them travelling together... I just wish we got more rather than just a little epilogue.

Either way, this was cute and I really enjoyed this.

[Ritu Bhathal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new author and a promising debut.
Liv is at an age where most of her friends are settled, and here she is, still in a part-time job doing nothing much, and in her 7th year of trying to finish her degree. There is no relationship on the horizon and nowhere to live, thanks to being ceremoniously evicted with brief notice.
The story revolves around a list Liv makes with her brother, Joe, his boyfriend, Seth, and their friend, Henry, to pull her out of loser territory.
It is an easy-to-read story with a friends-to-lovers feel, including a bit of 'will they won't they?' and plenty of family dynamics.

[CourtneyRenee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Canelo for this advanced copy.

This is that LOL, pull you out of your book slump, root for the underdog book. The friendship with Henry that becomes more, the misunderstood relationship with her dad that in the end brings them closer and Livs ever changing list of how to live life is what made this book great for me.

This was a wonderful debut and I can't wait to read more from this author.

[Ashleigh La'rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liv feels like a loser. Everyone around her is getting married, having kids or otherwise advancing in their lives. She decides to write a list to help her feel more accomplished. Her best friend Henry confesses his love for her, and she realises she's also in love with him.

This felt very long, and I didn't like Liv as a character. Wouldn't recommend

[Takealookinsideabook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so heartwarming and hilarious! I really enjoyed this and found it such a delightful debut.

Henry was definitely my favourite character. Right from the start you can tell he cares alot for Liv and I'm definitely a sucker for a friend's to lovers story. Also kept imagining Henry Cavill the whole time so can't really complain 🤭🥰🤣🤣

A massive thank you to the publisher for sending me a proof copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Nicola Mackenzie-Smaller · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the start of this book, Liv is actually a bit of a loser. She can’t commit to a roommate, pet, or to finishing her degree and pursuing her love of astronomy.
With the help of her brother and of her childhood friend, Henry, Liv resolves to change her life, and writes a list of ways to make things better. Following the list results in some hilariously funny events, but also in the slow realisation that commitment to Henry might be the best thing ever.
I absolutely loved this book. Lauren Ford is great at character building, and there’s a special friendship between Liv’s niece, Daisy, and her friend Barry, which is absolutely beautiful and also hysterically funny. At the end if the day, Liv is really not a loser! This is a lovely book, full of heart and love between family and friends as well as romantic love. Joyous to read.
Read with The Pigeonhole.

[ᗰIᑕᕼEᒪᒪE ࣪ ִֶָ☾. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope. Just no.
I hated every second of it and some parts were way too cringe to read.

I read this Book only because it was in one of my mystery-book-boxes and it showed me, why I don't like "Best friend to lovers". 🙃

[Casey Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
To be honest I wasn’t expecting much from this $10 book Mia found me for Mother’s Day, however I really enjoyed this story.
It was very cute and sweet and well written.

[becky ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

don’t get me wrong, i loved reading this book but i did think feelings from liv’s side was a bit rushed hence the 3 star rating. either way, still cute and made me giggle at the end ♡

[tiffany_jaded · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Where are those kids ranking on an iq test?

Honestly, Henry is a dream. The patience of that man! ✨

[alishaa · Rating 2 out of 5]

i honestly only j read this book coz i needed an extra book for a 3 books for 6 pound deal — and like i read the worst one out of the 3 first🗿

this book reminded me PRECISELY why i cannot STANDDDDDDDD romances; especially when the trope is friends to lovers. why was it soooo horribly written and why did they go from 0 to 100 in 2 seconds😂 like as a reader I need to be edged, where is the tension? where is the CONVERSATION? boringggg, yawning, rolling my eyes, pissing on the book.

[Camilla Isley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delight to read. Liv’s quiet humor in her inner monologue had me with a constant half smile on my face, that is, when I wasn’t openly guffawing.

Henry was a total cinnamon roll, his unrequited love for Liv was so sweet. Their friends to lovers journey swoon-worthy.

I also adore Joe, Liv's brother and Henry's best friend, as a supporting character. The dynamics between this trio were hilarious, heartwarming, and healing at times.

The only complaint I have is the disappearance of Falkor from the narrative way too early. She's my favorite fictional bearded dragon.

[Suchona Hasnat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do not be fooled by my 3 stars because there were so much I loved. I mean I absolutely loved everything except the fact that the romance wasn’t believable to me. Let me walk you through it.

The starting of the book was kind of boring and it took me some time to get into it. But at 23 or 25% mark I started enjoying the story. The characters are beautifully written, I loved how vivid each scene read and I found the subplots to be incredibly well done. But more than that, the strength of the book lies in how distinct every character felt, they had their own voices and mind and I literally enjoyed all of them.

And with everything going so well in this book, what absolutely made me sad is how under developed the main love story was. Let me paint you the picture.

Liv and Patrick are childhood friends who grew up together and still are in each other’s lives. In fact they along with Joe(Liv’s brother and Patricks’s best friend), Seth (Joe’s fiancé) are basically part of this close friend group who do everything together. And I loved their inter-relationships. It felt like watching the best episodes of Friends or The Big Bang Theory. And even before we knew them individually, we knew them as a group.

So after years of being friends Liv and Patrick kiss. And the kiss happens before 40% mark. So obviously no slow burn and no angst and no tension and no push and pull. But worse than that is, prior to this kiss, they only had three scenes where we see them actually talk and engage with each other. But the worst part actually comes now- they kiss only because Liv got curious and asked Patrick why he never seriously dates and their faces somehow come close together and the guy was always secretly in love with her but never before that point she even entertained the idea of them together let alone had any romantic feelings towards him. So even though I genuinely liked them both separately, it felt like an ‘she was lonely and he was there’ kind of situation.

But even after they kiss, we don’t get to see their tender side or the love that they talk about but never show. We see a handful of make-out scenes(I love smut but there was zero build up) and few failed attempts to set up date due to their over bearing friends and family always getting in the way. As much as I found those scenes funny, I didn’t get the relationship or romance or pining for each other that I was promised.

And then bam! They have a fallout which now I assume is the writer’s attempt at creating tension. But without the base of romance, the fallout and pining really did not mean much to me. They were great friends and we were supposed to believe they have that more than friends kind of feelings but prior to kissing, we never really see that emotion being explored. If before the kiss they both had more scenes together where we see the girl slowly entertaining the idea of Patrick as her love interest and her falling for him, this book would have been perfect. But without that it feels the opposite of ‘show, not tell’

Saying that, I know reading is subjective. Maybe others would find their romance believable. But either you believe their romance or not, one thing is for sure, I loved reading the book. I hope to read more from the author where she along with writing fully fleshed out characters writes the kind of romance that gives me all kinds of heart-burn.

3.5 stars but I am rating it down as 3 star because without believing in their romance rounding up as 4 stars doesn’t sit right with me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo Romance for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Ancla Müller · Rating 5 out of 5]

So verliebt! Mit Schmetterlingen im Bauch gelesen.

„Er hält mich, während ich weine, wie ich es mir seit Jahren nicht erlaubt habe. Er fragt nicht, warum, und behauptet auch nicht, alles werde gut. Er hält mich einfach fest und lässt mich weinen.“

»Joe, was glaubst du, warum haben die Leute, die dir wehtun, mehr Einfluss auf dich als die, denen du was bedeutest?«

**** Mein Eindruck ****
Was für ein Buch! Auf den ersten Seiten dachte ich noch: nette Geschichte – kommt da noch etwas? Doch dann begann ich Henry zu verstehen und konnte auch zu Liv eine stärkere Verbindung aufbauen. Von diesem Moment an war ich stets von den Begegnungen zwischen den beiden berührt, litt besonders mit Henry und genoss eine Freundschaft, die so offensichtlich nach mehr verlangte. Die beiden passen auf eine besondere Weise zueinander, die mich durch jede Zeile getragen hat – und ja, auch das Schmunzeln verließ mich kaum. Alles, was dann geschah, wirkte für mich einfach filmreif. Ich weiß nicht, wann ich zuletzt beim Lesen so viele Schmetterlinge im Bauch hatte, weil ich so tief in den Situationen drin war. Hier passierte es gleich mehrfach – ganz leicht und selbstverständlich. Die Autorin versteht es, Figuren und ihre Gefühle so zu zeichnen, dass sie weder aufdringlich noch distanziert wirken. Stattdessen gibt sie genau genug preis, um mich völlig mitzunehmen. Es sind nicht die großen, lauten Szenen, sondern die kleinen Momente voller Ehrlichkeit, Angst und Gefühl, die mich verzauberten – und die nie das waren, was ich erwartete, sondern immer authentisch Henry und Liv. Besonders beeindruckt hat mich, wie intensiv ich Henry spüren konnte, obwohl das Buch ausschließlich aus Livs Perspektive erzählt ist. Die Nebencharaktere haben der Geschichte zudem zusätzliche Tiefe und Herzlichkeit verliehen.

**** Empfehlung? ****
Dieses Buch ist eine klare Empfehlung für alle, die Liebesgeschichten mit Herz suchen, die ohne Kitsch auskommen und stattdessen mit Authentizität, feinen Zwischentönen und echten Emotionen überzeugen. Wer Lust auf viele Schmunzelmomente, ein Kribbeln im Bauch und Figuren hat, die noch lange nachhallen, wird hier garantiert glücklich.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars.

Olivia 'Liv' Granger has trouble committing, to a career, to a hot drink, to an apartment, to a boyfriend, to a new phone, to her degree. When her brother Joe gets engaged to his boyfriend she realises that everyone else seems to have their lives together whereas she is still acting like a teenager. Together with her brother, his boyfriend, and her brother's best friend Henry, Liv creates a ten point list to stop her being such a loser (I can only remember seven):

1. Finish her degree
2. Get an internship in her chosen field
3. Sign a lease
4. Get a new phone
5. Commit to one hot drink (I feel in this I need to explain that she routinely buys three drinks at a time)
6. Have at least three dates with a guy before rejecting him
7. Keep a pet alive

Liv starts to make headway with her list, despite being dragged into wedding planning by her obsessive mother, and forced to meet yet another of her father's new girlfriends (each of whom believes she is far more special to him than she really is), but her dating life is terrible - it is only the calm acceptance and commiserations from Henry that keeps her going. But when Liv overhears a conversation between her niece and Henry she realises Henry may have feelings for her and when she looks at him in the light of this new knowledge she realises she might have feelings for him too.

Whilst I get that Liv was stuck in a bit of a rut, I also felt that her family/friends were pushing her into a pigeonhole (maybe because she was the youngest they felt she still needed to be babied and/or told what to do?), really is it too much for someone to want three drinks? Really is your reality so rigid?

I've read a couple of similar books recently and this one didn't really stand out from the rest. There was a bit too much therapy-style chat and things just quickly fell into place when Liv started her list. How many times have I said this? I liked it but I didn't love it.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you first start reading this book, you could be forgiven for thinking that Liv is, indeed a bit of a loser. She's smart, funny, and capable, yet she makes herself appear to be the opposite of all of those things. She's a complete commitmentphobe and that's whether you're talking about love, career, home, or, well, anything really.

Her nearest and dearest, consisting of her brother Joe, his fiance Seth, and their mutual family friend Henry, help her to put together a list of 'must do' tasks to stop Liv being, well, such a loser. This list includes things like 'Get a new phone' and 'Go on 3 dates with the same guy before ending it', 'Finish my degree', so you know, nothing too mindboggling - to non-losers that is.

Determined to follow the list, regardless of how scary and difficult this is for her, Liv leads herself (and of course those of us tagging along for the ride) on a chaotic trip through a couple of TERRIBLE dates, some interesting, if temporary pets, a fair stab at career improvement, and quite early on, a moment of realisation about a really obvious love-interest (obvious to everyone and his dog, excluding Liv, of course). This happens quite early on, so you know it's not just going to plain sailing from thereon in. Far too early for that!

I thought this book was great. I read it online with The Pigeonhole book club and most of my fellow Pigeons really enjoyed it too. It's a lighthearted and fun tonic for the times we are living in, however it also touches on some really sensitive and poignant issues and makes you root for loser Liv, who I think lives in most of us, even if just a little bit. The characters are really well written, as is the dialogue; it's realistic and funny without being forced. There's also an introduction to Daisy and Barry, who are two of the best characters I've met in a long time - I can't wait to find out what happens to them next.

[Kerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, the slow burn! The exquisite, perfectly developed character arcs! What more could I possibly ask for?

From the very beginning, we’re thrown into Liv’s hilariously chaotic world, where she’s tasked with completing a life-changing mission: making a list to transition from self-proclaimed “loser” to someone truly thriving—a happier, more fulfilled version of herself. One of her goals? To go on at least three dates with the same man! And let me tell you, this task alone is pure comedy gold because Liv, bless her heart, is absolutely terrible at commitment. What seems simple to everyone else is, for her, a Herculean challenge, and watching her stumble (and grow!) had me in stitches.

And then, of course, there’s her delightful childhood friend. Oh, this charming, steadfast soul who stands by her side throughout the ups and downs of her journey. From the moment he enters the scene, you know where this is headed, right? Wink, wink. But trust me, that slow build to romance? It’s worth every agonizing, heart-fluttering second.

Without giving away too much, let me just say this book had me utterly hooked. Sure, it starts off a bit slow, but the meticulous care taken in crafting the relationship between Liv and her love interest is chef’s kiss! I found myself gripping the pages, screaming internally (and maybe a little externally) for them to just kiss already!

This story was an absolute delight—light, sweet, and utterly satisfying. It’s one of those books that makes your heart swell and leaves you grinning like a fool. An easy, lovely read that I wholeheartedly recommend to every romance lover out there!

[Hatake Kakashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olivia granger is an astronomy former student who is currently working in a planetarium. The story begin with her need to vacate the apartment she was living in...it's really a simple book describing everyday struggles of a person.
As like any other person Olivia felt devastated knowing that every person she knows out there is successful in one way or the other and she is still lagging behind.

With the help of her friends that includes her now bf too she came to the realisation that the problems around her exist because she doesn't have a long term plan for herself. And so the story goes on as a simple journey of a person finding that missing piece of her life and finally putting it together

While she was on the journey, she even met few failures but didn't feel much of disappointment as she used to before, on pondering it she realised that it was Henry who was with her on this journey and yeah so she met the missing piece of her puzzle.

The book is overall good, some reality problem and some explanation of real life journey which many people can relate too not knowing what to do with their lifes. It's not boring and her pov is chaotic and enjoyable, also I think the chemistry between liv and Henry is really healthy. And i absolutely loved the fact that not every love story needs to start with love at first sight and how oblivious we could be towards people who like us. There are even some hilarious moments that I am sure readers will enjoy.

[Shona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liv Granger feels like she has been flailing through life since her teens. When her brother, Joe, announces his engagement to his long-term boyfriend, Liv realises that she has never been able to commit to anything – a career, a fixed address, a relationship – and figures that this means she may, in fact, be a massive loser. With the help of Joe and Henry, her oldest friend, Liv comes up with the Loser List, picking ten tasks to change her life. The most challenging being dating, meaning she has to go through at least three dates with each potential beau. After each increasingly disastrous date, Henry is always there to the rescue. Has what she’s been looking for been right in front of her the whole time?

This is a cosy rom-com read with a cast of characters that you can’t help but love, right from the start! The friendship between Liv, Joe and Henry is so endearing, the stories they share from their past showing just how strong their relationships are. The pace is perfect, could easily be read in one sitting as you get so involved!

Also, you can’t help but love Daisy and Barry, please can we have another book in the future filling us all in about their entrepreneurial success! The path to self-improvement is clear for Liv throughout the title and with the romance mixed in this is a cosy summer read you’ll want on your shelves. A great debut from this author and I look forward to reading more by them in the future.