The Next Chapter

by Rebecca Ryan

'A beautiful love story, this one is perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid’ RACHEL GREENLAW 

'Tender, funny and life-affirming. I loved it!' HEIDI SWAIN

‘A true heartwarmer’ HEAT

Lily Brown is ready to turn the page and see what adventure awaits . . .

Lily Brown prides herself on her organised, surprise-free life. Whether it's charity yoga for polar bears or crafting a ninety-six-piece balloon arch, Lily always goes the extra mile. But when her adoptive father asks her to reconnect with her birth mother, Lola Starr – a legendary pop punk singer who vanished from fame – Lily decides to venture off the well-trodden path.

With her best friend Seb, Lily tracks Lola to her humble hotel on the beautiful Isle of Skye in Scotland, far from the glamorous life she imagined. Hiding the truth, Lily gets to know Lola and finds a kind, free-spirited woman. If life wasn’t complicated enough – she meets Noah, a charming travel writer on a quest to discover hidden gems.  

As Lily takes a chance and embraces new possibilities, she begins to question whether the safe rules she’s built her life around are what she really needs.

Praise for Rebecca
'I absolutely loved this book!' SARAH TURNER (The Unmumsy Mum)
'Snortingly funny and painfully perceptive' LAUREN BRAVO
'Brilliant, immersive & unputdownable' TRACY REES 
'A sparkling novel with a relatable protagonist'  WOMAN'S OWN 

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 17, 2025

Reviews

[Sandy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little palate cleanser of a book. Based on loveable characters. Lily is getting over the death of her beloved dad and mum, who died several years earlier. She is adopted, and as part of a letter, her dad left her she goes off to meet her birth mother, who is not the spoilt rock star she expected. Lily loves structure, routine, and organisation in her life. Her best friend Seb owns a memoir writing company,and she is asked to write the memoir of her pop punk birth mother. There's romance as well in the form of adventure seeking travel writer Noah. It's not overly sweet, which I loved. Ultimately, it's about love, friendships, found family, relationships, and grief beautifully written. Set on the Isle of Skye, this becomes another beautiful character. The characters are well rounded and you root for them to be in a good place. The ending of the book is neatly brought together, although not contrived. A thoroughly  charming, engaging, heartfelt, enjoyable read.

[Claire Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

After going to Beth O’Leary’s book signing in Leeds last week I was really curious to read some of Rebecca Ryan’s books. She was a wonderful host/interviewer(?) and seems like a really lovely person. I was fortunate enough to be approved to read The Next Chapter on NetGalley, so a big thanks to them, Simon & Schuster UK and Rebecca for that :]

I really, really enjoyed this book! I will admit that I wasn’t hooked straight away. I found Lily too chaotic to read about at first, but around the 20% mark I’d grown to like her a bit more. The friendship between Lily and Seb is really wonderful. A proper, decent friendship where they know they have each other’s backs no matter what - no matter how weird, wonderful or annoying they are.

I liked the storyline itself and it grew on me the more I read. There were a few delicate situations that were written about well and will open people’s minds to adoption and broken families.

There were loads of funny moments from all characters. They all had great personalities and the use of dialogue was perfect as well - every conversation felt real.

What really got me was that David Beckham got a mention - TWICE! So Rebecca’s definitely in my good books for that.

I wasn’t sure how the ending was going to pan out and I liked that. It really could have gone in a few different directions but I liked how Rebecca wrapped up the story.

This is the perfect spring/summer book for a cosy day on the sofa or if you're lying on the beach somewhere warm! I'm so looking forward to reading Rebecca's other books and will hopefully go to another book-talk of hers over the summer!

[Andrea]

It’s me. I was highly distracted and this one didn’t pull me in.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily Brown is a girl after my own heart with a love of lists, notebooks and being totally organised! She really is a likeable character and very relatable in many ways. She has always known that she was adopted and that her birth mother had been a famous pop singer, Lola Starr. In a letter from her adoptive father read after his death, he asks her to get in touch with Lola. So she travels to Skye where Lola now lives a very private life running a hotel. Keeping her identity secret, Lily finds herself working quite closely with Lola. What could possibly go wrong??

Stepping out of her comfort zone was something that was very difficult for Lily who always liked to be in control. It was such fun reading about her adventures on the island of Skye as she found herself doing things that she would never normally contemplate. I loved the island setting. Skye is a truly beautiful island and although many areas can often be very busy with tourists, there are so many stunning places to see and it was lovely seeing them through Lily’s city-girl eyes.

I really felt for Lily as she had such conflicted feelings about her birth mother. She was expecting to find someone selfish and hard-hearted but actually found someone who loved animals, who was a shining light in the community and who was first to offer help to anyone who needed it. Poor Lily couldn’t help wondering why this compassion hadn’t been extended to her. She finds herself actually liking Lola quite a lot when she had expected to hate this woman who she saw as having abandoned her.

The Next Chapter is a charming, warm and often funny book about taking chances to see what the next chapter in life might entail. With some wonderful characters, a gently developing romance and themes of family and friendship, The Next Chapter is another enjoyable and engaging read from Rebecca Ryan.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy of The Next Chapter in exchange for a review.

This was such a delightful, heart-warming, funny book, perfect for a summer read!

Lily has always known that she was adopted, and that her birth mum was The Lola Starr from the 90s punk band, Beyond Baton Rouge. After losing her adoptive mum at age 18, and now her dad, she’s been putting off fulfilling her dad’s plea to her - to go and visit Lola.

So Lily concocts a plan to go and visit Lola at the remote hotel in Scotland where she’s been living for nearly 30 years - her and her friend and co-worker Seb will pretend to go on holiday there, and try to get Lola to let them work with her as a project for their memoir writing business.

After successfully getting Lola on board with choosing them to write her memoirs, Lily starts to get to know her without revealing who she is. And as she gets to know her real mum, she also unexpectedly gets to know the handsome Noah, and an angry fostered teenager, Harper, who is in need of someone who understands her.

I really loved Lily - she was hilarious, trying to pretend to Lola and Noah that she’s as adventurous as them when everything made her think of health and safety and stringent to-do lists! The story had a good balance of light-hearted and funny alongside some deeper topics of abandonment and belonging.

Another fab read from Rebecca Ryan!

[Noemi Proietti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Next Chapter is a beautiful and entertaining novel about second chances and facing the past. Lily Brown is a fantastic protagonist: funny, smart, and genuine, she is a fan of to-do lists, making plans, and eating super healthy. She is on numerous Whatsapp groups, she is looking for a stable and boring relationship and no surprises. However, her life is about to be full of surprises, when she finds a letter from her late adoptive father asking her to go and meet her birth mother, Lola Starr, a former rock star who disappeared from the music scene thirty years ago, around the time she was born. Convincing herself that she just wants to persuade Lola to let her write her memoir (which will also save her company), Lily and her best friend Seb travel to the Isle of Skye where Lola runs a hotel. Here, Lily not only will have the chance to connect with the woman she spent her entire life wondering about, but also it’s her opportunity to discover more about herself.

At times hilarious, at times emotional and heartwarming, I really enjoyed The Next Chapter. There is romance and comedy, found family and friendship, and also a new one for me, fake siblings, all framed in the beautiful setting of Scotland. The cast of characters is wonderful and authentic. On the Isle of Skye, Lola is not the only person that Lily will have to face. There is also Noah, the handsome and adventurous travel writer who convinces Lily to go on a motorbike and hike mountains even though Lily doesn’t have an adventurous bone in her body, so this creates some quite hilarious scenes, and Harper, the troubled teenager on holiday with her foster parents. The Next Chapter is a witty, immersive, and charming read that kept me immersed from the first to the last page!

[Wendy(Wendyreadsbooks) Robey · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is a gorgeous warm story with Lily, such a relatable woman. I sympathised with Lily from the start, wanting that control and steering away from risks, she was so reluctant to take that jump.
Skye and the hotel setting sounded wonderful and I laughed and cried with Lily as she and Seb threw themselves into the activities on offer.
The chemistry between Noah and Lily was always evident but I really liked how their friendship developed. His caring nature and approach was just what both Lola and Lily needed.
Lola was the mystery - how had she ended up on Skye and what was her story ? Was Lily prepared to open up and find out the truth even if it would be the most difficult thing to do. A beautiful story of found family and taking that leap of faith.

[Bookshortie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily has always known that she was adopted. When her father asks her to reconnect with her biological mother it turns out that her birth mother is none other than Lola Starr, a legendary pop star who disappeared from public life. When Lily reconnects with Lola will she be able to tell Lola who she really is.
I previously read My (extra)Ordinary Life and really enjoyed it. I have been looking forward to this book ever since I read the synopsis and saw the front cover. The storyline was about new beginnings, new adventures, curiosity and romance, including the found family trope. When I finished reading I was left with a warm fuzzy feeling and a feeling of hope.
I really liked Lily because there was something about her that I found quite personable and I did relate to some of her characteristics. Lily is someone who doesn't like surprises. She likes routine, to do lists and everything in her life is planned. Making contact with Lola isn’t and is very much out of Lily’s comfort zone. Especially because Lily isn’t sure how to approach Lola. Does she reveal straight away who she is or does she wait for the perfect moment. I think Lily made the right decision to get to know Lola and when Lily is asked to ghost write Lola’s biography things start to fall into place. Lily starts spending more time with Lola and hopes to find answers to her questions. I really enjoyed learning more about Lola's life and her rise to stardom, but it wasn’t an easy journey. Like Lily I was invested in learning who Lily's father was because this is one of the secrets that Lily was trying to uncover and it wasn't the person that I was expecting it to be. I loved the relationship between Lily and Lola because despite the fact that Lola didn't know who Lily was they naturally connected. I think Lily was very brave in taking the steps to make contact with Lola because one of the very real things that she could have been faced with would have been rejection and I can see why she had mixed feelings to begin with. It’s clear that Lily feels like she was abandoned and is a little bitter that Lola never reached out to her and it was at the forefront of her mind that this could happen again. But despite this she took a big leap of faith.

In addition to the storyline about Lola and Lily there is also a romance storyline involving Lily and Noah. I thought they two of them were so cute. One of my favourite scenes was when Lily and Noah first meet and Lily recognises he is an author. When Lily compliments Noah’s writing he blushes.

A story about moving out of your comfort zone and new beginnings.

[Agi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a great book, however I think it would be even better if it were much, much shorter. The author has a great way with words and she knows this probably, because she tells, and tells, and tells... However, there is also place in this telling for us to see, so it's not so bad - but I eventually started to skip some passages, as they were simply too much for me.
At the beginning it annoyed me a bit that Lily's personality was so forced on us - I mean, let her be just as she is, and I had a feeling that the author wanted to prepare us for Lily being Lily. I loved her like that - filled with angst, wanted to be prepared for everything. But even more I liked seeing her coming out of her comfort zones, yes, even if this is why they called like this, Lily, "comfort zones" ;).

The characters were really well written, they were so realistic and genuine. The relationships between them felt real, as well as the dialogues that were sharp, funny and straight to the point, just as I like them to be. There are a lot of funny moments but also many things to think over, to stop for a moment and deliberate about the answers.
I also liked the idea of this book, it was new and felt like a breath of fresh air and the romance aspect in it worked brilliantly. It was different, you know, I didn't have a feeling that I've read something like this million times already and it was a great feeling, being so often surprised by the author and the characters. And let's not forget the setting - so well written.

It is a great and entertaining story about coming out of your shell, about second chances, forgiveness, written in a brilliant, light and approaching way.

[GemsLiteraryGems · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily Brown is not doing ok. When her adoptive dad passes away, he asks her to contact her birth mother, who also happens to be the famous pop-punk singer Lola Starr. Despite her love of all things stationery and organisation, she can't organise herself out of this one! Lily has always known who her birth mother was, but not why she disappeared from the public eye once she was born, or why she gave up her child.Lily travels to the Isle of Skye with her best friend Seb under the pretence of getting Lola to allow them to ghostwrite her memoirs, without letting on who she is. Before long Lily finds herself contracted to stay on Skye for the entire summer. Will she finally find out who her birth father is? And is Lola really just a party animal who didn't want her baby? Of course there's a romance in this as well, as Lily ends up living next door to the lovely Noah, a travel writer who is always up for an adventure and seemingly the opposite to Lily.

This was a lovely story centred around grief and found family. Yes, it's sad at times but in a way that makes the happy times feel more real and balanced. As Lily starts to discover that she's more than just her fears and Noah supports her in that, you can really feel them bond. Lola's story is told as she narrates her tale to Lily for her memoir, and so we see how everything that Lily thinks she knows about her birth mother starts to become a real person who was forced to make tough choices. As ever with Rebecca Ryan's stories, the characters feel rounded and you will root for them to be in a good place by the end.

[Evelyn Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Next Chapter is a charming, funny, and emotional new story from the very talented Rebecca Ryan. This story will have you laughing and crying within the same five minutes!

The story is told by Lily, a nervous wreck of a woman with deep abandonment issues who was adopted as a baby. Lily's birth mother is Lola, an ultra-famous pop-punk star from the 90s who mysteriously disappeared from public life shortly after having Lily. After her adopted father's passing, Lily heads off to the Isle of Skye to find her birth mother and just maybe save her best friends memoir-writing business at the same time. Oh and there also happens to be Noah, a super sexy travel writer staying on Skye at the same time...

I thoroughly enjoyed this. The story moves along at a nice pace and Lily's narration is hilarious, although she could definitely do with some anti-anxiety medication. The other characters in the story are super-likable, including Harper, a foster child also staying in Skye. Harper and Lily's relationship was one of my favourite parts of the story.

There are some delicate topics tackled here such as what it means to be a mother, grief, loss and legacy and they are handled with great care. It has real depth and heart and shows the many different ways we can love and feel part of a family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the e-arc.

5 stars from me.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

rounded up from 4.5⭐️

This had a really intriguing storyline. I loved the ghostwriting memoir business!! And the mystery of who Lola was. There was such a great contrast between the glamorous superstar Lily pictured Lola to be and the down to earth, slightly withdrawn person she actually is.

I'm a huge fan of Becs' writing and this was no exception. It made me laugh so many times and warmed my heart. And it was also really poignant, reflecting on complicated feelings of grief, acceptance and forgiveness. The setting of Skye was also beautifully described.

I also loved the found family aspect. Lily and Seb's friendship was maybe my favourite - it just felt so natural and fun. I loved how her circle gradually grew to include the people at the hotel, Noah, Lola and even her next door neighbour. Lola definitely felt more of the found family, not replacing the bond Lily had with her adoptive parents which I loved.

I couldn't really get into the romance with Noah or fully connect to his character. I didn't really feel the chemistry with Lily. That being said, it was still a really great read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Silver Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an uplifting warm hug in a book that will make you laugh & cry. Perfect for overthinking millennials like me & stacked full of British humour, a lovely romance & a gorgeous setting.

The story follows Lily, who, after the death of her adoptive father, wants to reconnect with her birth mum-who also happens to be a famous rock star that no one has seen for years! Lily does this in the guise of needing her memoir for her job. Her and her best friend & colleague Seb (who I LOVED) go on a journey to beautiful Skye (which is described so beautifully it’s almost like another character in the book-get me a holiday immediately) to find ‘Lola Starr’ so that Lily can reconnect with her past, fulfil her dads wish & save her best mates memoir writing business.
The emotional journey that Lily goes on is amazing, I really rooted for her the whole way through & felt so connected to her. At times I felt that she was me/I was her ( I also get excited when my fave products are on special offer and make incessant lists)
The story was handled so well; raw & real without melodrama. And the romance!! OMG!! So well written I actually fancied him myself. Perfect tension, longing & romantic drama. The author does love so believably well.
Loved the ending but didn’t love that it ended.

All the feels. No notes.

[Inspiredbypmdd Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun, sunshine book, the over dramatic and traumatised Lily has to come to terms with the fact that her adoptive dad has passed on and the memoir writing company she works for is struggling. But she could help, her birth mum is none other than a 90s music sensation who’d gone into hiding and has a definite story to tell and Lily could write it and find out who the woman is, who gave her up so easily.
Her dad leaves her a list of to do’s, one of them is a letter on how to find Lola, a year on she finally decides it’s time to save the day and open the letter.
Pretty soon after her best friend and boss Seb and her are on their way for a weekend on the Isle of Sky. Incognito you understand.
What a fun and laugh out loud read. Especially when you throw grouchy Harper and handsome Noah into the mix.
How will Lily cope when her weekend turns into 6 weeks and is left to her own devices when Seb heads back to work?
A great read, with the right amount of angst, comedy, romance and life. Fun characters and a wonderful setting. A recommended read.

[Elizabeth Currie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Next Chapter is a perfect summer read, just the right balance of humour and of heartfelt, all set against a gorgeous Scottish backdrop.

Anxiety-ridden - and list loving - Lily was given up for adoption as a baby. Following the loss of her adoptive parents, Lily finally follows up on her late father’s letter encouraging her to track down her birth mother Lola, when she discovers that Lola, once the singer in a 90s punk band, is now living quietly on the Isle of Skye and is looking for someone to ghostwrite her memoirs.

Lily and best friend, and business partner Seb set off for Skye and, without initially revealing who she is, finally gets to know her mother. Throw in a handsome travel writer staying in the next door cottage, and an angry teenager and there is never a dull moment ….

There is humour, there is romance, there is found family - and there are also some more serious topics around motherhood, loss and grief. It is all skilfully combined into a story with real heart that will leave you with a huge smile on your face.

[Jack Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love Ryan's writing and I was very much looking forward to this.

It's funny and touching in equal measure with a delightful setting in the Isle of Skye.

Lily is a protagonist who maybe needs to talk to someone about her brain - being in her head was exhausting in places (my brain does not work like that) but very convincing. She and her colleague Seb have the chance of getting long-vanished nineties pop star Lola Starr to choose them to write her memoirs. This would be financially helpful for their memoir-writing business. Less helpful is the fact that Lola is Lily's birth mother, and they've had no contact since Lily was given up for adoption as a baby. Throw in a handsome travel writer and a troubled teen and there's all kinds of opportunities for shananigans. Can Lily relax slightly for five minutes?

PS I was really, really horrified when Lily went on a motobike while wearing shorts. Please, don't ever do that.

[Emma Star Crossed Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.




I have previously read 2 of Rebecca's book both of which I enjoyed. I like Rebecca's writing style and was looking forward to starting this one. Lily is a classic overthinker. There were many times that her thoughts really were quite exhausting but also very entertaining. Sometimes when she spiraled it would lead to some very funny moments.Lily and Seb's friendship is one we can all dream of. It is so rock solid that they can be completely honest with each other. I really loved that. The romantic interest in this book is almost like a side story for me. The main focus was Lily and Lola's journeys. Finding out what really happened to Lola and the building of their relationship. Noah however was quite a specimen for a love interest so he was more than welcome. One other character I have to mention is Harper. I really liked her. I felt for her and her story. She has had a tough time and Rebecca handled this with care and grace.Overall I found this book to be funny and refreshing. It was not your predictable romcom which while I do love a predictable romcom it was a nice change. If you need a book for your summer holiday then this is perfect to read by the pool or like me read it here in the UK with the fan on max!Thank you to Books and the City and Simon and Schuster for my my copy of this book.

[Georgina Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how different the storyline in this one was to the other 2 I have read by the author, but at the same time it has the same charm and humour.
The book was similar to seven husbands of evelyn by Taylor Jenkins Reid and great big Beautiful life by Emily henry. I loved those 2 so I was happy that I could read another with the same vibe.
Somehow Rebecca Ryan just knows how to conjure up the Perfect Book Boyfriend in every book. And loved all the characters, I was reading Lolas parts and imagining it in the voice of Georgia from Ginny and Georgia the TV series . I know this is randomly written review but just my thoughts.

I would have rated 5 stars but the first book I read by the author still is number one - My Extra Ordinary Life

[Jo Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this story of found family and living life with no regrets to be a charming story, with a little romance with a hot travel writer as an additional bonus to the story.

When Lily and her best friend Seb head up to the Isle of Skye to meet with her birth mother Lola, who owns and runs an interesting hotel in a hidden spot on Skye, in an attempt to sign up for her memoirs, Lily decides not to be honest and instead says that Seb is her brother. What follows are layers of little white lies that complicate everything.

Her romance with Noah is a delicious slow burn romance, although given that she keeps insisting that she is adventurous when she is the complete opposite will clearly cause issues in the long run.

As Lily began to collate Lola’s memoirs, she started to gain insight into what had caused Lola to give up Lily for adoption and also what caused her to walk away from fame at the peak of her success. It was so beautifully done, like peeling away the layers to get to the heart of the story.

I thought the interactions between Lily and Harper, a troubled teen staying at the hotel with her family were adorable, finding the perfect balance between a sarcastic ‘take no prisoners’ stroppy teenager, and a sensitive young girl who thinks everything and everyone is against her. Their friendship was built on tentative understanding, and Pringles, which I’ve got to say would have worked for teenage me!

The Next Chapter was a beautiful story which handled feelings of abandonment, as well as finding a place where you feel you belong, with found family and friends to help heal the gaps left by family no longer here.

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had a slow start and it took me a while to get invested, but it is a sweet and heartfelt story about discovering what it means to come out of your comfort zone and living life instead of worrying all the time. It also deals with abandonment issues, specifically that of adoption/fostering.

Lily is perfect as a representation of what it is like to have Generalised Anxiety Disorder, and I could see myself in her a lot. This meant that she initially got on my nerves, but I know that was because she acted in a way, and her thought processes were very similar to how I deal with the word. Seb is hilarious and had me laughing with everything he said to Lily. Noah had his own demons, and it was lovely to see he and Lily fall in love with each other. Lola's story had my heart, and I was on edge wondering who Lily's father is along with how she ended up giving Lily up for adoption. The Isle of Skye is its own character, and it is written in such a way that I’m desperate to visit there. This was my first read by Ryan, but it definitely won’t be my last.

[Isabell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read about love, loss, stepping out of your comfort zone and letting yourself take a risk. Lily was very likeable and relatable given her history and I really liked how she pushed herself in this and got to know Lola despite her fears. . Her connection with Noah was very cute and they had lovely chemistry. Also really liked her friendship with Seb. Well written , emotional in parts but also funny. 4 ⭐️

[nedime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I absolutely loved this book! Rebecca has done it again! I was so excited to pick this up and it beat all my expectations. The characters, the development, the plot (and twists!) were just fantastic and the heart and soul of the story got me so emotional at so many points I just can’t rate this highly enough. What a way to get out of my reading slump!

[Nikky Herschell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this one, the MC was great and even with the sad start it was engaging straight away. Watching her grow as a person was cute and the whole book was so heartwarming

[elly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebecca Ryan’s third book, The Next Chapter, is a delight. The perfect book to read outside whilst the sun shines and the flowers bloom.

Ryan is a must-read author for any fans of Beth O’Leary and Emily Henry, as well as Helen Fielding. The charm and humour that oozes out of these books is so reminiscent of the Bridget Jones books in the best way. The prose was gorgeous, and I loved how the balance between pretty serious topics (which was handled with such care) and the humour / romance was perfectly done.

I had the pleasure of seeing Rebecca Ryan at two events over the last few years, and she is just as funny and as charming as her characters. I got her to dedicate her last book, The Philosophy of Love, to me and my mum who came to the event with me. We are both big fans of hers and I even rang her to tell her I was approved for the ARC of The Next Chapter, and we squealed together. To read this book, which at its core is about a mother-daughter relationship, was really special, and it will always have a place in my heart,

Do yourself a favour and pre-order this book. You won’t regret it.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster UK and NetGalley for providing me with the eARC. All opinions are my own.