Lift Me Up

by Milly Johnson

A heartwarming story from Sunday Times bestseller Milly Johnson.

Tam Remington had her life planned out. Until a conversation in a broken lift—with her worst enemy—changes everything.

For a decade, Tam has quietly held YorkMart together whilst others took the credit, making herself smaller in the process. When she’s briefly promoted to acting Managing Director, she finally has a chance to shine—until her promotion is snatched away and handed to Jack Cesaroni—the man brought in to do the job that should have been hers.

Tam expects nothing but disappointment from Jack. But when they’re trapped in a lift between floors thirteen and fourteen, he sees what no one else has: Tam is exceptional. That single word of recognition sparks something Tam thought she’d lost—and an unexpected connection she never saw coming.

Now Tam faces an impossible choice: stay being the smaller version of herself she’s become used to, or take a leap and reclaim the vibrant, authentic woman she once was—and discover how wonderful it could be if she lets someone see the real her…

This enemies-to-lovers story shows sometimes you need to get stuck to find your true self.

Genres: Romance, Short Stories, Fiction, Novella, Contemporary, Ebooks, Chick Lit

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2026

About the author

Milly Johnson was born in Barnsley, raised in Barnsley and still lives in Barnsley. She writes about strong women, often having a renaissance, all ages and has just released her 22nd novel Same Time Next Week. Do check out her website for up to date news and appearance dates.

As well as a novelist she is a professional joke writer, performance poet, newspaper and magazine columnist and also after dinner/motivational speaker.

She is on insta as @themillyjohnson, facebook as @millyjohnsonauthor, Twitter as @millyjohnson and a ridiculous presence on TikTok @millyjohnsonauthor. Do give her a follow - even if it's just out of sympathy!

Reviews

[angelinabvby ۶ৎ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, Amazon Original Stories, and Milly Johnson for this ARC for an honest review.

· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ read raw spanker's review or else

𝓻𝓲𝓹 @ 50%

i refuse to believe this wasn't written by jeff bezos

💸✨ 𝓯𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰 💸✨
{❤️‍🔥} rivals to lovers
{💸} finance bros
{🛗} stuck in elevator

goddamn was this a whole lotta word vomit. there were chapters of unnecessary background info and paragraphs of even less necessary finance bro terms. jack & tam have the chemistry equivalent of cardboard and weren't even stuck in the elevator for that long. one thing this book manages to do well is make me hate literally all the characters.

also tamlin + amarantha = tamantha

Thank you again to NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, Amazon Original Stories, and Milly Johnson for this ARC for an honest review.

💋 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 💙
THE RAGE STARTS NOW WITH 👅RAW SPANKER👅

💋 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 💙
SHOULD I RAGE READ THIS

[Casey Reads 🌸 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I hated the main character Tamantha (also that name bothered me lmao). I found her to be boring and had absolutely no backbone. So I just found the whole book not great.

When writing shorter books or short stories, the burden is on the writer to create interest and excitement in less pages and I don’t think that was really accomplished here.

Thank you to Amazon First Reads for the free advance copy.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get where the author was going with this passive protagonist. She started her at the bottom and gave her room to work her way back to herself. Good for the FMC, Tam, but it was just hard at times to root for her. I just couldn’t not think, ‘why are you letting your family and fiancé walk all over you?’ Every Sunday, she went to lunch with her family and every Sunday, they abused her unmercifully. Hey girl, you think maybe not going would speak volumes? I just have a hard time with the ‘we expect you to come so we can treat you like shit,’ and then you go. That’s kind of on you, Tam, and again, it makes it hard to root for you.

Here’s another thought. If you completely change your personality for a person, but then at the last moment, change course, does it even count? Should we be happy that some dude called Tam ‘extraordinary’ which was a trigger to undoormat herself? Why did you need the guy? And why is that romantic?

This is probably the sixth or seventh British author I’ve had to say this about, but here it is again. Your book is chick lit, not romance, so please stop marketing it as such.

Also the book description has typos.

[bloomysoul (MESSIIIIII)[hiatus] · Rating 1 out of 5]

~ 1 star

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Read Ragelina's review here

Meredith the savior once said -

"It's not too late to back out"

Every single person revolving around Tamantha(Tam) is cruel. Pity on you Tam. Such unlucky.
Yes Tam you get stuck in lift forever. Always wrong choices.

I already forgot what i read :((((
I wanted to read this so i don't finish The Love Hypothesis early, but I finished that first. This was a torture read for me.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 date : 11 May, 2026
ᯓᡣ𐭩 time : 19:00

─ ⊹ ⊱ ⊰ ⊹ ── ⊹ ⊱ ⊰ ⊹ ─

𐙚 ˚໋ P r e -r e a d🍸✩‧₊˚

‧₊˚🖇️ Rage buddy reading with 𝓡𝓪𝓰𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓪 🎧
ᯓᡣ𐭩 date : 10 May, 2026
ᯓᡣ𐭩 time : 9:27

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────

[˚⟡˖ ࣪ desiree ˚⟡˖ ࣪ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will always be a sucker for covers like this one. Truly one of my favorites — and honestly, the cover was probably the best part of the entire experience. If I hadn’t listened to the audiobook version, I genuinely don’t think I would’ve finished it, so thank goodness it was short.

Tam was… definitely a main character. There were moments where she felt relatable and other moments where she completely frustrated me. She was something, that’s for sure. I also didn’t hate her name nearly as much as some reviewers seemed to, but that’s just personal preference.

What I really wanted, though, was more of Jack. Which feels strange to say considering he’s supposed to be the main male character, yet he barely feels present in the story at all. He’s mentioned constantly, but actually shown? Hardly ever outside of a few conversations here and there. I wanted to know him better. Isn’t that the whole point of a romance — getting to know the characters enough to decide if you’re rooting for them? It’s hard to do that when one half of the pairing barely exists on page. But hey, at least we got to live inside Tam’s head the entire time.

That being said, I didn’t desperately hate either character. I just don’t think the story gave them enough room to fully become anything memorable. The conversation between Tam and Jack in the broken lift was one of the strongest moments in the book for me, and I kept wishing we got more scenes with that same energy throughout. Their dynamic had potential. I was clinging to every little crumb of it.

Ironically, it felt like Harris(the fiancé) was far more of an “enemy” to Tam than Jack ever was. Jack was also much more likable than Harris, and at times even her own family felt more antagonistic toward her. Jack was probably the best part of the entire story, which makes it even more disappointing that we barely got him.

I do enjoy this author’s writing style, and the writing itself was probably the strongest part of the book for me. If this had been expanded into a full 200–300 page novel instead of a very short story, I genuinely think it could’ve worked much better. There were ideas here that had real potential.

What disappointed me most was the marketing versus the actual story. Going in expecting an “enemies-to-lovers” romance about being trapped with your enemy sounds exactly like the kind of thing I would love, but this barely delivered on that premise at all. It never truly committed to the enemies-to-lovers aspect, and it also never fully committed to being a self-discovery story either.
Honestly, it should’ve gone all in on one direction. Either make it a full-blown enemies-to-lovers romance or focus entirely on Tam reclaiming herself, rediscovering her worth, and growing beyond the life she was stuck in.
Both ideas could’ve worked beautifully together — enemies to lovers while finding yourself but here it felt like a weaker version of what it could’ve been.

People have labeled this contemporary, chick lit, and general fiction, and I’d agree with all of those. But romance? Not really. At least not in any meaningful way until the very end, when the book is basically over. The romantic tension just never felt developed enough to carry the story the way the blurb promised it would.

Overall, this felt less like a terrible book and more like a missed opportunity. There was a genuinely good story buried in here somewhere, and that almost makes it more frustrating.

*•.¸♡ 💐 ...thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC!
all thoughts and opinions are my own. ♡¸.•*

[Izzie (on pause) McFussy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasing palate cleanser with two warnings.

‼️Warning #1: In the first half Tam is a nonstop negative Nellie. She’s the woman next to you on a plane who never stops talking doom and gloom. If this hadn’t been a short story I would have looked for the exit and strapped on a parachute.

But the second half… 😍 More than worth the wait. It brought the Smiles and Feels. Nice writing too.

‼️Warning #2: Brandenberg cake was referred to seven times. 🤤 Before the last page was read, there was a dent in my pocketbook and added paunch to my pouch after Amazon dropped one at my door.

Amazon First Reads Selection for April.

[ObscureVi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was expecting a light, fast read and in a way, that's exactly what I got... just not one I found myself enjoying.

I've been drawn by the cover (love this style and I will probably never get tired of seeing it, a lot better than the long era of shirtless men we had for years lmao) and the very trope that probably most of us picked this book because, stuck in the elevator/lift (with your enemy?).

You will probably ask: Vi, why the question mark? Well... if you check the blurb, you will see this: "This enemies-to-lovers story shows sometimes you need to get stuck to find your true self." Maybe it's because I was reading it in the middle of the night, shortly after waking up, unable to fall back asleep, but during those 100 pages? There was nothing that gave me the enemies vibe, not even a tiny bit. It feels like it's just Tam being mad/irritated/annoyed that after a decade of working and letting people get on her head (I'm an introvert, socially awkward and depressed on top of that, so people get on mine too, because I'm totally not assertive, so while I could relate to it in a way, even I found it... too much?), suddenly someone else got promoted and on top of everything it was Jack.

Speaking about Jack, I feel like we barely got to know him, to the point that I didn't really care about someone who's our main male character (not to mention, that it was probably too little of him? It might just be me or my feelings about the book, but it's like he was mentioned a lot more than he actually appeared during the story).

Finally, that takes us to the whole romance part of the book, that honestly, I feel like there wasn't any. The whole book was more of something along the lines of: one word from a man that is her "enemy" suddenly makes her want to change her life and get rid of abusive people in it while we are at it.

That's it, that's the plot in my opinion, almost 130 pages down to one sentence.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story 3.5 stars rounded up. Narration 4.5 stars
This ended up being a good novella about a British woman who is getting ready to marry the wrong man. That’s not a spoiler as you know as soon as the man enters the book. It’s also about found family when your family is horrible. That was my one problem with the book though. How could educated, well off family members all with no exceptions be so awful to one member of their family? And finally it’s about a woman that actually loves her job and is afraid she’s about to lose it. Since this is a romance, there is quite the good man that shows up in the story. Almost unbelievable good actually. But I ultimately enjoyed it even if it was a bit predictable.

[Southern Lady Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on audio and finished it on my Kindle - and I thought it was so cute!! I didn't realize it was a novella, but honestly, I think this is one of those stories that's all it needed to be. A story of the healing power of quiet, unconditional love - and the people strong enough to take a chance on that kind of love!!

HOUSEKEEPING:
* Spice: NA/5
* Reader Age Suggestions: adult - some emotional unkindness from partners and mentions of sex
* Content Warnings: --
* Kindle Unlimited: ✅ - And so is the audio!!!
* Part of A Series: -- NO / Can it be read alone?:

**Thank you to NetGalley/ Amazon Original Stories for the book! I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR🖤

Follow me on Instagram for honest reviews, bookish freebies & giveaways! 🖤

[Marcie McPherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet, easy read that leans into familiar territory but still manages to be enjoyable.

The storyline is quite predictable and follows a well-worn path, so there aren’t many surprises along the way. However, what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in warmth. The characters are likeable, the tone is light, and there are a few genuinely funny moments that keep it engaging.

One aspect that stood out was the portrayal of the protagonist’s toxic ex. His controlling behaviour shows up in subtle but telling ways—reshaping how she dresses, influencing her choices, and imposing his preferences on her living space. While this isn’t explored in great depth, it still highlights how easily personal identity can be eroded in a relationship and may resonate with readers reflecting on boundaries and self-worth.

I also appreciated the emphasis on friendship and support systems, particularly in the acknowledgements, which added an extra layer of sincerity to the story.

It’s the kind of book you pick up when you want something comforting rather than challenging—an easy, feel-good read that doesn’t demand too much but still delivers a pleasant experience.

If you enjoy character-driven stories with a gentle pace and a touch of humour, this will likely work for you, even if you prefer more unpredictable plots.

[Stanjay Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this short story—it hooked me from the very first scene. What would you do if you found yourself stuck in a broken-down elevator (or “lift,” since the story is set in Europe) with the person who beat you out for a job and is now your boss? That’s exactly the situation Tam finds herself in, and it becomes the catalyst for her journey toward self‑discovery and recognizing her own worth.

The author writes with striking clarity about how women are often taken for granted in both their personal and professional lives, and how “going along to get along” can slowly erode one’s sense of self. Tam is fighting to be acknowledged for her hard work at her company, and she’s also struggling to feel seen and valued by her fiancé.

In that cramped elevator, a conversation meant to distract from the stress of being trapped becomes something deeper. Her boss listens, challenges her, and ultimately reaffirms her value. Later, an encounter with an old friend just before her wedding reinforces that message and pushes her to take an honest look at her relationship—a relationship that has become stifling rather than supportive.

I loved the blend of seriousness and humor throughout this story, and I’m genuinely excited to read more from this author.

[Violet (Travelling, I'll be back in August) · Rating 4 out of 5]

He would not have been number one on Tam Remington’s list to be stuck in a lift with. In fact, he’d be way down the list, possibly hitting triple figures.

This is a heartwarming novella that packs an emotional punch into a short story. Tam has spent ten years keeping YorkMart running smoothly while everyone else took the credit. The frustration peaks when she’s passed over for a big promotion in favor of Jack, a high-flying newcomer. On top of that, she’s stuck with a fiancé who is constantly trying to change who she is.

The story shifts when Tam and Jack get trapped in a lift together between floors. It’s a great setup because Tam, convinced she’s about to be fired anyway, stops holding back. She tells him exactly what she has done for the company and what she would do if she were in charge. The writing is witty, making the dialogue sharp, funny, and warm.

At its heart, this is about a woman finding her self-worth again. It is satisfying to watch Tam get the "lift" she deserves.

[Mageesgirl=Jan Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOW FUN!

Just the right book for mood lifter! Laughed out loud several times! This is not for everyone! Honestly - it just filled a gap for me that needed some attention! A little (?) Predictable maybe a lot!! Perfect for a rainy afternoon and a sick cat.
Well done you!

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

Woof.

I recognize that, seeing as this is a short story, there is substantially less time to build relationships with and backgrounds for all the characters. That said, I didn't care about anyone. Our protagonist, Tamanatha, is struggling to get her deserved recognition at work. Her family is genuinely evil, and her fiance sucks. Genuinely everyone she interacts with is terrible, minus her boss, Jack, whom she gets stuck in an elevator with.

It's hard to read about someone who allows so many people to walk all over her. I know this is the reality for many women, but it was just too difficult to read, and I found myself pretty annoyed.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC!

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this. It is a pretty typical Milly Johnson novel only instead of 3 women sharing the spotlight, we have just one. I had just finished a reread of one of her older novels and went right into this one. So yes, although some of her characters do get on my last nerve, I am still a fan. In fact some of my disenchantment with some of Milly’s “ways” stem from the fact that I have re-read many of her books multiple times because I am such a fan. As with most of her later books, it's light on the romance, but a romance is included to provide our heroine a hopeful happy future.

Tamantha has been denigrated all of her life by her awful family and we see an example of this as she goes to the family dinner every Sunday. She is about to get married, and no surprise, she has picked a guy that is cut out of the same cloth. He has managed to influence her to change almost everything about herself to make her fit into his personal mold of how he wants a wife to be. Why she has put up with this treatment by her family and her fiancé is not very well established so I ceased having a lot of sympathy for her long before the novella/short story was finished. His sister is a bully and has taken over Tam’s wedding to the point that she is not allowed to even invite her best friend to her own reception. This initial weakness and oppression of her protagonists is a pattern with Milly that I am increasingly losing patience with. She makes her victimized characters so blind and self-deluded that it is positively painful. They all finally see the light and successfully rebel against the tide of abuse, but often it is too late to retain my good will and concern for their well being. And there is even less justification for this heroine to put up with the disrespect and contempt in her personal life. She is a successful business woman and who was once a vibrant unconventional woman despite her black sheep status in her family.

On the professional side, Tam is on her way to a big meeting with the board of directors where she assumes she is going to be fired. She gets stuck on the elevator with the wunderkind that the board brought in to head the company instead of promoting her. She is bitter about that and makes a lot of false assumptions, but it turns out that Jack, who is the love interest, thinks the world of her and what she has accomplished for the company. Though he is still the boss, she gets full credit for her work and a big promotion. This part was good. However, despite more red flags than a Chinese parade, Tam persists in going through with her wedding until she is standing with her fiancé in front of the altar and he says something mean to her (!). She was like a lemming jumping off a cliff, or a turkey drowning itself in the rain. It is strongly implied that she would still have married the dirtbag despite everything (including her growing love for Jack), if he had just kept his mouth shut. I would have been much better with the story had Tam come to her senses on her own steam with her very own brain. Despite Jack showing her everyday how she should be treated, her fiancé and family have to cross the line of agreed standards of decency before she’s had enough. The story happily comes full circle, ending, as it began, in an elevator, but I would have wished for more closure with her oppressors. There could have been more balance there even though, yes, I know I know this wasn’t a full length novel. No free passes on that front from me, because she is usually brilliant with comeuppances.

[CB]

Not Interested - 🧽

[Caitlyn Krueger · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was cute but i truly can’t get over her name being tamantha that can’t be real

[CrinM · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute little story about rediscovering, loving, and choosing yourself. Such an important lesson more people should learn before tying the knot with someone that doesn’t truly appreciate them. A lot of hate for Tam in reviews, but anyone who has been emotionally abused and manipulated understands that you actually don’t know how to have a backbone to stand up for yourself. It’s a skill to learn and seeing that strength building in her till she had enough to draw a boundary was awesome.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my! I wanted this novella to go on and on. It was a delightful read about two women who went from unheard to goodbye. I absolutely loved this!

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 It was easy to see the ending coming, but it was a light easy read and a reminder to be yourself and not dim yourself to suit other people

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, easy story of self reliance and following your heart and beliefs!

[IngallsTurnsThePage · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a delightful bite-sized palate cleanser for a female reader. Reminders to not shrink to fit into someone else’s life. Bring old friends back into your life with ease and love. Let yourself be surprised by how the strength shown by the least likely of sources can be the inspiration needed to stand up for yourself. Tam deserves to live in bright colors and this short story was a reminder of that. I wished there was more to read but the ending was satisfying in its ability to let the reader fill in the rest.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I ended up DNF’ing Lift Me Up by Molly Johnson at around 20%.

I really tried to push through, but the British verbiage made it hard for me to fully settle into the story. I kept feeling a little disconnected, like I couldn’t quite get into a good reading flow.

Tamantha, the main character, was also pretty underwhelming for me. She felt passive in her own life. She’s not even planning her own wedding or picking out her colors, and the way her siblings talk to her at the table just made me feel sad for her more than anything else. And honestly, even her name bothered me. I couldn’t get past it, which didn’t help me connect to her character at all.

I do think Jack had the potential to be a great character, and I’m sure the story probably builds in a meaningful way. But getting through so much of Tamantha’s unhappiness and lack of direction just wasn’t something I could stick with.

This one just wasn’t for me.

[Doreen Kidd · Rating 1 out of 5]

5 pages of redemption after 100 pages being downtrodden

This was not a happy or uplifting read for me. The main character is downtrodden, mentally beaten down until she had little personality and no self confidence. After 100 pages of seeing her diminished and dismissed, the book finally changes. Not an enjoyable read.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story

I think this story is a wonderful woman finding her self, but not a powerful romance. I loved the friendship with Anna the best. I will be reading more by this writer. Highly recommend

[Celina Rangel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ummm there’s not much to say but that I loved it! This was the perfect short story that was quick but also felt complete. A woman whose light was being dimmed at work and at home but found her way back to herself after being trapped in an elevator. Amazing! 😍

[Katie Blomquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Left me smiling

This quick read was just what I needed. I was rooting for characters very different from myself and yet very similar. The writing flowed and for a short time I was immersed in a lovely story with a predictably and beautifully happy ending.

[QuirkyTofurkey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, this one wasn’t for me. I was immediately drawn in by the fun and colorful cover, but once I started reading, I struggled to connect with the main protagonist and found nearly everyone around her uniquely exhausting.

I read to escape, and instead I found myself checking how many pages were left.

Short stories can be especially tricky, as they have so little space to build connections and engage the reader. While this one didn’t land for me personally, I’m sure it will absolutely find its audience.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories, and Milly Johnson for the advanced reader copy. This review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.

[Katrina (Catching up on Reviews) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Short- under 130 pages. I did not care for this book.

[V · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was part of my 'audiobooking the reading slump away' bundle over the weekend. Loved the dedication and acknowledgement bits the most lol