You Can't Fall in Love with your Ex

by Sophie Ranald

The fabulous new, soon-to-be-published romantic comedy from the Amazon best-selling author of It Would Be Wrong to Steal My Sister's Boyfriend (Wouldn't It?)

Thirteen years ago, Laura thought her life was over. Now, she’s nailed being a grown-up. Married to the gorgeous Jonathan, she has two wonderful (if high-maintenance) children and a free pass into the school-gate elite. So what if once in a blue moon she still daydreams about Felix, the man who broke her heart? After all, living well is the best revenge.

But then an unexpected encounter turns everything upside down. How can Laura risk throwing away everything she has for a dream of the past? She can’t be falling in love with Felix all over again... can she?

Here is another heart-warming romantic comedy from best-selling author Sophie Ranald. If you adore Lucy Diamond, Tracy Bloom and Sophie Kinsella, prepare to be swept off your feet by You Can’t Fall in Love With Your Ex... because you can!

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit

265 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 2015

About the author

Sophie Ranald is the youngest of five sisters. She was born in Zimbabwe and lived in South Africa until an acute case of itchy feet brought her to London in her mid-20s.

As an editor for a customer publishing agency, Sophie developed her fiction-writing skills describing holidays to places she’d never visited. In 2011, she decided to disregard all the good advice given to aspiring novelists and attempt to write full-time. After one false start, It Would Be Wrong to Steal My Sister’s Boyfriend (Wouldn’t It?) seemed to write itself.

Sophie also writes for magazines and online about food, fashion and running. She lives in south-east London with her amazing partner Hopi and Purrs, their adorable little cat.

Reviews

[Henz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 2.5

This is the first Sophie Ranald book that I’ve read but I got to tell you that I have a love and hate relationship with it.

The title really caught my attention You can’t fall in love with your Ex (can you?). It makes a good chick-lit title, so I picked this up hoping that it will swoon me to the end.

This book is about Laura, a married woman, has two adorable children and a loving husband, Jonathan but everything changed when she met her Ex, Felix in a Midsummer Night’s Dream play, their meeting was really swoony, it’s just so romantic that I kept replaying it in my mind.. *sigh*...

You see Laura is a ballet dancer, she and Felix actually but something happened to her that made her throw her dream away and now she’s a housewife struggling with her mommy and wifely duties.

Ranald engaged me by putting some humor to her writing despite being serious. She brings you back to what happened 15 years ago and the present just so you can compare Laura’s before and after. I was able to connect with her depression when the thing she’s most passionate about did not work out for her and though she felt happy now, somehow she had this incomplete feeling without living the dream and that made her lonely, seeing Felix and remembering her dream and what they used to be.

I really felt her struggle about being a plain housewife with a husband who works hard to the point of having no family time anymore. I wanted to give this book good rating but when it got to the later chapters it had me so disappointed.

I don’t care who she chooses as long as the ending was executed properly. I’m not happy about her husband Jonathan for shaming his wife so often despite his apologies. I’m not happy about Felix for confusing Laura and then letting her go and moved on to start fancying her friend in end. Ugh it’s just too much! I can’t stand the ending.


~Received an ARC from NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review~

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary
Laura is finding her new roles of homemaker to be unstimulating and boring. Sure she has a beautiful son and daughter, and a husband who loves her despite his insane hours but these mommy book-clubs and gossip just isn't cutting it.
Until one day Laura is brought to a play and finds herself kissing with a character that she'd recognize anywhere- her ex Felix. The two find themselves fighting with a dangerous spark as the two attempt at a friendship. Finally Laura is feeling a rejuvenation in her life that is brought on by a memory of her 20s, but you can't fall in love with your ex (can you?).

Review
This book is an easy, typical, chick-lit book. It presents questions that come from long-term relationships of wondering if there is something more, and if the grass is always greener. I did feel a connection between Laura and Felix and the choice that was presented in front of Laura was tough. What I wasn't a fan of, however, is that Laura was clearly bored because her husband basically made her be a stay-at-home-mom and I think it was pretty clear that the lack of fulfillment came from her own work rather than her relationship (although I do understand Jonathan's hours would put a strain on them). I enjoyed the back and forth from present and past and how Laura came to her own revelations on how her past impacts her present.
Just a plain, old, good book. Nothing special. Nothing glaringly wrong.

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[Gigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely not a light hearted romantic comedy... I really enjoyed this book because its emotions were so real and raw. Sophie Ranald did a tremendous job at portraying Laura as a jealous, insecure, and vulnerable 21 year old and again as a 37 year old woman who is more level-headed, but still hopeful and yearning for something more. I think a lot of us like to fantasise about what ifs and look upon our pasts with rose coloured glasses but it's refreshing to be reminded that who we are today and who we were back then are not one and the same and that wants and needs will have changed no matter what. I really fell in love with Felix and I just kept hoping he would fall from grace somehow, but he never did, and that's okay because life is not black and white and people are not just good and bad. I also fell in love with Johnathan even though he wasn't always portrayed in the best light, he is good looking, loving, devoted, and seems to know his way around the kitchen better than a lot of men, but he is also flawed and human as he gets caught up in his career and success. Overall, a brilliant read that at times I could not put down and others I didn't dare read the next chapter.

[Lorayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, I won't spoil the story by relaying the tale to you in this review, we both know you're capable of reading the preface for yourself so all I will say is, I got a bit confused at the beginning of the book when, one minute we were living one life and the next we had been transported to another at this point I almost gave up reading the book because the new life was so unexpected and seemed quite precocious but the penny soon dropped in and I was happy again but, what I am really here to say is, as someone who reads every word, and as a lover of Sophie Ranald's books, I do wish someone had proof read this one more than once before it went to print, it has more than the average number of grammatical errors in it and this is the reason I marked it as 4 stars as I found it a bit distracting but other than that.... if you love Sophie's books, this is a must read, the characters are well written, the story line didn't twist as I thought it might and there's one stunning line regarding little Owen and his lack of toilet etiquette which had me roaring with laughter for several minutes.

[Katherine Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked how the story in this book delves into the past to show you how the main character had ended up where she is. Although it is a light-hearted romance, l liked that it was made more real by including particular details that the author must have researched well or known by experience about what it would have been like to train as a ballerina.
I loved how the whole book followed the theme of
'Midsummer Night's Dream' and the love triangle in the book is similar to that in the play and this was written really well throughout.
I found the main character very relatable and interesting.

[Rebecca Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Read from Amazon Prime*

Having enjoyed novels from the same author previously I was excited to see this book had appeared within the Amazon Prime selection. With the book involving dancing I thought it would become one of my favourites but truthfully it did not rank up as high as her previous novels. I did enjoy the reading experience and would recommend to other Chick-Lit lovers however, the constant back and forth of “will I, won’t I” relationship between Laura and Felix I didn’t enjoy after a while. Was pleased with the ending/last chapter which made up for it.

[Steph Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just didn't love this book. I found myself just trying to go through the motions to finish it. I just don't feel a profound connection with the characters which make it hard to feel excited about it.

[Ann G Colwill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This doesn't fall into the usual category of chic lit although the protaganist has quite a charmed lifestyle. She meets temptation head on in the guise of her first love. As there were some flashbacks within the story l couldn't help but think of the old saying of the grass being greener.! A good read that does keep you held within its writing. Above average for this genre.

[Agi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You Can't Fall in Love with your Ex (Can You?)" is my first book by Sophie Ranald, and it was the title that intrigued me so much. Then I've read the blurb and thought this could be a really great novel, so I downloaded it to my kindle and started reading it almost immediately.

And the story started really great. I was hooked, and I was laughing, especially at the antics of the school - gates gang, I think it will never stop to amaze me, and I can't be more happy when I can read about crazy mums trying to outdo each other in almost everything. And I truly hoped that this book is going to continue like this, but then it just started to feel more flat, more... I don't know... forced, not so light. I can't put my finger on what the problem was exactly, but I just had a feeling that the story has just lost its impact, that it's rolling down - but even though, it was still an enjoyable read.

Sophie Randal can create really great characters that felt as if they were real people - the way they were speaking, communicating, reacting felt so true. They are not flawless, and they have secrets, they don't live lives they have dreamed about and hoped of, and they must either come to terms with it or change it. But are the changes always for the best? This is what the story is trying to find the answer to - what if? And what to do? And what happens when suddenly the one that got away turns up in your life again and you find you still have feelings for him? And nevertheless, as much as we see the characters, especially Laura and Felix, over 15 years, I didn't have a feeling that they changed - they were too stabile for my liking, I haven't noticed any signs of development in them. yes, their lives have changed, but did they?

The idea of the story was simple, yet really interesting but somehow, it didn't grab my attention as much as I hoped for it. Laura soon started to annoy me with her not being able to decide what is it that she wants in her life but I truly liked how the author made her be. She used to live her dream life in the past, when she was a ballerina, when she loved what she was doing and when her career was not staying in place but she was making progress and was chosen as a leading dancer. Then, as quickly as it all began, it has ended, when she was badly injured. And you see, she had already had a whiff of what her life could be like, and then she must have come to terms with the fact that it's not going to be like this, and to find an alternative, and I think it's not always so easy, no? So as much as she annoyed me a little once or twice, I really could feel her pain and understand why she was struggling so much, why she felt unhappy - she had a right to miss her old life. She has made some mistakes in her life, well, who hasn't. On the surface she has it all - a husband, two great children, a beautiful house and she doesn't need to worry about finances, but on the inside... she's not sure if the decisions she's made were the right or wrong ones, and the life of a housewife isn't fulfilling to her. So just your typical woman that we can meet in almost every second house, but this is what makes her such likeable, relatable character.

There was a lot of going in this book, it was really full of action, and it focused not only on Laura and her family, but also her neighbour's Zé, or Felix, and also this what I particularly enjoyed, it was telling us a story of Laura's career as ballerina, with all its ups and downs, the jealousy and uncertainty about tomorrow, the pain and the probability of injury which may end the career prematurely. I was never into ballet but Sophie Randal describes it in such a vivid, realistic and yet gentle way that I can really understand that the dancers truly loved their job.

The story switches from past to present and at the beginning the passages about the past confused me a little, and were knocking me off stride, as truly, they didn't feel as if they belonged to this book - I wasn't sure why they are there at all. But slowly I got used to this way of telling the story and also slowly, the whole picture of Laura's life emerged. We learn about her past with Felix, what happened, how she met Jonathan and what happened next, and so the book makes a full circle, which is my favourite way of telling a story, to be honest. Full closure :)

Altogether, it was a light, funny story about questioning yourself what if, and actually about appreciating this what we already have. I enjoyed the writing style, it's so light - hearted! The characters could be a little better, they could have a little more depth, but they still were a real fun to read about, the banter between them was funny, and they felt really realistic with all their problems. "You Can't Fall in Love with Your Ex (Can You?)" is a story that from time to time tugged on the right heart strings, and that made me nodding my head with understanding. If you are in need of a light, easy but also thought - provoking book, don't hesitate and read this one!

Copy received from publisher in exchange for a review.

[Lyndsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really fun with some very likeable main characters

[Irene Weinberger-Friedrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

very relatable main character and intriguing examination of the 'what if' that most of us have asked ourselves

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you?

Good easy read with a story which can be related to by most quite easily... Excited to read more books from the author

[Alli Garrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite by this author. Very self-absorbed lead character that was hard to relate to and came across as contrived.

[Natasha du Plessis · Rating 4 out of 5]

My heart went out to Laura and her situation. I really enjoyed the book and the characters, it was a enjoyable read.

[laurajayneo · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF, not for me!😅

[Ammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny and light read, but jumping from now to the past got a bit confusing at some points. Other than that I LOVED IT!

[Kathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite authors

I have read and loved everyone of Sophie Ranald’s books. This one did not disappoint! Anxiously waiting for a new one.

[Karen Sherst · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t finish it. Not the usual, fun Sophie Ranald

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It was fun and easy to read.

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review first posted on my blog: http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspo...

Thirty-something Laura has everything many women dream of: she's happily married to her handsome husband Jonathan, they live in a beautiful home with their two lovely kids, and as a stay-at-home mum Laura fits in perfectly with the elite group of school-gate parents. However, sometimes Laura can't help but think back to her twenties, when she was a promising ballerina and still in love with her ex, Felix. When Laura goes to a modern-day version of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', the unexpected happens when she bumps into Felix, after all these years. Suddenly, she finds herself questioning her current life and the decisions she has made, wondering what if and whether she really has to let go of the past or not.

From the first few chapters of this novel, I was already fascinated by the characters and storyline and was really curious to find out more, just like with the other Sophie Ranald novels I've had the pleasure of reading. Protagonist Laura finds herself in a situation where she is suddenly confronted with her past and she starts to wonder what many of us asks ourselves every now again: what if? What if she had stayed with her ex Felix? What if things had gone differently? I think Laura is a character many readers will be able to relate to and I personally really liked the fact that as a reader I got to know Laura in both her twenties and her thirties, thanks to the various flashbacks. This really showed what happened to her and what got her to this point in her life.

There is a realistic and fascinating cast of characters at the core of the novel, such as Laura's ex Felix and her new friend Ze. I liked the fact that there was also more to the story than just Laura's experiences, giving the story more body. However, I can't really put a finger to it, but I was missing something that the author's other stories did have. I missed the humour and I somehow didn't connect with Laura as much as I would have liked. The book was enjoyable and the writing was well-paced and flowed well, but it isn't my favourite Sophie Ranald read. Overall, 'You Can't Fall in Love with Your Ex (Can You?)' is a light and entertaining read which I enjoyed, but just wasn't entirely blown away by. If you're looking for your next women's fiction read, don't hesitate to pick up a Sophie Ranald novel, it'll be worth it!

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay but not great.

I've read a couple of Sophie Ranald books in the past and enjoyed them so was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately I think the subject matter just wasn't for me.

It's described as a romantic comedy but as the story is about someone who is unhappy with their life and thinking about having an affair I didn't see much in the way of romance or comedy. Overall I found the whole thing a little bit depressing.

Laura is in her upper 30's, is married to Jonathan and has two young children Darcey and Owen. At the start of the book Laura has recently been made redundant while her husband has been promoted. They are moving to their new house which needs some work so Laura feels pushed to become a stay at home Mum. Jonathan works all hours and she has left all of her friends behind so is feeling pretty isolated and fed up with her life.

She starts to reminisce about her previous life as a ballet dancer and her first love Felix, thinking more and more about them as she becomes increasingly dissatisfied with her life. When she bumps into Felix, the one who broke her heart, she starts to wonder if she can recapture some of her old life but is she willing to risk her marriage and family.

Really this is the story of someone having a bit of a mid life crisis, feeling like they don't have a purpose in life so trying to find one in their past. She feels a bit neglected by her husband so when her ex starts paying some attention she starts thinking about an affair.

I found the whole thing very frustrating and a bit depressing. Laura annoyed me as a character. She just seemed to complain without taking any real action to fix things. It felt like her marriage was the result of her settling for the man her friends approved of rather than her choosing who she loved. I felt sorry for Jonathan and her family who she didn't seem to particularly want.

It was an interesting idea for a story but it's just not something that sits well with me. The writing was pretty good and the story flowed really well. I liked the flashbacks to her earlier life as a ballet dancer and her romance with Felix. I also really liked Felix as a character and I think his story sounded more interesting than Laura's.

Overall therefore it was an interesting story but just not for me.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure why but I had been putting off reading this book for months, and I am of course now kicking myself, as its a really good book. Before starting this story, I had been having concentration issues with a few of the books I had been reading, so was wondering if it was me or them, but I had no such problems with this book.

It is written in a witty and easy to read style, that draws you straight in. It focuses on one main character, Laura, who is perhaps suffering from a marital blip. She is married, has two children and they have just moved house. The first chapter with them moving house, will produce feelings in you, that you will recognise, when you are not precisely sure where your young child's comforter toy has gone.

From there we then have a fabulous scene at the book club with all the new school mothers that Laura is hoping to befriend, and I loved seeing the competitive parenting at force. Laura's children of course are more of the normal run of the mill sort of children, than the ones these mothers have given birth to themselves, who are of course all young genius (es).

Laura then meets a neighbour slightly more on her wavelength, and starts to settle in, and then they go to a theatrical experience, and Laura meets a blast from the past... an ex boyfriend to be precise.

From then on we learn the story of Laura and the ex, and at the same time , we can see there may still be something between them. Of course he is an ex for a very good reason, so whether considering giving into your perhaps deepest hidden thoughts is a good thing, is another question, and one Laura has to deal with.

I found myself completely immersed in this story, and really enjoying every second of it. The characters struck a chord with me, and I found myself also enjoying the flashbacks to when Laura met the ex initially, and the exact circumstances her life changed all those years ago.

This may have been my first Sophie Ranald book, but its definitely not my last, not least because I have the others on my kindle somewhere already, waiting for me. If this is a good example of her work, then I know I have just found another author to read regularly.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Lawsome Books for this review copy. This is my honest opinion.

[Kelli Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting the book, I wasn't really into it. Seemed like big words were being overused when typical words would have been fine. Book is based in London and does have foul language in it (not that I mind but some people do).
I wish that each time it switched from past to present and vice versa, it would let you know. After a while, though, I got used to it. Some were labeled but not all.
I was about 30% into reading when I actually got interested in the book.
Laura, the main character, was really struggling with herself. She was missing the life she once had and not sure if she was happy with the life she has now. Of course, the entire truth of it all doesn't really come out until the end. She made bad decisions more than she made good ones but when it counted, she finally realized what she needed to do.
I enjoyed this book because I wanted to know what was going to happen next and also what happened in the past. There were a few characters I would have wanted to learn more about but I guess they weren't really that important to the story. If you enjoy romantic stories, I would recommend this book.
*Book made available by NetGalley in exchange for a review *

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can't fall in love with your ex... Ahh, I can't say that I was overly impressed. Unfortunately for me the plot wasn't something that grabbed my attention. The idea was interesting but the execution just did not work!
I found that the main character Laura a tad annoying which made it harder for me to enjoy the book. As she grew more and more frustrated with her life, I grew more and more frustrated with book. There was to much going on but not enough depth into the issues, I felt like much of it was swept under the rug with know real resolution.

Also the flow of the story felt strained. I enjoyed how you got a peek into Laura and Felix's life as well as Laura and Jonathan's; It created a picture of the growth and change in through out the 15 years of her life, however I often got lost with what was going on in the story.

Maybe I didn't enjoy it because of my age but unfortunately it just wasn't my cup of tea!

* I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This doesn't not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review *

[Lorna Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

In case it hasn’t been made crystal clear for you, I love Sophie Ranald. This one was a particular highlight for me, with its flashbacks to Laura’s time as a ballerina juxtaposed with her mundane everyday life in the present day. As a performer myself (but definitely not a dancer), I loved the insight into the cut-throat, bitchy world of ballet, and I want to go to the insanely immersive performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that Laura attends with Zé, her new mum-friend. Laura clearly harboured a lot of emotional pain from her past, having had her promising career ended prematurely thanks to injury, and meeting her old flame Felix again only exacerbated that. I found myself rooting for Laura and Felix one minute, and Laura and Jonathan the next, but most of all, I was rooting for Laura’s happiness and personal growth. This one had a real undercurrent of sadness to it, tinged as it was with Laura’s lost dreams, so it was a less fluffy read than some of Ranald’s others, but it was still a funny, heartwarming read which ended on a happy, hopeful note.

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[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the outside, Laura has it all - the beautiful London home, two children (a boy and a girl no less), a husband with a great job but of course that's only from the outside. She is unfulfilled and not adjusting well to her new life as a housewife. Luck would have it, she ends up coming into contact with the one who got away - Felix.

Felix is a reminder to Laura of her past that she never got closure from. Her failed career as a ballerina, her relationship with him, and even a friendship gone bad.

Laura is a very relatable character whether you can connect with her twenty-something self or her thirty-someone self. This book has a lot to offer from coincidental situations that'll make you laugh to an almost affair that will keep you turning the pages.

*Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Bharti · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title was a mixed bag for me. The start was slow and I struggled to get a grip of the narration. The characters were there doing mundane boring tasks, going on about their daily life routine. This failed to interest me until things started picking up towards the end. It's not about drama or excitement which made the ending good but the fact the story stopped going back and forth. The characters took matters in their hands and things moved forward to a climax which did justice to the story. It was a bit predictable for me and I hoped there was more passion humor in the conversations and situations the characters were in. Read this story if you have patience to get through a narration that slowly builds up to an end for its characters, filled with school runs, at home mums, overworked fathers and a few odd neighbors.

[Alisha Dangerfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by Sophie and it certainly won't be the last. I love the British humor and voice that she is able to portray in this story.
Laura is a bored housewife that longs for a past that is lost to her. When she runs into her old flame that she was head over hills for, feeling ignite again even though she is currently in love with her husband. Laura sets out on a journey to find out if the past is better left in the past or if her current life is the what she wants for her future. I loved her story and her struggle to find the peace that she so obviously is searching for.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and I’m sure most people will find something they can relate to in it - anyone whose life has taken an unexpected turn, changed career, found themselves not quite where they thought they’d be, or just indulged in some nostalgic reminiscing about an ex. Sophie writes three dimensional characters you can engage with and actually care about. It’s the sort of unputdownable book that will have you reading until the early hours (I speak from experience!)

[Sally Coles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Laura both as a young girl and a married woman with young children who appears to have it all, but what will happen when Felix the man of her youth appears back in her life.

A great story where you could really relate to the characters and a bit more than just normal chick lit, Sophie Ranalds normal quirky funny style is great and couldnt pick a better book for a lighthearted enjoyable beach read