Alex’s love life is a disaster. Will accepting a crazy seven-step dating challenge lead to more heartbreak or help her find Mr Right?
Alex is tired of getting ghosted. After years of disastrous hook-ups and relationships that lead to the bedroom but nowhere else, Alex is convinced she’s destined to be eternally single. Then her newly married friend Stacey recommends what worked for her: a self-help book that guarantees Alex will find true love in just seven steps. Sounds simple, right?
Except Alex soon discovers that each step is more difficult than the last, and one of the rules involves dating, but not sleeping with a guy for six months. Absolutely no intimate contact whatsoever. Zero. Nada. Rien. A big challenge for Alex, who has never been one to hold back from jumping straight into the sack, hoping it will help a man fall for her.
Will any guys be willing to wait? Will Alex find her Mr Right? And if she does, will she be strong enough to resist temptation and hold out for true love?
Join Alex on her roller coaster romantic journey as she tries to cope with the emotional and physical ups and downs of dating whilst following a lengthy list of rigid rules.
Only When It’s Love is a standalone, fun, feel-good, romantic comedy by British author Olivia Spring, about self-acceptance, determination, love and the challenge of finding the one.
Olivia Spring is the bestselling author of fifteen romantic comedy and women’s fiction books.
Whether you want to fake date a hot Hollywood movie star in London, jet off to Paris with a handsome billionaire, enjoy some sun, sand and sea with a gorgeous Spanish DJ in Marbella or attend a castle wedding in the South of France, Olivia’s books will help you to escape reality and transport you to a dreamy romantic location. No ticket or passport required!
Olivia was born and raised in London and divides her time between the UK and Spain.
When she's not writing new steamy romcoms, Olivia can be found reading on the beach, enjoying cupcakes and cocktails and of course, seeking inspiration for her next book!
So confused at all the rave reviews of this book. I can't believe that it was given such a high rating by all who read it, I just can't. The reason I purchased this book was because of all these reviews, and I feel cheated. Even on Amazon, nothing below a 4 star rating! I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be mean, but unless you've never read a proper book in your life, then it's just not possible that you would rate this book this highly. I'm almost inclined to believe the reviews are fake to get more people to buy the book, like myself. It's ridiculous.
The storyline is interesting, the protagonist, being unlucky in love is persuaded to follow a self-help book that suggests abstaining from any physical intimacy for 6 months to follow a strict 7 step programme to find Mr. Right. Sounds cute and light-hearted, exactly what I thought I needed.
Except the protagonist, Alexandra, comes off as a snobby child. She pretty much sleeps around with anything that walks. She has no self-respect and no self-esteem. The F* word flies around quite freely and frequently in this book, in very vulgar, unnecessary ways as well as other similar terms (try c* word, b* word, so on).
So Alex takes the challenge and meets two guys, Luke and Miles. Luke is an arrogant douchebag, so obvious but she can't seem to see it. Miles is the nice, romantic guy, who is also a doctor and is perfect in every way, that it's almost unreal. That's all very good, I'd totally fall for all of that if the book was written properly. Except it wasn't.
It was written so poorly, I was so close to not finishing it many times throughout. I don't know who this Olivia person is, but it's simple...she can't write. The conversation, dialogue between characters is so fake, forced, contrived, I couldn't believe I was reading this shit. NO ONE speaks this way:
"Hey Alex" "Hi Miles" "Well, you know Alex, I'm a doctor" "Really, Miles, what kind of doctor" "Let's go to the zoo, Alex" "I love the zoo, Miles!" "You know, you don't have to wear heels all the time Alex" "Omg Miles, you're so right!"
Have you noticed a pattern yet? I mean, seriously, they used each other's first name with every single sentence! Every single one! It's not natural. I was flabbergasted by that dialogue. Do you ever speak to someone and use their name with every phrase out of your mouth?
I just hated this book. Truly. A bit of a strong sentiment there, but I genuinely feel cheated. I was really looking forward to a nice chick-lit on the same wavelength as the Flatshare and I Owe You One and this totally put me back in my slump. What a joke. Terrible book, terrible characters, terrible writing, and misleading reviews!
This is a story about a lady called Alex, a very true to life story I am sure. Full of humour, friendship and love including and not forgetting all the dodgy dates in between…! I guess like that saying goes you always have to kiss a few frogs before you meet your prince!
If you look up on Google for the term Ghosting or Ghosted, in the world of dating it suggests a breaking off of a relationship (often an intimate relationship) by ceasing all communication and contact with the former partner without any apparent warning or justification, as well as ignoring the former partners attempts to reach out or communicate. Ruthless but this goes on frequently and for poor Alex this is her current situation.
Alex has had enough of being someone’s bootie call (and yes.. I’m now singing the All Saints hit ‘Bootie Call’ while I type this..! Ha!) So turning to her newly married friend Stacey who gives to her some words of wisdom and a self help book, Stacey guarantees Alex will find her true love in just seven steps… easy peasy lemon squeezy!... Or will it be?!
After reading the book cover to cover and getting over the fact that there will be no coitus, boinking, getting busy and certainly no Bow-chick-a-wow-wow moments under any certain terms for six whole months Alex is determined to start her new search for Mr Right!
Of course I won’t spoil the story on whether Alex finds her dream man but you sure will be entertained throughout the journey! I really liked the character of Alex, very true to life and written so well that I could totally picture her being in my friendship circle! The highlight was noticing a past character from Olivia’s first novel (The Middle-Aged Virgin) Roxy pops up on a few occasions as Alex’s cousin and if you have read The Middle-Aged Virgin you will know that Roxy isn’t afraid to say what’s on her mind.
Such a flipping fab fun filled read… Wow lots of F’s! But totally needed for this! Olivia is an author to watch for sure. With the right mix of romance and comedy this is the perfect read and at an eBook bargain price of 99p at the moment you can’t afford to miss out!
Well I enjoyed this one a lot. The main character was engaging and I loved the story-line of her having enough of being ghosted and treated terribly for her to go ahead and go 6 months without sex while dating. I thought the secondary characters were developed well, though I disliked her cousin Roxy. And the book in the end really did showcase how much time was being spent by her in obsessing over men and not focusing on what makes her happy. The ending was great and I was happy with the HEA we get.
"Only When It's Love" follows Alex. Alex works at a job that is not fulfilling her the way it used to and she's also fed up with falling for men that end up ghosting her. After being ghosted again she's at the end of her rope. Her new friend at work suggests she reads a book from a self-help guru that talks about how she can find true love in just seven steps. One of the steps though is no sex for six months. Alex loves sex and doesn't know if she can just stop just like that. And when she ends up dating two men that show her that they can be "the one" for her, she doesn't know if she will be able to keep up with all of the steps.
Alex made me feel for her. She's so self conscious and is trying so hard to be "the cool girl." Has long extensions in her hair cause men love long hair. Doesn't wear pants or jeans since men like women in dresses. Always wears heels. Ugh. I used to do this mess when I was younger too. Now I wear clothes for me and screw if some guy thinks I look good or not. If I feel good about myself that's all that matters. Anyway, Alex takes her friend Stacey's advise and finds herself really enjoying two men she meets, Miles and Luke. I really thought that Spring did a good job with developing both men and the secondary characters in the story. I can see why Alex is attracted to both of them.
I do have to say that the writing was really good, you know it's a contemporary novel based on the pop culture things mentioned. I thought the flow worked too. I do wish this had been a bit longer though. It felt a bit towards the end that Spring was rushing to the finish.
The ending was very hot and I loved it. We get to see who Alex chooses and I thought that it was a nice ending for this book.
More like 3.4-3.5 It was a light read. Some parts are fun. Some parts seemed like reading a self-help book. I loved Miles and his whole "romcom movie" point of view when it came to dating Alex. However, it was a bit predictable. Alex had some traits I really could not stand (only wearing heels, skirts, and dresses, because it was the only way to be sexy).
Wow, when I was asked to take part in the blog tour for Olivia Spring's latest novel 'Only When it's Love' I was thrilled and excited to take part in my very first blog tour, but I had no idea what to expect from the book. What a fantastic surprise! This book is incredible, it is funny, entertaining and incredibly clever, and a book I would recommend to any lover of humorous women's fiction.
The story centres on Alex, a woman who has had disastrous luck with dating, and feels that she is destined to spend her life alone. When her newly married friend Stacey recommends a self-help book that helped her find her husband, Alex feels that she has nothing to lose, and decides that it would be worth following the book as nothing else has worked previously. There is only one issue, one of the seven steps in the book is that she must not sleep with a guy for six months. Will she find Mr Right, and if she does will he be willing to wait for six months before getting intimate with Alex? As we follow Alex with her dating progress, following the steps in the book, only one thing is certain, it is going to be a roller-coaster of a journey!
Alex was such an immensely likeable character that almost immediately I was on her side, willing her to find her Mr Right, after so many Mr Wrongs. I found myself wanting to shake her when she tolerated far more than I would have done from one of her potential suitors, and shake her again when she was torn between two suitors, when to everyone else, including me it was clear who was perfect for her and who was far from perfect.
I'm not going to give any spoilers, but the person she eventually falls for is the perfect embodiment of a wonderful, sensitive, thoughtful man, and when she finally realises it I was practically cheering for her! Throughout the book the humour had me smiling and even laughing out loud, and it was such a fun read that I honestly could not put it down.
I had not read Olivia Spring's previous novel, The Middle Aged Virgin, but I definitely intend to rectify that as soon as I can this year. Olivia is an incredibly talented writer, and definitely one to watch. I cannot wait to see what she does next!
Many thanks to Olivia Spring for a copy of her book in exchange for an honest review.
First, I want to thank Olivia Spring, Hartley Publishing and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.
Olivia Spring’s Only When It Is Love is the perfect Valentine’s Day read! Olivia will remind you that some men are truly looking for true love and not just a one nighter. This book will have you laughing so hard you will be crying with all the sexual humor it has in it. Never have I laughed so hard reading a RomCom before!
Of all the RomCom’s I have read this one I felt the strongest bond with. My heart went out to Alex as I saw a lot of dating behavior in myself. She gave too much of herself freely too soon and got hurt in the long run. However, Alex was given a book and a challenge to help change this pattern. Olivia did a great job not only educating Alex but us readers as well about the process. She was very detailed about the rules of the challenge.
Olivia had a lot of great life lessons in the book if you read between the lines.
There were two love interests in Alex’s lives Luke and Miles. Olivia did a fantastic job describing their looks, personalities, their demeanor, etc. I really got a feel for both of them and what kind of men they were.
If I had to choose between either of them as a book boyfriend it would be Miles! He had a great personality, was attentive to Alex, took her on thoughtful dates, had meaningful conversations with her, educated, great career, introduced her to her work friends. Just an all around great guy! Now where can I find my Miles?
Olivia has a way with words when sharing the beautiful first kiss the two lovebirds share! I don’t think I ever kiss written so romantically or sweetly before. It was beautiful to read.
In the middle of the book I kept hearing the song Listen to your Heart by Roxette play in my head.
Of course there were shocking moments where I wanted to slap one person and pour a drink on another.
If you like this book then I will tell you there is a follow up to it! After reading this one I must read that one!! I fell in love with this couple and this story!
I would firstly just like to say a very big thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources, who kindly forwarded me a copy of this book for my Kindle, in return for an honest review. I have already read a few books from this author and loved them all and this one was no exception - it was wonderful in every way and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Alex is well & truly fed up of always being the single one and with the help of her newly married friend, they come up with a plan. Using a self-help book that guarantees success in seven steps, Alex begins her journey. This book was an easy read and the story line pulls you in and keeps you wanting to read more and more. With just the right amount of romance, humour and fun, this book was a wonderful read.
This book is a fun, feel-good, romantic comedy about self-acceptance, determination, love and the challenge of finding the one.
I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. I didn’t actually expect the ending, I really thought Alex would end up with the other suitor, so that was a very pleasant surprise.
Alex is a great Character and you really feel for her as she has been through the mill dating previously. The challenge from the self help book is brilliant, it reminds me of something from a Hallmark Film (definitely would watch an adaptation!) The sequel, When’s The Wedding? will be published on 25th March 2021 and I cannot wait! I would definitely recommend this book as it’s a lovely read.
Wow I have completely flown through this book. The storyline is absolutely brilliant. A funny and entertaining instalment from a great author.
This is a story which is filled with humour, friendship, love and hilarious dodgy dates. I have loved main character Alex, she is likeable and relatable which has really helped me to engage in reading this book. I have nothing negative I can say about this book. I have devoured this in just one sitting and found that it has been a charming read which has left me smiling. This is an incredibly unique story which is highly deserving of five stars.
This is definitely a laugh out loud book. Olivia Spring had such a great sense of humour. Funny premise and a great heroine who struggles with self control.
As a woman who seems to have very short and unsuccessful dates it’s time to take drastic action! This comes in the form of not sleeping with anyone for at least 6 months! This is the story of how Alex tries to find Mr Right, fun dates and hard decisions to make. When I got to the middle of this story, my mind was made up, I knew who I wanted Alex to date, but frustratingly Alex didn’t! I’ve never read a story so quickly to find out who she would choose and if Mr Right would be the one. I’m not going to spoil it for anyone but let’s just say, I’m glad I’m not on the dating scene, I’d be exhausted with keeping up appearances, dating in my day was much less complicated and I’m glad I found my happy ending 32 years ago! A fun filled read, thinking I’ll get the book for my daughter and her friends, a great dating tool!
Although the concept could be good, it’s not well written. It reads a bit like someone’s diary: the writing style is pretty poor, the vocabulary vulgar at times, but mostly, it’s BORING and CLICHÉ!
The main character has no credibility. Some events in this book had me frown painfully: so you meet a guy who basically proposes on the first day and that’s it you’re in love?
Another issue for me: some of the interactions and dialogues are soooo unnatural it hurts. Do you know anyone who calls you by your name every time they tell you something? I just couldn’t seem to stop rolling my eyes whilst reading this book (quite literally, I’m not even joking!).
Didn’t enjoy this book much. I couldn’t really cope with the protagonist and her view of men, her low self-esteem and other things. How the story/the romance resolved was just too convenient, which nearly made me drop the book at 84%, because I had to eye-roll so often. It seems like at some point the author was like „oh, my protagonist needs some character improvement so I‘m just going to give her a new haircut and suddenly found grip and self-esteem“ 😟 Still read it until the end, but I ended up rolling my eyes again.
I really enjoyed the premise of this book and it definitely kept me entertained!
It wasn’t my favourite style of writing, I felt like the dialogue and the flow of the story was a bit forced at times, and some of the lines definitely made me cringe but overall I’m glad I read it!
In today’s day and age, Alexandra is a woman most single people can relate to. Looking for and hoping to find “The One.” With a plethora of online dating sites at our finger tips, it should be easy, right? Not so, in Alex’s case. For years, she has experienced one disastrous relationship after another. Alex cannot understand why she is continuously ghosted and is convinced Mr. Right does not exist. When Alex’s married friend shares what worked for her, Alex immediately dismisses it. It’s crazy and will never work. There is NO WAY Alex can go six-months without sleeping with someone she is dating. This self-help book guarantees Alex will find true love if she follows the steps and the six-month abstinence is one of them.
First of all, I was just as skeptical as Alex. I had serious doubts she would find anyone willing to go that long with zero intimate contact. No heavy kissing, petting or any of that other stuff. None of it. Hearken ye back to the 19th century, people, where a chaperone was present when a gentleman was courting a lady. I even asked my husband if he would have waited six months when we started dating. He’s still laughing. My first thought was, “OK, she finds a guy willing to wait and six months later, they become intimate, and it’s complete CRAP! Now what?” That’s six months our Alex will never get back. But, here’s the thing. What does Alex have to lose? If it doesn’t work, she hasn’t lost anything; not really. She’s already wasted loads of time on guys who are ghosting her, so she decides to go for it.
I really enjoyed tagging along with Alex as she embarks on her challenge. Some of the characters she meets, THANK YOU GOD, don’t last beyond that first meet and greet. I won’t go into detail about who she ends up with because that was the best part, so you are going to have to read this book. I adored Alex and related to her and her situation completely. Dating is a precarious precipice and whether you are male or female, the ups and downs can be quite the roller-coaster ride.
My Final Verdict: This witty rom-com will resonate with fans of chick-lit and women’s fiction. Interesting characters and a highly entertaining story will draw the reader in and provide several hours of enjoyment.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Only When It’s Love from the author in exchange for an honest review.
WOW WOW WOW!!!! I've just finished this incredible corker of a book and raced to write my review as I can't wait a single moment longer to tell you all how fantastic this book is. The writing hit my wave length immediately and I read the entire story with the biggest smile on my face.
The world of modern dating is an absolute mind field where rules change daily and goal posts are misleading and hard to find. So what would you do if someone hands you a tried and tested manual? Sceptical? Of course you are but Alex took up this challenge and boy what a roller coaster of a ride her story was. I was sat on the edge of my seat reading with unhinged abandonment at her trials and tribulations on the road to true love.
Alex was an absolute diamond of a character and a person I would call a friend in an alternative lifetime. Her approach to love and life created such an endearing aura around her which placed her firmly in the role of leading lady in this dazzling rom-com. Is it time to talk about Miles yet.......? I think it is because I just can't wait a single second longer. I mean talk about a swoon fest and a half! You had me at pediatrician.......of all the jobs out there I feel that this one has the greatest attraction pull. But what a guy! He gave me all the feels and more and I was ready to push Alex out of the way and jump into the pages myself. But I digress......moving swiftly on.......in all honesty though Miles was a perfect beau and male lead and I loved every moment of their romantic revelations.
Only When it's Love is a dynamite love fest that will leave you wanting more. I wholeheartedly loved this book and want to shout about it from the rooftops. So in case you might have missed the million hints I've dropped......I want you to download the book today and jump straight in - it would be considered rude to keep Alex and Miles waiting any longer.
Title: Only When It’s Love Author: Olivia Spring Hero/Heroine: Miles and Alex Trope: N/A
THE GOOD 😁
Whenever I read a book by Olivia Spring, the one thing I know I’m guaranteed is that it will be packed full of humour and great characters. Alex, our heroine, has had enough of been ghosted/treated like a convenient booty call. After taking the advice of her friend Stacey, Alex decides to purchase a self help book that guarantees she’ll find love in seven steps. One of those steps is to abstain from sex for six whole months. Something Alex isn’t sure she’ll be able to stick to. From going on numerous dates to finding two possible suitors for the role of Mr Right, Alex was a funny, real and very relatable character. Now, let’s move onto Miles. Caring, kind and absolutely gorgeous, he was the type of hero you couldn’t help but love. He also loves romantic comedies, I mean, I’m not gonna lie, I probably would have proposed within the first ten minutes of meeting him. He and Alex were amazing together and I loved how much chemistry and banter they had; add in the fact that Alex was abstaining and you could literally feel the build up of sexual tension between them. When his job as a paediatric doctor takes him away to Africa, Alex realised that she felt more for him than she initially thought. This for me is really where she came into her own as a character and I loved reading about her self discovery and the positive changes she was making in her life.
THE BAD 🙁
Luke. What. A. Knobhead. That is all.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: A funny and heartwarming romantic comedy full of real and relatable characters STEAM LEVEL: 🔥🔥🔥 STAR RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Alex isn't getting what she needs in her relationships with men. She's wanting commitment but is only having a series of hookups. A recently married friend at work recommends that she follow the advice in a dating book she read that helped her find her husband. Alex isn't sure about this and resists, but Stacey buys her a copy and slips it in her purse. After reading it, Alex decides to take the challenge: no sex with a man until there is a commitment. She's unsure if modern men will even go along with this, or if she'll just be alone.
How will Alex do with the challenge? How will the men who come into her life react to it? Will she find a man who will be willing to commit to her?
The book had more profanity, including the f-word in a variety of forms, than I like in a book. Other than that, I found this to be a fantastic read. Watching Alex as she tried to sort through her emotions and her needs was sometimes funny and sometimes poignant. It's rare that a romance book hits both of those points so well, but this one did. The challenge gave her a merry chase and was quite a struggle for her at times, and she learned a lot about herself, what she truly wanted out of a relationship, and what the possibilities were out there for her. She saw both the best and worst in herself and the men she dated.
If you don't mind the profanity, you'll find this book to be an interesting look at what relationships mean, and can be, in the modern world.
I received a free copy of this book, but this did not affect my review.
Sick of agonising over, being ghosted and heartbroken by men? Alex is - so she decides to shake up her love life, by testing a dating method 'six months to love: seven sure-fire steps to finding the one', recommended to her by her friend Stacey is living proof it works as she is now happily married to Mr Drop-dead-gorgeous! Sounds perfect right? One of the steps is no sex for six months! This sounds torturous, stupid and utterly impossible to Alex, but determined to break out of the depressing dating scene she decides to give it ago... though surely there is a 'better chance of coming home to see both a little green man and a unicorn chilling on the sofa' than this abstinence stuff actually working?
I laughed-out-loud throughout the novel! Spring writes with refreshing honesty what it's really like to date in world of dating apps and sex-on-tap. Her characters are fresh, funny and brilliantly relatable. There are touching moments too as Alex begins to value herself and realise the importance of doing things for known happiness rather than elusive man. Though after a few false starts she soon has two handsome men competing for her love... will she get her picture perfect romantic ending? Which one is Mr Right? The perfect fix for lovers of romantic comedy!
Thanks to Olivia Spring for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.
Honestly, I picked this book for something lighthearted and to know what the jungle world of dating is like. It only reaffirms certain convictions to hold out for the right guy, even longer than the time period the book suggested!
Alex’s story resonated with many complaints I hear from friends and people in the dating jungle. Those who do not partake are not really missing out. Just wait for the right one. Getting your heart broken so many times can really cause you to become blind in so many areas of one’s life and sadly, the real world isn’t forgiving at providing second chances.
The protagonist is very insecure and so happy to see her come to a place of self-respect and self-love. Her thinking process is one many girls could identify with.
Born-Again Christians are mentioned in this book, and I do want to make a point saying that imagine that if this is the reward the heroine got after having waited for 6 months, imagine those who wait till marriage?!
Too much profanities. Definitely one of the main reason for appointing 1 stars. I think the writer needs to be considerate of that. Didn’t read the last parts as in the “grand finale”, felt rushed and a bit superficial.
All in all, a person not partaking in this dating jungle isn’t missing much.
A special thank you to the author for generously providing me with a copy in exchange for a review.
Meet Alex. Her love life is a disaster—she's the girl that is constantly getting ghosting after hooking up. Stacey, her newly married friend recommends the self-help book that changed her love life. Desperate to rid herself of her dismal dating pattern, Alex accepts the challenge. How hard can it be to follow step-by-step instructions?
Except...each step is proving to be more difficult than then last. Especially the one that involves abstinence. You see, Alex isn't one for waiting.
Will this even work, will she find her Mr. Right instead of Mr. Right Now? Will she be strong enough to hold out and resist temptation, or will she be left with more heartbreak?
After falling in love with the synopsis, I couldn't wait to dive in. This was just what I needed after some pretty heavy books of late (and that is not a criticism of this genre—great writing that's fun and lighthearted is exactly what one expects from a romcom/romantic read and like I said, it was a welcomed shift).
I also adore British authors. There are so many that are just brilliant, whether they are writing chick lit or thrillers, and Spring fits right in! Her writing was fantastic with enjoyable characters and a believable premise.
Layered with humour and wit, Spring captures what it's like for a contemporary woman to navigate her way in the modern dating world. I love how she used a self-help book as the catalyst for the challenge. Alex was rightfully skeptic and the perfect leading lady—she is relatable, fun, and just plain likeable.
Only When It’s Love is a fun, cheeky, romantic comedy about self-acceptance and tenacity while on the quest of finding one's true love. It's also a little bit hot (warning: some may be offended at some of the language).
Congratulations, Olivia, I can't wait to read what you publish next!
💫Book Review💫⠀ ⠀ Ok, I’m gonna start this off by saying how much I’m loving Olivia Spring’s books!!! This is the third book I’ve read by her and they’re all BRILLIANT!!⠀ ⠀ 💫Synopsis💫⠀ ⠀ “Alex is searching for THE ONE, but is constantly being ghosted. After her friend, and work colleague, convinces her to take a no sex challenge, Alex is sceptical.⠀ ⠀ She’s allowed to date, but is not allowed to sleep with anyone for 6 months! The theory being that by doing so she’ll have a man fall in love with her, for her, and not just use her for her bedroom antics. ⠀ ⠀ Alex doesn’t think she’ll be able to resist temptation, but if she does, will it lead to true love?”⠀ ⠀ I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in just 2 evenings. Olivia Spring’s writing style is brilliant and I’ve found all of her books completely relatable and relevant.⠀ ⠀ I loved Alex and she is the perfect leading lady and I genuinely only wanted good things for her.⠀ ⠀ During this challenge she meets some pretty vile men (Luke= scumbag!!!) but learns such a valuable lesson in doing so. ⠀ ⠀ A brilliantly sexy, witty read that is only deserving of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m seriously keeping an eye on this author.⠀
This is one of those light, chick-lit reads which brings a smile to your face and is great for an entertaining read. Alex will bring a smile to your face as she searches for Mr Right and I particularly liked her friendship with Stacey, her work colleague, who acts as her confidante and cheerleader. The tone of the book is conversational and informal and Alex proves to observe life around her with a wry eye. I especially liked hearing her thoughts. Modern dating through social media comes under the spotlight and as Alex realises, it does not turn out to be a good way of meeting people and seeing their best side. In fact, the ghosting and benching that she finds seems to be a cruel way of dealing with people. However, her dates provide quite a bit of humour and are a varied bunch. Throughout the story, Alex gets to reappraise quite a few of her beliefs about love and in all, it is a fun, enjoyable read. In short: Can she find love? Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book
Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, Helen McGinn, and Hartley Publishing for providing me with a digital copy of Only When It’s Love with a request for an honest review.
Olivia Spring delivers a showstopper novel full of angst and love. With Only When It’s Love, the reader gets the full picture of dating in the 21st century. How are you meant to find the perfect guy for you? Follow a simple formula, of course.
The author has a way with words. She puts you in the middle of the story and lets you feel how the character feels in that moment. It is like a living story.
I must warn you; the book is full of sex. When I chose this book, I knew there was a sexual aspect to it, but it is much more graphic than I would ordinarily choose. Also, there is more angst in this book than in a public high school. It is overwhelming at times.
I admire Spring’s forward-thinking ideas. I award, Only When It’s Love, 3 out of 5 stars. It is a fantastic Chick Lit novel that allows you to get carried away.
Wow! This is storytelling at its best – fun, inventive, entertaining and intelligent.
I read Olivia Spring’s first book, Middle Aged Virgin, and absolutely loved it, so decided to check out her newest book, Only When It’s Love. This book was so good that I read the whole thing in two days.
Olivia is a massive talent, and has skills rarely found in authors -- the ability, in the space of one or two paragraphs, to create characters and situations that are totally believable. You instantly feel affinity for Alex, Stacey, Roxy and Olivia Spring’s other characters and want them to succeed. The book has laugh-out-loud moments. Literally, seriously LOL moments. It’s also a real page-turner.
I only just finished it, and have been recommending "Only When It’s Love" to all my friends because it really is that good -- a stunning great romantic comedy, written by an author who could be the next Helen Fielding or Sophie Kinsella.
Summary Alex is sick of the typical men she dates from online apps. She has the trajectory down to a science: 30 minute drink, invite back to her house for "coffee", and then ghosted. She is ready for some commitment so when her coworker suggests doing the same 6 months challenge from a book she read about abstinence, she figured it was the worth the shot. What she never expected to happen was to be into 2 men and have to determine which one she could see her spending the rest of her life with...
Review Honestly this is the type of easy reading I look for when downloading my free books on Kindle Unlimited. I'm always up for finding love just when someone has almost given up on online dating. I also appreciated Alex's sex-positivity as we often still see female characters who are coy on the subject. Alex knew what she wanted and was ready to get it
I have only recently discovered Olivia Spring and I'm pleased to say I really enjoyed this book as well.
Alex is a girl who needs a change after a series of failed dates and being ghosted on more than one occasion. So when her friend Stacy tells her about the book she read to help her find a deep and meaningful relationship she scoffs at first and then changes her mind.
I loved that the two men Alex dated during her challenge had such majorly different personalities and I quickly had one I despised and was keen to keep reading to see which direction Alex would choose.
A brilliant read for anyone who fancies a romantic read as this is a proper romcom of a story. Wonderfully written and enjoyable from beginning to end. I can't wait to read the sequel as I loved the characters and want to see what comes next for Alex.