What do you think?
Rate this book
Lovestruck
The 2021 Vivian Award (Romance Writers of America) shortlisted romantic comedy about a charming family who live in the most romantic place on earth but can't catch a break when it comes to love. For fans of Marian Keyes, Star-Crossed and Offspring.
When a romantically challenged family gather at their Whitsundays resort for their first wedding in decades, Amy 'stuck in the friend zone' Lowery realises that her single tango-dancing mum and besotted groom-to-be dad have hotter love lives than she does.
But when she locks eyes with an alluring stranger, The Pull in her chest is undeniable. And the look in Josh Brennan's eyes definitely says 'more than friends' - but not in the way she hopes.
Loner Josh is ecstatic to meet his witty stepsister-to-be and stoked that the union of their two dads comes with the lively (if chaotic) family he's always wanted. No way will he admit to an inconvenient attraction to his insta-sister - not even to himself.
Elsewhere on the island, resident nice guy Harry is absolutely not going to fall for smart and sexy jilted bride Sophia, who is locked in the honeymoon villa trying to kickstart Operation Get Your Life Together. But a harmless flirtation never hurt anyone - right?
Throw in some sharp-witted siblings, a bevy of naval officers and a meddlesome gran determined to see at least one of her descendants happily wed, and the scene is set for a perfect storm that will leave no heart unscathed...
When a romantically challenged family gather at their Whitsundays resort for their first wedding in decades, Amy 'stuck in the friend zone' Lowery realises that her single tango-dancing mum and besotted groom-to-be dad have hotter love lives than she does.
But when she locks eyes with an alluring stranger, The Pull in her chest is undeniable. And the look in Josh Brennan's eyes definitely says 'more than friends' - but not in the way she hopes.
Loner Josh is ecstatic to meet his witty stepsister-to-be and stoked that the union of their two dads comes with the lively (if chaotic) family he's always wanted. No way will he admit to an inconvenient attraction to his insta-sister - not even to himself.
Elsewhere on the island, resident nice guy Harry is absolutely not going to fall for smart and sexy jilted bride Sophia, who is locked in the honeymoon villa trying to kickstart Operation Get Your Life Together. But a harmless flirtation never hurt anyone - right?
Throw in some sharp-witted siblings, a bevy of naval officers and a meddlesome gran determined to see at least one of her descendants happily wed, and the scene is set for a perfect storm that will leave no heart unscathed...
512 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2020
22 people are currently reading
363 people want to read
About the author
Bronwyn Sell
6 books21 followersBronwyn Sell is many things—novelist, journalist, travel writer, bestselling non-fiction author, yogi, theatre nerd, soccer mum, wife, lover of wines in the sun with friends, perpetually terrified taker-of-creative-risks—but at heart she's an eternal romantic and optimist who loves playing with words and imaginary friends.
Her journalism and travel writing have won national awards in her native New Zealand. Her romantic thrillers (under pen-name Brynn Kelly) were published in the US, earning critical acclaim and a RITA Award™, the most coveted trophy in the romance genre.
Her journalism and travel writing have won national awards in her native New Zealand. Her romantic thrillers (under pen-name Brynn Kelly) were published in the US, earning critical acclaim and a RITA Award™, the most coveted trophy in the romance genre.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
February 15, 2020
Lovestruck is a fun, witty and refreshing romcom that makes you feel as if you are on a tropical island holiday, and never want to go home.
We follow a romantically challenged family who have gathered together for their first wedding in decades. A large cast of characters, each quirky and unique makes for such an enjoyable experience.
➽Amy- eternally stuck in the friend zone. She finally feels The Pull for someone, but soon discovers that he is her new stepbrother to be.
➽Josh- elated at finally having the chance to be a part of a big family that he missed out on in his childhood, he comes to island for his dad’s marriage to Geoff, Amy’s father. When he starts feeling a complicated (and inappropriate) attraction to her, Josh is determined not to mess things up with his new found family, and treats her as a little step-sister.
➽Harry- a marine ecologist who’s curse is that girls fall in the love with the idea of running off into a tropical island and saving the turtles, not him.
“Maybe he was one of those people who had the appearance of being an open book but after you started reading, you discovered half the pages were stuck together.”
➽Sofia- a jilted bride currently on her honey(less)moon and not thriving. When Amy’s cousin, Harry delivers room service and an offer to help out on some of his work on the reef, she decides to take the opportunity to try and get her life back on track
Complete with a meddling nan determined to marry off her grandchildren, dirty dancing lifts and family drama- nobody’s heart is safe.
While slightly predictable and cheesy at times, I learnt to embrace it and enjoy the book for what it is.
I loved all the characters, and would love to see a spin off or two in the future, maybe about Carmen finding her baby daddy? I need more Mika content please and thank you.
I haven’t read 'the unhoneymooners' by Christina Lauren, but going off the premise (and the cover I will admit), I think that if you liked one, you will probably like the other. While this has more focus on family, and more characters- the setting and romantic elements seem pretty similar!
The alternating POVs were broken up by some 1 and 2 star reviews of the resort that were hilarious.
Overall, if you are looking for a lighthearted, summery romance with a touch of comedy- look no longer!
4.5 stars
___________________________________________________________
my heart is so full <3
review to come
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC, and Harlequin Australia for the finished copy!
Release Date: 24 February 2020
We follow a romantically challenged family who have gathered together for their first wedding in decades. A large cast of characters, each quirky and unique makes for such an enjoyable experience.
➽Amy- eternally stuck in the friend zone. She finally feels The Pull for someone, but soon discovers that he is her new stepbrother to be.
➽Josh- elated at finally having the chance to be a part of a big family that he missed out on in his childhood, he comes to island for his dad’s marriage to Geoff, Amy’s father. When he starts feeling a complicated (and inappropriate) attraction to her, Josh is determined not to mess things up with his new found family, and treats her as a little step-sister.
➽Harry- a marine ecologist who’s curse is that girls fall in the love with the idea of running off into a tropical island and saving the turtles, not him.
“Maybe he was one of those people who had the appearance of being an open book but after you started reading, you discovered half the pages were stuck together.”
➽Sofia- a jilted bride currently on her honey(less)moon and not thriving. When Amy’s cousin, Harry delivers room service and an offer to help out on some of his work on the reef, she decides to take the opportunity to try and get her life back on track
Complete with a meddling nan determined to marry off her grandchildren, dirty dancing lifts and family drama- nobody’s heart is safe.
While slightly predictable and cheesy at times, I learnt to embrace it and enjoy the book for what it is.
I loved all the characters, and would love to see a spin off or two in the future, maybe about Carmen finding her baby daddy? I need more Mika content please and thank you.
I haven’t read 'the unhoneymooners' by Christina Lauren, but going off the premise (and the cover I will admit), I think that if you liked one, you will probably like the other. While this has more focus on family, and more characters- the setting and romantic elements seem pretty similar!
The alternating POVs were broken up by some 1 and 2 star reviews of the resort that were hilarious.
Overall, if you are looking for a lighthearted, summery romance with a touch of comedy- look no longer!
4.5 stars
___________________________________________________________
my heart is so full <3
review to come
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC, and Harlequin Australia for the finished copy!
Release Date: 24 February 2020
January 13, 2020
Lovestruck by Bronwyn Sell was a really enjoyable, entertaining and fun read. A great book to read over the holiday season. I was surprised at just how quickly I got through this book with many laugh out loud moments, this book was a true delight to read.
If you enjoy reading books about family, relationships with a little romance then l suggest you grab a copy of this book. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Better Reading Preview for my copy to read and review.
If you enjoy reading books about family, relationships with a little romance then l suggest you grab a copy of this book. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Better Reading Preview for my copy to read and review.
January 7, 2020
“Maybe he was one of those people who had the appearance of being an open book but after you started reading, you discovered half the pages were stuck together.”
Lovestruck is the first novel by New Zealand journalist, travel writer and author Bronwyn Sell (who also writes as Brynn Kelly). Amy Lowery returns to her family’s island resort in the Whitsundays for her father’s wedding to Sanjay. Almost sworn off men when each man she falls for treats her more like a friend (sometimes with benefits) than a proper girlfriend, she’s dismayed to see that same look in the gorgeous eyes of Sanjay’s son, Josh. And a little more: Josh is apparently quite intent on treating her as a little sister.
Sophia Wicks would have been on Curiosity Island for her honeymoon, had not her groom backed out. Now her plan is a one-day pity party followed by a concerted effort to get her life back on track. Except that step two is several days late already. When Amy’s cousin, Harry turns up delivering her room-service hangover cure, she finally has the impetus to crawl out of her depressive ditch.
Harry Tova is a marine biologist, and reluctantly agrees to let Sophia help him with his afternoon’s activity: removing more Crown of Thorns Starfish from their bit of the Reef. He can see that this jilted bride needs a bit of compassion, and perhaps he can provide her with some distraction from her plight…
Josh Brennan is thrilled at the prospect of having the sort of family he has lacked all his life. He revels in the idea of having Amy as a little (step-)sister, but the inconvenient (and sort of inappropriate) attraction he feels for her, evidently mutual, could jeopardise all that, so he needs to marshal his self-control and keep it brotherly.
Nan is intent on getting her daughters and grandchildren married off, and it turns out that other wedding guests and the new Naval Base on the island may provide some match-making opportunities. The intended pairings are quickly clear to the reader, and soon enough, to the singles, even if they do try to resist the inevitable.
The siblings and cousins provide each other strong support which often comes as devastatingly ego-deflating comments and critiques. In fact, most of the dialogue, especially between the family members, is snappy and funny; there are some hilarious inner monologues; Sell gives her characters some words of wisdom and a generous helping of double entendres; and there’s lots of chemistry between certain characters (what Amy deems The Pull).
Four separate narratives carry the part of the story set on the island, with each clearly marked by name, and separated by (quite negative but blackly funny) trip reviews of Curlew Bay resort; post-wedding off-island events are covered by text messages between various characters. Any reader who is familiar with these islands will agree that Sell conveys her setting extremely well. A brilliantly entertaining, feel-good read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Better Reading Preview and Harper Collins Australia.
Lovestruck is the first novel by New Zealand journalist, travel writer and author Bronwyn Sell (who also writes as Brynn Kelly). Amy Lowery returns to her family’s island resort in the Whitsundays for her father’s wedding to Sanjay. Almost sworn off men when each man she falls for treats her more like a friend (sometimes with benefits) than a proper girlfriend, she’s dismayed to see that same look in the gorgeous eyes of Sanjay’s son, Josh. And a little more: Josh is apparently quite intent on treating her as a little sister.
Sophia Wicks would have been on Curiosity Island for her honeymoon, had not her groom backed out. Now her plan is a one-day pity party followed by a concerted effort to get her life back on track. Except that step two is several days late already. When Amy’s cousin, Harry turns up delivering her room-service hangover cure, she finally has the impetus to crawl out of her depressive ditch.
Harry Tova is a marine biologist, and reluctantly agrees to let Sophia help him with his afternoon’s activity: removing more Crown of Thorns Starfish from their bit of the Reef. He can see that this jilted bride needs a bit of compassion, and perhaps he can provide her with some distraction from her plight…
Josh Brennan is thrilled at the prospect of having the sort of family he has lacked all his life. He revels in the idea of having Amy as a little (step-)sister, but the inconvenient (and sort of inappropriate) attraction he feels for her, evidently mutual, could jeopardise all that, so he needs to marshal his self-control and keep it brotherly.
Nan is intent on getting her daughters and grandchildren married off, and it turns out that other wedding guests and the new Naval Base on the island may provide some match-making opportunities. The intended pairings are quickly clear to the reader, and soon enough, to the singles, even if they do try to resist the inevitable.
The siblings and cousins provide each other strong support which often comes as devastatingly ego-deflating comments and critiques. In fact, most of the dialogue, especially between the family members, is snappy and funny; there are some hilarious inner monologues; Sell gives her characters some words of wisdom and a generous helping of double entendres; and there’s lots of chemistry between certain characters (what Amy deems The Pull).
Four separate narratives carry the part of the story set on the island, with each clearly marked by name, and separated by (quite negative but blackly funny) trip reviews of Curlew Bay resort; post-wedding off-island events are covered by text messages between various characters. Any reader who is familiar with these islands will agree that Sell conveys her setting extremely well. A brilliantly entertaining, feel-good read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Better Reading Preview and Harper Collins Australia.
May 12, 2020
4 Stars
Lovestruck is a witty, smile-inducing romantic comedy, set on a tropical island in Queensland, Australia, following one family’s entertaining (and all too relatable) experiences in the pursuit of elusive but lasting love.
Refreshing in its execution, this story has four distinct narrators—Amy, Josh, Harry, and Sophia. Each character is a walking relationship failure, yet all are endearing in disposition, deserving of a love that has so frustratingly alluded each of them in the past.
With four leads comes two unfolding romances, each with their own charms and quirks—but also plenty of challenging roadblocks obscuring everyone’s paths to happy-coupledom.
First, there is Amy and Josh.
Amy and Josh are about to become step-siblings, with their fathers about to marry at Amy’s family’s holiday resort. When they first meet at the beginning of the week-long festivities, Amy instantaneously feels “The Pull” towards Josh—that deep attraction and emotional spark that forewarns the meeting of soulmates. Unfortunately, Amy is always the girl guys want to be friends with, not settle down with, and in that regard, Josh proves hugely problematic.
Josh is a self-proclaimed loner and no-strings-attached expert. He’s a nice guy—a great guy, really—but he doesn’t want any romantic commitments of his own. What he does long for is a big, boisterous family—the kind he never had growing up in a single-parent household with no siblings or extended family. So, when his dad marries into such a family, Josh grasps at the opportunity to finally become a part of something special. If only he wasn’t so damned attracted to his new step-sister.
Then there’s Sophia and Harry...
After being jilted at the altar, Sophia decides to take her (un)honeymoon solo, where she can work through the myriad of emotional baggage she’s been left to sort through, all while drinking and crying on a beautiful beach. The last thing she expects is to meet someone so soon after her failed relationship. Yet, there Harry is, all rugged and gentlemanly, giving Sophia a glimpse at a whole different sort of life than the one she very almost got stuck with.
Harry is Amy’s cousin and a fellow lifer up on the island. His love life has failed in the past because of distance and expectations, but Harry’s new and unexpected feelings for resort guest Sophia are so consuming that this time all bets are off.
I had a blast reading this story. Although quite long in page count, I remained completely engaged jumping back and forth through the POV’s of these four truly likeable characters. If I’m being honest, though, I personally preferred reading about Harry and Sophia, but I figure that simply comes down to how much more mature and practical they both seemed to me. (Plus, Josh got a little repetitive with his whole “I don’t do relationships, but let’s keep f*ucking” schtick—I mean, c’mon, dude, man up!!).
One of the book’s biggest strengths, in my opinion, is the full cast of characters. I loved the big meddling family and I loved how they bickered, battled, and, most importantly, supported and championed Amy and Harry in their romantic pursuits of Josh and Sophia. I’ve seen the story being recommended as perfect for fans of the Aussie TV show Offspring, and I couldn’t agree more—if you love Nina and the Proudman’s, you’ll love this quirky, interfering family too, no doubt!
Besides the double romances, the fun characters and the envy worthy setting, this story had so many laugh-out-loud funny moments of note. Truly, the whole thing just put me in a good mood, and who doesn’t want a bit more of that in this day and age?
RECOMMENEDED! <3
Note: this story is non-explicit and ends on more of a HFN than a HEA (but I’ll take what I can get!).
Lovestruck is a witty, smile-inducing romantic comedy, set on a tropical island in Queensland, Australia, following one family’s entertaining (and all too relatable) experiences in the pursuit of elusive but lasting love.
Refreshing in its execution, this story has four distinct narrators—Amy, Josh, Harry, and Sophia. Each character is a walking relationship failure, yet all are endearing in disposition, deserving of a love that has so frustratingly alluded each of them in the past.
With four leads comes two unfolding romances, each with their own charms and quirks—but also plenty of challenging roadblocks obscuring everyone’s paths to happy-coupledom.
First, there is Amy and Josh.
Amy and Josh are about to become step-siblings, with their fathers about to marry at Amy’s family’s holiday resort. When they first meet at the beginning of the week-long festivities, Amy instantaneously feels “The Pull” towards Josh—that deep attraction and emotional spark that forewarns the meeting of soulmates. Unfortunately, Amy is always the girl guys want to be friends with, not settle down with, and in that regard, Josh proves hugely problematic.
Josh is a self-proclaimed loner and no-strings-attached expert. He’s a nice guy—a great guy, really—but he doesn’t want any romantic commitments of his own. What he does long for is a big, boisterous family—the kind he never had growing up in a single-parent household with no siblings or extended family. So, when his dad marries into such a family, Josh grasps at the opportunity to finally become a part of something special. If only he wasn’t so damned attracted to his new step-sister.
Then there’s Sophia and Harry...
After being jilted at the altar, Sophia decides to take her (un)honeymoon solo, where she can work through the myriad of emotional baggage she’s been left to sort through, all while drinking and crying on a beautiful beach. The last thing she expects is to meet someone so soon after her failed relationship. Yet, there Harry is, all rugged and gentlemanly, giving Sophia a glimpse at a whole different sort of life than the one she very almost got stuck with.
Harry is Amy’s cousin and a fellow lifer up on the island. His love life has failed in the past because of distance and expectations, but Harry’s new and unexpected feelings for resort guest Sophia are so consuming that this time all bets are off.
I had a blast reading this story. Although quite long in page count, I remained completely engaged jumping back and forth through the POV’s of these four truly likeable characters. If I’m being honest, though, I personally preferred reading about Harry and Sophia, but I figure that simply comes down to how much more mature and practical they both seemed to me. (Plus, Josh got a little repetitive with his whole “I don’t do relationships, but let’s keep f*ucking” schtick—I mean, c’mon, dude, man up!!).
One of the book’s biggest strengths, in my opinion, is the full cast of characters. I loved the big meddling family and I loved how they bickered, battled, and, most importantly, supported and championed Amy and Harry in their romantic pursuits of Josh and Sophia. I’ve seen the story being recommended as perfect for fans of the Aussie TV show Offspring, and I couldn’t agree more—if you love Nina and the Proudman’s, you’ll love this quirky, interfering family too, no doubt!
Besides the double romances, the fun characters and the envy worthy setting, this story had so many laugh-out-loud funny moments of note. Truly, the whole thing just put me in a good mood, and who doesn’t want a bit more of that in this day and age?
RECOMMENEDED! <3
Note: this story is non-explicit and ends on more of a HFN than a HEA (but I’ll take what I can get!).
January 31, 2020
*https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogsp...
Lovestruck is a fun and witty RomCom with a large cast of quirky characters.
Gran owns the resort and also plays chief matchmaker to her three daughters and eight grown grandchildren. Cousins Amy and Harry plus newcomer Josh, who is soon to become Amy’s step-brother, and jilted bride Sophia are the main characters however the others make quite a few appearances and tell their romance woes also.
I found it hard to connect with some of the characters. Amy was always down on herself and Sophia came across as a bit fickle. One minute she is the dumped bride, inconsolable, then straight away she is falling for Harry.
I thoroughly enjoyed the setting location of the Whitsundays and Sells’ vivid descriptions highlighted the beauty of the area.
I loved the concept of the story and I know you need anguish for a good romance story but with two separate couples ruling the plot the ongoing anguish was too much for me.
Overall this book was fun and easy to read and devoted romance fans will find a lot to love in this book.
*I received my copy from the publisher
Lovestruck is a fun and witty RomCom with a large cast of quirky characters.
Gran owns the resort and also plays chief matchmaker to her three daughters and eight grown grandchildren. Cousins Amy and Harry plus newcomer Josh, who is soon to become Amy’s step-brother, and jilted bride Sophia are the main characters however the others make quite a few appearances and tell their romance woes also.
I found it hard to connect with some of the characters. Amy was always down on herself and Sophia came across as a bit fickle. One minute she is the dumped bride, inconsolable, then straight away she is falling for Harry.
I thoroughly enjoyed the setting location of the Whitsundays and Sells’ vivid descriptions highlighted the beauty of the area.
I loved the concept of the story and I know you need anguish for a good romance story but with two separate couples ruling the plot the ongoing anguish was too much for me.
Overall this book was fun and easy to read and devoted romance fans will find a lot to love in this book.
*I received my copy from the publisher
January 13, 2020
Love Struck by Bronwyn Sell was a fun summer read - light and easy.
There is a lot going on and a lot of characters to keep track of. The story takes place on a Whitsundays Island, owned by Amy's family. Amy, from Melbourne is on the island with her family for her fathers wedding to Sanjay. She is unlucky in love and has sworn off men - until she meets Josh - and then she realises that he is her new step brother.
There is also Sophia, a rich woman on her honeymoon - minus her husband who never made it to the church. She is determined to drink as much as possible to forget it all.
I enjoyed this book but I did not love it. Some of the characters were just annoying and hard to warm up to.
Thanks to Harlequin Books and Better Reading for my advanced copy to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
There is a lot going on and a lot of characters to keep track of. The story takes place on a Whitsundays Island, owned by Amy's family. Amy, from Melbourne is on the island with her family for her fathers wedding to Sanjay. She is unlucky in love and has sworn off men - until she meets Josh - and then she realises that he is her new step brother.
There is also Sophia, a rich woman on her honeymoon - minus her husband who never made it to the church. She is determined to drink as much as possible to forget it all.
I enjoyed this book but I did not love it. Some of the characters were just annoying and hard to warm up to.
Thanks to Harlequin Books and Better Reading for my advanced copy to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
October 9, 2020
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Book Bingo 2020 Round 10: Set in a place you dream of visiting
‘And the surroundings were worth shutting up for – the gentle rush of the tide, their footsteps patting on boardwalks and then crunching on river-stone paths, curlews wailing from the beach, glossy broad green leaves and showy flowers up-lit in the gardens, the scent of earth and plants… the BEWARE FALLING COCONOUTS signs nailed to the palm trunks.’
Love Struck is a light, sassy, entertaining and escapist style contemorary fiction tale penned by travel writer Brownyn Sell. A story that looks at love, relationships and family relations set to a tropical backdrop, Love Struck offers an appealing haven for romance readers.
A Whitsundays resort acts as the beautiful stage for the much anticipated wedding for a family that has struggled in love department. Following the trials and tribulations of Amy, Josh, Harry, Sophia and an outer extended fold, Love Struck looks at the rocky road to true love. From second chance love, to instant love and friends to lovers style relationships, Love Struck looks at the different pathways to love. With plenty of family squabbles to contend with, matchmaking, flirtations, unconventional unions, jilted brides and more, this exclusive Whitsundays resort sure is a busy place, especially in the love stakes!
I was immediately attracted to Love Struck thanks to the stunning tropical cover. The warmth this cover exudes seemed to call out to me. With some cold mornings and nights here in Western Australia, I was keen to escape into this contemporary fiction novel. With a good serving of romance and plenty of destination flavour, I was happy to surrender myself to Bronwyn Sell’s latest book.
This is not my first experience of New Zealand author Bronwyn Sell’s work. Sell has also released books under the name Brynn Kelly and I have read at least one Bryn Kelly romantic suspense novel. Sell has a background in journalism and travel writing, which she has drawn on to pen this latest holiday escape style read. This novel’s strengths can be found in the beautiful descriptions of the tranquil location of the Whitsundays. I am positively itching to get there myself, but until travel restrictions are lifted I will just have to quell my desire with books such as Love Struck. I could envisage my deck chair, towel, book in hand and cocktail by the pool! Sell does an excellent job of convincing the reader to take a trip to this must see destination!
Onto the story at hand, Love Struck was quite a whopper. Length wise this one is over five hundred pages, which is big for a romance novel. I did wonder if Sell needed to divide this novel somehow and make turn it into a series or even a sequel. I really did feel the length, it tended to drag in places. Anyhow, Love Struck presents a large cast, with four central narrators relaying their woes in the love department. This is a full and involving novel, but I have to say unfortunately not one of the characters spoke to me. I am hoping other readers will find the cast more appealing and relatable, as I did struggle to make a meaningful connection.
In terms of the love angle, Lovestruck is full of issues in the romance department. From broken nuptials to upcoming unions, new love, friends and lovers style relations to name a few, this is a busy tale. There are also plenty of high and low moments that offer plenty to emotional romance readers. Sell offsets her romance with some witty moments, not laugh out loud style sequences, but more real life situations with comedic undertones. I thought this aspect of the novel worked well, I also enjoyed the Trip Advisor reviews that were spaced between the narrative blocks, as this added good entertainment value to the story at hand. In addition, the viewpoints of the four main characters are extended by the use of text conversations, which provided an extra insight into the lives of these figures in the search for lasting love.
Love Struck is a read I would recommend to those who would love a virtual getaway, or those who would like a heartwarming pick me up.
Book Bingo 2020 Round 10: Set in a place you dream of visiting
‘And the surroundings were worth shutting up for – the gentle rush of the tide, their footsteps patting on boardwalks and then crunching on river-stone paths, curlews wailing from the beach, glossy broad green leaves and showy flowers up-lit in the gardens, the scent of earth and plants… the BEWARE FALLING COCONOUTS signs nailed to the palm trunks.’
Love Struck is a light, sassy, entertaining and escapist style contemorary fiction tale penned by travel writer Brownyn Sell. A story that looks at love, relationships and family relations set to a tropical backdrop, Love Struck offers an appealing haven for romance readers.
A Whitsundays resort acts as the beautiful stage for the much anticipated wedding for a family that has struggled in love department. Following the trials and tribulations of Amy, Josh, Harry, Sophia and an outer extended fold, Love Struck looks at the rocky road to true love. From second chance love, to instant love and friends to lovers style relationships, Love Struck looks at the different pathways to love. With plenty of family squabbles to contend with, matchmaking, flirtations, unconventional unions, jilted brides and more, this exclusive Whitsundays resort sure is a busy place, especially in the love stakes!
I was immediately attracted to Love Struck thanks to the stunning tropical cover. The warmth this cover exudes seemed to call out to me. With some cold mornings and nights here in Western Australia, I was keen to escape into this contemporary fiction novel. With a good serving of romance and plenty of destination flavour, I was happy to surrender myself to Bronwyn Sell’s latest book.
This is not my first experience of New Zealand author Bronwyn Sell’s work. Sell has also released books under the name Brynn Kelly and I have read at least one Bryn Kelly romantic suspense novel. Sell has a background in journalism and travel writing, which she has drawn on to pen this latest holiday escape style read. This novel’s strengths can be found in the beautiful descriptions of the tranquil location of the Whitsundays. I am positively itching to get there myself, but until travel restrictions are lifted I will just have to quell my desire with books such as Love Struck. I could envisage my deck chair, towel, book in hand and cocktail by the pool! Sell does an excellent job of convincing the reader to take a trip to this must see destination!
Onto the story at hand, Love Struck was quite a whopper. Length wise this one is over five hundred pages, which is big for a romance novel. I did wonder if Sell needed to divide this novel somehow and make turn it into a series or even a sequel. I really did feel the length, it tended to drag in places. Anyhow, Love Struck presents a large cast, with four central narrators relaying their woes in the love department. This is a full and involving novel, but I have to say unfortunately not one of the characters spoke to me. I am hoping other readers will find the cast more appealing and relatable, as I did struggle to make a meaningful connection.
In terms of the love angle, Lovestruck is full of issues in the romance department. From broken nuptials to upcoming unions, new love, friends and lovers style relations to name a few, this is a busy tale. There are also plenty of high and low moments that offer plenty to emotional romance readers. Sell offsets her romance with some witty moments, not laugh out loud style sequences, but more real life situations with comedic undertones. I thought this aspect of the novel worked well, I also enjoyed the Trip Advisor reviews that were spaced between the narrative blocks, as this added good entertainment value to the story at hand. In addition, the viewpoints of the four main characters are extended by the use of text conversations, which provided an extra insight into the lives of these figures in the search for lasting love.
Love Struck is a read I would recommend to those who would love a virtual getaway, or those who would like a heartwarming pick me up.
January 17, 2020
⭐️3.5 Stars⭐️
Lovestruck was a fun romantic summer read about family and relationships.
The location of this story is an island paradise in the breathtaking tropical Whitsundays known as Curlew Bay.
Amy travels from Melbourne to her family owned island resort to attend her father’s wedding to Sanjay. Amy is always unlucky in love and tends to fall in the friends-with-benefits zone with men. Her whole family has a reputation of being romantically challenged and their grandmother is eager to marry off all the grandchildren, sometimes trying to match-make her grandchildren with her guests.
Amy feels ‘The Pull’ (you’ll have to read the book) when she catches sight of Sanjay’s son Josh for the first time not realising he will soon become her step-brother. Josh is weary of relationships but cannot wait to be part of a big family once his dad marries Geoff.
Sophia is a jilted bride staying at the resort for her honeymoon all alone. Sophia becomes friendly with Amy’s cousin Harry after he tries cheer her up after she goes on a drinking binge trying to drown her sorrows. Harry resides on the island and is a marine biologist who is also unlucky in love.
There is a lot of emphasis and detail on the wedding of the father’s and the preparations involved including some dirty dancing techniques.
I love how the beginning of each chapter has a funny short review of the resort, this is a fun, heartfelt romantic read with a touch of comedy.
I wish to thank Better Reading, Netgalley & Harlequin Australia for an advanced copy of this book to read and review
Lovestruck was a fun romantic summer read about family and relationships.
The location of this story is an island paradise in the breathtaking tropical Whitsundays known as Curlew Bay.
Amy travels from Melbourne to her family owned island resort to attend her father’s wedding to Sanjay. Amy is always unlucky in love and tends to fall in the friends-with-benefits zone with men. Her whole family has a reputation of being romantically challenged and their grandmother is eager to marry off all the grandchildren, sometimes trying to match-make her grandchildren with her guests.
Amy feels ‘The Pull’ (you’ll have to read the book) when she catches sight of Sanjay’s son Josh for the first time not realising he will soon become her step-brother. Josh is weary of relationships but cannot wait to be part of a big family once his dad marries Geoff.
Sophia is a jilted bride staying at the resort for her honeymoon all alone. Sophia becomes friendly with Amy’s cousin Harry after he tries cheer her up after she goes on a drinking binge trying to drown her sorrows. Harry resides on the island and is a marine biologist who is also unlucky in love.
There is a lot of emphasis and detail on the wedding of the father’s and the preparations involved including some dirty dancing techniques.
I love how the beginning of each chapter has a funny short review of the resort, this is a fun, heartfelt romantic read with a touch of comedy.
I wish to thank Better Reading, Netgalley & Harlequin Australia for an advanced copy of this book to read and review
February 25, 2020
The blurb likens this book to [the tv series] Offspring and I think that’s probably an accurate description (but maybe with less babies involved).
Lovestruck centres upon the family who own and run a resort on Curiosity Island, an island which is fictional itself but supposedly part of the Whitsundays, a real island group in Queensland. Everyone comes together on the island for a wedding which gives Nan, the matriarch of the family, time to search for potential partners for her [currently all single] daughters, granddaughters and grandsons amongst the resort staff and guests, as well as the wedding party's friends and relatives.
The book is a true romantic comedy and I really appreciated that. It’s pretty rare that writers are able to manage this style without things becoming either corny or coarse. There are two main romantic couples featured and they each share some great chemistry and I was really cheering them on throughout.
I also appreciated that the main two love stories had really good believable conflicts. I cannot tell you how many times I read romances and the conflict is so weak it could be sorted out with a five minute conversation. And, often, in the end the conflict is resolved just as quickly. Instead, Lovestruck had conflicts that I could imagine someone having (hell, I’ve had one myself in my younger years) and needing some time to sort out.
Sell also manages to keep everything contemporary with ease. Mentions of social media and slang used by today’s 20-somethings were included with a nice balance to please both younger and older readers.
As I only live up the coast a little from the Whitsundays, I loved the setting. All the wildlife, post cyclone money woes and island activities were pretty spot on. Nothing really stuck out as over the top or inaccurate. Sell even managed to include a lot of environmental messages without becoming preachy or patronising. My only real whinge was that I think Sell could have been a little more eloquent with her descriptive passages. This is only a minor gripe - there was still enough to ensure it had a uniquely Australian feel about it.
This is a long book and yet I still read it rather fast. I guess it could have been edited a bit towards the end though. To be contrary, I'm on board with Sell continuing to write more of these characters and make this into a series. (I live in hope that the older characters' romances aren't glossed over to make way for the younger ones in the sequels. It was rather annoying that all the older characters' romances happened 'off screen'. As I said, this was a long book and yet *this* is what they decide to gloss over? Grrr.)
Overall though, this was a funny sweet read with likeable characters that I would readily recommend.
4 out of 5
PS I’ve got to also give a special shout out to the ‘reviews’ of the island between chapters. They were hilarious.
Lovestruck centres upon the family who own and run a resort on Curiosity Island, an island which is fictional itself but supposedly part of the Whitsundays, a real island group in Queensland. Everyone comes together on the island for a wedding which gives Nan, the matriarch of the family, time to search for potential partners for her [currently all single] daughters, granddaughters and grandsons amongst the resort staff and guests, as well as the wedding party's friends and relatives.
The book is a true romantic comedy and I really appreciated that. It’s pretty rare that writers are able to manage this style without things becoming either corny or coarse. There are two main romantic couples featured and they each share some great chemistry and I was really cheering them on throughout.
I also appreciated that the main two love stories had really good believable conflicts. I cannot tell you how many times I read romances and the conflict is so weak it could be sorted out with a five minute conversation. And, often, in the end the conflict is resolved just as quickly. Instead, Lovestruck had conflicts that I could imagine someone having (hell, I’ve had one myself in my younger years) and needing some time to sort out.
Sell also manages to keep everything contemporary with ease. Mentions of social media and slang used by today’s 20-somethings were included with a nice balance to please both younger and older readers.
As I only live up the coast a little from the Whitsundays, I loved the setting. All the wildlife, post cyclone money woes and island activities were pretty spot on. Nothing really stuck out as over the top or inaccurate. Sell even managed to include a lot of environmental messages without becoming preachy or patronising. My only real whinge was that I think Sell could have been a little more eloquent with her descriptive passages. This is only a minor gripe - there was still enough to ensure it had a uniquely Australian feel about it.
This is a long book and yet I still read it rather fast. I guess it could have been edited a bit towards the end though. To be contrary, I'm on board with Sell continuing to write more of these characters and make this into a series. (I live in hope that the older characters' romances aren't glossed over to make way for the younger ones in the sequels. It was rather annoying that all the older characters' romances happened 'off screen'. As I said, this was a long book and yet *this* is what they decide to gloss over? Grrr.)
Overall though, this was a funny sweet read with likeable characters that I would readily recommend.
4 out of 5
PS I’ve got to also give a special shout out to the ‘reviews’ of the island between chapters. They were hilarious.
August 6, 2020
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed reading Bronwyn Sell's Lovestruck. This felt like a huge breath of fresh air to remedy my recent reading slump.
Honestly, this read was longer than I expected and it started off on the slow side. However, the more I continued reading, the more I appreciated the pace it followed. I still had to skim over some parts to get to the juicy stuff, but for the majority of it I loved seeing all the different familial and romantic interactions. It was such a fun and loving dynamic! I saw all the personalities and relationships that created context for the bigger picture this book was creating.
I found myself in agreement and disagreement with all the main characters, and I think that's what made me love them even more. Such interesting people who all had their own approaches to love and yet were quite similar in their thoughts and reasoning. It goes to show that every relationship works differently. I also thought the transitions between the two couples and their perspectives were very smooth and it kept me on my toes to see more of everyone!
On a side note, it's nice to instantly understand all the lingo used in a book for once. A great novel by Sell. Glad I had the chance to come across it.
I really enjoyed reading Bronwyn Sell's Lovestruck. This felt like a huge breath of fresh air to remedy my recent reading slump.
Honestly, this read was longer than I expected and it started off on the slow side. However, the more I continued reading, the more I appreciated the pace it followed. I still had to skim over some parts to get to the juicy stuff, but for the majority of it I loved seeing all the different familial and romantic interactions. It was such a fun and loving dynamic! I saw all the personalities and relationships that created context for the bigger picture this book was creating.
I found myself in agreement and disagreement with all the main characters, and I think that's what made me love them even more. Such interesting people who all had their own approaches to love and yet were quite similar in their thoughts and reasoning. It goes to show that every relationship works differently. I also thought the transitions between the two couples and their perspectives were very smooth and it kept me on my toes to see more of everyone!
On a side note, it's nice to instantly understand all the lingo used in a book for once. A great novel by Sell. Glad I had the chance to come across it.
February 16, 2020
This book left me with a great big goofy grin on my face. It’s one of the quirkiest holiday romance style books I’ve ever read and I will admit to taking almost a chapter to really get into the swing of it. This story is told from four main points of view.
There’s Amy Lowery, whose family owns the Curlew Bay resort in the Whitsundays. She’s one of the few family members out of numerous aunts, sisters, and cousins who doesn’t live on the island and has only come up from Melbourne for the wedding of her father Geoff to Sanjay, the man he’s fallen in love with.
Enter Josh, Sanjay’s son, who’s a love ‘em and leave ‘em sort of guy, though he’s very upfront of his lack of commitment intentions. Of course he and Amy instantly feel The Pull towards each other and thus ensues each of them harbouring secret lust while desperately trying to keep things in the friend zone.
Next on stage is Amy’s cousin Harry, a marine biologist, who is still getting over a failed relationship from years earlier. He, of course, becomes attracted to Sophia, a jilted bride who has decided to take the honeymoon holiday at Curlew Bay without the husband who should have been by her side. She first makes her appearance on the page drowning her sorrows in champagne.
With a cast of supporting characters that will keep you chuckling, this book is a gorgeous mix of romantic comedy, tragedy and home truths.
The writing style really makes you feel as though you’re sitting in a deck chair in the Whitsundays sipping a pina colada and watching this colourful cast of characters strut their stuff. You feel part super relaxed and part on edge waiting to see what will go down next. I loved this story.
There’s Amy Lowery, whose family owns the Curlew Bay resort in the Whitsundays. She’s one of the few family members out of numerous aunts, sisters, and cousins who doesn’t live on the island and has only come up from Melbourne for the wedding of her father Geoff to Sanjay, the man he’s fallen in love with.
Enter Josh, Sanjay’s son, who’s a love ‘em and leave ‘em sort of guy, though he’s very upfront of his lack of commitment intentions. Of course he and Amy instantly feel The Pull towards each other and thus ensues each of them harbouring secret lust while desperately trying to keep things in the friend zone.
Next on stage is Amy’s cousin Harry, a marine biologist, who is still getting over a failed relationship from years earlier. He, of course, becomes attracted to Sophia, a jilted bride who has decided to take the honeymoon holiday at Curlew Bay without the husband who should have been by her side. She first makes her appearance on the page drowning her sorrows in champagne.
With a cast of supporting characters that will keep you chuckling, this book is a gorgeous mix of romantic comedy, tragedy and home truths.
The writing style really makes you feel as though you’re sitting in a deck chair in the Whitsundays sipping a pina colada and watching this colourful cast of characters strut their stuff. You feel part super relaxed and part on edge waiting to see what will go down next. I loved this story.
February 26, 2020
Lovestruck by Bronwyn Sell caught my eye from the first time I saw it - it has a beautiful bright cover and the description of the book had me hooked at the mention of a Whitsunday Island and a dysfunctional family.
Curlew Bay Resort is owned and run by Amy's romantically challenged family - Nan is determined to marry off her daughters and grandchildren to guests and the new naval base arrivals. The family are bought together for the wedding of Amy's Dad Geoff to Sanjay.
The story is told by 4 of the characters:
Josh - only child who has dreamed of being part of a large family. The Wedding will give him 2 step sisters Carmen and Amy;
Amy - sworn off men when she spies a guest straight off the boat and feels the "PULL" only to discover that he is her new Step Brother to be Josh!;
Sophie - jilted bride on her dream honeymoon alone;
Harry - is Amy and Carmen's cousin - a loner a marine ecologist who is also unlucky in love.
I found it easy to follow the points of view as each chapter was labeled who's POV it was. At the end of each chapter was a guest review of the island - these had me chuckling.
The whole story is full of likable characters - we are introduced to them all which I enjoyed and I did love Nan the matriarch of the family. I love Offspring and I loved the dynamic of the family it reminded me of this show - the sass between the cousins, the daily dysfunction and the Dirty Dancing dance scene. I loved this book so much and I could really see it on the screen as a TV show or movie.
This book had it all romance, laughter and a crazy family, I give it 5 Stars and I am sure it will be a popular with the masses. I do hope there is a Book 2 as I feel this family has more stories to tell!!
Curlew Bay Resort is owned and run by Amy's romantically challenged family - Nan is determined to marry off her daughters and grandchildren to guests and the new naval base arrivals. The family are bought together for the wedding of Amy's Dad Geoff to Sanjay.
The story is told by 4 of the characters:
Josh - only child who has dreamed of being part of a large family. The Wedding will give him 2 step sisters Carmen and Amy;
Amy - sworn off men when she spies a guest straight off the boat and feels the "PULL" only to discover that he is her new Step Brother to be Josh!;
Sophie - jilted bride on her dream honeymoon alone;
Harry - is Amy and Carmen's cousin - a loner a marine ecologist who is also unlucky in love.
I found it easy to follow the points of view as each chapter was labeled who's POV it was. At the end of each chapter was a guest review of the island - these had me chuckling.
The whole story is full of likable characters - we are introduced to them all which I enjoyed and I did love Nan the matriarch of the family. I love Offspring and I loved the dynamic of the family it reminded me of this show - the sass between the cousins, the daily dysfunction and the Dirty Dancing dance scene. I loved this book so much and I could really see it on the screen as a TV show or movie.
This book had it all romance, laughter and a crazy family, I give it 5 Stars and I am sure it will be a popular with the masses. I do hope there is a Book 2 as I feel this family has more stories to tell!!
August 25, 2020
This was a light, funny read in a lot of ways (and I loved the resort reviews in between chapters - I laughed out loud multiple times).
Harry & Sophia were charming as hell and I could have happily spent more time with those characters and that story.
My biggest nit to pick with this one is the Josh & Amy storyline. Two adult humans closing in on 30 who have just met for the first time and have no biological relationship are not brother and sister. End of story. Their dads getting married doesn’t make them instant siblings in any real way and so the “conflict” keeping them apart (and ongoing internal monologues trying to convince themselves not to think sexy thoughts about their brother/sister) got real weird, real fast. There was enough conflict built in with Josh & Amy’s histories/ insecurities to drive the plot so the constant attempts to talk themselves out of feeling things because they were soon to be brother/sister just took me out of the story every time.
Harry & Sophia were charming as hell and I could have happily spent more time with those characters and that story.
My biggest nit to pick with this one is the Josh & Amy storyline. Two adult humans closing in on 30 who have just met for the first time and have no biological relationship are not brother and sister. End of story. Their dads getting married doesn’t make them instant siblings in any real way and so the “conflict” keeping them apart (and ongoing internal monologues trying to convince themselves not to think sexy thoughts about their brother/sister) got real weird, real fast. There was enough conflict built in with Josh & Amy’s histories/ insecurities to drive the plot so the constant attempts to talk themselves out of feeling things because they were soon to be brother/sister just took me out of the story every time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2020
Set on a small family run resort island in the Whitsundays, this was a delightful rom com book that happened to be just the book I needed at the time.
Nan runs the Island like a machine and she laments that she has three daughters and nine grandchildren and not one in a relationship. With the up coming wedding of one of ‘the Dad’s’ to another man, the whole family has gathered and the match making begins.
I thought this was a fun book and I really enjoyed the interactions between siblings and cousins. It was a big cast but I found it easy to follow. Like most of this genre, I always say that it’s all about the journey and with this one it had the added attraction of a beautiful setting, which I could well imagine.
A great read for light escapism.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read
Nan runs the Island like a machine and she laments that she has three daughters and nine grandchildren and not one in a relationship. With the up coming wedding of one of ‘the Dad’s’ to another man, the whole family has gathered and the match making begins.
I thought this was a fun book and I really enjoyed the interactions between siblings and cousins. It was a big cast but I found it easy to follow. Like most of this genre, I always say that it’s all about the journey and with this one it had the added attraction of a beautiful setting, which I could well imagine.
A great read for light escapism.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read
April 26, 2020
This was so fun, cute, I loved it! You get two stories for the price of one and both of them were great. Harry was very swoony and I loved Amy and Sophia. Good messages sent out too, about self-worth, body image and family. And so funny. It was also nice to read a rom-com set in Australia.
January 8, 2020
Such a fun, summertime, romantic comedy of a read! I loved it!! What’s not to love about a rom com set on a tropical island with characters well formed and 3 dimensional! A book that could only have been written today, full of emojis, 2020 humour and dirty dancing! Loved it
July 1, 2020
Great book.
February 24, 2021
An amazing read and one of my favorites of the year!
Brought together by a wedding on a beautiful island off Australia, two couples are dealing with forbidden love. One couple: soon-to-be new step-siblings. One couple: a jilted bride and a man unintentionally used for holiday flings.
The loving vibe of Amy and Harry’s family is destined to devour anyone in its wake.
Amy is a no-nonsense, outspoken kind of girl who cannot get out of the friend-zone with guys. They treat her like a buddy. Someone to hang with. But in walks her new sexy hot firefighter stepbrother, Josh, who is thrilled to be part of her big family, but not in the way she wants.
Josh is ecstatic about being part of his father’s new family. As the only sibling of parents who barely speak to each other and an heir to millions, he has stayed out of relationships. One-night stands work for him. Then he meets his awesome new stepsister Amy who is not his usual type, “but he is into her in a dangerous way”. He promised his dad he wouldn’t go there. They found a place where all of them belong…but at what price?
Sophia is a conflicted jilted bride working on “Operation Get Your Shit Together” and “Operation Distraction”. As she tries to come to terms with her situation while on her honeymoon alone, she meets the calm and captivating Harry, the local marine biologist. Their playful and perceptive conversations are just what she needed at that moment. As they spend more time together trying to avoid their attraction and logistical incompatibility, their hearts don’t listen and she has the most important choice to make in her life.
My favorite character is the sensible and kind Harry. He’s romantic. He’s respectful. He’s every woman’s dream hero hence all the women want him for at least a little while, but he sees things in black and white…all or nothing. And, he’s doomed to fall for a woman who needs to heal from being left at the altar. Will he do the right thing for both of them?
There are so many fascinating characters in this book that I wanted to know more about. The two dads getting married, Sanjay and Geoff. Carmen, Amy’s sister. Cody and Lena, Harry’s brother and sister. Rosa, Amy’s mom. And, Nan, Amy and Harry’s grandmother. The list is long and I’m hoping there will be another book planned to satisfy my curiosity. After all, in Harry’s own words, “Fair warning–once you’re inducted into this family, you’re here for life, no matter what, and whether you like it or not”. I’m in! 😀
I love Ms. Sell’s wonderfully wacky and insightful prose (including the “Trip Reviews” before each chapter) and her strong, yet vulnerable characters. She immerses you into the moment, whether it be awkward, funny, or sexy, with conversations that you feel to your toes. I also lost count of all the times I laughed out loud at the sibling rivalry and ribbing along with the multiple cleverly-planned matchmaking attempts of a family with a love curse.
I recommend this lovely book full of unforgettable characters, wonderful family relationships, beautiful scenery, and an ending worth waiting for.
Brought together by a wedding on a beautiful island off Australia, two couples are dealing with forbidden love. One couple: soon-to-be new step-siblings. One couple: a jilted bride and a man unintentionally used for holiday flings.
The loving vibe of Amy and Harry’s family is destined to devour anyone in its wake.
Amy is a no-nonsense, outspoken kind of girl who cannot get out of the friend-zone with guys. They treat her like a buddy. Someone to hang with. But in walks her new sexy hot firefighter stepbrother, Josh, who is thrilled to be part of her big family, but not in the way she wants.
Josh is ecstatic about being part of his father’s new family. As the only sibling of parents who barely speak to each other and an heir to millions, he has stayed out of relationships. One-night stands work for him. Then he meets his awesome new stepsister Amy who is not his usual type, “but he is into her in a dangerous way”. He promised his dad he wouldn’t go there. They found a place where all of them belong…but at what price?
Sophia is a conflicted jilted bride working on “Operation Get Your Shit Together” and “Operation Distraction”. As she tries to come to terms with her situation while on her honeymoon alone, she meets the calm and captivating Harry, the local marine biologist. Their playful and perceptive conversations are just what she needed at that moment. As they spend more time together trying to avoid their attraction and logistical incompatibility, their hearts don’t listen and she has the most important choice to make in her life.
My favorite character is the sensible and kind Harry. He’s romantic. He’s respectful. He’s every woman’s dream hero hence all the women want him for at least a little while, but he sees things in black and white…all or nothing. And, he’s doomed to fall for a woman who needs to heal from being left at the altar. Will he do the right thing for both of them?
There are so many fascinating characters in this book that I wanted to know more about. The two dads getting married, Sanjay and Geoff. Carmen, Amy’s sister. Cody and Lena, Harry’s brother and sister. Rosa, Amy’s mom. And, Nan, Amy and Harry’s grandmother. The list is long and I’m hoping there will be another book planned to satisfy my curiosity. After all, in Harry’s own words, “Fair warning–once you’re inducted into this family, you’re here for life, no matter what, and whether you like it or not”. I’m in! 😀
I love Ms. Sell’s wonderfully wacky and insightful prose (including the “Trip Reviews” before each chapter) and her strong, yet vulnerable characters. She immerses you into the moment, whether it be awkward, funny, or sexy, with conversations that you feel to your toes. I also lost count of all the times I laughed out loud at the sibling rivalry and ribbing along with the multiple cleverly-planned matchmaking attempts of a family with a love curse.
I recommend this lovely book full of unforgettable characters, wonderful family relationships, beautiful scenery, and an ending worth waiting for.
January 16, 2023
This is one of those novels that could be shelved in women’s fiction and romance because it’s a family drama with two romance plots at its heart. I really love that middle ground and was so happy to find a copy of this book in my local library, where American authors tend to dominate the shelves.
How fantastic to read an Australian novel set at an island resort in the magical Whitsundays. Anyone who’s been there has dreamt of running away from their ‘real’ life and all its responsibilities and hanging their shingle on a beach hut. This book takes that desire and poses the question, what if I did? And not just for one character, but for many, as the resort is run by a close-knit intergenerational family of interesting characters with cursed (so they think) love lives and whose grandmother keeps trying to set them up with guests and anyone who comes to the island. Weddings, divorces, sex and starfish drive the action, which takes place mainly on the island, with its secluded beaches, mountainous terrain and endless cocktails. This is the perfect lazy summer read, especially if you have a tropical cocktail in hand.
Writing notes:
- At 500 pages, it’s a whopper of a book. Yet, with two sets of will-they-or-won’t-they couples and four alternating POVs at its heart, it felt a tad superficial because we didn’t get to know the four main characters well enough and the secondary characters even less so
- This made the story less emotionally impactful, and, for me both undermined the romantic plots and therefore the reader experience
- I did like the unconventional families, the diversity and the use of dry, Aussie humour to help deal with incredibly tense and difficult situations, but none of these things felt well enough explored for this to be a completely satisfying drama
- Now I understand why it’s so tricky to have such a complicated story—it’s hard to do the plot, characters and emotions justice when you have so much going on. Better to tell a simpler story brilliantly and meet reader expectations.
All that being said, I enjoyed this story a lot and would happily read more from Bronwyn Sell. Well done to her on getting this published, in libraries and into my hands!
How fantastic to read an Australian novel set at an island resort in the magical Whitsundays. Anyone who’s been there has dreamt of running away from their ‘real’ life and all its responsibilities and hanging their shingle on a beach hut. This book takes that desire and poses the question, what if I did? And not just for one character, but for many, as the resort is run by a close-knit intergenerational family of interesting characters with cursed (so they think) love lives and whose grandmother keeps trying to set them up with guests and anyone who comes to the island. Weddings, divorces, sex and starfish drive the action, which takes place mainly on the island, with its secluded beaches, mountainous terrain and endless cocktails. This is the perfect lazy summer read, especially if you have a tropical cocktail in hand.
Writing notes:
- At 500 pages, it’s a whopper of a book. Yet, with two sets of will-they-or-won’t-they couples and four alternating POVs at its heart, it felt a tad superficial because we didn’t get to know the four main characters well enough and the secondary characters even less so
- This made the story less emotionally impactful, and, for me both undermined the romantic plots and therefore the reader experience
- I did like the unconventional families, the diversity and the use of dry, Aussie humour to help deal with incredibly tense and difficult situations, but none of these things felt well enough explored for this to be a completely satisfying drama
- Now I understand why it’s so tricky to have such a complicated story—it’s hard to do the plot, characters and emotions justice when you have so much going on. Better to tell a simpler story brilliantly and meet reader expectations.
All that being said, I enjoyed this story a lot and would happily read more from Bronwyn Sell. Well done to her on getting this published, in libraries and into my hands!
December 16, 2024
I never write reviews, but idk, there’s something about this book…
I was on a holiday, a brief interlude of ‘running from 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 life for a hot second’ type of thing, when I found this book in a painted fridge-come-local-book-swap-library out the front of a hot spring pool fence in a Burren Junction. I don’t know, maybe I just was in dire need of a lighter mood and this was the the metaphorical coconut that fell on my head, but it immediately made me laugh from the very first bloody page.
“Trip review: Curlew Bay, Curiosity Island, The Whitsundays: one star.
I booked this resort because of its stellar reviews, but I didn’t know it was going to be so remote! You literally could not get off the island except in a boat or helicopter.”
I don’t often read Aussie fiction—hell, sadly, I don’t really read too much anymore full stop. But I loved it! The spider shed and all. I realised I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that has our sayings and our kind of social interactions, and the family at the forefront of the book is just such a good showcase that makes you laugh, whether you can relate or not. I think Harry was my favourite—him and his ongoing lack of shoes and hysterical inner monologue.
I guess if you’re looking for a light read, funny, relatable (or looking for a slice of Aussie life outside the city), then this will do u a solid. The ending wraps it up in a lovely little neat bow and send u on ur merry way—hah! Didn’t mean the Xmas pun—and I’m 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘺 sure everyone got their happy ending.
So yeah, I started this book’s journey by opening a fridge door in the middle of nowhere, dusting cobwebs off the cover, and turning pages sweating in a 45°C hot spring, snorting next to an old woman who rolled her eyes at me every two minutes like clockwork. And then I finished it sitting here on my couch listening to the rain on my city apartment veranda, suddenly feeling the urge to pack up my life here and move to the Whitsundays to hunt down spiky starfish and acquaint myself with striped octopi and the dreaded coconuts that always seem to be falling some place or other 😅
I was on a holiday, a brief interlude of ‘running from 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 life for a hot second’ type of thing, when I found this book in a painted fridge-come-local-book-swap-library out the front of a hot spring pool fence in a Burren Junction. I don’t know, maybe I just was in dire need of a lighter mood and this was the the metaphorical coconut that fell on my head, but it immediately made me laugh from the very first bloody page.
“Trip review: Curlew Bay, Curiosity Island, The Whitsundays: one star.
I booked this resort because of its stellar reviews, but I didn’t know it was going to be so remote! You literally could not get off the island except in a boat or helicopter.”
I don’t often read Aussie fiction—hell, sadly, I don’t really read too much anymore full stop. But I loved it! The spider shed and all. I realised I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that has our sayings and our kind of social interactions, and the family at the forefront of the book is just such a good showcase that makes you laugh, whether you can relate or not. I think Harry was my favourite—him and his ongoing lack of shoes and hysterical inner monologue.
I guess if you’re looking for a light read, funny, relatable (or looking for a slice of Aussie life outside the city), then this will do u a solid. The ending wraps it up in a lovely little neat bow and send u on ur merry way—hah! Didn’t mean the Xmas pun—and I’m 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘺 sure everyone got their happy ending.
So yeah, I started this book’s journey by opening a fridge door in the middle of nowhere, dusting cobwebs off the cover, and turning pages sweating in a 45°C hot spring, snorting next to an old woman who rolled her eyes at me every two minutes like clockwork. And then I finished it sitting here on my couch listening to the rain on my city apartment veranda, suddenly feeling the urge to pack up my life here and move to the Whitsundays to hunt down spiky starfish and acquaint myself with striped octopi and the dreaded coconuts that always seem to be falling some place or other 😅
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2020
Thank you @harlequinaus and @romanceanz for sending me a copy of this book in my #ReadThroughCovid19 box of books!
Amy heads to her family’s resort in the Whitsundays for her father’s wedding, along with the rest of her large family. On arrival she notices a intriguing stranger.....who turns out to be her soon to be step-brother.
Meanwhile, Amy’s cousin Harry ends up consoling jilted bride Sophia, who decided to come away to the resort on her honeymoon alone and there is an inconveniently strong attraction between them.
The family appear to be mostly unlucky in love.....and the current attractions seemed equally doomed to failure.....
I’m not a huge fan of rom coms, mostly because they never really deviate from a particular formula and are pretty predictable. This book was no exception in that regard, however I loved the island resort location (particularly while in lockdown in winter!!) and there were plenty of laugh out loud moments. There were perhaps a few too many characters, but those that you got to know well were likeable and fun.
This was an easy read and gave me a laugh during the disheartening onset of lockdown 2.0! If you’re a rom com fan, I’m sure you would find this a fun read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Amy heads to her family’s resort in the Whitsundays for her father’s wedding, along with the rest of her large family. On arrival she notices a intriguing stranger.....who turns out to be her soon to be step-brother.
Meanwhile, Amy’s cousin Harry ends up consoling jilted bride Sophia, who decided to come away to the resort on her honeymoon alone and there is an inconveniently strong attraction between them.
The family appear to be mostly unlucky in love.....and the current attractions seemed equally doomed to failure.....
I’m not a huge fan of rom coms, mostly because they never really deviate from a particular formula and are pretty predictable. This book was no exception in that regard, however I loved the island resort location (particularly while in lockdown in winter!!) and there were plenty of laugh out loud moments. There were perhaps a few too many characters, but those that you got to know well were likeable and fun.
This was an easy read and gave me a laugh during the disheartening onset of lockdown 2.0! If you’re a rom com fan, I’m sure you would find this a fun read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
April 27, 2021
Not very deep or philosophical, but a fun kind of read set in the Whitsundays. When an extended family with long time ties to the area gathers to stage a second time around wedding for two middle aged fathers, all sorts of relationships go under the microscope. The matriarch is manipulating situations to encourage her grandchildren to manufacture the next generation.
Nothing grated too much, and I know little enough about marine biology that any glaring errors in that department eluded me. Everything unfolds as it should for the requisite happy ending, but I did wonder if families really do connive to intervene in relationships gone awry, to make things resolve satisfactorily. I can't imagine doing that myself. A lot of self examination by the main characters, and working out that seizing the moment is really the best way to enjoy life. No regrets - and that's about it really!
Nothing grated too much, and I know little enough about marine biology that any glaring errors in that department eluded me. Everything unfolds as it should for the requisite happy ending, but I did wonder if families really do connive to intervene in relationships gone awry, to make things resolve satisfactorily. I can't imagine doing that myself. A lot of self examination by the main characters, and working out that seizing the moment is really the best way to enjoy life. No regrets - and that's about it really!
April 14, 2020
I enjoyed this book for what it was.. a fun lighthearted romcom. It was an easy bedtime read and I would recommend it for anyone looking to wind down.
We have all been victim to falling in love with the idea of love too quickly with the wrong person and the main character Amy is no different. While some concepts were a wee far fetched... it added to the fictional humour.
At one point I thought there may be too many romances blooming and dooming, however, the author did round them all out (even if she didn't tie all the threads). I also enjoyed the authors cheeky little hotel reviews at the end of chapters which added to type of environment the characters are set in.
We have all been victim to falling in love with the idea of love too quickly with the wrong person and the main character Amy is no different. While some concepts were a wee far fetched... it added to the fictional humour.
At one point I thought there may be too many romances blooming and dooming, however, the author did round them all out (even if she didn't tie all the threads). I also enjoyed the authors cheeky little hotel reviews at the end of chapters which added to type of environment the characters are set in.
August 9, 2020
•| Love Struck- Bronwyn Sell |•
•
I loved this! I got real Marian Keyes ‘Grown up’ vibes. I loved the whole family dynamic and the idea of owning and working on an island together, I would LOVE to do that! •
•
I read this one in one sitting (502 pages), it was funny and was just easy to read, it flowed. I also really liked the guest reviews throughout. I liked that there were two mains storyline as well as little ones in between. I found myself being pulled toward the secondary storyline (I guess you could say it was The Pull)•
•
Straight onto my ‘To buy me list! •
•
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
•
I loved this! I got real Marian Keyes ‘Grown up’ vibes. I loved the whole family dynamic and the idea of owning and working on an island together, I would LOVE to do that! •
•
I read this one in one sitting (502 pages), it was funny and was just easy to read, it flowed. I also really liked the guest reviews throughout. I liked that there were two mains storyline as well as little ones in between. I found myself being pulled toward the secondary storyline (I guess you could say it was The Pull)•
•
Straight onto my ‘To buy me list! •
•
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
January 21, 2023
I hate leaving negative reviews, but this was almost impossible to get through. I dragged myself through the first 100 pages, and then skipped to the final few chapters. The characters were hard to warm up to, and there was just too much 'cringe' in the interactions between them. The ending felt very cliche, and to be honest, I felt that Amy's 'choice' was not that of an empowered woman, but rather, someone who just can't learn her lesson no matter how many 'coconuts fall on her head' (you'll have to read it to understand).
May 4, 2020
A fun, easy, loved-up read. The characters are likable and relatable. Being set in Australia it was easy to relate to the language, setting, and character development. The plot and themes were uplifting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2020
A wonderful escapist romance story. Great location and some good humour. I liked the little reviews at the start of each chapter. I did find towards the end that it could have been given a hurry up in all those exchanges. Other than that, it was a fun love story , with a few more angles to it.
dnf
September 22, 2020There wasn't really anything wrong with Lovestruck, but I found myself skimming and that's never a good sign. I couldn't seem to focus or find interest in what I was reading. Love the cover, though...
November 18, 2022
Idunno idunno. Entertaining? Yes. Hilarious? You bet! The family vibes and shenanigans? A++. But also unfortunately at times very irritating. Esp one of the mmc's. I wish we had a better resolution for Harry/Sophia. The brother sister jokes got old fast. And fade to black sex scenes so 🤷🏻♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews