Is This It?: 'Incredibly relatable and horribly funny' Lucy Vine

by Hannah Tovey

-Employed (you have frequent nightmares about your job)
-Single and fabulous (swiping Tinder in your pyjamas while your best friend shops for engagement rings)
-Thriving (surviving)

Ivy and Mia have been best friends since the fun, messy, hungover years of their twenties.

Ten years later, Mia has it all - the man, the house, the career. Ivy is skint, single, and scared that she isn't a 'hot mess' any more - she's a walking disaster.

But one night, Ivy switches her phone off, peels last night's drunken pizza off the sofa, and makes a list. A list that changes everything . . .

The new Ivy has a proper job. She goes on fancy dates in wine bars. She's starting to think: maybe 'faking it till you make it' is easy?

But then she meets Scott.

Curly-haired, sarcastic Scott.

Sh*t.

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

362 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 22, 2021

About the author

Hannah Tovey is from South Wales and grew up in Hong Kong. She graduated from the Faber Academy in 2018, where she finished her debut novel, THE EDUCATION OF IVY EDWARDS. Hannah lives in East London where she misses Llanelli beach, her mother and cockles. Her second novel is out summer 2021.

Hannah is represented by Hayley Steed at Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV and Film Agency.

Reviews

[Raluca (hedonicbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this, to be honest.
It's both funny and emotional. It's really easy to read and get into.
I like Ivy. She's figuring things out and going through life, with its ups and downs.
I particularly liked the ending, though. Cause I'm a fucking hopeless romantic.

[Bookphenomena (Micky) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Headlines:
Witty & Welsh
Finally getting your act together
New beginnings

Is This It continued the story of Ivy from The Education of Ivy Edwards but you could totally read this as a standalone. That said, the Ivy in this story was an Ivy I could identify with more and I loved seeing her journey here. I felt that new attitude in Ivy from the first few pages and the story pulled me in really quickly.

Ivy hadn't changed completely but she had realised she needed a direction, a focus and she was determined. This really was a story of your life can be in the gutter for some time, but it is possible and believeable to find a way out. This book was full of positivity alongside the occasional typical Ivy high jinks.

There were a range of other characters I loved in this book but none more than Scott, Anna and Eleanor (with an honourable mention for Mr Reid). Scott saw that spark in Ivy that seemed hidden in the previous book and he helped her shine, I loved these two but they did put me through some angst (but I secretly loved it). Anna and Eleanor were such an important part of this story and I really liked the sisterly closeness and the complete unreserved love Ivy had for Eleanor. I thoroughly disliked Ivy's mother and her cruel comments to her daughters.

Ivy's education and job journey really drew me in and I thought how she blossomed was quite special. The kids were hilarious and Ivy really was made for the profession.

I think Is This It was made more of a sweet experience because of the hard won journey from book one. I could read about Ivy again!

Thank you to Piatkus Books for the finished review copy.

[Ellie (bookmadbarlow) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woohoo Ivy is back and this time she seems to have a grip on her life a tad more than in The Education of Ivy Edwards.
Is This It? can be read as a standalone, but I would highly recommend reading the first book before this one, for the back story and because it will have you championing Ivy more and willing her to succeed.
The author manages to inject so much life into her characters and just reading about Ivy and her life changes made me cheer her on.
This was the perfect follow up to the first and blimey the author had me going at one point, with all the ups and downs.
Fabulous for summer reading.

[emma ‼️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

so cute!! vv loved this story and the way the relationships between characters were portrayed, like the family and friendship ugh yes 💝 the romance was lovely too although he annoyed me slightly at times but overall they were #cute x would recommend!!

[Tara Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I’ve made it pretty clear before that I love Hannah’s writing and her debut novel, The Education of Ivy Edwards! Hannah very quickly became one of my most favourite welsh authors (up there with Roald Dahl of course!). I love the world she created for Ivy, and when I finished her first book I knew I needed more, and she’s delivered! 👏🏼

I loved being back with Ivy, and I love the growth she’s had as a character, I felt so proud! I felt a connection with her in the last book, and that felt even stronger in Is This It? when Ivy started her training to be a primary school teacher, which is my job too! I felt that Hannah really got what it’s like be a trainee teacher, no sleep, no social life, the guilt when you don’t see friends or family, she really got it spot on! Plus, with Ivy’s sister being a new mum in this one, I felt a good connection with her too! And of course, there was Scott. Oh I loved him! And at points I didn’t 😂

What I love about Ivy’s story, is that it feels just so real. She has some amazing people surrounding her, her family and friends are incredible characters. Mia is just one of a kind, I mean I have never seen or heard of a party like one she’s thrown! And although they might have their moments, they’re friends for life and will always have each other’s back, even if it takes a while. And her family. Her mother is such a character, I love her! 😂

I could write so much more about what I love about this book, I could go on forever!

I was kindly gifted a copy from Hannah and the people at Piatkus (which was signed and had a lovely note from Hannah, thank you! 😘), but I had actually already preordered it, and there was no way I was cancelling that, I know what preorders mean to authors. But this book was a 5 star read for me, so I’m very happy to have two copies!

[Evička de Blois · Rating 2 out of 5]

V prvním díle jsem s Ivy sdílela posttraumatický anti trashmuži postoj, v tomto spolu měníme práci. Jestli bude ještě nějaký další díl, budu si muset dát velký pozor na to, o čem bude!
Každopádně tento díl mi přišel o trochu méně zábavný než ten první. Jednak si tady Ivy najde týpečka, jehož chování mi nepřijde úplně ok (Nicméně ona taky není nějaká bohyně, takže nevím koho bych si pro ni představovala, abych pravdu řekla. Měla bych být trochu realistická!). A jednak tady Ivy začíná pracovat ve školce a děti tu zabírají na můj vkus až moc místa. Taky jsem se dala na abstinenci a o to více vnímám, že Ivy dost problematicky leje (přitom je zde mnohem zodpovědnější a už nemíchá alkohol s drogama... ale asi o to zbytečnější mi ty kocoviny přišly).
V průběhu jsem si dala delší přestávku a nakonec jsme to spolu nějak doklepaly a dokonce jsem si řekla - kjut. Jsem přesvědčena, že můj - ne úplně nadšený názor - nejvíc ovlivnilo právě to školkové prostředí a zlobivé dětičky. Nevím, zda existuje kariérní cesta, která by mě zajímala méně.

[Annie Wildemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a coming of age, romantic comedy book about someone not in high school. I bought this book from the kindle store because I am also “adult-ish” with low expectations. However, this book blew them away. Ivy and her friends/ family are hilarious. I can’t wait to read the next one!

[Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this incredibly boring for the most part but the final 20% was good.

[Rosana B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was very real and authentic. All the characters felt like real people rather than just imaginary figures from a book. I loved seeing Lucy’s development as a character and finding her confidence and being able to fight and work for what she wants and her dreams. I also loved how she gave a name to the voice in her head it really also shone a light on real issues such as self doubt and undermining ourselves in real life.

I really hated her best friends, to me they werent her real friends. The stuff they did and said to Lucy most of the time was absolutely vile. If I had “friends” like this in real life I would cut them off immediately. I would advise the same for others with these types of “friends”.

Also can we talk about how Toxic with a capital T Lucy’s mum was. What was her reasoning behind it I have no idea. Also the fact that she didnt just act towards one of her daughters like this but both??? What is her issue??
I actually felt quite sorry for Lucy’s dad. Poor chap had to live with that woman.

Loved how the book addressed loosing a loved one and how different people can grieve, it really made the story even more real.

Also half way through the book I found out that this was a sequel to “The Education of Ivy Edwards”. However the author and her writing really portrayed everything so well that I felt like even if I hadn’t read the previous book it still made me understand the story and enjoy it.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ivy is a thirty-two year old welsh woman living in London. Last year, before the book begins (maybe in a previous book?) she split up with her fiancé Jamie, her beloved Grandpa died, and Ivy went off the rails a bit. Now she's come to realise that she's not got a proper job, while friends and family are getting their lives together. Ivy decides to stop wasting her inheritance and start her teacher training, which will require her to stop going out and getting wasted with her two best friends, Mia the extrovert actress and Dan the obligatory gay best friend who alternates between having loads of money and being broke. Ivy also decides to get over Jamie by joining a dating app.

Ivy is a bit of a Bridget Jones (from Bridget Jones's Diary) for the twenty-first century. Often shockingly hungover on a school night, horrendous dates with losers, nagging mother, perfect sister who has it all, not doing well at her chosen career etc, etc. Then she meets the perfect man while on a mates night out, good looking, funny, and seemingly interested in Ivy he seems like the perfect man, until he takes her number and never calls her back ...

I don't know if this is part of a series, it feels as though all the characters have a lot of backstory which isn't properly explained, eg the break up with Jamie and exactly what Ivy did. Also Mia and Dan are terrible BFFs, selfish and unsupportive, they never really seem to have her back. TBH they are the sort of BFFs you have at uni and then gradually loose touch with because they are still partying, dressing, and acting like eighteen year olds in their twenties and thirties.

This was pleasant enough but it felt like Ivy was dealing with too many issues on different fronts and the mix was wrong, like maybe it should have been 50% romance, 30% teaching, 10% parental issues, and 10% friends but instead it was 25% each, making it difficult to invest in the romance.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Tilly Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know how there are some books you pick up, and it’s instantly like getting the biggest hug from your bestie? Well this is 100% one of those - I could happily have wrapped myself in this novel’s arms for days!

Ivy’s a bit of a mess after a tough breakup and the loss of her beloved grandad, but she’s decided this is the year she gets her sh*t together. So that means dedicating herself to her teacher training and spending less time getting wasted. But then she meets Scott, and she’s pretty sure he’s perfect - but she’s only just found her feet! Is she ready to give it all up for love?

So I know you all already knew how brilliant Ivy was from The Education of Ivy Edwards, but somehow I missed it! Don’t worry though, the first thing I did after finishing this was order it because I CANNOT GET ENOUGH. I loved Ivy, with all her flaws and wicked sense of humour. I loved her barmy family and mad friends. I REALLY loved the fact that I’m not the only one who’s a total mess and has no idea what to do with my life 🤣 (Yes, I know she’s fictional but shh 🤫).

This was just pure joy from start to finish - I laughed like a madwoman but my god I cried too. Any mention of her beloved grandad and I was a total wreck, because mine is my favourite person in the world too. So it wasn’t just heartwarming, it was relatable and had depth to it too.

I can’t imagine anyone not loving this - it’s the perfect book to pick up when you’re down, but would be equally fun when you’re full of the joys of spring (or autumn, whatever floats your boat). It’s just so very full of heart and I cannot wait for whatever @hannahtoveyauthor does next 🙌

[N.L. Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Don't let your past fuck up your future.'

Ivy is 32, single and unsure about what she wants to do with her life.

But sometimes we need to take that leap of faith and trust in the process, or ask 'what would Gramps do?' To find the answer.

What a delightful and enjoyable novel. The narrative was free-flowing and the characters realistic.

As a reader, I love to believe what I read and in this I did.

I also liked that this wasn't your everyday romance, where the love interests do a dance for the first 300 and something pages and get together in the last 20.

This novel took us through how hard life can be. That we have to juggle what we do; friendship, family, relationships and work; and finding the balance isn't easy!

The banter between Scott and Ivy is witty and natural; I cried laughing at the scene of the dip!
And couldn't help but laugh out loud in many others.

I am definitely looking out for this author in the future.

[Paula Rivero · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a book by Lucy Vine, just using her name as a advertising. I began reading it and I quit.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review also posted here: http://www.book-drunk.co.uk/2021/09/r...

Is This It by Hannah Tovey is the story of thirty-something Ivy and her attempts at getting her act together. Between holding down a job, dating and attempting to make time for all the people in her life, Ivy struggles to keep everything together and she is so easy to root for that I was hooked on this book right from the first chapter and I never wanted to put it down.

Ivy is queen of self-destruction and I loved her character. She’s honest and genuine and so easy to relate to. Constantly on a battle to balance her life, with friends, family, a new job and a potential new relationship, she struggles to keep everything on track and she often finds life quite overwhelming and I’m sure many readers will be understanding of her issues as she felt very life-like. She’s such a kind-hearted character and I really sympathised for her throughout as despite the things she was achieving, she never felt good enough or like she belonged, and I just wanted to shake her and stop her comparing herself to the people around her even though that trait is very easy for me to identify with.

It was only after I finished reading Is This It and looked for more books by the author, that I realised this is actually the second book that revolves around Ivy as The Education of Ivy Edwards was published last year. Of course I instantly bought this for my Kindle as I would love to hear more about Ivy and see the growth she goes on from the first book to the next. Although Is This It can easily be read as a standalone, knowing that there is another book makes sense as parts of Ivy’s past including her relationship breakdown with Jamie and Ivy’s reaction to that were hinted at but never fully explained and clearly this is why. I’m really looking forward to going back and reading the first book and would definitely be up for reading a follow up to Is This It too.

Hannah Tovey’s second novel is highly entertaining, quick-witted and a joy to read. One of my favourite parts of the book was Ivy’s relationship with her sister Anna. Though Is This It is the story of Ivy, Anna’s story is also a resonating one and I cared for her character. They had a proper sisterly relationship and you could see how much they loved each other in amongst the banter and the bickering. Of the weird and wonderful assortment of supporting characters in the book, Anna was my favourite, closely followed by Mr Reid and Scott.

One character I struggled with was Mia and at times I did find I wanted to skim through her parts in the book. Despite being Ivy’s best friend, I found her generally to be quite selfish and often she puts Ivy down for literally no reason and spends most of her time calling Ivy boring when she has work to do or doesn’t want to drink all night. Maybe some people would take that in a friend but I can’t see why. I found Ivy to be far too forgiving of Mia.

Despite this, there were so many redeeming qualities to this book that my overwhelming feeling when I’d finished reading it was just how much I loved it. There were so many ups and downs in the story that it really kept me on my toes, in hope of that happy ending for Ivy. It was often laugh-out-loud funny and I smiled my way through it. Hannah Tovey’s writing is so real and authentic and in Ivy she has crafted a perfectly imperfect protagonist. I personally would love to read more about Ivy in future books.

[Marie]

From the beginning of the book, you can see a lot of inspiration is taken from Bridget Jones. A thirty-something year old Welsh female named Ivy Edward’s, is living in London and does not have her life together. She smokes, drinks on a school night and had hit rock bottom where she wasn’t the best person to be around (but she was still a decent human being with potential). Her grandfather (who she was close to) passed away a couple of years ago and she is moving on from her ex-fiancé Jamie.

This story is a journey of Ivy taking control of her life and focusing on bettering herself. She decides to become a teacher which requires a lot of dedication. Ivy is also managing other aspects of her life such as an overbearing and pretentious mother and her sister Anna, who has gotten pregnant for the first time. Ivy’s close friends (Dan and Mia) show love and support sometimes, but they are the type of friends you make in your twenties, who are a fun time. There were times throughout the book, where I wasn’t a fan of Dan and Mia and thought that Ivy could make better friends. I am glad Ivy called Mia out for her selfish behaviour when Ivy was trying to balance her life, and cannot be the “fun” one, constantly going out when she has to focus on her new career.

Ivy ends up using a dating app to get back out there. After a few failed dates and hookups, she bumps into a guy called Scott on a night out. They chat and have a good time but he ends up ghosting her for about six months. I felt like this part of the story was dragged out a little bit longer than necessary. It gave time for Ivy to try and focus on her career, and think about Scott not getting in touch with her. By the time Scott pops back into her life, I gave up on caring. If Ivy had rejected Scott when he explained why he didn’t reach out, then the story would have ended much quicker. At least Ivy took a chance on him and it turned out great. He became her boyfriend, met the family and friends and Ivy was happy… until Scott received a job offer in LA. Of course the main female character needs an obstacle to occur just before the end. But don’t worry, Scott realises what he truly wants in the end.

I love romance reads, but this doesn’t have a lot of romance. It explores the ups and downs of a character who isn’t perfect and is relatable to many people. There is detail on handling friendships, a chaotic family, a career change and a new relationship. From about chapter 15-30, I started to get a little bored and wanted to finish reading the book, instead of taking time to enjoy the story. It has good plot elements but I thought it was missing something special that makes me excited to keep reading. I can admit that I highlighted so many relatable quotes on my Kindle. I think this is the first book I have come across in a while, where many lines stood out to me and described my situation and feelings as a twenty-something year old, who is working on themselves.

[Nicola Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Fleabag and Sex and the City had a love child then Is this It? would be the result. I was a huge fan of The Education of Ivy Edwards but I think this follow up is even better. Ivy is still reeling after the events of the past year but she's determined to get her act together this time. Starting with a pros and cons list, she decides it's time to get a proper job and a grown up life.

Ivy is a bit calamitous and self-destructive, but she's an absolute gem too. Hannah Tovey has created the perfect protagonist, one who is likeable but flawed and completely relatable. Then there's her family and friends……just brilliant! Her overbearing and wacky mother, her sister with a new baby, her flamboyant friends, Mia and Dan, and now there's Scott, a man she can't get out of her head. Each one makes Ivy who she is and she couldn't possibly live without them. So what happens when something comes along that threatens her new, more together, self?

I found this book absolutely hilarious, giggling away to myself. The author has the kind of humour that is right on my wavelength. There aren't many books that really make me laugh out loud so I love that Is This Is? did that for me. But it also has its serious moments. There's always the sense that at any moment Ivy might just mess everything up and I desperately didn't want her to do that. The end, when it came, was perfect and I adored it.

Actually, I just adored this book, full stop. I really hope there will be more books featuring Ivy and her crazy cohort in the future but if not I know I won't forget how much I enjoyed reading about her. I thought Is This It? was a perfect summer read, light and humorous, yet moving and thoughtful. Perfection!

[Caitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received ARC of this at the end of June from the lovely folks at Little, Brown.

Review originally posted on my blog here: https://bookblogbuzz.blogspot.com/202...

Is This It came to me to just at the right time in my life. YES, it sounds awfully cliche to say, but it is true. I read the first few lines of the blurb and I was sold, just picture me standing in my kitchen shouting, 'wow, I need this'

I hadn't realised until I'd finished the book that this is the second book about the life and escapades of our shameless and sassy welsh firecracker Ivy Edwards, but from what I can tell, both seem to work just fine as a standalone.

The blurb promises a relatable female character, trying to make sense of her current circumstances, how to get to grips with this thing called 'adult life', and how to move from 'hot mess' to 'heck yes'

I'vy's situation resonated with me, far more than I'd be happy to admit, but how could it not? We've all been there, right or you know, kinda still are there. Hannah's story is achingly relatable, absolutely hilarious, and really sweet where it needs to be. Hannah's writing is brilliant and her characters are expertly fleshed out. Is this It takes the reader through situations where you can't help but cackle and nod your head in agreement. The dates, ugh! The datesss!

Ivy's character feels very lifelike which made it easy to build a connection with her as her story unfolds and I was rooting for her the whole way! We see real vulnerability in her character in the backstory about her grandfather and how the love we feel for family guides us in our dedicision making long after they've gone.

The story concludes beautifully, so here's to hoping we get a number 3. Who knows what Ivy gets up to next? I definitely need to know. Either way, this made for beautiful summer reading.

Thanks again to Piatkus books for this copy, I truly enjoyed myself!

[Sian · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW:🍷IS THIS IS?🍷
•

@hannahtoveyauthor has only gone and bloody done it again 😭❤️
•

Is This It? Let’s us tag along for another instalment of Ivy Edwards and her not so perfect life. Following on from a break up with her fiancé the year before, Is This It follows Ivy as she tries to figure out where she belongs in her career, love and social life.
•

Just as I adored The Education Of Ivy Edwards, Is This It has gained another piece of my heart. It’s weird because I relate so much to Ivy, the first book came as I was going through a break up as well and I felt like I was right there with her as she navigated the stages of heart break and now in Is This It she’s moving on and finding herself again and I just feel like I’ve come full circle with her 😭🙈
•

This aside, Is This It is such a hilarious, relatable and heart warming story that Hannah tells so beautifully, I absolutely adore her writing style and couldn’t put this one down! It’s helped me out of a bookish slump I’ve been in for a few months now and urgh I just loved it. I also loved the little bits of Welsh throughout and the Welsh dictionary at the back of the book! Anhygoel!
•

If you’re a breathing human you’ll relate to something within this story and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a breath of fresh air to read about real life problems when we live in a world of social media highlight reels, when in reality none of us truly have it all figured out do we?
•

An incredibly easy 5 star read from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
•

[Noemi Proietti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Is This It? because it is funny, well-written, and compelling, but also because the protagonist is relatable and feels authentic and I adored her.

Ivy Edwards is in her thirties. She lives in London, she doesn’t have a job, she is single, but, one night, she decides it is time to change that. First thing first, it is time to follow her dream and become a teacher, so she starts her training in a school where she quickly realizes that it is not always easy to control and teach a group of screaming children, but it is often rewarding and she won’t give up easily.

On the personal side, after a few disastrous online dates, Ivy meets Scott, handsome clean-obsessed Scott. Could he be the one? Will she finally have her happy every after?

After finishing reading Is This It? I was surprised to find out that it is a sequel – to The Education of Ivy Edwards – because it so well-written and with enough background information about the protagonist that I thought this was a stand-alone. I am happy it is not a stand-alone because I really need to read The Education of Ivy Edwards (and also because I hope there will be a third book!).

Ivy is really an incredible character. Once she decides she wants to become a teacher, she works hard to achieve it, even though most of the time she was scared of the challenge and she didn’t feel up to it, she never backs down. Throughout the novel we see this character develop well and mature, both on her personal and work life. I loved her closed relationship with her sister Hannah and with her parents (I especially loved her conversations with her mother who had no filters when it came to speaking).

Is This It? is a hilarious, romantic, and captivating novel and I couldn’t recommend it enough!

[my bookworm life · Rating 4 out of 5]

📖 new review.

Thank you to @yourswithlove and @hannahtovey for sending me an early copy of Is this it? Publishing : 22nd July 🎉

It was such fun having Ivy back in my life again, after really enjoying The education of Ivy Edwards I was really looking forward to catching up with her again in this sequel. Like putting on a favourite jumper this was a lovely cosy read, just a joy from start to finish, filled with lots of humour and heart.

Here she finds a new path of what she wants to do, teaching, and each scene with the kids always had me smiling and laughing at their interactions. And also she gets a new love interest which I really thought was great, they had bags of chemistry and it was always entertaining to see how things went.

And also again we have the big characters of her friends and family, just as before the lines they come out with always making me laugh and I just love how real they feel and you know people like them.

This was a really enjoyable and heartwarming read, with that familiar humour from the first book back again, really loved every min.

[Catriona Fyfe · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5)

This is a sequel of the authors first book, however I read as a stand-alone and I think it works well. Ivy has not had a great year - her fiancé left her, her beloved grandpa died and she’s lost her job. This year, she wants to turn this around after realising those closest to her have their lives put together and decides to start teacher training in a primary school. She also wants to get back out and date so joins a dating app… but then she meets Scott and she just can’t seem to get him out her head.

I found this such a fun and humorous novel that had me giggling away behind the pages. I found Ivy to have such an array of emotions which made you root for her from the very start. The supporting characters were maybe not explored enough, her best friends seemed unsupportive and hanging around for the sake of it. I also really related to Ivy and it’s gave me reassurance that it’s okay to not know what you want to do with life and cemented the prospect of me doing my teacher training next year. Overall, I loved the book, a great pick-me up

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - Thanks NetGalley for my ARC

'Is This It?' is the sequel to The Education of Ivy Edwards which I didn't realise before I read it as it didn't seem to be advertised as a sequel - however reading it I don't think it's a problem if you haven't read the first book as it's easy to follow.

This is a nice read about Ivy a young 30 something living in London and embarking on her teacher training whilst navigating her messy life. Ivy as a character is pretty realistic and so quite relatable. The plot is what you'd expect from a chick lit type book, nice but not exactly setting your world alight.

What let this down for me was Ivy's friends who seem like trash and just irritated me constantly and that the ending felt quite rushed. A lot happened in the last ten minutes to tie it up in a nice romcom bow.

Overall a well written book but nothing super exciting

[Doingitbythebook - Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is This It? follows hot mess Ivy Edwards who is tired of being single, skint and essentially a walking disaster. One evening, after switching off her phone and peeling last night’s drunken pizza of the sofa, Ivy makes a list. A list that changes everything. She will get a proper job, go on fancy wine bar dates – how hard can it be to ‘fake it till you make it’?. But then Ivy meets Scott…. Curly-haired, sarcastic Scott.

This book is such an entertaining uplifting read! I loved Ivy, she is a genuinely loveable character and I adored following her journey. The book is so heart-warming to read but also utterly hilarious and filled with wit and unexpected humour. I was hooked desperate to read out how it would end and what choices Ivy would make.
I cannot wait to read what Hannah writes next!!

[Laura | What's Hot? · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Review copy was provided by publisher/author]

This was my first Ivy Edwards novel and she’s a character I’d love to be friends with. Ivy feels very “real”, her life is messy and full of ups and downs. There’s also a great host of fun side characters who help bring the story to life.

I love some parts of this novel but in others I found myself wondering where it was going and what was the point. There were some cute romantic moments in places but in others, I found it a little hard to believe. This story didn't hit me in the feels like I expected it to but perhaps it's better described as a self-discovery book than a romance.

Overall this was enjoyable but my feelings about this book went up and down like a yo-yo so unfortunately I can’t give it more than 3 stars!

[Chloe Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been on my wish list for ages! I didn’t realise that it was actually a sequel though 🙉🙈 but to be fair, it didn’t really make a difference because the book worked well as a stand alone. I just loved this book. I loved Ivy and her family and how she wanted more for herself. Being a teacher, I related to the teaching stuff sooooo much and I loved that the classroom parts were so relevant to what spending your days with 4 year olds is actually like 🤣 what I loved the most about this book is how Ivy was consistently and unapologetically herself. I loved that she didn’t agree to move to LA for a man, and that she put herself and her career first. This book was everything I hoped it would be and more!

[Zee Monodee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I had no clue this was the second book about Ivy Edwards' life! Still, I didn't miss not reading the first at all while going through this one. Yes, there's a ton I must've missed, but this book stood on its own perfectly well, and was a delight to read. There was a candour and frankness, a bare-faced honesty that I've found hard to come by in books lately, and especially this kind of chick-lit story following a 'train wreck' heroine and her journey. It was so refreshing to read about a normal human being, with her flaws and mishaps, her pitfalls and also her beautiful strengths. It was also funny and witty, with characters that read so true to life. And the resolution of it all felt real, too. Like this is really what could happen IRL, albeit romanticized

[Nicola Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very kindly #gifted this book by @lj_reads and I’m so glad I was! It was light, it was funny and it was just perfect rainy day reading. I hadn’t realised this was a sequel but the lovely Hannah told me I could read it as a standalone. I loved Ivy!! Working in a school I found the training to be a teacher aspect hilarious and so accurate 🤣 I loved her relationship with Anna and Scott. I found her journey positive and was so happy she found a purpose with the help of her over bearing mum 🤣 I can’t not mention Mr Reid, we all need a supportive teacher like him in our lives. I absolutely loved it! I recommend it and I will definitely be reading The education of Ivy Edwards.

[Signe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ivy Edwards is back (new and improved) and I really truly enjoyed following her as she tries to get her sh!t together.
Hannah Tovey manages to write realistic and relatable characters that you want to root for and you keep turning the pages to find out how their stories end.

I love reading about Ivy and her life struggles and to see her grow as a woman 🙌


I can’t wait to read whatever Tovey brings us next.

(Copy received by publisher for review. This does not change my opinion about the book)

[KathVBtn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gorgeous book - I'm desperate to go and read the first Ivy Edwards now! In 'Is This It?' Ivy makes a decision to take control of her life after her life imploded around her before. She meets the delicious Scott, and starts to train to be a primary teacher, her sister has had a much loved baby -and things look to be on the up, but in the spirit of all good romantic comedies, there's always a spanner or two in the works.
Ivy is so likeable, her family is wonderful and its written with such love and good humour - thanks for the chance to read it!

[Emily Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a slow start, the first few chapters weren’t very well written. There were some quite jarring scene changes which you don’t notice normally, but when it’s done in a clunky way it really takes you out of the book.
That said, once I got past that I got totally sucked in. Who doesn’t love a good falling-in-love story? I wondered where it was going 3/4 of the way through but in the end there was a satisfactory if predictable ending.

Not high fiction but lovely to sink into for a few days. Solid beach read!