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Rachel Ryan's Resolutions
RACHEL THOUGHT THIS WAS HER YEAR. LIFE HAD OTHER PLANS.
1. Re-download Couch to 5K, and actually do the programme
2. Apply for promotion. Avoid projects about dog biscuits, 'miracle' grass seed, etc.
3. DO NOT agree to further dates with Laurence
4. Try to remember Mum means well (!!!)
5. Start using proper night cream with retinol
As her mother likes to remind her, Rachel Ryan is thirty with no partner, hardly any savings and no mortgage. But when she makes her resolutions she's sure this is her year.
By February things are not going to plan. Her career is in chaos as the new guy at work is none other than Jack Harper, who broke her heart at university - and despite herself the chemistry is still there. Plus her best friend has news that will change everything.
As life starts to fall apart around her, will Rachel be able to move on from the past and make some very different resolutions?
Maybe then she'll see what's right in front of her.
1. Re-download Couch to 5K, and actually do the programme
2. Apply for promotion. Avoid projects about dog biscuits, 'miracle' grass seed, etc.
3. DO NOT agree to further dates with Laurence
4. Try to remember Mum means well (!!!)
5. Start using proper night cream with retinol
As her mother likes to remind her, Rachel Ryan is thirty with no partner, hardly any savings and no mortgage. But when she makes her resolutions she's sure this is her year.
By February things are not going to plan. Her career is in chaos as the new guy at work is none other than Jack Harper, who broke her heart at university - and despite herself the chemistry is still there. Plus her best friend has news that will change everything.
As life starts to fall apart around her, will Rachel be able to move on from the past and make some very different resolutions?
Maybe then she'll see what's right in front of her.
498 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 16, 2021
735 people are currently reading
1465 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
March 8, 2022
This is probably the most realistic contemporary romance I have ever read. I loved Rachel as a main character. She was so relatable and there were so many situations she found herself in that I could totally see playing out in real life. There was a LOT going on in this book, but I felt that it was handled so well. I really appreciated some of the conversations that were had throughout this book and how the author depicted a healthy relationship. I was rooting for all of these characters and by the end my heart was just melting. I can't say enough good things about this one!
November 7, 2021
I think this book has the right ingredients on a technical level. You have a relatable heroine with normal worries and concerns about life. She has a group of close-knit, supportive friends. As a new year arrives, she puts down a list of resolutions to improve - relating to fitness, work, relationships, skincare and so forth. And then the year turns out to be filled with surprises - both good and bad - challenging her in unexpected ways.
The problems start early on, with Rachel herself. While her troubles are relatable, Rachel as a person isn't very interesting or particularly likeable. At about 10% in, I was wondering why I should be interested in this woman's story. Then I saw all the glowing reviews here on GoodReads, and I decided to stick with it. And as the story progressed, Rachel only got worse. She ignored problems, made manipulative decisions, and generally leaned towards the unlikeable side of the scale.
The secondary characters are interesting in their own ways, but they aren't sketched out in detail - much like Rachel herself. Everything is presented through Rachel's POV, so the secondary characters only exist during their interactions with Rachel. They don't quite feel like people going about their own lives.
One major problem I had is with the way exposition worked. It's always reactive - someone makes a comment, and then we get an exposition dump about why that comment was relevant to the situation or that character. It feels tacked-on and last-minute, so none of it lands with any noticeable impact. I'm not sure if they were supposed to be 'twists'. They are revelations, granted, but they don't build on top of existing informaton or trigger any shifts in perspective.
The other major problem is pacing. The events of the story spans months, but most of that is just everything getting worse (also making me the question the 'heartwarming' part of the book's subtitle). The ending, in comparison, rights everything in the blink of an eye. To be more specific, most of the plot threads resolve at the end during the course of one single day.
Last but not the least, the love triangle. It didn't work for me. I couldn't quite justify Rachel's behaviour towards Jack, or Tom's reticence. Rachel herself is stunningly oblivious to this dynamic for most of the story, so that's another negative.
And that's the end of my rant. Despite the occasionally funny bits, most of this book didn't work for me and so I can't recommend it.
The problems start early on, with Rachel herself. While her troubles are relatable, Rachel as a person isn't very interesting or particularly likeable. At about 10% in, I was wondering why I should be interested in this woman's story. Then I saw all the glowing reviews here on GoodReads, and I decided to stick with it. And as the story progressed, Rachel only got worse. She ignored problems, made manipulative decisions, and generally leaned towards the unlikeable side of the scale.
The secondary characters are interesting in their own ways, but they aren't sketched out in detail - much like Rachel herself. Everything is presented through Rachel's POV, so the secondary characters only exist during their interactions with Rachel. They don't quite feel like people going about their own lives.
One major problem I had is with the way exposition worked. It's always reactive - someone makes a comment, and then we get an exposition dump about why that comment was relevant to the situation or that character. It feels tacked-on and last-minute, so none of it lands with any noticeable impact. I'm not sure if they were supposed to be 'twists'. They are revelations, granted, but they don't build on top of existing informaton or trigger any shifts in perspective.
The other major problem is pacing. The events of the story spans months, but most of that is just everything getting worse (also making me the question the 'heartwarming' part of the book's subtitle). The ending, in comparison, rights everything in the blink of an eye. To be more specific, most of the plot threads resolve at the end during the course of one single day.
Last but not the least, the love triangle. It didn't work for me. I couldn't quite justify Rachel's behaviour towards Jack, or Tom's reticence. Rachel herself is stunningly oblivious to this dynamic for most of the story, so that's another negative.
And that's the end of my rant. Despite the occasionally funny bits, most of this book didn't work for me and so I can't recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2021
You can't beat a good feel good romanance can you? This is exactly the vibes I got from Rachel Ryans Resolution.
Funny, sweet and heartwarming, it was the perfect romcom.
Rachel is In a love triangle of sorts. Jack is the man who broke her heart in university. He's still a charismatic smooth talker, and seems very interested in reconnecting with Rachel.
And then there's Tom. Her friend of 4 years.
He's kind, genuine and has that sexy Clark Kent lookalike thing going on 😍
Just who will Rachel choose?!
It was a light read with plenty of laugh of loud moments. But it was also emotional and heartwarming. Especially when Rachels secret comes to light.
This is perfect for them chilled summer days, or wrapped up under your blanket on winter nights. I Will be looking out for more from this author in the future!
Funny, sweet and heartwarming, it was the perfect romcom.
Rachel is In a love triangle of sorts. Jack is the man who broke her heart in university. He's still a charismatic smooth talker, and seems very interested in reconnecting with Rachel.
And then there's Tom. Her friend of 4 years.
He's kind, genuine and has that sexy Clark Kent lookalike thing going on 😍
Just who will Rachel choose?!
It was a light read with plenty of laugh of loud moments. But it was also emotional and heartwarming. Especially when Rachels secret comes to light.
This is perfect for them chilled summer days, or wrapped up under your blanket on winter nights. I Will be looking out for more from this author in the future!
June 24, 2022
I read the description of the book and almost didn't start it because it was a second-chance romance and those typically involve:
1.The h taking back a cheater
2. The revelation that the H has had a full and varied life, including lots of sex and maybe even a marriage and kids while she has led a disappointing, celibate or near-celibate one, or
3. Both of the above.
Fortunately, I pressed on and found this to be an enjoyable book.
1.The h taking back a cheater
2. The revelation that the H has had a full and varied life, including lots of sex and maybe even a marriage and kids while she has led a disappointing, celibate or near-celibate one, or
3. Both of the above.
Fortunately, I pressed on and found this to be an enjoyable book.
January 4, 2022
This is a very fine piece of chick-lit.
I loved all the characters, especially Tom. The author made me have a crush on Tom.
I loved all the characters, especially Tom. The author made me have a crush on Tom.
October 7, 2021
the heroine is manipulative and hides things from everyone for no good reason. fortunately the people in the book call her out on this, even if they necessarily lose the high ground by inevitably saying something mean because she's the main character and we're supposed to like her.
if the love interest and/or hero is Tom, we need to see more of Tom FROM the heroine's perspective. two/three random Tom POVs in a book that's almost exclusively Rachel POV is just. bad editing. not to mention Jack the blast from the past featured more in this book than Tom. which...? idk, if you're setting up a love triangle (corner) you need to have both on the page equally?
but somehow i read this book at a very serendipitous time. i too had someone come into my present from my past whom i loved deeply and who hurt me. and i ALSO completely lost my head when he turned up, and was no longer a sane/sensible/mature (ha) woman any more. i was a maelstrom of shitty feelings and to spare myself more pain i took a step back.
hopefully my someone isn't anything close to jack :/ but the point is — i get it. i get that rachel ultimately dug herself into a deep hole and caused everyone around her to be frustrated by her.
but the resolution to her finding out she's being an ooc bitch was far too easy. "i have realised i was being awful to you so there's my problem solved and supposedly i am fine again"
idk.
not my cup of tea, i suppose. even though i went through exactly the same thing as her except over a week instead of months.
if the love interest and/or hero is Tom, we need to see more of Tom FROM the heroine's perspective. two/three random Tom POVs in a book that's almost exclusively Rachel POV is just. bad editing. not to mention Jack the blast from the past featured more in this book than Tom. which...? idk, if you're setting up a love triangle (corner) you need to have both on the page equally?
but somehow i read this book at a very serendipitous time. i too had someone come into my present from my past whom i loved deeply and who hurt me. and i ALSO completely lost my head when he turned up, and was no longer a sane/sensible/mature (ha) woman any more. i was a maelstrom of shitty feelings and to spare myself more pain i took a step back.
hopefully my someone isn't anything close to jack :/ but the point is — i get it. i get that rachel ultimately dug herself into a deep hole and caused everyone around her to be frustrated by her.
but the resolution to her finding out she's being an ooc bitch was far too easy. "i have realised i was being awful to you so there's my problem solved and supposedly i am fine again"
idk.
not my cup of tea, i suppose. even though i went through exactly the same thing as her except over a week instead of months.
August 7, 2024
Started reading this over the shoulder of a lady on the tube had to find out what happened for myself!
October 3, 2025
Spoilers ahead!
This was cute ! 3.5 Stars rounded up - i definitiv enjoyed this, but I wish there had been more scenes with Rachel and tom, because I felt like the was good chemistry there and was rooting for them, but I felt like the reveal /realisation that Rachel has feelings for him
was a little to quickly , I think that should’ve been fleshed out a bit more , but I still enjoyed it !
This was cute ! 3.5 Stars rounded up - i definitiv enjoyed this, but I wish there had been more scenes with Rachel and tom, because I felt like the was good chemistry there and was rooting for them, but I felt like the reveal /realisation that Rachel has feelings for him
was a little to quickly , I think that should’ve been fleshed out a bit more , but I still enjoyed it !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2021
I enjoyed my time with this book. Laura has done a fantastic job with her debut book. This book was well written and thought out, it flowed really well. The only things I have against it is that Rachel annoyed me quite a bit towards the end and I started to find her a bit unlikeable. I also felt that the information about Rachel’s backstory came out from a left field and took me by surprise as there was no foreshadowing before hand. Apart from those small little things, I really enjoyed this book. Can’t wait to read more from Laura
February 4, 2023
Butterflies-in-the-stomach, classic rom-com that also felt authentic and relatable and even a little bit fresh (which is kinda hard to do with romance). I really, really enjoyed this one! The only reason I knocked a star off is because it was *very* long and the setup should have been condensed. But although the first half should have been tightened up, I raced through the second half and stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it!
January 9, 2022
This free book had no business being this good. I was prepared to be dishing out a 2star review for this. It was really good I loved it. Maybe bc I’m not that experienced at reading Romance but whatever
August 27, 2021
'Super funny and utterly relatable!'
'Hits all the humour buttons'
'Hits all the humour buttons'
June 8, 2024
Nice cute brain rot to cleanse the palette post civil war epic. Predictable but not frustratingly so. Taylor swift and Bruce Springsteen references so no complaints from me.
April 2, 2023
Brilliant! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 So many layers to this story, I was captivated the whole way through. Laura Starkey's writing is nothing short of excellent! I can't wait to read more from her! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
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March 20, 2024I only finished this because I’m extremely stubborn. I’m sorry but I found Rachel annoying. I’m guessing that’s why it took me so many weeks to get through the book. I will agree that she’s relatable though! The Couch to 5K, the five-a-day, the run to Boots, and how messy she is in general… she’s definitely a real person. But it’s wild how everything magically resolves in the last five chapters and she is at her best by the end of the book. I usually love it when that happens in fiction but it all felt too convenient.
Overall, the book just wasn’t for me, but I can genuinely see it being the perfect read for others. Take the plunge, I guess!
Overall, the book just wasn’t for me, but I can genuinely see it being the perfect read for others. Take the plunge, I guess!
March 30, 2022
This was such a cute story! I loved it so much. What a relatable protagonist - so many times I thought, "is this me?" It's so refreshing seeing someone who has a body like yours, who likes to watch Queer Eye on a Friday night with Uber eats, and makes Jane Austen and other literature references. Just so good. I loved the London setting, the two love interests and the journey Rachel goes on throughout the novel. Can't wait for her next book!
February 17, 2023
I blame Bridget Jones for making me attracted to novels about single British women making resolutions. But Bridget was flawed and funny, whereas Rachel and her insufferable friends were all too perfect. It made the story deeply uninteresting.
August 30, 2024
Unfortunately this was just not it & the 2 stars I’ve given it is based on the last 20% of the book. Felt like it went on FOREVER & have such unnecessary information that was simply boring. Disappointed in this one
August 27, 2021
A funny, relatable, heartwarming read. Highly recommended!
May 25, 2024
Deciding to DNF this book.
Didn’t like the writing style. Could have been such a fun book. Pacing was off.
Also seen a spoiler where she goes back to her ex… eww.
Didn’t like the writing style. Could have been such a fun book. Pacing was off.
Also seen a spoiler where she goes back to her ex… eww.
July 22, 2023
I often wonder how it is possible to rate all books on the same 5 point scale, when they are clearly different beasts. How do I compare a Mahler symphony with a pop song? Different target audiences, vast disparity in complexity and level of musical skill required in terms of composition never mind years training X number of musicians to perform. But does one have more value than another for human enjoyment and experience? I'd argue potentially not. Horses for courses so to speak.
So to this book. A contemporary romance that was on unlimited streaming on my local library audiobook app. Major plus point was that it was available (sometimes I just want to start listening to something straight away), fairly well narrated and a pretty much as expected story arc, so very little peril whatsoever.
On the downside, I don't think it passed the Bechdel test. Was there a single conversation between two female characters that wasn't at least tangentially linked to a man? Really not sure there was... Perhaps with the mum at the very end? Am I being unfair as it is a 'romance'? Character development was light too, but overall it was fine - not as painful as it could have been. As expected. So maybe on a scale of romances it's a 3 star . But on a scale that encompasses all of literature, I'm giving it a 2.
So to this book. A contemporary romance that was on unlimited streaming on my local library audiobook app. Major plus point was that it was available (sometimes I just want to start listening to something straight away), fairly well narrated and a pretty much as expected story arc, so very little peril whatsoever.
On the downside, I don't think it passed the Bechdel test. Was there a single conversation between two female characters that wasn't at least tangentially linked to a man? Really not sure there was... Perhaps with the mum at the very end? Am I being unfair as it is a 'romance'? Character development was light too, but overall it was fine - not as painful as it could have been. As expected. So maybe on a scale of romances it's a 3 star . But on a scale that encompasses all of literature, I'm giving it a 2.
May 6, 2024
Fantastic debut!
This book was an absolute pleasure to read, I loved Rachel and how increasingly ridiculous her resolutions became. I genuinely couldn’t put this book down and although I could guess how it was going to end, at parts I just wanted to shake Rachel to get her to see things that seemed so obvious!
I am looking forward to reading Laura Starkey’s next book, the writing was fantastic and so easy to get into. A fantastic debut and an author I will definitely be keeping an eye out for new books from!
This book was an absolute pleasure to read, I loved Rachel and how increasingly ridiculous her resolutions became. I genuinely couldn’t put this book down and although I could guess how it was going to end, at parts I just wanted to shake Rachel to get her to see things that seemed so obvious!
I am looking forward to reading Laura Starkey’s next book, the writing was fantastic and so easy to get into. A fantastic debut and an author I will definitely be keeping an eye out for new books from!
September 7, 2024
Gorgeous, funny and relatable contemporary London - based romance.
With her parents living in Stoke, before Rachel graduated from York University she had no intention of moving to London, but on her graduation day all her plans were turned upside down.
Ten years later, she's sharing a flat with her wonderful best friend, but uninspired by her less than glamorous job in advertising, she comes up with a set of New Year's resolutions to get her life on track, not realising that a few curve balls are coming her way.
With her parents living in Stoke, before Rachel graduated from York University she had no intention of moving to London, but on her graduation day all her plans were turned upside down.
Ten years later, she's sharing a flat with her wonderful best friend, but uninspired by her less than glamorous job in advertising, she comes up with a set of New Year's resolutions to get her life on track, not realising that a few curve balls are coming her way.
May 5, 2025
2,75⭐️ - prima vermaak, maar zou denk ik beter werken als film. Vond het leuk dat het eerst een second chance (office) romance lijkt te worden, maar dan een fake dating friends to lovers blijkt. Backstory van FMC had iets eerder van de grond mogen komen en ik vond dat over sommige dingen te makkelijk heen werd gestapt, maar wilde toch steeds doorlezen. Volgens mij heb ik nog een boek van deze auteur op m’n ereader staan, prima kans dat ik dat ook nog probeer. FYI: no spice romance en eigenlijk wel echt zo’n 100 blz te lang.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2022
This was fantastic.
I zoomed through this book in a day. Could barely stand to put it down. Characters are multi-layered. I felt like I was in each scene, it was all so well-described. Looking forward soooooo much to her next book!!
I zoomed through this book in a day. Could barely stand to put it down. Characters are multi-layered. I felt like I was in each scene, it was all so well-described. Looking forward soooooo much to her next book!!
May 16, 2022
4.5 out of 5 stars
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July 28, 2022It’s what I expected. That element where you feel frustrated with Rachel as she appears not to have faced up to her past relationship and acknowledge jack really is a shit. The late introduction of her past stops the story being stodgy but it could have moved along a little faster.
August 27, 2022
This was a fun, quick read. I liked the characters, discussions and character growth in this story a lot. There was a little bit of language, but otherwise, a very sweet romance.
January 15, 2024
So cute. Completely predictable, but an enjoyable read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews