Take a Chance on Me
My Rating: 4.5
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Format: eARC*
Publication Date: February 4, 2020
Author: Beth Moran
Similar To
Take a Chance on Me
Book Blurb
Meet Patrick Cooper – desperately down on his luck, and head-over-heels in unrequited love with his best friend Bridget.
Meet Bridget’s sister, Emma Donovan – eternally single maker-of-cakes for many a happy couple, whilst never making it down the aisle herself.
Emma has four younger sisters, all of whom are married or getting married, and an Italian mother who can’t understand what is ‘wrong’ with her eldest daughter, who seems to be stranded on the shelf. Despairing of her own ability to find a suitable husband, Emma agrees to be part of a compatibility project to get married at first sight.
Meanwhile Cooper is struggling to get over his crush on Bridget and seems destined to stay firmly on the shelf too. Perhaps it’s time his fate was taken out of his hands…
Is happily-ever-after just about daring to take a chance, or do you need some extra magic to make love last?
Join Beth Moran, Cooper and the Donovan sisters on this life-affirming and uplifting tale of love, family, friendship, and risking it all for happiness.
Take a Chance on Me
Review
As a quick reminder, here is my rating structure:
- 1 star: Did not finish
- 2 Stars: Finished but I do not recommend
- 3 Stars: Liked but could use some improvements
- 4 Stars: Loved this book!
- 5 Stars: Rare. The unput-down-able, binge read obsession.
My star ratings are also based also genre based. I compare all books with books of the same genre. While I would love to believe that my love of books in general transcends all bias, there are genres I prefer over others.
I’m human.
Example: If I read a mystery novel and think it deserves a 5-star rating, then I have compared it to other mystery books, and determined it to be one of my absolute favorites. The unputdownable mystery.
This will hopefully keep me from comparing Outlander, a personal obsession of mine, with the experience of reading The Hate You Give. Both 5 star books for me, but completely and totally different. I couldn’t even try to rate them against each other, so I don’t. Makes my life easier. 🙂
My Thoughts
When I checked out the reviews for Take a Chance on Me, I was thoroughly shocked. How could everyone not love it as much as I do?
The cast of characters were wonderfully full and bursting with personalities. You could not want more from a character stand point. So many different women, all in different plaes, with so many different points of view.
The plot was original while also fitting neatly into the romcom world. I noticed a trend in the reviews saying they were disappointed because the book didn’t turn out the way that they thought it would. So, basically, you dislike a book because it wasn’t predictable and exactly like thousands of other books within the genre?
I usually try ridiculously hard not to put spoilers in my reviews, and I am going to try with this one, but I have to express my love for Take a Chance on Me and in doing so, how I believe other reviews were wrong. Along the way, I might spoil some things. At the very least, I will give you a general idea of how the book unfolds, which could affect how you read the story. Please stop now if you want to avoid all types of spoilers.
*POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT*
The reason Take a Chance on Me works so well is that it isn’t exactly what you would expect. Yes there’s a couple and they are put together, but does that necessarily mean that they will fall in love? Is it possible that within the romcom genre we could have a book that shows a more realistic outcome to extraordinary situations?
Instead of trying to force books into what you want them to be, just let a book tell you its story. Read the authors words, hear their story, and take it in for what it is. This is exactly why I only read a bit of blurbs. I do not want to put my expectations on someone else’s work.
Every book is that author’s story that they have chosen to tell, and I wanted to read Beth Moran’s story. I’m so glad I did.
Conclusion
A wonderfully fresh take on the romantic comedy genre that’s both heart warming and funny.
~About the Author~
Beth Moran is the author of four novels, including the bestselling Christmas Every Day. She regularly features on BBC Radio Nottingham and is a trustee of the national women’s network Free Range Chicks. She lives on the outskirts of Sherwood Forest.
*Special thanks to Beth Moran, Boldwood Books, and Rachel’s Random Resources providing a copy of Take a Chance on Me in exchange for an honest review.
Leave a Reply