Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Bonnier Zaffre for the advanced reading copy.

I don't know about you, but when my phone bricked and I had to wait three whole days for a new one, I thought my life was over (albeit temporarily). I felt isolated, lost, had a serious case of FOMO - yet I still had internet access on my computer so I wasn't actually in any real danger of losing touch with the world.

Poor Daisy agrees to go cold turkey after a teeny tiny error in posting something to her work Twitter instead of her private account. She goes into virtual - and real - hiding, led by her rather bossy sister.

Daisy's struggle with her addiction is very real, and I think many of us would feel the same panic in the same situation; leaving yourself wide open for abuse is a very real risk.

The book is hilarious - with several LOL moments, and I was swept up into Daisy's life, feeling her indignation and frustration as she battles against her sister's strict rules. Who hasn't sneaked out of somewhere to make that call.

It does make you think, as Daisy learns that actually, being without the internet and not being immediately contactable is not the Most Terrible Thing in the World. It can be quite liberating, like walking out of a cave for the first time, blinking in the sunlight and hearing the birds singing. Like, you know, real living life!

Of course this is a rom com, not a lecture about the perils of Social Media; so of course we have the obligatory hot men who cannot possibly be considered as a potential partner as they are grumpy argumentative pricks... until we get to know them and ultimately love them.

I loved this book - it's a great laugh and a perfect escape from technology. OK, so I read it on a Kindle... shh!

Time to add another author to My Authors to be Added to my TBR pile...

Coming in at number 29 in the #40yrs40bks challenge, It Started with a Tweet is a book by an author I’ve never read before and, based on what an enjoyable little read this book was, I’ll definitely be seeking Anna Bell out for more summery reads.

Although it’s billed as a romantic comedy, this book actually asks a really interesting modern-day question: are we too much in love with our phones, and have we forgotten how to live in the real world without them? This comes sharply into focus for Daisy when she is fired for sending a disastrous tweet from her company account. When her sister Rosie suggests a digital detox Daisy tentatively agrees, but finds it harder than she imagined to stay out of the loop.

There is a really telling scene when Daisy tries to return to her former life that I won’t spoil, but that really calls out anyone (like me!) who rely a bit too much on their phones while out and about!

Extraordinarily relatable, and with some very colourful characters It Started with a Tweet is light and funny and perfect holiday reading.

Hands up if sometime since the dawning of social media you’ve lived your life through it’s lens? You know, thinking about how you can get that great looking photo on Instagram or Facebook or that hilarious tweet on Twitter. I know I have!

If that’s the case you’ll really be able to identify with Daisy. You’ll be laughing as well as cringing with her, as she plunges headlong into her digital detox with her sister Rose.

I really enjoyed this book, it was so easy to read making me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. That’s not to say that it didn’t have some serious parts to it as well. I loved the neighbours she meets and I especially enjoyed the episodes with the mud, the barn dance and the village shop.

This is my first book by Anna Bell and it certainly won’t be my last.

I definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a feel good read that’ll make you think.

Daisy lives her life online. Everything she does is broadcast to the world via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Then, one day she forgets to log out of her work’s Twitter account and sends a hugely inappropriate tweet, resulting in her immediate dismissal. At a loss, Daisy allows her sister to convince her to go on a digital detox. What she doesn’t expect is to be roped into renovating an old farm in Cumbria. But, as Daisy will find out, it’s amazing what you can find when you switch off.

I came to an important realisation when reading this book: if a book starts at a hen party, I probably won’t like it much. That being said, It Started With a Tweet was not terrible. It’s a light and reasonably entertaining romance, with a meaningful message about our obsession with social media.

The main downfall was the characters. They’re all pretty fickle, and our main girl, Daisy, was quite annoying. She didn’t seem to be able to fully commit to anything. She agrees to do this digital detox, but keeps trying to get back online in secret. Except her attempts are pretty half-hearted. If she really wanted to get online, she just had to try a bit harder and she’d manage; she gave up too easily every time.

The best part of the story was when Daisy returned to London and saw how obsessed all her friends were with their phones, and realised how much she didn’t want to be like that anymore. Unfortunately, after that the ending came on rather abruptly. She went back to her sister’s new farm and everything was sorted out like that *snaps fingers*. It’s like the author finally reached the end and gave up.

It Started With a Tweet was a decent read, but by no means a work of literary genius.

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

It started with a tweet by Anna Bell is a novel which tackles the FOMO ( fear of missing out on something) of the digital generation in a hilarious and unique manner. Daisy put her feet on an axe by tweeting something scandalous on her professional twitter account which leads to her immediate disgrace in the digital society and job. Her sister wisely put her on a digital detox and after that the real story starts. I was laughing out at many instances where Daisy's obsession with the social media forces her to take extreme actions leading to very funny situations. You have to read the book to read the instances and whether or not she realized that there is life beyond the digital world. I found the book unique, thought provoking and hilarious. There were some points when I stopped and observed other people around me to behave as obsessively as Daisy towards their phone and I decided that I will not be one of those people. I recommend this book to everyone especially to young adults who have a hard time looking up from their tabs and phones. As an added bonus. the book also contains a romantic twist

So at a time when social media is everything - I get my childrens school updates, keep in touch with friends, and find new recipes all via social media - this novel is really rather fitting.  Can you cope without your smartphone?

Daisy Hobson cannot cope without her smartphone.  She lives her life via social media, so when she makes one mistake, one catastrophic mistake, she is forced off-line to fulfil an enforced digital detox with her sister.  Having lost her job and potentially her career, Daisy finds herself hidden away in a remote spot in Cumbria living a life she has never dreamed about and has certainly never wanted.  Her smartphone forcibly removed, she finds herself with no internet access and no idea what is going on beyond the outskirts of the small Cumbrian village.  Instead, Daisy has to look up and pay attention to what is going on around her.  She begins to make friends in the local village, including a certain neighbour, but she also starts to see whats happening within her own family.

This novel really does provide a few home truths when it comes to our usage of smartphones, tablets and laptops.  I know not only what my family are up to, but also almost every celebrity on the planet, at any time of day or night.  The question is: do we need to know? Also, is this knowledge stopping us having conversations?  Daisy's journey from social media queen to a remote villager really highlights these issues.  She knows next to nothing of her sisters life prior to her enforced stay with her, yet she knows all about the lives of random strangers she's never met.

Daisy and Rosie's story is a journey, a journey that may become ever more common as all of our realities become more virtual.  I really enjoyed following their story, as they learned to be a part of each others lives again.  It raised some concerns for me, but ultimately I enjoyed the family element, the self-discovery that Daisy is forced to follow and the added fun of a little romance! It was an entertaining, often funny read that I really enjoyed! I definitely recommend!

Sometimes you just need to sit up and look at what is actually around you, rather than just exploring the ever increasing virtual world we all find ourselves in.

To me, a contemporary romance can veer very quickly into the cheesy/ overly predictable/ ridiculous however, gets it bang on for me. It’s a great mix of humour with interesting characters and a fun and engaging storyline.

I really loved daisy as a character. Even at the start, when she seems a little silly, I found myself warming to her, especially as the novel continues and you realise that, although she definitely has her flaws (as do many of her friends), she has got a likable character when she’s not completely absorbed in her Social Media life. After the first few chapters I really got into it and found myself completely invested in Daisy’s life. Though some parts are kind of predictable, there’s a lot of surprises too, and I thought the storyline itself – about our ties and dependence on the digital world – was really relevant, and a bit different as well.

It Started With A Tweet is a really fun read that will definitely leave you smiling; it’s how I wish more books in this genre could be – charming, funny and sweet, without being too cheesy. A great read and one I would definitely recommend – and as my first Anna Bell novel, I’ll certainly be reading more when I fancy a warm and witty story!

I thought this book would be a funny, intelligently written look into digital addiction and a nice romp in the countryside. I knew it would go into the way that people spend all their time on their phones, but considering this is written by an author with a twitter account, being given out on a digital review website and basically being sold to members of the digital age, I didn't expect it to be quite so anti-phones and social media.

That's not to say that I didn't like the book, but that was the feeling that I took away from it, which isn't what you really want when you're a blogger who uses twitter and social media a lot to do that. I think I would have preferred it ending on a softer note, with a reminder to leave your phone behind every so often and enjoy life, but focusing more on a balance between the two.

There were lots of things I liked though. I liked Daisy and Jack. I liked the dog and his habit of chasing pigeons into barns when he shouldn't a lot. It made me laugh a lot and I had a lot of sympathy for most of the characters.

It just felt a bit preachy at the end and I don't think that it was the authors intention to give across that feeling.

Daisy was not very likable. I didn't care what happened to her. That made the book very "meh" for me.

The idea of a single tweet ruining your career seemed a bit far fetched at the beginning but as I read this book I realized it was more about the impact that phones and other social media impact our lives. I enjoyed reading about Daisy's struggle to be without her phone and found her to be very relatable in this day and age and liked how the story unfolded.

Thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced and breezy, romantic comedy. This is the first time I've read anything by this author and it outclasses many I've read in this genre purely because it is intelligently written and the writing style is so accessible.

As with many books in this genre the ending is predictable but if you are a fan of this genre then that's not going to be a problem.

What a book to start 2018 with, I absolutely adored this read. Within the first few pages I was laughing at Daisy’s antics and I could really relate to how she felt about social media. I sometimes struggle to switch off from Facebook and Twitter however I can honestly say I have never done what Daisy did!
Daisy is obsessed with social media – she has to put funny tweets up, puts up photos of her food and drinks on Instagram and finds her dates on Tinder. However after doing something catastrophic (I won’t say what but oh my gosh it is so funny) her sister Rosie decides Daisy needs a digital detox. Rosie drags Daisy to the countryside with no phones and is made to do house renovations on an old crumbling farmhouse.

At several points of the book, I just burst out laughing, it was that funny. I adored Anna’s sense of humour and it was evident throughout the whole book. Anna Bell has written a wonderful and relevant book that I’m sure most people will be able to relate to.

Of course, it has some romance in it and we are introduced to two men – Jack the neighbour and Alexis a Frenchman who is helping on the renovations. I must admit I had a soft spot for Jack, he was probably my favourite character. Amongst the romance, there is also a lovely amount of drama to satisfy the reader.

I can’t believe this is my first book by Anna Bell that I’ve read, she’s somehow escaped my book radar but I will definitely look out for the others in the future. If you’re a fan of romantic reads, house renovations or are addicted to social media, this book is for you! I highly recommend this read, you won’t regret it!

It started with a tweet is the first book of 2018 I've read and I can't understand how Anna Bell has escaped me as this was a fab read.
Daisy is the main character in this funny, romantic read and she is a great lead character as she is realistic and funny so makes her completely believable. The story starts with her tweet blunder that leads to her being sacked and her journey to help her sister renovate a dilapidated farmhouse. The story follows Daisys ups and downs after her sister takes away her phone to detox her. I can relate to Daisy in this that my phone is never far from me and to spend 3 weeks without it would probably kill me. The storyline is different to anything I have read before and worked well and will be looking out for Anna Bell in the future.
I would like to thank netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those books that will hook you in right from the word go because it is such a character driven novel, you will feel like you are hanging out with a friend and watching her as her life falls to pieces and she works out how she is going to build it back up again. Parts of this book felt a lot like Sophie Kinsella's latest novel in that sense and then there ere other parts that had me crying with laughter one moment and then thinking about my own life and evaluating it in others.

So there's my summary, but what did i especially like about these characters and the way I was made to think?

I really loved the fact that the main character of this novel had flaws. She is just like everyone else and so I found he really easy to relate to right from the word go. She also has friendships and family relationships that she ought to be able to rely on but she's not sure whether she can or not, something which is becoming increasingly more common as friendships and families are spread further and further across the globe.

The relationships that the main character has and the relationships that she develops with new people that she meets over the course of the novel are all really interesting to read about and to watch change and grow. I loved that she developed more of a relationship with her sister, more out of necessity than anything and the fact that she develops new relationships with people who get to know her outside of her London life, that was a really interesting difference to draw on when reading.

There are some real comedy moments in this book. Things happen and people say things and they had me laughing out loud. But this book did make me think about my own addiction to my phone and to social media. I am sure that this book wouldn't have taken me as long to read if I hadn't stopped every few chapters to Tweet about it or to update on Goodreads, or check my Instagram notifications and I have noticed other people's phone usage IRL since as well.

Thank you to Anna Bell for writing a novel and characters that are so easy to relate to, so entertaining but made me think at the same time. I so enjoyed this book and I think you will too.

I really quite enjoyed this book. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect but it surpassed my expectations in a good way!

I think we can all relate to Daisy in some way, we are all obsessed with social media - it what makes the word go around nowadays!

Nice and easy to read with not too much to think about - perfect!

Daisy is a complete mess she is obsessed with tweeting, tinder, posting photos and talking to her friends.

She is so busy that she forgets her sisters birthday and turns up on the wrong evening for her date.

Her sister thinks that daisy needs to get away without her phone. Will Daisy be able to cope and will she find true love?

A brilliant feel good book I loved it .

This is a fun story – mostly light hearted and easy to read. A salutary tale, perhaps, of what can go wrong with social media, but a story I really enjoyed. I only occasionally read chick lit or as they describe this, romance, and chose it because I live in the Lake District where most of the story is set. But I am very glad I chose this to review this, as it made me smile.

5 Words: Family, attraction, addiction, humour, resilience, detox.

It took me a few chapters to get into, but I stuck with it because Anna Bell's books make me laugh so much.

Daisy is so full of life that she comes alive on the page. She was slightly frustrating at times, but the best characters always are, and I quickly grew to love her.

Although there is a spark, romance is not at the heart of this book. I focuses much more on family and friendship and I absolutely loved it. It felt refreshing. And friendship is one of my favourite things to read about. Fills my heart with joy.

It's a clever book, with the catalyst being a mistake all too easy to make. Juggling social media accounts is hard.

Could I survive a digital detox?

Probably, but it wouldn't be nice. My friends all live in my phone, in my pocket!

Could you?

Utterly hilarious and a perfect way to spend a few hours while waiting for a transfer back the airport at the end of the holiday. Of course I had I read this at any point over the previous 2 weeks I would have been saying generally that is a perfect poolside read.

From the fun and clearly social media addicted start of the book Daisy soon makes a vital error tweeting something inappropriate from the wrong twitter account, which since I now have multiples I can completely understand the fear.

Her sister comes to the rescue after the errant tweet goes viral and encourages Daisy up to the wilds of Cumbria for a digital detox, plus her own ulterior motive too.

I loved every single second of this book, Daisy was just fabulous and Iliked the various men she met too - from Dominik that triggered the mess she is in, to Jack and Alexis out in the countryside. All 3 different but gorgeous!

I read this without stopping in about 4 and half hours give or take some eating of lunch simultaneously. I just couldn't and didn't want to put it down as I was enjoying myself so much.

If like me you understand the addiction of social media the odds are you will also adore this book. I'm also a massive fan of this authors writing and she is getting better and better with each book, and each fab idea for a story. Wonder what the next one will bring.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Anna Bell has a new book out?! Well, then give it to me immediately. I love her writing style and was really excited to start reading this one. The title is perfect for it and the story really makes you think.

We get to follow Daisy Hobson, who is on her phone constantly, whether it’s tweeting her friends, uploading a pic on Instagram or looking for dates on Tinder. She is a marketing manager and really obsessed with social media. It’s not surprising that she gets confused and mixes her accounts and people up. So a big mistake happens and everything goes downhill from there. Her sister Rosie thinks she needs a serious detox and Daisy finds herself in a remote cottage in Cumbria. Can she survive without her phone?!

Luckily, there are two very nice distractions: French exchange help Alexis and Jack, the man next door.

All the characters added something special to the story and I think they were all very well lined out. The storyline had a great flow and it always seemed very authentic. I sometimes wanted to shake Daisy and make her act differently though.

This book is full of LOL moments and I also really liked the sitting. Anna Bell puts a lot of detail in her writing and makes it really gripping. Her style is modern, fresh, charming, warm and very exciting. It’s a wonderful romantic comedy, full of unique moments and scenes.

Rating: 4.5/5