Lighthearted, cute read. I giggled out loud a few times at some of the silly lines. I enjoyed the characters very much, and the plot was easy to follow and fun.

I requested this book as I had seen a lot of chatter on social media, and was in need of a hilarious read.

Unfortunately it didn't quite hit the spot. The story was enjoyable enough, but I didn't find myself laughing out loud. I didn't particularly find much empathy with the lead character, Elissa. She just seemed a bit too flaky. I might be a bit behind but is 26 a little old to be an intern? I may well be wrong. but I found her character to be a little annoying, although less so towards the end - obviously a good thing!

However, Annie was a breath of fresh air. She is the elderly widow that Elissa ends up being 'matched' with via an agency. Now she IS hilarious; I found her swearing and general approach to life delightfully unexpected. She reminded me so much of my darling Nan (who coincidentally did not swear). Watching the relationship develop between Annie and Elissa is the most enjoyable part of this book, showing that the elderly most certainly should not be written off or ignored by society, but should be protected, respected and loved.

Overall an enjoyable read, but one that didn't quite live up to the hype for me.

A fun Chic Lit read about Elissa,  a struggling tech intern.   Struggling both in her work and relationship.  With no money she moves out and on from her boyfriend to live as a companion for a single elderly lady.  This move proves to be  ultimately beneficial for both the elderly lady, the community in which she lives and for Elissa.  With the expected feel good ending of finding a far nicer man than the one she started out with.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for allowing me to read the eARC of this book.

I requested this book based purely on the title because it sounded absolutely hilarious and I hoped the book would be too, and it was at times, but most of the time it was missing something.

There is a real pacing issue with this story which isn't helped by the fact that there are so many different plot threads crammed into one relatively short book. It becomes hard to know what is important and what we should focus on because there are so many different threads to keep track of. I really like the concept of this book but it just didn't execute it that well I don't think. I never felt particularly invested in any of the plots because we never got to spend that much time on each thread. Like the relationship between Annie and Elissa; I never felt there was much heart to it because we never really get to see it, instead we're just told about things they've done together and their relationship but it means I wasn't invested in it. We never get to sink into these characters and learn more about who they are and their motivations and so everything feels a bit surface level. 

I did really like the concept and I really wanted to love it; for the first 30% or so I was really enjoying it but the book just never quite got going in the way I hoped. None of the plots really felt solved by the end and you're sort of left in limbo a little bit...

It's a light-hearted read and there is nothing awful about it, I just wanted a little more. 

Published on 14th May 2020 so go check it out for yourself!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The protagonist Elissa is having some life crisis that ultimately leads her to signing up to be a an elderly companion in exchange for room and board.   There we meet Anne, an eccentric elderly who has a mysterious past and family drama, which Elissa will no doubt try and help fix. I really liked the heartwarming feeling of this book  You get a sense of community from the elderly community and Elissa's support.  

It hit home and made me remember explaining internet and apps to my gran which was a pleasant memory , and laugh out loud moment.

If you want a feel good story, relationships, family, older generation/millennial friendship, and a "started from the bottom now we here" type of book, then this is it for you.

Elisa is turning 26...she is working as an unpaid intern and sharing a room in a flat with her boyfriend.  When her boyfriend decides to travel leaving her behind Elissa has to find somewhere else and quick. She ends up as a companion/housemate to 83 year old Annie.  They both teach each other plenty and Elissa starts to release she has what it takes to make it on her own. 
It’s a nice feel good read. I really enjoyed it. Reminiscent of Libby Page and Beth O’Leary.

Hilarious and relatable! This book captured my attention, and the writing flows so well I didn’t put it down for a whole morning. Highly recommend!

I absolutely loved this book! The title and cover are just gorgeous and although I've read it now, I'm definitely going to buy a hard copy because it will cheer me up just being on my bookshelf! 

I wanted to hug Elissa, she is having the worst luck with jobs, relationships, homes, but then Annie enters her life. 
I think it's a beautiful idea and the storyline felt particularly relevant at the moment when people are forming bonds with neighbours which maybe weren't there before COVID-19.

I also learnt a new term - cloaking 😂 - which I had to look up on the Urban Dictionary! 

This is the author's first novel and I can't wait for the next one!

Lovely book with a lot to enjoy. I am reminded of Fleabag and Bridget Jones with this British protagonist who is trying to make her way in the world still. I love the relationships in the book that feel very real. The workplace is also reminiscent of places my friends report from. Very enjoyable and fun.

It's very rare that I read a book and find myself laughing out loud throughout! It's very rare that I even find a book funny. Most are not.

The Lonely Fajita is such a feel good, heartwarming, hilarious book- and I'm so glad I read it. I couldn't put it down... but I kept this book for my daily baths and night time reads as an indulgent treat- that truly made me feel good. 

I saw so many aspects of Elissa in myself growing up, and so many parts of Annie in my nan and her ways- so it was a delight to feel close to the characters. To feel they were relatable. To laugh at the many jokes Elissa made. To be reminded that the older generation have a story to tell. 

I was intrigued at every turn of the page- to find out what was waiting for Elissa as she started a new journey living with an old gal! 

It's the first book in years that actually made me feel joyful and sad at the same time. Following Elissa and Annie overcoming their challenges together and thinking how true to life this book actually was.

I've based this review purely on how it made me feel and I was laying in the bath, I got to the last page, I read the last word. I Closed the book...and I had a huge smile on my face with slightly watery eyes (must have been the bath water!)

Abigail Mann is one witty writer! Who managed to pull every possible emotion out of me.

The Lonely Fajita is such a light-hearted and fun read! It was an incredibly well written book which had me laughing from the very beginning. I flew through this book and found myself enjoying the friendship that developed between Annie and Elissa, who were both relatable and realistic. 

However, I found myself struggling investing in the characters and this story. I wanted more of how Annie and Elissa became so close. I wanted more of their day to day happenings. I felt that it jumped quite a bit and before I knew it they were more comfortable with each other. I also would have liked to have seen more about Lovr and the dates that she was supposed to be going on. We saw one date? 

Overall this was a heart-warming and effortless read that I was looking for in these weird times! I look forward to reading more of Abigail Mann’s work!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarpercCollins and One More Chapter for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

As Elissa's boyfriend Tom, goes off travelling and leaves her behind struggling in a low paid job in a London office, she takes a chance on a free rent live in carer job with elderly gutsy Annie who takes a liking to her.



However, Annie's family is a mystery as Elissa discovers more about then as their friendship warms up and she sets about helping reunite her with her son and his family whilst juggling her works new Lovr dating app launch despite her fails of dates she by chance keeps meeting a guy who she finds easy on the eye after going out running.



I loved the sense of community in the book as Elissa helps the elderly get online despite the circumstances! It was a relatable read as the elderly community in their areas are usually friendly with a strong sense of community and being a carer is also relatable and much better to me than working for Lovr when Elissa didn't love her job! It was a fab debut and would love to see how thing work out for Elissa in the future...



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

I absolutely loved this book and cam identify with wanting to fit in with other people in all facets of your life. This was the authentic good feeling read that was definitely needed and there are plenty of laugh out loud moments, as well as some cringe-worthy mistakes by the main characters. I think I will be buying a hardcover of this when it becomes available, I liked it that much. This was funny from start to finish even if you don't like the main character right away, she definitely grows on you.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 5/14/20

This is a lovely lighthearted book especially in this current climate. 
Elissa lives in a house share with her boyfriend and two others. Her boyfriend doesn’t seem committed. Then she’s given an ultimatum by the landlords daughter to move as as the room she shares isn’t big enough.
Following a smear on her birthday (bringing on plenty of vagina jokes) she discovers a leaflet in the doctors surgery. It’s looking for people to house share with the elderly. To help with day to day stuff. Cook the odd meal and offer companionship. 
Being in an unpaid job in  social media with an awful boss and an even worse looking bank account she contacts Elder care. 
Here she is matched with Annie a  good old Yorkshire lass. Homelessness is prevented by elissa becoming Annie’s live in companion. 
This is a book of love and friendship. Lighthearted and funny and about finding yourself

If you want a book to escape and have a laugh with, this is the book for you. The story is about Elissa and her life, she is fed up with her boyfriend, I really felt for her and can she why she was fed up with him. She finds herself homeless but decides to do something about it and her idea is pure genius. Wait till you meet her new residents. I  found some parts of the book quite funny and amusing, so much so I was upset when the book finished. I will be looking out for more of Abigail's books. I would definitely recommend this book.

Elissa is a twenty-something with an unpaid job for a horrible boss in social media and a sort of relationship which isn't much more than a flat share. She sees an advert for live-in companions for elderly folk who need company and decides to apply.

The Lonely Fajita is enjoyable for a while. It is well written and funny and Elissa's character is well drawn. It seems though that the writer has more knowledge of twenty somethings and social media than of older people. Annie, the one in need of company, is a strange and unlikely person and the more the book goes on the less likely it feels. All story development just seems to stop, and even a comeuppance for awful Mitchell is disappointing.
With thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK

This is a fun light-hearted read - which I’m sure is what most of us are picking up at the moment. I predict this doing well as a fun summery read. I liked it, I enjoyed the characters but I never felt fully invested. I would recommend and read more from the author but this isn’t a stand out novel for me.

I rarely opt for this kind of book, but was so glad I did this time.

Light, funny, and laugh out loud at points, this is a great tonic of a read.

Elissa is currently an intern working for peanuts at a dating app company - as the company looks like folding, all the employees are given the chance to suggest a rebranding, and Elissa's suggestion soon gets going. Elissa's own love-life falls apart at the beginning of the story, and in order to be able to afford a place to live, she finds herself as live in companion to an old lady, Annie. I loved these two characters, and their relationship - such fizz and bounce off one another.

A brilliant read, look out for Abigail Mann again.

THE LONELY FAJITA was just the real world (pre-pandemic) lighter read that I was seeking and it had a narrative banter-style that I really appreciated. Elissa, the protagonist was a bit of a disaster, navigating life without a real rudder and struggling to find her way.

It took things in her life going south to give Elissa the kick she needed to take her life by the scruff of it’s neck and make things happen. However, Elissa’s idea of taking control, was not mine. The best thing to come out of this storyline was the Elder Care element and I loved Annie; especially Elissa and Annie together. They were gold on the page.

This was a gentle, meandering story with many funny moments and great dialogue. However, whilst Elissa was amusing and likeable, I didn’t fully connect with her as a character. I wanted to get deeper into her psyche, I wanted to know why she was so inactive and lacking in confidence but I came away not knowing this, just thinking she was nice but superficial.

THE LONELY FAJITA is perfect for a light afternoon or weekend read and I’m sure many will laugh at moments in this book, just like I did.

Thank you to One More Chapter for the early review copy.

This was a heartwarming book then made me feel very content. It was a book for me that have hope that even when the odds are stacked against you great things are round the corner. I found all the characters interesting and actually wish we could have got to know them more espically Annie and Suki! The reason this book is a 3 and not a 4 is that at times i wish it had slowed down and shown us more of the relationship between Annie and Elissa. But a lovely read which I would defiantly pass on.
 Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in return for an honest review