Portia MacIntosh's works are always a treat and this one is no different. The moment I read that dedication, I knew this is going straight to my favourite shelf. Yup! I was right. Fake date trope is one of my preferred plot devices and the author brings a breath of fresh air to this oft used theme.
What is so different then? For one, Cara and Millsy are not faking a relationship. They are just being friendly plus ones in each other's social gatherings. And there are a lot of events, making the story quite fast-paced. What is hilarious is that in each event there occurs some mishaps and the way they work in sync to cover the crime is definitely my favourite part. In each party, I found myself waiting for the about to happen havoc and it never disappoints.
Cara and Millsy are polar opposites from the outside, but they do have obvious chemistry and perfect balance found only in meant-to-be relationships. Having a feminist brother does have some influence on Cara's personality though she may never admit it. I love her confident personality and nerdy ways which comes in handy regularly. Her career choice of building escape rooms was also something new and that captivated me from the very beginning.
Millsy, on the other hand, is our typical playboy who comes to his senses when his best friend Ruby (you guessed right, its not a bloke's name) is about to get married. Throughout the story, we can see his kindness and caring nature. Added to this is the take life by the horns attitude and that brings the best out of his nature. It is only at the end of the book I came to know this was a standalone sequel to 'Truth or Date'. Well, that is something I definitely need to read now to know more about Ruby.
On the whole, a beautiful story that gives complete justice to that charming cover. Highly recommended!

"You can't put a price on finding love. If you could, it wouldn't be £10." And Portia MacIntosh"s "The Plus One Pact" is off running at a pace that never slows until the predictable, yet satisfying ending. After weeks of 'sheltering in', all I want is a light-hearted, fun read. This fits the bill in every way from start to finish. One of the things I liked about the book is there are no boy/girl misunderstandings, just many incidents leading to another smile or chuckle. MacIntosh reminds me of the early Patricia Burroughs books. They both give new meaning to rom-com.

The Plus One Pact by Portia MacIntosh is a fun and sweet romantic comedy that I really enjoyed. Nothing like a fun Rom-Com to lift your mood. Cara has run out of men to date on her dating app. She needs to find someone to attend summer events with her. Cara meets Millsy on a night out and he seems to be in the same predicament, so they make a pact to be each other's plus one. What could go wrong? No strings attached. Looking for a perfect escape read? I strongly recommend this book. I will definitely be reading more books by Ms. MacIntosh.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3.5 Stars for a one-time rom-com !

A light read ! The plot is not very unique.. we've been there and done that with love stories starting out as fake dates and then becoming real. I won't say I didn't enjoy the book, I am genuine like that :) . some of the scenes were hilarious. But there is nothing I can brag about.. Predictable story, predictable characters.. Their family scenes were adorable. I especially enjoyed reading Oliver's views on feminism.

Though the main reason why I have given this story a 3 star is because of the way it began. The way Millsy became her wingman in the dating pool was so spontaneous, that it was a little unbelievable for me. I mean, who does that ? Wouldn't we all like the wingman Millsy..setting up appointments with hi-fi saloons, giving makeovers and getting entries into elite clubs..

But other than that, I would give it a 4 star. So, I am negotiating with myself on behalf of the story and deciding to go with 3.5 stars.

"Just don't go falling in love with me for real." 

3.5 Stars!

The Plus One Pact by Portia Mactintosh is a light hearted rom-com. 

It takes place in present world Leeds where we are trying to find our partners through dating apps and constantly being disappointed. She even runs out of guys to swipe on Matcher in her area! This entire scene was all too funny and all too relatable for our time. 

After some rather interesting and funny dates, Cara finds herself a new best guy friend after she was stood up by one of her amazing dates. After she realizes Millsy (aka Joe) is a normal, nice guy they develop a good friendship. Cara has her not-so-nice cousin's wedding coming up and needs a date because the ex-boyfriend that she broke up with and didn't plan on seeing again will be in attendance and will be staying at her parents house. Millsy and Cara develop an understanding to be each other's plus ones to work and life events. Then they end up being flat mates and spending more time together. Their misadventures are actually funny. 

Although the story line sounds very cliche, it was slightly different than I expected. I assumed they would be going to events pretending to be in love, rather, they went simply as plus ones! There were hints throughout the book from Cara's point of view of her attraction to him, like when they slept together in the same bed as friends at Millsy's gran's place. But for the most part they were both set on being friends throughout the book until the end.

It is told in Cara's point of view and scenes are wonderfully described. I do like that Cara has an unconventional job, I think it added a little more character to her than in other rom-coms. However, without too many spoilers, I did not like how Cara did not listen to Millsy when it came to an opinion on a certain someone and I also didn't like how she just didn't ask him what he does for a living and moved in with him without having a real conversation. 

Thank you to Net Galley, Boldwood Books, and Portia Mactintosh for providing me this eARC in exchange for my honest reivew.  

Release Date May 21, 2020
Boldwood Books 
Romance, Women's Fiction

This is a fun and engaging novel in which we see Cara give up on online dating and embrace a new her.

I enjoyed the book, despite knowing pretty much where it was going from early on. Its written in the first person and whilst that isn't my favourite style it works for this book.

If definitely look for others by the author.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me a copy of the Plus One Pact to read and review early! I’ve been really vibing on romance novels lately and I love British things, so this was a great combination! This was an adorable, quick read that I really enjoyed!

The Plus One Pact 4/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads: What if your plus one could be the one...?


Cara has officially run out of men. Her most recent dates have gone from bad to worse, and when her dating app informs her there is no one left in her area to choose from, she is at a dead end.

But with a summer of events ahead of her, she needs to find a solution, fast; someone to keep her company at the never-ending weddings, family gatherings and gender reveal parties that she can’t face going to alone. So when she meets handsome, confident, Millsy on a night out she may be in luck. They could not be more different in personality, but he too has a summer of events ahead and is desperate to get his family off his back about finding a ‘nice girl’. What if they made a pact to help each other out and be a plus one for the summer? Just as friends of course...?
As someone who has had periods of bad dates after bad dates and times when dating apps have told her that there’s no one left, I definitely empathized with Cara there! Having Millsy show up at the perfect time to help her out for the summer was great and the way things played out was super cute! I thought the Cara’s family dynamics really added to the success of this book- I would have hated to have had a cousin like hers! Overall, this book was super adorable and I really liked the way it was! It comes out on May 21st, so make sure to check it out!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my review of the book. Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is expected to publish at the end of May, and I can't help but think that it may be the perfect book to start off the summer with! And I have to say, it makes me so glad to be 'old and married' rather than dating, because poor Cara really does have a run of bad luck with her dates from matching apps!

Much of Cara's life is unknown to me - I haven't used dating apps, I don't have a huge family with lots of family events and weddings and the like. But it sure was fun to read about! The women's fiction/contemporary fiction genre is a new one for me, I haven't read many over the years, but I am noticing some standard plot lines from one to the next. This started out much like the others, but I thought the twist of meeting a cool guy friend near the beginning and making a pact to be each other's 'plus one' for the summer's events was a cute idea. Reminded me of a song, St. Patrick's Day, that I always thought would make a cute story. And of course, as Joe and Cara get to know each other more, as 'just friends', their relationship grows and changes. But you expected that, right?

I didn't love Cara's self image at the beginning of the book. But maybe that comes from too many years of lots of dates, of feeling like she was 'less' for not finding Mr Right, with too many suggestions that she was 'too nerdy' for her love of puzzles - even if it did lead to a cool job! - that hurt her self image. I would imagine that happens for a lot of women - and for that matter, a lot of men as well.

This was a fun little book, a quick and easy read, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a light read over the summer months.

I really enjoyed this book. I managed to read it within 4 hours and I’m so glad it wasn’t dragged out so much & was relatively short. Really liked the characters Joe was so cute, Caras perspective was actually really likeable. Definitely recommend for a summer romance read that’s quick and easy!

Love conquers all as they say and this book has it all. Different to most stories and very enjoyable. Portia Macintosh gets better as she writes and this is a 5 star novel. Her books are a joy to read and I recommend this one.

Witty and sweet. Portia MacIntosh has written such a fun lighthearted feel good book! The fake relationship trope is one of my favorites and this is one of the best I’ve read. Cara and Millsy meet one night at a bar when Millsy approaches Cara after she’s been stood up. Cara has gone on a recent string of bad dates and is convinced there is nobody that she matches with who is also geographically desirable and Millsy doesn’t do relationships. The two of them form an unlikely bond and soon decide that they are going to be one another’s plus one for the summer. Both of them have countless family obligations, including Cara’s bitchy cousin’s wedding where her ex-boyfriend is on the guest list. The story was not terribly unpredictable, but that did not matter at all because the journey was divine.

Cara and Millsy were both such tremendously likable characters and I cannot remember the last time I was so anxious for a couple to realize the feelings they have for one another. They also both had great families filled with fabulously colorful characters that I loved getting to know. I really just enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book and was sad to see it end. I would love to see a follow up to the story perhaps a book with Oliver, Cara’s feminist Brother. This book was definitely one of the best romcoms I’ve read this year.

This book in emojis 🧩 🍷 👰🏼 🛥 🎈 🐶

*** Big thank you to Boldwood for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Really enjoyed this. Millsy and Cara were a breath of fresh air. The book starts out a little muddled but works out well over the course.

A good escapist read in these terrible times.

This book is perfect if you are looking for an easy read and if you like crazy scenarios. The book did take me a bit longer to finish because I just couldn’t wrap my head around some of the scenarios, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. There were definitely times I did laugh out loud, but all in all I found it predictable like a Hallmark movie (don’t get me wrong – I am a secret Hallmark movie fan. Shh…).

I want to thank NetGalley, the author and publisher for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

A cute story which was amusing when Cara Millsy became each other plus one as settled by their Pact.

They got into quite a few problems in various events, and it was fun to see them come out of it. Both refused to admit they liked each other. Aww gosh...

Portia MacIntosh has written another sweet story filled with mad capers and delightful characters. This was an easy breezy readwhich for done in a couple of hours

I felt like a lot of this book was repetitive, characters explaining things they already felt or said. While I knew the main characters were being set up, I didn’t feel any real chemistry when they were thrown together. It was like all of a sudden they decided it was a romance without any lead up.

Thanks to Netgalley for a ARC of The Plus One Pact. This book is perfect for people who know *exactly* what they want to make them have warm fuzzies. It reminded me a lot of a Hallmark movie in that way. I also understand the pressure of being 30 and unmarried and the pressure your family places on you in that way. It was a cute fun book and if you need something sweet, this is the way to go.

This is your classic feel-good romance book. Girl meets boy. Girl falls in love. The couple finds their happily every after.

I had two major issues with this book. The first was that the whole story was told through Cara's POV. Her POV was just an inner dialogue of thoughts, like "that's a mood" or "he couldn't be serious, right?" Maybe I'm just not a fan of this style of writing, but it just seemed a bit too youth/pop-culture oriented for a modern romance book.

My other issue was that Cara is an incredibly static character. Her entire life revolves around dating men, and when she runs out of men on her app, she has a crisis. I'm not sure that this is incredibly realistic––women do have lives outside of men. I would've liked to see more personality from her throughout the book and a little bit of character development.

It's a sweet read, but I think it's one where you definitely need to like the narration style to enjoy the book.

I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) of this novel, with thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books. After receiving it yesterday morning, it was promptly finished this morning at 1:21am (to be precise), because it had such a good flow and kept me guessing, that I didn't want to put it down.

Before requesting any ARC, my first test is the cover, does it appeal to me? I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but honestly, in the book world (but not in real life, definitely don't judge a book by its cover then), the cover tells you a lot about how good the book is. This novel had a very appealing cover, and thankfully the story inside lived up to the expectations.

The second test is the rest of it, and that's simply the novel itself. The notion of being a plus one to important events as friends has been around for some time, in both novels and films, but this one stood out by itself simply due to the fact that it wasn't a cookie-cutter plot-lift. Reading from one chapter to the next, I honestly couldn't figure out for some time who our leading lady was going to end up with. While typically in a romance novel the two characters mentioned on the blurb are going to end up together, there were so many side-twists and new information revealed that honestly, until about the last five or six chapters, who Cara was going to end up with wasn't clear, and I thoroughly enjoyed that.

While this is a light-hearted novel, it does cover some deeper subject matter, including the leading lady's concern about her appearance and her reasons for changing it, combined with her desire to find a partner, but not settle. Cara is a likeable character, but I found that the book was a little lighter on character development, but stronger in plot points. I would have liked to seen more character development of both our leading lady and man, rather than the realizations that occurred, which we're not always privy to prior to the change, but this is not done in a way that is overly distracting, just more of a niggle.

(Spoilers briefly ahead)
I was also a little perturbed with our leading lady's family decision to not only invite her ex-boyfriend to stay with them, but to stay in her old bedroom. The old relationship wasn't a good one, and I would hope that my family would have respected me enough not to do that. Neither of our families seemed to be perfectly on the ball, and that is real life, it's not always going to be perfect, which did add a good sense of realism here.

Overall, this was a light-hearted, fluffy romance that is perfect for a summer escape. Nothing too serious, and not simply a re-used plotline with different characters, this novel did keep me on my toes, guessing until the last quarter or less, who Cara was going to end up with. I do have to note as well that I did love the light nod to Bridget Jones, along with a few favorite tropes being utilized in a clever way. A poignant novel in parts, leading to some excellent quotes ready to go on my board, this was a great, light-hearted summer read.

Rating: 3.5/5

Special thanks to Rachel @ Rachel's Random Resources for including me in the blog tour and thanks to Boldwood Books and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review!

This is the kind of book you bring to the beach because it's light, funny and exactly what you'd want to read when you don't want to think too hard while still enjoying a story. If you've read a few romances or women's fiction books it's not hard to see where the story goes and what will happen next, but sometimes there's really nothing wrong with that. That said, I'm on the fence with how I feel about this book because I did enjoy it and I liked the characters, especially Cara and Millsy. However, we're "told" plenty and not shown much, and there was an unfortunate lack of character development that I feel would've greatly benefitted the story.

The humour from page one already had me thinking that yes, this is a book I'll definitely like and overall, I wasn't wrong. In terms of the plot, there isn't much going on. Cara and Millsy form a pact to go to events together after meeting on a night out and immediately hitting it off as friends, and things move quickly from one event to the next after that. I did have to suspend my disbelief slightly at how the two met, but I've certainly done my fair share of uncharacteristic things that have resulted in very positive outcomes so, I guess it does happen... It just moved very quickly, is all. What also threw me off initially was that it's narrated in first person and it's like Cara is talking to you, the reader, directly and while it's not my preferred POV, it was still okay.

Cara is a pretty funny character and I really related to her thoughts and experiences, especially about being a 30-something year old and being the only one in a group of friends who is single, unmarried and doesn't have kids. I get the pressure that she talks about and I was very much one with her thoughts on this aspect. She's sassy and smart and I enjoyed following the story through her perspective. For the most part I also liked Millsy's character. He was charming, funny and sweet but honestly there wasn't a lot of depth to work with and his character ended up coming across as a bit aloof? I liked that he would go to great lengths to make the people in his life happy though, even if he would moan about having to attend functions etc.

But as I said before, my biggest disappointment is the lack of character development and we're told about their connection (even as friends) rather than shown it. I wanted to see them interact more instead of having Cara tell us that they're getting on like a house on fire and it would've helped me feel their chemistry more and root for them as a friends-to-lovers couple. I obviously thought they should end up together but I wanted to feel more invested.

Despite all of that though I did enjoy it. It was a fast read that I finished in a few hours and I didn't have to think all that much to enjoy it. The humour throughout the book was really spot on and it had me constantly laughing or giggling and that was a big reason why I liked it as much. I'm glad that I got the chance to read this and I would be keen to see what else this author has published!

"The Plus One Pact" is an adorable, witty romance. The story line centers around Cara, who is desperate to find a date for an upcoming family wedding, and Millsy, the man who has quickly become her best friend. Of course they fall in love along the way, and while that may seem like a predictable ending, the author adds so much chemistry and funny moments that it is so enjoyable to read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance novels.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.