As always with a Sophie Ranald novel there are laugh out loud moments alongside hit you in the heart moments. The characters are always really relatable and memorable and you know when you pick up one of her novels you won’t be disappointed. This could possibly be my new favourite

Zoë has quite the work cut out for her where her dating life is concerned. With not having been in a relationship for some time, and spending most of her nights with her cat or working, she doesn’t seem like a great dating candidate. But when the past of a broken heart ends she decides it’s time to get out there. She joins the world of online dating with the help of a friend and runs into a slew of quirky and funny dating stories. Not to mention all the explicit photos she gets. Will swiping right finally get her the boyfriend she’s been wanting?

I would definitely suggest this one to a friend. It had a great story line of how funny and shitty online dating in this century can be. I liked the character of Zoë and was invested in her finding her “Prince Charming”. I only got frustrated with her and her friends stupidity in not seeing what issues were right in front of them! I think this was a great rom-com book and I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

One of the better things I did during my COVID quarantine this year was discover Sophie Ranald. I love her writing style and that all of her books seem to tie together in some way (usually through side characters getting their own story). Thank You, Next was another fantastic read from her, and I look forward to reading more in the future!

Zoe is looking for love, again, after reuniting as friends with the ex who got away (who you may recognize from a previous Ranald story). After speaking with a coworker she decides to date her way through the zodiac signs with help from an astrology app.

I loved reading Zoe's long-winded love story as she worked through all the possible matches that life threw her way, and I very much enjoyed the reappearance of some old familiar characters from the past. I recommend Thank You, Next (and any other Sophie Ranald book, for that matter) wholeheartedly!

Book Review ⁣⁣⠀
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Thank You, Next⁣⁣⠀
Sophie Ranald ⁣⁣⠀
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“That might have been my first dick pic- the breaking of my dick pic virginity,so to speak-but it wasn’t the last “ ⁣⁣⠀
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Thank you next, takes you on an adventure through the online dating world. Filled with Dick pics, no shows, and some utterly hilarious yet, traumatizing dates Zoe, is determined to find her true love. ⁣⁣⠀
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I loved the twist Zoe adds to her dating requirements! She has decided that she will date through the astrological signs! Zoe is an Aquarius, and gets her horoscope everyday via an app on her phone. ⁣⁣⠀
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I fell in love with the Pub Zoe worked at. The Ginger Cat’s atmosphere and patrons were my favorite part of the whole story. I loved Dungeon and Dragon nights, and now want to play! ⁣⁣⠀
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This was a cute book filled with lots of laughs but had the right amount of emotion and seriousness to balance it all out. This a must read! ⁣⁣⠀

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This is a very modern romance. Sassy, light and thoroughly entertaining. It is a rather unromantic romance too, an anti-romance perhaps? Our heroine's hopes are dashed time and time again.

Good hearted redhead, Zoe, guided by tinder, an astrology app, and the dubious advice of her friends, sets about trying to find the love of her life. Of course nothing works out as she hopes and she embarks on a series of disastrous dates, it is all very entertaining for us, and she learns to take it on the chin. She keeps ploughing on with her plan to date her way through the zodiac in hope of a compatible match. Meanwhile, she cooks delicious pub meals, rescues a fledgling blackbird and works out hard in the gym.

Zoe is a very down too earth relatable character, full of insecurities but driven by bind optimism. She can be naive though, to the point of absurdity. The story is light and a lot of fun, more about friendships and dating than traditional romance. The plot is fairly predictable, I could pretty much guess the shape of it after the first chapter, I don't mind that in a romance, I think I like the reassuring escapism of knowing where we are headed. There is nothing new or fresh in this story but it is a lot of fun and a very enjoyable read.

This was a review of a free e-copy of this book from Netgalley

This is one of those books where the characters are lovely and it’s fun to read but there’s something so dumb that it’s hard to get past. In this case, the idea of dating through the horoscope. The author makes a valiant effort to make it make sense to the character, but ultimately it’s such a dumb premise that I found myself enjoying everything except that part. If it bothers you less, then I think you’ll really enjoy this book.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sophie Ranald, and Bookouture for my arc of Thank You, Next in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Zoë has been hung up on her ex for so long that she's forgotten what dating is like. Now she lives in the flat above the pub she works in as a chef, with her fluffy ginger cat Frazzle and lived vicariously through her sous chef and his raucous sex life. So when he suggests she starts dating based on her most compatible signs of the zodiac, Zoë thinks well why not? Cue hilarity as each date goes from disaster to disaster and Zoë begins to suspect she might be able to start a small art gallery with the sheer quantity of d*ck pics she's been receiving.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was very relatable, laugh out loud funny in places and I really liked Zoë's character. I thought the dates were inventive and amusing and even the ones that were slightly over the top were amusing, the gym buddies and dungeons and dragons elements added depth to the story and the romance plot was believable, fun and a lovely happy ending.
All that would have been the recipe for a perfectly uplifting 5* read but sadly Thank You, Next loses a star for the trivialising of nut allergies which it has about half way through the book.
I really do feel as a person with a life threatening allergy to peanuts and nuts that if it is going to be used in any kind of media then it should be about raising awareness not for casual use that promotes the harmful idea that an allergy is a 'fad' or just people 'being difficult' which is the implication here. I will be contacting the publisher directly to ask them to consider re editing on that section rather than promoting harmful stereotypes about people with allergies.

Other than that I loved the book and would love to read more from this author.

This novel deals with how to find someone using a dating app. For some reason, Zoe decides to go on dates with people based on their Horoscope sign. It’s no surprise that this is not going to be a success. The combination of online dating and astrology is doomed to failure.

The premise was cute and I liked Zoe’s friends and job working as a cook at a neighborhood pub, but it seemed to take too long for Zoe to give up on the losers she was dating, including a real loser of a guy that she lets move into her tiny apartment and sponge off of her. Once she figures out who the guy is whom she should match up with, the story got much more entertaining.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

OMG I LOVED this book. Zoe was just such a likable and relatable lead, I found myself wanting to be her friend. The stories of the dates she goes on — hilarious, and I liked that for some of them, we didn’t live it with her, we heard about it as she recounted the story to her friend, so it just made it feel even more like we were one of her friends. And you didn’t know immediately who she was going to end up with — I liked that it wasn’t predictable, but still had the happily ever after. I also really loved that Zoe had her life on track, career wise — it’s nice to see a book with a competent lead. I’m super excited to read the rest of her books, because this was just such a fun read!

Thank You, Next by Sophie Ranald 4.25 stars

Zoe has no luck with relationships. But her daily horoscope app has convinced her to try again. So she decides to try and find The One by using the zodiac in her dating profile. And so begins six months of Tinder hell.

This was my first book from this author, and it won’t be my last. I really enjoyed the interactions that Sophie has with her friends and even her horrible dates. I did want to shake her a little bit because she was a little slow on the update on a couple of these guys. It’s funny, but as an American one of my favorite parts of the book was actually reading about all the interactions at the Ginger Cat, the pub that Zoe works at. It’s so interesting to me reading about the locals who come in every single day, they’re regulars and everyone knows their name, and it’s not just a bar but a meeting place. There’s even a Moms and Tots group that meets there! And this book really made me thankful to be married and not on the horrible dating scene.

A really fun read and I would definitely recommend!

How do you find the one in the age of Tinder? This novel delves into the awkwardness, the embarrassment, the hilarity, and the romance that can all come from online dating. There was so much potential as so many people have enough stories from their online dating experiences to fill multiple libraries, but this story just didn’t quite get there with the delivery. I just wasn’t a fan of the main character from beginning to end. This could be just her as a character or it could be that I’m missing something about her from previous novels.

Zoë is a 27-year-old vegan who is the head chef at a pub called the Ginger Cat, named after her ginger cat, Frazzle. She is obsessed with no future love interest living up to her ex, Joe, who is now with Alice, the pub’s manager. [I most likely will now read up on the previous novels just to get the backstory.] She trusts in the Stargazer astrology app to dictate her day-t0-day experiences and also her love life. Her sous chef, Robbie and her come up with the master plan for Zoë’s dating life. She is to date men who all fall within the zodiac – date at least one man from each sign to find the one that fits best. It’s a very fun and entertaining concept, which is one reason why I was initially excited when it’s first mentioned in the book.

She starts with the signs that are the least compatible with her Aquarian sign and plans to move one step closer to what Astrology states is her best match. Before each date, she looks up what kind of traits to expect through the Stargazer app, and then she finds what she likes and doesn’t like about each sign. The dates themselves were fun and I wish there were more of them – with twelve signs in the Zodiac, some of them like Capricorn and Taurus were only given a sentence where they would’ve been fun to expand on like the others.

Zoë blows off her task of finding a Dungeons & Dragons master for the pub or some of her prep time to go the gym. Again, I could be missing the reason why she goes to the gym so much. It seemed that every second of the novel was spent for her making time to go to the gym. It was mind-blowing how she would work endless hours at her job, find time for a social life with her dating, and then still spend tons of time at the gym. I get that it was where she hung out with her Dani (her best friend), but it just seemed like she was focusing on it too much, when the concept of the book should’ve been on her dating experiences.

For the Dungeons & Dragons part of the novel, I felt this was a really cute addition. It gave an insight into how fun one of these games can be, especially with a great Master as they make or break the experience. Even if you aren’t amazing friends or even know the other players outside the game, you become a team in these games. It was nice to have it highlighted as it’s not a subject included in many novels. However, if the novel remains the same length, I feel that some of these pages could’ve been mentioned still, but have that space dedicated more to tales of additional disastrous dates as that’s the whole point of the story. (It’s a story about our main character’s search for love.)

The ending is very predictable and just didn’t feel as connected to them as a couple since they reveal feelings for each other really late in the story. I would’ve preferred more time to get to know them as a couple as it feels very rushed. There wasn’t a lot of interaction to where you felt the attraction, which just would’ve been nice to have going through Zoë’s mind a little. Even if she didn’t fully feel like this one was for her, it would’ve been nice to have just some inklings entering her mind earlier in the book just so we feel more connected by the time they become a couple. It just be me, as others might feel there was enough in the novel as-is, but for me, there wasn’t quite enough.

Overall, it was a light and easy read with some very hilarious moments thrown in. The novel wasn’t a hit for me as there are parts that just felt too rushed and others that dragged on too long. With a little more balance and focus, I feel this novel would’ve been beyond fantastic as I could see where the author was trying to go – it just didn’t quite get there. The dry wit and humor was amazing and piqued my interest in this author. Although this novel wasn’t for me, I am curious to try out her other works!

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy and chance to read this novel. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

The story follows Zoë, a 27 year old cook working in a London pub and living right above it, and her dating app mishaps (totally relatable!)
I really enjoyed the characters and the story, Zoë makes wrong decisions and mistakes but it makes her so realistic and not a standard perfect (boring) romcom heroine. I guessed who would be "The One" and even though it wasn't obvious until very late in the book, I rooted for him because he seemed a regular guy (again, not the perfect boring hero). However I must admit I didn't really like how they got together, it felt rushed and too "stagy".

This book is a quick and easy read, perfect to take your mind off the current state of the world. Solid 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of this story is very relevant in today's society, with more and more people turning towards online dating to find a partner. I should know, I'm one of them!
The list of men that we are introduced throughout the story identify some very real types of men that I have myself been acquainted with in my own circumstances and I found myself laughing aloud at the authors accurate portrayal of experiences I'm sure a lot of women have had.
I read this book in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. I had to see where it ended, and I can only hope and pray that my story ends anywhere as perfect as our protagonists did. It won't serve you any surprises, but its a lovely, feel-good uplifting book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

My relationship with romance and the popular "RomCom" genre of books is very similar to our protagonist, Zoe's relationship with the modern online dating app MISHAPS in this book.

I get ATTRACTED.
I get excited to read it, flew through the first half and then , BOOM! it all dwindled away, and I ended up getting disappointed. Yes it breaks my heart.
Just the exact same feeling our old school romantic Zoe gets after a series of awfully bad dates.
Zoe wants to find "THE ONE", dabbling in the world of modern dating with funny but heartbreaking anecdotes or rather MISADVENTURES.

Lots of us can relate to Zoe, she is just like one of us, single but don't want to die alone so we hop on the online dating bandwagon, KISS ONE TOO MANY FROGS only to be rolling our eyes and probably disgruntled meeting everything but a good guy.

Will Zoe find "THE ONE"?
Unfortunately I didn't and I can only say one line for this book,
"THANK YOU, Next.

#Thankyou,Next #NetGalley

Zoe is worried she lost her one and only chance at love when she panicked and left Joe years ago. Now she's ready to give dating an actual shot, using her Stargazer app as guidance she's decided to pick her dates based on zodiac signs, starting with the least compatible. And it goes as terribly as you'd think it would.

Thank You, Next is funny and completely relatable. Zoe was definitely an antagonistic character in Just Saying, doing everything in her power to get Joe back, and I honestly didn't like her very much. When I realized that this was her book I was interested to see what her story would be, if she could be redeemed, and I honestly ended up really liking her. She's funny and mostly grounded, pretty confident in herself, most of the time (we all have off days full of self-doubt), and definitely devoted to her friends. Zoe's friendships with Dani and Robbie is one of the best parts, the love, support, and sheer honesty between them shines. I really enjoy Sophie Ranald's writing, her characters feel so real and relatable, her books have humor in the I've-been-there sense, the love interest isn't always immediately obvious, you get to see the main character try a few people on first. Overall they're just delightful books, definitely recommend, of course, you don't need to read Just Saying first, but I think knowing the back story made Thank You, Next so much better.

This book is the ultimate beach read. By which I mean that if I ever went on vacation to the beach, I would stay parked in my chair and read this from start and finish, and have a much better time than if I’d done anything else.

This is a testament to both my very exciting life and this book.

There can never be enough romcoms about dating app shenanigans. This one has an additional difficulty level: Zoë tries to find her ideal man, going one Zodiac sign at a time. It turns out about as well as you’d expect.

Thank You, Next starts out strong. Really, really strong with a first chapter that sets out the premise perfectly. Then it does the “six months ago...” thing, which is my least favourite narrative device of all time, but quickly gains steam again.

Zoë is excellent main character material. She’s a pub chef and a gym bunny and a vegan (in a nondescript, rather than sanctimonious, sort of way) and tries to be environmentally conscious. She makes stupid decisions, but she’s also sensible enough to put her foot down when she realises what’s happening. It’s like the universe finally took note of the overflowing complaint box in which I’ve stuffed my gripes about romance heroines. Finally, we have one who’s her own person instead of being cobbled together from a Buzzfeed list about things we find relatable.

(Also, I love those lists. 10/10 would spend a whole day in a beach chair clicking one list after another.)

In Zoë’s orbit are Dani, the gorgeous Energiser bunny who has even less dating sense than Zoë; Robbie, who cooks and provides advice; Adam the Dungeon Master; and a revolving door crowded with Tinder dates. Of course the latter are the highlight, especially since this book smartly captures every possible thing that could go wrong in a date. I want to reel off my favourites but that might ruin the surprise.

(SHELDON. LOOK OUT FOR SHELDON.)

A Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans kind of surprise.

Despite the episodic format that the premise suggests, the plot flows pretty smoothly and works in the romantic misadventures and friendastrophes, as well as a diverting Dungeons and Dragons game. (People lapsing in and out of Ye Olde English is an A+ trope.)

You can spot the True Love Interest straightaway and I think he lives up to the title. He’s certainly normal and well-balanced and very likeable, but the circumstances of him and Zoë getting together were not for me. I will follow an MC I don’t personally relate to to many, many places, but I had zero interest in this one. But I still enjoyed the rest of it immensely, because the characters and their relationships are just that gosh-darn likeable.

Also that cover + that title sets a very high bar for hijinks. This book absolutely delivers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

How exactly do you find The One? How many incidences of ghosting, no shows, unwanted pics of a certain part of the male anatomy can one woman tolerate before deciding the dating game is simply not worth the hassle? Zoé, pub chef and girl next door type has decided to take a new approach to dating via Tinder, using the Stargazer app to connect romantically with men who are the most compatible according to the signs of the zodiac. Sounds absolutely bonkers? Quite possibly but it’s worth a try. Join Zoé,her feline companion Frazzle and her friends Dani and Robbie as she charts her progress through the minefield that is dating. Expect plenty of laughs and plenty of disasters in this latest feel good romcom from Sophie Ranald.

From drunken ex cons to boring accountants to freeloading protest marchers, Zoé is destined to meet them all but will she discover there’s more to finding her happy ever after than simply placing her faith in astrology and letting the stars work their magic? Will delete block,ignore become Zoé’s mantra?

I liked Zoé with her gung ho and novel approach to dating and didn’t realise she features in a previous novel, Just Saying. Not that it matters whether you are familiar with her character or not, she is your archetypal heroine of the hour and immensely likeable. Dating according to star signs may not be the most reliable method of finding The One but it does provide and account for much of the humour in this book. There is also a cozy comforting feel to the narrative which is mainly centred around life in the pub where Zoé lives and works. I’d love to sample the menu on offer at The Ginger Cat, lovingly prepared by both Zoé and Robbie though how she then finds time and energy for her gym sessions after long hours in the pub kitchen is beyond me! Since Zoé is a successful chef, part of me felt despair that this young woman is so obsessed with finding the man of her dreams, that her character still adheres to the stereotypical female/princess waiting to be rescued by her knight in shining armour and that in some way she’s not complete until his happens. I was willing her not to settle for second best! However despite considering myself to be a realist I still gain a great deal of pleasure from immersing myself in this type of fiction, happy to wallow in the happy ever afters and this novel allows you to do just that.

It’s the friendships in the novel that really sparkle amidst all Zoe’s dating chaos providing her with stability and keeping her (partially!) grounded in reality. When her love life isn’t going according to plan at least she has Dani and Robbie to listen to her woes, offer advice and laugh along to her tales of dating disasters. For me this is a storyline that celebrates and recognises the value of good friendships besides focusing on the search for true love, the gym and pub kitchen becoming places for many heart to hearts.

What’s slightly unusual with this storyline is that the man most likely to win Zoé’s heart doesn’t make himself known until quite late in the day. Adam’s sudden presence in The Ginger Cat and his reluctant acceptance of the role of Dungeons and Dragons master alongside his quiet demeanour makes his character akin to a dark horse, the one that perhaps will pip all the others to the post in the final home straight in this quest for love. It’s definitely a case of the quiet one is the one to watch! I will admit to the fact I wasn’t enamoured with all the D&D role play. These scenes went right over my head, their inclusion presumably designed to heighten the sense of sexual chemistry bubbling away between the pair but it didn’t work for me, which is perhaps my main and only criticism.

When I started this book I expected to be lifted out of the doldrums and on the whole I think the author has managed to achieve that for me. Thank you! This is an amusing and entertaining romcom with the usual mix of an unlucky in love heroine, some great friendships, laugh out loud moments and an unassuming hero to compliment our leading lady. If you’re looking for a read to banish those winter blues and put a smile on your face then I can recommend this lighthearted piece of escapism. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

When I first started reading Sophie Ranald, I wasn’t quite sure. I am now a huge fan.

She writes the sort of characters whi get into your brain. The ones you care about and think about whilst you’re not reading - that cliche of ‘they could be my friends’. And in her universe, all characters intertwine, so you get to catch up with them and see them develop too - absolutely marvellous!

This is a lovely book. Easy to read, raises smiles, a proper feel good read. Heartily recommended.

Overall: ✰✰✰✰✰ Plot: ✰✰✰✰.5 Characters: ✰✰✰✰✰
*THIS BOOK IS NEW ADULT! 16+
Zoë is a 27 year old vegan chef, single and ready to mingle, who trusts way too much on the stargazer horoscope app she has on her phone. Which is why, after being single for too long, she decides the best plan is to date her way through the zodiac signs, starting with the least compatible for her as an Aquarius -like scorpio-, while constantly laughing at her own bad luck, and getting doubts that end up being super relatable.
I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was hilarious, heartfelt, relatable and simply fun. I was so invested in Zoë’s love life but I was also rooting for one particular boy. This book felt like a warm hug, constantly keeping me entertained and making me fall in love with the main characters. The only actual bad thing I can say is that I wish it would’ve been longer. The ending was perfect and this book is the perfect read when you want to swoon and laugh for a while.

3.5 stars.

This was cute and funny. Sophie Ranald delivered on that. I liked the story and the writing. The humor was so dry and British, just the kind I like. I thought the characters were well written. But I couldn't connect with Zoe's desperation to find someone to share her life with. She was only 27 years, and she has a lovely pub where she works as a chef, a brilliant one. I am almost her age and have been single for as long as I can remember. I sometimes wish I had someone to share my life with, but not to the point of obsession. So, I couldn't understand why she acted like she had to find someone now or she would end up a single, crazy cat lady. I was hoping that there was more of a conflict. Her interactions with Alice seemed more genuine than her interactions with Dani, whom she considered as a very good friend. I would blame the writing for this gap. I think reading some of Zoe's disastrous dates in real-time would have been better.

I really liked Adam. I liked how Zoe did not focus too much on his looks but his characteristics and behavior. I only wish there was more of him. Their story does not start until a major part of the book. I thought a lot of scenes were repetitive, especially the gym sessions and her pub sessions. I would have liked to see more of Zoe and Adam, because they had a cute thing going on that I wish Sophie explored a little more. It was cute to see how Adam seemed to have everything that Zoe was looking for, only Zoe was a little braver than him, so she could take the initiative while he stood back, afraid of ruining his chances. Though they seemed to have similar preferences, they were so clearly opposites.

Having said that, I think the story shows Zoe's progression from not wanting to try anything out of her comfort zone to actually giving new things a go, which shows her bravery and I loved that because I don't think I could have let myself become so vulnerable in front of a stranger. I think her character development was well done.

I am looking forward to reading more of Sophie's books because I liked her writing and her dry, witty humor.

I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.