An easy to read romcom with a likeable lead and satisfying ending.
Good for the beach and easy to read in one go.

Nell is convinced everything is fine with her life. She is on track to become partner at her London law firm, if she can keep up with the pace of work and stomach sharing an office with her boorish boss, and is very happy with her boyfriend of eleven years, Gus - even sort of going along with his insistence that marriage is nothing more than a ploy to get couples to spend their hard earned cash on meaningless pomp and ceremony. OK, so her life may not be full of thrills, but she is comfortable with the routine and direction of things, isn't she?

When Nell takes a trip back up to her home town in Northumberland to attend the funeral of Lord Drummond she ends up bumping into his son Art, her first love and the man that broke her heart at his twenty-first birthday party, who is back from New York. It's a meeting that has her musing about what might have been had things worked out differently, but it's not until she is called upon to return north to play nursemaid to her incapacitated father, after her mother drops the bombshell that is leaving him for pastures new, that she really has a chance to reflect on where life has taken her - especially since Art is still on the scene clearing up his father's messy estate. Is she happy to settle for a busy London life with the safe and secure, if slightly boring, Gus, or does her heart still lie in the north with her first love? And is it time to admit to herself that she really, really wants that big white wedding?

I am a huge Sophia Money-Coutts fan, having loved every one of her books - and this, her fourth book, still has me well and truly hitched to the Money-Coutts rom-com train!

There are so many lovely elements to this book, which give it intriguing depth. This time around, Money-Coutts proceeds to weave in delicious threads about love; marriage; divorce; long-term relationships; family dynamics; friendship: being true to yourself; and having the courage to take a risk; all tied up in a left-of-centre coming of age tale, with her trade-mark injection of a bit of posh totty. Nell herself comes to make decisions that she could never have imagined taking at the start of this story, as she realises that in escaping the pain of her past she has lost sight of her hopes and dreams, but she is not the only one who finds the courage to take the plunge and aim for happiness, and this leads to some very heart-warming outcomes. Incidentally, I loved that there are characters here to appeal to a wider age range, with some acute insight into the staleness that can creep into long-term relationships, and the impact of the breakdown of lengthy marriages; and Money-Coutts takes a very interesting side-swipe at the tendency of high-profile divorce lawyers to lose sight of what's important in pursuit of their reputations as winners too.

For me, this is the perfect summer read, full of sass, sex, sniggers and sentiment. It kept me entertained all the way through, made me fall in love with Nell and Art, laugh out loud with its Bridget Jones-esque humour, get hot under the collar with its steamy interludes, and cry tears of joy as all the threads tied up in one glorious uplifting bow. I loved it!

A fun read that makes you laugh and cringe throughout, when Nell is forced to return home to look after her Dad and step away from her well organised regimental life you just don't quite anticipate the next chain of events that take place.

I found this story fun and light hearted to read, it makes you reminisce of teenage love and past heartbreak.

Nell is a driven character who after heartbreak set herself a goal and has since had plans in place to keep climbing the career ladder. I loved the nicknames that were given to clients and the insight into the law company where Nell is working to become partner. I didn't like Gideon as a character which wasn't surprising with his stuck in the past methods and the way he spoke down to Nell really rankled me.

Full of great descriptions and located amongst gorgeous scenery, a perfect story to make you laugh and escape from the trials of every day life.

I loved Nell’s character, she was refreshing, real and funny. The writing was so thorough but I found that the first half of the book was a little information over load and I know Guss was meant to be a boring character but I just found any scene with him in was a yawn fest. He was so pretentious and rude which for me to come away thinking that shows how well written the book was. The sex scenes had me in stitches and I even had to go back and reread them to make sure I’d read them correctly.

It was a good story, with brilliant morals and a sense of humanity and realness that is often missing from romcoms. I am however a big fan of dialogue and this book was a very big monologue, but that only added to the story considering there was a big lack of communication with all of the characters.

Few of us ever forget our first love but how many of us give in to those nostalgic “what if” moments, contemplating how different life would have been had that particular relationship never ended? Imagine if you had a second shot at getting it right? Would you even want to?!? Sophia Money-Coutts allows you to wander down memory lane and revisit those giddy, butterflies-in-the-stomach, sweet but possibly painful memories as we follow the life and loves, past and present, of London based lawyer Eleanor (Nell) Mason. The queen of the romcom is back and on top sparkling form as always with a novel to prove it’s never too late to have a second bite at the cherry.

Nell and Gus, a fellow lawyer, have been together for eleven years. They’ve been to enough stag/hen dos and wedding celebrations to last them a lifetime. Both are adamant they are NEVER EVER getting married. Working as a divorce lawyer for high profile clients, Nell knows first hand what happens when love turns sour plus she’s only got to look towards her own parents marriage to realise she’s better off leaving all the hearts and flowers stuff to others. So what if there are no swings and roundabouts in her relationship with Gus, no swooping highs nor crashing lows that can sometimes accompany an intense, passionate romance. Safe, sensible and predictable, if boring, is how she prefers her love life (or does she?) Like the majority of us, Nell’s heart has been broken once before, by childhood sweetheart Art Drummond, when she was still living in her hometown of Northcliffe. Heir to the Drummond estate, Art became Nell’s teenage crush, the two having grown up alongside each other with the Hall and its grounds their playground, her father Bruce working for the Lord at his racing stables. But Art was the one who got away, to America to be precise, marrying a banking heiress and Nell hasn’t clapped eyes on him since. Until the day Lord Drummond unexpectedly drops dead from a heart attack and Nell returns to Northcliffe for the funeral and she has to confront the man who stole her heart.

Losing myself in the pages of a Sophia Money-Coutts novel is to find myself cozily ensconced in a happy place. I may have only read three of this author’s novels to date but her writing, with its mixture of the funny, sometimes hilarious (but never ridiculously silly) and the heart meltingly romantic has won a place in my affections. From this day forward, whenever there’s news of a new book on the horizon, it will be going straight to the top of my wish list! She writes about matters of the heart so well with an emotional astuteness that renders her storylines and her characters so relatable. Yet she doesn’t venture into “too serious” territory; her novels are lighthearted enough to make you want to fall in love with the very idea of falling in love. Reading Did You Miss Me? felt like stripping back the years; I could see myself as a rather shy seventeen going on eighteen year old experiencing for the very first time those fluttery feelings you get in the first flush of love and the utter devastation when a few months later my heart was broken.

I can honestly say I fell truly, madly, deeply in love with this storyline and its characters. From the hilarious but excruciatingly toe curling opening scene in which Nell and Gus are having what I would describe as mechanical dull sex to the characters you’ll love to hate (Prince Pervert, Gideon and Nell’s brother Jack spring to mind) and those you want to wrap up in a bear hug, this novel ticks all the right boxes. The storyline is as predictable as day following night but these brilliant characters manage to liven up the proceedings, with some even dropping the odd minor bombshell or two to set the fox amongst the chickens (we are in countryside territory after all!) They each add a touch more colour and humour to an already dazzling array of kindness, love, eccentricities and cheekiness. There’s the sprightly Nanny Gertrude, Nell’s teenage best friends Lucy and nerdy Colin, Thanks A Latte coffee shop owner Luigi who’s stirring up more in this town than just the macchiatos he serves plus Nell’s long suffering mother Kath to name but a few. My personal favourite, aside from the leading lady, has to be the irrepressible, cheeky chappie Bruce and his drinking cronies who love to congregate in the local pub the Drunken Duck. When it comes to his relationship with daughter Nell, it’s like the roles have been reversed, her as the scolding parent with him acting like a recalcitrant child. But Nell is well used to dealing with awkward gentleman, there are enough of them already in her life so one more isn’t going to make much difference. She’s superwoman, albeit a romantically unfulfilled one, as she juggles work and the demands of an insufferable boss whilst determined to keep her father on the straight and narrow. Her interactions with Gideon and Bruce really made me laugh. Here is a woman in complete denial about what she really wants from life but time spent back in Northcliffe is sure to bring her to her senses. I liked this woman a lot and couldn’t stand the thought that a second chance at happiness might pass her by.

Did You Miss Me? is a lovely, witty, romantic escapist read which made me feel quite wistful. It would have been even better if Art had featured a fraction more but that’s only a minor criticism. Overall, I loved this book!
For all those who those who daydream of true love, second chances and romance filled futures, this one is written just for you.

My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I have a little confession to make. Although I have all of Sophia’s books on my ever increasing ‘to be read’ mountain, I haven’t actually read one yet……………until now that is. I read the synopsis for ‘Did You Miss Me?’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of light hearted and fun read that I was so desperately in need of. Well I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Did You Miss Me?’ but more about that in a bit.
I loved the character of Nell Mason and I warmed to her from the very start. In fact she began to feel more like a friend than an actual character in a book as daft as that might sound to some. She is a professional young woman, with a successful career. Nell is certainly ambitious though and she has some big career plans. She is in a long term relationship but I can’t say that I am very impressed with her boyfriend. Nell ends up going back to Northumberland, which is where she is from, to attend a funeral. Whilst there she bumps into people she knew from way back and all sort of childhood memories come flooding back.
It took me next to no time to get into this story. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first dozen or so pages, I knew that I would find it exceedingly difficult to put the book to one side for any length of time. I had taken to the characters and to the storylines so well that I had to keep turning the pages to see what happened next. The pages turned over at a fair old rate as I made my way through the book. I would pick the book up only intending to read a chapter or two at a time but I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would still be reading four chapters or so later. I found ‘Did You Miss Me?’ to be a delight to read from start to finish.
‘Did You Miss Me?’ is brilliantly written. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and then takes you on one hell of an adventure. I started giggling away to myself from fairly early on in the story and I didn’t stop until after I had finished reading the very last word on the very last page. This story was the distraction that I needed. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a gentle pace throughout. I loved the fact that part of the story is set in Northumberland as that is not far from me. I felt as though I was part of the story and at the heart of the action and that’s thanks to Sophia’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Did You Miss Me?’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Sophia’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I loved this book, I was really hoping that Nell and Art would get together as I didn’t like Gus’s character at all. He seemed very controlling. Art on the other hand was sweet and they were made for each other. This book made me laugh out loud and smile. This was just the sort of book I love reading. It took me right away from the cares of the world. I’m interested in reading more by this author. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A good holiday romance.
Nell is a successful lawyer living in a comfortable relationship in London with Gus who doesn`t believe in marriage.
On her visit home to the funeral of her first loves father, Art is home from America living the high life with his wife and son, he seems to have everything until he meets Nell.
Nell still upset of being hurt by Art when teenagers until she finds out the truth.

Nell deals with a lot of high powered divorces who are not likeable and you just want to smack them.
Gus is so boring you want to kick him for all the whinging on not wanting to get married and strange ways.
Art is the most likeable but you don`t know how he was happy married to someone who is high maintenance.
But ended good as expected.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

Posted to Goodreads

Nothing wrong with this book at all. A very easy reading chick lit, boy meets girl, have a fling, go their separate ways and meet up again as adults. Flashbacks to that teenage angst and work out where you should be now. A real should they shouldn’t they. The descriptive scenes between Nell and Gus are pure comedy gold, even though they shouldn’t be!!! A lovely beach read.

I'll admit, I didn't enjoy this story as much as Sophia's previous books.

Still good but it just took me longer to get into it.

The main character remained my favourite part of it all. I guess in parts she reminded me of myself.

It's a book that still had a pretty good mixture of humour and romance, I think if I hadn't read The Wish List first I possibly could have liked it more but I couldn't help but compare.

Over all I would still recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sophia Money-Coutts for this advanced review copy of Did you miss me? I always love Sophia’s books and look out for her new novels whenever they come up. As usual an easy read to get into from the start with light hearted humour, heartbreak and romance, I loved the Nell’s story and would thoroughly recommend.

Loved this book, very well written and a pleasure to read and enjoy. First love is always the hardest to let go (and I should know ) but is it the best thing to leave it where is is, in the past. What of the relationship that you are currently involved in, how to choose. This novel has so many emotions but a joy to have in your hands.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this eARC

This story is just wonderful. My first book by this author and I immediately want to read everything she’s ever written.

The dialogues and situations are entirely believable, entertaining and interesting. It flowed exceptionally well and had me hooked and invested from the beginning.

I was routing for her from the beginning and LOVED the way it ended. The story had elements of humour effortlessly weaved in which really bought the story to life.

I would definitely recommend this book!

Did You Miss Me? Encourages us to look differently at our own current and past relationships and perhaps reevaluate our decisions and opinions. The author covers a variety of relationships including romantic, parent/child and siblings.

I found it an easy read with a somewhat predictable ending, but thoroughly enjoyable. Likeable characters and believable.

The Wish List was a book I loved, when I read it, so to be offered the chance to read a new book by Sofie Money-Coutts was not to be sniffed at.
I really loved this story centring around first loves and second chances.
Nell is a successful lawyer in a prestigious law firm in London, specialising in family law, so basically she spends her days dealing with divorces. Good thing that she wasn't all that fussed about marriage, since the stories she has to deal with, would put off many a bridezilla.
Oh and her partner, Gus, was also of the opinion that marriage was unimportant: an unnecessary evil in their perfect relationship.
A local tragedy brings her back home for a short while, but in that twenty four hours she is back, she meets people who stir up a whole lot of long hidden emotions.
She's faced with Art, the newly appointed Lord of the manor, since his father passed away, and also, her first love.
Of course, he's married, and lives in another country, so why would he remember much about their teenage romance? Or was it just a little fling for him?
Fantastic story! I think I always know where it would end up, however, there were a few points where I thought the end might have been something different, so I was definitely turning the pages, in anticipation.
I kinda loved Art, the handsome new Lord, who really didn't know what he'd done wrong.
Gus, well, I could take him or leave him, but I understood why Nell was with him, comfortable, content, but was she happy?
The addition of the secondary characters back home; Nell's newly separated parents, her brother and her two besties from school, Colin and Luce, all made for some interesting storylines, too.
And Nell, I was quite proud of her by the end, making a stand where it counted!
Many thanks to Netgalley and HQ for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

‘Did you miss me?’ was a fun quick read, however I ended up skimming the majority of this book as I was bored with the first half. It seemed like there was too much information on Nells relationship with Gus, and not enough on Nell with Arthur - which is a shame because I thought their relationship was quite sweet, especially with the first love trope. I was just left feeling unsatisfied with the amount of content their relationship covered in the book. The ending also felt rather abrupt, but the epilogue was a sweet finish. Would recommend it if you’re looking for an easy, well written romcom to read, but for me personally there was nothing about this book that felt particularly special in comparison to the other romances I've read.

Nell is a divorce lawyer in a long-term relationship with a safe, predictable boyfriend - who doesn't believe in marriage - and she's happy, isn't she? Then she goes home for a funeral, her dad breaks his leg, her mum leaves her dad and her childhood crush is back in town.

Like all Sophia Money-Coutt's books, this has a smart, relatable heroine. Bits of it are very funny, even if some aspects of the plot are a bit daft (it's a romantic comedy, that's to be expected). It's very readable, which is exactly what I want from this kind of book!

I am a huge fan of Sophia's books. I've read quite a few and each one gets better.

I didn't want this book to end, it is brilliantly written and I loved Nell's character.

I think everyone has a moment of what if in their life that relates to a first love and this really did make me smile.

I'm really excited to read more of Sophia's books, she is a definite instant buy author for me.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wow. This is my first book by Sophia and I’m kicking myself that it’s taken me this long to read one of her books. This book had everything. I loved Nell and the community where she grew up. The story was detailed in all the right places and I adored the way it flowed perfectly. Sophia is my new Queen of rom-coms.

Nell is a successful and hardworking lawyer attempting to make partner at her firm and has a lawyer boyfriend of 11 years who doesn’t believe in marriage and doesn’t realise their relationship has fallen into a sort of boring routine of sex on Friday mornings, no drinking weekdays etc… but when Nell goes back to her home village for a funeral, her childhood crush, Art, makes old feelings come back to surface.

Not going to lie, I was so so bored by this book. I’ve read so many rom coms this year and there wasn’t really anything that made this one stand out. The no marriage thing made me assume from early on that she would end up married to someone else and the characters were so unlikeable and unrealistic that you couldn’t relate to them at all. The book dragged so much at times and honestly the only reason I’m rating it a 2 instead of a 1 is because I managed to not DNF it. It’s a shame because I’ve heard so many good things about this author