What an opening chapter! Portia MacIntosh always knows how to hook me right from the start. However, the death of Emmy's grandfather made me weep and I kept speeding through the chapters, hoping life would get better. I loved Emmy's character and every character in between. 

The author did a wonderful job of thinking I was rooting for Scott, then making me switch my allegiances to Tel. That window scene? *Swoon* The panto was hilarious and I loved all of the rehearsal scenes. Keep on bringing all of the laughs, love and heartfelt stories, Portia MacIntosh!

The Blurb :
When life goes off track sometimes the only thing you can do is go back to where it all began...
Emmy Palmer is the star of Bragadon Forest, the biggest fantasy series on TV, adored by the public, living the life of glamour and luxury in London.
But when scandal strikes, Emmy must escape the city and return to her seaside hometown to lie low and wait for the storm to pass.
Emmy's agent decides it would be a good look to star in the community Christmas pantomime, but who else could be playing her leading man but her ex-boyfriend who she may or may not have ditched to move to London a decade ago...
As the show approaches, love and friendships blossom and the real question is - Will they? Won't they?

My Thoughts :
Having loved all of Portia MacIntosh’s books, I knew this one wouldnt disappoint.
We meet Emmy Palmer, who was until recently an actress on a tv fantasy show, Bragadon Forest.
Her character was just killed off and with a scandal in the newspaper, and hearing the news of her Grandad’s passing, Emmy has to get away and decides to go home to Marram Bay.
Soon enough Emmy is roped into staring in the local Theatre’s Pantomine. Her agent thinks it would be good for her and a way to raise money for the Theatre to stop closure. But Emmy has to star along side Scott, who is her blast from the past crush. Can they reconnect or are things better left in the past!?.
I did like the vast array of support characters, although at times hard to keep up with who was who, but one of my favourites was builder Tel.
Reading a book by Portia MacIntosh always makes me smile, not only do her covers stand out with their brightness and beautiful pictures, Portia always manages to captivate her audience with her words.
I am already waiting on the next release.

The book has one of the best opening scenes and is a great introduction to our main character, Emmy Palmer, who is an actress, right now beheaded in one of her last scenes. Emmy was immediately likeable and the more I read about her and got to know her, the more I liked her. The family dynamics are truly interesting and very colourful and take care of humorous, but also more serious and poignant moments. The group of characters is colourful and very different, adding so much fun and cringy moments to the story, especially the sex – obsessed Aunt.

There was a moment or two, somewhere in the middle of the book, when I had a feeling it doesn’t really know what exactly it wants to focus on – there were suddenly thousand love affairs possible, the estranged father on the scene again, there was the panto taking place and while there was all the time something happening, I had a feeling that the plot is staying in place.

I loved, loved, loved the panto moments, especially the behind – the – scenes ones. Absolutely hilarious, especially the interaction between the actors and the petty plays to get a better role.

“Will They, Won’t They?” is a typical Portia McIntosh’s novel – uplifting, with a feel – good factor and with a quirky, self – confident heroine, filled with a bit of Christmas spirit, lots of humour and brilliant one – liners, just what I’ve expected – and wanted – from this book and this author. It’s a great and warm story about family and friends, kindness and finding your own place.

Thank you NetGalley, author Portia Maclntosh, and Boldwood Books publishing for giving me a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
5 stars
Will They Won't They? is a story about Emmy, a famous actress, who returns home after the unexpected loss of her Grandfather after moving to London to pursue her acting career. When her acting career comes to a sudden halt due to an alleged affair with a married man, Emmy finds it is the perfect time to step back from acting and return to the life before.
This book had such a great beginning and held strong throughout the entire book. The author did a wonderful job developing Emmy as a relatable character, not in terms of her career, but in the way people might suffer the loss of a loved one and some set backs in our professional lives. Emmy under went all the believable feelings one has when dealing with the loss of a loved one. I liked the support system Emmy had in order to help her deal with not only the grieving parts of her life, but also the aftermath of her acting career taking a hit. The setting was a wonderful place to spend some time. The writing and pacing really allowed the reader to get to know the characters without dragging out with unnecessary details. The chemistry and romance between the two main characters was believable and had a great match up of wits and banter. I loved the ending and felt it was well satisfying! I would recommend this book to those who are looking for a story that is perfect for a night in or traveling! I can't wait for the next new release by this author!

It seems to be a trend for me, joining Blog Tours for authors I have heard great things about and have even bought their books, but for one reason or another not tried reading yet. I can’t stress how happy I am to finally have read one of Portia’s books and now I am even more excited about reading some of her other books!

When I just started this book I wondered what I had signed up for. It’s written first person and some crazy stuff happens in the first few pages, but this turns out to be part of Emmy’s fantasy series in which she stars. Once the story moved on to not what was happening on set but to Emmy and her life after a scandal makes her take a step back and spend time in her hometown I absolutely loved the story.

What to expect:
✅ small town community
✅ a renovation
✅ a Christmas pantomime
✅ quirky, funny and lovable characters
✅ witty main character, with some snarky thoughts (usually not said out loud) and a heart of gold
✅ old crush
✅ hot handyman
✅ weird and complicated family, especially Emmy’s relationship with her half siblings
✅ change of lifestyle: rich, fast lane in the show biz with fake friends vs slower paced life in a small town with family and friends, but will this be too boring?
✅ easy reading with a story that just flows and makes it an absolute pleasure to read 😊

I would like to thank Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Portia MacIntosch for giving me this book in return for an honest review. My thoughts about this book are in no way influenced by the fact that it was a gift.

Favorite Quotes:

Off the record, it’s one of those places where everybody knows everything about everyone. No matter how quick you are to clean your dirty laundry, there will always be a gaggle of locals who remember the stink, and you can see the repulsion on their faces.

Mum and the aunties are talking funeral arrangements… It’s absolute mayhem. Honestly, there is just no defusing them, if I had a gun with two bullets my only option would be to shoot myself twice. The last woman standing would probably argue with herself.

Oh boy, is her face red. So red and puffed up it’s as though I can hear the blood boiling underneath her skin. The kids are just paralysed with fear, they know they’re in big trouble for this.

‘So, what do you do?’ I ask Mike, changing the subject, hopefully dispelling some of the awkwardness. ‘I make the little things count,’ he replies. ‘Mate,’ Karl interrupts. ‘ That is so cheesy. He’s a maths tutor for kids.’

‘Well, you know what they say, what doesn’t kill you makes me disappointed,’ I reply. I look at the watch I’m not actually wearing. ‘There’s a bus back to London in half an hour, why don’t you go lie under it?’


My Review:


I revel in this author’s wry wit and cunningly amusing yet insightful observations. Her writing style feels is pleasantly familiar and easy to fall into with amusing characters that are also a bit edgy and more than a bit quirky. Written from a first-person POV, the comedy rolls through every scene while laced with clever perceptions and inner musings that pull at the feels.

During an extended trip home, the character of Emmy was secretly dealing with personal and career displacement during a “what now?” life transition and was hit with every type of family drama including grief for her beloved grandfather, unabashed cougar aunties, snarky and surly step-siblings, and manipulation to share the shine of her fame. She also found time to reconnect with her nerd friends and an unresolved crush from high school while participating in a fund-raiser one-night-only comedic production of Cinderella, which sounded brilliant. I would have loved to attend but had to settle for adoring the cleverly crafted storylines this skilled and wily wordsmith wove together for a highly satisfying and contented sigh-provoking conclusion.

Will They Won't They? is a story about Emmy who returns home after the unexpected loss of her Grandfather after moving to London to pursue her acting career.

With a break in her career and her committing to buy her Grandfather's house to ensure that they keep it in the family she is drawn into helping save the local theatre whilst muddling through her feelings on how much her life has changed in recent weeks.

Emmy is a really likeable character who does all she can for those around her to make life easier and make them happy. I like the fact that there are three potential prince charmings for our very own Cinderella and this keeps the story light hearted and entertaining throughout.

An absolute pleasure to read and I look forward to reading more by this author

Another book for you to consider in the lead-up to Christmas in a couple of months, I went for this book by MacIntosh as I have always been entertained by her writing. This time, the writer turns her hand to Christmas fiction and I think she almost perfectly pulls it off. In my opinion, I would have liked all the parallel story-lines developed a bit more – probably leading to a rather lengthy read!

Emmy’s character seems to have it all when we first meet her. Except that she has been killed off from a very popular television show. Despite living a seemingly glamourous life, it soon becomes clear that Emmy feels like something is missing. Therefore, when the opportunity arises to return home to Yorkshire, Emmy uses this as time for well-needed ‘R and R’, even if it does lead to her being signed up to the local Christmas panto! But, Emmy is desperate and with a scandal printed in the newspapers haunting her, Emmy soon finds herself reunited with old flames, new faces and dramatic competition.

It’s a light-hearted story for the most part, although the grief that Emmy experiences was quite poignant at the beginning of the story. Yet, this thankfully does not dominate the narrative and I found MacIntosh’s writing entertaining, especially surrounding Emmy’s family. There is a lot of wit and comedy, such as describing Emmy’s manicure from one of her aunts, and I think this added to the whole festive vibe.

To be honest, I could not quite predict what the happy ever after would be. There is obviously Emmy’s old flame, Scott, who Emmy is acting next to for the pantomime. However, she also makes close friends with her neighbour, Tel, who is very hands-on and practical when it comes to fixing up the theatre for the performance, and also renovating Emmy’s new home.

And this is where my criticism of the book lies: I think MacIntosh spreads the story a little too thinly for my liking. I would have liked to have seen more from Emmy’s agent and the fall-out from Emmy’s dramatic newspaper headlines. In addition, I think there could have been a little more focus on the theatre: not necessarily the rehearsals, but further scenes there and even a focus on Felix. Emmy’s family are a big focus on the story but, with so many members, I think characters like Gracie, Emmy’s sister, were overlooked a bit too much. Finally, the house renovations seem to occur effortlessly and it felt like Emmy was quite comfortable with stripping everything out of her late Grandad’s home. Consequently, I think each of these areas could have been focused on a bit more, although this likely would have impacted the pace and made it too heavy for a Christmas story.

Despite my rather minor misgivings, I still enjoyed this story and think it is a lovely book to read before Christmas. With a panto to perform, this is perfect for December! Add in a bit of love, family and merriment, this will have your heart being warmed at such a cosy time of year. There are plenty of chuckles to be had as you watch Emmy navigate her way through dramatic politics and her own romantic feelings. I still really like this author and cannot wait to see what comes next.

With thanks to Boldwood Books, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Did I read a Christmas book in September? Absolutely! And I feel zero shame 😂 I will say though that other than the pantomime that this book wasn't heavy on the Christmas side of things.

Judging by the cover, you would be forgiven for thinking that this is just a cute romance. While there is romance, the MC, Emmy, also deals with loss, grief, a crazy but loving family, rekindling childhood friendships, making new friends, and most importantly, finding her way in the world after life has thrown her a curve ball.

While at times I found the pace to be a little slow, I still wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to anyone looking for a funny and (mostly) lighthearted read.

Thank you @rachelsrandomresources for including me on this tour and the complimentary eARC.

With such a dramatic first chapter, this book will immediately pull you in, and you will be fully invested in Emmy’s story. Following her untimely exit from the fantasy tv show that bear a vague resemblance to Game of Thrones including popularity, Emmy is then faced with a death in the family that leads her to temporarily move back to her home town.

This isn’t so much about romance, although there are several potential love interests for Emmy. It is a tale about community, and family, and pulling together to have a charity pantomime at short notice to rescue a much loved but crumbling old theatre in the town. The characters are all entertaining, although Auntie Vee was a little over the top, but then haven’t we all got an embarrassing family member? I really adored Felix and Anita, and enjoyed their story arc.

This was such a funny festive read with some laugh out loud moments, as well as poignant moments. It’s a fabulous book to get you in a festive mood, complete with a wedding, parties and a pantomime. Oh no it isn’t! Oh yes it is!

I have been a fan of Portia’s work for a while now. I haven’t quite caught up with everything that she has written to date but I am getting there. I read the synopsis for ‘Will They, Won’t They?’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of read I have come to expect from Portia- a fun, light hearted romantic comedy. Well ‘Will They, Won’t They?’ was certainly all that and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Will They, Won’t They?’ but more about that in a bit.
I was drawn to this book by the bright and breezy cover, the synopsis enticed me into the story and the pages between the covers of the book were the icing on the cake as the saying goes. I found that once I started reading, I found it extremely difficult to put this book down for any length of time. Reading became addictive. I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters but I would end up becoming so wrapped up in the story that I would lose all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the story. I think that part of the reason why I loved this book so much was that I loved the lead character- Emmy Palmer- and I begin to think of her as a friend so of course I had to know how the story panned out for her. I needed to know that she got the ‘happy ever after’ ending that she so deserved. All too quickly I reached the end of the story and I had to say goodbye to Emmy. I found ‘Will They, Won’t They?’ to be a delight to read from start to finish and the perfect tonic to a grim and grey day in the North East of England.
‘Will They, Won’t They?’ is superbly written but then that is also true of all of Portia’s books that I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing. She certainly knows how to create adorable characters who you can’t help but take into your hearts. Portia has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading one of her books feels like a chat between friends rather than reading a book. I hope that makes sense. For me the story is perfectly paced – it starts off at a gentle pace and maintains the gentle pace throughout. I felt as though I was part of the story and at the heart of the action which is all thanks to Portia’s very realistic and vivid storytelling.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Will They, Won’t They?’ and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Portia’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This story is all about Emmy Palmer and her journey after her life is struck by scandal. Her story is told over the course of 48 chapters, which may seem like a lengthy book but they soon pass by very quickly. From the very start of the book readers will be intrigued by the Scandal, which is slowly revealed as you make your way through the book.
The character of Emmy is very loveable and dramatic, these traits help readers to fall in love with her character. That’s not to say Emmy doesn’t have her flaws, she does but then again who doesn’t have any flaws? Everything about Emmy will draw characters in and make them want to follow her on her journey.
From beginning to end this book is interesting and full of Laugh Out Loud moments, that readers will adore. They will love seeing this different side to fame, the side of the TV actress. The one who plays a role and becomes a household name.
Overall Portia has done it again and written a story that readers will adore. From the very relatable characters to the secret that is slowly revealed. Everything about this book readers will love. This reader in particular will definitely be checking out some of her other works.

Honestly, I am now at the point where I actually want to live inside a Portia MacIntosh book. I just adore everything about her writing and I am completely smitten by her characters every single time, and this book is absolutely no different.
Poor Emmy! One minute she’s the darling of national TV and the next, she’s in the midst of a tabloid scandal and fleeing to the countryside home where her family live. Can a new home, a community pantomime and a budding friendship with a gorgeous neighbour and an ex help her to rebuild her house.
Emmy is a real character. She has flaws and is human. This is one of the things I love most about Portia’s books. She isn’t perfect, but she is loved by her family and friends and loves them back.
I always enjoy a will they, won’t they? trope and two potential love interest so this plot has everything I adore plus a lovely setting in a gorgeous community. As a member of a local theatre group I loved this added bonus to the plot too.
This book is about reconnecting with family, friends and a life forgotten, it’s about restarting your life with a different focus, meeting new people and being real. It’s delightful and amusing and an absolute must.

Thank you to Rachel for letting me take part in this tour and to Boldwood Books for my copy of this book via Netgalley. I've a big TBR pile full of Portia's books that I keep wanting to read so when I saw this tour I immediately signed up.

The main character in this book is Emmy. I really liked Emmy (and not just because we share the same name). She is relatable despite her TV fame. She still gets lonely and she still misses her family. This was the bit that really got me. I don't live too close to my family and sometimes that really gets to me. I really related to the thoughts that Emmy had about missing out on family get-togethers.

There were lots of characters in this book which at times was hard to keep straight who was who. I liked Emmy's mum the best from the side characters. She was so calm and composed. And she always had the best advice.

The star of this book for me was Tel. He was such a great character. I enjoyed his quick wit and charm. He has a heart of gold and is very good with his hands.

The panto was excellent. I loved hearing little scenes from this. It gave a nice injection of Christmas into this book. The story is set from around November until Christmas. It's not in your face Christmas but you can tell what time of year it is. Personally, I'm a more in your face Christmas kinda girl but I can appreciate that not everyone is. So if you like a more subtle Christmas book then this is for you.

This is an enjoyable winter read that will make you want to cosy up with a hot drink and a blanket on a cold evening.

I enjoyed this book although at times it made me very sad. This is another first author for me and I will be looking out for her others. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I flew through this book! It has a strong opening scene and once you start reading, you don't want to stop. The likeable and unique characters, natural humour that doesn't try too hard to be funny and the cute relationship developments all make for an enjoyable story.

It was one of those reads that is really comforting and gives you a feeling of safety amongst the characters. Although there is grief and sadness, there is also a lot of healing, self discovery and a little drop of romance to top it off.

2.5 stars

Portia Macintosh’s ‘Will they or won’t they’ centre’s on Emmy (real name Emma Watson) Palmer, an actress fired from her Game of Thrones-ish fantasy show after rumours she’s having an affair with a producer. Emmy returns to her hometown on the Yorkshire coast (the setting for many Macintosh novels) to attend her much loved grandfather’s funeral, and generally decamp from the media attention.

The premise marketed by the publishers is that she returns to her town and whether she will get back with her old boyfriend who she left behind after moving to London to become an actress. However that’s not really the story, which I think is part of my disappointment with this novel. I think if it had focused on that, along with her participation in a local theatre group that could’ve been great, but instead we just have some excruciating scenes whereby she ends up on a date with sad ex-boyfriend (really a crush) dad! I also didn’t really find any chemistry with the real love interest.

I am a big fan of Portia Macintosh (‘Stuck on you’ and ‘The Plus One Pact’ are my faves), but I think this book didn’t live up to its promise and would’ve benefitted from another edit and jiggle of the story.

We start this book in Emmy's final scenes on a much loved and well known fantasy series that she stars in. Well, starred in, as she's been written out of the show and now needs to find alternative work. But that's not the least of her problems, she then receives the devastating news that her much loved Grandad has died of a suspected heart attack.

She makes the decision to go back home to spend some time with her family, even if she can't tell anyone that she's lost her job she wants the support. After meeting up with a couple of old school friends she finds herself signed up for a 'one night only' panto to help raise funds to save the local theatre. It's starting to look like she may be staying home for a bit longer than originally planned.

Of course when she gets to the theatre she realises that her Prince Charming is none other than the guy she had the biggest crush on during high school... Could this be the sign of things finally moving on to the 'will they' stage of their relationship?

It's never quite that easy though, there's another man on the scene... The builder who's doing the works on her new house and the theatre seems to be there all the time, whether it's asking for her to take a picture or appearing in the house without her knowledge. After setting off on a bad foot, accusing him of being a stalker and then throwing a 'unique' present into his bin, Emmy is extremely cautious of his intentions.

A fantastic read that had you wondering where we would end up, Emmy was faced with numerous decisions and even though I felt like they were going one way I was pleasantly surprised when I was wrong. You know the saying "some things are too good to be true" well I had this thought a few times while reading this.

I’ve now read seven Portia MacIntosh books in the last couple of years and I can say without fear of being wrong that she’s one of the best in the rom-com genre. I’ve yet to find one of her books I don’t like. Her stories always bring a smile to my face and I’ve come to a point where I just pick them without even reading the synopsis first.

Meet Emmy (lia Clarke) Palmer, an actress on a huge fantasy tv show who’ve just been killed (her character, I mean!) Jobless and with her name across the tabloids after a scandal, she flees to her hometown to lie low. There she reunites with some old friends who ask for her help in the Christmas pantomime where she will star alongside her ex-crush. Will the old flame ignite again?

I loved Emmy’s character. I liked that she was down to earth despite being a big star and how she helped everyone, even those she didn’t have a great relationship with.

Her family included some hilarious characters like her auntie Vee, and I liked the different dynamics she had with each of them.

The group of actors in the panto was also a diverse one and I wouldn’t have minded seeing a bit more about some of them. As usual, the love interest was quite dreamy. Just two words: THE WINDOW! Marry me right now!

There were a couple of incidents that could have been a bit more developed, the talk with her dad about their history and the one with the cast party (it felt a bit out of left field with several characters showing a completely different face all of a sudden).

I loved going back to Marram Bay. It’s such a gorgeous setting and I adore the sense of community that is always breathed there.

A super enjoyable read with lots of funny, hilarious and also, heartfelt moments. Wth Will They, Won’t They? Portia MacIntosh confirmed herself as one of my favorite authors.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Portia MacIntosh is one of my favourite authors and I always look forward to reading her newest book, knowing I can expect an entertaining storyline, unique characters and lots of funny observations.

When Emma Watson moved from a small town in Yorkshire to London and became an actress, she had to take a stage name of Emmy Palmer. She did make it big, landing a role in a fantasy TV show. Unfortunately, her character has just been axed off and there are some vicious rumours in tabloids. All of this is nothing compared to the sad news she gets from her. Emma's wonderful grandfather passed away and her mother needs her more than ever.
Emma's aunts would like to sell their late father's house straightaway, but Emma knows how much her mum would appreciate more time to say goodbye to it, so she offers to buy and renovate it with the help of a gorgeous neighbour. Then somehow she ends up taking up a role in the local Christmas pantomime with her ex-love interest (the one who got away) playing the Prince Charming… and the old game of Will They, Won't they begins….

The plot has all the makings of a Christmas Hallmark movie, but this is Portia Macintosh, so there is much more comedy than romance in the book, which explains the fact that Emma doesn't even meet her love interest(s) until well into the book. Emma's family is complicated and the only way to survive it and remain sane is to use your sense of humour. Emma suspects she might be the only 'normal' person in her family. Wait till you meet her indomitable aunt Vee, you might just agree with Emma!

There is a very large cast of characters - family members, colleagues, old friendships, new acquaintances, aunt's dates etc. Portia MacIntosh has a gift for creating unique ('One of a kind!') characters, although I would have prefered fewer and more streamlined storylines/subplots.
Emma herself isn't a cold, self-obsessed celebrity (although one of the characters says she can be a bit oblivious to what is going on with other people), she is very likeable and it's impossible not to wish her happiness and true love.

The way I see it, the book is mostly about figuring what matters the most -family (immediate and extended), real friends, home, kindness, small and large gestures that show that you care (and some of them were really impressive!). Recommended to anyone who enjoys a well-written, funny, and uplifting story.

Thank you to Rachel from Rachel's Random Resources, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.