Cover Image: It Must Be Love

It Must Be Love

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Member Reviews

Unfortunately this book would come through to my kindle so I was unable to read it (others since have come through so not a technical issue.

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This is a nice, easy read romance. The idea is fine Abbie is revisiting an old partner. However, I found both her current partner and the old flame awful. She shouldn't have got with either. One was always choosing someone else over her, the other was controlling everything.
The thing that kept me reading was the movement between timelines which revealed the story.
I also thought there was too much coincidence. I know its a book about fate and destiny but really? You don't randomly bump into people that often.

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A sweet story that kept me reading, dancing up and down the timeline to maximise the impact of how events unfurled. My first book by this author but I like her voice a lot. The happy ever after is convincing and I couldn't wait for it to come.

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This book follows the story of Abbie and Oz, a Turkish man who she literally falls into the arms of during a march whilst at University. When the two meet, Oz has only that evening left before he disappears back to Turkey. The two continue to meet over the next 14 years but for one reason or another never quite make it to being a fully fledged couple.

I loved the sound of this book when I first read the blurb - the idea that it was fate or destiny for two people to be together really resonated with me. However, whilst Oz may be dreamy, he chose another woman over Abbie on several occasions, thus not really the perfect man. I cannot fathom why Abbie still insisted on going back to him. I also detested how Abbie insisted on running away every time a conversation got difficult, she 'turned on her heel' more times than I care to count.

The book flicks between the different times, normally, I would find this annoying but actually on this occasion it worked quite well. Each time the reader ventures back in time, we learn something new (in my case another reason why Oz is not right!)

In my opinion, the book went on too long - there is a story around a shooting in a nightclub which just tipped it over the edge for me. Up until that point, I had thought that happy ever after storyline would still win me over, but then that happened and I just found myself switching completely off. I read to the end, but it certainly has not been a favourite.

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A great book about the difference between fate and destiny. Abbie and Oz's paths continue to cross after that fateful day 15 years ago when she fell into his arms. Despite an initial connection the timing is never quite right and then there is the small matter of him residing in Turkey and her in London. Abbie is in a committed relationship with Charlie when Oz walks back into her life and she has some big decisions to make.

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Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read any advanced reader copy of this book.

This book follows Abbie and Oz who met when they were young, idealistic students from different backgrounds, but their connection was unmistakable. Then Oz went home to Istanbul and life moved on. Years later, Abbie and Oz meet again - a chance encounter that could change everything.

I absolutely adore second chance romance stories so when I read the blurb for this it sounded right up my street. This was an easy read but I struggled to feel motivated to pick it up due to not really feeling much connection to the characters.

Having said that, I loved the descriptions of the travelling. Getting to read about London, Paris and Istanbul was a great addition to the book. Learning about different cultures was really enjoyable as well as the dual timelines in the book!

I think the biggest thing that let this book down for me was the third person involved in the romance. This is a personal preference of mine but I really struggle with books that involve emotional cheating. I feel that we still could have got the same second chance romance story without this third character involved.

But overall, I liked it, it was just perhaps a bit too sweet and predictable for my tastes.

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An emotional second chance romance, that was a tad too melodramatic and angsty for my taste, but overall an enjoyable read.

I really wish that the author hadn't chosen to write a third person involved in the romance, or at least mentioned it in the synopsis, as there was emotional (if not physical) cheating involved. Despite this, there was still an eventful plot with well written characters and believable struggles of grief and family expectations.

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This lovely book had me from the start. Abbie & Oz meet as students and there is an immediate connection. Their paths cross over the next few years as work and families take precedence. But that spark, that "what if" is always there.
The book moves between London, Paris, Turkey, Beirut ..... the descriptions of the cities and the food are wonderful. You want to be there, you definitely want to eat the food that the author describes so well.

I really wanted to find out what happened to all the characters in the book, wanted them to find their "happy-ever-afters". This is just a lovely, romantic read.

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Fourteen days. Fifteen years. A lifetime of love

Abbie meets Oz as a young student, despite their different backgrounds their connection was unmistakable. But then Oz returned home to Istanbul and life moved on.

Fast forward to now and Abbie is with the man she thinks she wants to spend the rest of her life with, until a chance encounter brings her face to face with Oz.

I jumped at the chance to read this as I love a good love story. The blurb caught my eye and I felt this was a book I could enjoy.
I wasn’t wrong, well written the characters were likeable and I wanted very much for things to work out. There were times where I just felt it dragged a little and things didn’t move on quite how I would have liked but despite that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I will be looking out for more from this author

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

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A few too many cliches for my taste, and I've realised I'm not a fan of the second chance trope when it's to the detriment of other characters. But this is a very well written jet setting romance.

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Well this was a rollercoaster of emotions. Made me laugh out loud and also made me cry. Maybe a bit predictable, but what's not to like about that!

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This was a little too sweet and syrupy for me. I hoped it would be a good read but, unfortunately I really did t enjoy it very much. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

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What can I say about this book it was fantastic and was like a rollercoaster the ups and downs and you certainly need tissues at the ready.

Abbie & Oz meet at an rally and over the next 15 years we see the romance between them but also how they end up in different relationships. Will they ever get together. I thought it was so fantastic and the chemistry between them was so magnetic.

I would certainly say you must read this book it is so well written and the characters are so engaging. I think this book would make an fantastic film.

I would recommend this book.

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IT MUST BE LOVE by CAROLINE KHOURY.

Abbie and Oz meet as students and there is an instant attraction that they both struggle to shake off. As life takes them in different directions, they both move on and meet new people. However time and time again fate brings them back into eachothers orbit.
Ultimately will destiny draw them together or keep them on seperate paths?

The story weaves it’s way through the pages, with some chapters taking us back to important times in Abbie and Oz’s story.

This is a well written, beautiful love story.
Ok, so the whole ‘one who got away’ trope has been done many times before, but this story feels fresh and unique.

This is a story that will take you through many emotions. You’ll laugh, cry and be utterly uplifted.

This is Caroline Khoury’s debut novel and if this is the standard of her work, we have a lot to look forward to from this talented lady.

A warm, intuitive, captivating and sweet romantic read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Available now in Paperback, Ebook and Audio.

With thanks to #Netgalley and #RandomHouseUk for a digital arc of #ItMustBeLove by #CarolineKhoury.

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Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I found this a pleasant and easy read but a real struggle to keep going as I didn't engage with the characters sufficiently to particularly bother about the outcome. Abbie has a successful career at the cost of her relationship with her sister, first love and current beau. "It Must Be Love' weaves fate and destiny amongst the chapters and leaves you considering the choices you have made in life, but only briefly, as Abbie has numerous occasions where she is leaning towards one decision, only to be let down by others.

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Soul mates, destiny, fate, or chance. Whatever you want to call it. This book has it in bucket loads.
So beautifully written, with such lovable characters, you really can't help but root for them.
Abbie has so many emotions to go through, and you really feel them all along with her.
This was a lovely read that I really enjoyed and will admit to reaching for the tissues in the end.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Thank you to netgalley and the author and publisher for allowing me access to the eARC of this book in exchange for a review.

Apologies for the late review life has been hectic.

This was easy to read fun and comedic romance about a couple and their interactions and progression into being a romantic partner and it was sweet and adorable, I may have swooned a little.

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Thankyou for giving me the chance to read in advance. Typical love story theme but still amazing and heartwarming and very well written

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It must be love…
I was instantly sold on this book due to one of its many beautiful settings - Turkey. It’s a will they-won’t they story of finding love at the wrong time. Set across many years & countries from when Abbie & Oz meet as teenagers to their lives in their 30s. We travel with them from London to Turkey, Vienna to Paris & Beirut to Mumbles. I got quite invested in this story very early on, and I did enjoy it. I wasn’t fond of the ending, and I thought it odd that even though Oz’s English was perfect - he started most sentences with one word in Turkish. But it would make a fabulous holiday read & I loved the settings of each of the countries Abbie visited - and the honest account of her best friend Liz’s experience of a newborn baby and motherhood.

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A slow burning but such a nice story. I loved this book at the end so much. Abby and Oz will remain with me forever. Really a touchable reading that makes me feel everything. From joy to depression.

First they made in their students life and had an instant connection. Even they are from two different worlds they estabilished a special relationship. They had to live separate but they met again and again in different cities and different circumstances. There is always something between them that they can not be really together. They move on but it seems neither of them really forget what they feel for eachother.

I was wondering all the time if they were really meant to be or not. Was that love enough, I wanted to help them and just could not belive everytime they went separate ways. I wanted to scream and I cried.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for this great ARC.

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