Can I just say, right from the start of this review, that…

…I love Lucy.

I finished reading Ms. Bailey’s latest book - the fifth in her excellent series about the Callaghan girls - in the wee hours of this morning (Saturday 22nd January 2022).

After which I snapped my Kindle shut - this was a preview copy supplied to me by Bookouture for review purposes ahead of a “virtual book tour” that begins on February 3rd - and let my head fall onto my pillow. Instead of sleeping, I tossed and turned. And so, with the clock edging towards 0200, I found myself stood at the kitchen worktop munching a bowl of honey-flavoured cereal shapes while filling in a crossword puzzle. I wasn’t even hungry. Or filling in the answers correctly.

Why couldn’t you sleep? I hear you ask. Well, read on and I will tell you.

Instead of falling peacefully into the land of Nod, my mind was racing with thoughts on how best to tackle my review about Lucy Callaghan - the youngest and my most favourite - of the fiesty siblings of which Ms. B writes so well.

You see, there are five Callaghan girls. And, as alluded to earlier, this is the fifth in the series. Now, I am no great mathematician and, even at two in the morning and despite my crossword failings, I can deduct five from five and realise that the zero I have left is precisely how many further Callaghan books I have to look forward to.

Zero. Zilch. Nada. None. Nowt. Bugger all.

So, on waking this morning, I have determined to start my review of “Am I Allergic To Men?” with a few complaints.

The first is directed at Bookouture.

COMPLAINT A:
Dear Folk at Bookouture,
Who among your, normally superb team, dropped the ball and didn’t suggest to Kristen Bailey that only five Callaghan sisters wasn’t enough? Why didn’t somebody insist on ten, or even fifteen, girls?
Yours,
Miffed Reader, Yorkshire.

There. I think that is a suitably harsh rebuke aimed at the publishers.

Now, onto my second complaint. This one to the lovely Ms. B. herself.
(I had not read any “blurb” ahead of this book - it being a Kristen Bailey read was simply enough of an enticement for me - and was therefore unaware of the basic premise of the storyline to come. So, please forgive me if the following is something of a plot spoiler.)

COMPLAINT B:
Dear Ms. B.
I am very annoyed at you.
How could you let Lucy get hit by a bus? How can you create such a wonderful, lively, lovely and life-affirming Lucy and then twat her with a ruby-red Routemaster?*
What sort of deranged monster are you?
Yours,
Miffed Reader, Yorkshire.

But, being serious for a brief moment, I loved this book. After all, this is the installment in the series I have most looked forward to. This book is all about the irrepressible Luce Cannon - this is her own gig.

I felt it was a slightly less crazy and chaotic Lucy that we meet in this read. I suppose face-planting a double-decker will mellow even the liveliest of folk. Even so, this is another terrific chapter in the series. Lucy is aided and abetted by her siblings, each one bringing their own vibe to her tale and propelling us along in the narrative. Even Ma Callaghan pops uo to show us just why her girls are the way they are.

There are some terrifically funny bits, some fabulous one-liners and, possibly a little unexpected given this is Lucy’s story, some genuinely tender moments within this book. We do see a few unexpected twists and surprises along the way. Lucy is a gal that constanty surprises. That’s why we (well, this reader anyway) adore her.

As stated at the top of the page…I love Lucy.

However, it did upset me a little to see Lucy get hurt and damaged and to suffer doubts and insecurities. After all, no one likes their favorite characters to come to harm. As readers we want only the best for our on-page heroines.

But that is the skill of Ms. B’s writing. She has penned characters that this reader cares for and feels strongly about. Lucy and her sisters Beth, Grace, Emma and Meg no longer exist only in the mind of their creator, they reside fully in mine. The sisters are - as much as fictional folk can be - fully fledged and whole beings. They live and they breathe. This author is really finding her feet and establishing a solid - and immensely enjoyable - body of work.

It has been a joy and privilege to follow the improvement, enhancement and progress of Kristen’s work during this series. My four adventures “on tour” with Ms. B. and the Callaghan clan have been great fun while reading and reviewing her books.

It has been a joy and a pleasure to read these books. Some readers may give little regard to titles in this genre - these books fall under the general area of romantic comedies - and possibly pooh-pooh others who read them. In her notes at the end, Ms. B writes that she “never tell(s) people I write romantic comedies because, to me, romance is kinda corny.” Instead, she insists that she writes about love and the multitude of ways that it is felt, shown and delivered. I plant my flag firmly in the camp of "read whatever the heck you want to read, as long as folk are reading then that's all good”.

With the world the way is- was, always has been, will be..? - what is wrong with a little romance? Last year, the previous book in the series, “How Much Wine Will Fix My Broken Heart?”, went a long way towards fixing my broken mind. I will be forever grateful to Ms. B’s words that helped nudge me a little closer back to being me.

We could all do with a bit of love. We coud do with sharing more of it too. As readers new to the series will discover between these pages, Lucy is a proud exponent of freely sharing love!

So, if you haven’t read any of the five books yet, I urge you to do so. And, if you decide to take the trip into the world of the Callaghan’s, then I envy you. Because you have all five to look forward to.

But, while you enjoy them and laugh and cry along with the five sisters, please spare a thought for me…

For Ms. B. Has left me with a world without a new Callaghan girls’ book to anticipate.

Bad Ms. B.

* I do know that Routemaster buses were withdrawn from service during the early part of the 2000s but I really liked the alliteration of “ruby-red Routemaster”.

I enjoyed this book so much!! It reminded me of me and my sisters and was just an all around fun laugh out loud type of read. I loved the back and forth banter between the siblings so much! Also, I don’t think I’ll be able to think about tulips the same way! 🤣 iykyk

Thank you Netgalley for giving me this advanced copy to read in exchange for my honest review!

This has been one of the best book series I have read in a while. I have waited patiently to read Lucy’s story and it did not disappoint.

Lucy is run over by a bus, whilst she is cycling across London dressed as Elsa from the movie Frozen.
Lucy wakes up from a coma thinking it’s 2009 and she is seventeen. Lucy needs to do what she can to remember the last 10 years.

I love Lucy she is my favourite sister. She is sassy, honest and hilariously funny, who loves to speak her mind, I totally get her sense of humour.

I love how she rediscovered herself in this book and it was filled with heartwarming moments and laugh out loud moments.
The bond between the sisters is amazing and I love how they are always there for each other.

I recommend that you all read this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC of this title.
I just loved every minute of this book, it was a fast read for me. I laughed so much along the way, it is hilarious. I loved Lucy and the relationship she has with her sisters, parents and friends. I can't believe this series was not on my radar before now but I'm on a mission to read the rest of this series in the very near future. A fabulous read, highly recommended.

This book was HYSTERICAL! I ADORE this author’s punchy humor and writing style and love all of her books. I can’t get enough of the Callaghan sisters and am so incredibly sad that their story is complete. We get to know Lucy in this book, she is the youngest of the crew and has all the traits you would expect. She is loud, brash, unapologetic, is covered in tattoos, swears, and loves nights out. She is so fun to read about and I couldn’t help but laugh and cringe (yes there are quite a few cringe worthy scenes but they are so funny) throughout the entire book.

In the Letter from Kristen at the end of the book, she talks about how Lucy has helped her set herself free and I am so proud and happy for her. Life IS too short, and you can still be a kick ass mom, wife, and person all while living YOUR life. She writes this and I am making this my mantra: “Go out there and try everything, be strong as tits, do what you love, do who you love and don’t look around for validation or an excuse. Do it for you.”

And guess what?! The fabulous Kristen has created a super fun quiz so that readers can find out which sister they are. Exciting, right? I’m Meg, which sister are you?

https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/61da008b0e1b5c0018cf633d

One Of The Most Hilarious Books I've Read Recently. Ok, so maybe it takes being an (elder) Millenial myself and the oldest of three brothers, but for me the comedy of this book was dang near off the charts. Yes, Lucy is a mess. Yes, she is fiercely independent and 100% committed to living her life her way - and you know what? It totally works. There is a touch of 13 Going On 30 vibes with both the opening sequence (which, contrary to the description, is *not* when Lucy wakes up from a coma - that happens later) and when she initially wakes from the coma, but in all honesty if you like that kind of comedy you'll probably enjoy this book. One main point that the reviewers who *didn't* like the book commented most on were that it wasn't a romance, well, it isn't currently marketed that way. Maybe it was initially, but it isn't now at publication day. It is a "women's humorous fiction", and that category is spot on. The other was that it was part of a series - and it is, though Amazon doesn't really mention this. (Goodreads does though.) That said, there was enough here that I didn't even pick up on this until reading the reviews *after* reading the book myself. So now I'll need to go back and read those tales, since I thought they were *upcoming* while reading this. In the end, I absolutely stand by the title of this review - this is absolutely one of the funniest books I've read in quite some time, and if you need a laugh, I very much recommend picking this one up.

Favorite Quotes:

She’s still looking for that happy ending where someone will pick her up, pledge undying love and whisk her away to a new-build semi in Surrey. The sort of world Hayley and I inhabit, the semis and happy endings normally end on our faces.

I know what my sisters are like and this could possibly still be a very elaborate joke. Those cows told me for years that my real father was Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and that he had to leave the actual country to be a Watcher because he was so ashamed of me.

‘We’re just going to get you into a deep state of relaxation…’ All I can think is that when I’m that relaxed I will most likely break wind. I hope the lotus and white musk will be able to mask that.


My Review:

This was a fun, dynamic, and energetic read that kept me wildly amused and gleefully giggle-snorting with abandon. The writing was crisp, breezy, sweary, and delightfully snarky while the sharp visuals conjured were diabolically humorous and colorful in every sense of the word.

In the previous installments, Lucy’s character was the most eccentric of the five sisters. Lucy was the fiercely independent, feisty, and predictably unpredictable free spirit/firecracker and youngest of the Callaghan clan. So I was doubly impressed with the insightful observations and emotive underpinnings permeating the unfamiliar sense of vulnerability Lucy was experiencing as she struggled to regain a sense of self during her period of memory loss following a head injury. Having lost twelve years would be quite unsettling for anyone but Lucy had packed a lot of living her best life and unusual adventures and eye-opening experimentation into those years. I was fascinated and deliciously entertained by each new development.

This being the last of the series, I am experiencing a sense of rueful melancholy, I will greatly miss this irreverent, divinely inappropriate, and tightly bonded family unit. They were good fun and their hijinks provided me with not only smirk-worthy entertainment but several unusual entries of British vernacular to my Brit Words and Phrases list. Many of which I cannot add to my reviews for fear of being censored, but this installment has produced the current publishable new addition of gurn, which Mr. Google indicates is to grimace or make an ugly face. I would expect nothing less from the lascivious Lucy.

Who is she? I'm not sure anyone really knows. After an accident she wakes up from a coma that causes her to believe that she's still 17 and has no memory of the last ten years. Her journey with the help of her sisters  unravels some interesting choices including the men who have come and gone during this time. As she hopes this information will help her regain her memories, you sometimes think she's probably better off not remembering. The heavy use of British english made this a struggle to read and really connect with the character and felt a bit disconnected from what the blurb and the cover offered and actually represented.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

Am I Allergic to Men by Kristen Bailey is one of those books that I have a love/hate relationship with. There’s so much to love, but I hate it because it’s the end of the series. All stories for each of the Callaghan sisters have been told. It’s done.
I’m sad. And I’m not ready to say goodbye to this wonderful group of siblings. Over the five-book series, they have come to feel like family.
It’s a good thing that Ms. Bailey throws everything imaginable into this book, because it was her last chance.
I do have to preface the rest of this review by stating that I have been looking forward to Lucy’s story. As the youngest, she has been in the periphery of the other sisters’ stories, and her character is easily the most engaging of all.
I am not going to give away how the author relays Lucy’s story. But I will say it completely threw me for a loop. It was nothing that I expected, but everything I wanted for Lucy.
The story kicks off in a raucous manner, with the most entertaining bar fight I have ever read. And the rest of the story doesn’t disappoint either.
Filled with trademark bluntness, hilarious situations, and a dose of seriousness, this story is amazing from start to finish.
Honestly, I do not want to give away anything from Lucy’s story, because it is not what you think it will be. But because of that, it is perfect for Lucy.
Her free spirit, charm (yes, even the bluntness of it), and wicked humor are on full display. We also get a generous dose of the other sisters as the family comes together in a time of trouble.
One thing I take from this story is that Dad Callaghan is a saint for dealing with this crew. And it becomes even more apparent where the daughters get their wiliness from – Mom Callaghan is a force to be reckoned with.
I could go on and on about this story, but I will just repeat that it is not what you expect, but it is perfect for Lucy.
I am seriously looking forward to whatever this author has up her sleeve next. She has set the bar pretty high with the Callaghan crew.

This is the second novel by this author and in this series that I have read. The main character Lucy is hilarious. I love her snarkiness, her sarcasm, humor and wit. She has a great relationship with her four sisters and parents. After getting hit by a bus, the thirty year old develops amnesia and thinks she's a seventeen year old again. Through the book, she's reconnecting with her family and trying to piece together what she's done in the last ten years.
I enjoyed this story and the characters.

Lucy loves her life, even if it's unconventional. Until she wakes from a coma with no memory of the past decade. In her mind, she's seventeen. She can't believe twenty-nine-year-old Lucy doesn't have more to show for her life. No husband, no kids, no steady job, and a communal living arrangement you'd expect of a college student, not a woman on the cusp of thirty. She slowly puts together the pieces of her life, reconnecting with friends and past lovers she doesn't even remember. In the process, she learns that life is more than bullet points on a CV, and wealth is more than a bank account balance.

This is not the rom com I expected from the cover and title. It's so much better than that. Lucy is an absolute delight. I love how close and protective her family are. I love her quirky, funny friends. She's charming and wise and offers a unique view of the world. And as funny as the book is, it's also like a big, warm, cozy quilt to wrap up in on a cold winter night. Don't miss this emotional, feel-good read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The 5th book in Kristen Bailey’s ‘The Callaghan Sisters’, but you don’t need to have read any of the others to enjoy this one. This is the first Kristen Bailey I’ve read and Lucy is our protagonist, happy-go-lucky Lucy, the sister with the wild streak and a devil-may-care attitude. I loved her, her free spirit, her unconditional love for her family, and simply her energy.

Lucy has it tough throughout much of the story. Following a head injury, she has no memory of the last ten years and has to fight hard to recover what she’s lost. She meets up with friends, colleagues and anyone that may be able to help her work out what she has been up to in the years she’s missing. Her sisters are with her every step of the way and for this, Lucy is thankful.

I loved the easy reading of ‘Am I Allergic to Men’. I could put it down and pick it back up again without having to remember what I’d read before. However, if you pick a day when you’re not doing much else, if it’s wet and windy outside or you’re lucky enough to be lying in the sunshine in the warmer weather, it will be difficult to even think about putting it down!

I will definitely add the rest of the Callaghan Sisters books to my TBR list and try to fit them all in soon!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Am I Allergic to Men by Kristen Bailey.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the ARC, in exchange of an honest review.

This book was super fun. The plot/premise was quirky and humorous. I loved the friendship portrayed in here with so many laugh out out moments.
I'm really excited to read more in the series!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars for this witty read!
I have to say that from the blurb, I was expecting something a bit different. I don't know why I got the impression there'd be more flings and something similar to that intent. (So if that's what you're looking form, this book may not do it for you.
But I was gladly surprised to find that this book is more about sisterhood, family and friendship. It's about love but not the one you think Prince Charming has.
And Lucy is a fire cracker. She is fast on her feet and has sarcasm and sass for days! Really enjoyed her character and the dynamics between her and the sisters. Such a wonderful bond with all of them!
Pick this up if you're looking for a feel-good comedy!

A raunchy, hilarious story about finding and loving yourself. Initially, when I read about the amnesia in the blurb, I was expecting more "50 First Dates" and "The Vow," for some reason. What I got was more a mash-up of I Feel Pretty and Little Women. And I enjoyed it immensely.
You always want a protagonist that you like and that you feel good about rooting for. And that's what you get. Sure, I don't have much in common with her. I am not fearless, nor immune to the judgments of others, and I am certainly not so open about my sexuality and experiences. But I love that I feel like one of Lucy's sisters. I love her for all the reasons that her friends and family in the story do for the reasons she figures out for herself.
Not every story needs to be a romantic love story. More stories about loving yourself, I say.

My only complaint, I guess you could call it, is that the story seems to take a little long to really get going. We need introductions into Lucy's life and her family. So the current plot takes a back seat for a chunk. But once we get going we get a character-driven and person-centric story that I think is good for any young woman to read.
I also enjoyed the writing style in that sometimes Lucy talks to herself in the third person. And we get her inner thoughts about people as if she is really saying that to them when she isn't :) As someone who likes to talk to herself, this was very relatable for me.

First, I want to thank Kirsten Bailey, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

O.M.G. Kristen Bailey had me cracking up hysterically laughing out loud reading your latest RomCom Am I Allergic To Men? Kristen brings you such a fun, addictive and easy read that will put an everlasting smile on your face. You will totally get a kick out of the meaning behind the book title.

I have read many dedications to books in my book reviewing career! However, none of them quite made me chuckle like Kristen’s did! I loved how she dedicated this book to Nick who doesn’t think she is funny at all. However, he married her.

Thanks to Kirsten I now can’t get TLC’s Scrubs song out of my head! No joke, I was singing along with the characters in my head. Plus, I would have loved to be on the dance floor with them!

Right from the prologue I LOVED the attitude and the drama that was unfolding!! I wanted to jump into the book and high five Lucy!! It read like a prime time soap opera but not as cheesy! Oh so good!

If you know me you know that I am a huge kid at heart and act it at times. I also love all things Disney and Frozen. So I was totally cracking up laughing at the Elsa references in the book. Especially how she didn't know who she was and learning about her for the first time. It totally cracked me up!

I could not help but have a kool-aid grin on my face with all the amazing pop culture references within the story! I just LOVED MarK and Lexie on Grey’s!

There were events that took place in this book that stunned me and took my breath away! Totally shocking events that I didn’t see coming whatsoever! I was on the edge of my chair the whole time.

One aspect that I really loved about this book was Kristen included a very sweet LGTBQ storyline.

Plot:
Lucy has an accident that leaves her in a coma. She wakes up thinking she is 17. She tracks down exes, friends, and more to try to regain her memory.

Thoughts:
I didn't love it. I get that Lucy, our main character, was supposed to be funny and quirky. I just found her to be obnoxious, too childish. There are also issues such as the description saying 2009 is what she thinks it is. The book says 2011. She didn't know what Netflix was.. which starting streaming in 2007. There were quite a few things she didn't know that she definitely would have known. It didn't make me laugh. I liked her sisters and her cat. I wanted to love the book but I just didn't.

You may enjoy it. My opinion is just my opinion. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

If a book title could grab me and feel like its about me it is Am I Allergic to Men. I did not realize this was part of a series but it easily stood alone on its own. This book is so funny, witty, and oddly sweet. Its like an anti-13 going on 30.

This book follows Lucy who gets a coma and wakes up and has lost her last 10 years of memorty.

I did think the title was a little misleading. While there is romance this book is equally focused on the family dynamics of Lucy's family.

One day, she wakes up from Coma and realizes she has lost the last 10 years of her memory. In her mind, she's still 17. Throughout the story, we follow her journey of reflecting back on the lost 10 years of her life. She has a plan to both remember the last decade and have some fun.

I really liked Lucy as a main character, she was funny but sometimes I did get a little frustrated with the fact that she was mentally stuck at 17 as it slowed down some of the progress of the book.

Overall this is a fun read.

Rating 3.5 Stars
*Copy provided by NetGalley for my honest review.

This was the first time I am reading something by this author, and unfortunately it will be my last. I really struggled with the writing style and felt myself skimming a ton of it. The main character was not only unrelateable, but extremely annoying. I really had a hard time getting behind a character that acts the way she does.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review!

*ARC given by the author for an honest review*
Oh my gosh 😂
Okay first of all I never read a book from Kristen Bailey before but this one was so eye-catching, I basically fell in love with the plot and the cover too! I just KNEW before reading that I was gonna love this book so much and that I was going to laugh so hard and I wasn’t wrong nor disappointed by this read!
I loved how funny this book is, it was everything I needed lately and the author’s writing is so good!
There was funny parts, and also sometimes some sad parts but it’s everything honestly.
If you want a good laugh and a good plot + amazing characters well I definitely recommend you this book! 😌