I’d like to thank NetGalley and HQ for approving me for an ARC of this book.

Told entirely from the POV of our protagonist we meet Stella Shakespeare when she is at the lowest point of her life. Having been dumped by her boyfriend, cut off from the bank of dad and jobless, she desperately needs to turn her life around. Stella is frustrating, irritating and not the most likeable person but I did find her candid nature amusing. She is openly honest and doesn’t feel the need to hide who she is but she has obviously had a very privileged upbringing. Once I got over my irritation with Stella I found I could settle into the story a lot more.

The shining star of this story for me was Harold. From his kitchen concoctions to his matchmaker abilities, he often had me chuckling and brought an extra dynamic to the book. The same can be said of Sam, Billie and Marjorie. All of these characters made the story all the more enjoyable. They weren’t afraid to call Stella out when she was being irrational but supported her in finding her own path.

This book screams humour and sex appeal. There are moments of lust and love that certainly knocked the temperature up a few notches but hidden amongst the steam are serious questions facing every woman of a certain age. The pressure to find ‘the one’, have children, and be in a serious relationship are all things society insists we must all achieve to have a fulfilling life. Sophia Money-Coutts addresses these issues and others, perfectly. We also have Billie’s storyline which will resonate with many and spotlights a much-needed topic.

Despite my initial irritation with Stella this witty, fun and sexy book was an enjoyable read.

This book deeply explored relationships between friends, lovers, partners and family.

The main character was deeply flawed and incredibly selfish. However, the character development was amazing.

There are some sad elements to this book so please look up the trigger warnings!

I found the story to be occasionally slow going but overall a very enjoyable read.

This was my first time reading a book by this author, it is a light easy read and I found myself picking this up easily and laughed out loud in parts too. Perfect weekend read .

I had mixed feelings about this book until about 3/4 of the way through and then I just adored it.

I don't think labelling this as a Romantic Comedy is accurate, yes there is romance and there is definitely comedy. But this book is about personal growth, friendship and navigating life.

I'll be honest, I didn't really like Stella, our MC, until about half way through but I think that was a good thing because it made her growth as a character so much more hard hitting.

I adored Sam and never had a good feeling about Fitz but I think that is a testament to where I am at in my life, kindness and stability is so much more attractive than playing games and being swept off your feet in an extravagant style.

The friendship with Billie was so wonderfully done, Billies patience as Stella figured out how to truly be a good friend when Billie was weak and needed Stella as apposed to the other way around.

Special shoutout to Jez, he cracked me up.

I will definitely be looking out for more work by this author.

I have never read anything by author but I will check out authors previous work now. Stella is a great character and I found this book so easy to pick up and read meaning i flew through this in 24 hours. This book had great twist and turns and i didn't see some stuff coming. Pick up this for a weekend treat.

If you are a romcom fan and are looking for a book that will make you smile and provide you with a few hours of escapism, then this is worth a read.

Stella’s life is not looking too clever - dumped by the boyfriend she thought was ‘the one’, jobless and cut off by her wealthy father who has been bankrolling her. The one constant in her life is her best friend Billie, who has been there ever since they met at school. Just as life starts to look up - she finds a new job (albeit a somewhat unconventional one) and she meets a man who seems to tick all her boxes - Billie receives some bad news. As Stella supports her friend, she begins to realise that she may be looking for love in all the wrong places.

Stella is one of those characters who frustrates you at times, but who you find yourself warming to as she begins to take control of her own life, thanks in part to a fabulous cast of supporting characters and the friendships Stella develops in the course of the story. Whilst the conclusion is no great surprise, there are some unexpected twists, and with both touching and laugh out loud moments it made for an easy and enjoyable read.

An enjoyable and predictable easy read. Stella is initially an unlikeable main character but we see her development as a person throughout the novel.
The author has a lovely writing style however this plot didn’t hit the spot for me.

I remember first hearing about this book when the cover was revealed across social media and it instantly put Fleetwood Mac's Big Love in my head. I immediately had to add it to my wish list and was overjoyed when I was granted a copy.

I LOVED this book and it wasn't anything like I was expecting. Stella is a complicated character who is definitely caught up in the ideal of finding the love of her life, to the point sometimes she allows it to effect other relationships in her life. At times I became frustrated with her but also wanted to give her a cuddle and some wise words. There were some aspects of the story that were a little predictable but I enjoyed seeing the plot unfold.

The characters make this book, alongside Stella there are a range of fabulous characters. I'm a sucker for an older character so Harold and Basil the dog made my heart burst, what a gorgeous soul! Billie's diagnosis was also handled with care and you could definitely tell this story line was well researched and informed. The less said about Fitz the better but I enjoyed hating him and internally voicing my disdain. Sam sounded hot and he was a child doctor - swoon!

I'm glad this was the first of Sophia Money-Coutts novels I've read as I can now go read the backlist!

4.5/5

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Looking Out For Love by Sophia Money-Coutts in return for my honest review.
I found this a bit of a slow burner and I didn’t particularly like the main character Stella as she came across as very self centred and spoilt living off the bank of Dad, but as the book progressed she grew on me, although I did prefer the other characters in the book which were more relatable and likeable especially Stella’s flatmate Billie.
This is a light hearted easy read perfect for taking on holiday.

This was so enjoyable - I have really liked Sophia Money-Coutts books and this was no exception.

This was a lovely read about life and friendship. The friendship between Stella and Billie was really well crafted and the journey they both went on together was both sad and heartwarming.

Stella as a main character was great - she was strong and funny. I rooted for her from the start. Albert was a minor character but he really stood out to me and again we see the theme of friendship in the relationship Stella has with him, her neighbour.

Friendship is definitely the main focus of this book - not romantic relationships as the title suggests. While there is some focus on the romantic side of Stella's relationships we further see the love of friendship with Stella and her boss.

Great read - loved it!

I really enjoyed my previous read from Money-Coutts and so was excited to have the opportunity to read this new release. However, I struggled to get invested in the plot and found the protagonist to be incredibly frustrating.

At the beginning I found the story to be rather entertaining and I frequently chuckled at Stella’s mishaps. It felt like I was in for an entertaining read that was pacey and light-hearted. However, when the writer introduced the subplot concerning Billie, I found it too realistic and made the mood change considerably. No longer thinking it was an entertaining piece of chick lit, I was distracted by Billie and wanted Stella to grow up and be a responsible adult.

Along the way there are many scenes that lightened the story and I was particularly intrigued by Stella’s new job working with Marjorie. It sounded as bizarre as Marjorie’s character! I thought this added something a bit different to the story, even if it did feel a bit far-fetched. Yet, I did think Money-Coutts could have extended this element of the plot to engage more with Stella, rather than it being a job that she finds increasingly enjoyable.

As for Stella herself… well, she is clearly spoiled, selfish and pretty useless. Her obsession with finding true love means she keeps making the same old mistakes. Her growing connection with Fitz sent my alarm bells ringing, but Stella failed to pick up on any signs that this is not the right relationship for her. Coupled with how she behaves with Billie, I grew less interested in her as a character because I wanted to see Stella step up more for her best friend and not put herself first all of the time. I thought the portrayal of her relationship with Fitz was too obvious for the story and instead found myself wishing for the genuine happy ever after that I knew would come at the conclusion.

I especially liked Harold’s character and thought him particularly sweet. His is so patient towards Stella and it is a shame that she does not recognise this – more reasons why I grew to dislike her! Again, such a strong supporting character, I thought the writer could have developed this character further, providing a bit more balance to Stella’s headstrong ways.

For me, this book was not as enjoyable as my previous read from Money-Coutts. It promised plenty of romance and laughter, but I was brought back to reality with a bump with Billie’s story and Stella’s behaviour just grated with me throughout the book.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book. Right from the start it was easy to get in to, well written and never a dull moment. A nice twist at the end , it is true that the man you think might be your perfect partner probably isn't. A good mix of stories that all intertwine together. It's a 5 Start review from me.

A funny romcom and very enjoyable. well worth a read, I am sure you will enjoy this as much as I have done. 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

"What Stella really wants is to find love. She wants all-consuming, can’t-think-about-anything-else, can’t-even-manage-to-eat kind of love. What she found beside her in bed that morning wasn’t love. But when a tall, handsome man in a well-fitting suit walks into a Notting Hill pub, she thinks she’s finally found The One."

I have read a few of the author's books and have really enjoyed them and although there was nothing wrong with the story it just didn't grab me like the other ones, which was a bit of a disappointment.

For me, it started off well, you know fairly quickly what way the story is going to go and then it kind of lost it's 'oomph' and just dawdled along until it regained a bit of momentum in the final chapters.

Overall an ok read, it doesn't put me off reading any more of the authors books this one just wasn't my favourite.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

This book started off well but as it went on, it was way too easy to predict what would happen. And yes I know these types are books are predictable and cliché at times but I was almost bored because everything that I thought would happen…happened. There were no surprises. Of course, the first guy we meet would be the one but it takes a whole book for her to realise. And of course, the sexy rich man is really dodgy. And of course, the affair hunter being a role in this book would mean one of the guys in her life would be suspicious and have an affair.

The ending was a bit flat too. Maybe because it was predictable but just meh

Stella is trying to find the one, but is she looking in the rights places. She is quite self centred so glad her friend told her so. Some emotional parts to the book, but some great characters, especially Marjorie!

Thoroughly enjoyable new story from Sophia. Absolutely back to her best with colourful and entertaining characters that are vividly drawn with love.

The person looking for love is Stella Shakespeare who is beautiful but a bit feckless and lacking in drive. The love she wants is from a handsome and probably wealthy man but actually Sophia cleverly weaves many strands together in this book, showing us different types of love - as well as relationships that don’t appear to take love into consideration at all.

On the surface, Stella meets handsome and slightly mysterious Fitz, a businessman with a hectic work life who seems to be falling for her after a chance meeting in a local bar. He’s just perfect for Stella and despite the misgivings of her best friend Billie, they seem unfounded.

The reality is that love is all around - and in different guises. Stella’s flatmate and best friend since school, Billie, discovers she has cervical cancer and has to have chemo and radiotherapy. Billie’s live in boyfriend, and Stella, see Billie through some of the toughest times in her life. Their love for her is evident in everything they do. Billie’s parents’ love for her is evidenced in the birthday Parkin.

Billie and Stella make friends with their downstairs neighbour, an elderly man and his ex-police dog companion, and widower Albert’s story of his love for his wife is just another variety of love.

And then there’s Sam - a rather handsome doctor who Stella had a one-night stand with who just keeps appearing in her life.

He drops a night in the pub to race round to Stella’s when Albert is concerned for her….

Throw into this Stella’s new job with a fabulous private investigator who specialises in exposing affairs (or not) and this is story really has it all.

The usual S M-C humour is ever present but this is not superficial in the least and the depth and warmth she injects into her characters elevates the story even more.

Even the uncovering of Fitz’s mysteries evidence different types of love.

Buy it, read it, enjoy it.

Thanks to #netgalley and publishers for an early copy to review.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review! :)

3.75 stars!

i really enjoyed this read. it follows Stella as she is on the look out for love, which is all she wants in her life. the story begins as she leaves her one-night-stand with Sam who she proceeds to run into throughout the book and as she begins her new job with a slightly sketchy woman she met on the street. i don’t want to reveal too much without spoiling it but the writing style is very easy to delve in to and i found myself really connecting with all of the characters.

Stella’s character is extremely flawed but that made her interactions with the other characters and her relationships even more interesting to read.

just a tw that this book does include cancer and the treatment process - so please be aware of this if you are going to read it.

Looking Out For Love by Sophia Money-Coutts is a wonderfully warm contemporary novel about love.
Love comes in many forms. We all need love. Love is what makes the world go round.
In the novel we witness the love between two best friends since childhood. Their friendship is rocked by a cancer diagnosis. Fear of the thought of anything other than a good outcome. They realise what they have and cannot contemplate life without the other. We see the love and care as they both look after each other’s different needs – from emotional to practical.
We meet Harold who lost his wife of many years and who pours his love into his Alsatian called Basil. Harold has a new lease of life after befriending the girls upstairs. He has a huge capacity for love as he volunteers in the hospital where his wife was cared for. He even tries internet dating!
A former police officer, Marjorie, investigates cheating partners. She believes in love not lies. She is a lively character with a big personality.
And finally, we meet Dr Sam who works in paediatrics and has a big heart and a compassionate nature. He always tries to do good wherever he goes.
This eclectic mix of characters interact, producing touching scenes as well as highly amusing, light-hearted ones. They are all unique but share characteristics of huge hearts, friendly natures and love.
Looking Out For Love is a fun read. It is light-hearted in tone in spite of some serious themes. I always adore Sophia Money-Coutts novels. She leaves me smiling.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
A word of caution: there were some bedroom scenes with far too much detail for me, I skipped over these. It did not in any way detract from my overall enjoyment of the book which is charming.

This book is just what I needed at the moment, a enjoyable easy read

Thank you to Sophia Money- Coutts, Netgalley and HQ for the arc in exchange for a review