I struggled with the first 2/3 of this book. Although well written I found the characters unlikeable, weak willed and immature. The final third was more interesting when events persuaded the group to act in a more rational way.

The premise was interesting and the characters had potential, but ultimately, I felt irritated at the struggle to power through and did not finish at 66%. The narcissistic characteristics of the many characters were not balanced out by charm; their daftness did not come with cute endearing quirks. I wanted to be able to give a fair review on the entire book, but realized that I did not care to know how it ended for any of them, so I decided to move on. Not for me.


Thank you Net Galley and Headline Books for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so enjoyable. I laughed so much and I thought the characters were adorable. Have reccomended to everyone after an uplifting read.

The Lonely Hearts’ Quiz League is a cozy novel about a group of strangers who come together to join a pub quiz. What starts as a way to get out of the house, the reader is swept up into a story about 4 very different people and the challenges they face - as they compete to win £10,000.

I thought the book was quite sympathetic to the challenges that many of us face - between mental health, job loss, breakups and family pressures - and I thought each character grew throughout the book, even if the outcomes weren’t necessarily where they expected to be. The story is written in third person, which gives the reader an opportunity to explore everyone’s stories, but at times chapters can jump between characters so you need to be paying close attention. But I thought the POV really helped create an interesting narrative about the four different people that were the heart of the Quiz team, and really form a connection with them.

It was a great read to pick up after a long day at work, and it’s definitely left me with some great genera knowledge for my next quiz!

Thanks to Lauren Farnsworth, Headline and NetGalley for an eARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

"The Lonely Hearts' Quiz League" by Lauren Farnsworth is a delightful rom-com brimming with wit and charm. As a quirky quiz league brings together unlikely allies, Farnsworth navigates themes of love, friendship, and self-discovery with humor and heart. A feel-good read that leaves you smiling long after the final page.

What a delightful book this was. Imagine 5 strangers who get together to compete in a pub's quiz league. Five totally different people, each of them there with different purposes, but ultimately all on a journey to finding themselves. It's a story that'll make you laugh, cry, it'll make you want to shake some sense into some of the characters and it'll make you wonder if you'll ever get over disliking some of the characters (spoiler alert! Some of them you won't!).
It truly was a delightful read, the characters are so beautifully developed, it is a wonderful story of growth and acceptance. It reminded me that no matter how little you can think of yourself at times, or how disappointed in yourself you can be, there's always someone out there who sees you way differently and for whom it is worth picking yourself up. I definitely recommend this book, 10/10!

I enjoy reading about mismatched individuals coming together as it gives me those warm fuzzy feelings and the satisfaction of seeing important friendships bloom for those otherwise a little lost, and feeling lonely. Unlike a lot of books with these themes, the cast of characters are exclusively in their twenties and thirties, all going through different things in their lives and looking for some sort of outside connection in a city filled with people. It is a reminder that making friends isn’t easy in adulthood, especially outside of work, and the idea of forming a quiz league was somewhat genius.

Now, I have to confess, I didn’t like any of these characters and so although it’s great that they built new connections at a time when they needed them, and have supported each other through difficult situations, I couldn’t root for them. There seemed to be several liars in the bunch, misquoting conversations to gain sympathy, lying to friends, partners, and family. And we’re only human, of course, but the lying paired with general behaviour was frustrating and didn’t warm me to them. I did also think the book went quite slow, and could have been cut down a little bit. There were some side characters that I’m curious about - what was Jude’s deal, for example.

I will say I liked that each chapter began with a quiz question. This is a good read for anyone who is ready to meet a complex group of characters and experience the highs and lows of pub quiz leagues.

Loved this story and how it all came together. Bringing together a group of, essentially, lonely people and watching them form friendships whilst everything else is going on all around.

Thank you to netgalley/publisher for an advanced digital copy of this wonderful little book!

I especially loved the writing style, it was a little slow at first but it paid off!

Also how cute is the cover!!

Highlights!
- Great cast of characters, flawed but great in their own way
- Short chapters
- A great premise for the book
- The ending was sweet!

A lovely first time book from this author, with characters who have their own stories to tell! It keeps you hooked from the start

Bryony, Harry, Jaime and Donna become a randomly compiled quiz team. Each of them is looking for a distraction from something in his or her life, meaning that they all have secrets. I was drawn to some of the characters more than others in Lauren Farnsworth's Lonely Hearts' Quiz League, but they were an intriguing cross-section of London life.

I genuinely loved this novel. It reminded me of early Lisa Jewell: a collection of broken/struggling characters and their subsequent relationships and fails, with themes of friendship and hope at the core.

Lauren observes characters so well, through their interior struggles, but also as they evaluate each other and I personally found this made it a captivating read. I really came to root for these characters. I particularly found Briony's story resonated with me, The struggle to keep hold of one's identity when the children have grown up is one that many other readers who are mothers will identify with I feel.

The quiz scenes were very well done and I found myself on tenterhooks – who knew quizzes could be so exciting? Without giving any spoilers, there were moments as things began to escalate and get worse for the characters where I jumped up and down in my seat. I'm really looking forward to reading Lauren's next novel. An excellent read!

What a wonderful first time tale from this author. Great characters, all with a tale to tell as they all get to know one another at their local quiz nights. Easy to read, loved it

Fantastically relatable characters across the quiz team make this a joy to read! Each a little quirky and far from perfect, the realism of the anxiety of making new friends as an adult shines though the various interactions of the team both on and off the quiz platform!
Loved the quiz questions at the beginning of each chapter- I reckon I would score about 70% so probably not going to secure myself a spot with the Quizzy peppers!

Fantastic premise for a familiar story - how better to thrust some strangers together than forming a pub quiz team? Good use of multiple perspectives mean we get to know the set of characters well, and not just see events from that person's POV but also from other people's. No one narrates their own story / life clearly, and you feel quite smug as a reader because you can therefore see possibilities that the character themselves cannot. There is a lot of story build-up and quite a slow pace to start with, and then lots of things all come to a head towards the end. I liked the use of quiz questions as chapter headers and loose thematics, and a way of stringing the individual storylines together without it being overwhelming. I did find it a bit strange that certain characters took quite a long time to make life decisions they clearly needed to, but I'm happy to say all the main players did have relatively satisfying conclusions, although this idea could easily carry on with different team sets if not these same characters. A great idea from Farnsworth.

An interestingly plotted novel of five characters that come together to form a pub quiz team. Each has their own problems, and each finds redemption through the group

I really enjoyed reading The Lonely Hearts’ Quiz League. I found the characters well-developed and mostly likeable, despite being flawed. It did take me a little while to settle into the story, just because there was a large cast, but once I did I found it a fun, heartwarming read. Overall great writing and a great plot. Would definitely recommend for lovers of commercial fiction.

Ever looked around at the people taking part in the midweek pub quiz and wondered what was behind their faces, their competititveness and knowledge? Why did the team come together, why do they choose this as their pasttime? The Lonely Hearts Quiz League by Lauren Farnsworth is a beautiful observation of human nature and why we sometimes seek the company of others

I was astounded to discover that this was a debut novel. Lauren Farnsworth has a skillful grasp of dialogue, scene setting and narrative, spinning a tale that is both heartwarming and breathtaking. There is an authentic humanity in Farnsworths narrative that is very engaging and likable. Farnsworth creates characters and situations that are relatable, we have all been in these situations or met people like this

A great book about friendship, isolation in contemporary soceity and battles with mental health that are more and more prevalent. A wonderful read

Thank you to Netgalley and the author, Luren Farnsworth for this beautiful ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

A quick read, with many funny and sad moments.

Donna advertises for a team to enter a Pub Quiz with a prize of £10k.

5 individuals all with their own problems form a formidable team-

Donna - tries to be a straight talking mouthy individual, refuses to have any strong relationship bonds.... including her parents and sister.

Harry a 31 year old who is unemployed and has lost his girlfriend to an ex work colleague and is still afraid of his mum,

Jaime and Luke, living in London from Keswick, who have no friends and the bright lights of the city are not all they are made you believe

Bryony, married since she was 17 to Glen with a 13 year old daughter and 10 year old son.

Together they form the Red Hot Quizzy Peppers.... with their own areas of expertise they take the quiz league by storm, while their own problems manifest themselves.

A fun book, showing how relationships can be forged, renewed and goals met.

A mish-mash of characters, all with flaws, issues, or worries are recruited to form a quiz team that enters a big quizzing competition. We read how these strangers all become involved in each others lives (whether they want to or not).

Interesting read, with a range of characters that all have their own lives (and problems). We get to know each of them and see how the quiz team, the "friends" they have created has an impact on their lives - for good and at times for the bad.

Although it took a few chapters to get into it, I found it to be an enjoyable read.