Cute debut novel from Lily Joseph! Lighthearted, easy to read romance🫶🏼

Started this in a reading slump so took me a little while to get into but enjoyed it in the end.

I enjoyed her writing describing the settings in the story, I could imagine myself in Italy, Edie’s home and the bookshop which helped to immerse myself more in the story.

The premise of the story is all about fate and how the universe allows people meet when they are supposed to. I like the concept of this book and did enjoy the two main characters Wren and Nick’s story playing out and how their story comes full circle in the end. I did however feel that there were too many little incidents that did end up getting a bit repetitive towards the end.

I still do recommend giving this a read, will be looking forward to what Lily Joseph writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this early copy

I was really excited for this book, but unfortunately I just didn't love it. I think the premise was unique and really cute - but I think there was just too much build-up to the actual romance part. By the time the couple meets, it's already almost halfway through the book and there was just so much that happened already; the excitement just wasn't there anymore. Then the couple meets each other and almost immediately (within a day) start hooking up. It was a little strange, and the chemistry just wasn't there. I would consider reading the final version of the book once published!

“It was electric, and the fireworks on the harbour were nothing compared to the sparks that flew between them”

Thanks to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for a review! This book was really cute and very “invisible string” by Taylor swift coded.

Plot: 3.5/5
Spice: 0.5

✨ “Nick had felt like he was written in her stars” ✨

Wren and Nick kept missing each other and also almost dying a lot. Like how did they not die lol. It was an absolute wild ride to get to their HEA. The idea of “fate” tying them into these wild circumstances was so fun though, and once they’d met, I loved seeing what these two would do to save each other too. And that they acknowledge how fate is either trying to kill them or show them how important they are to each other.

The good:
The Capri scenes were so vivid!!! Felt like I was there. The boat and the blue grotto scene will live in my mind forever. Also wren jumping off a boat twice? Wild girl.
Single dad 🥵
Wren’s relationship with her dad 🥹
I LOVE how they figure out how they’ve been tied together for so long. Cute cute cute.


The not so great:
The side characters were a honestly little annoying 🫣
Wren’s (ex) boyfriend suuuucks
Why was Nick’s dad such a dick? And his brother was so selfish??? Nick had no one looking out for him. (Enter Wren I guess)
Also why was everyone hiding so much?

Overall though very very cute, and I love that it was British so I could read it in a British accent LOL.

Would recommend if you’re into the idea of fate, wild circumstances and a happily ever after 💕

I was quite excited by the premise of the book and hoped for a cute romcom book. Unfortunately the whole book was just a big lead up to romance which felt kinda rushed at the end.
I really wish that the lead up to the romance starting would have gotten to faster, when they finally met it was 50% into the book and as lovely it was to read all of the things that connect their lives, i wanted to read this book for romance more.
same goes for some storylines, it was nice story but felt unneccessary and at the end it just took time away from the main characters. Also, how the book was set up i really expected it to be written from 1st person POV and it being switched between Wren&Nick but even though it switched between them it all was written in 3rd person which bothered me a lot.
Overall, the story was promising but the things that i noted just didnt make it to be a good fit for me

The Near Miss gave me hallmark vibes but didn’t quite hit as good as a hallmark movie.
I love a slow burn but it was just a little too slow for me. It took me several tries to get past the first couple or chapters. Felt like it was lacking something ? Maybe more romance ?
There were a handful of subplots and it felt very overwhelming at first. Overall I thought the actual storyline was good just maybe not executed well…


Thank you NetGalley / Publisher for the opportunity!

3 stars!

This book really did not click for me!
Even though I do like the premise of two people being fated to meet, this book was simply a bit too much: too many incidents and subplots, making it difficult to keep up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC, in exchange for an honest review!

Such a cutesy little romcom! The perfect book to cozy up with on a Friday night. It was definitely giving 2000s romcom vibes and I loved it. It was making me a little mad because the author dragged out the meeting of the two main characters, but it was still enjoyable. Now I just have to wait for my trip to Italy…

This was a cute and easy read for the slow burn romance lovers, although a little bit too slow for my taste. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy! Publication date July 10, 2024.

This romance was a fun easy read which is perfect for snuggling under a blanket on the sofa with. The characters are the kind of people you’d love to have a cuppa and a chat with. It initially felt like Nick and Wren would never meet which is always a fun trope. From the minute Nick nearly kills Wren with a falling glass window, they keep causing each other strange accidents. But they were obviously just meant to be together. I enjoyed the backstory detail of both families of the characters, which lifts this story and gives you that warm happy feeling by the end. Which is all I want from reading a romance really!

The Near Miss ARC by Lily Joseph — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Tropes 🌷
— slow burn
— found family
— invisible string

“It’s strange. We keep trying to kill each other. But I’ve never felt so safe.” — Wren

This was such a feel-good rom-com book! The plot hooked me, and the story itself was such a roller coaster ride, full of mishaps, accidents, and near-death experiences for Wren and Nick. 🌸

It was also hilarious and exhilarating reading ‘Near Miss.’ I was laughing out loud and giggling every time they missed meeting each other. The slow burn and angst this book has brought to me were so good. 🌷✨

I really enjoyed reading this so much, and I can’t wait for people to get the same feels when it’s finally released on July 10, 2024. 💗✨

Such a refreshing debut novel from @lilyjosephwriter 🫶🏻 I can’t wait to read more of her books. 💗💗💗

Thank you so much for this ARC, @bookouture and @netgalley 🫶🏻✨

#TheNearMiss

I love slow-burn romances, but this one was too slow for my taste. The chemistry between the main female character (fmc) and main male character (mmc) was lacking, possibly because they only met halfway through the story. I think if they had met earlier, their relationship could have been more developed.

The constant near misses with accidents became repetitive and tiresome, making me wish the book would progress into a proper romance sooner.

The secondary characters were fantastic and actually outshined the main couple for me. I found myself more interested in Libby and her story, wanting to see more of her life.

The multitude of characters, incidents, and subplots made the plot feel overly complex. Despite the intriguing idea of Wren and Nick's destined connection, the execution felt disjointed, struggling to blend their stories together smoothly. I almost gave up on finishing the book due to its scattered focus. I couldn't make it past chapter 4 sadly because the back and forth from the main characters was quite confusing at times annd I felt lost in the story. Overall, I would rate it 2 stars.

I want to express my gratitude to NetGalley for providing me with this (ARC).

Thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley and Sophie Ranald for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“i feel like you’re my lighthouse.”

nick and wren keep missing each other. it takes broken windows, a near car crash and a trip to italy for fate to throw them together. misfortune follows misfortune and when they finally meet, is it cupid’s arrow or plain old love at first sight?

i thought this was a cute debut. i do think that disaster after disaster got a little much and i would’ve preferred for their relationship to actually undergo some kind of development instead of having them finally meet and it being instant connection. i liked wren and nick as individual characters and one of my favourite parts of the novel was nick’s relationship with ruby. the familial dynamics presented in this were interesting, but overall my main critique is that 80% of the book was buildup and i felt like we didn’t really see much of them together as a couple so i struggled to see them as a collective unit.

The Near Miss - 3 ★

The Near Miss is exactly the shake-up I was looking for in my reading. Wren and Alex near misses are clever and believable and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see if *this* near miss would be the one that finally brought them together.

We first meet Wren as she almost walks into a sheet of glass as it falls from where handyman, Nick is repairing windows at Wren's friend Lola's bookstore. The thing stopping the near accident is a text from Wren's boyfriend, Alex asking her to pick up milk. Wren is shaken but moves on. What follows is a series of mishaps caused by the actions of both Nick and Wren in which each comes within a hair of danger but also one step closer to a different and perhaps, better life.

When Wren, a journalist by trade, starts profiling a beloved community member, Edie Macmillan, she starts to unravel some secrets in her own life that she never knew were present and as Nick is trying to rebuild his own life and with each near miss, the two get closer and closer to finally meeting. When a chance (and near death) encounter brings Wren and Nick together, their lives are more entwined then they could have imagined.

To me, the hallmark of a really good book is if I want to spend time with the characters and I certainly did with the characters in this book. Wren is a loving, supportive friend and daughter. Nick is a doting single dad while also being there for his brother, his grandmother, and his own mother. The supporting cast is one you can't help but root for, Edie, Lola, Travis, Alan, even Wren's boss and colleagues at the newspaper are people whose company you'd like to keep.

Pick up The Near MIss for all your poolside, beachside, lakeside reading! If you miss it, you'll be sad (puns intended):

I like the idea of this book but the author missed on some things for me. Yes, they had near misses of meeting hence the title however I would have liked more interaction for the connection of the characters. They meet too late in the book for me. Enjoyed how they met and after that it was a cute story but took a while. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this for my honest feedback.

This was a lot. Too many subplots, characters and things happening. The idea was there but execution fell short.

The Near Miss follows Nick and Wren as they go through a period where they are constantly nearly meeting each other. This involves a wild amount of near-death (or at least seriously injury-inducing) incidents, some of which were much more farfetched than others. I went into this having read a handful of reviews warning that the near misses go on for a very, very large portion of the book, and I truly think having that knowledge saved me from getting frustrated at having to wait so long for them to finally meet. I genuinely shouted “FINALLY!!” when they had their first true interaction. (I think I took a good year off my husband’s life because I startled him so much.)

There were a handful of characters I didn’t care for, but for the most part, I enjoyed following Wren and Nick as we dove into the dramas of their individual lives. I loved seeing how their stories were so connected even before they finally met, and it made me wonder how many people I am so close to knowing! I do wish that Nick and Wren’s romance had more of a focus earlier on; however, the universe was so determined to get them together that it was hard to argue that their spark wouldn’t be almost instantaneous upon meeting. I just love a romantic comedy that is heavier on the, well, romance!

All-in-all, The Near Miss was an enjoyable read and it was different from any romantic comedy I’ve read recently. I would recommend this if you like stories with dual POVs, unique concepts, and slower-paced books that focus more on the individual lives of the to-be couple rather than the actual romance.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!

Summary: 'The Near Miss' is a feel good rom-com, revolving around the two main characters Nick and Wren. When Wren heads to Italy on what should have been a trip for two, she has no idea that Nick is there too. And when a totally coincidental, nearly fatal meet-cute finally throws them together in the magical Blue Grotto in Capri, sparks fly. But Nick and Wren soon find out their lives are even more entwined than they could ever imagine. Will their love survive, or will it be another near miss?

My Review: I found this book to be good, but a little confusing to follow. There were so many subplots and side chracters. The saving grace, was it was a quick paced read so I finished it quickly.

Thank you to NetGalley!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Near Miss was a very cute romance, with a little Italian adventure in the middle and a lot of very fun (well… and dangerous) near misses for both our main characters, always caused by the other but largely unknown to them. We meet Wren (or Serenity) our female main character as she and Nick (our male main character) each navigate interesting relationships with love interests, ex love interests, family and friends. Eventually our two MCs get to meet and realize they're special to one another, but the near misses apply to their ability to forge a relationship from there as well. I enjoyed the interconnected hijinks and the two MCs, both alone and together. I agree with others that this may have dragged a little longer than was needed leading to their meet up, but in general I think fans of romance will enjoy this sweet read.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙚, 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 🤍
3,5💫

"𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦. 𝘞𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦."

After a few chapters of a disturbing amount of weird incidents connecting them but without them knowing each other, I was super eager to read the scene where the actually meet. Really, the amount of accidents and life threatening situations that happen with Wren and Nick are extremely improbable and preoccupying (⚠️ note: suspension of disbelief needed).

The book is quite slow paced, something I didn't expected from the book synopsis, and have a very atmospheric writing. The descriptions of Northumberland beautiful landscape had me googling locations all the time (please don't judge me, I know you would do the same), as well as the Italian islands (there are a few chapters that take place in Italy). The way Joseph was able to make the dual POV chapters overlap was simply chef's kiss.

"𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵."

I don't want to go too deep into their relationship because even though this is a romance, I feel like this book is more on the literary fiction spectrum. I mean, although it has some funny situations, it is not your typical tiktok hyped rom-com. When Nick and Wren finally meet, everything makes sense, and I think Lily Joseph is a genius for writing such an intricate love story (😭💘)

"𝘈𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘵, 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴, 𝘞𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦, 𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦."

Other aspects of the book that are worth mentioning:
• Edie was by far the funniest character, with all of her 'pardon my French' thing.
• The Community Kitchen was such am integral part of the story, that it acted almost like a character.
• I couldn't help but to feel a tug in my heart when Nick's relationship with Ruby, his daughter, was brought up.
• There are a few little subplots that helped to keep the story going that I really enjoyed.

Thank you so much to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC!
I received a complimentary copy of this book and all the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really wanted to love this book, but the push and pull was a bit too much for my liking. The writing was well done, which is saying a lot because the dual storylines started getting a bit complex, but I got exhausted about halfway through and found it difficult to finish. Overall, the concept and plot was good, but I would've like to have seen their romance developed a bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC!