This felt like the perfect hug in book form. Thea Rogers has been laser-focused on her law career—so much so that friendships and real life kind of slipped away. But when a life-shaking moment makes her reevaluate everything, she jumps off the corporate train and into a quirky new path: house-flipping and reconnecting with the community she’d let go.

What had me hooked was how real it felt watching her rebuild—rediscovering friendship, family, and even considering romance again in her own time. The laughs are gentle, the characters (especially her neighbor Rebecca and her sassy PA) are delightful, and the tone is cozy and uplifting without relying on cliché drama. If you want a charming slice-of-life rom-com about choosing what truly matters, this is a lovely escape.

Thea’s journey is filled with humor and self discovery as she uproots her life. It was a fun, easy read

This book just wasn’t it for me. The main female character seemed to change so completely in each half of the book. The transition was rough and didn’t make any sense.

A beautiful story about how your worth isn’t defined by how good you are at your job.

Thea is a top lawyer, the youngest ever partner at her firm. But she realizes that if she continues in her life, she won’t have anyone at her funeral. She upends her life to enjoy life.

It’s more of a romance with herself so I wouldn’t classify this as a romance book.

It’s simple, easy, cute, and the narrator is great. But also not much happens. The plot immediately left my brain the second I finished.

The audiobook narrator has a great voice.

Thank you for the arc!

this was a cute read!! I really loved how Em was engaging and so reaaaaalll. Her struggles felt authentic and i really loved how easy it was to read and get her pov. The writing was also very light and easy to get into, which made the reading very fast and easy!! :) The romance was well down and the chemistry felt quite natural, which i appreciated. :)

If you're a silly little romance lover, this book might be just for you! :)

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for giving me an arc of this book in exchange of an honest review!

I really enjoy a Phoebe MacLeod novel, the characters are well crafted and there is always something to keep my attention.

I really liked this book. It was hard to get into at first. I’ll be honest it didn’t immediately grab my attention. It got better as it went on so seriously pick it up and stick with it. This big city lawyer up and quits one day and goes into business with her bosses baby mama. Yeah you read that correctly. It’s filled with ups and downs and a little sprinkle of romance for both ladies. Definitely recommend this one as a great summer beach read.

Phoebe macloed books always filled with laughter and brilliant reads, and this has become my new favourite of hers

This book was easy to read, but didn’t blow me away at all.

The first and second half of this book felt like two totally different FMCs.

Overall, this gets a solid 3/5 stars.

A quick and easy read with likeable characters and i was interested to see where the story would go. Although it was a good read it didn’t quite hit the mark for me because i didnt feel like there was any chemistry between the characters

I felt pretty meh about the first half of this book, just couldn't get into the characters as much. I kept going and I liked the second half better. So overall, it was alright, but nice to have a quick, easy read.

2.25/5 stars! This book was all over the place. The pacing could not make up its mind and I didn't believe in Thea and Alisdair's chemistry for one minute. I did like the setting of the book but just didn't work overall for me.

2.25/5 stars! This book was all over the place. The pacing could not make up its mind and I didn't believe in Thea and Alisdair's chemistry for one minute. I did like the setting of the book but just didn't work overall for me.

Thea is finally where she wanted to be Junior Partner at her law form, she has sacrificed a lot to get there and now she's made it so what now. Apart from a no strings attached relationship with her colleague Alistair.

When her mentor passes away suddenly Beth starts to question her total focus on her career and after a meeting goes wrong Beth has decided things need to change. Even if that means having no contact with Alistair for 12 months

Rebecca is the other woman, she has a son Rollo and is living quite happily until Rollos father passes away and suddenly all her security is pulled out from under her.

Beth and Rebecca meet at the funeral and realise they are next door neighbours but Rebecca is going to have to move and Beth really start to think her flat is not for her anymore and together after a bit too much wine they buy an old oat mill too up and sell on, but is that a great plan for two woman with no renovation skills whatsoever especially when the mill is industrial listed. The can still make the work can't they.

I love fixer upper stories and this one is great, I loved the characters and loved the character development. Was sorry to get to the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)
A charming second-chance romance filled with humour, heart, and just enough chaos. Phoebe MacLeod’s writing is light on its feet but emotionally grounded, making this the perfect pick for fans of breezy rom-coms with a meaningful core. You’ll root for this couple from the first page.

Finding a New Purpose
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 April 2025
Thea - aka Thearless to her friends - is a force to be reckoned with.
Raised by a single mum in poverty after her father gambled everything they owned, Thea is determined to succeed.
She works hard at Uni, then at the prestigious law firm where she passes banter with her best friend Alasdair, and finally gets to become the youngest partner in her firm.
Between a FWB thing with Alasdair and seeing very little of her mum or sister Saffy, everything suddenly changes when John, one of the partners dies and at his funeral is his widow, mistress and her child, plus everyone from the firm.
No one to really feel the loss.
Could that happen to her?
So begins her 'do over' gardening leave from law, meeting new friends and making a new life.
The only hitch is the embargo from speaking to her best friend.
I liked the family dynamic, the unexpected friendship with Rebecca following car parking battles, and how she tries the new joint venture.
However, I'm not sure the rom com is the central focus here.
It's more of an add on.
She gets her HEA, but the way she seems to dismiss not seeing her best friend for nine months and doesn't argue it, then her reaction on his return, all feels a bit off.
We can see how he feels, but the end feels a bit wedged in in respect of the romance angle.
Otherwise it's a fun comedy about friends, family, flour and finding yourself.

Honestly went into this book thinking it was a straight rom-com but was pleasantly surprised the further I got into this book that it was more of a self discovery/self love with a dash of romance in the end after she figured out herself… and I loved that. It was an easy, quick, fun loving read all around. Was a fresh new look into the rom-com world. All around a great read and highly recommend from me to all my friends! Great writing, love the cover art. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the advance read in turn for my honest opinion.

The Do-Over is an engaging and thought-provoking novel about self-discovery, second chances and the courage to redefine success. Thea’s journey from an ambitious, career-driven lawyer to someone questioning what truly matters in life is both relatable and compelling. MacLeod does a great job balancing humor and emotion, making Thea’s transformation feel authentic.

While the premise is strong, the pacing occasionally lags, and some character relationships—particularly the romance—could have been explored more deeply. That said, Thea’s growth is satisfying, and the novel delivers a heartfelt message about finding fulfillment beyond professional achievements. A solid read for fans of contemporary women’s fiction with a touch of romance.

I really wanted to love this book. The description sounded super interesting and something I definitely would read. While Thea’s story started off with interest and potential, later on it took a turn that wasn’t cohesive with the rest. The idea of a ‘do-over’ is intriguing but I don’t think it had the necessary impact.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced readers copy.

This was a very cozy book! Not much really happens, but I think that’s kind of the point. It’s a cute read, but it never really got me that invested or excited.