A nice romcom that would benefit from more development.

Felicity has just watched her personal life and her career go down the toilet and while on a wine of the month bender buys a fixer upper in rural England. After she clubs a handsome stranger with a 2x4 in the local home improvement store, she find out he's her neighbor. His frequent offers of help and the friendship of his sister seem too good to be true to loner Felicity. Can she trust him to help her and keep her heart safe and can he trust her not to run back to London at the first opportunity?

This book had some strong scenes such as her laying in the mud in her disintegrating hazmat suit yelling at the sky and sweet moments with the young girl and several scenes with Jesse, but it lacked a consistent and cohesive flow. Some things happened within a couple days, but was referenced as longer or there were parts where large patches of time were skipped. I felt the need for more explanation or insight into Jesse's work. The writing wasn't as smooth and polished as most authors I read. I would not recommend this one to a friend.

This book sounded right up my alley. I love small town romances, renovations and the city girl ending up in a shitty place but getting helped by the small town guy is just a great classic. And the storyline itself was decent and enjoyable enough.

One of my big issues was with the pacing. The first like 60% all takes place in maybe a week and feels incredibly slow. They have the same discussions over and over again which had me skimming the pages after a while. After that there are suddenly a lot of time jumps and it just felt like such a different book.

The ending also felt very rushed and unsatisfying. Felicity’s character could’ve used a lot more growth than she got.

The bones were enjoyable enough but the execution just didn’t work for me.

This is my first book by this Author but it won’t be the last. I loved this story of Felicity’s journey in finding herself and true happiness. She had a traumatic upbringing which had made her lacking in self confidence. When her career and love life take a dip she moves from the city to the country to rebuild her future. There the local community give her the warmest welcome and great friendships are made. I highly recommend this. I am already looking for her other books.

The description of this book is 100% accurate, yet I felt it was so much better than the description! Can you say Felicity’s a “hot mess? Disaster prone? What next?” Throughout the first several pages I kept thinking more could not go wrong, and yet it did. Several times I truly laughed until I had tears running down my face as I hurriedly read this hilarious romantic comedy. I can see why Maxine Morrey won the Best Romantic Comedy Novel award - it was well-deserved.

Reach for the Stars, by Maxine Morrey, is a quick easy read with enjoyable characters and a somewhat predictable plot. The disasters keep coming for Felicity and wondering what could possibly happen next kept me reading. This book is peppered with dislikable characters; but thankfully, it has more of the caring, giving kinds of people that make life bearable. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

Cute story that I really loved. It was very cozy and I really liked how real the characters were. The slow burn cozy vibes were really nice and I would recommend this read to anyone in the mood for a hallmarkesque cozy story.

"Reach for the Stars" by Maxine Morrey is such a sweet, warm and light read. I actually really enjoyed seeing Fliss's development from being the self-centered, materialistic, spoiled character to the person who has more sense in her head. The characters who played second fiddle in this book were fantastic; they added so much more to the story, and the pacing was just about perfect.

But the chemistry between Fliss and Jesse lacked it for me. Their conversations sounded rather too polite and full of constant "thank yous" and "sorrys," that seemed way too formal in order to not make their encounters anything but forced. Their romance was a bit forced and unnatural, and I had wished there would be more sparks between them. At the same time, though, there were scenes genuinely funny enough to make me laugh out loud. Overall, a good rom-com for those in the mood for light and fun.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Felicity’s life implodes she makes the rash decision of selling her London apartment and buying a farmhouse in the country. She’s gets more than she bargains for when she sees the state of the place. When a storm comes and knocks a tree into her bedroom she’s forced to accept help and a place to stay from her handsome neighbor, Jesse Woods. She’s been burned in the past, but can she trust that Jesse won’t break her heart?

Fliss was a difficult character to connect to at first. She’s had a lot of obstacles thrown at her, but what I didn’t understand was her refusal for help that at a certain point bordered idiotic. Her house is ruined and unlivable after a storm brings her tree crashing through the roof on the section directly above her bed. She could’ve died. Here is this kind guy and lovely neighbors willing to help someone who is essentially homeless and she refuses any kind of help. Now I get refusing help at first and being talked into receiving it. And she does have a lot of baggage surrounding receiving help, but at 50% of the novel she’s still going on about it, and it becomes rather tiresome. It also keeps the hero at a distance. He’s a saint full of patience because I would not have had the level of patience that he had. She does eventually let it go, of the need to do everything herself and accept help, but it took awhile to get there.

I really liked Jesse. He was kind and honest. He genuinely cared about Fliss and her safety in a way that did not come across as overbearing or patronizing. He was very straightforward and called it as he saw it, which I appreciated. There’s no mistaking his intentions.

This is a story about rebuilding yourself. Fliss has left her old life behind and is slowly figuring out who she is outside of the posh world she grew up in. It’s a hard won journey, and she is fortunate to have such loving people help her along the way.

As far as the love story, I didn’t quite feel the chemistry between them. I felt the love story could’ve been developed more. I did enjoy the small town vibe and the secondary characters quite a bit. The story itself was fine, it just didn’t give me all the feels.

I received a free copy of, Reach for the Stars, by Maxine Morrey, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book reminded me of the movie, The Money Pit. Fliss has her own money pit of a house. Fliss has lost her job and moved to the country to start over. This was a nice read.

This book gave me “Falling Inn Love” from Netflix or like hallmark movie vibes. Felicity aka Fliss, life is falling apart. She loses her job and her finance’. So she buys a falling apart farm house in the country and moves from the city to fix up the house and her life. Upon moving she meets Jesse, a handy country boy who must gain her trust. When her roof collapses the two are thrown together. This is a nice light closed door city girl/country boy romance.

Enjoyed this romance of a city girl and country boy. Lots of mishaps and sparks. Kept my interest throughout. Would recommend.

"Reach for the Stars" brings a cozy, slow-burn romance with all the hallmarks of a comforting, small-town love story. Felicity ("Fliss") has lost almost everything—a stable career, her sense of direction, and even her romantic optimism—when she impulsively buys a crumbling farmhouse in the countryside, hoping a fresh start will mend her broken heart. The storyline offers plenty of familiar yet heartwarming tropes: an unlucky-in-love heroine, an irresistibly charming hero, and a journey toward self-discovery, all set against the challenges of rustic home renovation.

The star of the story is undeniably Jesse Woods, whose kindness, patience, and support of Fliss’s clumsy foray into country life feel refreshingly sincere. His presence provides a sense of balance to the plot, even if his character occasionally leans into the "too good to be true" mold.

While the book's overall tone is warm and hopeful, it sometimes falls short on pacing. Much of the story focuses on Fliss’s internal struggle with trust and her insecurities about love, which can start to feel repetitive. The charm of the countryside setting and the sparks between Fliss and Jesse keep the story afloat, but the tension could be stronger, and the romantic payoff feels somewhat muted after a long buildup.

If you’re looking for a sweet, light read with a sprinkle of romance and some life-lesson moments, *Reach for the Stars* will offer a pleasant escape.

This book was cute but also cheesy with some parts deserving of a bunch of eye rolls so it's more of a palate cleanser read than anything else. The main characters were unrelatable and didn't have much chemistry between them. However, the overall plot was cute so it worked I guess.

This book was okay. It was a tad too cheesy for my liking. It had too much going on, and it was lame in parts. I think the premise was there but it was not executed as well as it could have been

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

A small town, closed door romance set in the English country side following our main heroine after a series of unfortunate life events. I rate this book 2.5 stars rounded to 3.0.
What I enjoyed about this book
- the setting
- our FMC retained agency and did not give up her career / passion once moving from the city (a massive pet peeve of mine)
- enjoyable and lively side characters, particularly Jules and Caro

What I did not enjoy about this book
- the romantic arc and chemistry between the FMC and MMC did not feel well developed
- the way the characters communicated with each other seemed largely unproductive and did not support their growing chemistry. The MMC would make a jab at the FMC causing her to shut down. Additionally there was a lot of unnecessary apologizing for feelings. I wish there had been more growth of our characters independently and as the relationship developed.
- the third act conflict and following confrontation between the FMC and side character did not seem like a necessary plot point and did not feel genuine. Additionally the FMC and MMC makeup also felt rushed.

Felicity 's loses her boyfriend to another girl, and Felicity loess her job and relocates to a village into a fixer upper farmhouse. cute story

Thank you NetGalley and Maxine Morrey for this ARC. I give a well-deserved four and a half to Reach for the Stars.

It is a warm, cozy small-town romance that’s impossible to put down. Felicity, the main character, is incredibly relatable as she navigates life with her past traumas shaping her decisions and fears, yet she continually rises above every setback with admirable resilience. Jesse is a wonderfully written character—a kind, dependable, and selfless man who truly deserves his second chance at love. Together, they share a slow-burn romance that feels natural and deeply satisfying.

The charm of the book also lies in its side characters; the entire town feels like a supportive community, adding that comforting found-family element that I love in cozy romances. My only issue was the ending, which felt a bit rushed as the story wrapped up quickly after the slow-burn buildup. However, this didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment, and I was left with that happy feeling of finishing a truly lovely romance.

For fans of small-town charm, found family, and second chances, Reach for the Stars is a perfect pick!

I enjoyed the storyline of this, Jesse and Fliss were good characters and it was interesting to read about felicity building a life for herself in the village. I’d say it was quite drawn out in places so it felt like it took a while for them to get together. But I did enjoy the read.

This book was a quick read with engaging characters. Felicity was relatable and charming! I typically enjoy Maxine Morrey books but I always find myself wishing they were longer and this is no exception. There was plenty of room to further explore these characters and their stories.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot...

This is the first book I've read by this author. It is a heart-warming, light read in the "closed door romance" genre - which suits me just fine!

Overall I enjoyed it - though at times the dialogue was a little unrealistic. I didn't warm to Fliss to begin with, she was self-centred, closed-off, and materialistic - but gradually warmed to her as she became more human!

There are some lovely supporting characters - particularly liked Jules, and Maisie.

This is an ideal book to read on a journey, or on a chilly autumn day.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.