Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood books for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. This was a bit of a slow burn contemporary romance read for me. Whilst the characters are more in line with my own age rang, I just didn't warm to them in the way I hoped I would. I found the premise of the main character's search for the mystery man from her accident to be a bit frustrating when she already had a perfectly great guy for her that she seemed to push aside to chase "her dream man". What I did enjoy was one of the relationship one of the characters had with his dog- that was what made the book for me. It had some sweet and heartfelt moments and the ending was satisfying, if a bit abrupt after all of the lead up. #clareswatman #fivethingsiloveaboutyou #boldwoodbooks #netgalley #tea_sipping_bookworm #goodreads #getlitsy #thestorygraph #fable #bookqueen #bookstagram

After a bike accident, all she remembers is a faceless man and his voice. Convinced there’s a real connection, she leaves London for Newcastle to find him—armed with only a few clues, including the fact that he has a dog. At a local dog park, she meets Matt, who offers to help with the search. As they spend time together, a connection grows… even though he doesn’t match her mystery man.

When she finally finds the guy from her dreams, things don’t go quite as expected—and she can’t stop thinking about Matt.

A sweet, feel-good read with a fun premise and just the right touch of romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

A grown up fairytale.

Miranda is 49, divorced with two grown children on the other side of the world. After a bike crash and the visions that follow it she follows her wobbly instinct to go to Newcastle and find the man who keeps appear in her dreams.

Almost immediately, she meets Matt, attractive and with a dog like the man in her dreams but this one's called Gladys not Colin. Despite the obvious attraction between them, Miranda is determined to find Colin's owner and start her new life.

Ups and downs follow on Miranda's quest for the man of her dreams but ultimately true love wins out.

Miranda is a divorcee with grown kids who are off pursuing their education on the other side of the world. Her current relationship abruptly ends, and she feels lost. After an accident, she begins having intense dreams about the man who came to her rescue. She leaves London for a new city in order to find her mystery love.

Overall I enjoyed a love story with slightly older characters with a little touch of magic. There were some aspects of the story that could be more developed, and I felt like I learned more about Miranda's relationships that didn't work out than the one she ended up in at the end. It's an easy, enjoyable read if you are looking for a bit of escape!

Mirandas life is going in a downhill spiral, having been let go from her job she is cycling home when she causes an accident, she hears someone talking to the police but can't quite recall his face.

Miranda starts having dreams of the faceless man, she knows he's from Newcastle and his name is Jay, and in her dreams she thinks shenis find things out about him and he is her soul mate.

To dig herself out of the rut she moves to Newcastle with the dream to try and find him, but when she meets Matt and sparks fly can she let go of the the man in her dreams.

I loved this book, the characters were good but loved the twist at the end. Well worth a read

A feel good read! Liked that the characters were well developed as was the story. Easy to follow along to and enjoyable to read- especially as a palette cleanser between thriller reads. I wished there was a bit more to the story- it felt like it was lacking something but liked it a lot nonetheless!

This was a ‘nice’ book - easy reading on your sun lounger, not challenging, just a relaxing light hearted romance.

The title didn’t exactly reflect the book for me - but I don’t want to spoil anyone’s enjoyment by saying why.

The end felt a bit rushed and conveniently ‘sewn up’’ too - but it was ok.

Another romantic hopeful read from this author that I lost a couple of hours to. Based in Newcastle it is a well researched story with no fear of facing difficult issues. Would recommend to others needing to read a feelgood story.

What a fabulous story this hade everything in it which I enjoy. Uplifting and hopeful it made me feel better about everything just reading it. Sad in places which is fine. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

EXCERPT: . . . I changed my mind and decided I would cycle after all.
See? I told you I was indecisive.
I'm trying to channel my earlier optimism now as I carefully edge past a car while my lungs fill nicely with exhaust fumes, but it's easier said than done.
Finally, free of both car and an enormous rainwater-filled pothole, I glance up. The lights are still green so I push down, trying to gather some speed and get over the junction before they change back to red. Rain is dripping from the helmet down the back of my neck and the car beside me is driving far too close to my leg for comfort. The lights begin to turn to amber. I'm not going to make it.
It takes a moment for the realisation to sink in. The following few seconds happen in slow motion.
First, a man steps off the kerb into the road.
Next, I tug on the brakes until my fingers turn white. At the same time I scream, a blood-curdling sound I didn't even know I was capable of. The man's head swivels round and his eyes widen, his mouth opens, and he freezes, eyes fixed on me. There's no time to stop this collision, and there's nothing wither of us can do except to wait to see how efficient my brakes and his reflexes are. I'm hurtling towards him, getting closer and closer until I can see the whites of his eyes, the dark flash of his hair, and the pink of his tie. I'm not breathing, braced for impact.
Right at the last second, something tells me I can stop this, and I yank my handlebars to the right.
I barely graze his arm as I pass.
I've done it! I've saved us both!
Except I haven't. Because my front wheel is stuck at a peculiar angle, and it's skidding across the tarmac. I am also no longer upright.
Panic floods my body.
Then I hit the ground.
Silence.

ABOUT 'FIVE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT YOU': One fate, five clues, and a love story waiting to be told.

With Miranda's children grown, a perfectly amicable divorce long behind her, and her career in need of a spark, life feels steady — but a little too predictable. She can’t shake the feeling that something has to change.

So, when she’s knocked off her bike and wakes up in hospital bruised but not broken, Miranda wonders if the universe is trying to tell her something. And when she starts to be plagued by recurring dreams featuring the same featureless man, she is convinced it’s a sign.

Her repeating dreams offer five clues to the man’s identity so, with nothing to lose, Miranda sets off on a journey to the future she’s always longed for. Somewhere there’s a life and a love waiting for Miranda, but when destiny finally presents itself, will she take the leap?

MY THOUGHTS: The high point of this read for me was Miranda's friendships. Her friends, Sophie and Kirsty, are incredibly kind and supportive. I think, had I been one of Miranda's friends, I would have had her committed until she came to her senses!

Putting aside the improbability of it all, I liked the fact that the story was based around more mature characters - late forties and early fifties - but the fact they often behaved and sounded like teenagers had me gritting my teeth. And when Miranda is trying to talk herself into 'being in love' with Jay, it is just nauseating! Clare Swatman couldn't have made it any clearer if she'd hired planes to skywrite where Miranda's heart truly lay.

Despite this and the fact that I had the solution figured out fairly early on, I never felt inclined to abandon this read which I thought was kind of cute and sweet in parts but downright silly in others.

⭐⭐.5 lifted to 3 stars (when are we going to get half stars GR?) because of Gladys the dog.

#FiveThingsILoveAboutYou #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Clare lives in Hertfordshire in the UK with her husband and two boys.
Even the cat is male, which means she's destined to be outnumbered forever.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Boldwood Books via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of Five Things I Love About You for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Five Things I Love About You is a charming and uplifting tale by Clare Swatman guaranteed to leave you with a great big smile on your face.

Miranda cannot shake off this feeling that there is something missing in her life. With her kids having grown up, her amicable divorce a decade behind her and her career having hit the doldrums, Miranda knows that something needs to change, but getting knocked off her bike wasn’t the change she had been anticipating. Still, little does Miranda realise that she this accident might just end up leading her to the life she was always meant to be leading!

Plagued by recurring dreams about a man whose face she cannot see, Miranda is convinced that this is a sign for her to stop wallowing about her predictable life and inject some much needed excitement in her humdrum routine. With her dreams offering five clues about this man’s identity, Miranda vows to do everything she can to find him. But is she on a hiding to nothing? Will she find her knight in shining armour? Or is she merely setting herself up for a fall?

Five Things I Love About You is a fun and feel-good read with a heroine it is easy to relate to and see yourself in. Clare Swatman writes with wit and wisdom about situations we’ve all been in and explores feelings and emotions which we’ve all experienced. A captivating tale about putting yourself first, chasing your dreams and finding happiness, Five Things I Love About You is a warm-hearted, hilarious and heartfelt novel you’ll want to buy a copy of for all your girl friends – don’t miss it!

A heartwarming, emotionally rich story about second chances, trusting your instincts, and following the signs life gives you. When Miranda finds herself at a crossroads—kids grown, career stalled, and dreams lingering—an accident and a series of mysterious dreams push her to take a leap into the unknown. With five clues and a whole lot of courage, she sets off on a journey of self-discovery, hope, and unexpected love. A beautiful reminder that it's never too late to rewrite your story.

I have read and enjoyed many of Swatman's books...proclaiming every time that this is my favourite to date...guess what?

Five Things I Love About You is Miranda's story of finding herself and starting over. I love the spate books around at the mo that have an older protagonist at the helm. I find the characters more relatable and can empathise with them.

It's a heartwarming read and has a touch of magical realism. I love to interpret my dreams, but dream prophecies is a whole new ball game and I'm all for it!

Loved the friendships, the romance and obviously the charming cast of characters.

An enjoyable and engaging easy read.

A man steps off the pavement as Miranda cycles to work in the rain around the North Circular – and she wakes up in hospital, remembering little, but the man has just featured in her dreams. He had dark hair, a Geordie accent, a pink tie, and his name might have started with a J, but she couldn’t see his face clearly – but the dreams are still happening nine months later (and she’s added the detail that he has a dog called Colin), and she knows she needs to find him, convinced that he really must be “the one”. So when she’s made redundant from her teaching job, her new relationship doesn’t work out, and her grown-up family are living their own lives, she decides there’s only one thing she can do – let her house, find some supply teaching in Newcastle, and try to find him.

This was such an original concept, and quite beautifully delivered – her quest seems impossible, but she really does give it her very best try. And it helped – even if I shook my head at times and didn’t entirely agree with some of her choices along the way – that Miranda was a character I really loved, wavering and indecisive at times, distracted from her mission, but both easy to identify with and extraordinarily brave as she attempted to achieve the seemingly impossible. I really enjoyed living through every setback and small victory with her – and I’m deliberately avoiding any mention of the way her life unfolds, as her story is one full of surprises that it’d be unforgivable for me to share.

Another thing I really loved about this book was the friendships – always so supportive, even if they (especially Kirstie, who’s only too happy to tell her so) think she’s taken leave of her senses, and still making wrong choices in her new life. Sophie’s rather more in her corner maybe – a little more open to the woo-hoo side of things, even grabbing the opportunity to give her a tarot card reading (with a little more negative energy from the more grounded Kirstie). But they’re both so very firmly in her corner, always there when she needs them – the special bonds between them all made me quite tearful at times.

The ending? Does she find him? And is he the one? Well, that’s for you to find out when you read it – but I will tell you that I loved every moment of the story, and couldn’t recommend this wonderful book more highly. It’s very different, it’s unpredictable, it’s emotional, it made me laugh and cry, and – by its perfect ending – it really made my heart sing. Do add it to your reading list – I think you might just love it as much as I did.

This story is about friendship and love. After an accident one of three friends has a dream and decides to go in search of “The One”. There are twists and turns but her long term friends help her carry on.. I highly recommend this book. Clare Swatman has become a favourite author of mine.

I absolutely adored this book. I completely related to the characters. The women are brilliant, their friendship gorgeous to read. And the adventure to possibly find true love.....it had me hooked from start to finish!

I have enjoyed Clare Swatman's previous books so I was keen to read this one.

What worked well for me:
⭐️The characters were well written and interesting
⭐️There was a strong theme of friendship
⭐️The pacing and tension worked well to build the story
⭐️I cared about the characters and wanted the / a love story to work out
⭐️The idea was interesting and i do like a bit of magic realism
What worked less well for me:
🌥The story arc relied on heavy coincidence and lots of assumptions and it was hard to suspend disbelief at times.
🌈Overall it was an uplifting and heartwarming read with a satisfying ending.

Miranda has an accident on her bike and gets taken to hospital, she then starts having dreams about her dream man she saw at the accident. She has a few clues or things she remembers about them to help her. She has just been made redundant, her children have left home and she is divorced so she moves to Newcastle, gets some temporary teacher work, rents out her home and sets about trying to find Jay.

She meets Matt who she tells her story and he helps her out by showing her the local area, her two best friends from London visit and keep in touch. Then she finds Jay, or has she and is he the right person for her?

This book was a lovely book to read and I will be looking for more by this author.

Clare Swatman's 'Five Things I Love About You' is a heartwarming and inspiring story of second chances and self-discovery. Miranda, threatened by a predictable existence, is attracted to an enigmatic man in her dreams, prompted by five specific clues. Her journey of relearning courage and accepting the prospect of love is told through the story.

The author's affable, chatty tone makes the tale easy and enjoyable to follow, while the "five clues" format introduces an element of suspense. The emphasis on Miranda's individual development as well as the romance seems in good balance. Secondary characters might be fleshed out a bit more, but overall, the book ultimately has a reassuring and uplifting message regarding taking leaps of faith. It's an attractive book for fans of tales about do-overs and the wonder of surprise encounters.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I really enjoyed it great characters loved the friendship between the three ladies and it had lots of humour and fun throughout the book. When Miranda has a chance meeting with a stranger after an accident her two friends encourage her to leave London and go to Newcastle to try and find him and what transpires makes this a really interesting and romantic read especially when she meets Matt who she is immediately attracted to but will she still want to find the stranger who she thinks is the man of her dreams..A lovely read and a great story