A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I read this book in one sitting, mainly because I was in a train! It was easy reading but nothing ground-breaking. At points I found the characters frustrating and there are points in the book that I feel could have been explored more in order for the characters to gene more "real" and 3 dimensional.

The beginning 30% of the book for me was slow. It then picked up a little and I was enjoying it from when they went out for the day together. The ending was cute. I just wish that we saw more or their emotional connection throughout the book just not at the end as well as the physical. Last 40% of the book was much improved and I. thoroughly enjoyed that final chapter it tied off the story nicely. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this early.

Overall, this was a cute and fun read! There were definitely plenty of enjoyable moments, but something about Josie and Connor's relationship just felt off to me. I wasn't thoroughly convinced that they would have a HEA and I really wanted to see more of their emotional connection. Their physical chemistry, however, was off the charts and I think Christy McKellen is a really strong writer.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the arc!

I wanted an easy rom com with some steam, and that’s what I got with So that happened by Christy McKellan.

We follow Josie and Connor as they battle for and then share a holiday house. While the setting was cute and the premise fun, I found that the book was lacking in character and unfortunately started so abruptly and in a kind of cringe way (the sudden haircut 2 pages in?!) which kinda turned me off things at the start.

Regardless it was still a fun easy read. Perfect for holiday (homes).

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

So That Happened is a romance by Christy McKellen. I enjoyed some elements of this story, but overall found little that worked well in Josie and Connor’s relationship other than their physical chemistry.

There were many patriarchal elements to the relationship between Josie and Connor. I was disappointed with a MMC who criticized the FMC for being ambitious and dedicated to her career and got angry with her when she asked him personal questions about her past or anything about having a relationship. Their relationship developed to be more friendly during a steamy holiday together with lots of sex, but overall these characters didn’t seem to get along very well. I didn’t enjoy a love story in which the FMC feels the need to stay quiet and not question the MMC’s behavior in order for them to get along better. It was a stretch to me that after all of Connor’s negative behavior towards Josie, and his lack of any prior close relationships, that he would suddenly decide to change his entire life to be with her. The grand gesture at the end did not fit in with any of his earlier behavior in this book.

The chemistry the characters shared and their physical relationship was well-written and intense. Their physical connection was much stronger than any emotional intimacy they shared. To a younger reader, they may have enjoyed the relationship more. I loved the beautiful setting of Aix-en-Provence and the south of France in the summer. The author’s description made the lavender field crystal clear in my mind. Her description of the farmhouse made it come alive and be the perfect setting for a sexy holiday.

I wish that I had enjoyed this book more, but it was not a good fit for me. In my experience, a man with so much anger and resentment towards women in general could never be the caring and supportive partner that Josie wanted. Thank you to Christy McKellen, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is a charming and witty romance that captures the chaos and sweetness of falling unexpectedly in love. The characters are relatable, their chemistry is undeniable, and the story balances humor with heartfelt moments. The writing is light, engaging, and perfect for readers who enjoy feel-good romances with a modern twist. It’s a quick, satisfying read that leaves you smiling.

I feel like this book started too abruptly, I expected more of a lead up to the plot of the book. I also think it would have been better in first person POV, I find it hard to connect with characters when written in third person. Good idea but just wasn’t for me.

Absolutely fell in love with this book. Josie and Connor made very cute couple. Made my heart warm inside reading them falling in love with one another.

I was so entertained but the mmc needed to get checked lol and I hated that the sister was seen as better than the fmc! I hate when that happens in a book but it's understandable how that made her see things a certain way. I'm glad the fmc and mmc were able to work it out in the end even after the back and forth about being in a relationship

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me.
The book started off kind of cute and i enjoyed both MCs, but the book was a little hard for me to follow and couldn't hold my attention.

Thank you for the eARC in return for my honest review

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

We meet Josie, a bit of a control freak and workaholic, who is urged by her work partner to take some time off. She’s offered a holiday home in the south of France for a much-needed break. However, her plans for rest and relaxation are quickly disrupted when Connor — recently back from a work trip — finds Josie naked in his bed.

Both being stubborn and headstrong, neither is willing to vacate the house, so they strike an uneasy truce and agree to share the space for a few days. Of course, there’s only one bed. Their initial clashes are full of humor, particularly Josie's feisty attempts to stand her ground.

As the story unfolds, deeper family dynamics come into play: Connor turns out to be Josie’s business partner’s estranged brother, and Josie struggles with living in the shadow of her famous TV celebrity sister, constantly striving to win her parents' approval.

While this was a quick, fun, and entertaining read, I found the story a little too predictable, and I wished for more emotional depth and stronger chemistry between the characters.

A pleasant Summer read, about a steamy fling, remembering who we are and not just living for work. An uplifting read to remind us all that the only person’s approval we need is our own!

3/5 ⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this arc.

This was a cute fast paced read. This book is forced proximity and had an interesting premise. I wish the characters were developed a bit more as it was quite hard to wholly believe the chemistry between the two main characters, but it was a quick easy read.

The start of this sets up a cute romcom, but quickly I realised it’s a little too fast moving for me. I’ve struggled with getting invested, the main reason being the characters narrative, but also because there is little lead up to what happens. It’s a little too simplistic, the characters don’t feel realistic and maybe it gets better but I’m sadly just not having a good enough time with it to persevere. After reading about a quarter of this I’ve decided that I’m not invested enough to want to know what happens next.

I devoured this book. I loved the relationship between Josie and Connor and the banter but I would have liked to have seen more tension between them at the start and also shorter chapters. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it!

I received this book as an ARC and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a light, tropey romance perfect for fans of forced proximity and enemies-to-lovers setups. Set in a dreamy French farmhouse, it’s an easy, feel-good read with some fun banter and situational chaos. Josie and Connor are both strong-willed and thrown together in a way that promises tension and sparks. Josie and Connor, both headstrong and thrown into close quarters, deliver moments of fun and friction, though their chemistry doesn’t always feel fully convincing. While the story includes spicy scenes, they lack some emotional depth and intensity. While the premise is fun, the writing can feel a bit childish at times, and the chemistry between the leads isn’t always convincing. The spicy scenes are present but could use more emotional heat. Still, it’s a pleasant romantic escape with classic rom-com charm.

I guess this book wasn't for me. I would've liked the charachters strugles be explored a bit more. I expected to see a few things that never came back up in the story, like the ex girlfriend and the robbery. I enjoyed the setting and how the story made me feel right there with the characters.

So That Happened by Christy McKellen is a light, tropey romance perfect for fans of forced proximity and enemies-to-lovers setups. Set in a dreamy French farmhouse, it’s an easy, feel-good read with some fun banter and situational chaos.

Josie and Connor are both strong-willed and thrown together in a way that promises tension and sparks. While the premise is fun, I found the writing a bit on the childish side at times, and it was hard to fully believe the chemistry between the leads. The spicy scenes are there, but they could’ve used more emotional depth and heat to really land.

Still, if you’re in the mood for a breezy rom-com-style story with a beautiful setting and classic romance beats, this is a solid pick. It won’t break new ground, but it’s a pleasant escape.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

It’s my 3rd book by this author
I’m not the biggest fan of the insta-love trope, and unfortunately, that element really held back the connection between Connor and Josie for me. Despite the setup—Josie being on a forced break from work and Connor just back from his travels—their chemistry felt more lukewarm than electric.
There was definitely some pent-up energy between them, and being in close quarters didn't help, if you catch my drift 😉. At first, it seemed like pure lust, which isn’t a bad thing, but it also felt like they were using that to avoid deeper, more important conversations that the story kept skirting around.
Certain plot points also didn’t quite land, like the break-in at the house—it felt more like a convenient device than something naturally integrated into the story.
Overall, it was an okay read. The premise had potential, but the romance felt underdeveloped, with minimal character growth and a spark that never quite caught fire.
Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and the author for granting my request to read this e-ARC and provide my honest opinions.