The Secret to Falling in Love

by Victoria Cooke

Status Update: I’m going offline for a while… Wish me luck! xx

Lifestyle journalist and thirty-something singleton Melissa hashtags, insta's and snapchats her supposedly fabulous life on every social media platform there is.

That is until she wakes up on her birthday, another year older and still alone, wondering if for all her internet dates, love really can be found online? The challenge: go technology free for a whole month!

Forced to confront the reality of her life without its perfect filters, Melissa knows she needs to make some changes. But when she bumps into not one, but two gorgeous men, without the use of an app, she believes there could be hope for love offline.

If only there was a way to choose the right guy for her…

• ISBN13: 9780008243913
• Publish Date: 9 February 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: HQ Digital
• Edition: Digital original
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.co.uk

Reviews

[zooloo1983]

Where do I start? Well, the first thing I will start anytime I see Victoria Cooke’s name on a book, I want it! Straight off the bat. I absolutely loved the Holiday Cruise and It Started with a Note (review will be up later on this month), I have Who Needs a Man waiting too, so there was NO WAY I was passing up a chance to read this.

I had all the warm and fuzzies with this book and I loved the idea of switching off from technology for a month! Although I can not foresee it being a realistic thing for me to do with the little one and the boy going back away, it has made me realise I do need to cut down on the social media for sure. Go back to a time where it was not everything we did, and to take a step back, so basically when I was growing up!

The message I found in the book was to take the moment and see what is right in front of you, not behind a phone/computer. It is the interactions with people, taking in the scenery. Although, do not get me wrong I have friends that if I did not speak to on my phone/computer then I would not be able to, miles and (in one instance!) countries apart!

I loved Melissa, she was not your typical heroine in a book. She acted exactly how I would have acted! She was afraid of putting herself out there with someone new, and then Joseph and Scott came along at the same time! I did, however, love the walk of shame at the beginning of the book I chuckled at that – I can safely say I have not done that!

I had my favourite out of Joseph and Scott, and it was obvious who would win her heart. It was for me, like normal, the journey they go on to get to where they need to be. I loved the ending too, it was so them. Not telling you who "them" is!

As I said, The Secret to Falling in Love has all the warm and fuzzies, I could imagine this being made into a Hollywood and I could imagine who would play the characters too. Think a Patrick Dempsey would make a good Joseph!

A shout out has to go to Doris! I loved her! I loved the friendship her and Melissa struck up over the glass of bubbly! Shows you what could happen if we stepped away for a few minutes!

Ms Cooke books are a goto for me, her stories are always so realistic to me as if we were given an insight into her diary. There is nothing fantastical about it, everything feels so natural. She leaves with hope in my heart and a lot of smiles on my face! I really can not recommend this book or any of the other books she has written enough. In The Holiday Cruise, she made me want to run away and join a cruise liner, in The Secret to Falling in Love she made me want to run away and go to Scotland and run a pub! Either way, I can wait for the next adventure I go on with Victoria and her characters.

[Lynn]

Social media dominates journalist Melissa's lifestyle as her phone is her constant companion, a problem which highlights her current dilemma on her birthday; she's single and thirty-five years old with no dates lines up. When her phone disappears and she can't log into her work PC at the office, her editor tells her she has to write about the experience. She's sceptical but accepts the challenge and finds the rewards outweigh the inconvenience.

I loved the idea of the heroine going without social media. It's a thought-provoking plot-line which makes the reader think beyond the narrative and how their own lives shape up compared to Melissa when comparing social media usage. It definitely gave me food for thought even though my background and circumstances are vastly different to hers. However, it's foolish to think this novel is serious, far from it. The humorous dialogue flows throughout this refreshing and entertaining romance and definitely kept my attention for the duration.

I know some readers will be thinking this is a love triangle, based on the promotional blurb. Yes, two guys are interested in Melissa, but you'll just have to trust my word and read this novel yourself to find out how they both happened to be in the heroine's orbit simultaneously because it's definitely a fascinating take on the events taking place. It's a lesson on how other peoples actions can impact, either coincidentally or deliberately.

Light-hearted, with relatable characters, The Secret to Falling in Love is a delightful introduction to Ms Cooke's writing. The words flow along with amusing dialogue from everyone from the main protagonists, down to the smallest of secondary characters. It's fun, yet gives the reader food for thought about how they manage and maintain their own lives in the twenty-first century.

***review copy received courtesy of HQ Digital via Rachel's Random Resources***