Fictional-ish by Natalina Reis – Review by Sarah Oakes

Fictional-ish by Natalina Reis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A great read about friendship. Kyle and Livie have been best friends since they were little kids. But when Kyle wants to marry her lifelong enemy, Mia, their friendship is put to the test. When it becomes too much, Livie pushes him away and goes to run a bookstore in Scotland. By the time Kyle realises his mistake, it may be too late. Can he fix his mistake and get his friendship back?
A great read. Well developed plot with twists and turns that I just couldn’t put down. Well developed characters like Livie following her dream despite her feelings or Kyle as a good friend but also struggling to find happiness. Great cast of supporting characters like the fun friend Jenny or the supportive and honest Liam. A great villain in Mia as relatable and cruel.
I loved the visual detail throughout the novel like with the wedding full of life and people with the music and the lilacs full of sound and smells. Or the bookstores sense of a small haven with the homely feel with shelves of books and coffee bar with its soft and colourful furnishings perfectly written. Or the magical sense of the fairy lights by the lake under the moon, making it feel like of another world away from the reality of the situation. I also loved the nature of Scotland with its language and culture and food and people given the respect it deserves and also giving the novel a sense of character and humour. The switch between perspectives worked well to display both sides of events and was easy to follow with names in chapter titles. Overall, a great read and I would give it five stars.

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