The Setup by Lizzy Dent

 

The Setup by Lizzy Dent.

Published 9th June 2022 by Viking.

From the cover of the book:

SHE HAS A PLAN . . .
FATE HAS OTHER IDEAS.
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There are two men in my life. But this is not a love triangle.

Mara Williams reads her horoscope every day - but she wasn't expecting to be in a whole other country when destiny finally found her. Just as a fortune teller reveals that her true love is about to arrive, a gorgeous stranger literally walks into her life. And now Mara is determined to bring them together again . . . Surely even fate needs a nudge in the right direction sometimes?

But while Mara is getting ready for 'the one', the universe intervenes. Her new flatmate Ash is funny, and kind, and sexy as hell . . . There was no predicting this: it's as if her destiny just arrived on her doorstep.

So will Mara put her destiny in fate's hands - or finally trust herself to reach for the stars?

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Mara Williams is a big believer in following her stars. She reads her horoscope every day and relies on the advice provided to predict what life holds in store for her. But she did not expect to be in another country when love came calling.

Unexpectedly solo on a weekend in Budapest, after her best friend Charlie pulled out at the last minute, a fortune teller informs Mara that the love of her life will be appearing 'imminently', but will only reveal himself after she has 'fixed' something. So when a tall, dark handsome cellist called Joe walks into her life moments afterwards, she is convinced he must be the one - and she foolishly gives fate a little helping hand.

Back home in the sea-side town of Broadgate, Mara sets about trying to change aspects of her lonely little life to make herself ready for the 'one', while taking on the mammoth task of trying to save her beloved 1930's Lido at the same time. She has a lot on her plate all of a sudden, and is somewhat distracted by the distance that has grown between her and Charlie, and the arrival of her new flatmate Ash who is is funny, kind and extremely hot. She feels comfortable around Ash, but cannot allow herself to be swayed from her conviction that the stars are telling her that Joe is the man for her. Where does Mara's destiny truly lie?

Mara lives a small life, preferring to fade into the background, and she has no friends since growing apart from her long-term bestie Charlie, who is now consumed by marriage and motherhood. She is a complicated character with a lot of baggage to unpack around the causes of her crippling anxiety and low self-esteem, and you do spend half the story wanting to hug her and the other half thinking that a good shake might help her see sense, but I absolutely loved the story Lizzy Dent weaves around Mara as she learns to trust her instincts.

There is so much lovely stuff packed in here about fate, friendship, and family, with some very poignant threads around loneliness. Dent's special brand of warmth, humour, and in-the-feels magic floods the whole story, so you find yourself laughing and crying throughout, sometimes at the same time - and everything builds up to the kind of delicious sob-fest ending that ticks all my rom-com boxes. Dent has such fun with the theme of films, which is very enjoyable if you are a movie fan and highly appropriate given the cinematic feel of this book, and I adored how she uses stars to connect Mara and Ash in their own very individual ways. 

The characters that surround Mara deserve a special mention as they are an absolute joy, especially the swoon-worthy and very patient Ash, and the fabulous Broadgate Lido gang Lynn, Samira and Ryan who I was very sorry to say goodbye to. I always love a story that unites the local community in a heart-warming common aim, and this does that in spades. 

I couldn't wait to read this one after Lizzy Dent's fabulous rom-com debut The Summer Job, and it fulfilled all my expectations and more. I am really looking forward to whatever comes next!

The Set Up is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Viking for sending me a proof of this book in return for a honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Lizzy Dent (mis)spent her early twenties working in a hotel not unlike the one in her first novel, The Summer Job. Soon to be a TV series! She somehow ended up in a glamorous job travelling the world creating content for various TV companies, including MTV, Channel 4, Cartoon Network, the BBC and ITV. She writes about women who don't always know where they're going in life, but who always have fun doing it. The Setup is her second novel.