By Rachel Winters
ISBN 9781409184904
Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia
“Would Like To Meet” made me laugh out loud, and that doesn’t happen very often. Like the best of the rom-coms it both celebrates and pokes fun at, this novel is warm, joyous, funny, and recognises the value of both romantic love and the love between friends. It’s one of the most enjoyable novels I’ve read in some time.
Evie has been slogging away as an assistant for far too long. She wants to be a full agent, someone who helps screenwriters achieve the dreams she herself has let wither. And now, her frustrating and often demeaning job is in danger. Unless she gets Ezra Chester, her agency’s prize client, to finish his badly overdue script – she’s finished. And if this isn’t her dream job, it’s the only one she has, and her best chance of finally making Agent.
But Ezra is insanely annoying. Sure, he’s rich, handsome, and occasionally charming. But there’s more than one reason Evie has nicknamed him “NOB”. Evie has no idea why he signed on to do a rom-com: he hates the things. And now he’s refusing to write the script unless Evie proves to him that people can fall in love the way they do in the movies. In other words, Evie has to stage a “meet-cute” and make it work. Evie is soon placing herself in ridiculous situation, after ridiculous situation.
I just loved this. Anyone who’s ever loved or hated a rom com is likely to get a lot of pleasure out of it. Winters gleefully plays with the clichés that abound in rom coms, and gives us a story that’s genuinely funny but also heartfelt. Humour is really hard to get right, but I’m betting that plenty of readers will be laughing at this.
The characters are very strong, and I defy you not to engage with each one of Evie and her friends. They’re a motley group: wildly different from each other, with very distinctive quirks, not above telling each other off or criticising each other, but loyal and loving when the chips are down.
This is the sort of novel that you can picture vividly in your head as you read. I would not be surprised if someone does turn this into a movie. Much of it would be just as funny and emotional on the screen – the main problem might be what to leave out to keep the movie to a reasonable length.
The novel doesn’t really say anything very new, and it’s certainly not deep and meaningful. It is however very well written and extremely enjoyable. It’s a cheerful romp that will quite simply bring pleasure and laughter and a shot of romance into your life. We all need that sometimes.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading Would Like to Meet. You can read their comments below, or contribute to the discussion by leaving your own feedback.
I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember, and I love sharing that joy.
I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember, across all genres. There’s not much I won’t at least try. I’ve been an enthusiastic book reviewer for years. I particularly enjoy discovering writers new to me, and sharing good writing with others.
My career has included time spent writing and editing technical documents, but it’s fiction that really moves me. I’ve reviewed for a number of different outlets over the years, and have been a judge in literary competitions.
I’m now raising little bookworms of my own, which brings a whole new kind of joy to sharing books.
More of my reviews can be found on my review blog www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog .
This enjoyable novel is dedicated to anyone who’s ever been told they’re not good enough. I think that’s most of us at once time or another, whether it’s at school, home, work or play. Sometimes it’s even our own thoughts telling us that we’re not good enough and we are too hard on ourselves.
This very enjoyable novel is a movie waiting to be made. Evie is a long suffering Assistant in a film agency, she longs to take the step up to be an Agent and she also feels she has failed as a screen writer. She’s unlucky in love and has a bunch of lovable and slightly off the wall friends (does this sound like a movie script????)
To save the agency she works for (and her job) she agrees to try and fall in love as they do in the romantic comedy movies – through a “meet cute” so she sets out to try all the old tricks in the book like spilling a drink over someone or meeting through a book club (or store). Naturally things don’t quite go to plan. At times this novel is really quite funny, ok many of the characters do sound like they’ve come out of a Bridget Jones movie but they’re mainly still likeable and as it went on I was keen to find out who would win Evie’s heart. The answer wasn’t a surprise but it was still fun to go on the journey.
Thanks to Orion Publishing (a Hachette Company) and the Beauty and Lace book club for the opportunity to read this novel.
Ohh – and always remember you ARE good enough.
This book was my first 5 star read of 2020. It’s a contemporary romance that is full of humour and heart. It is simply an adorable read, and it had me smiling throughout.
It is a story about rom-coms and how they’re written. Being a film buff, I loved the movie references. They were an added detail that made the story just that bit better.
I loved every one of the characters, they were all so developed. The story flowed so easily; before I realised it I was finished the book. I don’t usually get a ‘book hangover’ but I’m definitely still recovering from the one I recieved from this book.
I absolutely adored Would Like To Meet by Rachel Winters.
It referenced some of my favourite scenes from my favourite movies and brought them all together into a gorgeously quirky tale.
I loved the characters, especially Evie’s group of friends, who were the sort any girl would want.
The story borrowed from a lot of rom-coms, some mentioned, many not, which made it so easy to picture.
I ended up making a little list of films I recognised and now want to re-watch them all, thank goodness for Netflix.
The story had me smiling from the first page and it’s definitely one I’ll be recommending to friends.
WOULD LIKE TO MEET
By Rachel Winters
Thank you to Beauty and Lace for giving me the opportunity to read Rachel’s debut book. This book is set in Britain and Is the typical rom-com feel good book.
I especially love the JEMS friendship, a bit like the sex in the city.
Evie is an assistant for a film agency and has a difficult client Ezra who Evie needs to ensure finishes the script for the next Hollywood Rom-com.
All the favourite rom-coms are mentioned and is generally a feel good book. Loved reading and would highly recommend for some light reading
London based author Rachel Winters presents, Would Like to Meet, a debut novel that is the ultimate tribute to the classic romantic comedies we have all known and loved from the big screen. In a desperate and hair brained scheme to win over her most valued client of the film agency she works for, Evie a hardworking assistant, is willing to put everything on the line to attain a lucrative script. Full of frivolity, drama and a good lashing of romance, Would Like to Meet is a warm and engaging contemporary fiction title.
Would Like to Meet introduces Evie, a young woman who is faced with a tough challenge when we are acquainted with her. Evie must secure a film script from her agency’s most demanding and challenging client. Not only is this client, Ezra Chandler, difficult to deal with, the script that Evie must obtain has not been composed yet! In an interesting turn of events, Ezra issues Evie with an almost impossible challenge. To win the script she so desires, Evie, a single girl, must prove that it is possible to genuinely fall in love – movie style. She must throw the dating apps aside, and meet a partner the old fashioned way, just like they do in the movies! What results are many hilarious episodes involving Evie trying to directly draw on the inspiration from famous romantic comedies to snag a man. Love is never an easy path, as Evie soon learns from her movie related experiences!
First time novelist Rachel Winters has penned an embracing and light hearted novel, that doesn’t take itself too seriously. This novel is also a nice nod to romantic comedy classics, Would Like to Meet will more than satisfy the tastes of those who appreciate a little bit of Hollywood in their reading fodder.
When I was in my late teens and into my twenties, romantic films were my staple. There was nothing more comforting than relaxing on the couch, kicking back with some popcorn and letting yourself be carried away by a romantic comedy themed film. Rachel Winters has tapped into this popular genre and turned it on its head, by incorporating these much loved films into her debut release. This premise definitely drew me in to Would Like to Meet.
Would Like to Meet is a creative novel that is structured in a dynamic way. Each new chapter is headed by a movie script, so it really feels like you have stepped straight onto a movie set. Interspersed between the main set narrative are emails, messages and gossip column inclusions, adding extra insight into the unfolding story. Winters presents a good set of characters, a fun filled plot and a teasing romance. There were elements that I enjoyed, especially the film nostalgia, but on the whole I think this book was made for chick lit fans, which I no longer have great enthusiasm for.
Would Like to Meet offers an original take on the rom com genre and the film based industry. It makes no tough demands, so indulge in this one if you are looking for an escapist read.
*I wish to thank Beauty & Lace Book Club/Hachette Australia for a copy of this book for review purposes.
If you’re looking for a cute, light-hearted romantic comedy, then look no further than Rachael Winters’ book, Would like to meet.
In my opinion the book was an easy-to-read, laugh-out-loud, mostly predictable book – and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! I loved it! The story line about Evie, the script writing assistant may be too over-the-top for some readers but I enjoyed the characters and the journey from start to end.
If you love rom-coms at the movies, you will love this book with the many movie references. I would recommend – especially if you need a cheery pick-me-up – it’s like one big hug.
Thank you Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read it.
If you love rom-com’s you’ll love this book, ‘Would like to meet’ by Rachel Winters. It’s like all of your favourite romantic movies rolled into one story about Evie trying to meet the love of her life in the same way that they do it in the movies.
It was a fun, easy read and I’ll be looking to see if there are more books by this author. Thank you Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to review this >:o)
I found ‘Would like to meet’ hard to get into at first because the writing style is different to what I am used to its like you are reading a script……but once I got over that, I found it reasonably funny. The lead character Evie has a group of friends she is constantly in contact with for approval and for help. It dragged out a little at times and is mostly ‘fluffy’. Not high on my list of recommendations but great for anyone wanting to knock a light easy read over on a rainy day.
To be honest it took me a little while to get into this book, I think I was expecting something a little different at the start – I knew it was rom com, but wasn’t expecting basically an English screenplay.
Once I got on board (probably about a third of the way through), I embraced the characters and the story and was able to be a part of it more.
The characters were fairly relatable and the JEMS friendship was nice.
If you are a lover of rom coms like Bridget Jones, you will love this book. For me personally, it was 3/5
I absolutely loved reading this book. If you want a fun book to escape life, then this is the one!
Evie, a cool young assistant working hard to keep her job and hopefully make agent one day, goes above and beyond her job description!
Evie goes on a mission to meet someone just like in a rom-com, to help out a writer. The meet-cutes turn out to be quiet funny and even cringeworthy!
I would recommend this to anyone who has ever dreamed of having their own meet -cute! I know I have!!!