Book Review: A Lot to Unpack by Portia MacIntosh

I am so excited to be welcoming Portia MacIntosh back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, A Lot to Unpack.

It’s going to be a bumpy ride… 👀

Liberty’s just landed her dream job. The catch? It’s at Matcher, the dating app that ruined her life. After catching her boyfriend sending intimate pictures to everyone in a twenty mile radius, Liberty is struggling to get back into the dating game. Every man gives her the ick sooner or later.

Still, she’s having a great time travelling the world for work, until she’s assigned a secret mission: Travel to New York with her handsome and charming boss Jordan and swap out a contract from under his nose. It should be easy, but the more time Liberty spends with Jordan, the more she realises he might not be the bad boy she thought he was. But it turns out they’ve both got a lot to unpack, and Liberty still needs to complete her mission if she wants to keep her job – which means not breaking the one golden rule: do not fall for the boss!

*****

Liberty wasn’t ever expecting to get that kind of picture. When this triggers a series of events that sees her out of a job and a boyfriend, she has to get her life back on track and fast.

I always know that when there’s the chance to read a novel from author, Portia Mackintosh, it’s going to be a riot of a novel and this one did not disappoint. 

Liberty is a character that’s impossible not to like. She’s relatable, fun and deserves better than Ben. 

The other characters also bring a lot to the story. Paige was the one I couldn’t make my mind up about. Jordon… well, I’ll let you discover him for yourself. The author is good at presenting well rounded, layered characters that all have their good points and flaws. At least I thought so anyway. 

What’s unusual and what I did find interesting was that Liberty and the potential love interest didn’t connect in the usual way for a lot of the book and this added a lot to it. I became invested and wanted to know what happened. 

There’s a whole lot of humour in this book. I laughed a lot. Liberty also has a lovely relationship with her Mum and Dad which was great. There’s a lot of warmth and focus on family.

The ending was a surprise and I didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters. I hope we see them again.  

A Lot To Unpack is a wonderful romantic escape that will have you smiling, cheering and falling in love. I really enjoyed it.

About Portia MacIntosh  –

Portia MacIntosh is the bestselling author of over 30 romantic comedy novels.

From disastrous dates to destination weddings, Portia’s romcoms are the perfect way to escape from day to day life, visiting sunny beaches in the summer and snowy villages at Christmas time. Whether it’s southern Italy or the Yorkshire coast, Portia’s stories are the holiday you’re craving, conveniently packed in between the pages.

Formerly a journalist, Portia has left the city, swapping the music biz for the moors, to live the (not so) quiet life with her husband and her dog in Yorkshire.

Say hello to Portia on Facebook, X, Instagram and Bookbub. Click here to sign up to her newsletter. 

A Lot To Unpack was released by Boldwood Books in October 2025. Click to buy on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and Waterstones. 

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.