Book Review: Things Are Looking Up by Maxine Morrey

What if what you really need is right there in front of you, if you just take a moment to look up?

Milly has been waiting for this moment forever and finally it’s just an hour away – an interview with Vogue magazine and the opportunity to get her Louboutin-clad foot in the door.  There’s just one problem – totally engrossed in her mobile phone, Milly doesn’t see the bus that is fast approaching – until it’s too late…

When Milly next opens her eyes, the consequences of her accident become clear. Everything she has worked for and dreamed of suddenly feels out of reach. But there is one bright spot on her horizon – the reappearance of her ex Jed, in all of his six-foot-four, broad-shouldered glory, with the most piercing ice blue eyes Milly ever saw.

Once used to working in a whirlwind, Milly now has the chance to reconsider how to live. Will she rush back to the treadmill, get her head down and back to business, or is there a whole other life waiting for her, if she’ll just look up to see it?

Milly is on the verge of getting the job she has spent most of her working life trying to get; much to the detriment of everything else.

What she didn’t plan on, was getting hit by a bus.

When she wakes up a week later, she finds herself homeless and jobless.

Her ex also comes back into her life… her very handsome, sweet ex.

It didn’t take me long to get completely engrossed in this novel. I immediately felt immersed in the London setting and I could imagine myself walking around London with Milly.

Milly was a character I could get behind. Yes, she has flaws and there were many points where I found her frustrating, but she felt very real and like an old friend. I wanted everything to work out for her. It was lovely to see her journey as I progressed through the book as she gets to know herself again.

Jed is a perfect hero. He’s handsome, sweet, kind and likeable. Can I go stay in his apartment? Haha. I was very intrigued as to what would happen with Jed and Milly.

The supporting characters were great. We could all do with an Ava and I also loved Ravi. In another life, I’d love to run a bookshop.

What else can I say without giving anything else away? Not a lot. What I will say is that this a warm, charming novel that made me think about how much time I spend on electronic devices and how easy it is to miss the events of life around you. What you’re missing when you don’t pay attention.

‘Life is what happens to you whilst you’re busy making other plans.’ I know it’s a cheesy line, but that Beatles guy was onto something. This quote, in my opinion, sums up this novel perfectly.

It’s a story I hope you’ll escape into for a while. It was my introduction to Maxine’s novels and I am looking forward to seeing what she does next.

About Maxine Morrey:

Maxine Morrey is a bestselling romantic comedy author with ten books to her name including Winter’s Fairytale and the top ten hit The Christmas Project. Her eleventh book is being released by Boldwood in 2021. She lives in West Sussex. Her first novel for Boldwood, #No Filter, was published in November 2019.

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Things Are Looking Up was released by Boldwood Books on 25th May 2021. Click to view on Amazon UK. 

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Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.