Would Like to Meet

Rachel Winters

Dec 2019 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

Can you fall in love like they do in the movies?

It's Evie Summers's job to find out. Because if she can't convince her film agency's biggest client, Ezra Chester, to write the romantic-comedy screenplay he owes producers, her career will be over. The catch? He thinks rom-coms are unrealistic--and he'll only put pen to paper if Evie shows him that it's possible to meet a man in real life the way it happens on the big screen.

Cynical Evie might not believe in happily ever after, but she'll do what it takes to save the job that's been her lifeline . . . even if it means reenacting iconic rom-com scenes in public. Spilling orange juice on a cute stranger? No problem. Leaving her number in books all over London to see who calls? Done. With a little help from her well-meaning friends--and Ben and Anette, the adorable father-daughter duo who keep witnessing her humiliations--Evie is determined to prove she can meet a man the way Sally met Harry. But can a workaholic who's given up on love find a meet-cute of her very own?

Ratings and reviews

Remember all those great meet-cutes from the movies? Well, we get to see them all again in Would Like to Meet, only those scenarios don't work out quite the same way for our main character, Evie, as they did on the big screen. Some are hilarious and some are downright cringe-worthy, but the one thing Evie's meet-cutes have in common is they all come together for an over-the-top bit of escapism. This story is not at all realistic, and it's packed with almost every cliché you can name in chick lit and romantic comedy. It's also quite predictable, and all of those things combined would usually be something I would scoff at, but in this story and with these characters, it all just worked. The story is fast-paced and just plain fun. The only drawback in this one is the lack of romance. It's not hard to figure out who Evie will end up with, and there are some hints at romance here and there, but I really wanted more on that front. The characters are what really made this book for me. Clichéd or not, the characters each have their own distinctive personalities. They aren't just window dressing. And my favorite would have to be young Annette, who stole the show every single time she appeared on the page. So, over-the-top? Absolutely. Clichéd? Yep. Predictable? You betcha. Nevertheless, Rachel Winters' debut novel kept me turning pages and laughing out loud from start to finish. This wonderfully witty tale is perfect for curling up and forgetting the real world for a while, and I'll be interested to see what this author does next.

Charming and adorably dysfunctional – in all the best ways! Evie is a nearing 30 year old assistant to an agent, after her own dreams of becoming the “next big” screenwriter went south – and, as is common, she is overworked, underpaid and the most competent and capable in the office. But, there’s a screenplay due from an Oscar-Winning writer – that is seriously delayed, and a promotion (and better things) are in store for Evie IF she delivers. Of course the screenwriter Ezra is a giant-ego on legs with bad attitude, writer’s block and a genuine intention to make Evie’s life even more difficult – because our little heroine has a serious weakness. Meet Cutes. More specifically, the meet cutes that lead to lasting (or everlasting) love and romance. For Ezra (and most of her friends) think it’s a fairy tale – but if she can prove to Ezra with regaling him of her OWN series of “meet cutes” – he’ll have inspiration for a screenplay, and she’ll have her promotion. Easy Peasy. Not Quite. Singleton and career-driven Evie has decided that her meet cutes will be ripped from the classic movies that fall into the “chick flick” category. Of course, her friends are supportive, but in a nice twist from many – they also call her out on bad choices and urge her to stop and think. She did meet a lovely man with a daughter – although his reaction to her ‘meet cute’ plan could throw a real monkey wrench into the mix for her. But – with all of the things going on, Evie is doing everything to prove Ezra (nicknamed nob – number one boychild) wrong about meet cutes being momentary, she also discovers that perhaps this is not her path, or her best option. While never really deeply addressing any of the ‘life events’ through this romp- the chaos and constant distractions available in the world are clearly presented – often with hilarious results. My only knock on the story is the overly-complex plot bunny about the friend’s hen do and wedding, and the chaos that erupts around that even as the friends were solidly developed, her gay bestie was far more than a simple stereotype, and we even got to enjoy the calamity that were Ezra and her boss, Monty. A lovely debut with a ton of humor, a few implausible choices, good friends and an ending to swoon over – it’s the perfect “I can’t read another holiday story ever” antidote. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

About the author

Rachel Winters is single and living in London. In addition to completing a creative writing MA, she's spent most of her twenties freelancing for local papers and online magazines--including editing a craft magazine and writing a weekly column about pets (though she doesn't own any). It's very Sex and the City. She likes long walks in the country, big cities and firmly believes there are few problems that can't be solved with good friends and very large glasses of wine. She's currently an editor at Orion Books.