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Love, Unscripted
Owen Nicholls' Love, Unscripted follows film projectionist Nick as he tries to understand why love isn't always like the movies. Perfect for fans of romcoms, David Nicholls and Nick Hornby.
'Sometimes a book comes along and it feels dusted with magic - Love, Unscripted is one of those books.' Josie Silver, author of One Day in December
IT ISN'T ALWAYS LIKE THE MOVIES . . .
For the last four years, Nick's life has been picture-perfect.
He's been working his dream job as a film projectionist and he's been dating Ellie, the love of his life and the coolest woman he's ever met. It took a while, but this hopeless romantic finally found a love story to rival the big screen.
Until, one day, Ellie moves out.
Stunned by the end of their cinematic romance, Nick rewinds to the first night they met. Maybe if he can freeze-frame their happiest moments, he can work out why Ellie had to leave him behind.
Before the credits roll, will Nick become the hero of his own romantic comedy, or is it finally time for him to step out of the frame?
**Owen Nicholls' new novel PERFECT TIMING is available to pre-order now!**
PRAISE FOR LOVE, UNSCRIPTED . . .
'An unmissable, multi-layered read'
WOMAN & HOME
'Bursting with some very cute cultural references'
SUNDAY MIRROR
'A refreshing take on the typical boy-meets-girl romance'
WOMAN'S WEEKLY
'A complete delight for film lovers (and lovers of love)'
HOLLY BOURNE
'The book equivalent of a classic rom-com'
CULTUREFLY
'A nostalgic read for fans of Nick Hornby and David Nicholls'
HEAT MAGAZINE
'A gorgeous rom-com'
KATE DAVIES, AUTHOR OF IN AT THE DEEP END
'An astutely observed romantic comedy . . . Pure pleasure'
EMPIRE MAGAZINE
'If When Harry Met Sally and High Fidelity had a book baby, this would be it'
EMMA COOPER, AUTHOR OF THE SONGS OF US
'Charming read'
WOMAN'S WAY
'This will tug at your heartstrings'
BEST MAGAZINE
'The perfect read for film enthusiasts'
WOMAN MAGAZINE
'Sometimes a book comes along and it feels dusted with magic - Love, Unscripted is one of those books.' Josie Silver, author of One Day in December
IT ISN'T ALWAYS LIKE THE MOVIES . . .
For the last four years, Nick's life has been picture-perfect.
He's been working his dream job as a film projectionist and he's been dating Ellie, the love of his life and the coolest woman he's ever met. It took a while, but this hopeless romantic finally found a love story to rival the big screen.
Until, one day, Ellie moves out.
Stunned by the end of their cinematic romance, Nick rewinds to the first night they met. Maybe if he can freeze-frame their happiest moments, he can work out why Ellie had to leave him behind.
Before the credits roll, will Nick become the hero of his own romantic comedy, or is it finally time for him to step out of the frame?
**Owen Nicholls' new novel PERFECT TIMING is available to pre-order now!**
PRAISE FOR LOVE, UNSCRIPTED . . .
'An unmissable, multi-layered read'
WOMAN & HOME
'Bursting with some very cute cultural references'
SUNDAY MIRROR
'A refreshing take on the typical boy-meets-girl romance'
WOMAN'S WEEKLY
'A complete delight for film lovers (and lovers of love)'
HOLLY BOURNE
'The book equivalent of a classic rom-com'
CULTUREFLY
'A nostalgic read for fans of Nick Hornby and David Nicholls'
HEAT MAGAZINE
'A gorgeous rom-com'
KATE DAVIES, AUTHOR OF IN AT THE DEEP END
'An astutely observed romantic comedy . . . Pure pleasure'
EMPIRE MAGAZINE
'If When Harry Met Sally and High Fidelity had a book baby, this would be it'
EMMA COOPER, AUTHOR OF THE SONGS OF US
'Charming read'
WOMAN'S WAY
'This will tug at your heartstrings'
BEST MAGAZINE
'The perfect read for film enthusiasts'
WOMAN MAGAZINE
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 420 reviews
July 2, 2020
Boooooooo! 👎🏻☹️. DNF. 56%.
I tried. I really did. But this just wasn’t a good book for me. 🤷🏼♀️ I tried listening to this one, but the narrators voice kinda bugged me. 😬 That aside, this story is just depressing. Nick (the main character) is an adult cry baby. All he’s done is complained about, well pretty much everything, for 56% of this book. 🙄 And no, you don’t feel bad for him, like at all. You’re pushing 30 and are mad at your parents for selling their house and moving away, because you can’t live in their basement?! Is this truly our youth today?! MAN UP OR SHUT UP ALREADY!! 🤬 I just don’t have it in me to listen to this man child continue to complain about his life.... so I’m done with this 💩!
I tried. I really did. But this just wasn’t a good book for me. 🤷🏼♀️ I tried listening to this one, but the narrators voice kinda bugged me. 😬 That aside, this story is just depressing. Nick (the main character) is an adult cry baby. All he’s done is complained about, well pretty much everything, for 56% of this book. 🙄 And no, you don’t feel bad for him, like at all. You’re pushing 30 and are mad at your parents for selling their house and moving away, because you can’t live in their basement?! Is this truly our youth today?! MAN UP OR SHUT UP ALREADY!! 🤬 I just don’t have it in me to listen to this man child continue to complain about his life.... so I’m done with this 💩!
January 24, 2020
Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
Ohh boy. This was a drag. I was hoping for a cute chick-lit to get me through a long weekend and I almost gave up a few times while reading. Also there's no damn Happily Ever After (HEA) that I could see so this being in the romance category of NetGalley and Goodreads ticked me off. The main character sucked (Nick) and I didn't really get a sense of Ellie at all. My main issue is that this book jumps around timelines so much I didn't have a great idea of what was going on. If this had been the published book maybe there would be more cues that would help me out. I don't know.
"Love, Unscripted" follows Nick who gets dumped by who he considers the love of his life, Ellie. Nick thinks of his life as a Classic Romance Movie at all times pretty much. Or at least the book is littered with those references. After Nick is dumped, he starts trying to re-examine his relationship with Ellie. Think of Nick Hornby's "High Fidelity" but less good. I didn't really enjoy Nick and Ellie was an enigma.
The book is set up in three I think timelines. I can't recall. Thank goodness for the notes I jotted down. Timeline 1 is 2008 (When They First Met). Timeline 2 is (Present Day which I think may have been 2012 or 2013. I can't recall) and Timeline 3 starts to show the cracks between Nick and Ellie from 2008 onward. The flow was up and down and didn't go together very well.
As I already said, the ending was just a big no no in the romance world.
Ohh boy. This was a drag. I was hoping for a cute chick-lit to get me through a long weekend and I almost gave up a few times while reading. Also there's no damn Happily Ever After (HEA) that I could see so this being in the romance category of NetGalley and Goodreads ticked me off. The main character sucked (Nick) and I didn't really get a sense of Ellie at all. My main issue is that this book jumps around timelines so much I didn't have a great idea of what was going on. If this had been the published book maybe there would be more cues that would help me out. I don't know.
"Love, Unscripted" follows Nick who gets dumped by who he considers the love of his life, Ellie. Nick thinks of his life as a Classic Romance Movie at all times pretty much. Or at least the book is littered with those references. After Nick is dumped, he starts trying to re-examine his relationship with Ellie. Think of Nick Hornby's "High Fidelity" but less good. I didn't really enjoy Nick and Ellie was an enigma.
The book is set up in three I think timelines. I can't recall. Thank goodness for the notes I jotted down. Timeline 1 is 2008 (When They First Met). Timeline 2 is (Present Day which I think may have been 2012 or 2013. I can't recall) and Timeline 3 starts to show the cracks between Nick and Ellie from 2008 onward. The flow was up and down and didn't go together very well.
As I already said, the ending was just a big no no in the romance world.
March 6, 2020
2.5 stars.
Wouldn’t it be nice if love were like the movies? Or is that not really such a good thing? In Love, Unscripted , Owen Nicholls weighs in on that debate.
Nick and Ellie meet on Election Day in 2008, at a party to watch the results come in (despite the fact they live in London). He’s a projectionist at a movie theater, an enormous movie buff, and an aspiring screenwriter, and wouldn’t mind living a romantic comedy of his own. It seems to Nick that Ellie ticks all the boxes for the perfect modern romantic comedy heroine.
The two are quickly drawn to one another. Nick is romantic, thoughtful, while Ellie helps keep things grounded. But four years later, Ellie has moved out, saying the fire is gone, which leaves Nick bereft, trying to figure out why their relationship didn’t have the happy ending he expected. Suddenly he finds himself without a job, without a place to live, and without the woman he hoped to spend the rest of his life with. Is there any way to get her back?
Love, Unscripted shifts between the past, starting with Nick and Ellie's very first meeting, and the present, as Nick sifts through the detritus of their relationship, trying to figure out what went wrong.
I wanted to love this book, because I thought the concept was really cute. As a movie fan it’s right up my alley, but I was bored. Nick becomes such an unappealing, sad-sack character, a jerk to everyone, that you don’t understand why Ellie would want to be with him. You certainly see that it wasn't all his fault, but his downward spiral isn't fun to read about, nor does it make him any more sympathetic.
This book taught me one thing: it’s hard to enjoy a rom-com when you don’t root for the relationship at the core of the story!
Ah, well. On to the next.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Wouldn’t it be nice if love were like the movies? Or is that not really such a good thing? In Love, Unscripted , Owen Nicholls weighs in on that debate.
Nick and Ellie meet on Election Day in 2008, at a party to watch the results come in (despite the fact they live in London). He’s a projectionist at a movie theater, an enormous movie buff, and an aspiring screenwriter, and wouldn’t mind living a romantic comedy of his own. It seems to Nick that Ellie ticks all the boxes for the perfect modern romantic comedy heroine.
The two are quickly drawn to one another. Nick is romantic, thoughtful, while Ellie helps keep things grounded. But four years later, Ellie has moved out, saying the fire is gone, which leaves Nick bereft, trying to figure out why their relationship didn’t have the happy ending he expected. Suddenly he finds himself without a job, without a place to live, and without the woman he hoped to spend the rest of his life with. Is there any way to get her back?
Love, Unscripted shifts between the past, starting with Nick and Ellie's very first meeting, and the present, as Nick sifts through the detritus of their relationship, trying to figure out what went wrong.
I wanted to love this book, because I thought the concept was really cute. As a movie fan it’s right up my alley, but I was bored. Nick becomes such an unappealing, sad-sack character, a jerk to everyone, that you don’t understand why Ellie would want to be with him. You certainly see that it wasn't all his fault, but his downward spiral isn't fun to read about, nor does it make him any more sympathetic.
This book taught me one thing: it’s hard to enjoy a rom-com when you don’t root for the relationship at the core of the story!
Ah, well. On to the next.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
February 11, 2020
Love, Unscripted is written in 3 timelines. You have the moment where the main character Nick meets Ellie the night of the presidential election of 2008. Then you have the after the part where their relationship is over and Nick is trying to figure how everything went wrong. The third part (The Intermission) is written more in depth of their relationship and how some things were in Nick's mind.
This book deals with relationships, friendships, and trying to figure life out when it seems that everything is falling apart.
I felt the book was a little slow. I had a hard time investing my time in this story so it took a little longer to finish. I felt like Nick was a little annoying with his choices. The movie references I didnt get because I have never watched any of the movies. With that aside. I did find Nick and his sister funny at times. I did like The Intermission parts of the story where you get to know the characters a little bit better. Unfortunately that was the shortest part of the story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for providing an ARC of this book for an honest review.
This book deals with relationships, friendships, and trying to figure life out when it seems that everything is falling apart.
I felt the book was a little slow. I had a hard time investing my time in this story so it took a little longer to finish. I felt like Nick was a little annoying with his choices. The movie references I didnt get because I have never watched any of the movies. With that aside. I did find Nick and his sister funny at times. I did like The Intermission parts of the story where you get to know the characters a little bit better. Unfortunately that was the shortest part of the story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for providing an ARC of this book for an honest review.
September 25, 2019
Love, Unscripted is a witty romantic comedy about Nick and Ellie. I loved all the movie references throughout the story. Nick was a bit of a downer in parts but I still really enjoyed Owen Nicholls debut novel. I read this for Books With Heart Book Club's September pick.
January 7, 2021
I thought contemporary and romance were some of my favorite genres, but it's books like this that are starting to make me realize that I've just lucked out with some good contemporaries and as a whole I don't fancy this genre unfortunately.
This was another book that I've listened to as an audiobook. Christian Coulson was a fantastic narrator for the book and he really captured Nick's personality, but not even Christian's amazing voice can stop me from finding issues with this book.
The main character Nick started off as somewhat of an admirable and realistic character. You get to see how his break up is impacting him and at first it appeared that he was presenting a male showing emotion, which is something that we need more of in media and pop culture. However, as the story went on, his emotions and actions seemed like they were more driven by his lack of attempting to reconcile or fully listen to his girlfriend, which quite frustrated me. I am glad that his character changed by the end of the story though. That at least made me feel like the ending was somewhat satisfying. The part about Nick that frustrated me the most though was his somewhat pro-life conflict that he ran into with his girlfriend. Without giving too much away, there is a moment in which he thinks he should have a major say in what a girl does with her body and he attempts to guilt trip a woman into potentially keeping a fetus in her that she does not want. Any respect that I held for Nick as a character was thrown out the door as soon as I reached that point in the book. There's also a point in the book where Nick adds "I'm male as you can hopefully tell by the picture" to an online profile. It confuses me to no extent why the author felt it was necessary to include that. You can't assume someone's gender based off of their physical appearance and the story could've easily done without that brief sentence.
The book also lacks diversity. It's only diverse "character" is literally just mentions of Obama. This book was published in 2020 and I don't know... I guess I just have a higher expectation for diversity in books that were published fairly recently.
The only other thing that I have to say about this book is that I wish I could see into the author's brain and thought process. There's three time periods that this book shifts between and one of them is the 2008 U.S. election, however, the book takes place in the U.K. and neither of the two main characters are politicians. I'm not criticizing this timeline choice, but I'm just curious about it. Did the author find this election to be particularly interesting? And why choose to place the character in a completely different content than the election when the election is a major plot point?
This was another book that I've listened to as an audiobook. Christian Coulson was a fantastic narrator for the book and he really captured Nick's personality, but not even Christian's amazing voice can stop me from finding issues with this book.
The main character Nick started off as somewhat of an admirable and realistic character. You get to see how his break up is impacting him and at first it appeared that he was presenting a male showing emotion, which is something that we need more of in media and pop culture. However, as the story went on, his emotions and actions seemed like they were more driven by his lack of attempting to reconcile or fully listen to his girlfriend, which quite frustrated me. I am glad that his character changed by the end of the story though. That at least made me feel like the ending was somewhat satisfying. The part about Nick that frustrated me the most though was his somewhat pro-life conflict that he ran into with his girlfriend. Without giving too much away, there is a moment in which he thinks he should have a major say in what a girl does with her body and he attempts to guilt trip a woman into potentially keeping a fetus in her that she does not want. Any respect that I held for Nick as a character was thrown out the door as soon as I reached that point in the book. There's also a point in the book where Nick adds "I'm male as you can hopefully tell by the picture" to an online profile. It confuses me to no extent why the author felt it was necessary to include that. You can't assume someone's gender based off of their physical appearance and the story could've easily done without that brief sentence.
The book also lacks diversity. It's only diverse "character" is literally just mentions of Obama. This book was published in 2020 and I don't know... I guess I just have a higher expectation for diversity in books that were published fairly recently.
The only other thing that I have to say about this book is that I wish I could see into the author's brain and thought process. There's three time periods that this book shifts between and one of them is the 2008 U.S. election, however, the book takes place in the U.K. and neither of the two main characters are politicians. I'm not criticizing this timeline choice, but I'm just curious about it. Did the author find this election to be particularly interesting? And why choose to place the character in a completely different content than the election when the election is a major plot point?
September 23, 2019
Love, Unscripted is the first novel by British author, Owen Nicholls. Thirty-year-old projectionist Nick Marcet is sort of in denial: he had a big fight with Ellie, his girlfriend of over three years, and she’s moved out. He doesn’t want this to be a final state of affairs, so he begins to analyse their relationship, trying to pinpoint what went wrong. Learning he is to be evicted focusses the process as, in the act of packing, he unpacks all their fond memories. When his small(ish), indie(ish) cinema goes digital, he finds that he is now, in quick succession, without a girlfriend, a home, or a job.
The narrative is split between an in-depth examination of the night that Nick and Ellie met; and the events of the months that follow the break-up. Four intermissions detail significant events of their time together, and these are bracketed by what could be Nick’s summary of their romance in film precis form.
Initially, Nick comes across as a bit whiny, and the reader may wonder just how honest his narrative is. Does he deserve all the sympathy he attracts, or is he, to an extent, the architect of his own heartbreak? Ellie, as described by Nick’s friend, Tom “…loves movies, has great taste in music. She’s smart, funny. Super-talented and driven” possibly making her a good match for Nick. But Nick recognises that a “large part of my brain hates me.” How did they stay together for so long?
There’s plenty of laughter in this romcom, but there are also tears and lump-in-the-throat moments. Both main characters are clever, with a quirky sense of humour, but at times their failure to share what they feel is frustrating. The copious references to both will ensure that this novel will appeal to film buffs and music aficionados. The ending is rather ambiguous, just like some movies. Quite entertaining.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Hachette Australia.
The narrative is split between an in-depth examination of the night that Nick and Ellie met; and the events of the months that follow the break-up. Four intermissions detail significant events of their time together, and these are bracketed by what could be Nick’s summary of their romance in film precis form.
Initially, Nick comes across as a bit whiny, and the reader may wonder just how honest his narrative is. Does he deserve all the sympathy he attracts, or is he, to an extent, the architect of his own heartbreak? Ellie, as described by Nick’s friend, Tom “…loves movies, has great taste in music. She’s smart, funny. Super-talented and driven” possibly making her a good match for Nick. But Nick recognises that a “large part of my brain hates me.” How did they stay together for so long?
There’s plenty of laughter in this romcom, but there are also tears and lump-in-the-throat moments. Both main characters are clever, with a quirky sense of humour, but at times their failure to share what they feel is frustrating. The copious references to both will ensure that this novel will appeal to film buffs and music aficionados. The ending is rather ambiguous, just like some movies. Quite entertaining.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Hachette Australia.
March 14, 2024
I kind of have a beef with this book, because one I couldn't stand the main character at all. He was very woe is me, why did she leave me? But I also don't think this book should be labeled a romance. I think we are supposed to assume there is a HEA, but it is not spelled out at the end of the book. If there is no HEA, it's not a romance!
The book is done in three different timelines, which honestly I found a little annoying. There is 2008 the night the couple met, the present time, and then there's little intermissions during their relationship that shows where their relationship was starting to crumble. I didn't really care for this, and honestly as soon as I was interested in Nick's present life, i was thrown back into the past.
I have to admit I really struggled with this book a lot. I just don't think it was for me, and it's really hard for me to like a book when I don't really care for the characters. It's not clear in the ending, but honestly I hope these two DON'T get back together.
*I received a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 2, 2019
What would you do if you had one perfect night, that was movie-esque in its specialness? Would you hope that you could live happily ever after with that new person in your life, or would you attempt to walk away knowing that nothing may ever compare to that first meeting?
Nick meets Ellie on the night of the 2008 US Elections at a party, and is torn whether to risk his heart on more than just one night.
He is a geeky film nerd, who is working as a projectionist in a small cinema, and that makes awkward jokes and seems to reference most things in terms of films. Had I watched or even heard of a large number of the films mentioned, I would have potentially connected with the book on a whole other level, but a fair amount of the references went over my head.
This is the story of Nick and Ellie's relationship told through flashbacks to that first night, and other key moments, told as a part of a possible screenplay or so it seems, plus what is happening to Nick in the present day, as he comes to grips with why they appear to have broken up.
It is a story of self realisation, self discovery, some incredibly funny bits, a large number of films, and is written in an unique style that I would love to read more of. In fact I'd quite like a sequel.
I'm a huge fan of romantic comedies, and there just aren't enough about written by men from the male perspective, which added to the rather endearing qualities to Nick, turns this into quite a delightful read.
I'm just incredibly sorry to say that my real life got into the way far too much while I was reading this, and thus made my reading experience a bit more disjointed than it should have been. It is not the books fault, and whenever I could sit and read for more than 20 mins at a time, I was completely absorbed in the pages.
A lovely debut novel, full of promise, and an author I would happily read more from.
Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Nick meets Ellie on the night of the 2008 US Elections at a party, and is torn whether to risk his heart on more than just one night.
He is a geeky film nerd, who is working as a projectionist in a small cinema, and that makes awkward jokes and seems to reference most things in terms of films. Had I watched or even heard of a large number of the films mentioned, I would have potentially connected with the book on a whole other level, but a fair amount of the references went over my head.
This is the story of Nick and Ellie's relationship told through flashbacks to that first night, and other key moments, told as a part of a possible screenplay or so it seems, plus what is happening to Nick in the present day, as he comes to grips with why they appear to have broken up.
It is a story of self realisation, self discovery, some incredibly funny bits, a large number of films, and is written in an unique style that I would love to read more of. In fact I'd quite like a sequel.
I'm a huge fan of romantic comedies, and there just aren't enough about written by men from the male perspective, which added to the rather endearing qualities to Nick, turns this into quite a delightful read.
I'm just incredibly sorry to say that my real life got into the way far too much while I was reading this, and thus made my reading experience a bit more disjointed than it should have been. It is not the books fault, and whenever I could sit and read for more than 20 mins at a time, I was completely absorbed in the pages.
A lovely debut novel, full of promise, and an author I would happily read more from.
Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
March 2, 2020
I wanted to love this book so much - it definitely had the potential.
I LOVED the movie reference first and foremost.... I think the younger generation might not get them - but that's just fine with me cause I did! And they were FUN!
I liked that this had that juxtaposition of the two elections 4 years apart. I thought I was going to like it from the guys POV but I just couldn't root for Nick. If fact.. it's been a few days since I finished and I actually had to go back and check what his name was.
He wasn't very likeable at all to me and if Ellie hadn't been so in love with him ... I probably would have hated him. But I wanted her to let him go. I wanted her to find someone better.
Nick was pretty flippant and rude to her for the most part. I wish it had focused on the few sweet parts more (like the videos). But the banter between him and Ellie - he was just terrible with the things he said! He was generally not a great boyfriend who just seemed so lazy - and by the end I really hoped they wouldn't end up together.
It was a cute story otherwise - the plot moved along nicely - i really enjoyed all the other supporting characters and I read this one very fast. The best part for me was definitely the the movie references.
I LOVED the movie reference first and foremost.... I think the younger generation might not get them - but that's just fine with me cause I did! And they were FUN!
I liked that this had that juxtaposition of the two elections 4 years apart. I thought I was going to like it from the guys POV but I just couldn't root for Nick. If fact.. it's been a few days since I finished and I actually had to go back and check what his name was.
He wasn't very likeable at all to me and if Ellie hadn't been so in love with him ... I probably would have hated him. But I wanted her to let him go. I wanted her to find someone better.
Nick was pretty flippant and rude to her for the most part. I wish it had focused on the few sweet parts more (like the videos). But the banter between him and Ellie - he was just terrible with the things he said! He was generally not a great boyfriend who just seemed so lazy - and by the end I really hoped they wouldn't end up together.
It was a cute story otherwise - the plot moved along nicely - i really enjoyed all the other supporting characters and I read this one very fast. The best part for me was definitely the the movie references.
October 22, 2019
I wasn't in love with the back and forth between past and present in this book. It was a light-hearted story and I appreciated that the hero saw is own faults by the end, realizing he and his expectations were the problem. In that sense, there was a satisfying resolution but I didn't get those rom-com feels or the big laughs that I wanted. It made me smile and laugh here and there but I felt like it was more about the hurdles of young relationship expectations and less about the meet-cute romance. There was a lot of good wisdom and even a few deeper moments that I think is a bit out of place marketed as a rom-com. If this were on a different shelf or had a less "rom-com" cover my expectations might have been met differently.
December 30, 2019
For a book that will be releasing right before Valentine's Day, I thought it was too cute and perfect to not share as soon as I was done reading this! I mean, I'm not exactly a fan of romance, but this book had me hooked right from the start! I really liked that there wasn't any overly sappy, lovey-dovey kind of characters in here. Instead we get a film nerd, and music nerd, and the simple notion of love. So adorable! Perfect for anyone wanting to try the romance genre out.
Shelved as 'dnf'
December 2, 2019
Love, Unscripted
I Picked Up This Book Because: Netgalley cover coveted
The Characters:
Nick (never ran across a last name):
Ellie Brown:
A bunch of people who don’t seem to matter in the story. Or at least what I read of it.
The Story:
I was seduced by a cute cover and a clever title and I kinda regret it. Nick is a projectionist at a theater in the throws of an ended relationship and being laid off. This story is told in alternating chapters of the night Nick met Ellie (the relationship ender) and the present. For me the pacing was slow and the story never really got interesting. There were moments like in the garden with the shoe vomiter and when Ellie talked about her brother that captured my attention briefly but they were they were the only two I could remember in the 40% I committed to this book. I did read the final two chapters and I found the ending to be rather “blah” so I decided to call it quits rather than go back and struggle through the rest.
I had high hopes, I’m sad they didn’t work out.
The Random Thoughts:
DNF - no rating
I Picked Up This Book Because: Netgalley cover coveted
The Characters:
Nick (never ran across a last name):
Ellie Brown:
A bunch of people who don’t seem to matter in the story. Or at least what I read of it.
The Story:
I was seduced by a cute cover and a clever title and I kinda regret it. Nick is a projectionist at a theater in the throws of an ended relationship and being laid off. This story is told in alternating chapters of the night Nick met Ellie (the relationship ender) and the present. For me the pacing was slow and the story never really got interesting. There were moments like in the garden with the shoe vomiter and when Ellie talked about her brother that captured my attention briefly but they were they were the only two I could remember in the 40% I committed to this book. I did read the final two chapters and I found the ending to be rather “blah” so I decided to call it quits rather than go back and struggle through the rest.
I had high hopes, I’m sad they didn’t work out.
The Random Thoughts:
DNF - no rating
June 4, 2019
Brilliant book, so funny, so real, wonderful characters full of flaws. Nick at times isn’t likeable at all but I love the make perspective and the fact he has so much self doubt, makes terrible choices etc makes him likeable to me, because he is real. I really enjoyed this and thoroughly recommend this. A great debut.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
May 13, 2020
I'm giving this book a 2, not because it was awful, but rather because I just didn't like it.
Nick was an annoying man child who couldn't get his shit in order for 98.9% of the book (yes, that's a accurate calculation). He's fucking 30. And even if he was 26 when he and Ellie met that's literally no excuse to continue to be a man child.
I really didn't like this. There's a lot more than just the above mentioned situation, but I can't get it out coherently. ALSO, NOT A ROMANCE.
Nick was an annoying man child who couldn't get his shit in order for 98.9% of the book (yes, that's a accurate calculation). He's fucking 30. And even if he was 26 when he and Ellie met that's literally no excuse to continue to be a man child.
I really didn't like this. There's a lot more than just the above mentioned situation, but I can't get it out coherently. ALSO, NOT A ROMANCE.
Shelved as 'dnf'
March 1, 2021DNF @15%
Love, Unscripted is a rom-com, but is from the voice of a man. I found that super cool and was excited to try this one. I just didn't like the constant back and forth between "now" and "then".
Love, Unscripted is a rom-com, but is from the voice of a man. I found that super cool and was excited to try this one. I just didn't like the constant back and forth between "now" and "then".
February 19, 2021
Av någon konstigt anledning trodde jag att det här skulle vara en bok som skulle vara värsta feelgood romanen med massor med kärlek men oj så fel jag hade. Kunde inte lista ut att boken skulle sluta som den gjorde.
Väldigt unikt att läsa om huvudkaraktären som faktiskt den som faktiskt är den som gjort fel i ett förhållande. Från början läser man och tycker så synd om honom men när man faktiskt får alla kort på bordet så kan man inte låta bli att vara lite irriterad på honom. Men på konstigt sätt så tyckte jag om det, kändes så mycket mer verklig.
Otroligt mycket prat om filmer som om man skulle veta om vad det handlar om, och jag som inte ser många filmer och absolut inte klassiker tyckte det bara var jobbigt.
Väldigt unikt att läsa om huvudkaraktären som faktiskt den som faktiskt är den som gjort fel i ett förhållande. Från början läser man och tycker så synd om honom men när man faktiskt får alla kort på bordet så kan man inte låta bli att vara lite irriterad på honom. Men på konstigt sätt så tyckte jag om det, kändes så mycket mer verklig.
Otroligt mycket prat om filmer som om man skulle veta om vad det handlar om, och jag som inte ser många filmer och absolut inte klassiker tyckte det bara var jobbigt.
February 8, 2021
3.5 stelline
Read
January 20, 2020DNF @50%.
The cover for this book is just adorable. When I read the synopsis and editorial reviews, I was really excited to check it out. I do think this book started off promising, and had a lot of good potential. However, the story went downhill pretty quickly for me. I had a really hard time connecting with the characters, and the pacing was just too slow. When you put those two factors together, it was easy to get distracted and I struggled to stay focused on the story. Also, while this book did have some humorous moments, it was not at all what I was wanting or expecting from a romantic comedy.
Bottom line: I really wanted to fall in love with this book, but it just wasn't the book for me.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book via the publisher, in exchange for an honest review *
The cover for this book is just adorable. When I read the synopsis and editorial reviews, I was really excited to check it out. I do think this book started off promising, and had a lot of good potential. However, the story went downhill pretty quickly for me. I had a really hard time connecting with the characters, and the pacing was just too slow. When you put those two factors together, it was easy to get distracted and I struggled to stay focused on the story. Also, while this book did have some humorous moments, it was not at all what I was wanting or expecting from a romantic comedy.
Bottom line: I really wanted to fall in love with this book, but it just wasn't the book for me.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book via the publisher, in exchange for an honest review *
February 24, 2020
1.5
Considering the main female character calls out the reason this book is awful within the first chapter, I’m surprised that that is actually how the book went. Why cal out a guy for thinking the girl is just a tool for him to get his life together and have him protest this only to have it be that exact thing? I don’t care about spoiling this bc I don’t want people to suffer through it. Think Garden State and 500 days of summer and eternal sunshine of the spotless mind and think of 1. How the main male character is and 2. The worst way to interpret the men and the love stories of those movies (as good/perfect) and that’s what this is.
A man who thinks he is above all and is really just so insufferable and annoying that I was rolling my eyes every few pages... if that.
Save yourself the trouble and just watch one of those movies.
Considering the main female character calls out the reason this book is awful within the first chapter, I’m surprised that that is actually how the book went. Why cal out a guy for thinking the girl is just a tool for him to get his life together and have him protest this only to have it be that exact thing? I don’t care about spoiling this bc I don’t want people to suffer through it. Think Garden State and 500 days of summer and eternal sunshine of the spotless mind and think of 1. How the main male character is and 2. The worst way to interpret the men and the love stories of those movies (as good/perfect) and that’s what this is.
A man who thinks he is above all and is really just so insufferable and annoying that I was rolling my eyes every few pages... if that.
Save yourself the trouble and just watch one of those movies.
August 7, 2021
it's not everyday you read a rom-com written by a guy, following the pov of a guy. it was so beautiful, i loved the dual timeline and the character developments are amazing. i adored all the film references, even if i didn't get all of them; i adored every character and how not a single one of them was boring or similar, and i adored the entire concept of this book. lemme tell you j was full out bawling the last few chapters, it's not even a question—of course this is a five out of five, highly highly highly recommend
February 20, 2020
Despite the two star rating, I liked this more than I was expecting. The audiobook is definitely three stars, but in terms of content, I'm not quite sure I actually liked this book, which is why I went for the two.
Here's the thing: I wasn't particularly excited about this, but I admit a certain curiosity to seeing what a straight male author's take on the contemporary romance genre would be. Usually male authors don't write much romance, and, if they do, they either use a female pen name (at least back in the day) or the book gets shelved as something else. I was super afraid this would be one of those books that ends tragically (like David Nicholls' books or Nicholas Sparks'), but thankfully it's not that.
That said, it still does feel a little bit like a man coming in and feeling like he's really doing something unique with romance, because this book doesn't really end in an HEA. Like, they're not officially back together at the end, but it's clearly about to happen. Not emotionally satisfying for a romance reader, gotta say.
So far as the romance itself goes, I wasn't a huge fan. The book alternates between three timelines (the night he and Ellie met, scenes from their relationship, and the present in which they have broken up after a fight). Nick spends pretty much the whole book sounding like Tal Bachman (She's so hiiiiiiiiiiiiieieigh high above me, she's so lovely), and he's constantly pushing her away from beginning to middle to end because he feels like he's not good enough for her, and, at that point, I absolutely have to agree with him. And the whole book, especially because of a comment in the last chapter, feels like it's this manual for guys to remember to treat women better and work on themselves, which, absolutely do that, but the point of a romance is the relationship and this felt much more about his (incredibly slow) personal journey. Though, even then, he's making steps at the end, but it doesn't feel like he's definitively changed.
I'd recommend this book to Nick Hornby fans, particularly High Fidelity. There are a ton of film and movie references that will appeal to a certain kind of hipster guy for sure, and men may relate more to the emotional journey. As a woman, it's a bit of an eye roll concerning Nick's behavior from start to finish; yet another time of a woman setting for a guy who's not that great because every other guy has been EVEN worse. There's an audience for this, but I don't think it's going to appeal to most readers of the romance genre.
Here's the thing: I wasn't particularly excited about this, but I admit a certain curiosity to seeing what a straight male author's take on the contemporary romance genre would be. Usually male authors don't write much romance, and, if they do, they either use a female pen name (at least back in the day) or the book gets shelved as something else. I was super afraid this would be one of those books that ends tragically (like David Nicholls' books or Nicholas Sparks'), but thankfully it's not that.
That said, it still does feel a little bit like a man coming in and feeling like he's really doing something unique with romance, because this book doesn't really end in an HEA. Like, they're not officially back together at the end, but it's clearly about to happen. Not emotionally satisfying for a romance reader, gotta say.
So far as the romance itself goes, I wasn't a huge fan. The book alternates between three timelines (the night he and Ellie met, scenes from their relationship, and the present in which they have broken up after a fight). Nick spends pretty much the whole book sounding like Tal Bachman (She's so hiiiiiiiiiiiiieieigh high above me, she's so lovely), and he's constantly pushing her away from beginning to middle to end because he feels like he's not good enough for her, and, at that point, I absolutely have to agree with him. And the whole book, especially because of a comment in the last chapter, feels like it's this manual for guys to remember to treat women better and work on themselves, which, absolutely do that, but the point of a romance is the relationship and this felt much more about his (incredibly slow) personal journey. Though, even then, he's making steps at the end, but it doesn't feel like he's definitively changed.
I'd recommend this book to Nick Hornby fans, particularly High Fidelity. There are a ton of film and movie references that will appeal to a certain kind of hipster guy for sure, and men may relate more to the emotional journey. As a woman, it's a bit of an eye roll concerning Nick's behavior from start to finish; yet another time of a woman setting for a guy who's not that great because every other guy has been EVEN worse. There's an audience for this, but I don't think it's going to appeal to most readers of the romance genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2020
I'm going to keep this kind of brief but unfortunately LOVE, UNSCRIPTED didn't work for me. I found the whole read a struggle and a bit of a chore.
Marketed as a romantic comedy, I found the wit to be mild at best. This is the story of the beginning and end of a relationship, what happens in-between and afterwards. It had great potential but I didn't find either character particularly likeable. Nick was a geeky-guy, stuck in a rutt and unable to move forward, he projected all his motivation in life into the other person in his relationship and I felt the kind of pressure Ellie must have felt under. Ellie was definitely more appealing but I didn't feel that the narrative gave the opportunity to get to know her particularly well. The element I enjoyed the most was Nick as the protagonist, even if he was a little irritating at times.
Nick and Ellie's story is told in past and present, sometimes this works for me in a story but in this particular format, I struggled. I found the past narrative slow and the present more engaging, this approach was mostly in alternating chapters. In general, the pacing was slow for my taste.
I'm disappointed this didn't work for me, maybe I had different expectations going in due to the rom-com marketing.
Thank you the publisher and amazon vine for the review copy.
Marketed as a romantic comedy, I found the wit to be mild at best. This is the story of the beginning and end of a relationship, what happens in-between and afterwards. It had great potential but I didn't find either character particularly likeable. Nick was a geeky-guy, stuck in a rutt and unable to move forward, he projected all his motivation in life into the other person in his relationship and I felt the kind of pressure Ellie must have felt under. Ellie was definitely more appealing but I didn't feel that the narrative gave the opportunity to get to know her particularly well. The element I enjoyed the most was Nick as the protagonist, even if he was a little irritating at times.
Nick and Ellie's story is told in past and present, sometimes this works for me in a story but in this particular format, I struggled. I found the past narrative slow and the present more engaging, this approach was mostly in alternating chapters. In general, the pacing was slow for my taste.
I'm disappointed this didn't work for me, maybe I had different expectations going in due to the rom-com marketing.
Thank you the publisher and amazon vine for the review copy.
February 8, 2020
2.5/5 stars
* I was provided an E-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*
The one word I would use to describe this book is forgettable. I enjoy my love stories and romance, so going in I was excited to think I might find another book I loved. This wasn't the worst book but certainly not the best. As I said it was pretty forgettable, I didn't care much for the characters, and I really didn't like the flipping of timelines. Overall it was very meh.
* I was provided an E-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*
The one word I would use to describe this book is forgettable. I enjoy my love stories and romance, so going in I was excited to think I might find another book I loved. This wasn't the worst book but certainly not the best. As I said it was pretty forgettable, I didn't care much for the characters, and I really didn't like the flipping of timelines. Overall it was very meh.
February 17, 2020
This book suffers from a "too many timelines not enough character growth" issue something fierce. Additionally, the protagonist was just not someone whose head I enjoyed being in. I did like the movie references, which is what lured me in with this book.
I received an ecopy of this through netgalley; however, all opinions are my own
I received an ecopy of this through netgalley; however, all opinions are my own
March 18, 2020
This book was OK. It is slow and a tad boring. It's told in a back and forth manner, going from past to present throughout the entire book. Its a little dull and could have used a little more intrigue. As is, the book was not horrible, it's just not something I would recommend. Still, I'm not ready to totally write this author off and I'd be willing to give this author another go.
July 4, 2020
If you just hang in there until the last 35 pages..... you can give it a star! :)
June 20, 2021
Only thing I liked was cover, goodbye.
June 18, 2020
I'm sure this book gets better and has some growth, but I read a fourth of it, and I cannot stand the "woe is me" attitude, and the time jumps feel unnecessary, even though they had a big place in the plot.
January 17, 2020
My overall reaction to this is just Meh. I didn't dislike it, but I honestly didn't really love reading it either. It was a very thoughtful book, told across 3 different timelines. All focusing on the relationship of Nick and Ellie, when they met, when they broke up, and during their courtship.
Everything was told in a particular order and complimented the story beautifully, but unfortunately it just wasn't all that engaging for me. I almost felt like I wasn't cool enough to read this, I wasn't movie/music Hipster enough to get all the references, which made the banter between Nick and Ellie less consequential. Some references were very pop-culture, but other were quite obscure.
It dealt with all the ups and downs, of family life, friend life, and romantic life, navigating all of them when everything seems to being going wrong. I enjoyed the movie theme throughout the book, even if I didn't always get it, especially the Intermission where you learn about Ellie and Nick as a couple, I think these were my favorite parts. The before and after were just ok and very much slow at times.
A special thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Publishers and author Owen Nicholls for the reading opportunity.
Everything was told in a particular order and complimented the story beautifully, but unfortunately it just wasn't all that engaging for me. I almost felt like I wasn't cool enough to read this, I wasn't movie/music Hipster enough to get all the references, which made the banter between Nick and Ellie less consequential. Some references were very pop-culture, but other were quite obscure.
It dealt with all the ups and downs, of family life, friend life, and romantic life, navigating all of them when everything seems to being going wrong. I enjoyed the movie theme throughout the book, even if I didn't always get it, especially the Intermission where you learn about Ellie and Nick as a couple, I think these were my favorite parts. The before and after were just ok and very much slow at times.
A special thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Publishers and author Owen Nicholls for the reading opportunity.
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