I had a nice long three paragraph review typed up and somehow the browser went back a screen deleting it all. Instead of rewriting it, I'm going to summarize my review.

Lucy turns down Nick on live television after only knowing him for five months, and even then she it's only been mostly them having sex. The backlash is gigantic and horrible and Lucy escapes to Cornwall to avoid the paparazzi. Once there, she doesn't want to leave, but is it because of the change of environment or because of someone?

I enjoyed the book. Didn't really Lucy so much. Found it hard to understand how'd she'd jump into bed with a guy who had stood her up more than once and had never been on a date with. (I'm not really a fan of one night stands. She did the right thing in my opinion by turning Nick down. Her relationship with Josh, while hot, felt something was missing. I enjoyed Lucy finding herself and motivation on what to do next in her life. Her attitude towards her new job in Cornwall was great.

Phillipa Ashley has written five books including this one, and they have been published in the UK under The Little Black Dress Imprint, and in the United States by Sourcebooks. She has a brand new title, Miranda's Mount, coming out in the fall. It'll be published by the Piatkus Entice Imprint. 1 Tressa3,736 9

I didn’t care for the characters or the story in Just Say Yes. I stopped reading the book.did-not-finish fiction1 NellAuthor 31 books173

A really fun holiday read.1 Helen Gaye Brewster210 6

I always seem to enjoy books set in Cornwall so Phillipa Ashley’s books are a pleasure. Lucy lives in London and is attracted to the sandwich maker at the bagel and sandwich shop near her office. After she accidentally leaves part of her order, Nick, the sandwich maker chases her down and asks her for a date when he gives her the sandwich. He also tells her he has dreams of opening his own business. They begin to date, but Nick stands her up twice with excuses Lucy isn’t sure are true. But, she continues to see him and eventually learns he’s gotten a spot on a reality TV show. If he wins, he’ll have an investor to back his business and make his dreams come true.

But, Nick has a temper and things don’t always go smoothly for them. Then, after Nick’s appearance on the show things change between them and Lucy decides to take a break with her best friend, Fi, at her cottage in Cornwall. Lucy meets the locals, including the handsome landlord of several of the holiday cottages. But, he’s seriously involved with his girlfriend.

Lucy learns to love the slower pace in the Cornish village and considers staying and giving up her life in London. As she builds relationships with the villagers and gets involved in village life, she begins to think this is the way she’d to live.

This book wasn’t my favorite by the writer, but I enjoyed it enough to stay up a little late reading it! I think it would be hard for me to not a book written by Phillipa Ashley. angela winsor2

Thoroughly enjoyed this book

I love Phillipa Ashley. Have enjoyed every book of hers that I have read.
I love her style of writing and always get engrossed in the stories and characters. Can't wait to read a mother novel of hers. Hannelie Pearson1 review

Poorly written

The story struggles to be cohesive and believable. It’s very predictable in places and there are also some editing mistakes. Kim1 review

Took awhile to get into Kim356

Couldn't stay with it, beginning too choppy. E J McGilley36

Nice read

Pleasant story . Nice characters and easy read. I am a fan of Phillipa Ashley ,so always look out for her books
QNPoohBear3,200 1,519

This book should be called Just Say No. It would serve a dual purpose: one to tell the characters what to say and two, to warn the reader away.

The characters are awful. They're very cardboard people. Lucy claims she refuses to be her mother and accept a lying, cheating man in her life and then she jumps into bed with a good looking near stranger who fits all her requirements for a man to stay away from. She claims she doesn't liars and she lies to the hero. Nick is a sleaze bag of the first degree. He's dangerous and somewhat predatory. He uses Lucy for sex and to help him on his goal to fame and fortune. Sure she lets him use her and she says no when he asks her to marry him but she feels bad saying no and convinces herself that it's just because she's not SURE they belong together instead of realizing he's a creep. Lucy has two best friends who are stereotypical characters that appear in many rom coms and chick lit novels: the mad, bitter best friend and the mad gay male best friend. I d Fiona and found her refreshing and amusing until the very end. I think I Charlie though he's so stereotypical. He isn't in the book much but I wish he was because he was a good friend for Lucy. I was hoping he would turn out to be the love interest and not the gay bff. The characters in Cornwall aren't much better. Sara is a stock character: pretty, skinny, insecure, witchy, clingy, etc. etc. She doesn't have much personality and appears in the plot to complicate the romance. Josh is a character who sees the world in black and white. He had a rough childhood, became a modern rake and is now ready to settle down but only with someone he can trust. He suspects Lucy isn't telling the whole truth yet he enters into a relationship with her anyway. Their relationship isn't based on much. There's no real connection between them. I didn't care if they got together or not. Actually I didn't think either of them deserved each other. The romance was just not there. . The characters who live there are so obsessed with the beach and can't imagine living anywhere else. We're told Lucy falls in love with her new home but there's no real showing. There are are two graphic love scenes I wasn't expecting. Usually in this sort of novel the love scenes are closed door.

The writing is hit and miss. The descriptions of Cornwall scenery are beautiful. The author knows the location she's writing about and creates a picture of a beach community. I hate the beach and I had known, I wouldn't have read the book. The plot is very thin. It's based on a lot of non-communication, something I can't stand. I skimmed past the love scenes and ended up without much plot. The ending was way too rushed and that was the most interesting part of the book. I d the direction Lucy was heading in and wanted more of her journey of self-discovery.

I didn't this book very much and wouldn't recommend it to those who well written books by Sophie Kinsella and Helen Fielding.

women-s-fiction Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews5,159 161

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshort.blogsp...


Lucy Gibson’s life is a muddled mess. A mediocre job, parties that produce miserable hangovers, and trying to sort out her feelings about Nick Laurentis, the gorgeous but unreliable man she has a “sort” of relationship with have her unsettled.

When Nick makes her a prime target for the tabloids, she departs the city with Fiona, to stay at Fiona’s cottage at the sea shore. There, where no one knows who she really is, she seeks answers, but none seem to be forth coming and the constant worry about being recognized hounds her.

“Not-quite-telling-the-truth’ and not knowing where she's going in her life has Lucy worn to a frazzle. Consequently, when Josh Standring offers her a job cleaning cottages and settling in new renters for the season, Lucy accepts. Josh, a windsurfer and former bad boy, has a relationship with Sara who works at the yacht club, so Lucy declares him off-limits, but convincing her heart and body is another thing.

Fiona, Lucy’s best friend, is a successful author and often uses her “creative” thinking to offer Lucy advice, some of which leads to strife. Her “research” and how she chooses her male companions make for some delightful reading. Of course, her dog Hengist does his part in the humor department as he blunders about and frolics with Tally, Josh’s black Labrador.

Josh has a past that he's still trying to come to terms with. It often colors his view of people. To him trust and honesty are “musts”. He's also working through many other issues, growing up and accepting the responsibility of taking care of his inheritance if he expects it to make him a living.

Charlie, Lucy’s neighbor and friend in London, creates his own special type of humor, but he also looks after her when things are unpleasant. He injects some clever British humor into this piece. Just Say Yes is full of bathos, irreverence, innuendo and ambiguity, and misinterpreting what is heard. The story sweeps the reader into a fictitious world that bubbles with comic relief as it reveals a love story that thrills the heart.

Phillipa Ashley creates fun-to-read fiction while subtly working in humanity’s bent to commit more than a few of the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’. She uses humor in a winsome, wicked way to shepherd the characters past their flaws and foibles to propel them to a happy-ever-after with a sizzle. Just Say Yes is sparkling entertainment!contemporary non-erotic Alex657 79

At First Sight: Lucy Gibson's life changed the moment hunky Nick Laurentis followed her out of the sandwich shop where he worked and asked her out, and soon she finds herself in a 'relationship'.

Lucy has her reservations - she doesn't really know much about Nick and their first couple of dates went really badly (as in they didn't happen 'cause he messed up) - but she tells herself she doesn't really want a relationship, but she's not against taking advantage of Nick's gorgeous body.

Things go well enough for a time, until Nick enters Hot Shots - a low-budget reality TV show - and actually wins. Suddenly he's proposing in front of a live audience and Lucy is left in the spotlight.

With the paparazzi following her around, and everyone against her because she turned Nick down, Lucy decides to escape with her best friend Fiona to a cottage in Cornwall.

There she meets Josh, a windsurfer who is trying to make something of himself after spending most of his youth getting by on his looks and doing the bare minimum. Soon Lucy and Josh hit it off, but there is one small problem: Josh's bitchy fiancé Sarah.

Second Glance: Just Say Yes wasn't the kind of book I was expecting - at first, I didn't even realize it took place in England, for example - and for me it was more chick-lit-ish at times than actual contemporary romance.

Lucy was likable enough but the way she acts around and about Nick made me think she didn't have a healthy self-esteem (sure, she tells herself she's using Nick too, but that didn't rub well with me either), plus Nick isn't nice or sharp or anything really, other than good in bed.

Also I felt the pace of the book was a bit off, it took a long while for the story to get going as the first seven or eight chapters are ALL flashback/recap of Lucy's relationship with Nick, so I felt I never really saw that relationship develop and a lot of it was glossed over, and part of me just plain didn't care about this relationship that was obviously over and obviously bad for Lucy.

Josh was okay, but I didn't feel anything even remotely swoony toward him (he's not a bad guy, I just didn't see the appeal). He is nicer though, so that gives him points.

I did Fiona and Lucy's neighbor Charles - I usually found the scenes where he was in to be funny.

Bottom Line: I wasn't crazy about Just Say Yes, I thought the characters needed a bit more development and the pace was a bit off but it's not a bad book and it did have some enjoyable moments.contemporary for-review net-galley ...more RivkaBelle938

Review originally posted on my blog: AWordsWorth.blogspot.com
eARC provided by publisher for review.

Lucy wasn't looking for a boyfriend. But when the uber-attractive new guy from the bagel shop seemed interested, she found it hard to turn him down - even though he definitely had some less than desirable attributes. She knew he was part of a hot new reality show, but Lucy never thought Nick would win, let alone propose - on live television - mere moments after being crowned victor. In that moment, Lucy found the strength to say "no," and became infamous. All the London papers and gossip mags were talking about her, and every step was hounded by the paparazzi. It got so bad that her boss strongly encouraged her to take a month off and let things die down. So Lucy escaped to the solitude of Cornwall with her best friend Fiona, hoping to avoid drama and attention.

The month she spends in Cornwall, Lucy slowly starts to unwind and relax back into her own skin. Aside from the snarkiness of Sara, the girlfriend of intriguing Josh (who owns all the other cottages on the farm, aside from Fiona's), Lucy finds just what she needs. Except for the minor detail of hiding her identity - Fiona created a pseudo-persona for Lucy as a high-rolling banker from London who cracked under pressure. The deception worries Lucy, but she doesn't see how to fix things. When Josh offers her an alternative at the end of her month's vacation - to stay on and be his seasonal help for the summer - Lucy impulsively decides to take him up on the offer. The next months are even more restorative for Lucy, and there's no denying the chemistry and growing tension between herself and Josh. When things come crashing to a head, and Lucy's world is flipped upside down again, she must dig down deep and find the Lucy she really is. Way down inside. And that's when things get really interesting.

Just Say Yes is a fun, engrossing read. The descriptions of Cornwall made me want to book a flight and spend my own summer there, and it provided a wonderful backdrop for Lucy's season of growth. At the beginning, she's such a "closed" character, but as each new confrontation happened, Lucy had to respond by "opening up," thus growing as a character. While it's a love story (or two), it's also a story of finding yourself and realizing that what makes you a success is doing what you love and are supposed to be doing. chick-lit contemporary ebooks ...more Becky R.459 84

What is not to love about a Phillipa Ashley novel? Honest. Her heroes make you swoon and her plots feel familiar, have an unexpected twist, but always end up feeling satisfying. In this novel, Lucy Gibson has a shocking situation happen with her reality-star winning boyfriend that has her feeling stunned and in need of some space to think. We've all been there--meaning the needing space thing. What happens when you're not given a chance to think or people jump to conclusions too soon?

Besides making me feel I want to move to England--once again--this book made me feel a range of emotions that pulled me into the story. The people she meets in Cornwall add more depth to Lucy's story and I wanted even more from them. These characters were great and added that contrast to Lucy's fast-paced life back in London. I won't lie though. There was one scene on a topless beach that had me flipping pages back to make sure I read it right. Perhaps my naivete with nude/topless beaches made me think I was reading it wrong, but that was one shocking moment that threw me and would have had me snorting out my beverage if I'd been drinking one at the time. (Made you curious now, right?) Regardless, this wasn't a gratuitous book, just filled with some interesting twists and turns.

Overall, I have become a real fan of Phillipa Ashley's novels. I her characters and interesting stories. Also, as a serious Anglophile, I love being introduced to parts of England I wouldn't get to go to normally. In this case, we went from London right on down to the seaside in Cornwall. Honestly, I have to get back to England soon. If you're looking for a great summer read, with a bit of romance and a happy ending, then this novel and all of Phillipa Ashley's other novels will surely fit the bill. drey833 62

Lucy Gibson never expected her life to get quite so out there… After all, she’s just a marketing assistant for a law firm, who just happens to meet a boy working at a bagel shop. They go out a few times (after he stands her up a few times), and next thing you know he’s on a reality TV show to win backing for his very own business venture! Still, it’s all quite ordinary, isn’t it?

Apparently not, because all of a sudden Nick wins the reality TV show contest. And pops the question, while everyone’s quite emotional from his win. Of course, that’s when Lucy says “no.” Because really, how well does she know this man? He’s gorgeous (points!) and has been trying to make time to spend with her (points!) while working his tush off to win the show. But. (There’s always a “but.”)

Anyway, once she’s said the dreaded two-letter word, her world is chaos. The tabloids are following her everywhere and publishing all sorts of nonsense. Not quite what a marketing assistant for a law firm wants. Nor the law firm. So Lucy goes on a short “holiday” – if you can call hiding-in-the-best-friend’s-seaside-cottage-for-a-month a holiday, that is. Luckily for her, the holiday comes with one yummilicious surfer. Unfortunately, he comes with a barb-in-every-other-word girlfriend…

I loved Lucy! She’s so very funny, even when she’s tired of being hounded by reporters and putting up with Sara’s attitude and not being sorry for saying “no”. I love that she picks herself up, eventually, and starts over – and gives her dreams a go. Just Say Yes is endearing and sweetly romantic, and will serve you well in your summer light reading pile.

drey’s rating: Pick it up!2012-reads romance-contemporary Laura1,582 16

Lucy Gibson meets her new boyfriend Nick at a Bagel deli. Their romance moves along quickly, with not much time together as Nick is involved in “Hot Shots!” an Apprentice type TV series where he is competing to be able to start his own business. When Nick asks Lucy the ultimate question on live TV, she answers the one way that TV audiences will not appreciate. Now hounded by the press, Lucy travels to Cornwall to get some much needed time away and to reevaluate her life.

I enjoy Phillipa Ashley’s novels. The characters are great, and I love the romance. I enjoyed the setting in Cornwall for this novel, and the mention of one of my favorite foods, “Pasties.” Cornish miners brought them to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan when they mined the Copper Mines in the 1800’s. I attended college in the “U.P.” and grew to love them. Luckily the frozen type is available from the north in my local grocery so I am able to enjoy them still. I wanted to vacation in one of the cottages by the coast in Cornwall described in the book and eat a real Cornish pasty. As with Ashley’s other novels, I didn’t want it to end and wish that I could enjoy the characters again in another novel.

Overall, if you are looking for a great beach read this summer, I recommend Just Say Yes!

I recieved a copy of this novel from Sourcebooks for an honest review. I first published this review on my blog, Laura's Reviews at: http://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2012/... Kimberly1,449 13

Review written for www.books-n-kisses.com

This book was “ok” for me nothing more. It never seems to click with the characters Lucy/Nick or Lucy/Josh. The first eight chapters is a look back on what caused the break up from Lucy’s reality TV-star that caused all of England to turn against her. And honestly I think the reader can tell in the first chapter that Nick is just not an all around good guy. I even wondered if he was bi-polar at one point. Then the next few chapters are about Lucy pinning over her ex. Really there was nothing to pine over. Then she heads away to get away from the paparazzi and meets Josh but he is already in a relationship. Which I as the reader really do not enjoy. While I can appreciate that characters have a history of past romances I really do not enjoy one of the leads to be a homewrecker (even if they are just dating). And towards the end it seems that Josh just all of a sudden has a change of heart about Lucy, before that he had been less than enamored with her. And after the change of heart he is head over heels.

This book was previously released in 2008. This book is written by an English author so there are a lot of phrases and words that are not commonly used in America. Maybe it was the fact that the writing was off because of the different countries but it was a hard book for me to enjoy. That being said I can see how others may enjoy it so do not miss the chance to read it if you enjoy books set in modern day London. Faith95 21

This book was uneven. It started off well and I d the commentary on reality TV. However, I found both of Lucy's relationships to be puzzling. I know that Nick was attractive but I didn't understand how their relationship really formed. It was obvious to both the reader and even Lucy herself that Nick was unstable and manipulative. However, what was really baffling was Nick's proposal. During their entire relationship, he was always distracted and he seemed to be with Lucy for sex rather than love. Yet, he proposed to her on national TV. I didn't feel sorry for him when he was rejected, which I suppose shows how one dimensional his character was.

Even more confusing was Josh and Lucy's relationship. When they meet initially they're cold to each other (which is understandable given Lucy's mistrust of all stranger due to paparazzi stalking her and Josh's bewilderment at Lucy's behavior). Yet, they a few weeks later they are becoming attracted to each other for no real reason. We're told rather than shown why this sudden change in attitude occurs. The romance felt forced. I was surprised because in Ashley's other novels, I usually feel some kind of chemistry because the characters. In this novel, I felt little chemistry between Lucy and Josh.

This is a light read and it was what I needed after the last two books I read. However, if you're looking for a light, easy romance there are other books by both Ashley and other authors that would be more satisfying.borrowed-from-the-library chick-lit contemporary-romance ...more Kat LathamAuthor 20 books375

3.5 stars

When Lucy meets Nick at a bagel shop in London, she's immediately attracted to him though she's also wary. He shows signs of being unreliable, but she makes excuses for him. When she discovers his unreliability is because he's in the final stages of becoming a contestant on an Apprentice-style reality show, she decides to stick with him. Because hey, he's hot and the sex is great. In fact, their relationship is almost exclusively sex.

But the relationship falls apart in spectacular fashion, and Lucy flees to her friend's beachside cottage in Cornwall. While she's there, she meets Josh - unfortunately Josh is in a relationship, and Lucy can't even tell him her real name because she's hiding from the tabloid press.

I enjoyed this novel but never felt fully engaged with the characters. Lucy's relationship with Nick was so destined to fall apart that I couldn't figure out why she was with him. Josh is a lovely man, but his attraction to Lucy comes out of the blue after having a fairly antagonistic relationship - especially considering he has a girlfriend. The story is fun but not hugely creative. It's set in two of my favorite places - London and Cornwall - which made me nostalgic.

Overall, it's a diverting read, but it never rose above 'pretty good' for me. contemporary-romance Justkeepreading1,874 78

A perfect Cornish Summer, in the perfect little town of Porthmello, with perfect characters and a perfect storyline.

This book made me laugh out loud at many places and made me smile from ear to ear. I am so, so happy that this is a new start to a fabulous new series by the best selling author Phillipa Ashley.

Summer is coming, the people of Porthmellow are getting ready for the annual food festival.

Sam is really busy dashing around getting everything sorted for the big day. The only problem is that the guest chef, that everyone is coming to see. Has needed to pull out as he is going banckrupt. With no way to get their money back. They need a miracle and they need one now.

When Sams friend and co-organiser of the festival manages to get Gabe Matthias. Everyone is over the moon. The festival is saved. Everyone that is except for Sam. Because Gabe and Sam have a history. One that is shrouded in hurt and heartbreak. But sometimes what you think you know isn’t the whole truth and sometimes people tell you things, or act a certain way, in order to protect you from the truth. Sometimes what you think you know isn’t the whole story at all.

A gorgeous, feel good, romantic story. That sucks you into the very beginning. This book is fabulous and I absolutely loved it. Andrea883 61

My opinion on this book varies. On the one hand, it's a chick-lit love story type that I love. Girl gets heartbroken, girl vows wanting nothing to do with boy, girl meets another boy but fights her attraction to him, boy and girl briefly get together, some disaster happens and boy and girl break up, and then boy and girl realize breakup is a mistake and get back together.

But there was something about the writing that was off-putting to me. It was a little too graphic in the sex area. I don't mind that, if that's the type of book that it is. But the rest of the book appeared chick-lit-, not romance novel- (or at least at the time I didn't think so. Now looking back, it did kind of seem a romance novel.)

I mostly d Lucy. There were some things that she thought/said/did that I rolled my eyes at, but for the most part, I enjoyed her character. Josh was just okay for me. Nothing really great stood out. I loved the teeny side characters of the two dogs though :)

Overall, an okay novel. I think I would give Phillipa Ashley another chance.
Huong939

Chose this book to read for the car ride to Vegas. It seemed light and fun enough. Unfortunately I got to about 60% of the book before deciding this was a did-not-finish. Just could not connect with the characters much and I thought the plot to be rather blah. I just don't really dig British modern day chick romances. Beverly1,343 1 follower

There's one question a girl should always say yes to...But Lucy Gibson said no. On national TV. Now she's hated by nearly everyone. Fleeing the spotlight's glare, Lucy holes up in a cottage in the country, where she just might find the right reasons to say yes after all... An OK romance novel, very predictable and light. Rezita Redzuan4 2

After reading 2 consecutive serious novels, I need a light reading and started to read this chic lit. What I think about it? It's a typical chic lit where you can already guess how the ending will be. But it seems the girl can only think of sex whenever she met guys that she s. Chrissi1,194 Read

A nice easy read. I devoured it on the way to work each morning, it took a couple of days to read as it was so addictive. I adored the character Nick! It's a romantic, quick read...slightly predictable but good nonetheless. Kathy 3,474

A lighthearted and easy read, Phillipa Ashley’s Just Say Yes is a vastly entertaining romance with plenty of substance and depth. To read my review in its entirety, please visit http://www.bookandmorebykathy.... Rebecca39 18

I loved this book! The characters are funny and easy to relate to. The plot was believable and at a great pace. The only thing I wish was there was more of the story from Josh's point of view and some more romance.romance April130 15

I've never read anything from Phillipa Ashley before so I didn't know what to expect. Just Say Yes was fantastic!! I look forward to checking out more of Ashley's books, and if they're as good as Just Say Yes, I most certainly have found another "new" author!! Shana31 2

I really really wanted to love this book. It sounded good but I found myself skimming parts and waiting for the book to really begin. That being said it still kept me reading and was an alright book. Melissainau254

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