kcherry's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
reads_emily's review
5.0
I have to say, I went into this book not really being sure what to expect but it turned out so much better than I expected. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I think that it covered far more topics than most rom-coms I’ve ever read.
If you want something funny and easy to read, this is definitely your book. Reading this makes me want to have my own project like running a pub! I also haven’t read this genre in a while and it was really refreshing to read about a romance.
This book seemed to go really quickly. I think it’s because I loved the characters so much and how they communicated and bounced off each other. They really were written well.
I’m hoping there will be a second book! I want to find out what happens to the Cock and Bull!
If you want something funny and easy to read, this is definitely your book. Reading this makes me want to have my own project like running a pub! I also haven’t read this genre in a while and it was really refreshing to read about a romance.
This book seemed to go really quickly. I think it’s because I loved the characters so much and how they communicated and bounced off each other. They really were written well.
I’m hoping there will be a second book! I want to find out what happens to the Cock and Bull!
theoverflowingbookshelf's review
2.0
DNF @ 52%
What seems to be a enemies-to-lovers romance gets very lost in translation at some points. The backdrop of an Irish pub in a small town seems interesting at first, however a lot of details about the restoration of the bar are skipped and there’s no slow burn or even a fast burn between Phoebe and Clooney; Phoebe just kind of hates him and he’s a jerk, yet they still work and live together. I also didn’t like the characters very much. Phoebe was annoyed and frustrated with everything, Ella was the stereotypical ditzy sister, and Clooney was too much of a jerk sometimes, in my opinion. And they all seemed just as annoyed with one another and I was!
To add to the underdeveloped plot is a subplot about Phoebe being able to hear dead people/ghost’s thoughts. This subplot just feels very disjointed with the rest of the story and I don’t think it needed to be added to the book to enhance it at all.
Overall, some of the banter can be funny at times and the small town setting is quite fun, but I was not the biggest fan of this book. While other may enjoy it, I found it to be too fast-paced and underdeveloped.
*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
What seems to be a enemies-to-lovers romance gets very lost in translation at some points. The backdrop of an Irish pub in a small town seems interesting at first, however a lot of details about the restoration of the bar are skipped and there’s no slow burn or even a fast burn between Phoebe and Clooney; Phoebe just kind of hates him and he’s a jerk, yet they still work and live together. I also didn’t like the characters very much. Phoebe was annoyed and frustrated with everything, Ella was the stereotypical ditzy sister, and Clooney was too much of a jerk sometimes, in my opinion. And they all seemed just as annoyed with one another and I was!
To add to the underdeveloped plot is a subplot about Phoebe being able to hear dead people/ghost’s thoughts. This subplot just feels very disjointed with the rest of the story and I don’t think it needed to be added to the book to enhance it at all.
Overall, some of the banter can be funny at times and the small town setting is quite fun, but I was not the biggest fan of this book. While other may enjoy it, I found it to be too fast-paced and underdeveloped.
*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
readinginlipstick's review
5.0
I’m a big fan of rom coms and love a ‘will they, won’t they’ story line. Add a charming, hot Irish man called Clooney and you know its going to be a winner. This was fab! Fun, funny and saucy. I loved it and laughed out loud loads.
Sisters Ella and Phoebe couldn’t be any more different, yet have such a lovely bond. I loved their different personalities and thought they were both great. After inheriting a pub in Ireland, they leave England to run this pub together. Ella who loves an adventure and doesn’t take life too seriously thinks it’s going to be a great. Of course, it was never going to be easy. With all the issues they face, this causes many laugh out loud moments. It will also have you routing for the girls to make it work. I would love to go to the Cock & Bull for some shots with them!
It’s there the girls meet Clooney. Clooney is your typical gorgeous bad boy, with a past that he keeps close to himself. He is also endearing and has this soft side. Which of course would make any girl want to dig deeper and get to know him more. You couldn’t help but be charmed by him.
Let’s talk about the chemistry. You could feel this through the book. Laura really turned the heat on in this, my goodness this was next level! Can I just say one thing, ‘bath scene’! OMG! I’ll leave that right there…
I’m one of those girls that would rather flowers in my hair than diamonds around my neck, so I loved the part about their hippy, eco warrior parents. Defo not to their extreme but it did make me laugh. Also how different Phoebe was to them. You could literally feel her cringing through the pages about their ways. Too funny.
Sisters Ella and Phoebe couldn’t be any more different, yet have such a lovely bond. I loved their different personalities and thought they were both great. After inheriting a pub in Ireland, they leave England to run this pub together. Ella who loves an adventure and doesn’t take life too seriously thinks it’s going to be a great. Of course, it was never going to be easy. With all the issues they face, this causes many laugh out loud moments. It will also have you routing for the girls to make it work. I would love to go to the Cock & Bull for some shots with them!
It’s there the girls meet Clooney. Clooney is your typical gorgeous bad boy, with a past that he keeps close to himself. He is also endearing and has this soft side. Which of course would make any girl want to dig deeper and get to know him more. You couldn’t help but be charmed by him.
Let’s talk about the chemistry. You could feel this through the book. Laura really turned the heat on in this, my goodness this was next level! Can I just say one thing, ‘bath scene’! OMG! I’ll leave that right there…
I’m one of those girls that would rather flowers in my hair than diamonds around my neck, so I loved the part about their hippy, eco warrior parents. Defo not to their extreme but it did make me laugh. Also how different Phoebe was to them. You could literally feel her cringing through the pages about their ways. Too funny.
lyriid's review
3.0
This book was an easy, light read with short chapters that was easy to pick up and put down.
There were some parts I wasn't a fan of, I feel the talking to the dead came out of nowhere and didn't really help the plot much, I'd have rather Phoebe interact with the locals more organically. I'd have rather more description of Ireland generally, it's such a beautiful backdrop for a romance it seems a shame we didn't explore it more!
The romance of Phoebe and Clooney was OK at first but in the end I just wanted them to stop arguing and actually have a conversation, I stopped feeling any connection between them after the first few arguments. Clooney did give a reason at the end but it was too little too late for me to care personally.
My main enjoyment from this book was Phoebe, she's not a perfect character (and I could have done without her slut shaming other women) but she just made me laugh. Even when she does stupid things like throw herself in a lake because she's stressed, I'm just like yeah I can relate. Then there's parts where she's worried about her 'lady bush' or pushing her chest out so Clooney won't ask questions that genuinely made me smile. Her relationship with her sister Ella was sweet, as was the one with her 'hippy parents' even if we only got a brief view of it.
Whilst this may not be a new favourite of mine I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy it, especially with an Irish love interest to drool over!
There were some parts I wasn't a fan of, I feel the talking to the dead came out of nowhere and didn't really help the plot much, I'd have rather Phoebe interact with the locals more organically. I'd have rather more description of Ireland generally, it's such a beautiful backdrop for a romance it seems a shame we didn't explore it more!
The romance of Phoebe and Clooney was OK at first but in the end I just wanted them to stop arguing and actually have a conversation, I stopped feeling any connection between them after the first few arguments. Clooney did give a reason at the end but it was too little too late for me to care personally.
My main enjoyment from this book was Phoebe, she's not a perfect character (and I could have done without her slut shaming other women) but she just made me laugh. Even when she does stupid things like throw herself in a lake because she's stressed, I'm just like yeah I can relate. Then there's parts where she's worried about her 'lady bush' or pushing her chest out so Clooney won't ask questions that genuinely made me smile. Her relationship with her sister Ella was sweet, as was the one with her 'hippy parents' even if we only got a brief view of it.
Whilst this may not be a new favourite of mine I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy it, especially with an Irish love interest to drool over!
bibliobliss_au's review
3.0
Sisters Phoebe & Ella inherit a pub in Ireland. To say the Cock & Bull pub is run down is an understatement. Regardless, and despite managing to get most of the town offside at one point or another, the sisters are determined to make a go of running the pub alongside mysterious & sexy Clooney.
Reading about the escapades of the sisters & their pub felt a lot like watching The Money Pit - what on Earth can go wrong next? These sisters are really good at inviting mayhem into their lives!
At times, there was far more comedy than romance but that made for a really fun read. Tattooed bad boy Clooney was never far from the action though and his character didn’t just drive the romance forward, but also added some drama to balance the hilarity.
About halfway through this Irish rom com took a very surprising twist. No spoilers - but I would have liked more exploration of how Phoebe dealt with her new ‘gift’ as well as her family issues.
Cock & Bull features some laugh out loud moments, some questionable decisions, a little steam and a sprinkling of Irish accents. Oh, and a skunk!
I received an advance review copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Reading about the escapades of the sisters & their pub felt a lot like watching The Money Pit - what on Earth can go wrong next? These sisters are really good at inviting mayhem into their lives!
At times, there was far more comedy than romance but that made for a really fun read. Tattooed bad boy Clooney was never far from the action though and his character didn’t just drive the romance forward, but also added some drama to balance the hilarity.
About halfway through this Irish rom com took a very surprising twist. No spoilers - but I would have liked more exploration of how Phoebe dealt with her new ‘gift’ as well as her family issues.
Cock & Bull features some laugh out loud moments, some questionable decisions, a little steam and a sprinkling of Irish accents. Oh, and a skunk!
I received an advance review copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
scientificbookworm's review
4.0
I have always wanted to travel to Ireland so when I got the opportunity to review this book, I jumped on it! Many thanks to Laura Barnard for my copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
I went into this book expecting the typical RomCom about two sisters inheriting an Irish pub and the sexy man that walks into their lives to save the day. And of course I got that but I also got so much more!
Overall, I loved that there are so many laugh out loud, some cringe worthy and some steamy moments mixed into this book. It is the perfect summer book to pick up if you are missing summer travel and want to escape for a little while!
I went into this book expecting the typical RomCom about two sisters inheriting an Irish pub and the sexy man that walks into their lives to save the day. And of course I got that but I also got so much more!
Overall, I loved that there are so many laugh out loud, some cringe worthy and some steamy moments mixed into this book. It is the perfect summer book to pick up if you are missing summer travel and want to escape for a little while!
rosielovesreading's review
3.0
Cock & Bull is an enemies to more romcom read and my first from Laura Barnard.
Phoebe and her sister inherit an Irish pub from their aunt Breda and move to Ireland from London to run it. However, when they arrive, it's a shell of a building and they have to use Phoebe's savings to build it up. They have no experience and things go wrong from the start, especially when they unknowingly strike up a rivalry with the only other pub owner in town. When Clooney arrives in the bar, he volunteers to help the sisters out, but it's Phoebe he has the chemistry with. Sparks fly as they antagonise and push each other's buttons, with sexual tension bubbling under the surface. But with both of them hiding secrets, will they be able to make their relationship, and the pub, run smoothly?
I enjoyed the romance side of this book immensely, I really liked how Phoebe and Clooney wound each other up at any chance they could, and weren't afraid to call each other out. Although they took a while to open up about their secrets and pasts, their relationship progressed at a good speed and I enjoyed reading about how their feelings developed.
However, I wasn't a fan of some of the side plots, they seemed to overflow the plot and take away from the romance. One was unnecessary (Phoebe and Ella's parental drama) but my main dislike was the paranormal aspect, which is a trope I am not a huge fan of, I think because I like to read books I can relate to. Thankfully it didn't take anything away from the romantic plot and was only on the side, but it was unexpected and I didn't know it would be a feature when I began reading.
Overall, Cock & Bull was a quirky and unique romcom which I would recommend for lovers of enemies-t0-more romances, with a handsome Irish hero and a tiny bit crazy Brit heroine!
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
Phoebe and her sister inherit an Irish pub from their aunt Breda and move to Ireland from London to run it. However, when they arrive, it's a shell of a building and they have to use Phoebe's savings to build it up. They have no experience and things go wrong from the start, especially when they unknowingly strike up a rivalry with the only other pub owner in town. When Clooney arrives in the bar, he volunteers to help the sisters out, but it's Phoebe he has the chemistry with. Sparks fly as they antagonise and push each other's buttons, with sexual tension bubbling under the surface. But with both of them hiding secrets, will they be able to make their relationship, and the pub, run smoothly?
I enjoyed the romance side of this book immensely, I really liked how Phoebe and Clooney wound each other up at any chance they could, and weren't afraid to call each other out. Although they took a while to open up about their secrets and pasts, their relationship progressed at a good speed and I enjoyed reading about how their feelings developed.
However, I wasn't a fan of some of the side plots, they seemed to overflow the plot and take away from the romance. One was unnecessary (Phoebe and Ella's parental drama) but my main dislike was the paranormal aspect, which is a trope I am not a huge fan of, I think because I like to read books I can relate to. Thankfully it didn't take anything away from the romantic plot and was only on the side, but it was unexpected and I didn't know it would be a feature when I began reading.
Overall, Cock & Bull was a quirky and unique romcom which I would recommend for lovers of enemies-t0-more romances, with a handsome Irish hero and a tiny bit crazy Brit heroine!
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
onceuponabookreview's review against another edition
5.0
I was lucky enough to receive this book from the author in return for an honest review. I sped through this book! It was funny, heartbreaking, irritating and really cute all at the same time. There were a few twists I really didn’t expect but it was a really wholesome story. I loved it
myevergrowingbookshelf's review
4.0
This month I was very kindly gifted my kindle copy of Cock and Bull by the lovely Laura Barnard in exchange for an honest review. When I heard what this book was about, I immediately knew I'd be interested and signed up straight away to get my hands on this ARC.
I don't know about you, but I love a good 'enemies to lovers' book and this one didn't disappoint! I loved Phoebe and Ella, they had a great sisterly relationship, and worked really well together. I mean you must do to up and leave your home to run an abandoned pub and live together! But the relationship that I really loved was Phoebe and Clooney's. Their chemistry was insane, the 'will they/won't they' aspect of it all had me constantly wondering what was going to come next for them.
Although Phoebe and Clooney's relationship was my favourite part of the book, this book was so much more than just these two. I mean, there was an angry competitor with his pub in the same town, the cutest, yet unconventional pet, the heartbreaking back stories, and some family secrets too. Laura Barnard kept throwing in surprises that I just didn't see coming which made it an excellent read! It was such a lovely light hearted book, I enjoyed it so much I read most of it in one sitting!
Thank you again Laura for this book, I enjoyed every second!
I don't know about you, but I love a good 'enemies to lovers' book and this one didn't disappoint! I loved Phoebe and Ella, they had a great sisterly relationship, and worked really well together. I mean you must do to up and leave your home to run an abandoned pub and live together! But the relationship that I really loved was Phoebe and Clooney's. Their chemistry was insane, the 'will they/won't they' aspect of it all had me constantly wondering what was going to come next for them.
Although Phoebe and Clooney's relationship was my favourite part of the book, this book was so much more than just these two. I mean, there was an angry competitor with his pub in the same town, the cutest, yet unconventional pet, the heartbreaking back stories, and some family secrets too. Laura Barnard kept throwing in surprises that I just didn't see coming which made it an excellent read! It was such a lovely light hearted book, I enjoyed it so much I read most of it in one sitting!
Thank you again Laura for this book, I enjoyed every second!