Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Navigating life one word at a time.”

Ahhh I’ve been waiting very patiently for a brand new book from one of my favourite romcom authors and it’s finally here! And let me tell you – if you are craving something that’s funny, something you’ll be smiling at each time you pick it up, something to warm your heart as we head into autumn, something to make you feel all the lovely, wonderful feelings, AND something to lift your spirits, then this is the one. Audrey never lets me down and her latest book is everything. I’m so happy to be sharing my review for The Lexicon of Love!

About the book

He met the girl of his dreams… and immediately ruined her shoes.

Now Mike Collins has one last shot to turn the most awkward first meeting ever into the love story of a lifetime. It wasn’t the first spark Mike had in mind, but fate had messier plans.

At twenty-two, Mike is a plumber’s apprentice with a secret passion for words. Romance? Not really his thing. Until a vibrant eighties tribute night in a small Scottish town lands him—quite literally—at the feet of the captivating Bella, leaving her shoes in need of urgent attention after an unfortunate mishap.

Awkward? Absolutely. Forgettable? Not a chance.

Bella is smart, free-spirited, and just as obsessed with obscure words as Mike. Soon they’re trading cheesy pop anthems, ridiculous vocabulary games, and more banter than a Scrabble board can handle. It feels like a match made in Heaven (17) until Bella drops the bombshell: she’s about to leave for a life-changing backpacking trip across Australia.

Can a romance born from a perfectly imperfect beginning survive thousands of miles?

The beginning

Oh Mike… I reckon we’ve all got a Mike in our lives. Or we’ve known a Mike before, many years ago. If you haven’t, maybe you’re the Mike, ever thought about that?! Mike’s a bit of a klutz when we meet him. He’s drunk, he spots a pretty girl, he makes a fool of himself, and yes, he vomits all over her shoes. Beautiful, enchanting Bella is far from impressed, but after a chat, she still writes her number on his hand. Despite the mishap, she’s still curious about the sober version of this guy who loves words… because she does too. Already, this little detail about them both makes them so much different to any character I’ve ever read about. They love words and so do I – I think we’d get along. Even from their first imperfect meeting, I was rooting for these two. They had such likeable qualities, qualities that would make a life together fun and exciting and full. But I was getting ahead of myself. Mike manages to rub away the numbers on his hand making it near impossible to contact her. How would he find her now? Well done, Mike. But thankfully for him, fate had big plans for them both.

“Mike racks his brain for a word to describe how he’s feeling. Something beginning with ‘e’. He’ll check online later for something special. For now, he’ll settle with ecstatic.”

One thing I adore about Audrey’s books is just how much they brighten up my days. You’re guaranteed a laugh in every single chapter, her words always so witty and clever that I’m not only laughing because of the predicaments these characters find themselves in, or whatever hilarious sentence comes out of their mouths – I also have a giggle because I’m just so impressed that I can’t fathom how she thinks of some of the things she writes. Does that make sense?! It makes my head spin, but at the same time, it works so brilliantly that I just can’t put her books down. Her words are really like an addiction (but the good kind, obv.) Mike and Bella reunite after some light detective work on Mike’s part, and I was drawn into their chemistry. This only intensified as we read from Bella’s perspective, as well as Mike’s. I love a dual narrative in a romcom, and Audrey absolutely nails it. We really get to know these characters as a result and it was so good to see them in their natural habitats vs what they’re like when they’re in each other’s company. Such a gorgeous start!

The middle

We follow this quirky couple on multiple dates, exchanging banter, having new, exciting experiences, being their wonderful, imperfectly perfect selves. But there is much more buried deep in this story line. Bella is off for the trip of a lifetime to Australia, and they need to make the most of their time together before she leaves. What would happen afterwards? Would they carry on a long distance relationship? Would they each meet someone else, and eventually forget about each other? It’s not only this that is playing on Mike’s mind; his mother hasn’t been herself for a while and has finally got a coeliac disease diagnosis. I love how Audrey not only takes us on the wild and wonderful ride that is Mike and Bella’s romance, but she also explores family life and friendships too, as well as touching upon some more delicate subjects. It really brings this world and these characters to life. There are so many extra stand-out characters too, such as Mike’s friend, Lizzie, and Bella’s travel buddy, Jax. I love how they’re introduced to us and how important they are to our main characters.

“One day when you’re older, you’ll maybe get it. Although I pray you don’t, because that will mean you’ve made the same mistakes as me. Settled for someone, when you should be setting the world on fire.”

As Bella heads off on her trip of a lifetime, (with quite an emotional goodbye to her grandad who I just adored) Mike tries to keep himself busy. He starts to write, looks into Open University courses. Because Bella brings out the best in him, makes him want to better himself, to live his own life, to make the most of it. I found a really strong message of living the live you want to live and doing what makes you happy, and I just love any kind of positivity like this in a book. I loved the gorgeous, vivid descriptions of Bella’s Australia adventure, the food, the shenanigans, the Chris Hemsworth lookalikes. Audrey paints such a colourful, exciting picture of this place that it made me want to visit this part of the world, although the excruciatingly long flight would probably do me in. But the distance between them seems to be doing more harm than good… There was something about these characters that had me rooting for them constantly, so I hoped that whatever happened, they’d stay on each other’s good sides.

The end

Life certainly tests Bella and Mike as they’re thousands of miles apart. With other people showing an interest, I was worried about how their distance would affect their decision making. It’s messy, it’s uncertain, but there was something about Bella and Mike which made me think they could overcome anything thrown their way. There is also some sadness and heartbreak throughout the ending chapters and oh how my heart hurt. Audrey writes the pain and emotion just as well as her humourous and heartfelt scenes, and to me, that’s the sign of a great author. Again, I was so touched by all the wonderful life lessons Audrey gives through her words, encouraging readers to not let a day go by without telling those you love how much they mean to you. About the importance of friendship and having people around you when you’re at your lowest. How Mike comforts Bella after some awful news just proves they are meant to be. There may or may not have been a little tear in my eye. You know when you just love characters so much you want more than anything to see them happy and thriving? That.

“It’s not the end of the world. You’re back now, with me. And I’m not just a shoulder to cry on. Although I’m getting a bit damp, to be honest.”

After reading so many crime/thriller reads lately, I was really craving a book that would leave me on a high, and this one delivered. If it was even possible, I ended this book loving Bella and Mike’s connection, their banter and their feelings for one another even more than I’d done throughout the entire book. They were obviously each other’s soulmate, and we get to see just a snippet of life’s ups and downs in this story. But this was enough for me. I can imagine their future, how they support one another, the adventures and experiences they have. It was just pure joy and so lovely to think about after that last page. Will Audrey turn this into a series? Maybe, maybe not. I think I’d be happy with either! I see Audrey just get better and better with each book she writes, so after reading Bella and Mike’s story, I’m so excited to see what comes next for her. I’ve heard there will be another book in her Cranley Wishes series, so I am incredibly excited for that! If you love a romcom with lovable characters and with plenty of clever humour, you will love this one, and her other books too! 🥰

Overall thoughts

The Lexicon of Love is yet another hilarious, feel-good romcom from Audrey Davis, this time about two quirky, imperfect beings navigating their way through life’s ups and downs and falling for each other in the process. But the little twist that makes this not your average romcom is Mike and Bella’s love for words. They have their own unique ways to express their feelings through words and it was just utterly adorable.

This book has all of Audrey’s wonderful humour which I will never get enough of. There is just something about it which has you smiling and giggling, even on your worst days. There’s plenty of lovely romantic moments, there’s drama and messy mistakes, there’s family, friendship, even some heartbreak, but by the end you’ll be full of love and hope. It’s just a nice, easy, beautiful read, which is exactly what I needed!

The Lexicon of Love is out RIGHT NOW! You can grab your copy on Amazon. Make sure you’re following lovely Audrey over on Instagram and X for more updates.

Looking for book reviews?

If you’re in need of reviews for your own book, do get in touch to get on my submissions list! All the information you need is on my book reviews page. If you enjoyed this review and would like to support my blog, you can buy me a coffee 😊