Name: Our Story
ISBN: 9780008323257

Miranda Dickinson

‘An absolutely gorgeous modern love story’ Rachael Lucas, author of The Telephone Box Library ‘A beautiful, grown-up and real romance. You’re going to love Otty and Joe’ Laura Kemp, author of Bring Me Sunshine

Our Story

Anika | @chaptersofmay

Our Story is a warm and witty, slow-burn romance set in the city of Birmingham. 

Otty lands her dream job working for one of the best showrunners in the country the same day she’s unexpectedly evicted from her flat. Joe is a well-respected writer, with impressive credits, but in desperate need for a roommate. Before they know it, Otty and Joe are roomies, writing partners, best friends, and tackling an extra plot twist: romance. 

I’m a fan of Miranda Dickinson’s New York-based romances, so I was very curious to read her latest story taking place in the West Midlands. The English city setting, as well as the excitingly eventful writer’s room, made a refreshing change. The book has quite a leisurely pace, so this addition stopped it from dipping too much. I also really like that there was a layer of the narrative dedicated to scriptwriting, an industry I’m not all too familiar with. Otty and Joe’s careers develop as their relationship does, and although it’s not wholly realistic, it’s still enjoyable to see that side. 

The chemistry between Otty and Joe fluctuated between tenderly adorable and frustrating childish. There’s a lot of back and forth, but that’s to be expected with a ‘will they, won’t they’ storyline. I like both Otty and Joe as characters, but they’re not overly complex or memorable. Still, Otty is full of ambition while Joe is desperate for motivation, and together they work perfectly. As a reader, all you want to do is grab them by the shoulders and force them to open up. The building of tension is what kept me engaged, especially as new characters were introduced. 

I found that the story took a while to really begin, but really enjoyed the comfort that comes with Miranda Dickinson’s writing. Plus, I love the underlying message of self-belief in this modern romance. Our Story isn’t an intense read by any means, but still really enjoyable. The creative backdrop of a writer’s room, the growing tension between the protagonists, and the witty dialogue from the secondary characters takes this an endearingly light-hearted joy to read.

Lisa Beasley

I really really enjoyed this. I listened to the audiobook and it had 2 wonderful narrators. Joe Jameson caught Joe perfectly as he always captures the role he is playing and Tamla Kari who I am a huge fan of from her days in Musketeers was amazing as Otty. It was a strong and well paced story and I was hooked almost immediately. Perhaps slightly too much lack of communication but I expect that in romance books as its usually the main cause for conflict.