Cover Image: Was It Good For You?

Was It Good For You?

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Sophie does things a little differently... She uses spreadsheets to plan her life. She uses them to track her diet, her exercise and even her love life. If someone rates below a 7/10, she isn't keeping them around. The concept of this book is unique and very entertaining, however there were so many times when I wanted to shake Sophie and drown her laptop.

Michael is an absolutely dream of a character, and the amount of times Sophie hurt his feelings made me cross. He is the sweetest, nicest and most compassionate man I've come across in a book in a long time!

The story itself was fun, and I love that Sophie and Michael kept pushing each other outside of their comfort zone. This led to a lot of growth and self discovery, and ultimately led to them seeing beyond the number Sophie rated Michael on the spreadsheet.

Overall this was a cute and enjoyable romcom! I might suggest going through and removing how many times Michael did something 'mildly' though.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review a copy of this one!

Was this review helpful?

A real fun read. Sophie and Michael seem like opposites and have ten dates to see if they are. I loved seeing how brittle Sophie mellows as she takes in the country air, the dogs and even the cricket. Michael’s gran Betty is great, interfering and so kind and cheers on the couple. A proper feel good, happy read.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a cute cozy romance.
I like spreadsheets too but I don’t think I’d take it as far as Sophie did!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book

Was this review helpful?

Sophie has made a habit of mapping her life on her excel spreadsheets: her finances, meal plan, appointments... even her dates! When a man falls below a 7/10 across the board, she moves on.

So when her first date with Michael, an exhausted village GP, crashes and burns, she writes him off with a low score of 3/10 (even though she admits that he's gorgeous). But when she tries to share the spreadsheet with her best friend Ava, the worst happens... and it's sent to 'all contacts' instead.

Mortified, she meets with Michael to apologise and he issues a challenge: give him 10 dates to prove that her spreadsheet is flawed. Will they prove her right? Or will she learn that you can't predict love?

Thank you to Author @kathryn.freeman_author @harpercollinsaustralia & @netgalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own and have been given freely.

I found this concept an unusual one and felt myself sympathising with the men on Sophie's list right away! Michael was the strong, silent type and it was easy to see how someone who wasn't gregarious or a charmer would fall short on Sophie's list. It was a fun take on enemies to lovers and I appreciated Sophie's position.

Both characters were well thought out with a thorough back story. Witnessing the twists and turns of their relationship had me giggling and let's just say it wasn't a closed door romance!

This book is publishing on July 31st 2023 so pre-order today!

Was this review helpful?

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5549241457

Very enjoyable romance. Yes it's contrived, and yes the plot is a bit silly, but it brings lots of joy and sparkle and is perfect for anyone in need of a bit of escapism.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this one!

I thought that it had a good and solid storyline, the pace for the book was good, it was a little slow in places but it soon picked back up.

It was a really good read and I loved the ending! The characters were well developed and I loved the interaction between them and how things changed

It is 4 stars from me for this one – highly recommended!

Was this review helpful?

Well, its fair to say that I will never understand Sophie and her spreadsheet obsession, I'm personally more of a PowerPoint girl.
That being said, poor Michael scoring low and a story centred around this score was quite surprising.

I liked their chemistry and how this unravelled. Fun, a little bit silly but I was happy to roll with it and see it took me. A good set of mates, an adorable doctor and a few giggles along the way.

Was this review helpful?

Kathryn Freeman has been on my radar for a while now, and I’m glad I finally read one of her novels. Was It Good For You? follows colour consultant Sophie Williams. She’s obsessed with spreadsheets to organise every part of her life, even her love life. After being set up on a blind date with doctor, Michael Adams, and scoring him a low 2.5 on her spreadsheet, she inadvertently sends her spreadsheet to all of her contacts… including Michael. Wanting to prove that he’s a better catch than the low grade she’s given, Sophie and Michael strike up a deal. 10 dates so he can prove her spreadsheet is incorrect, but she’s adamant that it will prove that it’s still correct and that they are wrong for each other. However, neither of them are prepared for their hearts to get involved.

The novel is a sweet romance that proves opposites really do attract. It is full of romantic moments and spicy scenes. Originally I wanted to give it 5 stars, but some of the dialogue jarred for me and felt a bit corny. Also, the spreadsheet seemed to be the major sticking point for Sophie and Michael, creating drama that didn’t always seem realistic.

I enjoyed this novel: a lovely summer read. I’m looking forward to checking out a lot of Freeman’s back catalogue.

Was this review helpful?

This book reminded me of something that would come out of The Big Bang Theory with Sheldon and his spreadsheets. The ten dates thing was a fun idea. But I thought it could have been executed a bit better

Was this review helpful?

This book is a sweet, funny story about two imperfect souls with so much love to give.

We quickly learn that Michael and Sophie are total opposites- she is boisterous and chatty and he is quiet and reserved. Despite some fumbled first impressions, it soon becomes apparent that they are just the right kind of opposite each other needs.

At first, I didn’t fully understand the spreadsheet aspect of the plot - probably because it caused so much frustration for a couple who had such sizzling chemistry and an easy manner with each other! But it did eventually serve its purpose in showing them both what they deserved, despite what life had led them to believe.

Michael helped Sophie to live her life for herself because time is fleeting.

Sophie showed Michael that he should be loved deeply for all the qualities he felt made him unlovable.

You’ll love this if you love:
🤍Opposites attract
🤍Fun dates
🤍Meddling grannies
🤍Second first impressions

Was this review helpful?

*Thank you so much Net Galley for providing me with an eARC!*

3 ⭐ Numbers and spreadsheets to measure love.

Doesn't that sound kind of ridiculous? Well, there you go. That's this book in a nutshell. Ridiculous, kind of cringe although sort of sweet at times. But there are too many things that personally didn't work for me to totally be on board with this one.

Sophie got her heart broken when her two year relationship ended with an 'I just don't see you that way' to the question "should we move in together?". Michael got his life upended when he caught his girlfriend cheating on him with his best friend because he was "too boring". When they're set up on a blind date by Michael's sister-in-law, the date goes down less than perfect. But is it fair when Micheal sees (by mistake) that she's rated him a 2.5/10??

The premise of this book could have worked, if it wasn't because of the mmc's constant overreactions. It took so much of me to just keep reading about her apologizing to this virtual stranger about what were basically her very deserved thoughts on their date, and him being an absolute child about it all. He was the one that was late, short and dismissive, and then took a call within minutes after arriving there - all of it with zero explanation- but she's the one that's constantly apologizing? For what? For putting down her thoughts in a semi-dairy entry and then him getting butthurt after seeing that he messed up? Here's the thing, though. That's exactly what first dates are for! You very much judge the person in front of you based on very minimal interaction and then you decide if you want to see them again or not. Why did she have to keep saying sorry? Like he was faultless?? Ugh, it irked me to no end.

Anyway, this book was very odd. It read like an Ode to White Straight Relationships. Which are not a bad thing at all. It's just not that interesting either, is it? I don't want to hear the praises of changing the big city for the quaint little town, or the joys of babysitting the niece of the guy your seeing over a musical festival with your friends. And you're definitely never going to convince me that cricket is an interesting sport. I'm sorry, but cricket gives me colonizer vibes -it was genuinely the first thought that popped into my head. I know. Yikes. Also, the fmc uses the phrase "Crikey Michael" in a serious conversation and I can not abide.

The last 35% of the book was decently spicy, but the beginning is null in that regard.

It's just all been done before, and better... so idk.

Best: Betty!
Worst: The emotionally unavailable mmc with an ego problem.

⭐⭐⭐ /5
🌶️.5 / 5

This review has already been uploaded to Goodreads!

Was this review helpful?

I loved every second of this book. It was fun and flirty and exactly what I needed this bank holiday weekend.

Was this review helpful?

The concept of this novel was fun at first and a great motive for the characters to get close and see each other for ten dates. However after a while, it became tiresome to read about the spreadsheet and for the FMC to consistently stand behind her reasons for this despite all other characters clearly showing it was no longer applicable to her life. I also felt while the MMC's family were sweet and fun to read about, the friends of FMC were quite two-dimensional and always seemed to be having "silent conversations" around her which was irking to read.

Overall it was a light-hearted read but one that held on to the premise a little too tightly.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a lovely read. Both of the main characters were really likeable in their own way, however Sophie was quite annoying at times.

I loved how you could see the very clear journey both characters were on. This would be a great read while on holidays. Would definitely recommend to friends.

Was this review helpful?

Sophie knows that facts are better than feelings — her master spreadsheet rules her life, planning her meals, her bikini waxes, which gifts she’s given and even keeping meticulous score of how her dates went to decide if they’re getting a second one.

But when she accidentally sends a copy to “all” instead of her friend, chaos ensues and everyone knows more than they should. Especially Dr Michael Adams, the recipient of a painful 2.5 rating after one failed date. Sophie tries to apologise, especially after realising there was more to that date than she know and they come up with a challenge — ten dates, to see if her formula really can tell her if someone is worth another date. She thinks it’s fool proof, the scores won’t change. He thinks you can’t assign a number to chemistry.

They're both looking to win this challenge; but if Michael really proves they can fall in love without an equation … what’s next?

I’d call Kathryn Freeman my guilty pleasure but I don’t feel guilty at all for loving these books. Ever since I stumbled across her years ago I’ve impatiently waited to see what she puts out next because I know it’s going to be a lot of fun.

Was It Good For You? is a refreshingly contemporary romance, taking all your favourite familiar tropes with her own flair to make something cosy, light-hearted and so entertaining.

Sophie was a gem — as someone who also lives my life in spreadsheets although not as much as she does I connected right away with her. She was a wonderful narrator, witty and funny but with a lot of heart.

I absolutely adored her friendships with Ava and Grace (and tinker bell the cat, of course!) and how loving and supportive their relationships were. as for Dr Adams — he was delightful; dry and cheeky, and secure enough to show love and express his feminine side - a brilliant romcom love interest. Their romance was a hilarious mix of playful dares, slow burning enemies-to-lovers and proximity with a beautiful growth arc that had me both cringing and smiling. There's a few moments when things get real and emotional, but overall this was such a light, entertaining story for anyone looking to indulge in some sweet, steamy romance for a few hours.

Michael says it best, this book is “a dash of humour, a dollop of cheeky and a hint of sexy.” - Silly, sweet and sassy — this is the perfect easy read for the summer!

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was it good for you explores a new take on enemies to lovers. The book starts out with promise. I enjoyed reading the characters journey together. However, truthfully I found the FMC to be lacking depth, she staunchly defends her behaviours and doesn’t truly seem to understand why they’re toxic. And the ending really wasn’t for me. But if you’re looking for a light hearted read, this is one for you. The MMC is rather enjoyable to read.

Was this review helpful?

4.5

<I> Our FMC Sophie spends her whole life documenting everything down on a spreadsheet, including rating the men she dates to decide whether she'll continue dating them. After being set up on a blind-date by her Zumba instructor, she rates Michael a measly 2.5. However, whilst complaining to her friends she accidentally sends the spreadsheet to everyone in her contacts including her blind date. After an apology tour, including a meeting with her boss about her lunch-time bikini waxes, Sophie and Michael agree to go on 10 dates to prove that a spreadsheet really can't decide whether someone is the right person for you. </I>

This book had such a fun premise and was executed well. It was unique without being silly or unbelievable. I also loved Sophie and Michael, and their development from unlikely friends to a couple was very well done. Over their 10 dates, you can see these two characters are meant to be together and the chemistry between the two is perfection.

My one issue was the writing at the start felt rather clunky and it wasn't until the 25% mark that the book really started to flow. This book has some really heartwarming moments and I just wanted to curl up with a blanket when reading this.

A very cosy and heartwarming read! I think if you enjoy Lynn Painter and Amy Lea, this book will be perfect for you!

Was this review helpful?

"Was It Good For You?" by Kathryn Freeman is a delightful and humorous romantic comedy that will make readers smile and swoon. The story revolves around Sophie, a meticulous and organized woman who relies on Excel spreadsheets to track every aspect of her life, including her love life. When she accidentally sends her spreadsheet to her entire contact list, including her disastrous first date with Dr. Michael Adams, she has a lot of explaining to do.

Freeman's writing is witty and engaging, with charming characters that readers will root for. Sophie's quirks and her struggle to think outside the box are relatable and endearing, while Michael's challenge to prove that love can't be calculated by an equation adds an element of romance and intrigue to the story. The chemistry between Sophie and Michael is palpable, and their banter and interactions are both entertaining and heartwarming.

The themes of taking risks, stepping out of one's comfort zone, and finding love in unexpected ways are woven into the story with warmth and humor. Freeman's writing style is light-hearted and enjoyable, making this book a perfect escape for readers looking for a feel-good romantic comedy.

"Was It Good For You?" is a fun and enjoyable read that will leave readers with a smile on their faces. With its witty writing, lovable characters, and sweet romance, this book is a perfect choice for fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedies. Kathryn Freeman delivers a charming and entertaining story that will capture readers' hearts.

Was this review helpful?

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Was this review helpful?