I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Thank you for breaking my reading slump, for the cries and relatability of the characters. I was not expecting this book to give me all the feels. Maddi, a single mom who got pregnant in high school whose always felt like a disappointment to her parents and her high school heartbreak get left her fathers bakery together. The flashbacks are sweet, the Christmas scene makes me ready for the holidays, and Maddie- I just wanna give her a hug.

Thank you as always to Netgalley, the publisher, and most importantly Adriana Mather for the ARC in exchange for my review. I loved this book.

4.5*

Despite the ill-chosen title, this is NOT a romantic comedy. There is no humor to be found in this painful second-chance romance. In fact, reading about the teenage friends-to-lovers relationship between Maddi and Wilder and the lengths his mother went to separate them is incredibly triggering and anxiety-inducing for anyone who has had a toxic relationship with a parent. It’s a tribute to author Mather’s skill that she is able to elicit such a reaction from readers.

Set in a small town in MA at Christmastime, the misnamed Mom Com opens with Maddi and her 9-year-old son Spence traveling cross country after she humiliated herself on TV upon losing a baking competition and then was summoned by her estranged mother to discuss an issue with her late father’s will. In a surprising twist one year after his death, she learns that he actually left his bakery to her and Wilder with no explanation and with stipulations that will require her to run it with him for a year or lose her share. Given how devastated she was by Wilder’s rejection of her at age 17, she feels betrayed by her father’s decision. How can she possibly give up Spence’s and her life in LA (one she struggled to build on her own as a teenage single mother) to live with her cold, judgmental mother and work side-by-side with a man who she can’t trust but is still drawn to?

Over the course of two weeks, poor Maddi not only has to deal with the grief over her dad and the stress of being with her mother and Wilder, but she also has to face the judgment of the town’s citizens, the unwelcome attention and jealousy of her sperm donor Jake, and the viciousness of Wilder’s mother and on-again, off-again girlfriend. The bright spots are her precocious son Spence and her renewed friendship with Wilder’s older sister Liv, both of whom provide much-needed levity to this oft-times heavy narrative.

This is a worthwhile read, but don’t let the extremely poorly-illustrated, off-putting cover and title fool you into thinking that this is a fluffy holiday offering. It’s not tragic, but this clean, slow burn romance isn’t the least bit lighthearted.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Did I just shed a few tears at the end of a sweet, PG, small town holiday-bakery-romance?

YES. I'll blame the wine and the "late" hour but also this beautifully sweet romance novel that'll have you getting in the holiday spirit AND wanting to make a detour to your nearest bakery.

I loved the chapter titles that were combination of dessert names (eg. Red Velvet Cake) with relevant emotional factoids. Read the book, you won't be disappointed.

I didn't love the high school flashbacks but they did help contextualize some of the present day angst. It's a bit hard to believe that the 27 year olds in this story are so mature, but I'll just go with it!

Madi is back home for the holidays, but also to hear the addendum to her father's will. So is Wilder, her one time boyfriend who's been all over the world while she's been raising her son Spence after one night in the back of Jake's truck. You know how things get right before Christmas, it's always just a bit extra. And nothing could be further from the truth as small town gossip meets Madi as she dips her toe into the small town life she thought she'd left behind. The people she'd left behind.

Overall a great addition to anyone's holiday reading list for 2023!

Such a heartfelt book. I loved that it wasn't just about the main characters and that there was so much healing within these pages. Loved every second of it and didn't want to put it down!

In all honesty, I wasn't sure what this book was about when I first requested it. I just knew that it was a romcom and that if Emily Henry was endorsing it, I had to give it a go. I can't even begin to tell you how surprised I was at how much I loved this story. I was consumed by it, savouring each word and simultaneously devouring it at the same time. 

I listened to the audiobook while also reading my copy and just a little heads up, the book alternates between two time periods (then and now) so it can get a bit confusing to listen to as there is no warning with the back and forth. The time periods are highlighted in the book through different fonts though and it is much easier to follow. 

This second chance romance will definitely be featuring on my favorite books of 2023 - it's that good. Do yourself a favor and grab yourself a copy!

This was one of them books, that once I'd picked it up and started I couldn't put it down!
It's a small town, second chance romance. The flashbacks and real time blend so well that the smoothness in the switch is brilliant.
I loved Liv, what a fabulous secondary character that totally deserves her own book.
The main character at times made me want to shake some sense into her, but you get so attached from the get go that you can't help but root for her.

All in all it was a fan, adorable, emotional, easy 5 star read.

Mom Com
By: Adriana Mather
Available November 14th, 2023

"Haverberry Cove is Massachusetts' standard for elegance. It's three-quarters New England charm and one-quarter brine-scented driftwood, which is to say it's basically perfect ‐-- except for the fact that I can't stand being in it. Rambling historical houses with ocean views surround a postcard-worthy square where the aesthetic is hand made, hand-carved, and locally sourced." - Adriana Mather, Mom Com

With a release date set in November, just in time for the holiday season, fans of Adriana new and old will be sure to find Mom Com quickly become a favorite to add to their shelves and gift to their rom-com loving friends and family.

While romance isn't my typical go to genre to read, I was not disappointed and this one from Adriana has already earned five stars from me!

Those whom have read any of Mather's previous books set in New England, such as How To Hang A Witch, will find themselves sucked into Haverberry Cove, MA as the story unravels about Maddi's complicated past and buried, unresolved feelings tied to the fictional New England town.

Through Adriana's detailed and descriptive writing, I found myself whisked away through various scenes such as the decorated and lit up seaside square, the holiday market, The Corner Bar and Tony's pizza and bar, and of course, There's Nothing Batter Bakery.

Mom Com truly is as heartwarming and sweet as the pastries described in the book and as the titles of each chapter. As a thirty something year old woman from small town, coastal Maine myself, it was easy for me to relate with the setting with winter and holidays a main theme. Of course it's nice to escape to other worlds when reading, but sometimes we crave what's already familiar and need some of that "magic" restored through the story in a cute, feel good book.

Adriana manages to do just that, bring back magic and connection for her characters that they thought they lost in themselves, their friends and families, and their home. I think everyone can remember times where we dealt with grief, tried to run away, wanted to handle life on our own without any help, and ended up isolated, missing pieces, having wrong ideas, or lost along the way.

Mom Com brings Maddi and Spence back home all the way from California where she's been trying to make it for herself and Spence his whole life. Upon returning to Haverberry Cove, it dredged up a lot of heartbreak and memories Maddi tried to move on from. But through seeing Haverberry from the perspective of her son and his wonder and amazement that she hadn't felt herself since her childhood, and through reconnecting with her mother and her old flame, the handsome, rich Wilder, Maddi begins to rediscover what she loved about home. In a series of appropriate and semi-dramatic events, Maddi finds out missing puzzle pieces and is on the way to mending relationships with her mother and friends, and falling in love with herself, with Haverberry, and with Wilder again. She finds that the magic of baking and her father, and even love, were never truly gone, she just needed to see it for herself.

I am honored to have had the chance to read and review Mom Com, and I can't wait to add it to my shelf and share it with others! Mom Com had the sense of familiarity and New England setting I always love, and it has relatable emotions and some sad but also realistic life events. Adriana's characters are like people we all know in our own lives, the rich ones, the gossips, the ex friends and lovers, the children and cousins, the new or reconnected flames, the family that are sometimes difficult to get along with, but they're still family and the loved ones or community members gone, but not forgotten or who have left their trademark or legacy, like a bakery.

Like the icing on a hot cinnamon bun on Christmas morning, Mom Com and Adriana really do bring a taste of that holiday spirit and that magic of love and more deep human connection that we all need more of all year round, whether in sunny California or snowy New England. Mom Com will fill you up, just like every treat at There's Nothing Batter Bakery would.

I want to start by thanking Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

I have to start by saying that I loved this book. I loved it so much I went back and read the ending two or three times, and bawled my eyes out each time. It was a book that hit me at exactly the moment I needed it. I didn’t see the comedy so much in the book, but that could be because of the emotional headspace I was in when reading it.

I connected with Maddi in a way I didn’t expect—Grieving for her father, beset by real & imagined expectations from those around her, a single mother trying to keep it together in the face of grief and needing to rebuild her life. Yes. This hit close to home, and the author nailed the emotions. The push and pull between Maddi and Wilder was well done and kept me reading, wanting more. And the ending, the redemption and healing of Maddi’s relationship with her mother had me crying each time I read it.

The only reason why this isn’t a five-star read for me was the extended flashbacks. Going back to their teen years, and when Maddi’s life first imploded: Wilder breaking up with her but sending mixed signals, dating someone else and becoming pregnant, etc. I didn’t really enjoy the teen angst of it all and quite frankly started skipping those sections entirely. And I still got the emotional punch of the ending.

This is definitely a Christmas Romance I can back whole heartedly. On a five-star scale, I would give it 4.

What a read! The cover and blurb suggest that this is a light romcom and there’s humour here, but even with some very funny set ups, we can feel Maddi's pain and despair as she navigates coming back to her hometown with her young son.

Both their mothers are problematic and Maddi and Wilder have to navigate falling back in love and resolving their complicated family issues - in a small town where everyone knows their business. Their challenges feel authentic and I ached for Maddi. The humiliation she felt trying to stick up for herself was very hard to read.

Maddi's son Spence is a treasure and so well written. There’s so many secrets here, and all the family - traditional, separated, blended, found - need to be resolved.

This is a romantic and heartfelt novel which is funny and sad. It’s light on steam, but full of yearning as these two revisit all the things that happened when they were teenagers as they navigate their way to a HEA. Recommended if you love a romance with layers - think Sarah Hogle or Katherine Center.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC.

No notes. Absolutely perfect. I think this is the first book, I've read, involving the passing of a parent that hits the nail right on the head of that grief.

This was a super cute, fun holiday romance! I noticed a few errors in the manuscript which took away from my reading, but I did enjoy this frothy novel. I especially liked the 9-year-old boy, Spence.

Disappointing that the author couldn't figure out how to tell a story without repeated swearing that wasn't to the plot or dialogue.

3.5/5

Firstly, the title for this book is wrong because there is very little Com in MomCom. There is a lot of guilt and angst and drama and pain, and if you love Emily Henry you will probably love this too. The heroine is so clever; her inner monologue is brilliant, the backdrop of Small Town at Christmas is Hallmark perfect. But everyone other than the heroine and her 9 year old son kind of suck. Her parents are horribly toxic, the townspeople are shitty, the hero's mother is a c*nt. This was one of those books where I saw how it was going to end and was very unhappy about it. BUT, I think I am just not the right audience for this book. It was very well written and again, I think plenty of people would love it. The only reason I myself am not rating it higher is because I usually reserve high ratings for books I will reread, and this book is too stressful and angsty for me to want to revisit

I would like thank both Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am sad to report that I wanted to love this book. I can not recommend her book How to Hang a Witch enough to students. This one just fell flat for me. Ms. Mather has a great premise to the book and with some revision and tips from her editor, this could be reworked.

Here are my list of "complaints":

1). I find it hard to believe that Maddi's parents allowed her to move to California pregnant at 17 and basically cut off communication with her. In the 10 years since Spencer's brith they barely talked/visited her.

2). I simply do not find an unplanned teen pregnancy in 2013 to be that defining that it would still be following Maddie around in 2023.

3). For Maddi and Wilder always showing up to bake in the morning, Ms. Mather NEVER shows the bakery business side. We do not see them interacting with customers or sitting in the office. There is contemplating how much eggs, sugar, flour, and milk costs are cutting into profits.

4). It is clear that Ms. Mather's own relationship with her own son shines in this book. Maddi and Spencer's relationship is the best part of the book.

5). I kept expecting a Scarlett Letter ending and Wilder turning out to be Spencer's dad but that did not happen.

6). The twist with Wilder's mom at the end, did not have enough of a set up.

While this book will be a pass for me when it is published next month, I will eagerly wait for her next publication and will be cheering her on.

Maddi and Wilder had bake-offs every Sunday afternoon at Maddi’s father’s bakery. Now, many years later living in California she feels she should go back to Haverberry Cove for the first Christmas since her father died. She has never really gotten along with her mother, and she is not looking forward to the visit. Spence, her nine-year-old son, is looking forward to Christmas and the chance to see his father, Jake. Maddi and Wilder were best friends and inseparable until late in high school when he distanced himself from her without much reason. Trying to forget him, she dated Jake and became pregnant. Now, ten years later, the will is read and Maddi and Wilder find out her dad left the bakery to both. Both need to spend a year together in the bakery, or they lose ownership. I found the time Maddi spent in high school to be very realistic. When embarrassing things happen, teens can be very cruel as well as the entire town. Wilder has a deep connection to Maddi, and I found learning about what went on with Wilder as he went back and forth in the relationship to be fascinating. I loved Spence and the positive relationship between Maddi and Spence shared. As the story unfolds between 10 years ago and today, there are lots of secrets to uncover. Great book with wonderful characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, it was beautifully written with well fleshed out characters set in a picturesque coastal town. It was sweet, heartwarming and sad at times. I thought the relationship between Wilder and Maddi was cute.
The back and forth between the past and present timelines did get annoying and I felt the big reveal in the end seemed a little anticlimactic.... for me anyway.

A great read overall.

This rom com had more tears than laughs for me. Lots of emotion with family and the significant others. Pleasant and enjoyable. I quickly read it in one day. A delightful second chance romance. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I'll start by admitting I hate second chance romances. And then I'll add that this is an exception. This book was funny and heart breaking and heart warming and lovely and all the other things you want your romcoms to be. I am about to reach the incredibly old age of 24 (ancient, I know), so I am completely over YA romance and even a little hesitant about college-student protagonists. So I was immediately intrigued by a mom as a protagonist. It brings some maturity to the book, and some stakes. I am also from New England so I loved the emphasis on Massachusetts. And despite the "second-chance" of it all, I found myself rooting for these characters and enjoying every second of their journey. I highly recommend!

Maddie a single mom with a 10 year old son must return to the town she left so many years ago to take care of her fathers will and the bakey Maddie once wanted to run.
With trepidation Maddie returns and must face the reason she ran so many years ago - Wilder.
Each chapter was short with a clever little baked good for the title. Loved this! If your wanting a feel good Christmas read, then Mom Com is for you.
Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for my ARC.

A Hallmark movie-esque story set in the holiday season. An easy read, but the switching back and forth from the present day to the past was too frequent and sometimes clunky.