To me part of the book experience is about expectations- what I am expecting to get from a book based on the description, title and aesthetic / cover. Based on what I first saw for this one, the vibe of the cover / title and blurb made me think it was going to be a romcom.

That being said, I want to clear up any misconceptions and say that I would classify this book not as a romcom, but rather as a literary fiction, romantic drama type read. Its definitely one that focuses on character journey and growth, and while it does have a romantic piece I don’t think that’s central.

The story itself is well written, I’d really enjoyed the authors YA books, so I was eager to see what she’d deliver in this new genre. She delivers an interesting story, complex characters and emotions, and a book that leaves you thinking as you read. While the book takes place over the holidays, it’s not quite a light holiday read - but more of a moody one that definitely touches on some heavier topics. It doesn’t shy away from difficult family dynamics and while it’s no hallmark read, it does read as a more relatable and realistic set of circumstances I’m some ways. (Reminiscent of a holiday family drama in the vein of Family Stone).

I had some strong opinions and reactions to some of our mains throughout. However, as much as they were frustrating me at times, I did understand where the thoughts and actions might be coming from.

I think fans of authors in the vein of Beth O’Leary and Emily Henry will enjoy this contemporary holiday drama read. I look forward to seeing what the author offers next particular in this new style.

I look forward to seeing more in this genre from the author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy!

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yet another quick and cozy Christmas read. Single mom with a second chance at romance? Sign me up. This was such a cute book. I love any books with baking or cooking so I really enjoyed this sweet story.

Dual timeline and short chapters make this a fast and easy read.

I did not love the miscommunication.

The chapters are named after baked goods which is literally the cutest! Hallmark movie vibes.

5🌟

Wow. I was not expecting this book to hit me deep in the feels but that’s exactly what it did. I went into this book thinking it would be a fluffy, heartfelt romcom and was hit in the heart with a angsty, heartbreaking story. Don’t get me wrong it still had its cute, fluffy, romantic moments but it was so emotional as well.

I loved Madeline and Wilder and the second chance/small town romance. Their story was sweet and heartbreaking all in one. I also thought the relationships between Maddi and her parents was so hard to read. I really felt for Maddi in the flashbacks. I’m so glad that Maddi and her mother managed to resolve their conflict and it did manage to bring me to tears, which is rare for me when I read, so that’s saying something.

Reading the back and forth between Maddi and Wilder was so frustrating but to me that means that it was written so well. I was on the edge of my seat, flying through this book to see how it would all turn out and to say the ending was exactly what you’d want in a romcom is putting it lightly. The ending gave me such warm and happy feelings and I really didn’t want it to end.

This book is also perfect for you Christmas lovers as the main story is set around the Christmas season🎄So make sure you get this book on your TBR ready for the festive season.

Anyway, I feel like I could go on and on about this book and how it made me feel but we’d be here for ages 😂

Thank you to @netgalley @adriana_mather and @blackstonepublishing for the chance to read this ARC. This book gets released on the 14th November, just in time for the Christmas season.

Adriana Mather is a master of writing emotions. Maddi DeLuca is going through emotional turmoil, and I felt every single feeling in my core. Maddi was anxious; so was I. Maddi was scared; so was I. Maddi was confused; so was I. I’m in awe that a character can jump off the page so throughly and feel so authentic from the first page. Maddi tries to balance her role as mom with her role as daughter, and in both you can see how the past has influenced the present moment for her. There were a lot of flashbacks to provide context for Maddi’s love triangle with Jake and Wilder, but in truth, Mather writes the present so well that diving into the past often felt extraneous. Where it hit the hardest was the moments with her dad, an imperfect, yet beautiful, parent-child relationship, paralleled against how Maddi is working to be the best mom for her son.

Mom Com by Adriana Mather

Second Chance Romance | Christmas Theme

•Maddi returns home with her nine year old son, Spencer. 10 years earlier, Maddi and her best friend Wilder, dreamt of a life together where they would run Maddi’s fathers bakery in their hometown. At 17 years of age, pregnant Maddi runs away to California leaving her life long dreams behind. Will her return home give her the opportunity to make her dreams come true?
•This book featured so many things that I love, text messages, short chapters and dual timelines. The characters were charming and likeable. The plot was simple but I felt like there were a few things missing. I would have loved to read about the birth of Spencer, who was at the birth, what were the first days like as a single mum. I could have miss-read over these details so I’m sorry if these details were actually in the book. I was left feeling a little meh at the end but it was overall a decent read.

Feels: like a cozy Christmas read and craving something sweet while reading.

★★★★ 4/5

(Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC)

Great book!!!! Love these characters!!!

"Thank you so much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Flew through this book, it was very eventful and fun and so so heartwarming! Felt myself smiling a lot.

I enjoyed the setting, even though a small town really isn’t all that rare to find in books. The characters were well thought out and the plot was paced in a way that made sense. I would recommend this book to others and would enjoy reading other novels by this author, as they are so breezy and easy to get through!

I'll admit...I went into this with not high expectations. So glad I was disappointed!
Mom Com isn't a RomCom. This is a great story of maturing and coming to accept your past. Maddie got pregnant as a teen and tried so hard to make it on her own. She's had tough time. When she loses a competition that could change everything, she goes home. This is not the easiest move for her and she makes peace with her past.

I had a hard time with this going back and forth from the past to the present. I also had a hard time with the my way or the highway attitude with people who should care about you. Glad there was a happy ending.

Mom Com isn't really a comedy-it's more of a heartfelt tale of growing up and finding peace with your past. Maddi hasn't had an easy life. A teenage mother, she left her home and went across the country to try to make it on her own. After losing a reality baking competition, she heads home where she is confronted by her past and left to figure out what she wants for her future. The characters and the writing in this book are so strong that I couldn't put it down! I can't wait to read more by this author.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This book is hard to review! On the one hand, it is well-written and I liked the author's writing style. It was engaging and I kept coming back for more. On the other hand, "mom com" isn't really an accurate description - a more accurate description would have been "mama drama." I also couldn't see how the topics covered were supposed to translate to a "comedy." I'm not amused by teenage pregnancy, emotionally abusive relationships, emotionally distant/unavailable parents, single-parenthood, or bullying. The relationship between the female lead (the mom) and her son was positive and well-portrayed. The difficulties she must have faced traveling across the country to have her baby in another state as an unwed high school graduate were glossed over. As she returns to her home town, she reunites with her high school sweetheart, who hasn't seemed to have matured in terms of open communication or healthy attachment style. The flashbacks of the teenage romance were certainly not healthy, and reminded me of my own unhealthy teenage romance.

To wrap up: I think if this book was billed more as a drama, and leaned more into the trauma of teenage pregnancy and teenage relationships, it would have succeeded. Trying to make it "light and funny" didn't work. It was still well-written, the characters were well-developed, and the relationships were all believable. However, the relationships weren't healthy, and the topics weren't funny.

This one was cute. I liked the small town and the cozy Christmas feel. Maddi is a single mother trying to do what's best for her son. When she's embarrassed on TV after a baking show she comes home for the holidays to learn some news about her father's will.
While she is home, she seems to butt heads with everyone and everything seems to be going wrong.
Liv is a good friend to Maddi and wants her to be happy, with a little nudging she helps Maddi see things in a different light.
I liked the flashbacks we see of her relationship with Wilder, leading up to her and him talking again.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.