Unfortunately, this fell a little flat for me. It’s just Sophie’s POV and I really prefer a dual POV to get the guy’s perspective.

Sophie was stubborn and SO slow to recognize her feelings.

That said,it wasn’t all bad, and I don’t regret reading it.

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️: 0️⃣

Cute idea but oh so frustrating!. One thing I don’t like in a book is when the female or male character self sabotage. This could have been an adorable romcom, but instead, I found myself groaning out of frustration because of the decisions and actions of the female character. I found her to be slightly annoying. Lots of eye rolling throughout this book.

Cute and sweet fake dating but personally, I’d prefer more steam/spice and less miscommunication. That’s just my preference though!

A very funny and enjoyable read.
Sophie and Joe are just an amazing team.
I love fake dating and they did it perfect and the kids are so incredibly sweet, I normally don’t like books with kids but this was so
good.
I am excited to recommend it when it’s available



I will post my reviews when its released

This was really cute! Single parent love stories are some of my fav! I would’ve loved the story if the lack of communication between the 2 main characters wasn’t so apparent.

I loved this book so much!!
It was such a beautiful story and so warm.
I loved the dynamics between side characters, especially the hilarious mums at school pickups.
Sophie was such a strong FMC and I rooted for her the whole way through. Joe was perfect for her and I love how their romance blossomed at what felt like the perfect pace!

Easy entertaining read about two single parents pretending to date. While the storyline proved to be an easy read, it didn't leave a lasting impression. The characters, although interesting, lacked that extra spark to make them truly memorable. There's a palpable chemistry between them, yet I found myself not fully invested in their story. Nevertheless, for those seeking a light and uncomplicated read, I'd recommend giving it a try.

Sophie, a single mother desperate to befriend the other school moms, finds herself in a fake dating situationship with the hottie single dad, Joe. And lo, the fake dating turns into big real feelings.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🚫

The good: Sophie and Joe’s banter was a DELIGHT. I was super excited about how this would land until we got to the third act…

The bad: the third act was just frustrating as all get out. The whole “I don’t need no man” and miscommunication and dodging each other went on WAY too long. This quote sums it up well:

“You pair of daft bats. Now why don’t you head off? All of this time spent not really communicating with each other . . . you must have a lot of catching up to do.”

Also could not figure out why Sophie needed to befriend this group of yummy mummies who were pretty much all awful except for Frankie. It seemed incongruent with her character. I guess I’ll accept the argument that she wanted Lila to be included but, meh, I think there were other avenues to solve a problem that Lila didn’t even know existed.

Thanks, NetGalley and HQ Digital, for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy. This book’s pub date is May 9, 2024.

This book was laugh out loud funny and a super sweet easy ready. I really enjoyed the two characters and think the story was reallly lovely and the ending made me smile like a kid. I do think for a rom com a few spicy scenes would have added a little bit of passion to the story but it was still a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the ARC of this book in exchange for a review. I was hoping for a lighthearted romance and this one was cute, cute, cute! As a thirty something, I enjoy when the characters in the book fall on that same age range . The love story between Joe and Sophie is as relatable and seemed realistic despite the fake dating trope that the book was based around. You could see how their insecurities played into the decisions that they made and it was truly enjoyable to read. I would absolutely recommend this one and would be interested to read others by this author. Thanks for the chance to review.

it was actually really cute and sweet. the ending had me smiling👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩it was written very british which as an american was a little bit hard to understand sometimes but the story was so sweet and i typically don’t love when children are involved but this one was perfect

Thank you for letting me read this arc copy.

This book was a lovely read. The fake relationship between Joe and Sophie was such a good idea and both got quite a lot from it!

I really enjoyed this book, because all you get in romance books these days is a lot of spicy scenes and not much of a plot/story.
The Pick Up romance was slow burn and there weren’t spicy scenes to take away your attention from the main story!
Both characters had a personal growth and it was especially great seeing Sophie to get out there and believe in herself properly.

The ending made me cry and it was just perfect.

This was a cute story. Sophie and Joe’s reasonings for their fake relationship seemed like a no brainer. The results ended in giving them what they wanted.. Joe was all in but Sophie was frustrating with her waffling back and forth .a fake dating trope is always a favorite of mine. Thank you netgalley for the free advanced copy . This review is left voluntarily

Many thanks to Net Galley for the ARC.

I could not put this book down. I read it in an entire day, it was wonderful.

Sophie and Joe were beautiful written, their depth individually and together was so well thought out and the CHEMISTRY! BANTER! It was all so wonderful, and created a beautiful story. I loved the single parenthood and mid-thirties characters (very refreshing!), friendships, sisterhood, family, independence but also vulnerability, and the humour was top tier.

I'm only knocking off a star because I was expecting a little spice and got no spice, when I think we all deserved a bit of spice between these two.

Overall, I loved this through and through.

This was so much fun! Between Sophie and Joe’s witty rapport, a hilarious band of school gate mums and Lila’s antics (she is up there with one of the funniest book kids I’ve read about) - I thoroughly enjoyed it!

The tension that built between Sophie and Joe was great - I only wish there could have been a bit more of it. The third act angst was a little too long for me, and it felt like there were some more opportunities for romance before we got there.

Maybe that was just because I was desperate for Sophie to realise the happiness she could have!

I loved the extended family dynamics as well, particularly Poppy and Denise (nothing
better than an Irish Mammy!) It was refreshing to read a story where neither of the MCs had parent related trauma.

Definitely recommend this book for a fun romantic read! Thank you for the DRC.

How have I made it this far in life without reading a Hannah Doyle book?! 🫨🫨🫨🫨

I honestly went into this with no expectations - the synopsis was cute the cover was cute - what more could you ask for?!

Then I started and let me tell you, this is so hilarious. If you’ve ever seen the sitcom “Single Parents” this gives off the same vibes in the best way. I loved Sophie and Joe so much! The angst, the will they won’t they going on was the perfect blend that made this a binge read for me.

Warning: This book is laugh out loud hilarious but also really endearing. ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Rating : 4.5


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC, my thoughts and opinion are my own.

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers, Hannah Doyle, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
I loved this book. Fake dating, one bed tropes, closed door, and slow burn.
This is my first read from this author and she did not disappoint.
The pacing of the book was a bit slow, but I didn't mind that because this book felt so real. As a mom, I related so much to Sophie. Trying to find balance between a career and family is hard. Doing it alone is unimaginable.
Sophie is a divorcee, Joe is a widower. They have such a strong foundation as friends. From sing/screaming in the car to stolen glances, these two had my heart wrapped around their fingers.
The thirsty mom group that Sophie so desperately wants to belong to is so relatable. Between taking care of littles and yourself, finding friends in your 30's is a real feat. This book has an honest depiction of what being a woman in her 30's feels like.

I devoured this book on a long haul flight and enjoyed the story. I liked the way Hannah wrote the characters of Sophie and Joe as we got to know them, This story had charm with a cute romance and remaining real. I definitely recommend reading this book and Hannah as an author.

The writing style didn't quite gel with me so I struggled to really immerse myself in the story. It was a short, sweet read that would be perfect for a beach holiday.

This book was funny!!! Sophie’s internal monologues made the book. It was so fun and hilarious. I live fake dating stories and this one nailed it. Fun, easy, entertaining read.