A big thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Pocket for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I like the author but I don't read every book she writes. I found this to be a fun book. I loved the characters, they aren't perfect! Not everyone can be open about their feelings. Millie is a PhD with flaws , but she is trying. This is a friend's to lovers. Reid is also a PhD- a tenure track neuroscience professor. I found the online dating thing funny because I have no idea how it works! Have never done a dating profile. I rate it a 4.5.

My Favorite Half-Night stand by Christina Lauren. It took me awhile to get though this book. I liked the characters and the connection between them. It dragged at times but for the most part a good storyline.

Will leave a 4 star review on Amazon under name of Connie.
A look at modern day dating apps.

Thanks for granting me access to this book.

It was very refreshing to have the story move along without graphic steamy scenes. Oh sure you knew that sex, rock your world sex, but without graphic details. A sign of a good writer in my book.

this is a wonderful love story that is so very believable. It has all the mistakes we make in relationships from little lies to denial that love is there- friendships and loyalty are key factors that help creat the confusion and hurt. So very real to life.

This book was very much a fast, entertaining read. Even though it seems simple and a chick flick it touches upon some very important aspects of today's society: the Internet. First off, with most people now a days have given internet dating a chance. This book talks about the challenges for both bed and women. from dick pics, to ghosting to just not having the same chemistry in person as over the web. Additionally, it talks about how people have the ability to be more open over the web rather than in person. This reflects how today society is become less intimate with personal contact. That now there seems to be a need for more of barrier, which the internet allows.

Christina Lauren rarely disappoints me with fun contemporary romances, and this may be my favorite of hers! The characters are fully fleshed out, the romance believable, and it’s filled with equal parts fun and dramatic moments. I am BEYOND excited to add this book to our collection and am already thinking of ways to talk it up to staff and patrons.

Coming out of Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating, one of my favorite books of the year, I was convinced Christina Lauren could do no wrong. So this book was a healthy slap in the face. I really, really, really was not a fan. In fact, I think it's the first Christina Lauren book I've encountered where I didn't like the main character, and I hoped she wouldn't end up together with the love interest.

This started out so promising. I LOVED the best friends to lovers trope in the beginning. I would give this book 5 stars for the first 10 percent if it were a novella on its own. But I was quickly disappointed.

I usually applaud Christina Lauren novels for having characters that are so communicative, but this was the opposite. I hate how Millie misled Reid and tried to catfish him rather than being open and honest about her feelings. This is probably my personal preference, but it’s annoying and unrelatable to me when main characters don’t like opening up about themselves, so all the drama that occurred because of that felt very preventable and exhausting. I really hated Millie for misleading Reid and causing so much drama in their friend group and making Reid look like an idiot rather than simply being honest. It was frustratingly immature, especially because Millie is 30 years old with a doctorate degree and yet couldn't even communicate the littlest details of her life.

And that's another thing: this book is definitely not written for someone my age (early 20s). I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re a millennial or younger. It’s about older people with careers trying to navigate online dating apps, and it’s just SO cringy. I’m usually down for how “modern” Christina Lauren romances are, but this one is just downright embarrassing because the characters are writing bios for dating profiles to try and make themselves seem appealing and dateable, but the ones they agree on are so cringy. If I were reading those profiles, I would definitely pass on all of them. I’m sad because usually Christina Lauren books are funny and just the right about of pop culture references, but this one was just… bad. Often.

And beside the tech part of the story, a lot of the dialogue was uncharacteristically cheesy in this. Again, I usually like when Christina Lauren pokes at modern references, but more often than not, I feel like they were used clunkily in this story, probably because the characters themselves were weirdly awkward. For example, at one point Reid said something like, "You should download this app" and Millie's immediate response was "I know, you mansplainer!!" and I get she was poking fun at that word and how it's come into popularity recently but it was so forced and gimmicky. And I felt like this, often.

This particular comment didn’t take away from my rating of the book but still was something I got stuck on a time or two—the cast of 5 main characters in this book was diverse racially, but every single one of those people was heterosexual and looking for a partner of the opposite sex. A bit heteronormative.

So I don't know if it's because Christina Lauren is publishing two books in 6 months, but this one was so much weaker than Josh & Hazel. I skim read a lot of the confrontation and drama scenes because I was so over Millie being non-confrontational and lying because she was afraid of her feelings. By the end, I understood why she behaved that way, but I much prefer seeing characters who are open and communicative instead of slogging through 200 pages of conflict that is completely preventable if characters just opened their mouths and were honest.

Funny, light-hearted, completely enjoyable! A group of friends have to find a date for an event so they turn to the dating app. Their experiences are hilarious!

I cannot tell a lie...I almost didn't finish this book. That is hard for me to say because I LOVE Christina Lauren. But this one...this one almost got a DNF. But it didn't.
What I loved: After I finished the book, I looked at it deeper. This book isn't just a "romance" it goes deeper than that. We learn A LOT about the Millie right from the start, but we forget that. We are given a statistic about women serial killers and I think that stat is telling us more than just about Millie's job. I loved that this book actually made me think (how many romance books really do that?). You may think that Millie is the MC, but I think the MC is really Reid.
What I liked: This wasn't just a "romance" in the true sense of the book. There was some deviation from the typical roles in a romance novel.
What I hated: I was trying to pigeon hole this book into a category that it didn't belong in...I tried to make it "just a romance" and it's not.

In the beginning this book seemed WAY to similar to Josh and Hazel, but keep going. It's a very different book.

This follows Christina Lauren's usual style of alternating narrators. Which is great, but I think their writing is getting deeper and deeper and I love it. Excited for what comes next from these two.

I absolutely loved this book. This is the first book by this author I have read and I'm so glad I took a chance. This book was funny, charming, sexy, and has great friendships.

Millie and Reid are friends. They hang out with a couple of other guys but the two of them are the closest. However it wasn't until one night that Millie has a little bit too much to drink that her eyes are opened to just how HOT Reid is. After a night together they try and go back to being friends.

I really liked these two as a couple. From the very first moment these two are introduced, you know they are meant to be together. They already act like they are together except for the physical intimacy. Their friendship was just more..that was why it didn't seem weird when people found out.

One aspect of this book I really liked was that Reid was the one pushing for more of a emotional connection. He was the one asking for Millie to open up more. This is rare in a book and I loved seeing it from the male perspective.

I wish I knew how Christina Lauren comes out with multiple books a year and they are all this good! I love how they take such a fresh perspective on relationships and totally suck me in every time. The premise of this one involves dating apps (which is allllll too real for me) and best friends Millie and Reid. Be sure to catch this one in December!

Thank you to Gallery books for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I was looking forward to reading this book as I adore these authors, but somehow it missed the mark. The characters didn’t grab me as I’d expected. Millie wasn’t all that likable, she was too insecure for the woman she was supposed to be. I also thought her reaction to things Reid would say or do were a bit childish and didn’t exactly fit her character. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love this story I did not. It just didn’t work for me.

Hey, CLo-- y'all available for writing an online dating bio? Asking for a friend.

But seriously, the world nowadays is a crazy, beautiful, messed-up place, and to throw dating in the mix-- are you kidding me? I couldn't have related to these thirty-somethings more if I tried. Their friend group is total goals and I was living for their group chats. Online dating and text features are not new additions to books, but CLo kept it fresh, y'all! Each character was so unique and had captivating personalities. And props to whoever decided to add the avatars/pictures to the group chat scenes-- so dang accurate!

Also, I loved the role reversal in My Favorite-Half Night Stand-- not all men are emotionally unavailable and not all woman want to find the closest man and tie the knot, and it was fun to watch these two fall. I was so invested in this fictional friendship/relationship that there were parts where my heart felt like it was in a meat grinder. I was like, "No, Millie! Say it! JUST SAY IT!" And, "OMG Reid open your eyes! I feel you buddy, but look right in front of you!"

Basically what I'm saying is that you all need to read this book. My Favorite Half-Night Stand is for all of us out there living life and slayin' our goals... but would like to find the one person that just gets you and wants to slay away right alongside you.

I wished I could have loved this book as much as I have loved other Christina Lauren books. This one was just ok for me.

This dynamic writing duo Christina Lauren is phenomenal and only seems to get better with each published book. Their recent books themes are all about dating, Roomies, Hazels and Josh's Guide to Not Dating and My Favorite Half-Night Stand, is by far the funniest of the three.

My Favorite Half-Night Stand has all the feels, hilarious, emotional, sad, angry, and a comedy of errors which entail catfishing. Maybe this story hits home for me since I met my now husband online during a time when internet dating was evolving and you weren't sure what was really happening and taking a risk was scary as hell. Christina Lauren has a way of writing that brings the reader into the story, sucks you into the drama and before you know it the book is completed and your like smiling and thinking about all the scenarios that are like your own life, only deeper with real-life issues at the forefront. Plus they introduce you to new words and phrases like half -night stand, who knew! If your looking for a great hilarious story, look no further!

Such a funny, romantic, sexy story! I will read ANYTHING these authors write! I would recommend this title to customers that read 50 Shades. This is soo much better!

What a fun reid! (See what I did there?) I enjoyed this quirky and witty novel so much. It made me laugh out loud when I was least expecting it with the comedic relief of Ed, Chris and Alex. Millie's wit, humor and intelligence made me love her so much as the lead protagonist, and Reid was, well....Reid. I loved and admired him for his candor, kind heart and emotional vulnerability. Although I am one of those fortunate Millenials who never had to deal with this absurd whirlwind we call online dating, I have plenty of friends deal with it and vent to me their frustrations, so seeing some similarities in how distressed these all felt about their online profiles and potentially dating and meeting up with their dates resonated with me because I've literally heard it all. Although catfishing is about one of the worst things anyone could possibly do, I understood Millie's intentions and didn't hold it against her. I admired her for opening up in the end and trying to better herself. And I'm so happy they got their happy ending! Mills and Reid forever! Thank you for this sweet and refreshing reid! (Okay, I'll stop now.)

This is my first Christina Lauren book, but it most likely won’t be my last. This was utterly adorable, funny, and just fulfilling in the best way.

I’ve been on a contemporary kick, and it’s sometimes hard to find a really good one. Most are moderately enjoyable, but I rarely find those that I’d love to read again and again. I can happily say that THIS is one of reread. Many times.

Millie is a great female lead. She’s actually funny, intelligent, AND BONUS: is into serial killers! Oh, hello book me! I could really relate to her on that level alone, but even how she acts, speaks, etc were all things I identified with.

And Reid. He was just adorable. Such a GOOD guy! Not the playboy/male whore that so many romances feature. No. He was smart, hot, AND a really great person. It was refreshing to find THAT in a male lead.

As for the story, again, really enjoyable! It did surprise me that their hookup came so early on in the story. However, as things progressed and the “catfishing” began, it really worked well. And for me, the catfishing was the hardest part to overlook. It really bothered me that Millie did what she did. Don’t get me wrong, I understood her reasons. But, once the opportunity to be honest presented itself, she bailed on it. Considering her personality, I did (kind of) see why...but then I’d see the other side of that argument. You should be able to open up and be honest with your best friend. And for whatever reason, she never could. I think that was actually handled really well. It wasn’t just a flick of a light switch, or a man changing who she was. Millie herself wanted to change. And she made the correct decisions to do so...and the ones that were logical.

I was also happy that this wasn’t a sex-filled tale either. That is too often the plot device used to fill spaces where emotional development should be. Not here. I got to know both characters quite well. I got to witness their connection, their relationship...all without graphic and explicit sex! What a novel idea! Sometimes it seems authors forget that the building of a relationship needs more than just explosive lust.

This book made me laugh a lot too. Which is actually pretty hard to do in rom-coms. Often I feel an author will go too far or use shock value or even nonsensical happenings in order to find comedy. Most times that fails. But this was done oh so right. A lot came at the expense of Ed. And also in their group chat threads. Because somehow, even though the focus was mainly on two characters, I felt as though I knew enough about the entire group that I “got” their jokes.

I highly recommend this for people who like funny in their romance. For those who like friends to lovers. Christina Lauren wrote a book that’s not to be missed by anyone who loves rom-coms and has been afraid of—or has been scarred by—online dating.

I was really hoping for Millie and Reid to end up together in My Favorite Half-Night Stand, by Christina Lauren. ( no spoilers, I’m not telling) I received an arc of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for a review. Millie and Reid are part of a group of friends that work in academia and need dates for a school function. It is a funny, but so often true, commentary on how dating has changed for young adults. I laughed out loud at much of this book, but cared what happened to these likeable characters.

It's crazy...less than a year ago, I had never heard of Christina Lauren or read any of their books. Last November I read Autoboyography and fell madly in love with it. Earlier this year I read Love and Other Words, just to see if my infatuation with them was a fluke. (Spoiler alert: it wasn't.)

About two weeks ago I read their latest book, Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating, and had visions of pacing myself until December, when their newest book was due to be released. But when I saw My Favorite Half-Night Stand available on NetGalley, you bet I pounced, and I was thrilled to be approved nearly instantaneously. And wouldn't you know it? Once again, the duo has struck gold, capturing my heart with another book...and I guess lengthening my wait for the next one. Damn.

The only woman in her group of best friends, Millie Morris is truly one of the guys. She and all of her friends are super-smart professors; her specialty just happens to be serial killers—female serial killers, in fact. Millie can drink her guy friends under the table, throw multiple double entendres into a sentence without blinking, and is more than happy to play video games and stuff her face alongside her friends any night of the week.

Of all of her guy friends, Millie is probably closest to neuroscientist Reid Campbell. They've always had that half-flirty, half-brother-and-sister thing down pat, and they both feel happiest in each other's company. So it's almost no surprise when a night of celebratory drinking ends up with the two of them in bed, enjoying a few hot rounds of sex before agreeing they're better off keeping their relationship platonic—and keeping their wild half-night stand a secret from the rest of the guys.

When a university event becomes a black-tie gala, all five of them are determined to find dates. Millie and the guys agree to try an online dating site, but as is typical with their friendship, Millie winds up creating all of her friends' profiles, yet draws a blank when she goes to write her own. Opening up has never been easy for her, so while her friends start to find potential matches, she mostly hears from creeps sending dick pics or inquiring about her bra size.

After getting ribbed by the guys for her failure, she decides to create a second profile, yet for this one she calls herself "Catherine." The very act of creating a fictional persona is freeing for Millie, she can suddenly be more playful, more emotionally open, more honest than she can be in real life. When she and Reid "match" online, she tries to provide enough clues so he will realize it's her, but at the same time, she encourages their online conversations until they grow deeper.

The more Millie (as Catherine) corresponds with Reid, the more interested he becomes, yet at the same time, Reid is trying to figure out what Millie wants from their real-life relationship. But for some reason, Millie can't open up and be vulnerable with Reid the way she can as Catherine. She wants Reid for real but she can't give him everything he wants, yet she knows there's only a matter of time before her dishonesty destroys their friendship for good.

"Does it matter if you do the wrong thing for the right reason?"

My Favorite Half-Night Stand is a fun, sexy, emotional, thought-provoking look at male-female friendships and how hard it can be to allow yourself to be totally vulnerable with someone you care about. I loved the way Lauren twisted the gender roles in this book, yet the characters' actions and emotions seemed totally true to who they are. I was totally invested in this story from start to finish, and I wished I could hang out with this group of friends, because they seemed like a lot of fun!

As with most of the other books of theirs I've read so far, there's nothing particularly surprising or earth-shattering in this book, but I loved it all the same. I wanted to know what was going to happen to these characters. I wanted to root for them and sometimes I wanted to shake some sense into them. There are some big issues at play here, as well as some genuinely loving friendships and some hot sex to boot.

The more I read of Lauren's books, the more I love them. They're just tremendously enjoyable reads that hit all of my emotions but don't manipulate them too badly. Pick one up and hopefully you'll become a fan, too! (Oh, and please don't make me wait too long for your next book?)

NetGalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!