I have to admit I am shocked by the number of negative reviews for this book. This book is raw and this book is real. If you are looking for a fluffy romance novel, look away. If you are wanting an engaging read with real characters, many unlikable at times and some who make huge mistakes, read and enjoy. This book was an extremely quick read for me. I cheered for Angel. I loved how strong she was and how she always stood by exactly what she believed in. She is a true heroine and "The Duke" is lucky she saw the integrity and kindness in him and let him win her heart.

Good lord. I have never read a book in recent memory that was pretty much panned by all of the readers who posted reviews for it. I wish I had looked at Goodreads before applying for this book via NetGalley. I wanted some romance reads and I was thrilled that this book was a romance read with two POC as the romantic leads. I also really loved the cover too.

So pro, this is short, around 280 pages. So I was able to finish this pretty quickly between my screaming at the character of Angel and feeling appalled and repulsed by the character of Duke.

Con, everything else. Let's get to it shall we?

So "The Perfect Date" should not even be in the same sentence with other romance reads like "The Wedding Date" and "The Kiss Quotient." Those books were fantastic, and this book just reads as a how many ways can a woman's life be terrible.

Angel Gomez is going through nursing school while bartending trying to provide for her son, Jose. Caleb "The Duke" Lewis, known as Duke throughout this story plays for the Yankees (he's a pitcher) who is still recovering from being shot in the ankle that left one of his team members dead and him dealing with a lot of angst and anger over the incident. These two have a "messed up cute" when Angel is at the clinic dealing with her son who is suffering from an asthma attack and Duke is there trying to keep it hidden that he is seeing a doctor about his ankle. There's some long winded explanations about why Duke doesn't want anyone to know that his ankle is still not doing that great.

Angel and Duke meet again when she's bartending and he asks if she's a stripper and can he see her [redacted]. I maybe full body shuddered. Angel throws a drink, gets fired, and poor Duke feels bad. Though his agent and friend think she was asking for it due to how she was dressed.

Can I also bring up that before all that mess with Angel and Duke meeting again, that Angel walks in on her boss having sex with the hostess and it's graphically explained what is happening and I could feel my insides trying to climb into one another?

There's no development to these characters by the way. The whole way we get to the "romance" portion of the evening made my head hurt. Angel is of course just attracted to Duke though he propositioned her and thought she was a stripper.

I felt sorry for Angel, sorry for her son, and despised Duke and his terrible father. Duke at several points in this romance puts his hands on Angel and I started wishing that the book ended with his death.

Duke's father and that whole plot point just made me sighed. Along with Duke and the plot point with his ex Regina.

I really wish that this could have just been a more rags to riches romance with a woman learning about being thrust into the celebrity sphere and maybe focusing on the lack of privacy, money, etc. This whole book read very soap operaish at times and not in the good way either.

The writing was not great.

"He was staring at her.

So, she stammered. You are the Duke.

And you are the nurse. Not a stripper.

Ha ha. Very funny."

"The music suddenly changed, became louder. His mood lightened.

He was ready to dance, let off some steam and watch Angel move those hips and shake that ass.

Looking at her glistening skin and alert eyes, he suddenly had a strong urge to unpin her hair and run his fingers through it, let her long curls fly around free.

She finer than every woman in here."


"A couple of the women squeezed his popped muscles, oohing and aahing, but Angel simply hoisted her glass at him.

Impressive, she said, her eyebrow arched.

Oh duke, you must be so excited. It's almost time for you to start playing again, isn't it? one of the younger women asked--the girlfriend of a rookie who was already at spring training.

He turned up the charm. I'm a playa all the time, am I right?

She giggled. I guess. For an old guy.

Ooh, ouch. Kicked me right in the nuts with that one.

Well, a hot old guy...Does that make you feel better?

Almost as good as if you had that hot little ass pressed against me.

It was like out of a cartoon, the silence that followed.

He could swear a needle screeched across a vinyl record and a circle of faces whipped from Duke to Angel and back."

The flow was not great either. I am assuming that when the final book is published we are going to have some page breaks or paragraph breaks between dialogue. A few times I realized that we had switched over to Duke and we were still not following Angel's POV. That said, the book doesn't move forward much at all. Took to more than the half way point for things to get revealed.


I feel so dirty right now. I should have put up a gif of a thumbs down and been done with this review.

The Perfect Date. Well what can I say? Not a perfect book. I have read a lot of chick lit over the years and this one falls short. Very predictable book and the characters lack depth. I knew exactly how this story was going to go. Very little surprise in this plot. I wish I could say this is a must read, but if you want something that you can read with very little thought, this books is for you. Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the free ARC.

Let’s start the story with a tired single mom who juggling between her work and her work practice. Enter a professional athlete, having trouble with his physical and mental condition. They met in a series of events, one of which they have to pretend to be a new couple. From there, we could read conflict after conflict before reaching a happily ever after ending. So what’s new? The characters are portrayed as PoC. With current US political climate, this might be a premise that will attract many readers

However, for me It is a so-so book. If you are into modern cinderella story, so this book is for you. The pace is enjoyable eventhough the plot is rather predictable.

thank you netgalley for providing the arc.

This story will make you smile. The characters are fun and engaging. You won’t Want to put this book down until you finish it!

Pub Date: July 11, 2019

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review:

I am always on the lookout for a cute chick-lit story, and this seemed like the perfect fit!

Synopsis: Angel, a single mother, finds herself in the spotlight as the Yankees star pitcher, the Duke's fake girlfriend.

I give this book a 2 out of 5 stars.

I would consider myself an avid romance and chick-lit reader and this book just did not hit the mark for me. I gave this book two stars simply because I liked the idea for the plot and Angel as a strong heroine, but my praise ends there.

There was absolutely zero chemistry between the main protagonists, Angel and Duke. Has this author never heard of building tension? Because there was none of that. The few romantic encounters were abrupt and awkward.

Duke was just plain rude and unlikable. He treated Angel very poorly and yet she continued to pursue him because he was nice to her son. For such a strong woman in every other aspect of her life, she had poor judgement when it came to Duke. 

Overall, I found the story to be choppy and rushed. The author didn't take the time to develop the characters or any relationships. 

As I am giving an honest review, I cannot say that I would recommend this book.

Did not finish. I had to put this book down at 30%. I'm disappointed in myself but sadly this book just wasn't for me. While it has the potential to be an amazing romance story and have a more fulfilling plot the book overall just fell flat.

I hope to one day pick up another one of this author's works, perhaps give them another chance and hopefully enjoy their next more than I did with this one.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader's copy. I appreciate it more than you can know. I apologize that this ARC didn't go to someone who may have enjoyed it more.

I never connected with these characters during the book, especially not with Duke. He was rude from the beginning and only concerned with himself. I didn't like him as a leading man or find him swoon worthy. I sympathized with Angel being a single mom and trying to become a nurse but these wasn't more complexity to her character like I expected. There is too much fighting in the first half and when the sex comes in felt more rushed than real feelings building up. Not my kind of romance book because I just didn't ever feel the chemistry between the characters, or care enough about them as individuals.

I did not finish this title. I was really wanting to love this book but it fell short for me. I got about 50% and found myself not caring or wanting to continue. I just couldn't connect with the characters. The authors writing is amazing, I just have to chalk this one up to me not enjoying it.

This book was way too much. I enjoyed it for the first 30%, finding the writing well done and engaging, but after that, the book took a turn for the worst. There was so much excessive drama in this book I found myself constantly rolling my eyes. Angel isn't a believable character. She is portrayed as an angry, fierce, no-nonsense mother but then proceeds to do everything that would leave her feeling annoyed, angry, and wanting to fight... yet again. Her only depth was anger and it made it hard to connect with her outside of that emotion.

Duke had zero depth. The characterization felt so minimal and surface-level, there really didn't seem to be any reason to like him. He also just used Angel the entire time and for him, she had a soft spot? Every other man in the book she wanted to beat up or lose it on but this guy also treats her like trash and she suddenly doesn't care because he gave her an orgasm?

There were too many layers of crazysauce in this book for me and the drama became so convoluted it became difficult to care.

When you're a playboy baseball star, is the perfect date a pretend date? That's what Bronx Bolt's baseball player Caleb Lewis thinks when he meets Angel Gomez and she doesn't know who he is or fall for his charms. And what begins as a perfect rouse turns into something neither one of them expect. 

This book is a fun, fluffy, romantic read. It's perfectly predictable, and a good book when you need a break from deep, dark, psychological thrillers. I loved the ease of the plot and the characters are easy to fall in love with.

It's pretty much what you would expect from a romance. Popular guy, hard headed girl focused on her work and her child, classic love story. Angel was a bit too much at times with how mean she was. But it still wasn't a bad story. what I found confusing was when the point of view would change in the middle of the chapter without any indication. This caused me to re-read a few paragraphs wondering what I just read, until I realized that the point of view had changed. I thought it was a great book if you're looking for a cute love story.

Angel is a single mom who is focusing on taking care of her son and finishing her nursing degree. Duke is a Yankee pitcher with a secret......his ankle is not healing well. They meet and sparks fly. Angel steps into his cut throat social world and teaches Duke the true meaning of friendship. And then love.

What a delightful book. It was an easy read with a good plot ... and some twists ... and a happy ending. The two main characters, Angel and Caleb, are both dealing with personal challenges. After a chance meeting, their lives become more intertwined. With each others help and help from respective friends, they are able to conquer the challenges. I enjoyed that it takes place in New York City and that Caleb is a New York Yankee. I look forward to reading more from the authors.

This book was a surpring treat. I really enjoyed reading it and it hooked me quickly. As a previous watcher of Basketball Wives, and a fan of Evelyn Lozada, I could hear her in my head as I read the story. I think it was well put together and didn't leave any loose ends. The romance between Angel and Duke built nicely and I also appreciated the maternal friendship between Angel and Gabriella. I would definitely read another book by Evelyn. Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this in advance in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I buddy read this with the lovely Azrah and we're both frustrated. Definitely check out her review! :)

Well...that was disappointing. Don't let the cover deceive you it's gonna be a fluffy and cute romance novel. IT'S NOT and I am so frustrated because it's loaded with drama, the relationship between the characters is toxic and the hero is HORRIBLE. Having diverse characters aren't enough for me to like the book, the heroine and her son saved this book.

LIKES
* The heroine. Angel Gomez is a fighter. She's a student nurse and I admire her perseverance. Sometimes she's quick-tempered but it's understandable because it's tough balancing her job, studies and raising an asthmatic kid. Everyday she has to deal w/ her pervert and sexist bosses just to provide their daily expenses and her son's medicine. It's pretty stressful but she handles it like a champ.

*The heroine's son. Jose is an adorable kid. He's a huge fan of Duke and it's impossible to hate this child. He's lovely, gentle and cute. Angel raised him well and I love how passionate he is on baseball in spite his condition.

DISLIKES :

* The hero. Caleb "Duke" Lewis is an arrogant, stubborn and condescending guy. He's a trash and I don't like how he treats Angel. He's very rude and there are couple of times he left her hanging. I'm more irritated when he said that her boring life needs to be boosted. THE. AUDACITY. OF. THIS. GUY. Good thing the heroine is merciful but if I were her, I'll dump him without second thoughts.

* The drama. Like I mentioned, it's filled with it and I'm stressed! It's way over the top. Duke's ex, Regina and his father loves stirring trouble. Don't get me started with Dr. Collins, Angel's boss. That dude deserves to be on jail for sexual harassment.

* The writing style. It's engaging and quick-paced but it's choppy. The scenes abruptly shifts from one point to another and it's confusing. I thought I was reading Angel's part and I didn't realize I was on Duke's.

This book needs polishing and unfortunately I don't recommend it. It'll only stress you out and too bad it has a lot of potential.

I received a digital advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to read this novel based on the description, the cover art and the fact that it included a protagonist who was a person of colour. I thought it would be a new spin on a cute romance story, but unfortunately this book was a bit of a letdown for me.

The Perfect Date introduces us to young single mother and nursing student, Angel Gomez, her son and best friend. Angel quickly meets a star pitcher for the Yankees and is thrown into an unknown world of fame as she is asked to play the role of date/girlfriend to cover up the real reason (injury) the athlete is visiting a clinic. What ensues through the rest of the novel is utterly confusing, happens way too fast and is rushed to conclusion at the end.

As this is an advanced copy, as other reviewers have noted, the abrupt switching of narration is quite confusing with no clear transitions. I found myself re-reading sections to see if I missed something when it seemed like there were pieces of information in the story that were totally missing in regards to character and plot development. I really didn't feel the vibe between the two love interests, we didn't really get to see what drew them to each other besides one night of sex. It was almost disappointing that this strong, independent woman fell for this guy who acted like a jerk until he came to the rescue of her son at the very end.

For me, this book had too many missing pieces for me to enjoy. I did not know anything about the author prior to receiving this advanced copy, but I will likely take a pass on her next literary ventures.

This book was just ok for me. I did not like the characters of Duke and Angel very much. Angel had problems with anger management and there was just too much drama. Just not for me. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The cover of this is great and what drew me to the book. I imagined it would be a little like Jasmine Guillory’s romances, fun and light. Unfortunately that was not the case. It has its moments, but this is heavily focused on some very soapy drama that the two characters have to deal with and very little romance (which is too bad because it was the best kind - fake dating!). The complicated plots the two experience - one is being blackmailed for a crime and the other one is being coerced to perform sexual favors - are sloppily and quickly resolved almost unbelievably in the last couple of chapters. Things wrapped up much too neatly, and suddenly, the characters were together!

I also had trouble believing all the fashion label and celebrity name-dropping that occurred randomly in the middle of the book. There’s also quite a bit of sexism from the main interest and so much miserable cattiness that basically amounted to body shaming! I don’t usually pick on that because people do that in real life but the superficial aspects just started to glare more as the book went on. I did love Angel’s thesis on the intersection of asthma and race.

I loved that this book had Hispanic characters, I don't see it to often and it's a little sad. There was a bit of Spanish phrases that were included in the dialogue and I appreciate that. It felt very authentic. Being bilingual myself, we'll switch between Spanish and English every other word. I will say the story was a quick read. I was a bit confused at times, when we switched characters stories, there wasn't a great transition, hopefully that's fixed. The book was relatable to me and I enjoyed reading the story.