Maybe I should have known that this would be complete fluff after only getting through half of the first book I read by this author, Playing With Matches. As with that one, the synopsis was interesting enough, but then it just went all over the place with these outrageous setups and the MC acted more like a floundering 20-something than a functional 32-year old. Good for a palette cleansing beach read, but not much more.

Love at First Like first hooked me with its cute cover and intriguing description. This novel was a quick read for me. I loved every minute of it.

3.5⭐ rounded up

This book is a hard one for me to review because there were aspects that I loved, but I also felt there were things I didn't like. So I'm going to give it my best shot.

Things that I loved:

I loved how supportive Eliza's family was even if they didn't agree with her choices. I think it's very common for families to project what they feel is best onto the people they love unintentionally and get a bit judgmental along the way.

I really enjoyed how close Eliza and Carmen were and how supportive they were of each other. For so long females were always competing or jealous of each other so it's nice to see so many female relationships in books lately. I liked how they kept up their Thursday night dates even though they had busy lives.

While I found the plot a bit farfetched, it had realistic aspects of the effects of social media. Who hasn't accidentally liked a photo they didn't mean to or accidentally posted something they didn't intend to? You immediately start to panic, but Eliza went a different route. While her determination caused it to go way further than it should have, it exposed the fact that so much of what we see on social media is fake. People post things that make them look better and therefore feel better about themselves. We now live in a world where quite a few people base their worth on how many likes their photos receive.

What kept me from giving it 5⭐:

The main character Eliza was a bit dishonest and conniving which makes it difficult to completely like her and connect with her character. When a book has a character that I can't connect with I find myself less invested in their HEA. I also didn't like the fact that she told Blake she loved him when she really didn't just to get what she wanted. He was essentially in a fake relationship he thought was real. It's never ok to disregard someone's feelings for any reason. I felt more for him than I ever did for Eliza.

This was a modern romcom that was different than anything else I've read. Even though it had some issues, I still found it enjoyable and read it quickly. This book had a fun plot and I can't wait to see what the author writes next.

I enjoyed this book so much. I started it around 7 o'clock in the morning and finished around noon while traveling. While I found the main character hard to handle most of the time, it was easy to overlook because of how the story was written. I was so happy with the ending and wish there was a sequel to continue the story with Raj.

Have you ever regretted a post on Instagram? I bet your story does not compare to this one...


(From Netgalley) Eliza Roth and her sister Sophie co-own a jewelry shop in Brooklyn. One night, after learning of an ex’s engagement, Eliza accidentally posts a photo of herself wearing a diamond ring on that finger to her Instagram account beloved by 100,000 followers. Sales skyrocket, press rolls in, and Eliza learns that her personal life is good for business. So she has a choice: continue the ruse or clear up the misunderstanding. With mounting financial pressure, Eliza sets off to find a fake fiancé.

Fellow entrepreneur Blake seems like the perfect match on paper. And in real life he shows promise, too. He would be perfect, if only Eliza didn’t feel also drawn to someone else. But Blake doesn’t know Eliza is “engaged”; Sophie asks Eliza for an impossible sum of money; and Eliza’s lies start to spiral out of control. She can either stay engaged online or fall in love in real life.


Love at First Like is a fun, light romp for the current rom com genre. Eliza is funny, sweet, and intelligent with a host of characters around her to make the story even more fun. The concept of social media changing the course of someone's life is relevant and interesting. Who wouldn't want their life to change as much as their followers do? The plot is standard and predicable but fans of this genre will enjoy it all the same. I think this is a wonderful story that readers can enjoy while on the beach or cuddling by a fire. Add it to your TBR along with the other hot romantic titles you have been eyeing.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Eliza roth co-owns a jewelry shop with her sister Sophie. One night, after stumbling upon her ex’s engagement photo, and a lot of whiskey, she accidentally posts a picture with a ring on her finger. The post has gained them thousands of followers and business sales are booming! But there is just one problem.. She has no groom. ⁣
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Eliza makes it her mission to find a man to be her fiance. Blake seems perfect on paper. He is in a similar industry, he is sweet, thoughtful, and seems to really like her. But he doesn’t know she is “engaged” and she keeps being drawn to another man instead . When her sister needs a huge sum of money, Eliza feels her lie starting to crumble. The deadline for the wedding is coming close and could affect the sales of their shop if she doesn’t follow through. Will she stay engaged online, or fall in love in real life?⁣
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This is a quick and easy read! I didn’t really like Blake all that much but I felt bad he had no idea what Eliza was doing. It was enjoyable and I finished in one sitting! The only issue I had with the book is that it was lacking depth in the characters. I felt like I really didn't get to know any of them all that well. Overall the book was a tad bit predictable. This would be a good novel if you are just looking for something light and quick, perhaps on vacation or an airplane read!⁣

I appreciate the copy from Atria Books, but I accidentally requested this from NetGalley. I'm not interested in reading it, and can't return/take back my request. NetGalley, please make this an option!!!!

After starting this and reading other negative reviews, I’ve decided to skip this one and move on to other books that appeal to me more.

Love at First Like is chaotic romance book to read. There is so much happening at once that you are pulled into different situations.
You really want to like the book but it was just too much for my taste. I needed a little more organization.
The character are enjoyable to read for a moment then it get tiresome for awhile. It keeps getting crazier and crazier with the schemes. I prefer taking it step by step, not rushing all at once. It needed more time.
It's is a okay romance story if you are in a mood of chaotic romance. If not, then it is not for you.
Three stars

I love a good romcom with a fun, modern feel, and this one delivered! In fact I loved it so much that I ended up breezing through it in one sitting.

Right from the start, this one had me rolling my eyes in a highly enjoyable way. I mean come on, accidentally posting a photo of your hand with an engagement ring on it to your Instagram page to thousands of followers... and then trying to keep the gambit up and plan a fake wedding? Even by the end I didn’t exactly like or agree with Eliza’s choices, and she in fact annoyed me more than I care to admit, but she sure did make for a hilarious, laugh out loud character to come alongside. Also, I truly did enjoy the secondary characters as they helped balance out Eliza’s crazy. Give me a wonderful cast of characters like this and I’m sold.

This sharp and witty story of love (and a whole bunch of fake relationships), ambition, women helping women, family, and the ups and downs of modern dating was simply a blast to read and was the perfect palate cleanser. Romcom fans, this is a must-read!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Atria Books for the complimentary copy.

The main character in this one was so unlikable I had to DNF at 20%. I couldn't stand her choices and just got super frustrated. Not one of my favs.

I picked up Love at First Like on a whim, but quickly found myself halfway through the book. I love light fun romcoms, and this one is perfect. The author is new to me, and I like her approach to this story. Granted, a certain suspension of disbelief is required, but it's worth it because the story is engaging(see what I did there?). Eliza is co-owner of a jewelry store in Brooklyn. Too much alcohol and too many happy photos of exes on Instagram equals one fake engagement photo with a fabulous ring from her store. Suddenly, Eliza is instafamous, and, obviously, she wants to maintain this status. She concots a story complete with fake fiance to maintain her ruse. It turns out to be great for business, too. I enjoyed this look at the importance of social media for personal and business reasons. It's astounding really! Eliza is a ridiculous but fun character who makes some bad decisions, but I liked her anyway. She is an example of the insta dream come true for a generation of millennial women. What happens if the truth surfaces? It's a fun fast entertaining read, and I enjoyed it! Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been trying to get stricter with myself about not finishing books. I have a terrible inability to put them down, even when I can tell that I’m not going to enjoy something and will reach the end wondering why I’ve just devoted several hours of my life to reading it. It’s actually easier for me to put down hefty novels and long nonfiction books, since the time investment required to complete them is so substantial. But short, light fiction and romance novels, such as Hannah Orenstein’s Love at First Like, that I can knock out in only a few hours on a Saturday afternoon? Even when the first few chapters didn’t click with me, I kept going, despite the little voice in the back of my head screaming Stop! Stop! Don’t waste time on this when there are so many other books in your TBR pile!

The reason for that little voice was that I almost immediately knew I wasn’t going to be able to suspend my disbelief and go along with the fake-engagement plot that Eliza, the protagonist/narrator of Love at First Like, cooks up. Orenstein tries to give Eliza noble justifications for her scheme—To save her business! To ensure her sister’s happiness!—but the truth is that her manipulation of Blake is out-and-out cruel, and (view spoiler). And the idea that neither Blake nor anyone else in his family/professional circle would take a minute to Google Eliza is completely bizarre in a book that’s otherwise all about the presence of the internet in our daily lives.

I understand, and agree with, Orenstein’s message about the superficiality of social media and how these platforms can lure us all into posting the best version of our lives, even when that strays into the realm of fiction. But the idea that Eliza could spin Instagram posts into a fully-sponsored wedding ((view spoiler)) without ever producing evidence of a groom is, again, way beyond my ability to suspend disbelief.

So no, Love at First Like was not the book for me, and it quickly turned into a hate-read. I should have given up on it and will remind myself of this the next time that little voice tells me to give up on a book. Because life is too short for hate-reads.

Love at First Like by Hannah Orenstein #jaylammreviews

I was in search of something light and fluffy, and this really delivered from me. I really liked the characters and the story line- although not super original, had me hooked from the first chapter. As someone who is a lover of Instagram, I found the story to be absolutely nuts but not far from what some people do to gain a following.

I loved that the character continuously made things were for self but kept fighting to figure out how to get what she wanted. She was a complete train wreck through this entire book but I just couldn't get enough.

It didn't have the charm or the fun banter I love in rom coms, but this one was fun and entertaining. A solid 3 star book.

Eliza Roth co-owns a Brooklyn jewelry shop with her sister Sophie. Business is going well — thanks to her strong Instagram following. She knows that a big online platform is crucial for entrepreneurs, and she makes the most of it. Including faking an engagement. She hadn’t planned on this. Really. The whole thing is a huge misunderstanding. You see, her ex-boyfriend is engaged to be married… and that kind of bummed her out. She has so many beautiful engagement rings at her shop — why not post a photo of her wearing one on Instagram? Her Instagram blows up. Everyone thinks she’s engaged! Multiple congratulations shine on her like diamond studs at a Met gala. Her business booms. She’s the toast of the town. She has to keep the ruse somehow — she has no choice, right? What’s she going to do, tell the truth?

Those who need a sizable online presence to succeed in business will relate to this book. Sometimes Instagram, Twitter, micro-blogging and Podcasts feel like a full-time job, one that brings wonderful results when you do it right. This is so relatable. Millenials will love this, but late Gen Xers will enjoy this too. I know of Orenstein from my Elite Daily days, but I also read and loved PLAYING WITH MATCHES. Her novels will resonate to those who love Sophie Kinsella. (Speaking of which, my second favorite Kinsella novel, CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET, is now a rom-com movie. Yay!) Downsides? It’s a little contrived, but that’s OK. I just LOVE rom-coms, especially if they’re set in Brooklyn. I give LOVE AT FIRST LIKE four out of five French Vanilla Meets Hazelnut Iced Coffees, with frothy cream (my specialty!).

When I picked up this book, I was guessing it’d be another dating app book – similar to The Right Swipe or How to Hack a Heartbreak. Luckily, I was in for a sweet treat.

I enjoyed Orenstein’s writing in her first novel, Playing with Matches, and I was glad to see some of the same quirky, witty millenial jokes in this one as well.

The main character, Eliza, lets a publicity stunt go to far when she accidentally shares an her engagement with thousnads of instagram followers. The problem? There is no engagement, let a lone a boyfriend or fiance.

Overall, this was a feel good rom-com, that was relatable and extravagent all at the same time. The perfect beach read, in my opinion. I felt my self day dreaming about what it would be like to be insta-famous and wearing beautiful jewels all the time as part of promoting my own business. I really wanted to be like Eliza.

Orenstein’s novel earned 4-stars for me. I wish there was a little bit more character development, but overall I enjoyed this work. I am looking forward to Orenstein’s future works as well.

This book was so much fun! It’s funny, light and a quick read, a great end of summer read. I loved the references to my fave The Bachelor and other shows like Say Yes To the Dress.

Instagram is a major part of the book and it’s always interesting to see how social media is portrayed in books, there aren’t many books that have it be such a main part of the plot like this one did.

I will say the story line is not realistic, but if you can get past that and take it for what it is, an enjoyable rom-com, you’ll like it too. The main character, Eliza, makes questionable decisions throughout, which made me dislike her more each time, but I also still weirdly rooted for her in the end. There are definite 10 Things I Hate About You vibes with her character and the whole feel to the book.
3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for my free copy to review, all opinions are my own.

Love at First Like is a super cute, summer read. While it was pretty predictable, you are rooting for the main characters from the get go. It is was a quick read and one I would definitely recommend!

I...was not a fan. The premise is cute and beach read-y: after seeing on IG that her ex is engaged, a jewelry store owner breaks out her largest, most expensive piece and accidentally announces to IG that she is engaged. Once congratulations and interview offers flood in, she realizes she needs to make a wedding happen - and fast. First she needs to find the groom.

Unfortunately, I didn't care for either love interest. Both of them gave off creepy, slightly villainy vibes and I was just waiting for one (or both) to do something backstabby like announce to the world her story was a sham. Instead, there's no comeuppance, no big blow-out. She gets off with her lies scot-free. All the interviews and editorial photoshoots, her wedding is 100% paid for by the venue, the dress is given to her free-of-charge, even the honeymoon is all expenses paid. At no point does Eliza suffer any consequences of her actions.

so much fun, this is so relate-able & I really enjoyed the ride. wasn't perfect, but i love a 20-something focus of the generation. i would very much recommend this book to many a friends