There seem to be more and more books coming out about social media and this one sounded so cute! An accidental engagement announcement? How was our main character going to deal with that one?

Eliza owns a jewelry shop with her sister and she has everything she's wanted. Except The One. And when her long-time ex-boyfriend gets engaged, Eliza is feeling lower than ever. To cheer herself up, she creates a fake instagram post announcing her engagement. But when Eliza wakes up the next morning, she realizes she accidentally posted that announcement...and now everyone thinks she's engaged. Eliza goes to make everything clear, until she sees how well the business is suddenly doing...because of her post. Can Eliza really find a man to be her fiancé? Or will she have to give up the charade and risk her business?

In the beginning, this book sounded like such a good idea. I thought Eliza would find a guy to pose as a fiancé and actually fall in love. Instead, I found myself not really liking Eliza and how selfish she was. Most of this book was her trying to get this guy, Blake, to fall in love with her, even though she wasn't really into him. She spent the whole time saying how she felt bad and how she knew that she didn't really like him, she just liked the idea of being married to him. And that was pretty much the plot. There weren't really that many interesting moments and I was bored most of the time.

I didn't really like Eliza, so it felt to me that she didn't even really change at all throughout the book. There was no growth to her character and I didn't like how other characters just kind of gave way to her throughout the book. The end felt too rushed and it didn't feel realistic at all.

Overall, this was a huge miss for me. I didn't like the main character and the book was more boring than anything else.

This is a great beach read, as it is enjoyable and has a plot that is not hard to follow. This is the kind of chick lit that I enjoy when sitting enjoying the beach.

Oh social media, how we love thee and loathe thee all at the same time.
It's all swipes and likes until someone accidentally posts a fake engagement!

I LOVED Playing with Matches, so I immediately knew I needed this book! Hanna Orenstein has a way of making me fully escape reality and get compulsively sucked into her books! The stories she writes are fresh, and funny, and full of wit and charm. ALTHOUGH, Eliza frustrated me to no end in this story with her ridiculous shenanigans, I charged through this story like a social media director on Follow Friday.... and found it to be a fun summer read for sure!

When Eliza accidentally posts a ring selfie on Instagram... a ring on THAT finger... to her jewelry stores 100K followers, there's just a tiny bit of a problem. She doesn't even have a boyfriend. Whoopsie.

But the likes start pouring in and sales at the store are booming, and the money issues and worries her and her sister have of potentially losing the shop, just might be over. So, Eliza does what any sane human would do.... keep up the ruse, plan a wedding, and find a fake fiance. Easy enough right?!?

With a silly and fun story line of love, ambition and family, this modern rom-com quenched my thirst for an absurdly charming character in Eliza and her ridiculous idea that just might save her shop - all while faking what could be the most romantic love story of her life.

I laughed, I yelled, I giggled. It was so much fun to read.

I think most of us with an active Instagram account have done some crazy things for the perfect shot, I know my fellow bookstagrammers have pulled out a book in some wild places just for the gram (as I have too!) but Eliza takes things to a whole new level when she fakes an engagement for her followers. If this sounds slightly insane and borderline ridiculous it totally is, but meet Eliza, she’s the type of friend that we’ve all had who makes rash decisions and finds herself in awkward, albeit hilarious situations over and over again.

I adored the premise of this, faking any sort of relationship is always a fun trope for me and there were definitely some pretty funny scenes here, for sure. While I honestly didn’t love Eliza as a character she was entertaining as hell and although I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her a few times, her unpredictability made this such a fun read and I really never knew what she would do next. There was also a great cast of secondary characters to balance out her craziness, I actually loved some of them so much that I have my fingers crossed that they may appear in a future book?!

Having now read two books from the author it’s safe for me to say that she truly knows how to write a highly entertaining story about modern dating. She captures the highs and lows and the struggles with social media all with humor and heart, I’m now a firm fan!

Love at First Like in three words: Amusing, Modern and Fun

3.5/5

I’ve really gotten into contemporary romances and women’s literature this summer, so it was a no-brainer to snatch up Hannah Orenstein’s sophomore novel, Love at First Like {@hannahorens @atriabooks @netgalley #partner}. A light, cute (albeit far-fetched) novel, this story pulled me in and wouldn’t let go until I’d finished it less than 24 hours later, and it was the perfect book to read while recovering from a minor surgery.

Eliza Roth is motivated and goes for her dreams. The co-owner of a Brooklyn jewelry store, the 27-year-old is at the top of her career game, but she can’t say the same for her love life. After a disappointing first date, Eliza turns to the comforts of Instagram and her store full of jewelry, only to find out that her long-time ex-boyfriend is now engaged. Shocked, depressed and under the influence of a few too many drinks, Eliza slips on a stunning engagement ring, snaps a picture with her phone, and saves it to her Instagram drafts.

Or so she thinks…

Reality sets in the next morning when her phone won’t stop blowing up with Instagram notifications and well-wishes for her and her husband-to-be. Her picture is front and center on her business’ Instagram account, and it’s doing wonders for Brooklyn Jewels. Eliza’s dilemma deepens as sales begin pouring in, followers flock to the jewelry store’s Instagram, and vendors start offering her a free wedding in exchange for positive reviews on social media. She knows she needs to do the right thing and clear up the misunderstanding, but with rent going up on the jewelry store and her sister needing extra money for a medical procedure, this big break and extra publicity could be what everyone needs.

Deciding to wait and see how everything pans out, Eliza begins hunting for a fiance, but when she meets a man she could actually see herself falling for, she realizes her fake engagement may have some very real repercussions.

This book was very entertaining and a quick read. While Eliza’s rationale for her decisions drove me crazy at times, and the way she treated some of the people in her life made her less than likable, I appreciated her character and the wonderful friends and family surrounding her. This is a fun, quick read that is out in stores today (Aug. 6!), so give it a try! Thank you to @hannahorens, @atriabooks and @netgalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun story, I find the story line unique and refreshing! It was a quick and easy book to read!The characters were great mostly the secondary!I have a little bit hard time with the heroine in some parts but I understand her and I could relate with her in some others!

When Eliza sees that her ex boyfriend is engaged, she takes one of the rings from her store and drafts an Instagram engagement post of her own to make herself feel better.When she accidentally posts the picture Eliza finds herself stuck in a lie that she can't get out of. But maybe, if she meets the right guy...everything will be ok!The story absolutely spoke to the realities of the internet today. From online dating to the importance of Instagram likes !And I find it so interesting and realistic!

This a great read for the beach, I like the unique story and I'm looking forward for more books from this author!

One evening, while drinking and analyzing her jewelry store's sales, Sophie puts on a huge diamond ring and snaps a photo. She captions it about her engagement and saves it to post "one day." Sophie wakes up the next morning to well wishes and congratulations on social media, realizing she accidentally posted the photo and her followers all think she is engaged! Sophie also notices the increase in traffic to her online site and a corresponding increase in sales. She decides keeps up the ruse for the profits, and accepts a free wedding gown, reception and photographer from vendors in exchange for social media tags, but she is missing one big part of a wedding - a groom! Can she find the perfect man, convincing him to marry her in less than six months, and save her jewelry store as well?

On the surface, this novel should be predictable and likable, but it was so much more than that- it had romance, laughter, fun and a bit of sadness, too. Sophie, her sister, her best friend, and even the neighborhood bartender are all lovable and relatable and real. The story did not go the way I thought it would and had a wonderful, satisfying ending. Quick, easy and light - the perfect vacation read

This book was so cute! I was very enamored by the idea of this book! But, I'm not gonna lie, this book started to drive me crazy... Eliza was a character that started to frustrate me, but at the same time, I really connected with her and I loved how real it was. She was deciding what was best for her company, and she had the "perfect" option and one where she would follow her heart.

<blockquote><i><b>"But right now, I don't need the love of my life--although I want that someday--I need a fake fiancé."</b></i></blockquote>

I won't give any sort of spoiler away, but once I met one of the heroes, I knew he was the one. I kept rooting for him from the beginning! So once I got to the 60% mark, my anxiety was through the roof because I wasn't sure what route this book was going to take because there was still so much to happen in such a small amount of "time".

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more of Hannah's books in the future!

What a fun read! I wasn’t expecting to like this after the first chapter, to be honest... it feels like you get the whole story in the first ten pages. But I kept reading because the concept stuck out to me - who posts fake engagement photos?! But the choices Eliza makes after committing to her engagement announcement would be hard for anyone to resist. Despite complicated decisions and confusing moves, Eliza is likable and someone I wish I had Thursday night happy hours with. For a romance though, I wanted a little more steam; this focused a lot on Eliza’s feelings, which left me wanting more from the relationship scenes. “Love at First Like” is a love story for modern brides, single ladies, folkx in a complicated relationship, and anyone in between. An ode to New York and Millennials, this is the perfect summer read to add to your list!

Meh.
i did not agree with a lot of the choices that were made in this book.
I really wanted to love it, but i just could not get on board.
I would have liked to see more dialogue and less useless filler.
I do think it was a quick summer read that a younger crowd might relate to more.

cute cover. interesting idea.
2.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Love at First Like is a modern story involving the role social media plays in romance. It’s an easy read when you need a quick escape from life. There are some situations that are very funny and relatable to finding love today.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc! It was a fun, quick read!

Eliza wasn't the most likeable of people. She deceived and manipulated ... but just to keep her business (that she co-owned) with her sister, afloat. It was all about looks and numbers for her. The storyline is more than a little far-fetched, and you can't approve of all of what Eliza did ... but on the whole this was a fast-paced romance that read just like a comedic chick flick. Definite brain candy, and a perfect vacation read.

3.5/5 ⭐️

Clever title, adorable cover, interesting storyline. Eliza, a jewelry shop owner in Brooklyn accidentally posts a photo of her wearing an engagement ring on Instagram, which in turns increases sales, followers, and sponsorships from various wedding vendors. The only thing missing? A fiancé. She meets her potential suitor at a Manhattan bar and goes along with the ruse (literally for the duration of the entire book) in order to afford her shop’s rent increase, as well as her sister’s needs.

What I found a little disconnecting for me as the reader were: 1. The excessive details, some that I didn't necessarily need to read more than once, i.e. placing a key in the apartment door. 2. The lack of dialogue. Personally, I feel that dialogue makes a story more lively, provides more insight into a character's personality, as opposed to plainly reading descriptions. 3. I didn't feel like there was much romance, even though this was supposed to be a contemporary romance novel. Maybe it has to do with the lack of dialogue or how Eliza kept convincing herself that she could fall for the man who she met at the bar, but somehow, something slips in between the cracks, and she says that she is actually in love with this man. I found it all confusing. And, to top it all off, she ends up jumping into a relationship with a different guy immediately.

Ultimately, I appreciate the creative storyline, but the writing style didn't particularly appeal to me. I also like that there's some element of surprise; Orenstein’s portrayal of Eliza always had me guessing on what will happen next.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Great book for lovers of social media! It is an interesting take on how you can promote yourself and your business and get caught up in a messy situation to boot-especially when it seems like there is no solution!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tsk tsk tsk. Social media leads to lots of problems for Eliza. Posting a photo of engagement ring on her finger could have been a smart marketing move for her jewelry store but nooooo....Eliza thought she had to go out and find a fake fiancé. Enter Blake. Also enter crazy as Eliza heads down the garden path to a fake wedding, as she's totally into the idea that she'll get free stuff. But for what? Add to it that her sister Sophie needs money for IVF. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Just a whisper from implausible but sorta fun.

LOVE AT FIRST LIKE is pretty bonkers. The main character, Eliza, makes insane decisions that no one on earth would think was a good idea, but it certainly makes for a good rom com novel. After accidentally posting on Instagram that she is engaged, jewelry store owner Eliza realizes that her love life is good for business so in order to keep her store from closing, she invents a whirlwind fake romance (which, of course, majorly complicates her real life romances).

This novel is perfectly of our time, and great fun for anyone who loves social media hi jinx. It’s also a wonderful New York book, with real life settings that those of us who live in the city can easily recognize. The premise is pretty far-fetched though, and extremely implausible. Eliza makes so many bad decisions you will he screaming at the pages, and some of these decisions do make it hard to root for her as our heroine. We also live in her head a lot. One thing I don’t always love about rom com books is the long inner monologues that do teach us about the character, but often come out flat and rambly. Yes, we do need to know why she’s making decisions, but sometimes I like to let actions and spoken words create the character development instead.

I don’t want to spoil too much, but as someone who is planning a wedding right now, the storyline is nuts and the ending even nuttier. You’ll be scratching your head, but you’ll be glad you went on the ride because it’s fun, silly, and a great escape.

The title, Love at First Like, sounds like a romantic comedy, but it was not particularly funny or romantic. This women’s literature novel heavily focuses on Eliza’s personal development and business. There is more discussion/description of her business, use of social media as a marketing tool, and the wedding industry than there is of romantic relationships. I appreciated the main character’s growth and realization that she probably avoided romantic heartache by hiding behind her business. Love at First Like does throws a glaring spotlight on celebrity freebies in exchange for promotion.

Eliza is impetuous, and often her desperation and focus on social media makes her seem like a teenager. Her sister Sophie is the artiste, but she seems much more grounded than her business-partner sister.

The male characters are rather flat, which makes it hard to get behind either of Eliza’s prospects. One is a gorgeous, successful guy in the same industry who seems fairly shallow, and the other is a self-described tech geek turned bartender with a heart of gold. Their one-dimensional development does highlight Eliza’s desperation to find a fake groom to avoid fallout from her Instagram shenanigans.

Author Hannah Orenstein’s writing is crisp, and her plot is straightforward. The story layout helps to increase the tension as Eliza’s fibs spin out of control the closer she gets to her looming deadlines. Although it is transparent from the start who Eliza will eventually end up with, the journey is fun and the ending is not a typical romance novel HEA.

Having loved Hannah Orenstein's debut, Playing with Matches, I was extremely excited to check out Love at First Like from the very first moment I heard about it. While, I enjoyed Love at First Like, I have to say, it didn't have the same charm for me as Matches.

Eliza Roth was hard working enough to be able to open a jewelry store with her sister, Sophie, at a young age. The latest struggle for the sisters is keeping the store afloat with rising rent costs in NYC. When Eliza instagrams herself wearing one of Brooklyn Jewel's rings, her followers assume she is engaged and when Eliza sees a spike in sales a result, she doesn't correct this notion. The issue at hand? Eliza is single.

While the plot was fun, it was Eliza's determination to succeed at any cost that really turned me off. She didn't care about who she hurt (dating men just so she could get married and fulfill her instagram post) and what toes she had to step on to make it happen. I'm a single working woman in NYC with a strong career drive (I work in finance and hold my own against the toughest of co-workers) and I just can't get behind a woman taking advantage of people's love and feelings to garner success.

Since I loved Orenstein's debut, I am going to chalk this one up to a fluke for me and I will be looking for what she writes next with an open mind.

This one was an interesting one. I liked the 1st book by Hannah Orenstein so I was excited to read her second summer beach read. Honestly, I think that in some ways, this book is way too true to life. I can totally see a millennial taking a 'fake' pic and adding it to their Instagram or Instastory and having people believe they're engaged. I mean, it's all in good fun and it's all in the name of making money? Furthering one's interests is what it's all about. That being said, it does pose a scary scenario for us as we move forward with doing more with social media and we continue to question, what is real and what's fake? All in all, a readable book, nothing earth shattering.

While scrolling instagram, Eliza finds out her ex is engaged. Ugh of course he is! Lucky for her she owns a jewelry store and can slip a ring on and make a fake post pretending she too is engaged to make herself feel better! Except when morning comes and her phone is blowing up, Eliza realizes she accidentally posted her fake post and not only are her followers going crazy with the news, but sales are pouring in. With an increase in rent on the horizon, and the publicity from her engagement helping sales soar, Eliza decides to go along with the idea and try to find a man to marry her in time for her free wedding from vendors hoping to get great results from her instagram posts.

3.5 stars. This book took me a bit to get into it, but overall I thought it was super cute. It was easy to see why Eliza got so caught up in keeping up with the lie when it could save her store. The cast of characters was unique and enjoyable, and I loved seeing who told her she was nuts, vs who went along for the ride.

Thank you to Netgalley and Touchstone for allowing me to read and review this book in advance!