Cover Image: Would Like to Meet

Would Like to Meet

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Member Reviews

(4 stars) - an amusing send up of the meet cute

Let's fully savor the irony that this would make a fun rom com movie!

I waffled back and forth between 3.5 and 4 stars, but it finished strong enough that I opted for the latter. The heart of this story is solid. If at times the attempts at humor go a little too far or it feels more like a Lifetime movie driving a mack truck thru a Hallmark movie, you can still feel the affectionate intention driving the story.

It's a clever plot, the writing is decent, and it was frequently amusing, though the language is cruder than I like, some parts did make me cringe (I'm one of those people who empathizes with other's embarrassment so anything over the top overrides any possible humor), and it did lag a bit at times. I wish it had been less crude, but I did enjoy the story.

*Clean romance level: qualifies (barely) as PG-13 sweet, but not clean; roommate is a nympho with sex toys & more gross than funny, & there's a scene involving an erotic book club, but no pornified "love" scenes or other graphic details
*Religion: secular, repeated uses of the Lord's Name in vain, sadly, though at least not cursing anything
*Language: dozens of uses of d*mn, h*ll, sh*t, a couple of & f-bombs & crude names for the male anatomy

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This was an enjoyable romance.

The characters were perhaps a little flat, the plot was a bit outlandish at times, and I saw the ending from a mile away but I still enjoyed reading it. I could definitely see this as a romantic comedy film, a la How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

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A very cute story, with really flushed-out characters that are all a lot of fun. There were quite a lot of happenings that were almost ridiculous, but they all worked really well with the story and added a lot of charm.

Evie is an assistant to an old school (and failing) screenwriters agent. She is basically going nowhere fast, having spent years stationary in both her work and home life. She's plucky, and you really can't help but like her.

I don't want to give too much away, so I won't go into the other characters much. The story was fairly predictable from even the first chapter, but there were a few twists and turns that had me second-guessing my predictions.

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Would Like to Meet is like a classic rom-com in book form. It's refreshingly funny, sweet and surprisingly heartfelt.

Evie Summers has been stuck as an assistant to an infamous but well-respected Film and TV agent named Monty, while watching a much younger crowd slowly climb the ranks to agent all around her. Her professional relationship with Monty consists of Evie regularly dropping everything to assist him in his increasingly embarrassing "Code Red" situations while dealing with the overly cocky and frustratingly arrogant Ezra Chester who Evie has playfully referred to throughout the book as NOB (Number One Boychild).

After the first "Code Red" we see involving Ezra Chester missing deadline after deadline for a rom-com he was signed on to write, Evie is forced to show up at his doorstep with a contract stating that he has to deliver the script for the rom-com in 3 months or the production company is going to ask for all their money back and effectively put Monty and Evie out of a job. Ezra declines saying he doesn't believe people fall in love like they do in the movies, that the meet cute isn't a realistic introduction. So to prove him wrong, Evie devises a plan, a contract of her own for Ezra to sign. She will force her own meet cutes with unsuspecting men and deliver the goods to Ezra, if she finds her happy ever after by the end of 3 months, Ezra will deliver the full script to the production company and her job will be saved.

Each chapter is styled with scene headings like you'd find in a screenplay, which makes sense and really adds something extra to the narrative since Evie herself once had dreams of becoming a screenwriter. There is also a group chat taking place between her friend group deemed "JEMS" (Jeremy, Evie, Maria, Sarah) along with e-mails from Evie to Ezra as she's explaining each meet-cute she's set up for herself.

Would Like to Meet is charming and you don't really know who Evie is going to have feelings for until close to the end (there are two contenders, both heavily steeped in romantic comedy tropes but very likable in their own ways.). I personally couldn't put the book down and nearly read it in one sitting.

Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher for sending me an e-galley of this book!

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I love a great rom-com and Rachel Winters has put a refreshing and original spin on this genre with Would Like to Meet!

Evie Summer has been an assistant for an entertainment agency for the past seven years and she’s determined to move up to a full fledged agent! Her dreams are just in sight, but there one major obstacle in her way—Evie is an given the job of making sure the uber famous (and incredible handsome) screenwriter, Ezra Chester signs an agreement he will finish his script of a rom-com within three months! There are three catches to this task- 1st he thinks rom-com’s are are beneath him, off brand, and unrealistic, 2nd he hasn’t even started the script, and 3rd he’s a complete jerk! Knowing her job hangs in the balance, Evie decides to make a deal with Ezra—if she gives him real life inspiration by recreating the meet-cutes from famous rom-com movies and it genuinely works, Ezra will follow through with writing the script. What Evie doesn’t anticipate is the fact that through these meet-cutes she may just meet someone like they do in the movies!!

First off, I always love a novel that makes me laugh out loud! That being said, I also found the storyline refreshing and addictive! I of course loved Evie, but I also loved Ben as well as her close knit friend group (that I think all deserve their own book)! I enjoyed how the friendship between Evie and Ben organically grew through the encouragement of his sweet daughter Annette❤️! Would Like to Meet is a 5 star gem that I recommend to everyone! Rachel Winters did an amazing job with her debut novel and I am so excited to see what she comes out with next!

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Thank you Netgalley for sending me an early copy!

I thought it was very delightful!

A fun, sweet, rom-com that felt like you were watching a movie as you were reading!

Evie is easily favored and I just loved her! She's a very likable character!
Following her schemes was really entertaining and fun.

Also Ben and Annette were the sweetest pairing I loved them, and that ending!!

Also thank you Penguin group!

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Rachel Winters’ Would Like to Meet— in my very personal opinion— reminded me at several times of Bridget Jones’s Diary. The group of friends that Evie had, the modernized version of the group chat, the moments the Evie faces during her forced meet cutes with potential romantic interest that dissolve into embarrassingly shocking slapstick humor, all leveled into me feeling deja vu. Not that there is anything wrong with this particular humor style— it was just not mine

This book was definitely less romance and more about Evie discovering herself and the journey that discovery takes her on— with moments of embarrassing humor forced in.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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3 solid fun stars: Reading this book was a riot because I'm a sucker for anyone doing "embarrassing" things. I'm also a sucker for friend groups who a) lovingly make fun of you, b) call you on your shit. This book had plenty of both.

This was a romantic comedy that made fun of romantic comedies while still managing to include A LOT of romantic comedy cliches. (I don't know if that last part was on purpose or not.)

Things I liked: Evie, her friends, all the meet-cutes, the bits about not quite knowing how you've ended up where you've ended up. Things I loved: Anette.

Can't tell you much about the things I didn't like without spoilers, but if you like your romances with only ONE pairing and no other dates/love interests, this might not be for you. Because while yes, there is romance in this book, it's honestly more about Evie figuring out what she's doing with herself. And I really enjoyed that (often-laugh out loud) journey of self-discovery.

I recommend this book for anyone looking for some light-hearted fun. Be prepared for a LOT of cliches, but also, hopefully, a lot of laughter.

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ecopy in exchange for an honest review.**

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If you enjoyed The Hating Game by Sally Thorne or The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang, not only does Would Like to Meet have a similar cover and typeface, but it completes the trifecta for readers on the hunt for a novel with a similar vibe. Reminiscent of Cameron Diaz's character in The Holiday and Younger's Kelsey Peters, Rachel Winter's main character, Evie, is overworked and unappreciated at work, but also struggles in the romance department. When she makes a deal with an A-list screenwriter that romantic comedies can reflect real life, she starts experimenting with different "meet-cutes" -- like dumping a drink on a stranger. Little does Evie know the ways these experiences will test her -- romantically, emotionally, and mentally.

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I thought this was absolutely adorable. I loved evie and Ben. The writing was hilarious. Thank you to netgalley for the Arc.

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***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

A cute, but predictable story about meet-cutes and rom-coms. The romance was decent, but the parts that stand out are Evie's friendships and the way she gains her confidence.

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2 stars
I just could not get into this book. Maybe it was because I was on a long road trip, but this book was a struggle for me.

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This is a smart, satisfying read. Evie is an agent's assistant who has been trying to get promoted for years. She finally sees her chance when the big-name screenwriter her boss represents has writer's block while trying to write a contracted rom-com. Evie sets up a few Meet Cutes to try and help him some inspiration. Hilarity ensues ... and along the way she might just meet a pretty amazing guy...but can it be real if it's happened during a fake meet-cute?

I loved this book! Each time I thought I had figured out where the author was going next she surprised me. A sweet rom-com read, with a heroine who learns that she just might be enough no matter what, which we definitely need more of these days. Loved this story.

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Title: Would Like to Meet
Author: Rachel Winters
Genre: Adult Contemporary/Romance
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2019
eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Can you believe that this was my first book from this genre?? Well, believe it! And guess what? I absolutely enjoyed it! I only had one minor issue with it but it didn't take away from me being invested in this rom-com!

Evie is funny, determined, and does what she needs to when it comes to getting the job done. I loved how she decided to try and make things that happen in rom-coms a reality and honestly, it made me laugh quite a lot. Ezra was an interesting character and wasn't really what I was expecting. There were some cute moments from him and other times I just eye-rolled so hard. My favorite characters were Ben and Anette. Without these two, this wouldn't have been as good as it was. They really added to the plot and I loved the interactions between them and Evie. They were literally my favorite scenes!

The chapters have a unique beginning as there is always a part that reads like a script. I loved the added bonus of this since it plays into the plot so well. I also found myself enjoying the emails between Evie and Ezra. They were cute and funny. It also wouldn't be a great rom-com without your friends guiding you through and the texts between Evie and her friends was another bonus!

The plot was hilarious, cute, and investing. It was hard to put it down when it came to bed and I found myself just thinking about when I would be able to pick it up again. Although some of the plot twists were obvious, I didn't mind. I love a good cheesy rom-com and this one definitely hit that spot!

Overall, it was a great read! If you are a fan of rom-coms or just want a feel-good read then do yourself a favor and check this one out!

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Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was an interesting twist to the whole rom-com romance. Evie is tasked with ensuring screenwriter Ezra finishes his script for his contracted rom-com movie. Except he hasn't written anything and Evie agrees to inspire him by sending him notes from her own attempts at meeting men through the silly ways portrayed in the movies. This is a cute idea and would have made a terrific novel if it weren't for the fact that it was heavily scripted with text messages to her friends, interrupted by incerpts of her writing and bogged down by not so funny scenes of her trying to meet guys at weird locations.
Her drama with Ezra was too drawn out and overshadowed the true romantic moments she has with Ben. Great idea but poor on the execution.

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Absolutely delightful!

A fun, sweet, romp that felt like your favorite rom com movie in novel form.

Evie is easy to root for, and hilarious! Following her harebrained schemes was great fun.

Also Ben and Annette were the sweetest pairing I loved them, and that ending *whew* if you're a sucker for a solid rom com meet cute/grand gesture Rachel Winters delivers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Penguin group!

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Overall, this is a very cute (almost sickeningly) little rom com of a book. I had issues with the cliche-ness of the characters and events that occurred, but considering this is an extremely meta rom com, that would likely be a given. The main character was a bit ridiculous, but I really loved Ben and Anette. NOB was a knob.

Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher for sending me an e-galley of this book!

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I had so much fun with Would Like to Meet! I started reading it at night (terrible mistake on my part) and didn't want to go to bed (spoiler alert, I did). Evie was a great character off the bat. I suffer from immense second-hand embarrassment. If you do too, be warned! She puts herself through some terrible situations to get a good "meet-cute". It's really fun though.. Almost too crazy to ever happen in real life, so it made it bearable to read for me! Her best friends were all surprisingly good characters without having them developed too much. I loved anytime she went to the coffee shop and Annette and Ben were there. Really all her characters were just so fun, and I truly didn't want to put it down.

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One sentence summary: Evie recreates famous movie meet cutes as a way to inspire a jerk client to write a screenplay, and learns a lot about herself in the process.

This book is amazing. It's a romantic comedy that makes fun of romantic comedies but also isn't bitter about them. Evie's antics are very funny and her insecurities are relatable. Even when, as a reader, I knew she was making stupid mistakes, it was easy to root for her. Her growth and increased confidence by the end of the book was great to witness. I'm positive that this book will be made into a real movie rather quickly, and can't wait to see it!

I did have some problems with it, though. The last third or so of the book dragged a little bit, and some characters could have been developed better (in particular, I thought NOB was a little weak. I understand that in real life people are complicated, but his drastic personality changes were tough to deal with. He's awful-but drives her home at Christmas- but he uses her at the premier, and for his screenplay, and crashes a wedding-but then he confesses everything and saves Evie's career. To me he came across as plot device, not complicated character. Could be just me, though).

In any case, this book was overall great, you should definitely read it, and I can't wait for another book by Rachel Winters. My thanks to her, NetGalley, and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for this review.

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A fun read. The story was unique, and I enjoyed reading through all the failed meet-cute scenarios. That said, I felt the book was slow to pick up speed. It was also highly predictable at times.
That said, it was enjoyable. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a beach read, or an easy book to pick up when looking for something super light.

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