Unfortunately I could not get interested in this book, therefore I did not finish it. I will not be reviewing this book.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
2/5 stars.
I felt like this book had a lot of promise based off of the synopsis, but the execution fell flat for me.
First of all, I didn’t connect with Dana, the main character, at all. I found her annoying, self-centered, and incredibly childish. The other characters weren’t much better for me. I found them shallow and one-dimensional.
Secondly, I found that the two plot lines that book was following were boring and unnecessary. The romance felt incredibly forced and I didn’t believe for a second hat there was a spark between Dana and Lorenzo or Dana and Ari. The murder mystery aspect also felt underwhelming. It was fairly predictable and I didn’t believe in Dana’s need to be there and try to help.
The third, and biggest thing, that bothered me was that the book had a ton of typos. I know that this was an ARC, but it was so frustrating. The book really hated any combination of “fl” because they were always written like this:
“f lat” f lirting” “ref lection” “butterf lies”
It drove me crazy because it interrupted the flow of reading.
This book wasn’t for me in the end, and I don’t think I’d recommend it to anyone else to read.

Love Sold Separately is a fun, light cross between a Romantic Comedy and a Cozy Mystery – one that packs a big entertaining punch.

What I Like

I enjoy a mystery that I cannot solve before the conclusion, and this story delivers just that. There are plenty of red herrings and misdirections that kept me guessing the whole way through. And, I wasn’t even close to solving the mystery of who killed Kitty Todd.

I found the romantic journey that Dana undergoes to be a fun adventure due to her defiant spirit, a penchant for breaking the rules, and a taste in men who also break the rules. It is a predictable love story, but I still found it enjoyable.

I loved the relationships between Dana and her dad and sister. They are sophisticated and richly developed to include both the functional and dysfunctional aspects. There is a little bit in there about her mother too, but just enough to know that she isn’t a significant presence in Dana’s life.

I found all the characters to be well-developed and many of them likable. I was not fond of Dana, but only in a way that if she were a real person, we probably wouldn’t be best friends. She makes a lot of bad choices, and I’ll even go so far as to say that she needs a mother figure in her life to help her sort through all of her options and offer advice. However, she is challenging enough not to take that advice. She would forge ahead, making her path and dealing with the consequences of poor choices.

To Read or Not to Read
If you are in the mood for a lighthearted, fun read, this is a perfect choice.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The title and the cover of this one are both completely deceiving. I went into this one expecting more of a romcom and though there is a slight romance to it, it was more of an office drama/ murder mystery. I can’t say I love this one but it was a super quick read. There were too many characters who I didn’t feel added to the story and a lot of unnecessary things went into to much detail. I did appreciate the humor spread throughout and can see some people loving that although it is about murder it is super light.

I freely admit…I #dnf this; I didn’t finish and gave up around the 30% mark. I love a good murder mystery and with some romance thrown in? I’m all over it.

But I couldn’t get passed Dana. I couldn’t connect with her. She felt immature and annoying. Case in point: she got fired from Hot Topic for being a mean girl to a customer. Who does that?? I thought it would improve once the story evolved and she got the home shopping network gig, but she still made stupid decisions. She jeopardizes her contract with the new job purely to be this savior to her theatre group, regardless of the fact that she could be sued and it’s not like she has a savings account.

Ugh. I just can’t handle that a 29 year old woman acts so immature and rebellious FOR NO REASON.

Sorry. Hard pass.

I think the MC puts herself in positions for the sake of putting herself in them and it does not move the plot along very well. It then becomes tedious and expected. I thought this was a fine and cute story, but nothing special that would stand out or that I would say is unique. The murder-mystery was fine, but I just could not relate to the romance or the MC.

3 Stars
Our Main Character things all rules are made to be Bent..not broken But Bent... That puts her into a difficult position repeatedly. She may be in over her head and the hunky handsome detective may have to save her.

I went into this book expecting a love story and instead was given a murder mystery with a side of a love triangle. I liked this book aside, who doesn’t love a good whodunit? However, I felt that the crime aspect of the book took away from any real romance building which is the reason why I am reading and reviewing this particular novel. I liked the characters, and I liked the plot. Home shopping channel star host with a mystery to solve? Sign me up! The book definitely did it’s job as a whodunit, it had me guessing the whole time who in fact had done it. The two main love interests failed to intrigue me too much. Lorenzo wasn’t attractive because it seemed that he thought he was above Dana and Ari was unattractive from the start because he was a cop and kind of a jerk. I really enjoyed the main character Dana, her personality made her delight to read about. Although, some parts I found her annoying for not connecting certain dots sooner. I also really loved the rising actress-that-actually-has-a-shot plotline in books so it automatically gained my approval in that department. I give this book three stars from the point of view of a romance novel reviewer, because the mystery really did take away from what the best part of a romance novel is, ignorance AND bliss.

This was such a fun and quick read! The main character Dana was super relatable was really fun to read! I loved the mix of the murder mystery with the romance! Thank you NetGalley And harlequin publishing for the ARC!

I've never read anything by Ellen Meister before, and while I did enjoy her writing style, this book wasn't my favorite. I didn't fall in love with the main character and wasn't rooting for her. Overall, the book felt a bit too cheesy-dramatic. I did enjoy watching Dana grow throughout the book, but it wasn't enough to win me over.

I felt very connected to Dana the main character. Dana is an aspiring actress who is struggling just to get by until she finally gets her big break only for her first day to coincide with a possible murder. Dana not only learns how to survive in her new job but also works to find out the truth to what happened.

I loves how Dana was not a perfect character and that her flaws we showcased and even a focus on occasion. Only things that kept this from a 5/5 was a relationship that came out of no where and a last chapter that seemed un needed for the actual plot of the book.

Still would recommend.

Dana Barry is an actress who likes to live in the world's grey area, aka she enjoys bending the rules. Dana having taken an on air position with the shopping channel is excited for her very first day but the super star of the channel is found dead in her office from a gun shot wound before Dana's contract is even finalized! The sound engineer she was with at the time of murder is one of prime suspects due to his past and small incidents keep happening to the set when she's on air. Will these mysterious happenings continue the entire time she is with the Shopping Channel, will the hot detective who keeps popping up listen to her, because Dana is someone who notices small details and she is pretty sure she knows what happened with the stars death. Meister spins a good mystery and combining a romcom that makes for an interesting and quick read.

I'm giving this a rating of 2.5/3 stars. It was so-so for me. I enjoyed the murder mystery aspect, but I didn't connect with the main character, Dana, much at all. It felt more like a soap-opera-turned-book, and the "love" portion of the book felt rushed. The writing style was great, but the book just wasn't for me.

RomCom meets murder-mystery in Love Sold Separately by Ellen Meister

Love Sold Separately by Ellen Meister misses the mark.

I read Love Sold Separately by Ellen Meister in one afternoon while laying on my couch during a lazy Sunday. It took me a while to get into it. I found Dana, the main character, arrogant, problematic, and annoying. Eventually, the story and its characters grew on me, but it was too little, too late.

Dana is a struggling actress living in New York City who just got fired from Hot Topic for telling a teenager he wasn’t a “true emo.” (Insert eye-roll here) Her best friend and self-appointed manager, Megan, gets Dana an audition at the Shopping Channel. If only she can sober up quickly enough, she might have a good chance of being the next host for one of their shows!

As expected, our main character uses her wit and charm to nail the audition and wins the support of the queen bee at the network. But the celebrations are short-lived. As she is touring the studios, Dana is the first person at the scene of a crime. The main suspect? The charming Lorenzo, who she knows for a fact did not commit the crime.

Using the same attention to detail that landed her the job as host of a TV shopping show as well as her lack of self-control, Dana decides to unofficially take on the investigation. She must prove to the police Lorenzo is innocent.

Throughout the book, we meet (in no particular order): Olly her sweet and overly fragile assistant; Adam, an overworked producer; Dana’s dad, a rich snob; Sherry, her nemesis at work; Chelsea, her supportive and shopaholic sister; and Ari the tall, handsome, and mysterious lead detective on the case. All enjoyable, but mostly flat and sometimes stereotypical characters.

Love Sold Separately by Ellen Meister was fine. Dana has some relatable storylines and is full of funny clap-backs. Meinster gives us readers some solid romantic interests, although I must admit I wish we had more of them and less of detective-in-training Dana.

This book wasn’t for me. I considered giving up on it multiple times, but in the end, I don’t regret reading it. If you are in the mood for a quick beach or poolside read, this book is short, and the story goes fast (sometimes too fast).

Love Sold Separately by Ellen Meister comes out just before Labor Day weekend, but you can pre-order now.

What delectable rom-com. Sometimes you need that easy read that goes down smooth and I appreciate how well this book accomplished that. The adorable cover perfectly reflects the content inside.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I requested this book awhile ago so I had forgotten what the blurb said it was about when I started to read.
I was pleasantly surprised to find it turn from a whiny underemployed NYC 20 something trying to find a job while dodging her nice but irritating family into a cozy murder mystery.

The opening of the book does not make Dana very likeable. Thank goodness for her BFF / manager Megan who gets her an audition at the Shopping Channel. It does seem that her talents are well suited for that kind of gig and she thrives as an on air host.

She's just not a very nice person. She's observant and she can be charming but I'd suggest not dating her because she has a temper and holds a grudge. Although at the end of the book she does recognize all the people around growing and evolving so maybe there's hope for her?

I enjoyed the Shopping Channel content. That was a different setting for this kind of book instead of a bakery / flower shop / dog groomer.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*

This was such a quaint little romance/mystery. It felt like the book version of a Hallmark Channel movie and I was here for it. It was a quick and easy read with a great pace. It has a love triangle, a mysterious death and secrets - what more could you want for in a cozy mystery. This is a great book to curl up with on a rainy summer day and enjoy.

This book wasn't bad, the expectations I had for it just weren't accurate. I was hoping for more of a romance, and the main plot of this book is more mystery/thriller. While that isn't necessarily bad, it wasn't what I was thinking it was going into the book and therefore had a skewed enjoyment level. As a mystery, this book did it well. I enjoyed the characters and the writing style

This book was cute, but nothing that blew me away. I liked the characters, but the plot seemed like it has been overdone a few times.

In Ellen Meister’s new novel, Love Sold Separately, forget all preconceived notions about rom-coms or mysteries. This murder mystery set against the backdrop of a shopping television network is quite unique and hilarious to read about, but will also leave you guessing until the end of the novel.
This book was a unique mix of romance, drama, mystery, and comedy. Dana is a woman who is trying to catch a break and just keeps getting caught up in drama and trouble, but her sleuthing skills show her grit and determination to defend herself and those she cares about. I loved the development of the characters and, while I wished we got some more closure at the end about some of them, everything wrapped up very nicely!
The mystery itself wasn’t overtly obvious either. Everyone seems guilty and the killer was unexpected to me! I found it to be more on the side of mystery than thriller and didn’t find the book scary or creepy at all. There also wasn't much smut either, making this a tamer on both the mystery and romance fronts.
Without giving too much away, I think this book is definitely one to add to your list when it comes out August 25th! It’s engaging, unique, and will have you questioning everyone’s motives and intentions!