This book isn't your typical romance... in the best way possible. Declan, our protagonist has some serious commitment issues (left his last boyfriend at the altar and enjoys being a temp rather than having a permanent job), so when he decides to turn over a new leaf and date seriously again, he also agrees to discuss on non-binary YouTuber, Sidney's, show. Sidney sets him on a series of dates that they debrief afterward, but soon Declan realizes he make like the host more than any of the suitors...

The main thing I loved about this book was how REAL and raw it felt. It showed the true awkwardness of first dates, relationship beginnings, and anxiety revolving around such. The dialogue didn't feel censored or contrived (be warned, there's a lot of swearing--the main friend group even calls themselves the Marginalized Mutherf*ckers), and I loved the little crossed out lines showing what Declan was really thinking. This story just seemed so authentic. It's closed door but #sexpositive at the same time, which is fantastic, and I really appreciated this story coming from an #OwnVoices author.

I teetered back and forth between giving this story and 4 and 5 because the pacing was a little off for me--the main characters got together relatively early so I just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, which gave me a bit of anxiety, and because of the ebook format I was reading in, I couldn't tell how much I had left!

Declan is introduced by his friends as the man who ditched his last partner at the altar. He works as a temp, because even a permanent employed position feels like too much of a commitment. When he's introduced to Sidney ( who runs a YouTube advice channel) he feels an instant connection. Sidney invites Declan to take part in a show, The Love Study, where Declan will be set up on dates, and come on the show to give feedback. After date 3 it is clear that Declan doesn't want to date anybody except Sidney, and Sidney feels the same. They begin to hang out and things are going well. Except, Declan freaks out. He feels there is just something missing in him, that he'll mess up anything that is good and that Sidney deserves better. He has a panic attack and ends whatever it is they're doing.

Declan is devastated. He misses Sidney more than he would have ever imagined. His friends give him a pep talk (the friendship group in this book is wonderful) and he tentatively reaches out. As Sidney and Declan talk they realise that they care deeply about one another, but neither of them wants to label what they have. All they want to do is do everything they enjoy and nothing that they don't.

The Love Study is funny, sweet and unconventional. For example, it annoyed me at first that Sidney was always referred to as 'they' - until I realised the point was that we, the reader, didn't need to know Sidney's gender. The point is, love is love. And it doesn't matter how people choose to define that. It's what works for the people in question. And together Sidney and Declan do work. The rest is not important.

A modern love story that breaks down barriers and highlights what really matters. Communication, honesty, love, laughter and chemistry. The rest - well, we're all just muddling our way through.

The Love Study is the story of Declan, a self-declared commitment-phobe in all aspects of his life. He's been working as a temp in (the same) office for years and he famously left his fiancé at the altar on the day of their wedding (and none of his friends will let him forget it). As Declan decides that he might be willing to try and commit to a relationship he meets Sidney, a nonbinary Youtuber, who presents him with a unique opportunity: star in an online series on Sidney's channel called The Love Study. In exchange for being set up on dates with potential matches, Declan will report back on said dates and be interview by Sidney. It's an experiment and one that might help get Declan out his funk... until he realises that it's not the dates that are the problem, he's just started to fall for Sidney instead.

This was a really fun, quick and easy weekend read that includes a delightfully fun and funny main and supporting cast of characters. The premise is kind of cheesy, but also very relevant to today's demographic market and it was nice to see Youtube being portrayed as a stable career opportunity for people who have decided to genuinely pursue it (although I am the first to admit it's not for everyone).

Declan and Sidney were interesting characters, although I don't know if they had quite the emotional chemistry to carry the entire story. They both have their own issues they're working through - and stumble their way through together in the book - and even though I know that by the end of the book they're willing to try and make it work, I question whether the relationship would survive long term.

The true standouts in this book were Declan's close-knit circle of friends (including Declan's ex-fiance). It's clear they've all been through the highs and lows with each other and they know exactly which buttons to push to get an emotional reaction from each other. And, at the same time, you know they would do anything to help each other out. A lot of the truly hilarious scenes and banter come about when you get a few of the group together and I loved every one of them by the end of the book.

So while it's not necessarily one of my favourite books it's definitely something that I enjoyed overall and I'm interested in trying some of Kris Ripper's other works at a later date.

I just finished this book and my initial thoughts are these:

1) CUTE.
2) I love that there are more and more genderqueer authors writing genderqueer characters. And I love that in this story, Sidney being GQ wasn’t an issue, at all. Delightful.
3) The way relationships & dating are explored in this book was really interesting and not something I’ve really seen in romance books before. Refreshing!
4) I need some fanart of Sidney & Declan, because they both sound like they have awesome fashion sense. (Rainbow suspenders?! YES PLEASE.)

Alright, now to a more coherent review. I randomly found this book for request on NetGalley, and the cover immediately intrigued me - and then I read the description, and knew I had to get my hands on a copy!

Declan Swick-Smith (how’s that for a last name?) is infamous among his friends for one thing: leaving his last boyfriend at the altar. He’s sworn off dating ever since then, not wanting to put anyone else through that, and it’s been working out fine ... until he meets Sidney, a popular nonbinary YouTuber who runs a weekly advice show. After learning a bit of Declan’s history, Sidney suggests a new idea for the show: The Love Study - where Sidney arranges different dates for Declan, and then they dissect and chat about the dates in later episodes. Declan gamely agrees, and as the dates progress and he spends more time with Sidney, he begins to realise that he’s actually less interested in the date part of the show ... and more interested in Sidney.

What follows is a fun, sweet, sometimes angsty story following Declan and Sidney: full of documentaries, cooking, anxiety, lots of talking about feelings, amazing outfits, mistakes, tears, and laughter. What made this book different than other queer romcoms that I’ve read is the way that relationships and dating are explored and talked about - it’s hard to describe exactly what I mean by that, but it’ll make sense if you read the book (and you should)!

For readers of romance who expect, ahem, ‘spicy’ scenes - there aren’t any. It is definitely implied, and there are discussions about it, but no descriptions. I didn’t find that to be a problem, though, because getting to know Declan and Sidney was good enough for me.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Out on September 29, 2020.

Love study was about a YouTube queer dating show led by Sidney (non-binary) to help Declan (queer cis male) figure out want he wanted in a relationship since he had a hard time with one. Sidney set Declan up with weekly dates and he reported back his experience each week, The dates were a bit confusing to me. I didn’t understand the purpose behind them. Clearly the relationship between Sidney and Declan had a stronger connection than the dates. I enjoyed their dynamic in every scene. They were adorable and sweet together.

I didn’t care for Declan’s friends. They were not nice about how he left Mason at the alter. It was six years ago, and they couldn’t let it go already. What it made it worse was how they introduced him that way to everyone they meet?! I felt bad for Declan because he was a great guy that made a poor choice that never disappeared.

I’m glad I picked this book, it was a cute and sweet book that I enjoyed. I’m looking forward to the next book!

I received this ARC from the publisher and Netgalley for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

When I saw The Love Study I grabbed this book up to read and review without hesitation. There aren’t enough books out there that feature nonbinary characters as a love interest.

Declan, always introduced to new people as, “This is Declan, he left his boyfriend at the alter” doesn’t have the best dating record. When he meets Sidney, a YouTuber with an advice show, an opportunity jumps him in the face. Sidney will arrange a series of dates and his report of how those dates went would be featured in Sidney’s YouTube show The Love Study.

What I enjoyed about the dates? Each date was so different from the one before it. Then, of course, we figure out why the dates weren’t as successful as they could have been. Declan is attracted to and has chemistry with is Sidney.

When they finally get together, it was the sweetest thing ever. There were moments I had the cheesiest grin when they would spend time together. Sidney was an introvert, through and through, which I related to so much. I’m good with spending moments of quiet with another person and I’d be content with that. You don’t really get to see introverts portrayed the way Sidney was and I was all about it.

The banter between all the characters was so much fun. Like, the Marginalized Motherfuckers? LOVED them in all their messy goodness. I could see why their friendship had survived for so long.

There were a couple of issues I had with The Love Study. I couldn’t picture either Sidney or Declan at all. It made me crazy not being able to picture them in my head as I was reading. Then the conflict towards the end, it left me with a meh feeling.

I love a good romance book and I think this is the first romance book that I have read that features a nonbinary character which was really great to see and I think the author did a great job at creating a realistic relationship that many people can connect to.

This book stars Drew, someone who has commitment issues (in both work and relationships) and Sidney, who hosts a YouTube dating show. When Drew goes on Sidney's show to go on a variety of dates he realizes that Sidney is who he actually wants to be with.

I enjoyed this book, but I did feel like the relationship was established very quickly and wish that there was a bit more of a build up. Sidney, as a nonbinary character was written well and I really liked them as a character (more than Drew). I wish there may have been more going on throughout the book, but the book is very character driven and overall I really enjoyed it.

DNF @ 13%. The writing style just wasn't working for me. I really liked the story itself, but the characters felt very young.

Thank You to NetGalley and Publisher for providing me eARC in exchange for a honest opinion
_____

The Love Study by Kris Ripper is a sweet rom-com with a non binary YouTuber, Sidney and a guy with commitment issues, Declan. They both work together to make their show "The Love Study" a successful show on YouTube.

The story building is kinda slow in the start, but the book picks up somewhere in the middle of the story. We see witty, and sharp comments and dialogues between the two characters and their friends. This was my first book with non-binary character, and I am amazed with how perfectly the author has written it.

The characters feel real, and this is not some fancy romantic novel. The author has made the characters and the plot very realistic. I liked how the story progresses in the later half of the book. Declan's character progresses with his commitment issues with the help of the guy whom he left at the altar. We see Mason and Mia, getting married.

The book also taught me that bringing only flowers and chocolates for your partner is not the only definition of romance. Even getting them an electric toothbrush when they get cavities, is equally romantic and hilarious (in a sweet way) at the same time. 😂 And the fact that your ex's are completely compatible to be your friends in the future.

Declan's friends always introduce him as having left his last boyfriend at the alter. When he gets an opportunity to go on a videocast for a segment called the Love Study, he jumps at the chance. He enjoys the idea of the experiment, but then realizes he's falling for the host of the show. The only problem is - Sidney doesn't date.

This was a good book, with a good story line. Ultimately Declan does not feel like he is deserving of love, and when he gets close to someone he runs away. I really loved how much representation and diversity was in this book, and that it was own voices. I would tell that Kris Ripper wrote the book from ze's heart. I do wish that Sidney's character had been developed more. They had a life that obviously had a lot of backstory, but I feel like I just didn't get enough of it.

I look forward to seeing what else Kris Ripper writes in the future and will definitely check out the books! I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher for an open and honest review. All opinions are 100% mine.

This book was too CUTE! I have never read a book with Non-Binary characters. I honestly didn't know what that word meant. And I was so in love with the characters, that I had to stop and google the term, and I was so happy I did.

Declan has a past that has been following him for years, he left his boyfriend at the alter, and that ruined his rep and even ruined his own self esteem. But then he meets Sydney, and hes a Non-Binary, which means, in the way I best understand, a person who doesn't identify themselves as a gender and someone who likes who they like, they reject gender identities and for one I love how the author doesn't use "he" in the book, and gave Sydney the name that he has as well, because the character does not identify themselves as any gender.

Anyway, so Sydney has this YouTube channel, and with their new segment, they decide that Declan will be a great person for their project. And he is, and the sweetest thing about this book is his self discovery, the ability to finally discover his true self, and to finally let go of the past and fall in love again. They are both hard eggs to crack that's for sure, and it was a little big of a slow burn and alot of things were harder for me to understand, so I wish the author was more specific with why some terms were used more clearly, But other than that this book was an ideal LGBTQ Rom-Com, of course after I had to break my neck with research, lol.

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

After leaving wis groom at the alter 6 years ago, Declan is finally ready to start actually dating again. Coincidentally at this time he is introduced to Sidney and they invite Dec to join their YouTube show to assist his return to the work of dating. A win-win for both of them.

Sidney finds dates for Dec and they discuss and deconstruct them together afterwards… that is until the chemistry between Dec and Sidney becomes much greater than any of his dates... and they decide to date each other!

Sidney and Dec make a cute couple, but I found the internal dialogue from Dec to be distracting and at times hard to follow. The same can be said about Dec’s very vibrant friends … very quick and at times hard to follow. Another distraction was the scenes of Dec at work. I didn’t see how they moved the story forward. They felt almost like a break from he regular story.

Another aspect I had difficulty with was with Kris not feeling like he was deserving of love/ success and constantly sabotaging himself. I’m sure there must be readers who will relate to this and find Kris’s accepting that he is deserving, but I found his resolve somewhat rushed.

Overall, It was really interesting to read about the romance between a queer man and a nonbinary person. I enjoyed how they made their relationship their own and did not conform to regular relationship standards.

The Love Study by Kris Ripper is scheduled to release September 29th, 2020.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin and the Harlequin Publicity Team. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#TheLoveStudy #KrisRipper #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads

LGBTQ+,romance, fluffy light hearted read with a promising premise. Declan gets cold feet and leaves his boyfriend at the alter. He has an aversion to commitment that's challenged when he meets Sydney- a YouTuber he hits it off with during his YouTube show The Love Study.. The romantic tension would have benefited from being better developed and portions of the story didn't really advance the plot. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC

Twentysomething Declan reluctantly joins a YouTube advice show to find romance, then falls for Sidney, the host of the show. The queer, consent-and-communication angle brings a refreshing twist to the tropey premise and I couldn’t put it down. While I wish parts were more fleshed out, the novella as a whole is absolutely adorable.

My main wish is that Sidney had more character development. Declan confronts several of his own commitment issues across the story, but Sidney doesn’t really grow. They just expresses their desires and boundaries while Declan figures himself out and offers advice just as they would to their viewers. They aren’t pretentious about it, and they never have to educate Declan about their identity which was a breath of fresh air, but I still want to know so much more about them.

Overall, definitely recommending The Love Study for a light and fluffy read!

This was such a sweet read, & it is great to see romance novels that feature people of different races, sexualities & genders as the main characters, not just the sassy best friend. I liked the slow build to Declan & Sidney's relationship and how, after some angst, they formed a relationship that worked for them.

Sometimes a book just hits you right where it hurts, only in the best possible way. The Love Study? Basically went above and beyond that.

The story
Declan has commitment issues. He’s been an office temp for literally years now, and his friends delight in telling people that he left his last boyfriend at the altar.

And that’s all true. But he’s starting to think it’s time to start working on his issues. Maybe.

When Declan meets Sidney—a popular nonbinary YouTuber with an advice show—an opportunity presents itself: as part of The Love Study, Declan will go on a series of dates arranged by Sidney and report back on how the date went in the next episode.

The dates are…sort of blah. It’s not Sidney’s fault; the folks participating are (mostly) great people, but there’s no chemistry there. Maybe Declan’s just broken.

Or maybe the problem is that the only person he’s feeling chemistry with is Sidney.

The opinion

Honestly, Kris Ripper knows what ze’s doing. That’s about the simplest way to summarise the experience that was reading this book. Declan’s struggle with anxiety and fear of commitment was expressed in such a tangible, real way I could almost feel it myself. Take his ramblings whenever he got nervous – they seemed almost too on point and too recognisable and basically exactly what I would do (have done) myself.

The way the slow growth of his camaraderie with his co-worker and his temp place mirrored his personal evolution. His need to make himself fit in a format that just doesn’t work for him? The level of maturing he has to do, and is conscious of having to do? All of it could have been too in your face – but somehow, it never was.

The same can be said about the rest of the cast of The Love Study. I mean, there’s a lot of very varied representation but it never felt forced. I don’t like to talk about an “ideal world” or anything like that, but the level of automatic acceptance each of these characters showed for the others? Kind of something to strive for.

The rating: 4.5/5
There’s this thing I do where, if I liked a book too much, I have a lot of trouble explaining exactly why I loved it so much. As should be clear by now – that’s true for this book as well. Reading it felt basically like an immersive experience… And I kinda really can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

-Saar

𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒚. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒖𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅.

Declan is 28 years old and a total commitment phobe.
He had sworn off romance ever since he left his last boyfriend at the altar.
But lately he has grown tired of his no dating policy and wants to dip his toes in the dating pool again.
When he meets Sidney at a party, the first thing that intrigues him about them is their funky, red hipster glasses. When Sidney proposes that he should come onto their YouTube Channel and talk about his recent dating adventures he is certainly interested.
What could go wrong? They would be killing two birds with one stone.
Sydney provides him with dates, and he provides them with content.
A mutually benefitting partnership.

“𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂. 𝑰𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉.”
𝑰 𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎.
“𝑰 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒆.”

So Declan goes on a dating spree and talks about it on Sydney's advice show. But the only problem is, he isn't drawn to any of them as he is to Sydney.

Will Declan realize that the special someone he has been looking for, has been right under his nose all along?

Coupled with quirky meddling friends, geeky banter and failed dating adventures, this was one feel good read!
I loved how the author handled a non binary representation and mental health issues. Each character felt real, unique and relatable. The dialogue was trendy and light.
I especially loved the HFN ending, it fitted well with the characters and the storyline.

If you are looking for an LGBTQ+ book with some great representation, a YA vibe and a sweet romance, I definitely recommend this.

The Love Study is the first book in a new series by Kris Ripper. This book contains so much sweetness and tenderness. This is the hug (in the form of a book) you have been waiting for this whole time. Declan and Sydney are incredibly charming and will have you falling in love with them and their adorable relationship right from the start.

Declan, who swore off dating and romance after leaving his last boyfriend at the altar, finds himself on a Youtube show where he is the subject of a dating advice segment. Sydney, the Youtuber responsible for the show is also a non-dater and the two hit it off immediately. In the Love Study we follow their adorable courtship-friendship and get to swoon the whole way through it.

I enjoyed every part of this fluffy romantic comedy. It was sweet, gentle and involved a lot of open dialogue and communication from both MC’s. The care and understanding both Declan and Sydney gave to one another was really endearing. Unlike some of Kris’s other works, all s3x acts happen off page in The Love Study. Read this story and you’ll find yourself smiling the whole time. The book also contains such a great found family as well. 4 stars from me!

I'll give this a 2.5 rounded to a 3 based on the clever premise.

What I liked:
~ the friends -- both had supportive friends that were both loyal and quirky.

What wasn't as strong:
~everything else -- don't get me wrong, I thought the premise was awesome, and I enjoyed the people, but it just didn't seem to go anywhere. Even the romance (which didn't really gel for me) seemed aimless. It was a little too much like real life (in that there wasn't a strong beginning, middle, climax, resolution, ending).

All in all, I didn't love it, but it was okay.

plot: declan meets a non-binary youtuber, who asks him to be part of their new show: the love study. declan is supposed to go on a few dates and talk about his experiences on sydney's show, but after a while he realises that the only one he really wants to date is sydney.

3.5/5🌟: having a non-binary love interest is so very important and i was so excited to read this one. don't get me wrong, this was an enjoyable fast paced read, but it could have been so much more. nevertheless, there's great representation of all sexualities in this one, there's a bit of non-white representation, as well, but there unfortunately wasn't really a focus on that. the language that was used was amazingly non-binary friendly, as a nb person it felt great to read about a character, who has no problem at all with constantly using they/them pronouns and acknowledging that you can't tell a person's gender by just looking at them. it was the little things that really warmed my heart! for the first 80% the communication between declan and sidney was great and there wasn't really any drama happening, but then the so well known trope of the conflict happened and let's just say that i didn't like the execution of that. at last, finally this was a book not about teenagers, but about 20-something queer people. we need more of this. i started reading queer books when i was 13 and i absolutely adored high school books, but i'm 21 now and a huge part of the queer bookstagram community has grown too, we deserve more relatable reads like this one!

thanks to netgalley i got an early digital access copy in exchange for an honest opinion.