This one was funny, charming, cute, and relatable. I really enjoyed the plot and characters, including the dogs!

TL;DR:
- 3 stars
- Content warnings: death of a spouse/parent, infidelity
- An opposites attract hallmark-esque romance good for those looking for a bit of love in unbelievable circumstances.

Loved:
- Really really good sexual tension (though, candidly, all that and then a fade to black gave me some whiplash)
- Maddie (the love interest's daughter) was so cute, if not unbelievably cute for her age.

Less into:
- The circumstance were SO hallmark: big city girl goes to small town and falls in love with grump while turning his life and business around. I like this storyline a lot when it's executed right and this just didn't quite hit the mark for me.
- Lucas was so so so frustrating for so much of the book. I fully understand he was grieving and clearly didn't have the emotional vocabulary to work through it without resorting to misogynistic stereotypes in dialogue but SHEEEEESH. Chill out, buddy. Didn't feel like it was worth it for Paige to be wading through all that at various points of the book.

Overall this is a quick and very picturesquely set book, not one that I will remember much of or write home about but enjoyable for what it is.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Happy Singles Day by Ann Marie Walker is a lighthearted and charming romantic comedy that celebrates the joys of being single and finding self-fulfillment. With its witty banter, relatable characters, and a touch of romance, this book offers an entertaining escape and a reminder of the importance of self-love and embracing independence.

The story revolves around Harper, a successful businesswoman who finds herself unexpectedly single on Singles Day, a holiday she has never paid much attention to before. Determined to make the most of her newfound freedom, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, self-care, and unexpected adventures with her group of supportive friends.

Ann Marie Walker's writing is engaging and flows effortlessly, allowing readers to easily immerse themselves in Harper's world. The book combines humor, friendship, and a dash of romance, creating an enjoyable and light read perfect for those seeking a feel-good escape.

Harper is a relatable and likable protagonist, navigating the challenges of modern dating, work-life balance, and societal expectations. Her determination to embrace her independence and focus on her personal growth adds depth to her character and serves as a source of inspiration for readers who may relate to her experiences.

The supporting characters, particularly Harper's friends, bring an additional layer of fun and camaraderie to the story. Their interactions and witty banter contribute to the book's light-hearted atmosphere and add depth to the theme of friendship and support.

While the book explores themes of self-love and personal growth, the romantic aspect could have been further developed to create a more satisfying emotional connection. The romance felt somewhat rushed and lacked the depth and chemistry that would have elevated the story to a higher level.

Happy Singles Day is an enjoyable and breezy read that celebrates the joys of singlehood and the importance of self-discovery. Ann Marie Walker's storytelling captures the essence of friendship, self-love, and embracing independence, making this book a delightful choice for fans of romantic comedies seeking an entertaining and empowering escape.

Disclosure: I received an ARC of Happy Singles Day from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Singles Day is one of my older ARCs that I put off because of the mediocre and negative ratings. But I won a print copy from the publisher, so I figured I may as well give it a change and I'm glad I did because, unpopular opinion, I actually enjoyed it!

City girl Paige Parker makes the spontaneous decision to book a vacation at a bed & breakfast on Aurelia Island. She wants to spend the week cozying up at the beach and celebrating Happy Singles Day. But her vacation is off to a terrible start with a storm and it gets even worse when she meets the grumpy bed & breakfast owner. Lucas Croft is a single dad whose entire life revolves around his daughter, especially after his wife passed away two years ago. And no matter what his well-meaning sister says, he's not ready to liven up the bed & breakfast for an uptight city girl.

To be honest, I didn't like the first chapter of this book at all because I hated the whole conversation about how being 30 years old is akin to being old and that a woman's biological clock is ticking away. It was all a bit too much. But I decided to keep going until the hero and heroine meet for the first time. Lucas was extremely annoying at first, but he gets so much better after the first 20% or so. I love that Paige and Lucas acted like grownups and declared a truce early on. Their personalities are a lot more palatable after the truce and the romance really kicks off as a result.

This book had the coziest small island vibes and I was here for it. I really liked the atmosphere, especially with the storm and heavy rains forcing Paige to remain at the bed & breakfast. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was a simple, easy, and breezy story to read. Both characters improved as you got to know them and I loved the supporting characters as well. The romance is a slow burn fade to black and I don't have any complaints about that.

Overall, this was a breezy city-girl-in-a-small-town romance, with a dash of home organization and renovation. I'm not sure why the average rating is so low, but I personally had a good time reading this story.

This was cute! I should have previewed reviews as I prefer more steam in my contemporaries but the characters were bright/fun, enough to keep me interested

I really wanted to like this book but it just wasn't for me! DNF'd at 27% I didn't like any of the main characters and I all felt very one dimensional to me.

This was a fantastic read! Ever since I have picked up this book on NetGalley, I feel like I am always finding this book on the shelves at any bookstore I walk into! The attention that this book has received is well deserved and I look forward to reading even more by Ann Marie Walker!

This is definitely an easy read, and a heartfelt romance. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Paige and Lucas

Super cute light and fluffy read- single dad and grumpy hero trope. If you like hallmark movies you’d like this one for sure. I wasn’t on board initially because grumpy hero is hard for me to like, BUT Lucas grew on me and I thought their relationship was so cute 🥰

CW: death of a loved one, cheating

I received an e-ARC of this book thanks to Netgalley and the publisher. However, this book came out way before I made the time to read it.

It's so wild to me that this is the same author as Lucky Leap Day, which I thoroughly enjoyed, because I did not have a good time with this one at all.

This book didn't work for me. What I thought was the point of the story, based on the title and the premise, didn't exist. There was also zero chemistry between the love interests and the dual POV's were written in the same tone and hard to differentiate. I don't understand how this was supposed to fall into the hate-to-love category because they wanted to bone immediately and there was zero angst.

Not my cup of tea, but I'll likely read the author's other books because, like I said, I did enjoy their later novel!

Unfortunately this romance just wasn't for me. I didn't feel like the romance was well developed, and I wanted a bit more development from the characters.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for the e-review copy!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Two people who are very happy and proud to be single end up falling for one another in this laugh-out-loud romance.

I chose this book purely for the cover, and this definitely did not disappoint. Not quite sure if this is a first purchase, but definitely a backlist bump

I found it to be a slow-burn cute and light hearted read that kept my interest throughout.

Paige and Lucas are absolutely adorable together. It was low on the steam factor but I still thought their chemistry was good.

I want to thank The Publisher and Netgalley for generously providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. I tried to listen to it but it was too slow. Thank you for letting me read and review this book.

Unable to read per content, didn't leave a review since I didnt finish reading the book. Just wasnt a right fit for me.

This was a cute read. I love the idea of Paige celebrating singles day in a cute BnB away from everything. Maddie was the absolute cutest and the relationship between Paige and Lucas developed nicely.

If you’re looking for a cute feel good easy read that will make you smile and maybe laugh some, definitely read this one. This was a nice break from the other types of books I read (thriller etc) and was a good palette cleanser. Very cute.

A single lady at her prime engrossed with work (post-breakup + off-market mode) got convinced by her assistant to celebrate Singles Awareness Day on a quaint island with a hunk widower as the host that looks like Ryan Reynolds. Hmm...any initial thoughts on what else can happen? :)

The plot is predictable, yet funny. At numerous times I was smiling from ear-to-ear reading through the text. A light and entertaining read in one sitting

I really wanted to love this book, and it sounded like it was going to be right up my alley. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. There were a lot of issues with the hero and his thoughts/views that turned me off to the character. And then add in what felt like very dated references and an unbelievable chemistry between the leads and it was just harder to get through than the usual rom com. Sorry, this one just wasn't for me.