Thank you so much to @sourcebookscasa, @netgalley, and Ann Marie Walker for my gifted copy of Happy Singles Day! This fun romance is out on January 19th.

Synopsis: As a Certified Professional Organizer, everything in Paige Parker's world is as it should be. Perfect apartment, perfect office, perfect life. And now, the perfect vacation planned to honor Singles Day. After all, what's better than celebrating her pride in being single? Because who needs a man anyway? They have zero taste in quality television, leave the toilet seat up, and sleep with your best friend. No thanks. Her life is fine just the way it is.
As the owner of a now-dormant bed & breakfast, Lucas Croft's life is simple and quiet. It's only him and his five-year-old daughter, which is just the way he likes it. Because who needs a woman anyway? They nag you to clean up your stuff, want the toilet seat put down, and expect the dishes to be done the same day the meal is cooked. No thanks. His life is fine just the way it is.
But when Paige books a room that Lucas' well-intentioned sister listed without his knowledge, their two worlds collide. If they can survive the week together, they just might discover exactly what they've both been missing.
So to start, I adored the setting of this book, along with Walker’s writing about it. It was an easy setting to feature, which hooked me into the book. The island, the people, and the buildings were all so vivid and easy to picture! I also enjoyed how much the supporting characters supported the plot - they were all well-written, developed, and loveable.

I buddy read this with @lovearctually, and had a blast chatting with everyone. We were lucky enough to get to chat with the author, and I learned a few fun things about the book, and her! Some fun facts include that she plots out the book first, starting with the meet cute, the setting in Happy Singles Day is a mashup of several places, and her daughter is also an author!

How do you feel about buddy reads? I am a huge fan, both for the chatter and the accountability.

When Paige rents a room in a B&B she does not expect to arrive in the mess she finds. Lucas has lost his wife and their B&B has not been maintained. He is raising his young daughter and trying to cope.
When he finds his sister has deactivated the advertisement he is not a happy camper. Paige arrives in the dump and immediately leaves after having words with Lucas, only to be stranded in the storm and having no other options than going back to the B&B.

I have read books by this author before and I really enjoyed them. The writing is good, but the way Lucas behaved towards his guest was really appalling. Paige was totally in her right to be angry as she paid a lot of money. I had a bit of an issue with their relationship and how he thought about Paige, but overall liked the story as a whole.

Thank you for the ARC - I enjoyed reading this and while we won't adopt for a course, I will recommend this novel.

This was absolutely adorable! I really enjoyed the humor and the constant banter between Lucas and Paige. I'm usually not a huge fan of kids in romances, but Maddie was such a ray of sunshine and really added to the story (and don't even get me started on the cuteness that was the puppies). The story and characters kept me engaged from the very beginning, and I love how Paige's quirkiness helped bring Lucas out of his shell, and how they both showed each other that it was okay to trust and love again.

The reason why I docked a star (which I know may seem shallow to some) is because after the tension build up and attraction between the two of them, we got a complete fade-to-black scene. I literally said, "Noooo!" out loud when I turned the page and saw that the book skipped from them kissing right to the next morning. Maybe this doesn't matter to some readers, but when I pick up a book that is labeled adult romance, I want some sexy times, and I want it to be on page. Otherwise, I have zero complaints about this book, and if my one critique doesn't bother you, then I highly suggest giving this a go when it comes out on January 19th!

***A big thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review***

Lucas is a heartbroken curmudgeonly innkeeper, and Paige is a professional organizer celebrating her singleness with a beach vacation. As with any romance novel, it’s obvious that these two will fall for one another. But unlike some other romance novels, the character development is superb. The characters have intricate backstories, and their interactions with other characters, especially Lucas’s four year old daughter, make this novel more than just a lustful read ; there is depth to the characters. Readers looking to get lost a quick love story with some “Friends” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” references should give this one a try.

Thank you so much @sourcebookscasa & @netgalley for the free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

So, I don't know if anyone has noticed, but I have been obsessed with romcoms lately! And I dont think it's going to die down anytime soon 🤣.

This was yet again another amazing romcom! It's super cute and had this absolutely adorable little toddler in it that kept making me go: 🥺

Paige had a lot of things going for her that she needed to straighten out. She needed to loosen up & have some fun! And she finally did! I loved her as a character and am so proud of how much she changed!

Lucas was hot. I mean, we all know by now that I see a lot of these guys in romcoms as hot, but I mean, am I wrong? 🤣 He's rough & tough, but also, sweet & caring. And I love that combo! I just love how much he cared for his daughter. I swear it about made me cry during all their cute moments!

Overall, this was a super cute & fun romcom that I highly recommend to anyone that is also looking for a vacation 😉.

Two people with two heartbreaking pasts come together to rebuild their faith in love. The cover drew me to this book as who couldn’t love a novel with a puppy on the front! It’s a very straight-forward slow burn romance as each character works through what they went through in the past in order to try and move forward to a new future. It’s a very sweet and heart-warming story that is a great read for the start of 2021. This was my first novel by this author, but it won’t be my last.

Paige Parker is a professional organizer based in Chicago. She owns her own business and employs her assistant turned best friend, Samuel – a super delightful character that I wouldn’t mind becoming a main character in his own story. Sammy’s character is over the top so you need to take him with a grain of salt, but he was a good balance to Paige. She’s been burned before by her past romantic relationship and has lost her faith in love. After scouring the internet, she discovers a holiday called Singles Appreciation/Awareness Day that falls the day after Valentine’s Day. Paige decides that maybe this is the year to begin celebrating it and she ends up taking a quiz about travel that leads her to a charming B&B in North Carolina. Unfortunately, the inn does not look like anything that was described online leading Paige to discover if she’s made a huge mistake or found a new opportunity.

Lucas is the owner of the B&B and lives there full time with his four year old daughter Madeline (“Maddie”). After suddenly losing his wife (and Maddie’s mom), Lucas has let the inn become in disarray with only one usable guest room. Thanks to his sister, Sophie, the room has now been rented by Paige and it’s a shock to Lucas when Sophie surprises him that he’ll be playing host again. As he is in financial distress, he chooses to let Paige stay and now has to figure out how to be a host when he is not in the mental headspace yet. An instant attraction to his guest from the city though might make this whole ordeal worth it in the end.

Paige and Lucas have the opposites attract as the foundation for their relationship and it’s propelled forward by the convenience of the proximity they share while being in the same house alone. Based on each character’s personality, I don’t believe they would’ve gotten together in another environment as they wouldn’t have gotten the chance to move past their initial differences. The reason they work and come together is because they are forced to interact with each other and being alone in the house together creates an environment for them to slowly reveal pieces of themselves that would have otherwise remain hidden.

The second half of the book is definitely better than the first as there are a lot of moments where it’s hard to see how Lucas has gotten this far in life as he makes a lot of sexist remarks that just doesn’t seem to match how life would’ve seemed with his wife, unless she did everything for him. He does grow a little as the story progresses, but his character might not be for every reader. Both Lucas and Paige’s relationship is built mainly on sexual attraction as their good looks are what draw them to each other. It’s another reason why the second half of the book is better because there is more substance behind their attraction to each other as they get to know each other little by little. I enjoyed their banter and you can’t deny that the two characters had chemistry, but I just wish there was little more behind it all towards the first half of the book.

Maddie was fantastic character as she was adorable. She was spunky yet not over-the-top which made her enjoyable and a standout whenever she was mentioned. Sophie was a fun character and it’s nice how close she is to her niece, Maddie. Sophie would be a fun character that I would like to read a story where she gets to be the main. The non-talking standouts are the mom dog and her puppies as they become an essential plot point when it comes to moving the story along and what read can resist a story featuring adorable puppies and their concerned mom. Every character was great to read about and they fit together well with our main two – Lucas and Paige.

Overall, the story was a fun easy read that gives a fun version of the forced proximity opposites attract romance. There’s the added dimension of each character experiencing past heartbreak and grief as Paige went through a tough break-up and Lucas dealt with the loss of his partner. It also gave insight into how to bring in an outside individual to integrate them into an established family. To be with Lucas, Paige must become a mother-like figure to Maddie without replacing her mom. The romance story is sweet and heart-warming with a good ending. A great read that I would recommend to others.

**I give a special thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC to read and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.**

I actually really enjoyed this story. It was like a Hallmark movie with the Inn and the grumpy, but hot innkeeper and his fun little girl. I like the island and the puppies and the whole thing, really. I didn't expect it to be a closed door romance after all the hints that were dropped throughout the book, but closed door it is. It was fun and fast and sweet and I would gladly read more from Ann Marie Walker.

Sweet, funny and emotional!

Paige is a career woman who finds it hard to trust others after a nasty breakup, and Luke is a widow (and father) who hasn't gotten his life back on track. She needs a vacation, he has a b&b - you know what's going to happen 🧡

This book is full of sweet little moments which I loved! It is also a somewhat 'clean' romance/fade to black, although there is enough talk of boners and blue balls (yes, really) to make you think it wouldn't be. I just felt some of the conversation a little cringey, and my god did they move from strangers to lovers fast! However, the ending had me in tears (the good, happy kind) and this is a perfect, light-hearted book for anyone enjoying reading romance books.

This book disappointed me. I had high hopes because it was a solid fun concept but it just didn’t live up to its potential. The chemistry between the main characters just wasn’t there. The book relied on “closed door scenes” to build the connection - but yet gave us nothing but a build up that fell flat. I loved the characters of his daughter and the puppies - they brought a light, happy feel to this kind of depressing story that is supposed to be a love story. In one week we are supposed to believe they fall in love and cannot live without each other. I’m just not buying it. I really wanted to like this one but unfortunately it fell flat for me.

Happy Singles Day is a fun book for anyone who hates Valentines day! Singles Day is February 15th, and this year Paige is treating herself to her first vacation in years. After leaving her fiance, Paige has been too focused on building her professional organization business to travel--or find a man. Lucas’s life is the exact opposite of Paige’s. After the death of his wife, Lucas has been a bit depressed. He has not been doing much--except raising their 5 year old daughter. Faced with the possibility of losing his inn, Luke agrees to open it up to a new customer.
This book is an opposites attract, enemies to lovers story that will have readers laughing out loud. The story is rounded out nicely with scheming sisters (and daughters!) as well as Paige’s hilarious best friend. Complete with beautiful imagery and a fun location-- you won’t want to miss this book. Perfect for anyone who has read The Tourist Attraction!

Title: Happy Singles Day
Author: Ann Marie Walker
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

As a Certified Professional Organizer, everything in Paige Parker's world is as it should be. Perfect apartment, perfect office, perfect life. And now, the perfect vacation planned to honor Singles Day. After all, what's better than celebrating her pride in being single? Because who needs a man anyway? They have zero taste in quality television, leave the toilet seat up, and sleep with your best friend. No thanks. Her life is fine just the way it is.

As the owner of a now-dormant bed & breakfast, Lucas Croft's life is simple and quiet. It's only him and his five-year-old daughter, which is just the way he likes it. Because who needs a woman anyway? They nag you to clean up your stuff, want the toilet seat put down, and expect the dishes to be done the same day the meal is cooked. No thanks. His life is fine just the way it is.

But when Paige books a room that Lucas' well-intentioned sister listed without his knowledge, their two worlds collide. If they can survive the week together, they just might discover exactly what they've both been missing.

Paige is very Type-A and OCD about organization, which made me laugh. I have a bit of that, but not to her extent. Lucas is struggling and doesn’t think he needs to make any changes to his admittedly messy life. Honestly, this was a pretty standard romance. The insta-love thing doesn’t do much for me, but the writing was solid, and the characters were interesting, so it was a decent read.

Ann Marie Walker lives in Chicago. Happy Singles Day is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablancain exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 1/29.)

A cute and fun romance that would make a great Hallmark movie. Workaholic Paige is encouraged to go away fro a holiday by her sassy assistant Sammy, and she ends up at a Bed & Breakfast in a small little town in North Carolina. It all sounds great, until she realizes the ad wasn't really honest in their description and she now has to deal with the inn owner, Lucas, who is less than thrilled to have her. A quick read that only took me a day.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for this ARC. This is set to publish January 19, 2021, don't miss out.

I enjoyed this novel and am thankful for the chance to read it ahead. Lucas and Paige were really cute and I liked the changes they went through, both on their own but also together. I loved Maddie too, such a sweet secondary character!

Paige is a Certified Professional Organizer. Lucas is a messy single dad. Their personalities are different in so many ways. Paige decides to take a much needed vacation to North Carolina and celebrate being happily single. Lucas has no idea that his sister re-listed the website for his bed & breakfast inn. He finds out with not enough time to get the place in to shape. The result is the opposite of a meet-cute. Lucas is rude and extremely unwelcoming, but due to the weather, Paige is stuck. With time, they get to know each other and both begin to let their guard down.
There was definitely a lot of attraction to each other, so I was surprised at how closed door this book ended up being. I did enjoy reading their thoughts though because as much as they hid it, these two wanted each other from the beginning. I liked that Lucas was the one to come around and realize he needed to change. As someone who loves being organized, I laughed every time Paige just had to fix something that was out of order. The fact that she used a label maker, well that just made me smile. 😂 There are puppies and a sweet preschooler, so there’s a cute factor for sure. I love books that take place in North Carolina. One day, I hope to sit on a back porch overlooking the Outer Banks. Happy Singles Day is a story of two people who find love after they both have decided they don’t need anyone else. I enjoyed reading along as Paige and Lucas figure out how they really feel about love and relationships.

Thank you to @netgalley @annmarie_walker and @sourcebookscasablanca for a digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Type-A personality Paige is three years into her own flourishing business when her assistant and fabulous best friend, Sammy tells her she needs a vacation. Paige knows it’s true. She never stops... and with Valentine’s Day coming up, she would much rather celebrate SAD (single appreciation day). So she goes ahead and books herself a vacation trip to a beautiful B&B in North Carolina.

Little does she know that the so called beautiful B&B is as dilapidated as her worst nightmare. And the owner is a curmudgeon-y man whose sexiness only adds to his abrasive demeanor.

Luke is a widower with a five year old firecracker of a daughter and a B&B that is falling apart around him. But, after the passing of his wife, he only has enough time and energy to take care of his daughter and fix only the most necessary problems in the old house.

When his well-meaning sister rents out a room in the B&B without his knowledge, he is furious, resulting in him being nowhere near courteous to his house guest... until he proves to her how incredible she really is.

Paige and Luke spend days together bonding over the adorable puppies that Paige saves from a drainage pipe. And the more time spent together, the more they fall for one another. So much for her singles vacation, right?!?

This was absolutely adorable and I loved every moment of reading this. My five star rating dropped down to a four star rating ONLY because the book amps you up so much with all the sexual tension only for the explosive moments to be COMPLETELY fade to black. Not cool...

Other than that, Paige is a wonderful human being who helps to open Luke’s eyes up to romance again. And his daughter is this book was total perfection. This kid is cool!

Paige takes an overdue vacation to celebrate Singles Day, booking a charming inn she found online. When she arrives, the inn isn’t quite what it appeared in pictures and she has to deal with the grumpy (but hot) host, Lucas.

This one started a bit slow for me and I didn’t love the characters, but they grew on me over time. While the premise was celebrating singles day, it wasn’t a big focus of the story and took a while to touch on it.

I love forced proximity stories so once Lucas and Paige were stuck together their personalities meshed and you felt their chemistry. There were sweet scenes with puppies and Lucas’ daughter was an adorable addition to the story.

Overall recommend if you like enemies to lovers romances set in a small town. Not an all time fave romance but will leave you feeling happy. Pick this up when it publishes January 19!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for granting my wish to read this book. I'm so glad I did.
This book had me feeling so many emotions whilst also making me laugh. Paige and Lucas are a pretty good match, but they both have some issues to get through first. I'll admit, they did get together quite fast but I suppose that happens when you're in forced proximity.
Sophie, Maddie and Sammy are wonderful side characters who really made a lot of the laugh out loud moments possible. The addition of the dog rescue really sealed the overall 'feel' of the book for me. It's definitely something I'll be recommending to rom com readers.
4.5 stars

I guess I was...Luc(as) warm about this? Can't see myself out yet--got a review to write.
I struggled with being told over and over again that Lucas looked like Ryan Reynolds. Just let me have my own mental image of the character based on any physical descriptions.

I struggle with enemies to lovers where the dude's such an a-hole in the beginning he should be harder to redeem, especially when he would rather be a jerk than earn money from Paige booking his B&B. His sister Sophie made bookings live again because they were short of funds. Still, Lucas's redemption is fairly quick.

I struggle with insta-love. Lucas rearranges his crotch a lot but the book overall is fade-to-black chaste. Very Hallmark-like. Maddie's adorable.

Publishing Date: January 19, 2021.

First of all, I would like to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC of Happy Singles Day.

A super cute and quick read that gave me Beach Read vibes. A single dad and a workaholic end up finding themselves in an isolated breakfast and bed. There is tension and chemistry right away, which causes hilarious dialogue and banter throughout the book.

The relationships that are made in this book are strong and adorable.

This is a closed-door, enemies to lovers and small-town romance I highly recommend if you like books that focus just on the romance of the couple and forced proximity.