Too Good to Be Real is a romantic comedy lovers dream! I lost count of the rom-com movie references in this cute romance!

Julia scores a week for herself and 2 best friends at a resort that is hosting a rom-com lovers week by writing a story about her experience. When she has her own meet cute moment with a Luke, she decides to hide that she's writing a story. But Luke is also hiding a secret too...

As someone who knows nothing about larping, I appreciated having some context about how they were playing the rom-com game all week. While books with holding a huge secret from you isn't one of my favorite tropes, this was a cute book.

I liked the friendships on both sides and all of the rom-com moments in Too Good To Be Real. This was a perfect book to sit out in the deck and read today!

Do you ever wish you could live in a rom com?

If you said yes, then this is the book for you.  This roleplaying week at a nice resort sounds like so much fun. Add in good friends, a sweet love interest, and a ton of corgis and I'm sold. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for this breezy romance that just might make you wish romantic comedies were real life.

A role-playing fantasy resort based on "rom coms"....what could go wrong?

Julia is at the resort to do a story for the website she works for. It's basically a last ditch effort to keep her job with layoffs looming. She has an awkward first meeting with Luke who is actually part of the resort management team, but decides to be a participant after meeting Julia. Neither discloses who they "actually" are to the other initially.

This was a cute story with a unique storyline and fun and relatable characters. In addition, the seagulls were absolutely hilarious and definitely a standout in the book as well. Julia and Luke are adorable together. They both just need to realize that honesty goes both ways. Sometimes an omission can get away from you before you have a chance to correct it. In the end, you just hope they'll find their happily ever after......

Thank you to NetGalley for his ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

*Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This cute book follows Julia, a writer desperate to keep her job, as she and her two friends attend a week long event at a resort that promises to put you into your favorite romances with meet-cutes, classic tropes, and shenanigans abounding, but soon it becomes difficult to tell what’s real and what’s fantasy.

This rom com was equal parts cheesy and sexy (more than you’d think by the cover). There are odes to all of our favorite romances (When Harry Met Sally, Bridget Jones’ Diary, and 10 Things I Hate About You) throughout the book, which was really fun! Also, this book has an AMAZING first line.

However, it was a little fast for me. I enjoyed it, but don’t think it’ll be a favorite of the year. It’s just a great light book if that’s what you’re looking for! It publishes this Tuesday, July 5th.

⚠️CW: cancer, divorce, sexual content

3 stars.
Great premise & enjoyable overall. i just felt like the story dragged on and could've wrapped up a lot quicker. Also wasn't a huge fan of the slow burn - it could've been a lot better than it was. The chemistry wasn't quite there for me.

This was the first book I have read from Melonie Johnson and I was not disappointed. This was a fresh take on the rom-com classics like a meet-cute, being serenaded, and getting stuck in an elevator. The only reason I have taken one star off the rating was that the beginning was a little slow and hard to get into but once the two main love interest met each other the book was easy and fun to read! Both Julia and Luke are relatable characters with flaws but fall for each other despite the obstacles put in their path. There were also two bonus love stories included in the book which added to the romantic feel of the book. This book is the perfect summer read!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Too Good to Be Real has a promising concept, with people meeting and falling in love in a rom-com themed resort. But the book as a whole fell flat.

I did like all the references to famous romantic comedies, especially as the resort involves the characters participating in re-enactments of popular scenarios from these films.

I also liked the sense of camaraderie between the friend group of Andie, Julia, and Kat. I wasn’t particularly drawn to anyone, but I liked how random their conversations were at times, from the odd, yet memorable opening line, “His penis looks like your shrimp.”

And despite my real-life fear of birds, I found the seagulls charming, and liked what the comedic aspect they brought to Luke and Julia’s interactions.

But Julia and Luke? I didn’t find myself intrigued by either of them, and felt there wasn’t enough of a “spark” between them for me to care about them. And even though the friendship aspect did win me over somewhat, I didn’t really care for the characters for themselves to really want to read stories about them.

This book just wasn’t for me, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work for someone else. It has a cool premise, and if you love romantic comedies in film or book form, you should give this a try.

I was a big fan of this author’s Sometimes in Love series, so couldn’t wait to dive into this one. Where I found the stories in that series to be quirky and fun with phenomenal chemistry and deep emotions, the same cannot be said about this book.

It’s known that I am not a fan of big lies in stories, especially romance. There are often things hidden and truths that are bent to create conflict, this I understand. But when there is are lies being told that don’t seem to be doing anything other than giving the characters a reason to flee from each other when things are out in the open, that’s when I have a problem. Julia and Luke have reasons for stretching the truth, but not to the extent that they did. And, when given the opportunity to come clean, they BOTH double down. Since both Luke and Julia are both very good and kind people, it didn’t make sense to me.

I try not to judge a book to harshly when it turns out to have a trope that I don’t like. And there are many positives with this story. The concept is cute and different. All of the characters are charming. Overall, this story is quite lovely. The chemistry is okay, but doesn’t really spark until the very end. Plus, I sometimes couldn’t help feeling as if I was being force fed information to make sure I came to the conclusion the author wanted me to reach instead of trusting me to be smart enough to figure it out myself.

This is a book that will be good for a road trip or other vacation since you can put it down and pick it back up quite easily without feeling you’re missing out.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC of this book - pub date is 7/6/2021.

I went into this book with high hopes because the concept of this sounded right up my alley - I love me some romcoms!! But, I am bummed to say that I, overall, did not enjoy this. I almost DNF'd it many times, but I stuck with it because I was hopeful for a good ending.

Elements of this book I enjoyed:
- Side characters (Curt!) and couples (David and Patrick / Sally and Karry) were great
- Friendship between Julia/Kat/Andie
- Chemistry/banter between our main characters, Julia and Luke.
- Plot does have some very funny moments

Things I didn't love:
- I just wasn't sold on the overall concept. It took a long time for the story to really get started and by the time things started to pick-up, I was just not sold and didn't really care.
- I also just really didn't like the MCs by themselves
- More development on the MC's backgrounds.

Rating: 2 stars.

Julia is a reporter for TrendList, on the verge of being laid off. Desperate to keep her position, she takes on a new assignment with TakeMe, a travel article highlighting different fun and unique locations. Along with her tight-knit group of friends, she goes to a Wisconsin resort launching a rom-com vacation. Assigned different identities as characters of their favorite rom-coms, they do activities pulled straight from the movies such as beach parties, paint ball, and dirty dancing. When Julia literally falls for Luke on the beach on her first day, she wonders if their meet cute is just part of the experience. But the spark she feels for him seems to be very real. After Luke finds out that Julia is participating in the game that he designed, he's determined to join the game as a participant and not the game manager. His future of owning his own gaming startup rides on the bonus from the success of this game and he thinks he can influence the TrendList reporter more from behind the scenes. But everyone thinks Julia's friend Kat is the reporter and Julia isn't about to set them straight. She wants a true visitor experience for her review. When the truth comes out at the end of the week, can they trust that their feelings for each other are real, or is it just rom-com role play?
I laughed out loud at several scenes in this book. The banter between the three friends is just hilarious, the not-so-meet-cute on the beach with the seagull, the cockies, all the activities at the resort just sounded like great fun. I like that the main characters are so imperfect but fall for each other anyway. Luke is a tall, gangly, and pasty-white gamer... socially awkward and clueless about relationships. Not your typical romance hero and I loved it. Overall the whole book was imperfectly perfect.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Julia is desperate to keep her job, so takes on an assignment reviewing a new rom-com resort experience. Luke is eager for the rom-com experience he designed to go well so he can get a bonus. They have a meet cute, there's confusion and lies of omission about who they are, and there are some silly situations.

I found this book.... fine? It didn't really click for me.

A lot of time is spent with Julia's friend group - there's about equal weight given to friend interaction as to the romantic interaction. In fact, we don't even get to Luke until chapter 4. And the friends are very supportive and good together. There were some genuinely amusing comedy bits.

I never really got drawn in. Some of that is because I spent quite a while trying to figure out how a rom-com quasi-LARP experience with actors and fake names is supposed to work. Is there a story arc? What were the actors doing at the resort? There were activities taken from rom-coms, yes, but I was mostly confused. I was also put off by Luke's interactions with Zach, an employee, particularly in one scene where Luke 'confronts' him by kicking a chair out from under his feet. I don't care that Zach is an enormous douche-canoe, you don't treat an employee like that.

And, to be honest, I wasn't invested in the romance. Something was missing.

So, yeah, not super successful for me, but readable. Some cute moments, but lots of cringy ones too. 2.5 stars.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

She's cute. She's cute, but she may not have been my kind of cute. Overall I have rather mixed feelings on this one. Although, like I said, I think she's cute.

Let's start with the negatives and then end on a positive note (I sound like a Beauty YouTube Reviewer...). First, I had a hard time connecting to our main duo. This one has a plethora of side-characters that I feel like unfortunately took away meaning and time from the actual couple we were supposed to root for. This is probably my biggest gripe with the book because by the time we got to the HEA, I just did not care anymore. Also, while I appreciate the Austenland-like setup with the RomCom genre, I am not sure that concept entirely landed. It quite did not quite come together for me; it was not cohesive. Finally, there were several situations that were supposed to be funny but honestly were kind of cringe. Sorry, not sorry.

Ok, that is enough complaining. Let's get into the good! I love the friendships in this one. I am always about positive, supportive, and loving friendship in romcoms. It makes my heart happy. I also loved that our hero had a body that was not a chiseled, gym-perfect physique. Honestly, in heterosexual romances, there needs to be more body diversity among the male leads. All too often, they are one type and I don't think that is healthy and it is personal criticism I have against this genre! So, needless to say, I LOVED that Melonie Johnson gave us a more diverse male body type. Lastly, if you include corkies into a storyline, I am going to be won over, haha.

So, like I said, mixed feelings here. I think this is really going to connect with some and maybe not with others. Unfortunately, I am more of the latter, but there was much here I could appreciate.

ALSO! Patrick and David??? If you have read this, was that a Schitt's Creek homage?? I see you!

Julia writes for a Trend List a magazine, but with layoffs coming down the line she knows she needs something good to to ensure she is kept on staff. She runs across this resort in Wisconsin (not to far from Chicago where she lives) for the Rom Com lovers dream! Guests are given new names, and activities related to famous rom com movies and shows. They also dine on the meals such as the apple pie and strawberry ice cream in When Harry Met Sally. Julia also meets Luke aka Lance who is technically the Game Master, but as soon as they have their real Meet Cute and suddenly Luke wants to be a part of the game.

*I received this book (Via eArc by Netgalley) for free from the Publisher (St. Martin's Press /
St Martin Griffin) in exchange for an honest review* As someone who has not read plenty of contemporary romance let alone an adult romance, this was pleasantly surprising. This is the story of Julia going on this resort which gives the rom com experience. Much like Austenland only that this is more modern and contemporary. The rom com references. I think the reason I liked it so much was that it was so similar to Austenland. The one thing that this does better is that we get both the heroine and hero's point of view. There are some dark stuff it in but its supper light and fluffy, Especially when it came towards the end. I think it wrapped up pretty nicely. Again I don't read romance but this was actually surprisingly amazing and fun to read. It is relatable and I think everyone who is a hopeless romantic can enjoy. *Thanks again to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy*

3 stars

This book is funny and a very quick read.

I am a massive fan of Melonie Johnson, so when I saw this book I had to request to read and review it. The synopsis had me sold.
Julia and Luke are so cute together. I loved how real and awkward they were at times. However, my favourite relationship in this book was actually between Julia and her friends Kat and Andie. Their friendship was funny, inspiring and so supportive. I loved this little group! In my opinion, as this is a rom-com book, this friendship did overshadow Julia and Luke's budding relationship.

Overall this is a sweet and funny read and I would recommend it.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and St Martin's press for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review

Melonie Johnson's TOO GOOD TO BE REAL is a supremely entertaining romantic comedy that skillfully blends genre tropes from books and film to create the ULTIMATE ROM-COM! Protagonists Julia & Luke win "most adorable, made-for-each-other couple." A fun cast of supporting characters, including a pair of mischievous seagulls, make this an unforgettable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Griffin for this advanced copy of this sweet book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
#NetGalley #StMartinsGriffin #MelonieJohnson #TooGoodToBeReal
Julia is over all the drama involved with dating. However, in an attempt to secure her job, she pitches a new resort that promises a chance to live in a rom-com.
Lots of things to love about this book. The rom-com feel, which was clearly the goal, was fun and sweet. It provided a definite comforting atmosphere. It was also a creative departure from the normal “meet cute” formula. The characters of David and Patrick were super funny and enjoyable. As is common in rom-coms, the supporting characters were more fun and believable than the main characters. I found the dialogue witty and entertaining.
As much fun as this book was, there were a few issues. I took one star away for some cursory characteristics of the relationship between Julia and Luke. They were a bit flat and, sometimes, seemed like an afterthought.
This was a funny and enjoyable read and I will happily recommend it to fans of romantic comedies and fans of seagulls.

I'm waving the white flag. I've fought the battle and cannot get through the rest of this drivel. The main plot points, the forced chemistry, the cliched characters were all poorly executed.

I'm having a hard time connecting to anything relevant or fresh in the story. The borrowing of Sex and the City chummy gals, Meg Ryan rom coms, etc. feels so dated. Possibly 10 years ago, these dumbed-down tropes would've felt nostalgic, but today, this just feels late to the game.

However, I guess what I can't get over is the writing feels desperate and rushed. It lacked emotion and the circumstances -- example: getting caught in the rain -- felt ridiculously manufactured.

Skip this. Readers wanting this style can do so much better.

I loved every second of this book, I honestly couldn't put it down. It was just the kind of entertaining book I love. The premise was unusual , a resort where you can live out your rom-com fantasies. I highly recommend this book, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a rom com lovers dream! I was sold on this book because of the corgi, it was a love at first sight of cover for me. Melonie Johnson certainly got my attention with this book and I am very excited to read more from her.