This book and story had all the right makings of a great heart wrenching novel but it fell short for me. I love when a romance story has real life situations going on and how the mc deals with the issues. Some of the analogies were a bit cheezy. And it was way too wordy.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. While I could relate to Rae, the way she approached her self worth by making a "deal" with herself to fulfill an unrealistic plan was a little disappointing. Maybe I didn't make it far enough into it, but I was struggling to see her growth.

Thanks to NetGalley for this gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion
I really love rom com tropes and this seemed right up my alley. However, after a couple attempts to get through it, I sadly had to dnf. I really wanted to like it but I just wasn’t for me.

I had mixed feelings on this book. I thought that the pacing was quite slow and felt like the book dragged out a bit, but I enjoyed the storyline, liked seeing the timeline of the main character's relationships, and I felt like the story as a whole was heartfelt and well-written.

A serious rom-com type book isn't my first choice, but this was pretty okay. It was a bit depressing and I really don't have much to say about it.

This is a well-written book that's getting a low rating from me because I had trouble dealing with the main obstacle to Rae finding love.
I should have checked the subject matter more closely before picking this one up because the fact that Rae puts herself in a position to constantly be hurt by loving someone with depression hits hard. Dustin is wonderful and deserves all the love that his deep depression makes him think he's incapable of reciprocating, but reading about Rae constantly putting herself on the back burner and forgetting about her dreams to keep his demons at bay did not sit well with me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the chance to read this thought-provoking romance, sorry I couldn't bring myself to rate it higher.

First off, I love the pretty illustrated cover! This one struggled to keep my attention. I was expecting a rom-com and got something a little more serious.


Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Not quite the light-hearted read the cover would suggest. I enjoyed the portrayal of female friendship. The exploration of mental health is a little inaccurate.

Sorry, but this book just wasn't for me. I DNF because I thought the story was about something else entirely.

This was a bit of a quagmire for me. I really wanted to love it as it seemed to have so much potential. It was refreshing to see a main character show their depression as fully as was done here. Normally it's almost glossed over and just a mention.

As far as Rae goes; she was a bit of a hard pill to swallow. Again, the potential was there but I felt like she was just so focused on her "poor me" almost 30 drama and nothing else. I guess I just couldn't find her to be relatable.

The story left me just wanting; and I'm not sure I can even put my finger on exactly what that want is. I just know that I didn't feel connected with this and I really wish I had.

If you are looking for a light, campy rom com book that will bring a little joy into your day....keep on walking. This book isn't that. This book is a heavy tome of themes that need to be addressed more in romance novels. It tells the story of a love affair that is hard, takes a toll on the main character, and then doesn't work out. And it shouldn't work out, so that's ok. It follows Rae from her 25th to her 30th birthday, when she thinks she will find the love of her life and get married and have babies. But instead, she gets stuck in a cycle of toxic mental health struggles with a boyfriend who needs her help, but isn't right for her. It takes courage to face the truth of her situation, and her friends struggle to help her see the light. This book was realistic and stunning, but a rom com it IS NOT.

This was a wonderful heartwarming story. Rae, like most women has certain standards in her relationships and her friends are making sure she keeps them, never settle! I love the modernness of the book. I like that she doesn't believe in the dating apps, but when she meets her match on there, she needs to figure out if she can deal with his issues.

I really loved the premise of the story!

This didn't give me the typical romance vibes that I was expecting. The book follows Rae- a woman moving through life as she works at a job she doesn't love and the trials of finding someone to have a family with. It covers five years of her life and during that time the somewhat toxic relationship she finds herself in with Dustin. He seems perfect for her, but struggles deeply with depression. They enter this on again off again relationship where Rae is taken advantage of - and the ending...while open-ended was frustrating.

It was labeled as Chick Lit - but it deals more so with the ups and downs of life and heavier topics. There are definitely moments in the book that could be triggering to some - so if you plan to read it I would strongly suggest looking into the warnings (ie. self harm, etc.).

I was given a copy of this story to read; but thoughts and opinions are all my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for the chance to read this book!

I really love the premise but this is a relationship that should not work out... It was unhealthy.... toxic and messy... I anticipated that this would be a light hearted romance and it was the complete opposite. However, I did enjoy the focus on mental health and the authors writing style. I didn't love the romanticization of a toxic relationship but would still give the author another chance with different love interests.

The Heart of the Deal by Lindsay MacMillian

Q.O.T.D: If you had to title your love life, what would you call it?

A.O.T.D: Plenty of Fish because this is the dating app I met my leading man on. 😂

Description:

Rae is in a romantic recession.
 
The Wall Street banker is single in New York City and overwhelmed by the pressure to scramble up the corporate and romantic ladders. Feeling her biological clock ticking, she analyzes her love life like a business deal and vows to lock in a husband before her 30th birthday. 
 
The Manhattan dating app scene has as many ups and downs as the stock market, and outsourcing dates to an algorithm isn’t exactly Rae’s idea of romance. She considers cutting her losses, but her friends help her stay invested, boosting her spirits with ice cream and cheap wine that they share in their sixth-floor walk-up while recapping cringe-worthy dates.
 
And then Rae meets Dustin, a poetic soul trapped in a business suit, just like her. She starts to hear wedding bells, but Dustin’s struggles with depression will test their relationship, and no amount of financial modeling can project what their future will look like.
 
Can Rae free herself from the idea she had of what thirty was supposed to look like and let love breathe on its own timeline? Or is she too conditioned to stay on the “right track” to follow her unpaved intuition?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a great emotional read that any woman could relate to.. Good reminder that life isn’t black and white and sometimes we need to sit with the “grays” of life and no we can’t plan everything out.

Thank you @netgalley and Alcove Press for providing me a copy in exchange of an honest review.

Please look up content warnings for this one, there are many.

I do think this was a really good debut novel. Lindsay MacMillan has great writing, well-thought out characters and so many important things to say. This one I think could've just been executed a bit better, as there are a lot of sensitive topics included.

Some gorgeous writing, and absolutely heart-wrenching story but I think it didn't feel realistic at times, and some topics felt too brushed over. I adored Dustin, and I really felt his pain. Rae on the other hand, I really struggled to connect with her and found her annoying and selfish.

A lot to love, but maybe just as much to not love about this one. Though this wasn't a hit for me, I would absolutely try to read from MacMillan in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for an eARC of The Heart of the Deal.

This book pleasantly surprised me! I really enjoyed it and could relate to quite a few of the struggles.
It is a really great book for the 20-somethings about living in NYC and dealing with the daily challenges of dating, working, figuring her life out. It's very poetically written and there are beautiful descriptions.

Such a cute little story! I enjoyed this one and think many others will as well. Relatable characters and beautiful growth throughout!

Great story line and easy read.
Heart warming and relatable. loved it!
Would like to read more from this Author in the future.

** Thanks to Netgalley and Lindsay MacMillan for this ARC. This is my honest opinion about this book **

I didn’t manage to finish this book. It’s not a DNF for me, but I quickly stuck on the beginning of the book. I couldn’t concentrate on the book, the story, the characters. The reason is I think a mixture of the slow beginning for me, as well as my mood of the moment, I failed to get into history.

I don't think this is your typical romance book.

I keep the book aside to try to read it again later.