Did not finish, gave up at 41%

Had lots of issues with this one. First: this book is too long for my taste. There are a lot of drawn out scenes, interactions and information that wasn't relevant to the plot that could have been edited down.

Second, my main issue with the book is the marketing. The cover and blurb are giving lighthearted romance vibes, but in reality it's much more of an exploration of self-worth, societal expectations for women, mental health issues and toxic relationships. Pretty heavy subject matter that definitely should come with a trigger warning.

I cannot stress enough that I probably would have enjoyed the book A LOT more if I knew what to expect going into it.

DNF at 70%.
I just couldn't stand Rae, the protagonist, anymore. She is an unlikable character that despite having countless opportunities to do so refuse to mature and evolve. She is a self absorbed immature child and I was so done with her attitude.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a cute, fun and emotional women's fiction read that I could barely put down. Any twentysomething or millennial who's navigating a work-life balance in New York City can relate to Rae's story because it's so timely and authentic. It's more a women's fiction novel than a straight-up, true-blue romance just since it's not all hunky-dory about love, but hey, life's not always like that either. It's the tale of a hopeless romantic who learns to stop chasing expectations and live in the moment. Even more so, I really liked its honest and vulnerable account about a women chasing her dreams even if there's no set plans to get you there.

Content Warning: Mentions of depression, mental illness and self-harm

3.5 stars.

Let me start by saying the authors prose was beautiful but clearly very self serving. Rae is a complicated character that is honestly very hard to like or sympathize with. Starting her “late 20s” at her 25th birthday party with a 5 year plan solely focused on getting married and having babies was a lot and while Rae was given opportunity after opportunity she never seemed to mature. Craving the starving artist model she repeatedly self sabotages under the guise that “she’s craving more”. For all her pushing Dustin to get therapy I can’t believe that she never once sought therapy herself to 1. Process the trauma of her dad, 2. Process the trauma of Dustin, 3. Figure out why she could never be content

This book was stunning. The writing was lovely and heart wrenchingly REAL. The book is about Rae, and follows her from her 25th birthday to her 30th as she navigates her LIFE, and as her hopes and dreams for the future (career, friends, romantic relationships) change and grow. If you are looking for a fun, easy read, this is NOT the book for you. If you are looking for a book that is going to make you laugh, cry, cringe, shake your fists, roll your eyes, and generally FEEL ALL THE FEELS about what it’s like to navigate your mid to late twenties, then READ THIS NOW.

The descriptive language the author uses brings her characters to life in such a special way that I do NOT come across often. For example, “she crunched a few of the fallen leaves with her heels to release some anxiety, immediately feeling remorse for breaking them into bits.” I MEAN, OH MY GOD. Is this not relatable as hell?? This is how I feel literally every time I step on a leaf! Anyone else? Just me? Ok, well regardless, this one sentence gives us such beautiful insight into the main character’s personality. And the book is chock full of lines like this. Here’s another one, because I just can’t help myself: “‘He’s going to think I’m one of those psycho girls who starts planning the wedding after two dates’ She was that girl, of course, but Dustin didn’t need to know that until farther down the line, once he’d fallen in love with her properly.” UMMM HELLO IT ME. What mid-twenties girl HASN’T had this exact thought before?? I felt like the author was peering directly into my soul with lines like this at so many points throughout the book.

All that being said, the book took a TURN a few chapters in, and became extremely sad. It starts off seemingly like a rom com (and a very good one at that!!) but swerves hard into some pretty dark shit, and then you come out temporarily, but you have this sense of dread the entire time because you’re anticipating the other shoe dropping, and then at the end of the book it does, and you’re nauseous and heartbroken even though you saw it coming, because it felt inevitable, but you still hoped against all hopes that it might end differently. But for me, I still adored this book because it was SO. DAMN. REAL.

The other reviews I’m reading are ripping the book apart for a few reasons:
1. The relationship between Rae and Dustin was toxic as hell. Yes. Agree. But do I hate the book because the relationship was imperfect/unhealthy? …No. It was not portrayed or disguised as a healthy relationship, and while it was nauseating to watch it all unfold, that was the book. If you only want to read books about fake relationships where everything is always perfect and arguments are eye rollingly stupid, then yeah, this book is probably too heavy for you.
2. People seem to dislike the portrayal of depression because Dustin was also a narcissistic asshole. I mean…yeah. It is possible to be both depressed and a selfish jerk. One does not preclude the other. The author was not conflating the two, he was just both things. Why is that so hard to swallow? He’s a complicated person, like, you know, a HUMAN as opposed to a character. The author wrote a book about humans. That’s what makes it so friggin good.
3. It wAs SuPpOsEd tO bE a RomcOm wHaT haPPenEd??? LIFE HAPPENED. This is not a rom com, this is a story about Rae, and when we first meet her, she’s on a journey to get wifed up but then SHIT HAPPENS because (see point above) she’s a HUMAN! Ultimately, people who are complaining about this have a problem with MARKETING, not with the book itself. Don’t take that out on the author. The author creates a masterpiece, you just weren’t expecting it.

A disclaimer:: I am a month and a half away from my 30th birthday so I am deep in my feelings and this book hit me hard because it spans the same 5 years of the MC’s life that I just lived through. While I have never been in a relationship like the one that plagues Rae, her career frustrations and successes, her musings on motherhood and marriage, her relationships with friends, and overall maturation are relatable in such a vulnerable way. I admit that it’s possible that my own impending 30th has made this book and the topics it touches on more relatable for me than it may be for others. However, I truly believe that the author’s writing is so good that if you’re reading it before you’ve turned 25 then you’ll think back on this book one day when you are and be like wow the character’s voice and the things she’s dealing with really are an incredibly perceptive take on this age (and so on). And for those already over 30, I think they will recognize themselves from however many years ago in the author’s writing and also again, recognize what a perceptive take on these years in a woman’s life this book is.

Overall, I think this book is amazing even if I carried a sense of dread with me for much of it because I wanted to shake the MC and help her choose a better path. Was I happy with how it ended? No. Was I satisfied? Yes, because it made complete sense and I was able to appreciate this book for what it was rather than wanting it to be something it wasn’t. This book is raw, and heartbreaking, and at times dark, but also full of hope and self discovery and growth. So….basically like real life. It felt like having real friends who are going through real issues and you want them to just make the right decisions but you can’t make them, so you have to choose whether you want to stick it out or not. If this were real life, I might not have been able to weather the storm with Rae, because watching a friend make self destructive choices is awful. But it was a book, and it was written beautifully, and I had no choice but to keep reading because I had to see what was going to happen to my friend. Ok I’m ranting. I loved this book. I can’t stop thinking about it. I could go on forever (duh). 5/5 messy but beautiful stars (also duh). Thank you to NetGalley and the author and the publisher for sending me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. Best ARC I’ve ever read. Ok I’ll really stop writing now.

"I need to meet my husband ASAP so I can get married before thirty, or it's all over"
"You're too much of a somebody to follow the nobodies"
"Midtwenties girls have lots of bargaining power"
This book was amazing!
I read it, expecting a romantic book I could easily get into and finish ... it wasn't like this at all!
It completely surprised me and in the best possible ways.
I loved the message and lesson the author wants to share, and I loved how the reader can unravel it , while experiencing what the main character is experiencing.
I admired Rae for her determination, her strong-will, her passion, and the fact that she is passionate about having a family but also continuing her career.
I loved how different women' portrait were made in this story, and also the fact that, despite everything, there will be people who'll never leave you ... no matter how much you want or don't want to.
After all that's all this book was about; trying to find someone worth it through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
Though sometimes we should find ourself during those moments, before asking someone to be there with us.
Women in stem, carrier, family, romance and struggle ... this book had them all.
Nothing is taken for granted and right at the moment when you believe you've figured out how it will develop, everything changes.
I loved how the author explored different form of relationships but every time it all went back to friendship and affection.
And if there's another important thing this book deals with, it's time. It showed that time truly is personal and subjective, and that, in life, we can make everything happen if we just manage to trust our own time, without rush or anxiety. Especially women who, because of society standards, feel pressed to act according to a certain biological timeline.
Despite everything I still believe that the main character had an happy ending, even though maybe not what many will expect!
"Don't steal from your own sunshine to keep my soul out of the shade"
"You don't choose love ... Love chooses you"
"Marriage is a merger, not an acquisition"

This is the story of Rae, a young investment banker from Indiana, who has made a plan to find love in New York City, and ultimately get married before she hits thirty. Rae also dreams of being a poet.

I loved this book. I loved the characters. I highly recommend this, but with caution as the book mentions depression and suicide.

Watching Rae grow as a character was a real treat. From her Midwest origins to her man's world sort of job to her artistic dreams, you can't help but root for Rae. I understand how some readers could be put off by some of her decisions, however. Rae's choices are not for everyone to make, but they are relatable and I couldn't help but empathize.

What I usually love about romance books is the best friend, and Ellen in this story did not disappoint. I was rooting for her too.

This is a debut novel, and I'm looking forward to more books from this author.

I give this 5 stars.

Thank you for the e-arc, Netgalley!

Let’s cut to the chase, it’s one of the tough books that’s difficult for me to review. The book is so much more. It explores many forms of love – platonic love in between friends, love in between family members, self-love and dysfunctional love. It discusses that romance isn’t about fairytales and dreams. It catches a glimpse of realistic love story that could be relatable to anyone. A realistic romance that you can learn from.

Speaking of the main characters, they have shown real flaws and vulnerability. It addresses depression. It’s a heartbreaking story for me to witness how the main character, Rae, bravely shows genuine love and care to make the other partner better, but not being able to. Second lead syndrome has hit me, too.

Thank you to @netgalley and Alcove Press for providing me an e-ARC in exchange of an honest feedback.

What a great debut novel!
There ate some real life struggles of depression and the untold truth behind the caretakers of those directly involved with them. It's so heartbreaking when someone's love for their partner starts to overshadow their own autonomy.
Great book! Thanks for the advanced copy!.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a difficult book to read. I felt Rae was all over the place with love and career. She was giving all of herself to a toxic relationship and then decides to settle in another relationship. She put unrealistic expectations on herself and her partner and essentially was more worried about timelines then the relationship. She stays in an unfulfilling career which many of us do but complains but doesn’t change anything. It just made me annoyed with the characters and the story.

TheHeartoftheDeal #NetGalley



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i really enjoyed getting to read this book early. it was so much fun and such a sweet little romance. it made me feel good and that's something i really enjoy in my books. a lovely escape!

I really dislike giving bad reviews and I apologise for this but I really feel that not only was the blurb misleading but there should also be trigger warnings as this book deals with depression in detail.

I think the blurb needs changing before publication as if I had paid for this book based on the blurb and promise of a rom-com I would have felt misled and angry.

I don’t think this can be really compared to The Boyfriend Project or The Happily Ever After Playlist as I’ve read both and neither of these books are similar to this one.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, I’m sure if you target the right market people will love it

It was an okay read for me. I find the beginning a little bit slow and the woman main character quite annoying, also she’s not only toxic but also a victim of being in a toxic relationship so there’s that too. So all in all, it’s a 3 star read for me.

This was a very hard book to read. Not because it was hard but because one of the main characters battles depression. This book is very triggering for anyone who struggles with this. The author writes about it with a lot of detail like she understands how the character is feeling therefore the reader knows how the character is feeling. However, if you are looking for when the protagonist finds love at the end this is not the book for you. It's a very serious book with not a lot of laughter and comedy.

I was turned off early by the relationship portrayed here. The characters were not likable and I didn’t finish this one.

This book had potential from its description and title, but did not strike a chord with me at all. As a 29 year old, it felt like it was forcing me to feel old and the whole premise regarding the age thing honestly really bothered me and felt almost misogynistic at points. The relationships in the book we toxic and weren’t well done in the way other toxic portrayals are represented, Rae’s relationship didn’t feel realistic to me at all. I’m a pretty easily satisfied reader and this absolutely did not hit the mark for me.

DNF. I made it through 20%, but I could not engage with the story line or the characters.

This may connect with other readers, but it wasn't for me.

like most reviewers of this book I'm gonna start it off by pointing out how freaking toxic the relationship from this book was. it's insane. the characters just did not work well together, they were awful and manipulative with each other and they had an on and off relationship.

not to mention the trope where MC gets with the actual love interest who is toxic in the beginning but then breaks up then gets with a sweet non toxic guy then breaks up with him to get back with the love interest. it was AWFUL.

if you want to read more about why this relationship was just... insane, check other reviews because I want to dedicate the rest of mine to how absolutely horrible the main character AND the love interest were.

the main character was a stuck-up, overly mature, rigid. no fun, boring, typical woman and the love interest was a boring, stuck-up, bland, toxic, gaslighting, typical man.

even if this relationship wasn't toxic the characters in this book is what made it unbearable for me. they were all so painfully boring and stuck-up.

like...... where was the fun? the depth? crazy.

don't read this lol.

I love that romance novels are beginning to look realistically at the reckoning of what a life actually looks like, and the realities of sharing a life with another person. I really enjoyed this novel, though I wish there had been more of an in depth look into Rae's relationships outside Dustin. I thought he was a refreshing love interest, and their relationship felt fully fleshed out, and instilled with a realistic complexity. I really enjoyed it and will definitely recommend to customers.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

It was an ok story. Easy to read.