I have strong feelings about the miscommunication trope and I'm sorry to say that they are not really my thing. I thought the premise of this was really interesting but somewhat lost steam for me.

Overall this was a super cute rom com about Aly who always has had a knack for fixing things. Putting her skills to good use her and her two friends develop an underground business for helping women. When one of her clients is her childhood crush things get complicated very fast.
While this book had some really good banter and the characters were overall likeable I did roll my eyes at some of the misunderstandings in the story. Overall though it was an enjoyable read.

I really liked this book! It’s a second chance, enemies to lovers romance that was more than what it seemed. Aly is take advantage by colleagues but can’t get promoted. As she works to improve other women’s significant others, she realizes that she’s been fixing everyone around her but not putting herself first.

Aly and her partners are excited when a very well-known influencer named Nicki hires them to work on her boyfriend. She wants him to advance faster in his career and eventually propose to her. When Aly meets him, he turns out to be her first love, Dylan. They were best friends who separated badly. As they spend time together working on an important proposal, the old feelings they shared re-emerge.

Aly is torn. She’s getting paid a lot of money to help Dylan get with Nicki, but personally she’s not sure she can go through with it. I enjoyed watching Aly’s personal growth journey, 4 stars.

Synopsis:

In this funny and sharp romantic comedy, a woman with a knack for turning her boyfriends’ lives around starts a professional service to help wrangle men, only to be unexpectedly matched with an old flame.

Ever since she can remember, Aly has been fixing everything around her: her parents’ marriage, her colleagues’ work problems, and her friends’ love lives. After a chance meeting with an ex who has gone from a living in his parents’ basement to a married project manager in three years, she realizes she’s been fixing her boyfriends, too…

So, Aly decides to put her talents to good use and, alongside two work friends, sets up The Fixer Upper, an exclusive, underground service for women who are tired of unpaid emotional labor. Using little tricks and tips, Aly and her friends get the men to do the work themselves – to get out of the job they hate, sign up for that growth seminar, to do more parenting. Before long, a high-profile Instagram star hires them to fix-up her app developer boyfriend. There’s just one catch – he’s also Aly’s childhood best friend and first love. As Aly tackles her biggest “fixer upper” yet, she’ll have to come to terms with their complicated history and figure out how much to change someone she’d always thought was perfect as he is…

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

Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc of this book. ***This book can be triggering if you have had miscarriages. I really enjoyed Lauren Forsythe's last book, but had mixed feelings about this one. In this novel Lucie wants a baby and feels time is running out and having had a bad break up chooses to use an app to find a baby daddy; chaos and love triangle ensues. Lucie makes a lot of choices that most of us wouldn't agree with, but that's the beauty of books to take you into a world you aren't normally used to.
Not my favorite of the author's, but will keep reading her!

UNDER THE RADAR ROMCOM

I feel like this fun and funny British romcom is flying under the radar! While it came out August 2, it hasn’t been on my feed the way other, similar titles have.

SUMMARY: When she runs into an ex who’s completely turned his life around thanks to her encouragement, Aly starts to realize she’s a bit of a fixer—someone who puts all their energy into improving the life of someone else. Together, she and her friends work to turn this talent into a side hustle. Everything’s going great UNTIL a new client wants Aly to fix her childhood best friend (and former crush) who doesn’t seem to need fixing at all!

From the summary you can tell exactly where this is going, but I felt that the story was told in the best possible way. It read like a movie, hitting all the right beats. In fact, I’d love to see it developed for Netflix or Amazon Prime…starring Lucy Punch maybe?

It was 60% comedy and 40% romance. The HEA doesn’t happen until the very end, so there were no 🔥 scenes for all my smut-loving friends out there.

Check it out for an entertaining end-of-summer read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to @netgalley @putnambooks and the author for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

#arc #netgalley #thefixerupper #romcom #romanticcomedy #romancelandia #romancereads #romancereading #secondchanceromance #summerreads #summerreading #ireadromance #contemporaryromance #romancereader #womensfiction #workplaceromance #bookreview #bookrecs

This book was very fun. I loved the idea of her starting her side hustle using her strengths of seeing the best of people. Especially because she originally saw it as a weakness. I feel a bit of a kinship with characters that start off with their head down, working hard and not sticking up for themselves and then enjoy getting to read about if they are going to gain the confidence and self respect that everybody aspires to. Took a bit for me to get used to the timeline of the story but once I did I really enjoyed it overall.

First, this isn't a romance and it shouldn't have been marketed as one. This is very firmly in the category of chick lit.

But, I liked it. Pretty early on I just decided I wouldn't be invested in the romance because I could tell it wasn't going to be the focus of the story and would just see where the story took me. And I really liked Aly, her personality, being everyone's problem solver, and the journey she took to start being selfish and just taking care of herself.

It starts out pretty slow and I honestly wasn't all that intrigued with the Fixer Upper business idea, but once they started actually having interactions with people it was interesting. Really, it was Aly that made this work for me and I was pretty invested when all of her problems and lies were starting to get a bit too entangled.

I think this was super well written and a good feminist story, however I didn't love the characterization of Dylan's girlfriend and how she was shamed for being an influencer. It's 2022, being an influencer is a job and it didn't feel super feminist to put her down for it. I also felt like the take on her mom and dad's issues was a touch preachy and self righteous. I think this book tried to show a lot of different woman issues and maybe less is more would have worked better. I think the entire mom storyline could have been cut and it would have worked better.

But the romance was nonexistent. I think this entire story would have been more impactful if at the end of the day Aly just had personal growth and there wasn't a romance. I don't like romances where one character is in a relationship the entire book. I mean we didn't even get a kiss until the last few pages. So...don't read it for that. This isn't really a second chance romance if they never actually dated. I didn't buy the love and really just didn't care about Dylan. I couldn't figure out why they worked together or why he would forgive her.

If you like a feminist, do-it-all woman, chick lit story, I would recommend this one, it may surprise you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“Love is only meant to be terrifying right at the beginning, right before you fall… Then it’s meant to feel like home.”

This was such a fun and quick read!

Aly has spent her entire life fixing everything around her and, with the help of her friends, figures out that everyone she has ever dated is now magically successful after having dated her. There’s something about Aly that helps people unlock their potential, and her friends decide to capitalize on it.

Helping women “fix” their unmotivated or oblivious men becomes a side-job for the three friends, until they land a big job that brings Aly face to face with the one man she loved and felt crushed by.

Pretending to not know each other, Aly takes the job, determined to not only prove she can do it, but also help out her mother who is at risk of losing her home because she gives her life over to men far too easily.

But things don’t go as planned as she is continually thown into the mix with her ex. Secrets and misunderstandings come undone, and the “fixer” is forced to face the one man who seems to go above and beyond at being what everyone else wants him to be, because he can’t seem to be happy or confident in his own skin. But maybe Aly can help with that…

I read this one in a single day and was laughing at a lot of the ridiculous situations! I loved Aly and the mess of her life – because many of us know how much it can hurt to watch exes move on before you manage to. That said, I must say that while I enjoyed reading it, I don’t love the idea of “fixing” one’s partner and not just talking openly… granted, maybe that’s something they learn on their own by the end too :)

Romance romance romance! I loved the tropes and how fun it was to read. It didn’t feel like I was trudging through the book, it was quick and easy and I enjoyed it very much!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Lauren Forsythe for the advanced reading copy of The Fixer Upper. Review contains my own thoughts & opinions

Alyssa (Aly) is in her 30's and is a problem solver - sometimes to her own detriment. She is always fixing things and fixing people - her coworker's mistakes, her mom's problems, and especially her ex-boyfriends' lives. After they break up, they all seem to get their acts together, reach for their dream careers, and get married to their dream partners. The latter inspires her and two coworkers/friends, Tola and Eric, to start The Fixer Upper - a startup to help women dating men with a bit of a 'failure to launch' situation. Until one client comes to them - her boyfriend is Aly's former best friend and high school crush, Dylan.

While the book was a little slow to start for me (and I didn't love the premise of fixing people), it grew on me and ended up to be a lovely story focusing on figuring out who you were, what you wanted out of life, and being in charge of your destiny and not relying on others to get you there. I was very empathetic to Aly's situation with her Mom and position at work. After years of being the ultimate fixer for everyone else's problems, it was great to see her focus on herself first!

Her friends were delightful and really supported Aly through some tough moments and also provided much-needed levity to the story.

I recommend this book to fans of women's fiction focusing on workplace friendship, friends to more (with a bit of enemies in the middle), and a bit of sweet romance fused throughout!

This book was too cute! It reminded me a bit of the Kate Hudson movie Failure to Launch. The book was a bit slow to start but I really liked the writing style of this debut author. Although this is a "romance" it seemed to be lacking in the romance department. I would still recommend it though.

"it's only scary when you're falling, and then it just feels like home"

This book was really sweet and swoony! It was a bit more of a slow burn than I expected and also a second chance romance slash friends to lovers so basically all good tropes. I liked that the romance was a focal point but that the character also had her own self discovery journey outside of her relationship. She learned about herself and what she wants and got closer with her friends and it was all just lovely to read.

Will be recommending!

A quick, witty read that highlights the struggles many women face.

Aly is a fixer-upper: previous boyfriends, co-workers, and her own parents. As she struggles to work her way up at her current job, her closest friends set up an underground “fixer upper” service for women who are struggling with the emotional work in their relationships.

When a famous influencer reaches out, they can’t say no to this opportunity. Except, Aly is thrown off her game when the boyfriend happens to be Aly’s ex-best friend and crush from high school. Aly grapples with the whole concept behind The Fixer Upper and has to decide how far she’s willing to go to fix someone she thinks is perfect.

This is hailed as a romantic comedy, however, I felt it’s more of a Women’s fiction read with some romance involved. There is charm and humor throughout, but there’s also some hard-hitting topics that many women will recognize and struggle with themselves. I adored Aly from the very beginning and, while some of her actions were misguided, she had the best intentions and learned from her experiences.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

Thank you Putnam and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced by receiving this eARC.

If you're in need of a good British humor rom-com read, this is your book. While I found the premise of the book to be interesting, it ended up falling a little flat for me as I kept reading it. I did mostly like Aly (I too need to learn how to not be as controlling) and Dylan was cute enough. I loved Aly's friendships she had, which really made up for most of the book.

What I had issues with is that Dylan and Aly are the main couple, but Dylan is dating someone. Also they were best friends 15 years ago and he broke her heart. And I always just have issues with books like this that hinge on a misunderstanding as TEENS. (Once again I say this with a full hatred of my first grade arch nemesis Dana to this day, so take it with a grain of salt). I mostly can get over it and did enjoy it, much like I still enjoy Something Borrowed. But it does have that taint of emotional cheating and it doesn't feel as well taken care of as I would have liked to have been.

All in all, it was cute. There was some great banter, good character arcs, and an entertaining plot!

There were a lot of things I liked about this book but the storyline was based off so much deception/lies that I felt uncomfortable the whole time I was reading it. I had a really hard time rooting for the main character. I wish we would’ve seen more between the two MC‘s and their second chance romance. There were some really good parts and I would’ve liked to see more focus on that.

I'm clearly an outlier here, but this one fell flat for me. Interesting premise, and clever execution, yet the story did not hold my attention. I found Aly unlikeable and difficult to connect with from the beginning of the story. If she's the story's heroine, why does she make the choices she makes? If she can "fix" other people's problems, why doesn't she stand up for herself professionally?
The illustrated cover and description indicate this is going to be a rom-com, but there wasn't much of a romance. Also, miscommunication and icky manipulation as plot devices do not make for enjoyable reading. Dylan is quite problematic as a hero.

The Fixer Upper does have an adorable grand romantic gesture at the end (with strong boombox serenade energy that fans of Say Anything will adore).

Thanks for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy. I'm not sharing my review on any retail platform.

Absolutely loved this book! I plan to purchase the book when it comes out! It reminded me of on of my favorite romances “Love and Other Words” by Christina Lauren. I loved the simplicity of the romance, but I will say it has one of my least favorite tropes. Miscommunication. Ughh. But it was worth it in the end.

I have mixed feelings about this book, good thing there's a clear line between why this did and didn't work for me.

Things that worked:
• Aly's character and her road to self-discovery. Her realization at the end was actually satisfying since it felt a long time coming. I love how she called her mother out on her toxic behaviors. And also Dylan for basically stringing her along despite having girlfriends while not really caring if she's getting hurt in the process since he's hiding under the mantle of their friendship.
• The friendship among Aly, Tola and Eric which started out as regular colleagues and eventually evolved into a deeper and lifelong one.
• The feminist undertones despite seeming a bit heavy-handed at times.

Things that didn't work:
• Well, Aly's character, too. For someone who's a self-confessed manipulator, she kept getting pushed around by other people. I just can't get my head wrapped around it.
• The chemistry between Aly and Dylan somehow felt flat. There's no solid pull between them and I was more invested with the trio.
• I find their separation not truly believable. I mean they grew up in the same neighborhood and their parents lived in the exact same one even through their adult lives, Dylan could've gotten her contact information from her mother if he tried.
• The fixer-upper concept in this book itself. It's good on paper, yeah, but you can't change a person just by having these casual encounters with them.

Overall, I enjoyed this enough to finish. This may not have worked for me as well as I may have hoped, but this may be for anyone who's a fan of second chance romances and childhood friends to strangers to lovers trope.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, NetGalley and the author for my copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

After running into an ex, Alyssa "Aly" Aresti, realizes that while her love life has been nothing but a series of duds, those she has dated have leveled up after their relationships have ended, becoming the person she would have hoped they could be... but with their next partner. Upon realizing this, Aly's friends and co-workers, Tola and Eric, convince her that she could make a ton of money and help a ton of people, so they launch Fixer Upper as a way to help motivate and improve other people's lives, both personally and professionally.
Upon hearing of the success of Fixer Upper, Aly and her team are contacted by influencer Nicki to help her boyfriend be polished up to her standards. The catch? Aly finds out Nicki's boyfriend is no other than her childhood best friend and first love, Dylan. Motivated by the fact that Dylan seems to not want anything to do with her, plus financial drama with her parents, Aly agrees to take Nicki's money to set Dylan up for success with his company and mold him into the partner Nicki wants him to be, as well as help secure Nicki a proposal of marriage.
Along the way Dylan and Aly rekindle their friendship and old feelings come rushing back. Aly starts to realize that maybe Dylan is just perfect the way he is and maybe he shouldn't be with someone who doesn't see that, and she just hopes that Dylan starts to realize that too.
One thing I really enjoyed with Fixer Upper was the banter between Aly and Dylan and Aly and her friends. It really made the book for me. While I initially had trouble getting into this book, I really ended up invested in the characters and their relationships with each other and was happy with a satisfying ending.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this romance! Aly was a great lead, and I really enjoyed reading her story. I will definitely be checking out Lauren Forsythe's next book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.