This book hit very close to home for me. In May 2020, my cousin passed away unexpectedly and my husband and I (closest kin) took in her teenage daughter who was 13 at the time. We went from just being a married couple with a cat to parenting a teen overnight. Time has helped give perspective, but in the immediate aftermath I don’t know how we got through each day. Unlike Rip & Colby, Brian and I were already together and we took in one teen instead of two small children after the loss of their parents in a tragic accident, but the way Rachel Van Dyken captured the grief, confusion, anger, the “keep it together for the kids” mentality felt very authentic. Even when Rip admits that “If I start [crying/grieving], I won’t stop Colby. That’s not strength, that’s more like weakness and avoidance,” I could relate to the avoidance that comes with dealing with such a difficult loss. And the butterflies… (sobs)

The romance comes second in this book, but the arc of enemies-to-lovers is definitely developed with lots of tension-filled (almost) moments. I didn’t totally love the whole “let’s make Rip jealous” angle that Banks and Colby played – it felt childish especially given the circumstances that Rip and Colby were in. The kid were hilariously sweet (Swear Jar!) and you just wanted to give them big hugs at different moments in the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had some great laugh out loud moments. It was sad in the beginning but it was a beautiful story that ended well. This was the best book I have read all year. I love how these characters were so opposite but so perfect for each other. The kids in this book were adorable and funny.

4.5 stars. So cute. Loved it and read in less than 24 hours. Sweet story, predictable but not sappy sweet. Think it could have a better cover bc better than the cover implies.

Definitely giving Life as We Know It vibes but it was enjoyable. This was a quick and easy read that was entertaining and fun. Great pacing and characters!

Did you enjoy the movie Life As We Know It? Well this book is curiously very similar. So keep that in mind if you pick this one up.

I did not care for Rip at the beginning of the book. Seriously disliked him. He did redeem himself, and I appreciated how the author gave them a way to do so.

This story felt rushed, and was definitely a quick read.

Definitely read the CW for this book, as it deals with a lot of grief, loss of a parent/sibling/close friend.

Enemies to lovers, family, tragedy, and a bit of steam come together to form a perfect rom-com! I love these characters and their ability to overcome in a way that is hilarious and relatable!

As a brand new godparent, I knew I had to read this book. It reminds me a lot of the film "Life As We Know It," with Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel. I loved the movie, and really enjoyed a new take on a similar situation. Colby is a food blogger who finds herself co-parenting with uptight accountant Rip when they lose her best friend and his sister in a tragic accident.

Rachel Van Dyken handles heavy topics with care, while infusing whimsy, romance, and hope into the story.

Such an lovely rom com with a lot of heart and soul too. This book will make you laugh, cry, and give you chills. I absolutely loved every minute of it! It checked all the boxes for me. I loved the sexual tension between Rip and Colby and their chemistry is just magnetic! There are so many cute and funny scenes in this book. Heavy topics are addressed in such a thoughtful way. Highly recommend this book!

I don't know where the comparison of "Life's Too Short" meets "The Unhoneymooners," as I have read both and am not seeing that cross reference at all. Lots of people are saying that this is like the 2010 movie, "Life As We Know It," which I've never seen, so this story is fresh for me.

For someone who, ultimately, has loved Colby from the start, Rip is pretty godawful to her in the beginning. I'd like to think his sneering Neanderthal "You're home with the kids all day, Colby, how hard can it be" stance was a contrivance for enemies-to-lovers' sake, because at his age he should have some inkling--especially since he's Monica's brother--how hard it is to deal with kids. At least he gets his ass handed to him once he and Colby start switching off stay-at-home duties.

But it's really a bittersweet story about two adults struggling to keep some semblance of family together (at times in quite comical ways), while struggling through their own grief. Banks could've used his own book and not have his own story turn out the way it did. Epilogue could've used a touch more work, but overall I liked the book.

I loved this!! It was unique and addicting. I loved the plot line and the characters—everything. This story has a lot of elements in it, but it was beautiful. I was heartbroken by the loss, but put back together by the romance.

Quick thoughts: I really enjoed this one! I thought it was a quick read - perfect for a summer beach day! This was a beautiful story of love and loss with an interesting found family trope. The Godparent Trap was as heartbreaking as it was heartwarming. I loved Colby so much, but tbh I wanted to throw a glass of soda on are uptight boy Rip. I was not a fan of his at all 🤷🏼‍♀️ Overall, I did enjoy this story a lot!

Read if you enjoy:
• opposites attract
• found family trope
• quirky characters
• dual POVs
• grumpy / sunshine
• forced proximity

Thank you Forever for this e-ARC!

3.5⭐

This book starts with kind of a huge gut punch - Colby and Rip, the main characters, have to take guardianship of a five year old and a toddler because kids' parents were killed in a car accident. Monica, the mother, was Colby's best friend and Rip's sister, so they are both grieving the loss of her and her husband Brooks, who was Rip's best friend. I had tears in my eyes at several points while reading this because the portrayal of grief and loss was very real and felt really authentic. Colby and Rip have a pretty standard opposites attract, grumpy sunshine, free spirit hot mess vs. buttoned up type a kind of thing going on, with the added dimension that they tried dating in the past and it was disastrous. The romance felt realistic and pretty natural but what I really liked best about this book was that the kids weren't just a plot device to get the two main characters together. They were well developed tiny little characters who were sad and confused and trying to figure things out in their new world. Really well done.

(2.5/5) I wanted to like this book, I really did. The premise of the book has promise (a touching but emotionally heavy story about two enemies who suddenly have to coparent two sweet kids after their parents (end the enemies' best friends/sister) die in a car crash). I will say that the dual POV really did this book favors, and if it had been just Colby I probably would have DNFed. There were definitely funny moments, and Ben and Viera were highlights of the book.

The book was a fast read, and I think that might be part of my problem with it. There really wasn't enough time to get into the history and development of the two main characters, and some of the side characters (*cough* Heather) seemed unnecessary because their history with the main characters wasn't explored. The characters all felt pretty caricatured, and because of that I found them unlikeable. Rip was a total jerk for the first third of the book and then... never apologizes for it and Colby just lets it slide? Wouldn't be me. Also, Colby's characterization seems unreasonable for someone who has millions of followers on her travel blog.

Anyway, the most unreasonable thing in this book was that two mid-30s parents of 2 would outright own their own home. The author never provides a setting, so it's hard to tell where we are and maybe the houses are just cheap, but in this economy? Seems fake. There were a couple other inconsistencies which I will note to the publisher, but the editing on this book could have been tightened and more room should have been left to dive into the grief, history, and character development.

Sworn enemies turned to...more?  Colby and Rip are forced into each other's lives due to their shared love of their best friends/Rip's sister.  But when a tragic accident occurs and Colby and Rip are forced to move in together and co-parent two young children left without parents, they know that they have to make things work, despite the odds.

If you love Sally Thorne, then you're really going to like this one.  I enjoyed the book, thought it was a quick, fun and easy read, but didn't quite have the heart and that special something that Sally Thorne is known for.  The emotions were all over the place and they would go from being super harsh to each other to being totally infatuated.  Emotional whiplash.  You probably won't mark this as a favorite, but you will definitely enjoy it.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Godparent Trap will own your heart. I loved this one so so much. I could not get enough of Rip and Colby. This is such a heartwarming romcom that will put a smile on your face and may even bring a little tear to your eyes at time. Ben and Viera are adorable. Your heart will ache for the four of them as they navigate the new family life together. Rip is one who does not do messy and set in his ways. Colby lives in the moment and not afraid of mess. There is this attraction that you feel all the way through with Rip and Colby. I love all of Rip's realization moments. The banter between Colby, Rip and Banks is cute an makes you giggle. Everyone needs a Banks in your life. You see so many changes in Colby and Rip as they work through their grief and new life with the kids. I love how Rachel Van Dyken gives us all these light moments in dealing with all the heavy. All those moments that make you laugh out loud because you've been in some relatable situations. Those sweet moments and those sad ones. The Godparent Trap needs to be read. I could not put this one down and fell in love with Rip, Colby, Ben and Viera so quickly and completely. This made my heart so happy. Go one click this one right now.

I thought this was such a fun and cute story that was so easy to get sucked into. The perfect amount of steam for what the premise was and such lovable characters. The way they struggled with grief and loss and the acceptance of their new life was an amazing journey to watch and be part of. The only thing I didn't like was the ending. I was genuinely shocked by how abrupt it was and how it came out of nowhere. It was a five-star read for me until then because it felt very forced and unnecessary. I'd still recommend the read though!

3.75 🌟 rounded to 4!

This is such a fun romcom involving kids and adults who try their hardest to make life work.

Initially, I was so annoyed at both the main characters because:
Colby - immature, irresponsible, and just a happy-go-lucky gal
Rip - rude, insecure, and close-minded

The kids did not help because they are just so chaotic and disgusting lol!

The only character that I really loved was Banks because he’s hilarious and a playboy! *fingers crossed for his own book*

But as I go through the story, I found myself laughing and getting emotional. This book isn’t just about romance. It’s about friendship, grieving, and the realities of having children- not always about rainbows and ice creams but always rewarding.

I wasn’t that into the “spiritual” aspect of the story but all in all, this is a fun light hearted read!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. The Godparent Trap comes July 19th! 🤍

After a tragic loss, Colby and Rip find themselves co-parenting the young children of her best friend and his sister and brother-in-law. Colby is A LOT - messy, chaotic, emotional, and fiercely loving. Rip has wanted her for awhile (but has tried to deny his feelings). The two navigate their new normal and grow closer until they can no longer deny their feelings for each other.

This book had so many beautiful moments (especially with the kids) and I loved how Colby and Rip finally opened their hearts to each other.

4.5 stars

The Godparent Trap is a story that will make you sad but also laugh. Honestly, my heart and soul was in tatters when certain moments happen.
Colby and Rip do their absolute best for their best friends kids, shes messy, he’s rigid. Can they get along to be able to cohabitate in harmony?
This book is quite the change from the author. Its a very emotional story…
Colby and Rip have to be the parents now for the kids, and let me tell you, those kids are a handful, as are most, am I right? They learn as they along and I laughed more than a few times too at some of the antics.
I really enjoyed this book and especially how it ended, but the author definitely knows how to put your heart through the ringer. Thats for sure!

I loved this book! It reminded me of a different version of Life As We Know It movie. Rip and Colby are godparents to two siblings, when the parents sadly pass away after an accident they they responsibility for the children. With different lifestyles and parenting styles these opposites soon collide.