This book was so cute and sweet; the issue is that it felt like I was watching the movie Life as We Know It (2010) with Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel. There are enough variations to make it not identical (2 kids instead of one, who’s related to who, which person is Type A, etc), but the concepts were so similar that it was hard for me to get past. That being said, I did love that movie, so I also liked this book.

I enjoy Rachel Van Dyken's stories and saw the Godparent Trap as a fun take on the Katherine Heigl movie <i> Life As We Know It. </i> Furthermore, I thoroughly enjoy the Grumpy/Sunshine trope and honestly enjoyed how fundamentally different Colby and Rip were but how they both deeply loved their Godchildren. Overall, this story was swoony, funny, heartbreaking and an amazing story to get lost in.

What I loved more than anything was how real this story felt. You could see that Colby and Rip mourned the loss of their loved ones while also simultaneously wondering how they would manage. I also felt that Van Dyken did a great job balancing the heartbreak and humor in this story while also giving us a believable love story. This was a great read. 4 stars! ~Ratula

"One thing I had already learned was that you had to hold on to the moments-- even the ones that drove you crazy. Because you never knew how long you had to enjoy them."

What You'll Find:
✔️Romantic Comedy
✔️Enemies to Lovers
✔️Sunshine/Grump
✔️Forced Proximity
✔️Dual POV

The Godparent Trap tells the story of two enemies who must live together in order to raise their godchildren when tragedy strikes. And for my first time reading this author, I can say I'm easily a fan.

Colby is pure sunshine. A food blogger, who travels the world. She is, shall I say, a bit clumsy and a tad messy though. Rip is a straight laced accountant. A bit of a grump who prefers order. These two couldn't be more opposite. But they have this fantastic chemistry that sizzles underneath the enemies banter they have going on.

I really enjoyed this story. It's fast paced. I literally read it in one sitting. But what I really loved was how it should be a heavy storyline, but the author wrote it in a way that while you feel emotion, it's mostly in a light and positive way. This story has great humor. A little steam. And just all the feels. I would have liked a little more depth. And while I didn't love the twist in the end, I thought the epilogue truly tied things up perfectly. Banks is also a welcome fun addition.

Overall this was a great story to get lost in. An easy read that I would definitely recommend. I look forward to reading more from this author!
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CW: Death, Grief

*I received a complimentary ARC from Forever Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and given freely.

Are you looking for a romance that is absolutely adorable and gives you so much joy?! Look no further! I present to you THE GODPARENT TRAP by Rachel Van Dyken!

I absolutely love the movie Life As We Know It and this story follows a similar premise with enough changes that make the story refreshing.

I read this in a single day and will absolutely become a comfort book of mine! I couldn’t help but be absolutely invested in the relationship and the definition of family.

THE GODPARENT TRAP was a delightful read and I can’t wait for everyone else to read it!

Thank you so much to @readforeverpub for the opportunity to read this e-ARC!

Oh, my, gosh...this book! I am a fan of Rachel Van Dyken, and I know I have enjoyed many of her other books, but this one was just so good! I got all the feels from this book, and I wasn't expecting that. Rip has just lost his sister and his best friend in an accident. Rip's sister was Colby's best friend. Rip and Colby are named as guardians for the orphaned children. From there, the book really becomes what I believe would happen in this situation. Colby is overwhelmed being thrown into a stay at home mom position, something she has no idea how to navigate. Rip is the stereotypical man thinking Colby has it easy being at home and wondering how she can't seem to make it work. The way they work through these first few weeks of devastation and navigating instant parenthood just rings so true. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I really just love, love, loved this book! A strong 5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy for this 100% honest review!

"Why couldn't I be like that?
Relaxed?
Not so controlled?
Free. Why couldn't I be free?
Maybe I was drunk off her smile, but my brain told me if I kissed her once, I'd feel that freedom, I'd be able to steal a bit of it for myself. I wouldn't feel so stressed out all the time. I'd dumbly admitted this to Brooks after one beer, and now he was shoving me toward her."

What do a travel food blogger and a tax accountant have in common? Almost nothing, but Colby and Rip must now live under the same roof and become parents in the blink of an eye after losing Monica (Rip's sister/Colby's best friend) and Brooks (Rip's best friend) in an accident.

The pair are left to co-parent Viera and Ben and not only do they have to deal with their own grief, but they also must deal with two grieving kids, alongside learning how to be parents.

I loved the way Colby and Rip's relationship developed over time. I also LOVED the kids to bits. I always love little kids in books because they can create some of the most magical/hilarious little moments in a book with the main characters and this book was filled with all those fun, heartfelt moments.

If you're big on the movie "Life As We Know It" and you love an opposites attract romance, then you'll love this! Despite the heavy topic surrounding the book, it was super cute and filled with lots of heartfelt bits. It was also filled with tons of conversational nonsense that a person can get into with two kids under the age of six, ranging from swear jars to a conversation where Viera thought that live chickens were going to grow inside of her if she ate chicken nuggets.

Thank you to Rachel Van Dyken, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 5 out of 5

2.5 stars. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC. Colby and Rip are thrown into parent roles when their best friends die suddenly. We are told repeatedly that they hate each other, but then suddenly they’re in love and we are supposed to believe they always were. The biggest issue to me is that Rip was beyond mean to Colby for years but she just suddenly accepts barely an apology and moves in. I wish there was more character development. I enjoyed the scenes of the MCs interacting with the children.

I’m enjoyed the premise, wished there was more background or flashback with Monica and brooks to give a fuller emotional impact. I felt that around the halfway mark things just started to fall together with little explanation and the accident and ending was rushed and a bit confusing.

I think this would be a great Hallmark movie, maybe Lifetime. Either one of those. I think the premise is really interesting and bittersweet but there were just a few things I couldn't get over, which made it hard to fully enjoy this book. One: the characters are just... unlikeable and superficial. They have no real growth outside of what the author has spelled out for us and repeated ("He hates mess!"; "She hates being scolded!!"). Also, the children seem actually flat. I don't know how you can write children this bland. I think it's simply because this book was trying to accomplish too much in too little time (accident-"we're parents now"- parenting- romance-fake dating-childhood bully- job related problems - more romance- another accident - memory issues). That being said, I think the author is a super fun write, like the moments that are funny, are very funny. So perhaps it's just that this book was not my cup of tea.
I do have some questions: How large was that spider? Why do they text like they're calling? Why did we get so much surface information about Colby and Rip's jobs? What made Rip randomly stop being an asshole?

I think this book is very cute. But fails to live up to its own description and goals. I will probably try to read it again on the beach and see if that changes my perspective (beaches make all contemporary romcoms better).

ok, the characters were a little hard to get behind in the beginning. and then that whole first chapter was literally copy pasted later in the book? and at that point it literally didnt make sense that they were acting like that. I also strongly feel like the book could have ended at about 85%. 2.5 stars

The Godparent Trap was a fun, easy read and engaged me from the get go. Rip and Colby are complete opposites, and are thrown into an “insta family” situation after a tragedy. The book handles the tough subject of death yet doesn’t turn the story into a sad one. I think the characters were a bit under developed, but otherwise it was a lovely story.

Well my feelings on this book are complicated. I laughed, I teared up, I felt sorrow, joy, and everything in between. I also felt longing. I wish this book just had a bit more. Sometimes the relationship felt rushed, leaving me wanting for some type of communication. It felt like there was so much build-up just for everything to happen almost too quickly. That being said I loved the characters. Rip and Colby just complimented each other in such a great and loving way that I wish there was more of them. I needed more conversations, more of them being happy, not just a time jump of their future life. I wanted the boring details of the life they finally built together. I just wanted more of them.

The Godparent Trap
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (rounded up to 5 for rating purposes)
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 7/19/22
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 352
Goodreads Rating: 3.87

TW: ⚠️ Grief

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing a copy of the book for me to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Colby's world comes crashing down when a tragic accident leaves her co-guardian of her best friend's two adorable children. Not only does she need to put down roots—fast—but she'll be sharing custody with the one man she can't stand sharing a continent with, let alone a house. Rip doesn't trust Colby to take their new responsibilities seriously, while Colby can't believe Rip thinks children will thrive under his rigid control. Yet soon Rip and Colby discover they need each other more than they hate each other. Could it be possible that following their hearts is just what their new little family needs?

My Thoughts: One of my favorite types of books is enemies to lovers, the banter was just amazing. The book is narrated by Colby and Rip, through their own perspective. The last couple of books I have read, I have struggled connecting with the characters, however, the author develops these characters so well that I was instantly connected. What was really cute was the love that Colby and Rip has for the children and the deep loss they felt from losing their friends, it just touched my heart. Even with their miscommunications, it felt genuine as we have miscommunications in life everyday. I just really enjoyed reading this book and would definitely pick up other books by this author.

Colby is living her best life. She gets to travel to exotic locations and try the most delicious food and then blog about it! She loves her best friend and their two young kids and is constantly hanging out with them. So what if her best friends brother - Rip - is a thorn in her side. He's annoying, controlling and the one date they went on ended up as a disaster. Colby tries her best to keep her distance from Rip.

Rip is orderly, likes thing done a certain way and doesn't like change. He loves his sister something fierce. Which is why he has a hard time letting in Colby - his sister's best friend. Colby is wild, unruly and drives him to distraction. They don't always see eye to eye, but are often in each others orbit.

When their worlds turn upside down and Rip and Colby end up godparents to young kids and end up living in the same house - will they find a way to make their living arrangement work without fighting all the time?

The Godparent Trap was such a sweet romance. I ended up binging this book in less than a day. While it was a bit predictable - think Life as We Know It a movie that came out ~2010 - it was still a good romance. The The Godparent Trap deals with the heavy issue of grief, but it still managed to make me laugh!

I really loved the sexual tension and banter between Rip and Colby. Right from the beginning - whenever these two characters were on the page I had a huge grin on my face. They had great chemistry and I loved how they complimented each other. Where Colby was carefree and fun, Rip was rigid and orderly - but they need both of their traits to make their precarious situation work.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Godparent Trap and highly recommend this book!

CW: death of loved ones (car accident - off page), grief

me thinking about what to write here, having just finished the book:

“ok, don’t mention the movie Life As We Know It. Everyone else has. Move on. Find different things to discuss”

“I’m not gonna do it girl”……

It’s basically Life As We Know It.

I did it.

But seriously, it’s so reminiscent of the movie that it’s hard not to say it. And for me, this is a really good thing. The found family trope teaming up with enemies to lovers is FIRE. Do we still say that?! Unsure elder millennial here.
Anyways, I laughed, I chortled, I ignored my kid, I couldn’t put it down, I stayed up way WAY too late, and I cried. I hate crying when I’m reading romance (Sorry Colleen Hoover fans). Here though, I was moved by the story, it wasn’t shoved down my throat. You know what you’re getting ahead of time based on the synopsis, but it’s the small moments between the romantic bits that get under the skin and in your heart. LOVED this book!

The Godparent Trap ruined me in the best of ways!! I read this book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down!

I laughed I cried but RVD had me feeling like I was right there in the midst of it all with Colby and Rip!

Have you ever read a book where you wanted to jump into the pages and just hug the characters so bad that you scream? No just me!!! Well this book had me doing just that! This story was emotional and raw and I wanted to just gather them all into one bear hug! But just as badly as she breaks us RVD really pulled through and wrote and ending that had me crying all the happy tears!

I don’t know why I love stories like this! I loved the movie Life As We Know It and I’ve read another book with a similar premise but RVD pulls some twists and packs some punches that makes this story all it’s own and has it stand out!!

If you love emotionally charged books filled with angst and a detonation of desire, when things finally take off, then this book is a must read summer romance!!

Looking for a heartfelt romcom to read this summer? the Godparent Trap is IT. The premise of this book may be an (almost) exact replica of the 2010 romcom Life As We Know It, but that didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book at all (it was definitely better than the movie). This book has a second chance, enemies-to-lovers romance that will have you rooting for them as parents as well as a couple. It was swoony and light even as it dealt with the difficulty of loved ones’ deaths and having to start a new life unexpectedly. My only complaints were regarding Rip—honestly, he was let off too easily. I don’t care that their first date had an awkward ending. That absolutely did not excuse his behavior and I would’ve liked to see a little more begging for forgiveness from him. One other thing (and yes, I’m aware how pathetic this sounds)—Rip is described within the first three pages as having jet black hair…but he has brown hair on the cover. Love the cover, just not a fan of discrepancies. All in all, highly recommend!

This was just so cute!! It gave me the same vibes as a movie called life as we know it. If you like that movie, then definitely check this one out.

A very quick read, and much like the Katherine Heigl movie from a few years ago. I did appreciate that the author spent time working through the characters' emotions and struggles in a realistic way. It's a hard topic, but was done well.

This book releases July 19th and it was a rollercoaster of emotions and ratings for me. Rip and Colby are thrown into being parents when their world is turned upside down after the sudden loss of Monica, Rip’s sister and Colby’s best friend, and her husband, Brooks. Rip is a structured, clean, no nonsense businessman. Colby is a messy, chaotic, fun-loving food blogger with a huge following on the internet.

This is an opposites attract / grumpyxsunshine / enemies to lovers book and it felt a little fast for me. Rip is so mean and so critical and condescending of Colby in the beginning that I didn’t feel he was worthy of her love or forgiveness. She handed it to him so easily without having to work for it and it just felt off to me. It was also one of those “girl falls first, but boy falls harder” type of tropes.

The author covers really heavy subjects, but the story still felt light and easy to read. The dialogue was witty and cute, the banter was so good, and the pining was off the charts.

Overall, this did end up being a cute little romance. Other reviewers said it was similar to the plot of the movie “Life As We Know It”, so if you liked that; you’ll love this!

Thanks to Forever & Netgalley for a copy of this arc!