This book was absolutely precious. If you've ever seen the move "Life As We Know It" with Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel, then you know exactly what this storyline is. Colby and Rip are left to care for the two children of Rip's sister/Colby's best friend Monica and her husband, Rip's best friend, Brooks. Colby and Rip are about as opposite as any two people could be - Colby being an adventurous food blogger who travelled the world and Rip being a bit of a stuck-up accountant. Throughout the novel, Colby and Rip have to find a way to make their new life work for them while also figuring out what it means to be a family.

Add this to the list of lovely advanced reader copies I've been reading from NetGalley recently!

I absolutely loved this book. I could NOT put it down. I loved having chapters in Colby and Rip's separate perspectives. I found that I felt connected to both of the characters because of that. I also LOVED the kids. I work with children and seeing how the kids interacted with Colby and Rip and with each other reminded me so much of my work that I found myself laughing out loud wholeheartedly on more than one occasion.

The relationship between Colby and Rip was complicated and full of unresolved feelings and miscommunications. I found that I wasn't frustrated with their miscommunications because they were about things that would genuinely happen in real life, rather than the mundane and silly types of miscommunications that can be found in a lot of rom-coms. I think that the unfolding of their relationship happened in the best way possible - through the mutual love of the kids and the best friends that they lost. Through the love they felt for the kids and the dedication they both had to caring for them, they found love and respect for each other. I think it was actually really quite beautiful.

Banks was SUCH a joyful side character. His scheming to get Colby and Rip together was so kind and lighthearted that I couldn't help but absolutely adore him. And his mug collection?! I need it.

Overall, this book gave me a lot of joy. So much, in fact, that I was sad to finish it and not be able to read more about these characters. I felt like I watched them grow up in a way, and I really enjoyed that.

Essentially the book version of the movie “Life As We Know It” starring Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel, The Godfather Trap is a quick read with lighthearted moments despite the tragic plot. There is chemistry between the lead characters.

Colby and Rip find themselves is an unexpected situation, sharing a home and serving as guardians to two young children (the children of Rip’s sister/Colby’s best friend). How will they navigate all of this in spite of their complicated relationship?

Without going in to too much detail to avoid spoilers, I felt like there was a bizarre plot point that was wholly unnecessary to the development and conclusion of the story.

I would recommend this to readers looking for a breezy, summer read (this will be published in July) who are also fond of enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes and fans of the movie “Life As We Know It”.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to review this ARC.

*3.5/5
this book is perfect for fans of the movie "life as we know" as it revolves around colby and rip taking care of little ben and viera after their parents died unexpectedly. they were named godparents as colby was monica's best friend since childhood and rip was both monica's brother, who had taken care of her since the loss of their parents, and brook's best friend, and naturally they do not get along as they are two different people with completely different lifestyles, colby works for a blog and travels a lot, while rip is an accountant, they also do not get along because of a disastrous date, but even after that they both kept pining after each other thinking that they had no chance of ever getting together. it was a really enjoyable, cute, and quick read that also had some emotional moment as the characters, both the adults and the kids, are dealing with the grief of losing monica and brooks. i also really loved banks as a side character, his mugs were hilarious. overall, i really liked this book, even though the ending felt a little too rushed, and i would have liked to read a little more about them.

arc provided by netgalley and forever (grand central publishing) in exchange for an honest review.

This book was amazing. I loved seeing a little family heal together and figure out ways they can balance each other out. It was heartwarming and the banter and love between Rip and Colby were so entertaining to read. I wish we got to see a flashback of their date but regardless I loved the way their story was written.

I know I already said this in the title, but wow does this book feel like a nice hug. The Godparent Trap follows our two nemeses Colby and Rip as they navigate becoming parents overnight as their mutual friends (/Rip's family member) are killed in a car crash on their way to vacation. Despite this book being full of raw grief and sadness, there's so much light and joy in watching Colby and Rip navigate their new roles as co-guardians.

I'm not sure if enemies-to-lovers is quite the right tag, but Colby and Rip definitely start out at odds in this romance novel. Their journey to work together in order to make life easier for the two children is engaging and a total page-turner. The dialogue is great, and I loved the witty banter between the two. They really strive to figure out ways to work together and have intentional communication, so this novel does a great job at avoiding some common miscommunication tropes that are popular in the genre. I felt like the pacing was perfect, the structure was spot on, and the characters were well developed. This is totally a book you pick up and don't put down until it's finished (and that's certainly what I did).

My overall rating is probably closer to a 4.5 out a 5 stars. I did find the third act conflict to be a bit late, and I would've liked to see a couple more additional chapters between that point and the epilogue. I was excited to see the ending didn't follow one of my least favorite tropes in this genre, but it still felt a bit too quick to resolve. Maybe I just like to see the characters sweat a little bit more before things wrap up.

This book's premise isn't anything new, but it sure was well written. This is the first novel I've read by Rachel Van Dyken, but I'm looking to pick more up after having finished this one. If you're looking for a quick pick, I would totally recommend reading The Godparent Trap or adding it to your TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! It was super cute, and romantic. It was the perfect romcom! I can’t wait to add it to my collection!