i really enjoyed this one! the godparent trap is about love, loss, and found family. i loved all the side characters, and the children?! stop it. adorable!! colby and rip are one of my favorites now, and rightfully so!! the ending felt a bit rushed, but all is forgiven bc we had an epilogue.

thank you so much to valentine PR and netgalley for the ARC!

4.5 🦋

I was approved for this eARC after its scheduled pub day (07/19), but I am still very excited to read this nonetheless! My two book besties described this as the perfect Enemies-to-Lovers romcom with also plenty of depth & sensitive handling of some tough subject matter. I can’t wait to dive in!

This story has it all. It was sweet. It was swoony. It was emotional and it even made me laugh. I enjoyed this story so much. Every Rachel van Dyken book I read makes me love her writing even more and this story was no different. I am so in love with these characters and found myself rooting for their happy ending. I loved being on their journey and seeing the way their relationship developed through out the book. I could not put it down. I absolutely cannot wait for more from this author and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

It's been a while since I've read a Rachel Van Dyken book. This sounded interesting so I decided to pick it up. Rip and Colby are thrown into an impossible and tragic situation. I really felt for them and what they were going through. They needed to work together and be there for their two godchildren. Rip and Colby are as opposite as you can get. So, seeing them trying to mesh was interesting. I did like the interactions with the children. That was nice to see. I just wanted more when it came to Rip and Colby. It was hard for me to really see how these two could be together. Towards the end I could see it though. There were good moments where I was really able to root for this instant family. It has fine writing and I was able to see the potential. I just wanted more.

*There are some triggers so readers should pay attention to the warning.*

This was a quick read, I wanted to read it mostly bc the synopsis reminded me so much of one of the movie “Life as we know it”.

The book for having such a heavy opening and dealing with grief was funny and I liked some characters but the characters and dialogues felt flat and weak. The main characters go from hate to love all of sudden, the way Rip treated Colby at the beginning was really harsh and suddenly he realizes he likes her they forget everything he said… that really didn't work for me.

Overall, It was ok, easy to read but it was shallow and it lacked development and I had no real investment towards any of the characters.


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

I wanted to share a super cute book that I read this week - The Godparent Trap by Rachel Van Dyken! Thank you @readforeverpub for the #giftedbook.

If you’ve ever seen the movie Life As We Know it, starring Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel, the plot will be similar. A couple tragically dies, leaving their kids to their godparents, Colby and Rip. Who happen to hate each other - but do they really? Colby is a bit of a mess and struggling adjusting to mom life and missing her best friend while caring for the two kids. Rip is anal and has a stick up his a$s and thinks Colby is ridiculous.

Let’s just say this book is #enemiestolovers at its finest, and will give you all the feels.

The Godparent Trap is available now, and if you are a romcom fan, go grab a copy!

I don’t know how this talented author has written a book that makes me want to weep, and then this book makes me laugh…innovative story that reads like real life…quirky characters…family dynamics…amazing novel…could be a memoir…the book was sent to me by Netgalley for review… thanks to the publisher for the electronic review…a sad story that turns I to one that works…don’t miss this…

I really enjoyed this and recommend it. Colby is a food blogger and travels all the time. Rip is Colby's best friend's brother and is a staid, follow the rules, very structured accountant. They have always had a spark that typically resulted in them getting under each other's skin.

Slight spoiler alert- (it is on the back of the book and is the premise of the book)- Horribly, a tragic accident takes their best friend/sister and her husband, leaving Colby and Rip as co-guardians of two adorable, grieving kids.

This has such a perfect combination of poignant grief that comes in waves intertwined with laugh-out-loud humor as Colby and Rip figure out how to parent (yes, legos are evil!). It's a quick read, and I was both satisfied and sorry when it ended. I absolutely could have stayed in this world longer.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy. All opinions are my own.

I've not read this author before and didn't really know what to expect when I began The Godparent Trap. The subject matter had the potential to be fraught with emotion but looking at the cover of the novel, one could reasonably expect the story to be a lighthearted romcom. It was both...and so much more than I expected.

The launching point for this story is the sudden, tragic death of a young husband and wife, leaving behind two young children, along with a brother and best friend designated to care for them. A brother and best friend who are polar opposites, had one disastrous date years ago, and have been adversaries ever since. They don't like each other, don't understand each other, and can't deny the simmering attraction that simmers below the surface in spite of that. Throw them into an emotionally volatile situation where they have to live and work together to care for two kids and, oh yeah, it's going to be messy.

One of the things I most appreciated about this book was that Van Dyken didn't shy away from those messy emotions that are part and parcel of navigating grief. Some of the scenes were heartbreaking and took me straight back to my own grief after losing loved ones but others had me laughing out loud and elicited memories of doing the same in similar situations. The evolving relationship between Colby and Rip - and the children - was raw, real, hilarious in many parts, and poignant in others. Rip and Colby really were enemies in the beginning with the author using biting humor and disdain (especially on Rip's part) to bring that point home. Kudos to her for giving them no easy fixes, which would have been easy to do. Instead, she took them on a winding journey filled with real-life challenges, attitude adjustments, eye-opening experiences (having full responsibility for two young children will do that), heart-tugging romance, and a slow awakening of possibilities.

Both humor and emotional depth are strong in this story, one equally balanced by the other. The characters are well developed, relatable, and felt very authentic. I was fully invested in Colby, Rip (once he got rid of that stick up his...and we began to see his heart), the kids, and let's not forget Rip's self-appointed, chatty best friend, Banks, the architect of more than a few of the humorous scenes in this story. Everyone should have a best friend that invested in your happiness. I adored him.

I recommend adding The Godparent Trap to your summer reading list. Keep the tissues handy but be prepared for plenty of laughter too, along with a satisfying HEA and some surprises along the way.

4.5 stars
ARC received for fair and unbiased review

This book was phenomenal! It was fast-paced and packed an emotional punch, which had me flying through well over half the story in one sitting. I loved Rip and Colby’s love story, watching them go from genuine dislike after a disastrous date to friendship and love as they struggle with the transition into parenthood. The death of Rip’s sister and best friend was shockingly emotional, which speaks to how well the book was written. Despite knowing the characters for one chapter before they died, I felt their loss acutely, and watching their children, as well as Rip and Colby, go through the process of grieving was heartbreaking. I love the found family that was created with Rip and Colby and the kids. The children in particular stood out to me. Each of them were distinctive and memorable, as well as surprisingly perceptive, which I really loved. As for Rip and Colby, I loved seeing how their relationship progressed, in all its opposites-attract perfection. Overall, this was a heartwarming romance that completely gripped me and did not let me go until I turned the final page.

Chaos meets calm in this roller coaster relationship. Two completely opposite personalities must work together for the good of two children. Enemies after a disastrous first date.
Colby lives a somewhat transient life. Always on the go, moving from place to place, eating great food and posting about it in her blog. Single, free from romantic relationships and kids. Her base is her married best friends and their kids.
Rip lives by order and routine. Time and place for everything.
When tragedy throws these two together, the fun begins. They both learn to lean on each other - to meet in the middle. It good to have chaos balanced with calm.
Emotional, fun, sexy with great characters. The supporting cast added even more to the story.

4.5/5 (rounded up)

I seem to be on a roll with romance authors I've never read, and the streak continues with The Godparent Trap by Rachel Van Dyken! This has a lot of romcom qualities to it and it constantly made me laugh out loud. I'm not too proud to admit that this was a cover read for me, so I hadn't looked at the synopsis ahead of time and man was I SHOOK when I found out what the plot of this book was. It starts out very tragically and I had tears in my eyes almost instantly. Thankfully after the shock wore off, it becomes a super sweet and emotional story about making the most of life and dealing with grief. It does handle some hard subjects, but at the same time also has a very lighthearted feel if that makes sense. For me, The Godparent Trap was the perfect blend of funny and sad and it wasn't at all what I was expecting.

It was also hard not to fall in love with the audiobook which is narrated by Maria Liatis & Jacob York. I have only listened to Liatis narrate before and they couldn't have been more perfect to voice Colby and Rip. I can't remember what I thought of Liatis in the prior book I heard her voice, but she did a fantastic job for Colby and in general, the audio is just really well done. There are times when Colby and Rip are texting each other, and I really appreciated having the phone sounds in the audiobook. It is little things like this that really make them stand out from the rest, and it was executed perfectly - highly recommend it! The Godparent Trap does have some steam but it wasn't as much as I was expecting, so if you are a fan of more closed-door romance this could definitely still work for you. If Van Dyken writes more books like this, I am most certainly going to be reading them.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.25 stars--THE GODPARENT TRAP by Rachel Van Dyken is a contemporary, adult, stand alone romance story line focusing on blogger Colby Summers, and accountant Rip Edison.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Colby and Rip) THE GODPARENT TRAP follows in the wake of the death of Colby’s best friend and Rip’s sister Monica and her husband Brooks. Colby and Rip are the godparents of Monica and Brooks two children Ben and Viera, and thusly began co-guardianship of the young children but neither Colby nor Rip had any experience in parenting young children, and the resulting chaos pushed our couple to the edge of insanity. What ensues is the enemies to lovers relationship between Colby and Rip, as our couple struggle to navigate instant the combined fall-out of grief and instant parenthood.

Colby Summers believes Rip Edison is the ultimate evil. One date, years before, resulted in a lack lustre evening, leaving Colby struggling with everything that went wrong. Rip Edison believes Colby is lazy without a real job or direction in life, while Colby sees Rip as a numbers nerd whose ego is bigger than anyone can handle. From the outset our heroine Colby Summers is a mess; a woman inexperienced in child care, cooking, cleaning and basic survival, inexperience that screams failure in the eyes of our hero. Rip Edison is a man solely focuses on his career and the bottom line but he is no better at raising a family, regardless of ability to get things done.

The relationship between Colby and Rip is an enemies to lovers in which our couple are thrown together ,in their time of grief, to raise two young children who have just lost their parents. Rip believes Colby should be responsible for the children at home but quickly realizes neither one is capable of looking after themselves, let alone someone else’s children. Colby and Rip must band together in an effort to look after and raise Monica and Brooks’ children, children that will become a part of their forever home. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to the children-Ben and Viara, as well as Rip’s best friend and co-worker Banks, and PA Heather.

THE GODPARENT TRAP is a story of loss and grief, family and friendships, acceptance and love. The premise is emotional and captivating; the romance is seductive; the characters are energetic, struggling but learning to cope.



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Colby and Rip are the true opposites attract! Through their grief and pain they found each other and it was so great to read about. It was similar to the movie "Life As We Know It" which is what drew me in since I loveeee that movie!! This book similar but different and still just as enjoyable.

The Godparent Trap by Rachel Van Dyken is a contemporary romance. Colby's living her best life: as a popular food blogger, she gets to fulfill her dreams of exploring the globe. But her 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. Accountant-extraordinaire Rip values rules and plans. But when he loses his sister and his best friend and becomes an insta-guardian all in one night, Rip sees his organized life imploding. What he really doesn't need is his sister's irresponsible, flighty—albeit kind and gorgeous—best friend making it worse. 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?

The Godparent Trap has some serious subjects throughout- mostly grief and coming to terms with loss and change. However, there is still some humor thanks to the secondary characters and the opposite's attract nature of the relationship between Colby and Rip. I was highly engaged in getting to know both characters and seeing them grow as people, caregivers, and a couple. I really enjoyed the interactions between Rip and Colby, and some secondary characters like Banks. There were moments that were hard to read, but that is more because of the topics at hand- like loss and the well being of children- than any lacking in the writing. I think the book was well written and the hard stuff was handled well including the use of content warnings for readers that might have difficulty with the subject matter.

The Godparent Trap is a solid romance with lots of feels and some laughs along the way.

The tragic loss of friends/family is what caused Colby and Rip to become the guardians of the children. Now they must figure out how to be parents while mourning their loss and trying to balance everyday life.What follows is a true look at how chaotic life with little kids, jobs, errands etc can be. Soooo many laugh out loud moments. I have to believe that anyone with multiple kids can appreciate the daily life these two find themselves in! My first book by Ms.Van Dyken and I couldn't put it down! I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Okay so I’ve been seeing this book everywhere and I was like huh this looks interesting! So then I I went on NetGalley to request it and see if I would get approved, I honestly really hoped I would get approved! The next day I checked my email and I saw that I got approved of this book by NetGalley and I was so happy honestly! lm so glad requested this book because the minute I got it, I couldn’t Stop putting it down 🤩🤩 that’s how good it was! Gosh where do I begin because I had a lot of parts of this book that I loved😊 I mean I sort of didn’t like rip because he was jus being awfully mean to Colby🥲 but the love he has for his niece and nephew is so adorable especially towards viera🥺🥺. she’s just to adorable, and as well as Ben, he was way to smart for his own age🥹💜 But then as I started progressing through out this Book, I was like okay rip I see you being all nice to her. And I instantly loved him🥰 I loved all the characters in this book especially the kids🤍and the banters and bickers🤣 I loved how they challenged each other, took turns to be with the kids, especially when Rip was trying to prove Colby that staying at home with the kids was easy loll! The flour and slime incident, and especially the moment they had when cleaning out both Monica and Brooke’s stuff🥺

I loved Colby because I loved how she was so driven to do things right/correctly for her and the kids no Matter how much rip tore her down she didn’t give up she still continued to do it! I admire her courage and ability honestly! I loved how they both didn’t admit they had feelings for each Other until they kissed and when banks was trying to make Rip jealous😂😂 Omg let’s not start with the Cat Stu he was to funny loll. I loved banks because he claimed to be rips best friend 🤣 as for heather I did not like her at all😒! The bicker and banter between rip and Colby was so funny lmao😂 I felt soo sad that Brooke and Monica had died :( but Ik they made a right decision on letting rip and Colby be their godparents😊🥰!
I can’t believe I finished this book within 2 days🤯 because I literally just started it on (7/24/22 and finished reading it 7/25/22 which is todays date ) that’s how amazing it is💜I wasn’t expecting me to love it this much!
(Ps I binged read a few chapters(okay a lot) in the morning instead of going to sleep😂, and then I finished the rest of it at night🥰)
Overall I’m satisfied because the chemistry they both had was chef kisses!
I believe both Colby and Rip were amazing Guardians and parents to him even tho they were their nieces and nephews💜 when I saw Rip caring for viera and Ben I was like yupp he’s definitely going to make an amazing day one day as well for Colby🥰
The ending tho got me so sad because I didn’t think she would of remembered🥲 but thank god she did honestly!

Definitely adding this book to one of my favorite romcom reads!

Rachel Van Dyken does not disappoint with making you fall in love with her story and all the characters in it. This one was an emotional heartwarming read, and I loved every single page of it.

Colby is our free-spirited food blogger, she gives so much positivity and happiness towards the people around her. I love how her personality, how strong she is, despite going through so much. The way she loves the children and of course Rip was truly heartwarming.

Meanwhile we have Rip, our grumpy hero, who despite all the walls he built around himself was able to genuinely show compassion and love towards Colby and the children. I love the way he loved his family.

Recommending this one if you're looking for an enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine, emotional yet also hilarious read!

If you want a quick read this is the book for you! I read this during my commute to and from work last week and it's super cute.⁠
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A forced proximity relationship with the best friends brother 😏 ⁠
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Co-parenting and learning from each other🥰⁠
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Semi-fake dating someone to make the other jealous 🥸⁠
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and spicy texting 📃⁠
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Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review and the opportunity to read this work of art.

Such an enjoyable read with great characters. The plot was interesting and I literally read this book all in one sitting :’) I highly recommend this book it has the best vibes!