The inclusivity of making Millie nuero-diverse sets this romcom apart from others. It really shined a light on some of the difficulties adults diagnosed with ADHD may face. However, I am giving this book two-stars because the plot left me asking "why is she surprised?". The main character sets out to fake a relationship knowing everything will implode when she "comes clean" but then is surprised when everything implodes after she comes cleans. She self-sabotages herself knowingly but then is upset by it. I think the plot would have made more sense if they had planned a "fake break up" instead of weirdly outing her fake arrangement.

I think this would make a good beach read. There’s a mix of social media influencer and surfing and I kinda just tuned out the influencer stuff because it was unbelievable and odd. Faking him being her husband was just a No and you can’t tell me it wouldn’t have caused a larger scandal.

She was literally dating him for likes and views! As a user I’d be so offended. As a reader I just expected more to come from it? Also I feel like the Alana chick needed some more exploration because her character is so unique and strange. And also annoying. So annoying. But then kinda nice? Idk.

I enjoyed the first half more than the second, but it was still a solid summer read. I’m all for the endless pining and Pete served it up on a silver platter. However, the name Pete does absolutely nothing for me. It’s not a name I would have given to a surfer dude (or anyone…I just think of Pistol Pete from Parks and Rec).

Some of the writing was repetitive, but it was probably more noticeable via the audiobook. Speaking of which, I liked the narrator, but her guy voice kinda weirded me out. If you’ve listened to the Princess Diaries series, Pete sounded like a mix of Lily and Michael…

I really appreciated the spice that we got here! However, it still felt relatively closed door because most climaxing happened off page and that always leaves a seen feeling unfinished (no pun intended). But I did really like the scenes as a whole.

Four Ways to Wear a Dress- Gillian Libby

Wow, what a fantastic listen! I loved how timely this audiobook was, discussing the struggles of twenty somethings after the pandemic and trying to figure out their lives in the time of social media. And the romance, whew! There's just something about listening to a sex scene while doing menial house chores that makes them a lot more enjoyable!!! Loved how the narrator told the story, with the slight differences in tone for different characters but not too goofy. Truly a super enjoyable listen, could not stop listening because I couldn't wait to figure out what happened and if the "fake husband" turned into a true romance. Highly recommend for a easy breezy enjoyable listen!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to netgalley for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

(3/5 stars) DNF @ 13%

I don't usually like to DNF books, especially so soon into the start of it, but with eight more hours of the audiobook to go, I decided I can't do it.

Let me start by saying, I thought I knew what I was getting into when I started this book, and already was hesitant on whether it was going to be my cup of tea. But I'm still giving it a three star rating, because the book has potential, and I am sure there are going to be readers who absolutely love this book. I am just not one of them.

The idea of leaving New York and the corporate world to be an "influencer" out in California is so privileged and unrelatable. But to be fair, unrelatable is a huge component in romance. The fantasy that coexists in a reality, uncanny to the one we all live.

However, getting fired from your first job out of college, that sounded horrible to begin with, isn't a valid reason for giving up. As someone who has grown up in New York and seen a lot of people come here only to leave in the 1-3 year window, it's okay to admit that the city just isn't for you! And as someone who also as ADHD like our main character, I understand that it can be frustrating when the first conclusion your parents jump to is adjusting your meds, but you don't get to act like ADHD doesn't play a factor in your life. Especially considering how much ADHD impacts impulse control and decision making.

All these tiny details aside, because I only made it to chapter 3, here is what I mainly take issue with that I think some readers might enjoy. It reads as painfully millennial. As an older Gen Z, I've seen the rise of influencers. I remember when Instagram was first launched. I've seen entire cycles of youtubers, to viners, to tik tokers, rise and fall in popularity. It may look desirable, but as I have seen over the years, influencers grow frustrated and burnt out. Not to mention -- it is all so fake! And no one should know this better than Millie who worked in marketing and did brand deals with these influencers.

Also, while being locked into 2020s culture, it is nostalgic for the early 2000s, which is why it reads as the kids say, "chuegy." The four girls all sharing a dress is a clear reference to the sisterhood of the traveling pants, which debuted in theaters when I was four. Not that early 2000s movies can't still be relevant. Movies like Mean Girls has infiltrated pop culture for almost 20 years now. But a movie about a piece of clothing that magically fits four different body types--not so much. I wouldn't mind seeing this idea used again, but it would benefit from it being one book broken up into four sections, one for the short story of how each girl in the group found success in the dress.

I have no comment on the romance between the two characters, or the main love interest himself because I had only just met him when I decided to stop listening. If I had to hear the words "influencer," "instagram," "likes," and "followers," one more time, I was gonna lose it. I've listened to some audiobooks where I thought I probably would've disliked the book if I read it instead of listened to it. This book I think I would have made it farther if I read the ebook instead, but not much farther.

I hope my review doesn't completely discourage you from picking up this book this year. There is definitely an audience for it! I would definitely be interested in picking up another book by this author in the future, as long as it isn't so reliant on our current pop culture, and an elitist whiny attitude from the main character.

I loved the narrator!! Overall I enjoyed the book. I just didn’t love the characters all that much. I know the whole social media influencer thing is super relevant right now this just made it feel way too easy! Love the beachy vibes.

This book will be a perfect beach read this summer!

I absolutely loved Millie and the Santana family. Their dynamic was fun and playful — and the romance was perfect. By the end of the book, I had to think hard to remember how the book started because I feel like Millie changed a lot. My only complaint is that I thought that the Peacock Bay influencers may have had nefarious intentions, but that didn’t play out the way that I thought.

Great book, fun read!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the advanced listen. The audiobook was fantastic.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4653851513

Millie is the main character of this story revolving around losing her job at an ethical (but unaffordable) toy brand, getting rid of most of her stuff and taking some time from the New York grind to go to California and spend her time surfing. She has really great representation, especially since I rarely see FMC’s with ADHD that speak openly to the dilemmas it has caused them in their life.

I had some misgivings about Millie at the beginning of the book. She claims that Quincy is her best friend but doesn’t even know the gender of her “best friends” kids even though her friend is an avid Instagram poster and she would in theory see everything she posts. That seemed like an odd choice for her to be so unengaged with someone who she supposedly misses and regrets not moving closer to.

Overtime I saw the bond strengthen between her and Amelia, Quincy, and Pete. They are all siblings and part owners of the Instagram worthy hotel in Peacock Bay. Pete is the main one in charge of the hotel while his two sisters are influencers.

Millie initially goes out there because she wants a piece of the pie that she sees her friends having. She wants that laidback California surfer girl vibe and will do what she can to get it. So she tries her hand at being an influencer and trying to create a brand. Millie wants to be the ideal surfer but quickly realizes people like her and engage more with her stuff when she is being authentic about her struggles, which makes a lot of sense.

Pete was a really great love interest. He was her best friends brother so there’s a lot of long term pining that happens. Then throw in a dash of fake dating and lots of time with these two in their swimming suits and who wouldn’t enjoy the outcome?

My only read drawback is I wanted a bit more of a comeuppance for Alana. She is incredible rude and bossy, and no one ever calls her out on it. Literally everyone just bows down to the Queen of Peacock Bay and I didn’t like it. I felt like eventually someone should have done something or let her know that she’s obnoxious.

“Four Ways to Wear a Dress” is a really interesting look at Instagram culture and how people do believe everything they see. Millie starts out really naive and believes that everyone has the perfect life but she soon realizes that it isn’t what it looks like online. I think is an important lesson for people to learn, especially the younger generation growing up in the thick of it all.

This was a really great debut book and I’m curious to see if the author will write other stories centering around other characters in the book. Will they be set in California, New York, or Vermont? I would definitely continue to read the books this author writes.

Such a fun read, and great debut novel by the author! I really loved the ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ vibes this book had. I liked the concept of having this one dress that supposedly brings luck to any of the girls that wear it. It was just the thing that Millie needed when she lost her job and went to California to visit her college friends (and longtime crush).

Another aspect of this book which I really enjoyed, was the ‘best friend’s brother to lover’ and ‘fake husband’ tropes. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the situations Millie would get herself in because of these tropes, and it really added to the story!

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a glimpse at an Instagram influencer lifestyle, as well as lovers of the fake dating/friends-to-lovers tropes.

This was just okay. It was a fun read but nothing magnificent. I would read more books by this Author though.

This sweet and steamy rom com was a delight.

Millie is fired from her marketing job in New York so decides to take a trip to California where her best friend is an influencer in an idyllic utopia beach town. As Millie gets to know the locals, she realizes that despite appearances, people have their own struggles. She also gets to spend time with her long-time crush, Pete, a local business owner and brother of her best friend.

The plot was simple and comforting with a modern twist on new themes: post-pandemic life, living with ADHD, social media.

I listened to this as an audiobook and really enjoyed the production.

Recommended for fans of romcoms.

after losing her job Millie is feeling defeated and very lost in life, so what better to do then leave cold and snowy NYC for hot and steamy beach life in California with her best friend, Quincy and her best friends brother, Pete who just happens to be her long time crush, perfect right?

i liked this book much more than i thought i was going to. the main character was so relatable to me when she talks about her struggles with ADHD and how you see that play out in the book as well. i really like the way the author uses current events within the story. but the one thing i think i enjoyed the most about the story was the talk about social media and how perfected it all is a lot of the time. i really related to the feeling of not being perfect enough online and off, so this was great.

the one thing & i believe the only thing i didn’t like about the book is i didn’t really feel the connection between Pete and Millie honestly, I wanted to but it just wasn’t feeling 💯 for me completely, but i still enjoyed their cute banter and moments.

included tropes 🥰
• fake dating 😏
• best friends brother 😌
• traveling pants vibes 👖
• 💗GRUMPY SUNSHINE💗

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscapes Media for the Arc in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely adored this book!

After losing her job Millie is feeling defeated and lost. She decides to leave NYC to spend time with her best friend in a small surf town in California. It doesn't hurt that she has a huge crush on her best friends brother who will also be there. Millie creates a new instagram account to document her journey and to try to fit in with all the Instagram influencers in the small surf town.

When a local instagram celebrity falsely marks Millie and her crush Peter and husband and wife in one of her posts Millie's followers start to sky rocket. Peter and Millie come up with a plan to pretend date to help him gain bookings at his family run hotel and to help Millie gain followers.

Things and going really well between Millie and Peter and she starts to wonder if it was a mistake going in to this agreement. Millie is crushed when she thinks that Peter is faking his affections just for his hotel. Millie decides to leave for LA where she has a huge job interview... but can she leave this small surf town and the man of her dreams behind to start all over again?

Four Ways to Wear a Dress is a light, fun read that follows Millie (who finds herself simultaneously without a job and place to live) from the hustle and bustle of New York City to a small town in California for a "visit". Before her departure, while packing up her apartment she discovers a dress that became communal property of her and her closest friends, thought by some of them to have magical powers, not unlike "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants". Her friends convince her to pack it and give it a chance to do it's magic for her. And off she goes to Peacock Bay, California.

She convinces herself that her career can benefit from time spent amongst the town's influencers (her best friend amongst them) as she learns to live the coveted life that they all do as chronicled on "the 'Gram" (i.e. Instagram). She learns all too fast that life is not as it appears on social media feeds and there is a lot behind the scenes. In the process, she unintentionally gets swept up in a fake marriage (for the sake of appearances 'the "Gram") to her best friend's brother, whom she's been crushing on since childhood. This can't possibly turn out well... Can it?

Gillian Libby regales us with a tale of valuable life lessons and human connection that are relatable in this day and age, especially as a parent of young children or as a single woman surrounded by friends who have moved onto the next phase of their lives, leaving you behind. I am excited to see what she has in store for us next! #fourwaystowearadress #netgalley

Cheesy yet adorable!

Millie is a wreck, she lost her job at a marketing firm and decided a it’s the perfect time to go visit her old friend out in California while she figures out her next move. While she is packing to leaves she almost throws away the dress! This dress that her and her 3 friends use as there motivation and help outfit. They where to dates job interviews.. etc.

The dress works for everyone so far but Millie. So when she decided to go visit her friend in peacock bay this remote little town known for surfing she brings it with her. As she is there she in wrapped up in the Instagram influencers and the rules that apply however Millie doesn’t exactly follow them and then her life becomes even more of a wreck and earns her an instagram husband! While learning not everything is as it seems!

Highly recommend. This is my honest opinion in exchange for my ARC from NetGalley

Release Date: June 7, 2022

This adorable romantic comedy was everything! Such a feel good story about self acceptance, friendship and hope. Four Ways to Wear a Dress was just the right amount of spice and humor. I was routing for Millie and Pete right from the get go! This book will make such a cute summer/ beach read. If it is not on your radar, it should be!

Tropes: best friends brother, friends to lovers, fake dating

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for allowing me early access to this book!

Four Ways to Wear a Dress by Gillian Libby is a cute summer romance.

Millie just lost her marketing job in NY and decides to go visit her best friend Quincy in CA. Quincy’s brother Pete, a longtime crush, picks her up at the airport.
The small town in CA needs some marketing expertise. Will an Instagram account and some fake dating help?

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a advanced copy of 'four ways to wear a dress.'
Second encounters? A fake marriage? Influencers? A little spicy.... a little sisterhood of the traveling pants.....This was a fun book , which I really enjoyed! Recommend!
4☆

4/5; I listened to the Audiobook of this Book.

Okay so I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did! Millie is in small beach town, and trying out a career in social media influencing after being fired from her last job. It helps she’s staying at her best friends family owned hotel, co-owned by the brother she has always had an infatuation over, Pete. As Millie finds her footing, as well as managing her AFHD, she is constantly battling how she wants to portray herself. That is she enters a fake marriage with Pete for Social media perks. But when their fake marriage begins to blur, Millie has to figure out whether she can stay in this small town, or figure out her next steps.

So there were some iffy points to this book (the fake natural of instagram, which I get is real, just was obnoxious to read), as well I just got frustrated for all of the hate everyone was giving Millie for her ADHD. I overall really like this book, even if it’s one first person perspective (ugh what I would give for a Pete perspective)!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscapes Media for an eARC audiobook copy of Four Ways to Wear a Dress, by Gillian Libby, narrated by Erika Schindler. This is my honest review in exchange!

Four Ways to Wear a Dress is a fun, flirty, and a bit spicy summer romance with references to Sisterhood of the Traveling pants. I flew through this audiobook and the narrator was wonderful. While overall I liked the characters, there were a few who absolutely drove me up a wall. Alana in particular I just couldn't stand. I got to the point that her comments were just like grating fingernails, and it was so frustrating that the people of the town just went along with her so much. I also got a bit frustrated with Millie toward the end and her inability to pick up on things that seemed very obvious to me. I did like the inclusion of neurodivergent characters. It was nice to have a little more representation and a look into how both the characters directly affected and those around them dealt with differences in their lives. I loved the little town. It was cute and I felt like it would be a really relaxing and beautiful place to live and be. Overall, this was a fun listen. It was by no means completely new or really different, but it was a perfect start to my summer reading. 3.5 rounded up.

Cute story that actually admits it's a rip off of the traveling pants series. There needed to be a lot more focus on the dress if it was to earn its title. The characters were OK and it kept my attention until about the halfway point. Then it too the formulaic "love-hate-love-misunderstand- happily ever after" route of most of these type books.