3.5 rounded to 4

A fun middle-of-the-night insomnia read. I liked the small town and the found-family aspect, always tropes that will draw me. I really liked Leah, and her wistful but practical quest for a home of her own, while she took care of a grumpy old lady and avoided that lady's hilariously awful heir.

The romance was lovely when it finally happened, but it took far too long. I did enjoy all the other aspects, though: for me, this story was more about Leah finding her place, with bonus romance, rather than a romance from beginning to end.

A sweet, squeaky-clean friends-to-lovers romance set in a small town will attract lots of readers with its sparkly cast of characters and fun premise. Leaning heavily on both the tropes of rom-coms and myriad references to the rom-com movies of the 80s, 90s, and early 00s, this dual-perspective novel offers plenty for readers to delight in, from two fairly well-developed leads to the supporting cast of characters rooting for them, even if they don't realize it. This is a perfect read for folks who like contemporary romances without a hint of spice - this is a classic slow-burn that will work for readers who do not want anything on the page except a few pretty chaste kisses. While the premise requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief, it's immersive and charming enough that it can be read in a single sitting.

This story was so cute! Leah has been taking care of her sick foster mother for the past year but now that she has passed away there is nothing keeping her in Willow Cove. She takes on odd jobs around town in the hopes of making enough money to move on. One of these odd jobs involves her painting a boat shed which puts her in the perfect position to overhear a failed marriage proposal. The man that was shot down is Eli and despite this rejection, he is determined to win Victoria back when she returns from her trip abroad. The solution? Become a romantic hero. Eli's sister and friends decide that he needs a makeover which leads him to cross paths with Leah, who, very quickly gets roped in to the shenanigans. Leah doesn't think Eli needs to change a thing but helps guide him through all the rom-coms on his list. As they spend more time together Leah realizes she is falling for Eli and just maybe he might be falling for her too.

3.5 stars

Leah has been the sole caretaker for her sick foster mother for the past few years; Eli wants to win back Victoria, the girl he was dating who left him to go to Paris, who he thought was the one for him. Eli enlists Leah's help to become the man he thinks Victoria wants, but the two might get a little more than what they bargained for.

I loved all of the 80s-90s movie references in this book! It was such a cute friends-to-lovers romance, and Leah was an easy protagonist to root for. I had a harder time with Eli since he struggled to figure out what he wanted. For most of the book, he is still pining for Victoria. What made up for that was all of the loveable side characters on the island. This was the light a fun read I needed!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Rom-Com Agenda is a must-read for fans of well, literally any romantic comedy movie ever made!

After Eli has a major breakup his ragtag group of friends decide that the only way he can get out of his slump and get back the woman he loves is to undergo a major makeover. Along the way they meet Leah who joins them in makeover madness. But as the more time Leah and Eli spend together, the more sparks start to fly - even though they try hard to resist!

Though it had a slow start, I definitely ended up loving The Rom-Com Agenda. Eli’s friends had my laughing out loud while reading and the references to 80s and 90s romantic comedy movies had me reliving all of the best scenes. I’m definitely pulling out some of my DVDs to watch!

Note: this is a PG read, all steamy scenes are closed door.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Jayne Denker for an advanced copy. This is my honest review.

I wanted, so badly, to love this. But Eli's obsession with his ex completely ruined the book for me. It's not romantic to me that it takes him until the eleventh hour to figure out what the readers already know, and it just made me want better for Leah!

Caught in the boathouse near where Victoria is currently breaking up with Eli, Leah accidentally overhears every embarrassing moment, although neither of them knows she’s there. When Eli enlists his sister and female friends to help him makeover his life, they head to the clothing store Leah is working at and she recognizes him. Soon, Leah joins the group making Eli into the perfect boyfriend, but not without catching feelings for him herself.

The name of this book, the Rom-Com Agenda, easily gives away which category this belongs in, and it fits into it perfectly. Leah and Eli are great, well developed characters, as are their family and friends, but I found the story quite predictable and slow moving. Overall, it was cute and funny.

The Rom-Com Agenda is a fun gender-switch on the 90s romance movie genre.

Leah and Eli have met before, Eli just doesn't know that. Overhearing Eli's failed attempt at a rushed proposal at the end of summer, Leah is shocked to see Eli in person that winter with his sister and best friends on a mission: get a makeover to earn Victoria back. Getting roped into their scheme when his makeover turns to studying male heroes through movies, Leah starts making Eli question his plan and listening to his friends and family a little more. Do you really need to change everything about yourself if it's actually meant to be? Leah likes Eli just the way he is, but she's heading out of town after the loss of her foster mother. It's up to Eli to convince her to stay, and it's up to Leah to show Eli he's perfect the way he is.

Jayne Denker is a new author to me and I received an ARC from St. Martin's Press in exchange for a review. This book had several parts that kept me laughing out loud and overall I thought it was a cute take on the typical make=over storyline. If you grew up in the 90s, you know all about the geek girl that gets her glasses removed and suddenly the popular boy wants her. Not only was this a gender switch in the trope, but Eli changed a lot more than simply removing glasses (he didn't have them anyway), and did it all while Victoria wasn't even in the country. I loved the banter between the friend group and liked the overall connection between Eli and Leah, but there was just something missing with the Victoria storyline and the ending was a little rushed. I also wish it had an epilogue, but overall I still recommend the book!

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
I was drawn in by the characters and the story right away. The way the author began to tell Leah’s story and her background immediately made me sympathetic towards her. I really began to like her right out of the gate.
Eli started out with me not quite liking him. He seemed a bit too aloof and clueless for me.
The friends added a lot of fun to the story. The whole “makeover to win the girl” idea I felt was a bit cheesy and reminiscent of a 90’s rom com teen movie but as a millennial and a huge fan of 90’s rom coms I secretly loved it haha. All of the movie references were fun and a great addition to the story.
What really made this book so endearing was the found family that Leah gained. It really added another level of a different type of love we can experience in life. I hope there will be more books spinning off with Jenna and Dickie, Delia & Grey. I would definitely read those!
In the end I really liked the genuine way Leah and Eli came together and really found myself doing a complete turn around on Eli. He ended up a really thoughtful, kind and endearing character.
Cute book!!

I loved Leah and Eli. Super adorable friends-to-lovers romance. They were so easy and natural with each other from the beginning. Also, the idea of not needing to change for the right one was emotional.

The whole found family was amazing and adorable. They really rallied around Leah which made me super emotional. 

The walkthrough rom-com memory lane was really cool to see fictionalized.

The only downside was that I don’t feel like I know Leah as much as I know Eli but it makes sense with the story's plot.

I can’t help but wonder about Delia and Grey (I can only hope they get their own book!)

This was a really adorable romance with a nod to 80s and 90s culture. The idea that you could learn how to be something to someone based on popular culture. Leah is a favorite heroine, she has lived through a difficult childhood, and lives everyday being true to herself. I loved how the whole village enveloped around Leah to accept her. I loved that this HEA was not only for romance but for being accepted whole heartily.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the eARC to read in exchange for an honest review!

I liked this story but had mixed feelings about it.

Leah has a lot on her plate packing up her late foster mother’s house while working multiple jobs to save up enough to leave town soon. Although she tries not to get attached to anyone or have a reason to want to stay, Leah longs for stability. A place to belong and plant roots.

Eli is a kind man who loves the outdoors and has a great, supportive friend group. But, from one hopeless romantic to another, Eli is a hot mess when it comes to love and relationships. During the opening chapter, I felt as awkward as Lead did about what was happening. Eli has such a good heart; it was sad how much he spiraled post-breakup.

Eli and Leah do make a cute couple. They get along well and feel most comfortable with each other. Far better than what Eli thought he had with Victoria. However, I can kind of see this relationship not working out but only if they both don’t put in the necessary work given where they’re coming from. Particularly with Eli being so fixated on getting his ex back so that he can have the kind of relationship his parents had.

The story did drag some - maybe it could have been a shorter read? Eli does spend an extensive amount of time wearing rose-tinted glasses before he finally realizes what was right in front of him all this time. I also think Leah may have been too close to the situation (alongside having feelings for Eli) to be completely objective about his predicament, even though what she was telling Eli was correct.

This was a cozy read that had me laughing and smiling, especially whenever Leah and Eli hung out together or with friends. I liked that the story emphasized that you shouldn’t have to change who you are or give up your passions/dreams, etcetera, in order to be with/appease someone. And, if you’re like me and Eli and aren’t very familiar with movie rom-coms, you now will have a considerable watch list afterwards, which is cool to have.

CW: recent death of a parent due to cancer, caregiver ptsd

"What's... what's the movie where the guy is so stupid and so blind he doesn't see the best thing that's ever happened to him is the woman who's been right in front of him the whole time?"
This is what this book is really. As cliché as it is, its fun & hilarious😂

Liah is a sweetheart & an extremely hardworking & stong woman. Eli is a great character even though there were a number of times I just wanted to vigorously shake sense into him.

All the side characters are extremely fun & have their unique personalities which I completely adore. The found family trope is done really well. I just extremely love this trope. It kind of makes me all sappy🥺 There's something extremely beautiful about finding your people, making friends who somehow become your family, without you even realising that🖤

There are A LOT, I MEAN A LOT of movie references✨️

Enjoyed this book through i really wish it had an epilogue 💗
It's hitting the shelves 10 Jan'2023!

"Thank you NetGalley & the publishers for the advance copy."

I love the found family and friends to lovers aspect of this book. It’s sweet ad fluffy hey hits all the emotional beats. The author’s writing is enjoyable and engaging and it was overall a great book!

Despite the title and the role romcoms play in this book, I wouldn’t actually consider this book a romantic comedy. Leah has had a rough go caring for her dying foster mother and instead of a meet-cute, her first glimpse of Eli is his rejection. Eli is a kind, sweet guy who’s desperate to win back Victoria, who he inexplicably thinks is the girl of his dreams. I liked both main characters and the supporting friend group as well—but I couldn’t decide if the way they “hired” Leah was weird. Also, the makeover plot line seemed a bit odd; it would have made more sense for a teenager or 20-something in a YA or new adult story than for a 30 year old. This one was a slooooow burn in part because of the Victoria plot. I just wanted Eli to get it together! The found family trope was honestly the best part.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Vibrantly funny, endearingly sweet, and a love letter to all things rom com, Jayne Denker's The Rom Com Agenda is a story of two people finding love right when they least expect it.

You know how the story's supposed to go...but love makes its own plans.

After reading the blurb I was excited to read The Rom-Com Agenda but once I actually started it I struggled getting through it.

Leah overhears the breakup between Eli and Victoria then goes about her business but when he comes back into her life 6 months later it's like nothing has changed with Eli. He's still obsessed with Victoria even though she left for Rome.

The book just felt lacking to me. It felt like it just went on and on with stuff that really didn't matter in the end?

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book wasn't for me, but I could see others liking it. I found I struggled with liking the characters. They both felt a bit immature, hard to connect with, and I just couldn't engage with them well. I felt the MMC situation was over the top and it felt like the author was trying hard to make him be a character in an 80s rom com. Problem is most 80s romcom characters are teens and our MMC is 30.
I was expecting it to be a little corny, given it's a romcom, but it felt to me like it went beyond corny into campy at some points.
Overall, I think others would probably enjoy this book, but I just struggled with enjoying the characters and finding the plot too much at times.

It took me till atleast Chapter 8 to get into this book...Leah was everywhere and it was confusing but then the "Gilmore Girls" line let me know incase taking this read too seriously. Once Leah and Eli started watching movies I felt like I had found my groove with this story and started to really enjoy it.
I enjoy the character Gray and the older sister, Jenna.
I really liked this story, it's sweet, not spicy, and references some of the greatest Rom-Coms of all time. I like that the main characters had depth to them. This book may be predictable but it's anything but cheesy.

Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

Leah was there for Eli’s disastrous proposal to Victoria before Victoria left for Italy for 10 months. She also found herself involved in the makeover Eli’s friends are doing to prepare him for Victoria’s return. The more she gets involved, the more Eli wonders if he really loved Victoria as much as he thought. His head is turning more towards Leah. Leah, who’s ultimate goal is to leave town.

The makeover concept is cute. Getting Eli all dolled up is only one part. His friends are making him watch all the rom-coms to learn about relationships. I mean, Dude thought Pretty Woman was only a movie about a guy getting a hooker! The love story that develops is as cute as any rom-com movie.

4 stars

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Leah Keegan has never really settled in one place too long. She returned to Willow Cove to look after her foster mother when she was ill, and since her passing, Leah’s not sure how long she’ll stay.

Eli Masterson proposed to Victoria after only four months and instead of saying yes, she left for Italy. His group of friends, which includes his sister, decides he needs a makeover if he intends to win Victoria back when she returns.

Leah has a number of part-time jobs in an effort to save money before she departs Willow Cove for good. She happens to work at a few of the businesses Eli’s friends drag him to as part of his makeover. Part of his makeover is to watch Rom-Coms to see how other guys interact with females. Leah ends up being enlisted into helping with Eli’s makeover, from being hired to clean his cabin, watching rom-coms with him to being included in group activities. While Eli is still pining over Victoria, Leah starts to fall for Eli, but will a friend group who treat her like family and Eli be enough for her to want to stay in Willow Cove?

A funny, light rom-com that is definitely worth reading! I’d definitely read other novels by Jayne Denker.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #TheRomComAgenda