"The Rom-Com Agenda" is a sweet story written by Jayne Denker. The setting of the North Country area of New York was unique and interesting to read about. Getting to know the characters was so much fun! I think the author has done great work creating three-dimensional characters. By the time I finished the book I felt like I really knew them and they were old friends. I like the pacing of the plot - it matches the story well. It was great to see the characters gradually realize the depth of their feelings for each other. The author's writing style is smooth and each chapter moves the plot and story along, without the use of filler chapters. It was great to follow Leah and Eli on their personal and emotional journeys and to see them both realize and strengthen their self-confidence and self-worth. I loved all of the romantic comedy film references! So much fun. I would like to see the author write another book following the story of Delia and Gray. This book focuses on the themes of: family, friendship, love, and healing. Blanche was so cute! I hope we see her in another book too. This was a sweet, fun, and emotional read with endearing characters and one very unlikable character. I highly recommend it! Even to readers who may not often read contemporary romance. Five stars! Thank you very much to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy to read and review honestly.

This book has my heart. I abs loved and felt for leah so much! She deserves all of the happiness in the world
Dealing with heavy topics such as grief my heart was mended by the end of this book. I abs loved Eli and leah

If you’re a fan of
Rom-Coms
New found family
Small town romance
Friends to lovers

Please consider reading this one ❤️❤️❤️

This is a really cute small town, friends to lovers rom com. I loved Leah! Eli really irritated me when he wouldn't let Victoria go. Over and over and over again. I think that that part could have been less prevalent in the story.

Of you’re looking for a sweet uncomplicated romance, check this one out.
I liked the crowd of friends that Leah developed.
Eli. Sigh. If ever there was a man who was obtuse, clueless, and oblivious, it is him. I had to squelch the urge to,shake some sense into him.
I loved it when Leah spoke the truth to him, but he still clung to his made up fantasies.
I liked all the movie references and Analyses.
There is a HEA, of course, or I wouldn’t read books like this.

The following review will be posted on my blog, Thursday, January 5th, 5 days before publication. It will be shared on Twitter and Instagram between that day and the day of publication, and has already been posted on Goodreads. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.






“Do I belong here?”

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses death of parent/foster parent, grieving, breakups, struggling to make ends meet, potential homelessness, and an honest addiction to an ex.

“The Rom-Com Agenda” starts with a rejection. Eli is proposing to Victoria, is utterly turned down, and Leah is there to witness it all. Talk about secondhand embarrassment. Now, months later, Eli and his friends are trying to have Eli go through an extreme makeover in order to win Victoria back when she comes back to the States, all with the help of Leah, who volunteers to help him after befriending Eli’s sisters. Little did they know, they were lowkey made for each other. Through rom-com movies and mishaps, Eli and Leah get to really know each other, and question all about the future they envisioned apart—and how that might look if they were together.

I have to be honest, throughout this book I defaulted at times to just reading the dialogue. Eli’s back and forth was driving me insane. His sisters’ and friends’ obsession with meddling with his life felt so forced and unrealistic. Take this book as a true fiction romance—this could never happen in real-life.

I was so hyped for this book and I just simply didn’t vibe with it. The jokes weren’t funny, the dialogue was iffy, and the romance was alright. Leah and Eli seem like a good match, I just hated how they got there.

I would recommend this book, perhaps, as a palette cleanser between tough books. It’s lighthearted mostly and is an easy read. The pop culture and rom-com movie references were awesome—it just wasn’t as life-changing and heartwarming as I was expecting it to be.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: January 10, 2023

“When we said we are family, we meant it.”

I really enjoyed this book! There were times when it felt a little cheesy but it is called The Rom-Com Agenda, so that is to be expected. I love the aspect of found family and the many Gilmore Girls references! Overall, this was a great small town friends to lovers rom-com!!

I thought the concept for this storyline was really cute and it definitely gave me those early 2000s rom-com movie vibes. I thought Leah’s backstory was well done and I liked her character development and the found family aspect it brought to the novel. Eli was sweet and a teddy bear looking for love. He relationships with his family and friends was really special. The makeover aspects in the story were funny and I liked the banter/interactions the characters had with one another during those situations. I did have some frustration with the way these characters read as they were supposed to be in their 30s and they acted much more immature and more like they were early twenties. Lots of miscommunication and Eli’s odd attachment to his recent relationship was a bit off putting. Overall, I was satisfied with the ending but I think some small changes with the main romance and the pacing could have made this story more enjoyable for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for an eARC of The Rom-Com Agenda in exchange for an honest review!

I think this book was really cute, but unfortunately, it also fell a little flat. I think Eli was hung up on Victoria for way longer than he should have been.

I did enjoy the Rom-Com movie references sprinkled throughout, and I love the found family trope. I loved Leah, and I think this author wrote most of the characters really well.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the early chance to read “the Rom-Com Agenda.” “The Rom-Com Agenda” introduces the reader to Eli, who has just been dumped by the supposed love of his life, Victoria. To help him win her back, his sister and friends give him a rom-com makeover. Along the way he meets Leah, who knows Eli doesn’t need to change for anyone to love him. Unfortunately, not every book is for every reader and this book did not really work for me. It is so obvious to the reader that Eli and Leah are meant to be but Eli moons over Victoria for way too long. He also comes across as really immature (he is 30!!) and it makes it hard for the reader to connect with him. I enjoyed the writing style and even laughed out loud several times but did find it difficult to finish. 3 stars.

From Stars Hollow to all the 80’s and 90’s rom com references this book was a delight!

Leah and Eli are characters you will fall for along with their entire crew. This was such a fun, witty book. Go on this journey with them while they figure out their own issues and each others issues with the help of fun loving/well meaning group.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book.

I was very excited to get into this book as I do love a good rom-com. Unfortunately it just didn’t hit the mark for me. I felt myself not really engaged in the characters or the story and really had to push myself to get thru the book. I loved the throwbacks to 80’s and 90’s references but that dones not a book make!

I will say it would have been a cute read and I look forward to this authors future books this one just wasn’t the one for me.

Thank you to netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The premise is cute - friends to lovers & small town romance - what more could you want?

If you’re looking for an easy, clean romance, definitely check this out!

Unfortunately for me, the pacing was off, and a lot of details were glossed over. I felt like the shift from friends to lovers was a bit off? And the end was definitely rushed and ended with several big questions out there.

This would be a good palate cleanser for someone who doesn’t like spice!

This is the perfect “curl up in your favorite chair with a fuzzy blanket while it’s raining outside” rom-com . The dialogue was super fun to read and the chemistry between these characters was so cozy. Nothing about this book felt forced. (As found family and contemporary romances often do.) This was the perfect fall read that cured my book slump with the right amount of witty banter and cute romance, and none of the trepidation or uncertainty I was afraid of. If you want an easy, light read that has all of your favorite components of all the best Rom-Coms, this is the book for you.

The book was a cute friends-to-lovers story and I enjoyed the authors writing a lot. It was just very disappointing how long Eli was obsessed with getting his ex back and not realizing Leah was the one. That did make the book feel like it dragged a bit. Luckily Leah's character grows as the book progressed; glad she got her happy ending and a family. Overall it was a cute, quick read and a nice small-town romance to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book. I received a copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This book is designed as a love letter to rom-coms, and that's evident in the many different tropes it covers (friends to lovers, small-town romance, found family, etc.). I think that the idea is very creative and a fun way to evolve a friends-to-lovers relationship.

While I adored the premise, it didn't quite stick the landing to me. The characters were portrayed as being in their 30s, but the way that they interact and navigate the world feels much more immature to me, almost like they are late teens or early 20s. Additionally, the MMC does spend a lot of time dwelling over his ex, who he dated for a very short period of time. That is clearly baked into the premise of the book, so I don't have a problem with it, but the sheer amount of pages devoted to mentioning it takes away from the romance IMO. Also the heartbreak he demonstrates lasts longer than the relationship itself (which I think a few other reviewers mentioned).

This is a closed-door romance, so be aware heading in :)

"The Rom Com Agenda" by Jayne Denker had a lot going for it with pop culture references, great banter, and a wonderful found family vibe. Unfortunately, Eli needed a greater backstory and his character felt flat through the novel. Not having a discernable reason for his actions left me frustrated and unable to connect with him. I really enjoyed Leah's character. Her history and determination made her easy to root for. Overall, the novel didn't wow me.

I thought this rom-com was sweet and cute, but it just didn’t do it for me. It’s friends to lovers trope with a VERY slow burn. The slow burn was due to Eli pining over his ex who dumped him and left the country.
I liked the makeover/rom-com research that Eli’s friends and family made him go through. I liked the references to rom-com movies, but I didn’t really care about any of the characters.
Therefore, I enjoyed this read, but I didn’t love it.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s for the ARC!

Leah's working every job she possibly can in an attempt to make enough money to move out of Willow
Cove - especially since her foster mother recently passed and there isn't anything else holding her back. In this time, she meets Eli who is trying to win back his ex-girlfriend who recently traveled to Rome for a few months. Along with some friends, they decide to change things about Eli to help him win back his ex.

Let's talk about what I liked - the plot idea is cute. It's a typical 90's and early 2000's rom com idea. I loved the references to 80's and 90's movies, plus the Gilmore Girl references.

However, I felt like the story struggled to keep my attention. The characters had no personality, the chemistry fizzled, and I just wanted to smack Eli for obsessing over winning someone back who clearly had no interest in him.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The Rom-Com Agenda is Jayne Denker’s newest sweet stand-alone romantic comedy. Leah Keegan is a loner, a former foster child who hasn’t found her place in the world. A year ago she returned to upstate New York to care for her dying foster mother and now she works multiple part-time jobs to keep the utilities on. She’s about ready to move on to another town, anticipating that the heir to the house will evict her. Leah accidentally overhears Eli Masterson propose to his girlfriend of 4 months, Victoria, before she leaves for a one-year trip to Rome for a year. Victoria turns Eli down, and he is devastated.

Eli lets himself go and becomes a recluse. Eli’s older sister, Jenna, and her husband and friends plan an intervention to make-over Eli into someone more appropriate for Victoria. However none of them believe that Victoria is right for Eli, and they hope that he will become interested in someone more suitable, like Leah. In addition to updating his appearance, they force him to watch classic rom-coms. Eventually Leah and Eli become attracted to each other but have to deal with Victoria and the heir to Leah’s house.

The Rom-Com Agenda is a sweet romantic comedy, with no profanity or sex. The banter between the family and friends is what makes this story special; there are so many laugh-out-loud scenes! It’s a well-written romantic comedy that will be enjoyed by fans of Hallmark movies. There are multiple references to a back-story between two side characters, Delia and Gray, so I’m hoping that the author will write their story next.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Cute premise with ALL the romance movies, but this love story is just meh. Eli's constant whining over his ex-girlfriend was a bit much, and Leah should've seen it as a red flag. The Rom-Com Agenda is a wholesome romance for those who like fade to black moments. Thank you St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy.