If you are looking for the perfect rom-com, this might be the one for you. While this book becomes very cliche at times, I do feel that it was the intended style. I would love to see this book turn into a movie or TV series as I found Jayne's writing very descriptive and her characterizations were on-point. The book started off a bit cringeworthy with the failed proposal and I really did not think I would like Eli as a character after that, but within the next two chapters, I was rooting for Eli.

I received an Advanced Readers copy of this book from NetGalley and am giving an honest review.

I liked this book a good amount, it had a lot going for it. Lots of great references and a cute main character overcoming a hard life. I both liked and want to slap our leading man for just not getting it all sooner. My only criticism is that is felt a bit long. After Eli and Leah finally get together there was a lot of book after that I think could’ve been significantly cut down and felt less long winded.

Eli is head over heels for Victoria. Why else would he propose four months into their relationship, right before she’s leaving for a nearly year long sabbatical to Italy? Unfortunately for him, she is not in the same place.

The split propels him into full depression/hermit mode, and his sister and friends are desperate to get him back to the land of the living. Since he is obsessed with getting her back, they’ve decided to help him turn into a guy she would want to settle down with. So starts Project Make Eli Over.

Leah feels trapped and alone. She came back to care for her dying foster mother. After she passes Leah wants nothing more than to save enough money to get out and move on. Why else would she be working at nearly every place in town with a few hours work she can do?

Leah isn’t trying to change Eli. Really. She thinks he’s fine the way he is! But his friends are. And them bringing her in is like having friends herself. Now that she’s started to feel like she belongs … is leaving really what she wants?

Along the way she realizes she really doesn’t want to make him ‘good enough’ for Victoria, maybe she wants to keep him for herself. And he’s realizing that he’s not so sure he wants to go after Victoria anymore himself.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but fair warning - the amount of times I wanted to tell Eli ‘Dude. She is not that into you’ about Victoria is… a lot. And Patrick - her foster mother’s son - without spoilers I’m just going to say that I had some Thoughts and Words that I would very much have liked to share with him if he were, you know, real. When all is said and done though, the way things wrapped up was as close to perfect as I think you could get. Very satisfying.

This book was perfect for curling up on the couch and reading a Saturday away. I found both Leah and Eli to be charming and likable leads, and their cast of friends was equally fun.

Given how well the majority of the characters were written, I was disappointed that Patrick was such a caricature. He wasn't terrible enough to be funny and his obvious lack of intellect felt cartoonish. I'm all for him being the absolute worst, but he came off as so one-dimensional that it was jarring compared to the rest of the characters.

This slow burn, cozy romance between Eli and Leah was so cute. I wanted to dislike Eli for carrying the torch for someone who obviously didn’t want him, but I couldn’t. He was just so nice. Loved the rest of his family and friends. It was just a sweet, feel-good romance and I loved it. 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A sweet love story starring the rom-com makeover of hero Eli to win back the woman of his dreams. What happens when Eli realizes that his true love was next to him all along and loves him just as he is?

I’d like to thank Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very deeply okay. It was cute, and a nice comfort read. I just needed more from the characters and their backstories. They didn’t seem all that fleshed out, despite especially Leah’s background with the foster system. Leah has a moment where she comes to terms with the fact that her past was traumatic for her, but then it’s not really talked about again.

I did, however love the relationships in this. While yes, they all read younger than they are, it was clear how much they all cared about one another. The found family theme was stated, and for Leah that was really important. Leah and Eli had such a sweet slow-burn romance, and I loved their moments of tenderness and vulnerability.

Ultimately, this was a cute rom-com and I think it would make such a good movie!

I really enjoyed this book! I was happy that I quickly grew attached to the female lead and the male lead. I was worried at first that I would be annoyed by the character being so obsessed with his ex but it made for some forced proximity so I didn’t mind. The book focuses on Leah, a former foster child who came back home to take care of her dying foster mother. By the time we meet her, her mother has died and she’s working odd-end jobs to save enough money to get out of town. She first has a run-in with the male lead when he essentially proposes and gets dumped by his ex who is leaving for a job abroad. They continually have run-ins because his family decides to help him with a makeover to win his ex back and she works all over town. I love that you can see their friendship genuinely build (but that she also builds genuine friendship with his friends and family too). Once they become friends, it isn’t long before Leah is telling it like it is (she’s tiny, but strong) she knows that Eli is perfect the way he is,,.maybe perfect for her? A great story with no miscommunication, just two characters growing together which leads to love. Loved it! (Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a review!

The Rom-Com Agenda was a fast paced, lighthearted read with lots of emotion and depth. There was great character development, and the supporting cast of characters were lovely. The cozy setting of a tourist town over the winter season was perfect and made the story even more enjoyable and added to the warm fuzzy feeling I was left with. I was a bit surprised to find that this was a fade-to-black romance, but I wasn't too disappointed because the rest of the story was so well done. I will definitely be recommending this when it is released!

I absolutely adored this book! It was sweet, funny, and had a little steam (even if it was fade to black).

It follows Eli and Leah, in a semi-dual POV told in 3rd person. I normally abhor love triangles, but this one I was ok with because one of the characters wasn’t really even there, and it was mostly one sided with Eli pining after a woman who broke up with him. I also loved the side characters! Gray and Delia should have their own book!!!

This book is perfect for anyone looking for a sweet RomCom and who loves 80s/90s chick flicks! There’s some sensitive content around foster families, so if that’s a trigger for you, please proceed with caution. Otherwise it was a delightful story and a quick read with a HEA.

This was a solid three star for me. Leah & Eli's slow burn romance had me rooting for them. I dont think ive read a book where one of the protagonists was a foster child, so learning about the foster system thru her experience was interesting. I dont love the miscommunication trope so there were times i wanted to shake Eli. But all in all it was a cute story.

I really loved this book! I read it when I was on vacation in the 1000 Islands, having no idea that that's where the book was set! It was so fun hearing mention of places we'd visited. I also loved all of the nods to the classic rom com movies. Like most chick lit books, it was a bit predictable but I'm a sucker for a happy ending so I didn't mind one bit. Perfect vacation read!! I had never read anything by this author and I'm definitely checking out her other titles!

❄️I really enjoyed this adorable, cozy romance. It had a slow fall in love friends to lovers trope, funny and lovely cast of secondary characters, and of course, lol banter. I loved both main characters, Leah and Eli. 💗 Pacing was good, and I loved Jayne Denker voice. I had to look up some movies Leah and Eli talked about (because there was a lot of talk about movies) but it only added to my list of what to watch next. :) It could be a very cute romance movie. 💕

I would recommend it to others, and I look forward to reading more books by Jayne Denker.

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

a great slow burn romance reminiscent of early rom com movies although a cast of way too many characters made this feel a little too clustered at times and some side characters weren’t discernible, but that’d be my only “complaint”

While I adore rom-com’s I have to give this book 3.5 stars. It took me until close to halfway through to really get into the book - but once I did I flew through it. I did really enjoy Eli and Leah’s characters, and I was rooting for Leah the whole time! I love the theme of found family in this book, and while some parts felt cliché I did enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An adorable romance you shouldn’t pass up and perfect for a wintry afternoon when it’s published in January 2023!

Leah has a cringeworthy moment when she accidentally overhears the ultra chic Victoria turn down good guy Eli’s proposal and march off to a 10 month sabbatical in Italy, far, far away from quaint touristy town Willow Cove, in the archipelago of the Thousand Islands (between Ontario and New York). Five months later, Eli is still a “hopeless romantic and incurable optimist”, pining away for the woman he only knew for four months and expecting to win her back when she returns. His sister, Jenna, with her friends Gillian and Delia, know that Eli is in a massive funk and looking like a wild man in a “competitive beard growing” contest. They might not like Victoria, but they know that Eli won’t be happy if he doesn’t get a chance to re-present his case to Victoria. As he is, it’s a long shot. So, the group decides he needs a makeover (physically and mentally) to be the guy that Victoria would want.

So, off they go to Thousand Island Dressing, the clothing store that Leah works at (along with stints at tailor shop Stitch, Please and Magic Maids). Leah is trying to save enough to leave Willow Grove, but she’s surprised to see again the guy she overheard months ago being rejected. Leah gets recruited to be part of “the team” and she’s also very helpful when it turns out she’s the owner of the only working VCR in town since part of the project requires Eli to view all the old rom-com movies he’s never seen.

Of course, this puts Leah and Eli very close together (for basically as long as he knew Victoria), prior to the final test of possibly reuniting Eli and Victoria. Of course, you can sort of guess the trajectory of the plot, but it’s so fun and delightful to go on that journey. 4 stars!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Initially Leah can’t decide if Eli’s eyes are blue or green, but Blanche the cat definitely has green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): YES/NO

I listened to this charming rom-com as I drove my son to work. I enjoyed the premise of getting over a broken heart by re-writing history. What made the story really fun was that I listened to it in the month of July, amid Southern California heat. The story revolves around a Christmas movie being filmed in July, so all the sets are snowy and festive. The characters were interesting and parent/adult child relationships were unique and funny. I enjoyed this light-hearted romance.

Love is never easy. Come on the THE ROM-COM AGENDA, Ms. Denker's new novel and find out how a group of friends turn a guy into a stud muffin. Eli Masterson is depressed when his girlfriend, Victoria, flies to Rome for a whole year. He thought they had something special and clumsily proposed. He's determined to get her back. Enter his sister and her friends who initiate a total makeover, head to toe, including watching rom-com movies to learn the proper romantic hero persona, one that Victoria will love. Will it work?

Leah Keegan is a very pretty lady and a loner. She took care of her poorly foster mother who had cancer for a year. Sadly she passed away. Now, Leah is working multiple jobs, saving up money, to move on again, since she has no family. She likes Willow Cove but with no ties, it's time to relocate. Where will she go?

Eli's sister's group of friends befriend Leah and enlist her help, since she works at multiple stores around town that cater to clothes, hair, manicures, etc. Leah and Eli hit it off when they meet. Eli invites Leah to watch movies with him. Is this a good idea because the whole reason is to win Victoria back, right?

Fate seems to push them together at every turn. Leah is crushing on Eli and he is mesmerized by Leah. They both have choices to make about their lives. Will love be the deciding factor?

THE ROM-COM AGENDA is a touching romance about a romeo makeover, second chances, with small town charm. Sparks fly between lovelorn Eli and lovely Leah in this sweet romance that has all the feels. Leah's personality, her past and all her problems are expertly written. I love how strong and independent she is, standing up to anything. She never had friends, so taking a leap socially with Eli, his friends and family is huge for her. Their romance is tender and simmers slowly.. This is an uplifting journey that makes you feel like coming home. I loved it! THE ROM-COM AGENDA explores second chances and the power of love.

Leah and Eli were cute, and the whole set up with getting him ready to win back his ex was fun. Thank you to the publisher for an arc, all opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the ARC.
5 big stars. This book is hilarious! Had to stop many times to wipe laughing tears away. The movie references alone are worth the read. Great main characters AND side characters you would definitely want to be friends with, in that small town, Gilmore Girls way. Speaking of, I love that Eli calls Leah "Kirk" because of her many jobs. The slow burn romance was just right, not too slow and not rushed at the end. A quick, perfect summer read.