first of all, thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

unfortunately, I dnf'ed it about 30% in, sorry! I just couldn't get into it at all. nothing about it kept my attention. lily, the female main character, is a therapist but in dire need of some help herself (I read reviews after DNF'ing and wow does she need it. but even from my limited view she needed help but WOW). the male main character (already forgot his name sorry) was basically a college consent manually forcefully merged with a man. everything he said and thought felt like it was said for woke brownie points. nothing about any interaction any one of them had felt natural or even human. overall the book was a big fat miss for me and I'm honestly glad I didn't continue (looking at the reviews again) because it goes down a rough path it seems.

regardless, didn't like it, wouldn't recommend it and would actually discourage people from reading this weird book.

I stopped reading this book a little over the halfway point when I realized I just wasn't enjoying it. It does seem like some therapists can be very self-unaware, but this character just felt way too much unaware of her own personal issues (even though she thought she understood them). I did like the side characters, which is probably why I continued reading as much of the book as I did. And I skimmed just to see what happened in the rest of the book and didn't feel like I really missed much. So this book was not for me. But I do think that it would be a great book for the right reader.

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I thought I would.

Here are some reasons why:
1. The dialogues were artificial - it did not feel genuine, realistic, heartfelt. While reading you know it is the book, the words were chosen as if they were from study books for self-help. People do not talk like that no matter their level of education, occupation and age.
2. Almost all of the characters were annoying - the FMC needed a lot of professional help which makes it even worse, considering that she’s the one working as a therapist/psychologist. Clearly she would not pass (if she had) any revision (and they are mandatory for people in this field). The rest were just mostly annoying
3. The insta-love - simple preference, not a fan of this trope
4. The chapters have 2 POVs but have no indications - this is something that was very disturbing because you read the whole paragraph before understanding whose POV it actually is.

That’s to name a few important ones, there are more unimportant details I didn’t like. Was struggling to finish because I don’t like to DNF books but if I could, I would dnf on ~30%.

This was adorable, fun and sweet read! I have a smile most of the time and adored both characters plus the secondary! It’s fast paced!

I'd like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It's not really a romcom like I thought it would be (the cover) and it also deals with some very strong subjects. As a "Love Doctor" who gives others advice I was surprised that Lily would have so much unfinished issues to resolve in her own life. I liked Jay (the love interest) and thought he was pretty mature and honest through the story.

I'm not sure why this book was hard for me to get through. There wasn't really anything wrong with it but I just don't think it held my interest. I guess I was expecting more romance from it than I got. I think the side characters and their issues took away from this book too. They had a lot of problems and drama in their own lives and it just seemed like a little much to focus on.

I'm giving it a 3 star because it wasn't bad and others may really like this book. I would have just liked to see more romance.

I didn’t like how Lilly’s PCOS was handled at times, she was a size 16/18 at her largest and she called herself huge (when this is barely larger than average for American women) and her negative self talk was super damaging and confusing when she acknowledged that many other women with PCOS can’t lose the weight that she had. For a therapist, Lilly I felt should be more empathetic, especially in this instance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
No pitch, do not read this. It is toxic and actively harmful.

Pre-reading:
I’ve seen one piece of a review for this book, and if it’s correct, I am so ready to rip this thing to shreds alongside her

Thick of it:
You know even in a romance book, I don’t expect to see cum on the first page.

Oh good, it’s going to be another watch the author flex her vocabulary book.

I don’t wanna read this. This is so unhealthy already.

I hate it here. I’m on page 37. Do not read this book.

Too many cats in romcoms.

What’s the female version of an incel because it’s this.

Oh good, disordered eating described as healthy behavior.

Tell me you want to fuck your sister more, sir.

He dm-ed you. You would see his profile pic.

Fuck the romcom no makeup superiority shit.

This book is so unhealthy.

No kink-shaming she claims. Then shames an innocent one.

This book is disgusting and harmful and the author should be ashamed.

Alpha girls??? Shut the fuck up.

Wouldn’t oil cling to a spoon?

This author makes me so angry. Fuck you very much. There is no pain or shame that comes with having a larger body; it’s just your body. Be nice to it, and stop hating it.

This character is so unhealthy and such a fuckhead. She has no business being a therapist if she’s this ill herself.

This is the most inappropriate sibling relationship. Don’t put your sister’s face on your underwear?

That is not what a date is, you fucking predator.

So much toxic author insertion in this book.

This book isn’t even just bad. It’s so actively harmful that it shouldn’t be published.

Hi sorry, no means no. Don’t harass this man into sleeping with you when he’s told you no.

You can literally still have children. I don’t get why this is a problem. Like just foster some kids, adopt, have IVF. There are so many fucking options. Don’t be a fucking twat. Deeply offensive to people with their own fertility struggles and harmful to the kids in foster systems to not consider them a family’s real children because you didn’t squeeze them out of your vag.

I know they’ve told us she’s abusive, but I haven’t seen any abusive behavior from this character other than the fact that they’re a couple and have different interests. That’s fine.

Not a fucking scooter, oh my god.

There is nothing wrong with those girls. You don’t have to put down other women to lift yourself up. You’re not superior for being a tomboy and not liking makeup and clothing.

Nancy Drew taught me the word Titian for hair, but I’m it’s such a weird thing.

This book is really fixated on the coccyx. (I type my reviews with voice texting, and I am absolutely shocked that it understood that word.)

I feel like an insecure control freak with an eating disorder is definitely wearing shapewear, so where is all that?

Girl, wash your face. You’re 30.

If I got those messages, I would be terrified.

This book is so preachy, but only preaches toxicity

Post-reading:
This book has no business being published.

You can't just throw in attempted child gang rape with zero consequences to the character who is supposed to be a sex therapist. Bitch needs her own therapist.

This book is full of disordered eating, body image issues, and fertility struggles, but don’t worry, they're all portrayed as reasonable, justified, and healthy, and absolutely not something that the protagonist should fix.

She continuously tries to out her best friend against his wishes.

And yet the book portrays all these characters as admirable people whom the reader should take advice from. Fucking toxic and actively harmful.

Who should read this:
No one

Do I want to reread this:
No

Similar books:
* The Seduction Expert by Saya Lopez Ortega-terrible book about a love guru
* The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez-rom-com with fertility struggles

Unfortunately I struggled with this book. I found the cover quite misleading, it wasn’t really a romance novel. The genre was more on psychotherapy and deeper delve on domestic issues. Also found it hard to keep track of which character were in each chapter.

When two people meet that have vowed not to have a serious relationship with anyone, sparks fly and they try to keep things at bay. As you can guess, lots of scenarios force them to be together. There is a ton of comedy in their situations to help alleviate some of the more serious aspects of their lives. It is a bit long with a lot of chapters spent on their self analysis, which I didn’t find necessary but overall it was a fun book. The drag scene added some exceptional humour and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at some parts. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“The Love Experiment” by Kitty Wilson follows Dr. Lily Galbraith, the Love Doctor. Although she’s queen of all things love, Lily has determined it isn’t in the cards for her. Jay, on the other hand, thinks of nothing, but true love when he goes on dates. This leads his sister to bet Jay he can’t go six months without a serious relationship. When the two meet, sparks fly, but when he can’t date and she doesn’t date, can they really fall in love?

This book had all the makings of a sweet romcom. Lily and Jay meet and fall in love in the most pure simple way- they just talk at the swim club. There’s no makeup to hide behind, there’s no meet-cute where someone spills a drink. They just end up chatting in the sauna, but instead of talking about the usual first meet things, they dive deeper.

The downside was, I was expecting this to be much more of a romance read and for most of the book it really wasn’t. There was a lot of side drama with Lily’s best friend and with Jay’s sister, which was fine, but it really wasn’t what I was expecting on this one. I never really felt like I needed to root for the relationship and that felt like a bummer.

In the end, I only gave this book 2 stars. It had the right bones for a good story, but in the end, it didn’t fill that romance box for me. If you’re a fan of quick romance reads with multiple storylines, this is definitely a book to check out.

Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was a bit hit and miss for me. Some things I liked, some things I didn't like. I don't really have many thoughts or feelings on it other than it was a solid book

Oh, I really, really enjoyed this one!

Lilly is “The Love Doctor” and hosts a podcast giving love and relationship advice, despite being a bit of a commitment-phone and only partaking in one night stands to guard herself. Lilly also has PCOS and trauma from bullying because of her condition in her youth has closed her off from finding love.

Jay and his sister Cassie were in the foster care system after the passing of their father being raised by some really good people. While their parents are on an extended holiday, they transfer their membership to The Lido, a private, expensive fitness center to Jay and Cassie. Right before this Cassie has bet Jay he can’t stop dating for six months, as he’s constantly dating many women on the search for the perfect wife.

Jay meets Lilly at The Lido and they have such a fun first meeting where Jay tells an embarrassing story and their chemistry is off the charts. Lilly asks him out the next time they’re both there but he politely declined while telling her he wants to say yes. Their friendship grows from there as they begin working together with a youth program Jay works with.

Kevin aka Hi Jinks the drag queen was a DELIGHT. Absolute best friend goals, who was supportive and kind and put Lilly in her place when needed. He gets a lovely romance and is just a great character.

I didn’t like how Lilly’s PCOS was handled at times, she was a size 16/18 at her largest and she called herself huge (when this is barely larger than average for American women) and her negative self talk was super damaging and confusing when she acknowledged that many other women with PCOS can’t lose the weight that she had. For a therapist, Lilly I felt should be more empathetic especially in this instance.

TW for sexual assault and abuse.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with this story despite its flaws; 4 stars!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank You to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.75⭐️

Wow, what a great story!!!! It was SUCH an entertaining read, and displayed heart, depth, and a wide array of amazing characters. From drag queens to a Love Doctor, this one does not disappoint. You will find yourself laughing (on numerous occasions), your heart squeeze with emotion, and you may even find the odd gasp will escape your mouth!

I did find it a teensy bit slow to start, and it took me a little bit to get into, but once I hit the meat of the story I was sunk and I had such a hard time putting it down! I got lost in this story of entertaining characters with many layers, of which get peeled back one at a time.

One of my favourite books of the year, I hope you will add this one to your TBR!!! I would say prepare yourself for High Jinx, but I’m not sure anything can prepare you for High Jinx 😂😂😂

Thank you to One More Chapter, Kitty Wilson, and NetGalley for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book gave me mixed feelings throughout, mostly due to my dislike of the main characters. Overall, I did not enjoy this book and I would not recommend it. I don't think it fits well in the description of romance or comedy, contemporary would be a better fit.
Lily is a therapist who is known as a podcaster. Throughout the book, you realize Lily needs therapy for herself. She had a trauma sexual assault that she brushes off, which as a therapist you would think she would recognize as a traumatic event in her life. Lily is obsessed with her body image, which gives the impression over and over that she needs therapy for that as well. She has PCOS which she hates herself for and has continuing negative talk which adds to the list of reasons she should have therapy. She doesn't respect Jay and pressures him into sex when he is currently attempting to have a break from sex. Everything Lily does gives off red flags, and how instead of a relationship she needs therapy. Jay works to create safe spaces for women, yet has a super toxic relationship with his sister. His character is just there, no huge depth is given, He wants a long-term relationship, but with how toxic his life is at the moment decides to stop having sex. Jay is supposed to be compassionate and kind, but it is hard to tell because he just comes bland. The dual POV would have been great, however, it is not labeled when switching and comes across as highly confusing. The writing is decent with some errors, but many the POV switches without labels is the problem.
What I did enjoy in this book was the side characters. I think Kitty did a great job developing more than just characters that had names like some authors do. I loved the inclusion of PCOS, and LGBT+ community in the book without it feeling thrown in.

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this book. Such an easy page turner. I also see a lot of myself in the main character, a commitment phobe .. I might even re read this book if a get chance before it ends.

Thanks for such a great book!

Jay and Lily have a chance meeting at the local lido. He has just sworn off relationships and she thinks he is with someone else, but when they cross paths again will they get a second chance?
A great read, loved this book, especially some of the side characters who have their own drama going on.

This story is about Lily, a therapist and successful podcaster known as “The Love Doctor,” and Jay, a social worker obsessed with finding the right person to start a family with. Lily is a sex-positive relationship phobic, more focused on short (one night) relationships. They meet when Jay has agreed to take on a no dating for 6 months pact, and neither of their goals really go to plan.

I do struggle at times posting overtly negative reviews because I do think that there’s an audience out there for almost every book, whether or not it was the right fit for me personally. However, this book definitely was not the right fit for me.

Almost from the beginning, Lily came across as deeply unlikable to me in the way she described one of her patients (in her inner monologue, but still) in almost a mocking way. It didn’t allow me to take her seriously as an impactful therapist, and unfortunately I never really got there in taking her seriously in that role at any point in the book. She seems to have learned nothing in therapy to help her deal with her own trauma, health issues, weight, etc. In fact, I deeply believe that her approach to healthy eating and exercise would likely be very harmful to anyone who has struggled with weight issues or disordered eating. She also seemed to me to be a deeply selfish character. It went beyond the assertiveness and confidence that I think the author wanted to convey. Certainly, there was trauma at the root of it, but she certainly had the tools to work through it and seemingly chose not to. She was completely image obsessed rather than someone who learned self-love. Her self-esteem and confidence and sense of self seemed very conditional and based on her exercise and eating habits and the image she put forth.

Jay was actually very likable. He also brought some baggage into this relationship, but seemed very willing to grapple with it and the impact it had on him. I appreciated that he was able to clearly relate his need for stability and the “right” relationship in order to have the kind of family he wanted in the future with his history in the foster system.

For me, there was no chemistry between the characters and I was not invested in them as a couple. I would assume it’s because of my dislike of Lily as a character, but I’m not sure if it would have been different if that had not been the case.

I appreciated the LGBTQIA+ inclusion. I don’t want to nitpick that aspect, but it came across to me as an outsider perspective of the drag community. Having a side character with the drag persona that included vajayjay in the name didn’t strike me as someone part of current drag culture, it struck me as someone who was a Grey’s Anatomy fan in the mid-aughts. My personal preference also would not have been to have the Jay/Lily relationship climax happen in such a public way (or really in that setting it happened in. Didn’t feel great to end a romance novel screaming “ugh, this is not about y’all right now”) but that may completely be a personal thing.

I’ll conclude by saying that this book definitely will work for some. Based on the reviews, it absolutely did. However, I will say that for those who could be triggered by SA being downplayed by a mental health professional and for those triggered by fatphobia or descriptions of restrictive eating, I would proceed with caution.

I received this book courtesy of NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter

This is the story of two people who, for totally different reasons,are not looking for love.

Dr lily Galbraith, someone who needs order and control in terms of keeping herself perfect, has plenty of issues, both past and present, that do not lend themselves to love. As you will see from the blurb there’s trigger warnings aplenty as we find out about a tough past that means this book has one or two tough moments, one in particular that played an uncomfortable image in my head. The psychology is explained to us and makes for a book that properly held my attention.

Then there’s Jay, who is trying to stop himself running down the path he wants, that of a full on relationship. He brings another heavy storyline- that of a sister who needs his help, one I really wanted to get resolved.

For all the heavy sides to this, there’s also the perfection of fantastic side characters, including Lily’s housemate, stunning romance and some great comedy, with perfect will they won’t they times.

All in all so informative and eye opening, and a different kind of read for the summer, so not light but still superb even for those used to easy reads. Thanks so much to the publisher for the book in return for an honest review.

Rating:5/5

I couldn't decide what to think of The Love Experiment by Kitty Wilson. Lily is an on air counselor who needs counseling more than her listeners. She doesn't date because she believes she's infertile because she has PCOS, but has never been tested. She meets a man in the sauna who won't date because he made a bet with his sister. Of course they are very attracted to each other and their wild groups of friends try to get them together.

Thanks to the author, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Netgalley.com for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I've never read any Kitty Wilson's books before so didn't know what to expect. Must admit that I glanced at some of the reviews for this one before I began and saw a lot of negatives. With that in mind, I had low expectations, but I was baffled when I started the first chapter: it hooked me in immediately.
This book is contemporary rather than cosy. Afflicting the heroine with a condition like PCOS is a courageous thing for the author to do - it's not exactly glamorous but I love that about it because it feels true to life. As someone with a long-term health condition myself, it set me thinking: how many of the heroines in the novels I read are living with long-term illnesses? Or chronic pain? I couldn't think of any. Having the heroine suffer in this way makes the book feel so much more realistic and I really liked that about it.
Having said that, the book doesn't constantly dwell on the heroine's condition. It's funny and fast-paced with plenty of action.
This book is different and maybe that's why some reviewers haven't enjoyed it but I for one think it's a refreshing change.