I must begin by admitting that I enjoy the author's works. I have a couple more to review, and each has been fun. I have mentioned several times in my reviews that there were certain styles of narration that work for me while some do not. This particular author is starting to settle in as one that I can read quickly and enjoy all the same.
In this story, we have a woman who has been forced to have her mother move into her newly completed house for Christmas. She has put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into finishing the place after her ex left her hanging.
It is only when the situation gets out of hand, and she has more housemates than she originally planned, for her own ideas for Christmas are thrown out of the window, that she tells one lie. This lie catapults her into the small-scale social life in her town. I would have enjoyed a little more time with the varied options that Billie has to experience, but the ones she does partake in were quite fun. We have a small rotating cast of repeating players, which helps us get emotionally attached to the ultimate outcomes of it all.
If you (like me) have read several of this genre, the ending reveal will not come as much of a shock. It was fun to meet all the family members, each having a different role to play and also having some depth to better appreciate the complexities of family life.
Billie finally does have an interesting Christmas, and she learns a lot about herself and her extended family. The dialogues were light, even when handling heavier emotional things. It is an easy read and definitely has me recommending this author to readers of this genre!
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I’m pretty much convinced that Portia Macintosh can do no wrong at this point. Another solid novel from her. Excuse me while I go read her next one now!

this was such an interesting book! i am so thankful to netgalley for letting me read this one early! such an amazing plot and characters!! blew me away!!!

I've read a lot of this authors work and usually get obsessed and can't put them down but this was a bit different for me, I'd give it a 3 out of 5 stars as I just couldn't connect to it. It felt really slow and like it was a chore to pick it up and read more chapters where nothing happened

I enjoyed this. Not the best Portia book I have read but an enjoyable light read which will have you laughing.

Portia is a gem, an author who always delivers and never disappoints. I adore all of Portia’ books and this is definitely going on the favourites list.

I can always rely on Portia to give me a laugh as I read and this book has been no different. I have adored Billie? She is a character who has felt like a good friend and it has been fabulous to follow the journey through this one.

This is a book that has definitely got me in the mood for Christmas and I am so ready to put up my Christmas tree. This is the perfect amount of Christmas and romance all rolled into one beautiful package.

I have read all of Portia’s books and this is one of my absolute favourites. I’m sure Portia gets better and better with every book. This is one that I have devoured in just one sitting and found impossible to put down. Another Gem from our Queen of Romance.

I throughly enjoyed this novel. In fact, it’s one of the few lately that has held my attention throughout the entire story. While I could see a few things coming, I never felt like rushing though it. I would definitely recommend it to friends.

I loved this book, it is fun, Christmassy and an enjoyable read.

I loved Billie and her mum as a characters. They are fresh and fun but I wish Billie hadn't been such a pushover when it came to her family. I wasn't the biggest fan of Jess as she is a bit of a spoiled brat but I do see that is where the author was going with her character. Billie's dad was just ridiculous, I mean this man hasn't seen his daughter in years, has the gall to ask if him and his new wife who Billie has never met can stay at their place and then plays parent to a 30+ year old Billie for staying out late. I just really didn't like the dad and I hated that Billie let him walk all over her. Gail, Billie's dads new wife, was a plot point character. We barely see her and there is no substance to her character for me to like or hate. Rocco was a decent love interest.

I really enjoyed the plot of the book as when Portia MacIntosh writes romcom dating disasters they are always quite funny however the ending of this book was just awful and I would prefer it not to exist in my mind. If the chapters on Christmas day and after had not taken place the way they did then I would have given this 5 stars but I absolutely hated that ending and the twist with Rocco was unnecessary and gave me the ick. I thought at some point Billie would stop being a pushover in the book but it doesn't happen especially how she has a moment with her mum who tells her to stop saying sorry and being a pushover (although her mum is one to talk). The ending with her mum was odd too. But what took the cake was the sweet moment between Gail and Billie at the end of the book. I honestly did not feel anything from that scene because they have no relationship or communication in the book that that made utterly no sense.

Originally I was going to give it 5 stars but because of all the issues I had with the ending I did knock off a star. However, overall, I did enjoy the book, the writing is quick and easy to read and the situations are fun and a good laugh.

I loved the character of Billie and admired her indepence and strength. As a teacher, I identitifed with her need to switch off and enjoy the peace and calm of Christmas.

Of course, these plans go awry when family members turned up. I completely felt for Billie and her mixed emotions of having her Dad invite himself and his new partner over for Xmas, as their relationship could be described as distant. At this point, the story becomes about familial relationships and how they change and divert as we grow up.

I suppose the exploration of family dynamics provides a more serious element to the story, as the romance story is very light-hearted, a lot of fun and sometimes laugh out loud. Billie’s backstory is upsetting and realistic, and I was glad of her reaction when slimy Declan tried to worm his way back into Billie’s life.

Rocco is a likeable and suitable hero of the story, and him and Billie seem to hit it off straight away. However, another woman seems to have her eye on Rocco and Billie has setious trust issues, which makes it unclear as to whether their instant attraction will build into something that will last.

I was surprised by a few twists along the way, as well as the ending, but glad that Portia made the choice to provide an insight into the future, as otherwise I think the ending might have fallen flat or felt too rushed, for me personally.

Overall, this was a well balanced rom com that provides some light and fun moments, alongside some more serious, soul-searching moments. Recommended for fans of Paige Toon and Camilla Isley.

Just Date and See is thr story of a woman who cannot assert herself when it comes to her family.

I love Portia MacIntosh, having discovered her books during lockdown. Unfortunately this one just didn’t hit the spot for me, I found it incredibly frustrating watching Billie avoid dealing with her family running ramshot over her, and sadly her obvious love interest was just boring and I didn’t feel that much chemistry.

2.5 stars

Fab festive Fun

It took me a fair while to warm to the main character Billie but I did love the way the story comes together in the end.

Billie has spent the last year fixing up her house after her boyfriend Declan left her. She meets Rocco at a matcher event and decides to become Christmas allies.

The story is quirky with lots of unexpected twists and turns. Something a bit different for a Christmas story.

Sadly this didn't work for me. It took a LONG time for anything to happen, and I didn't get past 10 per cent.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This book was so fun. I really enjoyed it. This book kept me interested and i enjoyed the book and this genre

The concept had potential but this was pretty dull… maybe it was lost in the translation of a UK “romcom,” but it was barely rom and definitely very little com. It did actually get interesting in the last few chapters - then quickly resolved with no explanation. Also, why does everyone say “erm” all the time? Who in real life says it at all?!

Billie signs up to a dating app to avoid her family over Christmas. She meets Rocco and they become friends, but here is a surprise in store for them, so what will happen when the secrets come out?

I've just recently been introduced to Ms MacIntosh's work and have very much enjoyed them, so I was excited to pick this one up. I was not disappointed! This is a cute, festive read, perfect for the upcoming holiday season. Billy just wants to have a peaceful Christmas celebration, sans men, and be done with it. Her family, however, has other ideas and crashes in on her quiet time. Getting frustrated with all the family and chaos and desperate to escape, she decides to explore a week of singles nights in her area suggested by her dating app. The adventures that she experiences as she goes through each event were simply delightful and downright hilarious. I could not stop laughing and pretty much had a perpetual smile on my face throughout the entire book. Throughout all the craziness, she meets Rocco, and who knows, a new love may be part of the Christmas season after all!
A delightfully fun, hilarious, and adorable story that kept me engrossed till the very end, I simply adored this book and I can't wait to read Ms MacIntosh's next one!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Having not long finally got her house renovations complete on the house that she and her boyfriend at the time bought, Billie us happy that it’s just how she wanted it and looking forward to enjoy her first Christmas in it. Or will she!! Her mother and sister move for Christmas, after that, her Dad and his wife come to stay.
So that she doesn’t have to spend much time with them, she joins a dating app and signs up to a number of festive events. She meets Rocco and they get on well straightaway. But Billie thinks that he just wants to be friends. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Smart, funny, witty and sweet. This was a great read. Full of wit and sparkle.
Thank you netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having read a couple of Portia MacIntosh’s books, I was eager to read Just Date and See. It did not disappoint at all. The description made me really want to just dive into the book and it was phenomenal.

Billie has just finished renovating her house after her boyfriend left. She was hoping for a quiet Christmas when suddenly her whole family shows up. Dreading being stuck with her crazy family in her home, she signs up for dating events in the area. Here she meets Rocco and several other fun characters. I loved the dating events she went to because there were a lot of mishaps and if you've ever been to any events like that, you know that those sorts of things can happen. I would love to go more into what happens, but you'll just have to read the book to find out the funny chaos.

Portia MacIntosh has such a way of bringing characters to life. Billie was wonderful and usually, I can find fault with the main character, and I could not find many flaws with her. Rocco was so wonderful and so sweet. I have seen other reviewers say that they didn't care for Billie’s family, but I didn’t mind them. I kind of enjoyed all of them and they all had redeeming qualities in the end.

I love Christmas books and this one did not disappoint. If you are looking for a cute, quick read this holiday season I would definitely recommend Just Date and See.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Portia Macintosh for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A funny, enjoyable Christmas read. Billie is looking forward to Christmas alone, and as we know in these books, it's not going to happen.
Cue extended stays from parents, sister and others, and Billie in an attempt to escape agrees to go on dates with a matchmaking service. Predictable but fun, with a couple of unexpected twists and turns makes this a fun, humorous, light hearted read.
I enjoyed it and will look definitely read more of the authors work.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this novel.