The idea of this book was fun. BUT Eli was so clueless and was hung up on the wrong person.

IT starts with him getting dumped by his girlfriend when he tried to propose to her and she knows he is moving to fast. After seeing how sad he is is friends decide to help him win her back with a makeover and rom com watching to be the leading man.

Leah ended up seeing him get dumped and tried to hide so she wouldn't be seen and she's been working all the odd jobs in the town ( and yes they called her Kirk like Gilmore girls so that was a big plus) But she is working at the clothes store and gets roped into helping this odd group of people. The more places she works the more they show up. She starts to become with with this odd group.

What sucked for me was how hung up her was on his ex who was living the European life with a new guy and clearly didn't like him for who he was and Leah was right there and liked him for who he was. It took to long for him to realize he's chasing the wrong woman.

I’m a fan of the friends-to-lovers trope and the found family trope, so I was really looking forward to reading this but to me took way to long to get there.

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

I enjoyed this! At the beginning it struggled figuring out who all the characters were because I was listening on audio but it didn’t take me super long to figure out who everyone was. I liked both main characters though I did think Eli’s love for Victoria was a little ridiculous. I really enjoyed the found family aspect of this! I thought the family’s lessons for Eli were fun! I enjoyed the audio book and thought the narrator was good! This is a solid 4 stars for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found Eli to be annoying (just let go of your dang ex man!) BUT besides that I enjoyed this book. The friends to lovers and found family tropes were well done. I enjoyed listening to this.

Sorry it took so long for feedback. Ending up reading my net galley kindle copy of this one Thank you to the publisher for the ALC.

3.5/5

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the advanced listening copy!

Leah Keegan has never belonged anywhere. After being back in Willow Cove taking care of her foster mother, Cathy, she's unsure how to proceed now that Cathy has passed away. While busy scrounging up every last dollar she can to get out of this small town, she runs head-first into a welcoming group of friends and a cute new guy, Eli. Unfortunately, Eli is EXTREMELY hung up on his ex-girlfriend, Victoria, and neck-deep in a makeover project to win her back. Leah puts her feelings aside and joins the project, grateful and surprised to feel so at home with this group of people. As Eli decides what his true feelings are, Leah realizes that finding a home in Willow Cove doesn't sound so strange after all.

This was such a cute premise, but could have used a little bit of help with the execution. The parts of the story with Leah and Eli, I loved. Their banter was sweet and their connection was really believable. I loved the relationship Leah established with Eli's sister and friends, and her character was super easy to love. What I did NOT like, however, was Eli's obsession with Victoria, which bordered on downright creepy. He dated this girl for FOUR MONTHS before confessing his love and proposing to her. Now, months later, he's enlisted all of his friends and family to help him win her back? I mean come ON dude, get a grip! At first I could understand where he was coming from, but as his connection with Leah grew, I started to get more and more frustrated that he was spending all this time with a great girl, and still doing all this makeover stuff to impress some girl that went off to Rome without him for a year. If you can get past that bit, this is a pretty cute story. I loved the movie references, the banter and the makeover (despite the reason behind it), and it was fun to listen to. Could have used much less of the creepy Victoria obsession and a little more spice to make this one a real winner, but I still enjoyed the listen overall.

Super cute story about a guy who needs "fixing" to get his dream girl while he actually finds out that the real him is enough for the right girl! This story was really cute and I really enjoyed the narration and the storylines.

This was really cute in theory! But in execution, I didn’t love it. I LOVED the foster care representation and the feelings expressed there and I liked that the script was flipped on the man wanting to change his entire being to be perfect for a woman, but I think that’s kind of where it ended for me. It felt like there was a lot going on and it didn’t give enough space for any of it to really breathe. Also, both main characters really pissed me off and I felt like plot points weren’t resolved.

Just ultimately wasn’t the one for me and that’s okay!

I wanted to like this book I really did. The premise was there, the characters were lovable and had their own distinct personalities but it is just forgettable. I think that is the sad part there was nothing wrong with the book just nothing memorable either. I finished this book about 3 days before writing this because I genuinely forgot about it.

Leah was sweet, dealt with a lot, and had a great story on her own. But to me, there was just sooo much emphasis placed on Eli getting his ex back that none of his family even liked! I don't understand why the people who were closest to him couldn't give him some tough love and say "hey dude, get over it she sucked and you are better off without her."

I did like all of the references to the rom-com movies and giving him a "make-over" I just wish Eli wanted to do it for himself and not to get back a girl he only dated for 4 months and he is STILL hung up on it over a year later. I get that it is all a call back to the movies but it was a bit too on the nose for me.

🌶️ Spice Meter 🌶️ : 0 out of 5 Peppers
Closed-door romance so no hanky-panky on the page.

The audiobook narrator, Erika Schindele, did a wonderful job. I don't think I would have enjoyed this book nearly as much if it hadn't been for her giving them a personality.

Final Thoughts: Overall, this was just an ok read for me. It felt rushed and had great bones but the execution wasn't there for me. If you like Hallmark romance of the week, where there is not a lot of depth from the characters you might like this quick read.

Disclaimer: Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This is a fun sweet rom-com that is easy to listen to thanks to the narrator and the quirky characters. I'm always a sucker for a friends to lovers trope. The friends of the MMC are giving him a makeover and the FMC is inadvertently sucked into it as they watch rom com after rom com trying to teach Eli how to be the man women swoon for. It's all so he can get Victoria back but we all know she doesn't deserve him because a guy shouldn't have to change this much! The secondary characters were all fun and enjoyable. Leah is sympathetic as the orphan who was bounced around in foster care and is picking up the pieces after her foster mother dies. Overall, I enjoyed this and would recommend it to rom-com fans.

the FMC: Leah- afraid of commitment and stability, we follow Leah as she discovers her new found family, learns to stand up for herself, and figures out what she actually wants from life
the MMC: Eli- in love with someone who broke up with him, declined his proposal, and moves across the world so he sets off to do a full "makeover" to be "worth of her" ... will he figure out that he shouldn't have to change so much for someone who should love him?
POV: 3rd person dual perspective
HEA: yes!
spice: mildly steamy- closed door suggestive scenes with a few sweet kisses throughout
TWs: loss of parent, foster system, mental health, cancer
standalone?: yes... but if there were spinoffs about the friends i would not be upset 😁

this book focus on a lot and it's done in a great way and, most importantly, without feeling too heavy
friends-to-lovers, managing the foster system- especially at a later age, caring for and subsequently dealing with the death of a loved one, learning how to find yourself, discovering a found family (full of a WONDERFUL array of characters including some beautiful bi representation!), and navigating the world when you're not sure where to fit in

The Rom-Com Agenda
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Rom-Com
Format: Kindle eBook and Audiobook
Date Published: 1/10/23
Author: Jayne Denker
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press and Dreamscape Media
GR: 3.49

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Dreamscape Media and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

My Thoughts: The premise was so cute in this book. While I believe the narrator was fantastic, I would loved to have seen a separate voice for Eli, I think it would have made the audiobook even better. This follows a friends to lovers trope, which is one of favorite type of tropes. The book opens with Eli’s break-up and he spends a good amount of time in self wallow and then his friends try to help him make self-improvements in an effort to win Victoria back. Leah just lost her foster mother, after taking care of her for a longtime, and is trying to find herself. Leah finds a family of friends, helps Eli self-improve, and along the way finds the family she has been yearning for.

This was a dual narrated story in third person POV by Leah and Eli. Leah was independent and had a good heart but lacked confidence. Leah had a lot of self growth during the story and really was able to stand in her truth, I love seeing this type of self-discovery in a story. Eli was stuck on his prior breakup and all of the self-improvement was oriented towards winning Victoria back, which I did not care for. If you want to self-improve after a break-up, then that should be the end game. The supporting character Patrick, was an idiot, and played his part well. The characters were well developed with depth, witty banter, chemistry, and were just adorable, for the most part. The author’s writing style was complex, humorous, fun, crisp, and kept me engaged.

Overall, this was a cute and fun book. This is the perfect light read for a beach day. I adored the 80’s and 90’s references and it brought up some fond memories for myself. I had the amazing pleasure of having both the ebook and audiobook. I preferred the audiobook for this one. Devoured it in under 48 hours. My con for this book was too much time was spent on the ex, I wished that would have been a little less and little more on Leah and Eli’s budding relationship. However, having said that, I still believe this is a cute rom-com. I would recommend picking it up, it is worth the read/listen.

"She had a pretty good barbed wire barricade up but he brought wire cutters."

Oh, all the banter and homage to the 80s and 90s RomCom movies from 16 Candles to Pretty Woman, including the grand gesture endings, are part of the friends to lovers poignant comedic sweetness in The Rom-Com Agenda by witty romance author Jayne Denker.

Leah has learned to be self sufficient with a bi polar mom who gave her up at age 10 and caring for her sick foster mom. All that changes when she inadvertently hears Eli's proposal turned down by Victoria.

Always fun narrator Erika Schindele
brings the heart to Leah's vulnerability which she tries to hide when Eli shows up at her various part time jobs being forced by family and friends to have a Rom Com make over to win Victoria back. As Leah is dragged into this endeavor her and Eli may realize what they think they want isn't on The Rom-Com Agenda.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Dreamscape Media via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I like a friends to lovers trope, but this one was just “okay” for me. I am giving it three stars because I did like how Eli’s friends used Rom-Com movies to teach him the finer characteristics of a “perfect man”, but really, why did they have to change him. The real issue was Victoria; she was ghastly. I understand the premise was that in trying to change Eli he would realize that Victoria was the true problem, but really his friends even say he is a good guy. I guess I found it entertaining, but a bit annoying.

So cute! This is a love letter to the true rom-com lovers. There are so many references and mentions of great rom-coms this is such fun read.

Imagine overhearing someone's most embarrassing moments and trying to go undetected. Then imagine running into that person months later and knowing them but them not knowing who you are. This is the setting of this book and boy it was cute. We have a group of ladies trying to help a man, Eli, win his ex-girlfriend back who he thinks is the love of his life. And how will they do that? Showing him what a leading man is like through rom-com movie nights and a full blown make over.

Sweet, short, and a great February read. I recommend this book to a true rom-con lover. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story.

Rom Com Agenda by Jayne Denker
Romance
🎧
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a fun rom com. Leah has been alone most of her life being a foster kid, and now taking care of her foster mom before she passes away. Leah is working hard to leave Willow Creek when she meets Eli and his friends and family. Leah usually doesn’t have a hard time getting to close to people but these ones aren’t as easy to stay away from.

Eli is head over heels for Victoria and trying to win her back. So his friends are trying to teach him how to be the perfect romantic. And Leah ends up coming along for the ride.

This is a slower book but I did enjoy all the rom com cheesiness. I like how they watched all the old rom-com movies. I enjoyed the friends to lover trope, and the friends to family vibe this book had. The audio version would have been a bit easier with different voices not just the same narrator.
I also really enjoyed that this book is set near my hometown the thousand islands. So it talks about Watertown and Alex Bay and I think that made me feel a bit more connected to the book!

If you are looking for a good cheesy rom-com look no further.

This was a cute slow burn friends-to-lovers romance and overall a fun read for me! I both read and listened to the audiobook copy, and thought that the narrator was a great choice.

THE ROM COM AGENDA

STEP 1: Find yourself
Leah Keegan is used to being alone, especially after taking care of her sick foster mother for the past year. But now there’s nothing keeping her in the sweet town of Willow Cove. It’s time to move on. Again.

STEP 2: Win back the one who got away
Eli Masterson thought he and Victoria were meant to be together until she decided to jet off to Rome for a year. Eli is determined to win her back. But how?

STEP 3: Become a romantic hero
Changing Eli’s physical appearance is easy, but to turn Eli into the sophisticated-yet-vulnerable ideal man, his girl pals force him to watch classic rom-coms. And take notes.

STEP 4: Fall in love?
Inadvertently drawn into the makeover scheme, Leah ends up being Eli’s guide through the wild world of meet-cutes and grand gestures. Even though she believes Eli doesn’t need to change a thing about himself. Even though she just might be falling for Eli . . . and Eli falling for her.

*many thanks to St Martins Press and Dreamscape Media for the gifted copy for review

jayne denker's romance novel 'the rom-com agenda' is the perfect example of a book sounding good from the description and then completely missing the mark at every turn. the novel follows leah, a woman working a million part-time jobs in the hopes of leaving small town willow cove for good, now that her foster mum has passed away. we also follow eli, a local guy head-over-heels for a girl named victoria, who sets off to rome for a year and leaves him determined to win her back. when eli's friends force him to watch classic rom-coms to learn how to be the ideal man for victoria, leah is accidently dragged into the scheme, and ends up being his guide thru the world of grand gestures, despite the fact that she doesn't think he needs to change at all. all this time together can only lead to one thing...

this book DRAGGED. it felt like nothing happened, or nothing of note. i think this is largely due to the fact that leah & eli had zero chemistry, at least that i could see. it also took far too long for them to eventually get together, even though we all knew that's where it was heading. eli's penchant to fall in love too quickly was too much for me, and didn't make him a love interest i was rooting for, but he was the only option. tbh his friends really should have just told him to get over it, considering he was only with victoria for a few months. overall, i just felt like this book could have been SO much better with a little more plot and some more interesting characters.

Sadly, I was underwhelmed by this book. I appreciate the main idea, but I just did not like Eli, one of the main characters. I found his character to be so frustrating that I found myself not wanting to even finish the book (but I still did). I really loved Leah though, which is the only reason the book is getting three stars from me!

The Rom-Com Agenda by Jayne Denker

I had high expectations for this story and was disappointed that it fell flat for me. This was a slow burning romance. It also had the friends to lover trope as well as found family trope. Eli is trying to get his ex-back after the relationship falls apart and Leah offers to help him. The story took too long to execute to get to the plot. Eli just couldn't get past his ex-leaving him and he thought he would get her back. I did have sympathy for Eli but him chasing someone who really doesn't care for him was just sad. Leah was so much better of a match for him, and he just couldn't move past the ex.

Watching the connection between Eli and Leah was nice even though it took Eli a while to get with the program. I did enjoy the humor between Eli and Leah. Narrated by Erika Schindele who does a mediocre job with bringing voice to the characters. I felt that the characters did not have their own voice. I would still recommend this to people who like friends to lover's trope in their romance.

I still did enjoy the story, but I had higher expectations and that was not met. I gave the story three stars. I would like to read some more from this author in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for a free audio copy of The Rom-Com Agenda for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

This book starts off with Eli, a 31 year old man, acting like a man child because he misread a casual relationship that he was in. Enter is friends who act more juvenile then he does. They think if he can change everything about himself he can win the first girl back. This story became more ridiculous as it went on.