i liked this book. IT was wonderful and light. but kept my interest. it was a wonderful clean romance but also had enough back and forth to keep you interested

Thank you so much for an audio arc of the Rom Com Agenda by Jayne Denker narrated by Erika Schindler..

This novel was so good! It was so fun and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting this cast of characters, I could just keep reading about them! Definitely give this one a go if you love: friends to lovers, slow burn romance , themes of found family and small town romance. I loved the cast and seeing how they developed and changed. The narration in this book was so well done and I look forward to listening to more from the narrator and reading more from this author!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📼❤️
As someone who grew up watching Rom Coms (on VHS) this book felt like a love story to the classics!
If you loved You Can’t Buy Me Love or thought Duckie and Andie should have ended up together you need to read this one.
After Leah overhears Eli getting dumped by Victoria for falling in love too quickly, she finds herself drawn into Eli’s friends and sibling’s plan to make him over physically and mentally. The plan includes new clothes, man-scaping, and a long list of Rom Coms that must be watched. But little did she expect that joining in this plan would also give her life a makeover.
You will absolutely fall in love with all of the characters and be left wanting more! I will say the conflict at the end was not the one I was waiting for which was a happy surprise. I was waiting to cringe at the airport scene but instead I wanted to clap!
Definitely a must read especially as Valentines Day is approaching!

Eli is determined to win his ex back by any means possible, but isn’t sure how. With the help of Leah, a near-stranger, he takes on a challenge to become a rom com hero. With Leah’s help, he is introduced to all the best movie meet-cutes and grand gestures. However in the process, Leah and Eli begin to fall for each other.

As a rom com lover, I was so excited to read this one, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. Eli frustrated me as a love interest and main character and I did not find the romance believable. Had it not been for the audiobook, I’m not sure I would have finished this one. However, the narration was wonderful and managed to keep me engaged despite not connecting with the story.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Dreamscape Media for the advance copies.

This audiobook was okay, but wasn't my favorite. I found myself speeding it up a bit. I liked the characters but wasn't a giant fan of Eli.
The book was okay but I really would have liked it better if Eli got his stuff together sooner rather than later.

Leah Keegan didn’t mean to overhear the proposal. She had been cleaning up from one of her many jobs, just putting things away in the boat house. That was when Eli had pulled his girlfriend Victoria to the bridge, to tell her how he feels and see if she feels the same. Her answer was no. Victoria was about to head to Europe for a research trip, and she was focused on that. Besides, they’d only been dating for four months.

Leah had stayed out of the way of the conversation, although there was a moment that she thought maybe Eli had seen her. She hadn’t really thought about what she had overheard until days later, when she was working another of her jobs, at a clothing store. It had been slow at the store (really, slow in the whole town of Willow Cove, New York, when it’s not tourist season), but then a group of people came in all at once. It was Eli and his friends, and his sister was there to take the lead.

Although Victoria had broken up with him, Eli was determined to win her back when she gets back to the States. But his sister Jenna has determined to raise his game while she’s gone, so she has planned a makeover. First up is new clothes and a haircut, and then it’s on to learning all the great lessons of love through all the best romantic comedies. Leah figures out what Eli’s sister and friends are trying to do for him, and she joins in. But where Jenna is wanting him to go all in, Leah can see that Eli is a little overwhelmed and can help him find some balance in his makeover.

As Leah keeps popping up in this makeover, due to her many jobs, Jenna takes her on as a part of their gang. Leah works part time in the clothing store, the hair salon, as a maid, as a pizza delivery driver, as a server in the local bar. She is trying to save up money to move away and start her life again. Leah had only come back to town because her foster mother Kathy had gotten sick. She had been the one to move back and take care of her, and when Kathy had passed, Leah had decided to stay for a while to make money before going back to college. But she knows that at some point, Kathy’s son will come back to town and evict Leah from the house, probably so he could sell it.

When she moved back to New York, Leah didn’t have time for friends, and then she just didn’t know where to look for any. Planning on moving away at some point, she put her time and energy into working instead of into relationships. But when Jenna invites her into their group, Leah finds that she is excited to have friends again. And as she talks to Eli about his makeover, she finds that he is having to watch some movies that are her favorites. They start by talking about the movies and then glide into watching some of them together. The more time they spend together, the less Leah wants to move away. But she also knows that there is a time limit on their time together. At some point, Victoria will come back. And then, Eli will leave her.

The more time Leah spends with Eli, Jenna, and their friends, the more she wants to stay in Willow Cove and build her life from there. But when that timer goes off, what will Leah decide to do about her feelings for Eli and for all her other new friends?

The Rom-Com Agenda is the latest from Jayne Denker, and it is filled with lots of sweet surprises. Fans of romantic comedy movies will probably find some of their favorites on Eli’s list to study, from those teenaged comedies of the ‘80s to Cary Grant to James Bond to classics like Dirty Dancing and When Harry Met Sally. The friendship that develops between Leah and Eli is mellow and sweet and grows into the best kind of romance.

I listened to The Rom-Com Agenda on audio, narrated by Erika Schindele, who was masterful with the story. She brought all these characters to life and made them smart, kind, and lovable with her talent for reading. The chapters alternated between Leah and Eli, and Erika rocked both characters, giving them each a distinct voice and always with just the right emotion. I really enjoyed listening to The Rom-Com Agenda. It’s a great story, with lots of fun, some softball in the snow, a cat, so many movies, an actual working VCR, glitter, kickball, and a surprise snowplow. If you know who Lloyd Dobbler is, know who is known for saying, “As You Wish,” and saw that ‘80s classic Better Off Dead, then this may be the audio book you’ve been looking for.

A copy of the audio book for The Rom-Com Agenda was provided by Dreamscape Media through NetGalley, with many thanks.

This was a sweet book, my first by this author. It had a cute concept, reminiscent of an early 2000's rom-com, so it was easy to like.

The characters were very well developed, especially the MFC, Leah. She was very likeable, and with her past, easy to empathize with.

The MMC Eli, however, was a bit of a putz. He was a super cute, easy to love guy, who falls hard and would do anything for anyone. BUT it took FAR TOO LONG to pull his head out of his butt and move on from his last girlfriend.

I also loved the secondary characters.

A few cringey moments, but overall I really enjoyed this book!

*Thank you to the author, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the audio-ARC in exchange for my honest review.*

This book reminded me of the adult version of a YA book I read last year. It was interesting that this book had both forbidden love and strangers-to-lovers tropes included. Another included theme would be found family. My only wish would be that I wish Valentines Day had been included as one of the rom-com movies included.

Ugh. I didn’t love Eli trying to change to win back an ex. I would feel like second best. I did love the overall story and how everything unfolded ❤️

The start of this book is just a whole different level of wtf bro. You propose, she says no and leaves the country? She’s just not that in to you boo.

However - it made for a hilarious backdrop to this lovely little romantic comedy. Naturally, our MMC is still in love with the woman who didn’t accept his proposal and his friends and family decide to give him a makeover - he’s reluctant and the neighborhood loner ends up drug into their crazy scheme. It’s pretty obvious where the story goes, but the road to get there takes some turns that I was unprepared for yet really enjoyed.

The narrator really brought the story to life. I can’t say I have any complaints, but the dual POV could have benefit from dual narrators as well. This one worked, but it’s my preference for a “full cast” if you will.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audio of this!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a very cute and fun book to read! Leah finds herself back in her home town to take care of her sick foster mother. He plan is always to move along after she passes and her affairs are in order. She is used to not staying still.

Eli needs to win back his girlfriend. He proposed and she broke up with him, gave him her cat and split for Rome. His friends hatch a plan to make him the perfect boyfriend to win her back and he starts watching every rom-com out there.

Friends to lovers? The narration on this audiobook was perfect and story was great. All the characters were really likable except her jerk foster brother. He was the worst.

*Audiobook arc provided by Netgalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review,*

The premise of this book is that Eli proposed to his girlfriend before she was set to go to Europe and it went terribly as one would expect. It's been months since she left and Eli is still infatuated with the idea of her and with the help of his sister and friends sets off to make himself he perfect man for her. To accomplish this he needs a new wardrobe, new hobbies, and to become a combination of every romantic comedy lead. Basically, he needs to become an entirely new person to prove his worth and get the girl. Now enter Leah, the girl who just happened to overhear the very awkward rejection and employee of literally every establishment in town. She uprooted her life to take care of her dying foster mother and now is working a million jobs to afford the house she was raised in. As a result she's sucked into Eli's orbit and becomes the sometimes unwilling participant in his quest for romantic redemption. Together with a VHS player they watch classic romantic comedies where she explains what it is about the men that make women swoon. Of course over the course of this Leah catches feelings and Eli well, he's clueless.

If you're expecting a ton of references to 90's romcoms this probably isn't going to meet your expectations. If you want a mildly light hearted read where you mentally yell at Eli for being an idiot and prioritizing the wrong girl this is for you. It does have some heavy material on Leah's side dealing with the death of a loved one, and verbal abuse from a foster sibling. There is also that push for Eli to entirely change himself to get the girl but I wonder if his family was more trying to make him see how ridiculous it was to jump through all those hoops for someone. I don't believe the authors intent was to ever say that's a great idea based on the ending it's very much a love the skin you're in and the right people will love you for you.

Rating: 4/5 - Spice - 1/5

This was a cute little rom-com romance! I loved the premise which felt like a classic 80's movie - boy wants girl and goes on a make-over mission, but within it all he falls for the girl helping him who didn't think he needed to change all along. The character development for both Eli ad Leah was nice to follow. Over all, I enjoyed this book!

Brief Plot: Eli's girlfriends left him after an unsuccessful marriage proposal. A year later, he still wants to win her back. So his sister and friends go on a mission to give him a make-over, and pull her in for help, to include watching all classic love story movies. s Leah and Eli spend more time together, Leah doesn't see why Eli needs to change, and Eli grows confused over his feelings for his ex, in addition to his feelings for Leah

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamsape Media for an eARC audiobook copy of The Rom-Com Agenda, by Jayne Denker, and narrated by Erika Schindele.

I wish I had loved this book. I really do. I love 90s rom coms and was excited to see a book focused on movies but it… wasnt that? There wasn’t much “rom com agenda” at all. And the characters felt very one dimensional. It felt like Leah’s only personality trait was being an orphan and Eli’s only personality trait was trying to win back his ex. The premise was good it just wasn’t for me unfortunately

I thought this was a sweet winter romance that references a lot of RomCom movies - which I loved! Leah and Eli were great characters and I loved every moment I had with them. I do wish this was an open-door romance, but instead, this was a clean closed-door one. Despite that, I was still left with a warm cozy feeling with this read.

The audiobook was well performed and added to the overall experience.

This did hit the emotions a little harder than I had expected. There was a lot of grief and loss in this romance, but it added to the characters' depth and realism

3.5 stars. I loved all the pop culture references. I have some mixed feelings about the messages the author sent about love and the person you are within the context of a relationship. Most of the characters were pretty one dimensional and could have been fleshed out more. I enjoyed the way this one wrapped up in the end.

Author: Jayne Denker
Narrator: Erika Schindele

I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this audiobook through Netgalley.

I’ll be honest - I had to restart this audiobook 3 times before I could get into it.

What I can say is that the first 15 minutes are kind of a sludge to get through… but once you do the rest of the book is fantastic!

This book centers around a heterosexual pair that seem right for each other from the get go.

Leah is a self-sufficient, smart, strong willed woman that is a hard worker and she is very self aware.

Eli is a great guy that only gets better with time. His biggest hurdle? Himself, of course

While romances like this have a tried and true feel to them… I still always love how they play out. The characters in this book are golden!

I recommend this book to romance lovers and romantic comedy movies - especially 80’s. Examples: Say Anything, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Dirty Dancing, When Harry Met Sally.

I personally loved all but the first 15 minutes. Enjoy!

the rom-com agenda review 💕🎬

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🤍✨ SYNOPSIS ✨🤍

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.


🤍✨ MY THOUGHTS ✨🤍

⚠️ cw: death of a loved one, mental illness, & grief ⚠️

if you like when harry met sally, books with lots of movie references, grumpy x sunshine couples, the friends to lovers trope and lots of funny, entertaining side characters this book might be for you!!

alexa play lover by taylor swift 🎶

🌟 RATING: ★★★★★
🌶️🥵 RATING: ★☆☆☆☆ (mostly closed-door)

omg where do i start?! eli and leah stole my heart!! i loved watching their friendship blossom and turn into the cutest relationship!! the narrator was amazing and really brought the story to life plus all of the movie and gilmore girls references were just *chefs kiss* 💕💕

This was ok for just a simple little cute rom com but it was drawn out, the dude was an idiot most of the time, and their chemistry just fell flat for me. I get the whole “you belong with me” vibe, but he was obsessed with Victoria and Leah was an afterthought. Always. The narration for the audio was great, though!

The Rom-Com Agenda by Jayne Denker, was a sweet, fade to black, slow-burn romance. It reminded me of a Hallmark movie and I love Hallmark movies. The incorporation of the friend group was a nice touch and I would love to see what happens with Delia and Grey. If you are looking for a nice easy read, then The Rom-Com Agenda is for you. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to The Rom-Com Agenda.