The characters in this novel are well-written and relatable, and the chemistry between Dawn and Callan is electric. Their steamy romance is both believable and captivating, and the plot is well-paced, keeping the reader engaged from start to finish.

If you love second chance romance then this is the novel for you! It provides a flashback that allowed some context of the relationship. The characters were great but definitely could have gotten a little more detail about them. 3.5/5

-Second chance romance
-Then and now
-Light with darker themes

This was angsty and spicy! I loved the writing! Dawn and Callan were a hot couple. The ending felt a bit rushed. My favorite parts were the flash back of them in London.

I loved this book! I am glad it was a dual POV so we got both Dawn and Callan's perspectives.

Dawn Mathison was an American law student who was over studying in London for a few short months and Callan Marlowe was a solar developer. Dawn and Callan's relationship was steamy from the start when Callan accidently spilt hot coffee on her! Dawn and Callan had a wonderful summer romance. Dawn quickly fell in love with Callan and even tried to find a way to stay in London for longer. However, Callan wanted it to be just a summer fling and had deep issues he needed to work through and thought breaking her heart was for the best.

In a twist of fate, they are reunited a year later with Dawn working at a law firm and the same law firm is working with Callan's solar company. Dawn was understandably annoyed and angry seeing him again!

I am glad he ends up sharing his past with her. It's not smooth sailing but I was happy with the ending. The epilogue was beautiful and had me crying.

Would highly recommend this book! 4 star read from me

Thanks to Netgalley and Katherine Grace for letting me read this book to review. It is entirely my own opinion

I received an arc in exchange for my honest review.

3 stars

Dawn works at a law firm and as she's getting ready for a meeting when in walks Callan, her hot British fling. Callan

This book is Dual POV with alternating timelines. I usually like dual pov but this one would change in the middle of the chapter which took me a while to get used to. I kind of wish each chapter was just either Dawn or Callan and didn't change so frequently.

I like second chance romances, they're usually full of angst which I love. Callan and Dawn had to go on a long journey which I had a blast reading and really enjoyed.

The characters and we'll developed with their own things they needed to work through which I enjoy reading in a romance.

As for things I didn't love, when they meet its very instalove on Dawn's part. When Callan says he had trauma she just accepts it without him having to put it in the work to prove that he's grown as a person. She also has unrealistic expectations with Callan when they sort of get together. She thinks he loves her but just doesn't know it yet. Dawn, you deserve better but you also need to stop projecting things onto him and believe what he's telling you when he says he's not ready for a marriage. For a man that's 30 I expected him to be more mature and not just abandon her at an airport with zero explanation

Overall, this book was a fun read but I think it could have been improved upon.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Publication date: April 5, 2023

Just a fling is a second chance romance told from the main Female Characters POV from now and then perspective.

Dawn Mathison is a driven young woman spending her summer in England to study law at Cambridge University. This is an incredible opportunity for her to get ahead of her studies and focus on her future as a lawyer.

Dawn doesn’t have time for a relationship and certainly isn’t looking for one especially while she is England for a short period of time.

Dawn literally runs into Callan Marlowe at a coffee shop near campus. After spilling hot coffee all over her, Callan can’t seem to get Dawn off his mind.

Callan has his own dark past and has vowed never to get into a long term relation again, it’s not worth it. After all these years of feeling nothing, he can’t deny the spark between him and Dawn.

Dawn and Callan decide they will have a summer fling, no strings attached. They enjoy each other’s company, have incredibly hot sex and with Dawn leaving at the end of the summer, no commitments. Until one of them wants more than the other can give.

I really enjoyed Dawn and Callan’s story. Callan’s history and background story is sad and they way it was woven into the epilogue was really well done. The characters were well developed and I was really rooting for them to make things work. There was some spice but it was sprinkled within the story and was the right amount for what I would expect. This is a four star read for me!

#NetGalley #justafling #katherinegrace

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this book. I like how you jump right into the storyline! I really enjoyed getting to read back and forth between past and present. I understood that Callan had past trauma but I just felt like Dawn deserved better than him at times. I truly loved them together though and they definitely make me believe in fate. I loved how accurate the author depicted grief. This was a very intense romance that I enjoyed and would recommend! I went through a rollercoaster of emotions and loved that about it.

Dawn is an associate at a top-tier law firm in NYC after graduating from law school second in her class. She’s caught off guard one day during a firm meeting when who is there but none other than her steamy British fling from her semester abroad - Callan - a.k.a. the emotional unavailable one that got away. Do you believe in second chances?

This book is written very uniquely because it alternates POVs between Dawn and Callan mid-chapter, mid-scene. I’ve never read a book before that does that, and I absolutely loved it. I also loved how the conflict started early on in the book and it grasped me and drew me in then developed the backstory through dual timelines instead of a long lead up to establish the background which would have been *yawn* fest! As a lawyer, it’s sometimes very difficult to read books that depict law students or lawyers that aren’t accurate. This one was very accurate. It was also relatable and frickin’ hilarious. And don’t forget about steamy too!

Fantastic debut from Katherine. She is a very talented and humorous writer. Can’t wait to read more from her in the future!

Thank you to Katherine, Wild Rose Press, and NetGalley for the advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this book. It was such a fun heartfelt journey and the happy ending was perfect! I really enjoyed the characters and the development of the relationship. I would definitely recommend!

I didn’t want to put it down!


A second-chance romance with a splash of comedy that will no doubt pull at your heart strings.

Dawn… a first year law associate just trying to find her way in a job she hates has her world turned upside down when the one person who broke her heart returns unexpectedly. And I have to add that my girl is TALL! As a tall woman myself, I will always love a book that highlights the MFC being tall (5’10+) and that making her even more attractive!

Callan… the successful business man working to build his company with a dark spot in his past that has him hiding from any sort of love. That is until he runs into (literally) Dawn in a small London coffee shop (yes just like you imagine it playing out in all the rom com movies).

Throughout this book we see their past and present together. We are pulled into the future that could be. And we see how they both just can’t get it together 🤣. But of course this is a HEA so they get it together eventually.

Maybe I’m just a big ol sap but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Katherine Grace did a great job of really making me feel their emotions. Feel their pain, their joy, their struggle, and all the love. The moments that Callan and Dawn share are so stinkin cute and the spice 🥵 was just mmmmmm so good (not too much, not too little, jusssttt right). The drama between these two had me wanting to shake some sense into them both but it was a journey well worth going on. Although there was a moment that I wanted Dawn to go a little harder on Callan, that didn’t deter me from how I feel about this book.

Now I NEED to hear this in audio form with a good Brit to voice Callan (please see this and make it happen Katherine 👀👀)

I can not recommend this enough for anyone who loves second chance romances.


4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and The Wild Rose Press for the early copy. ❤️

Law student Dawn Mathison’s steamy summer romance with solar developer Callan Marlowe is just a fling…until it isn’t. Swept off her feet–and into lots of different positions–by the sexy Brit, Dawn believes Callan is The One...right until he dumps her.

But that was last summer. Now, she is living her dream with a kick-ass job in New York City and couldn't care less about Callan. Not one bit. Truly.

Callan knows he left Dawn broken-hearted, confused, and pissed off. But, dammit, he doesn't do serious relationships. Not after his past. It doesn't matter anyway because he'll never see Dawn again. Which is for the best. Really.

When a twist of fate brings Callan back into Dawn’s life–and into her office–their sizzling attraction reignites. Maybe this time around, they won't get too serious. But fate has a sense of humor. Because Callan thinks Dawn is The One who can help him. And maybe turn their hot affair into something more?

I love this story. Perfect book palate cleanser. Will recommend this story to others.

Just a Fling was such a good second chance romance and the main characters Dawn and Callan are so relatable. It was a great read, with a lot of funny, cute and deep emotional moments.

The books is a second chance romance with a then and now timeline that includes deeper subjects and has a bit of spice! This story is deep and is not all fluff which made me like the characters even more. Both characters were well developed and has realistic flaws which makes you feel for and love both of them.

Dawn is a law student that decides to do a semester abroad in England. She has a funny meet cute with Callan and their relationship starts from there. They enjoy a summer romance, just a fling, right? But of course, they start developing feelings and just like that (out of nowhere) Callan dumps her!

A year later, fate brings them face to face as Callan is in New York for business and they have to face everything that happened a year ago...

If you love a second chance romance this is definitely a great one to read. I absolutely adored the cast of characters and believe that the author, Katherine Grace, wrote a great story with tons of heart, great friendships, real every day struggles, a bit of humor and spice and great character development.


Thank you The Wild Rose Press and NetGalley for my e-ARC.

Dawn is a motivated, driven student. She is working hard to earn a law degree, and has gotten into a Summer session at Cambridge, which should help bolster her resume and lead to a great career. While she is in England, she meets a man called Callan, and they spend the Summer together, knowing that Dawn will leave in the Fall and go back to her life in the states. When we first meet Dawn, this Summer at Cambridge is in the past and she has returned to the states alone. She is now hard at work as an associate at a prestigious law firm, doing a job she hates, hoping to stick it out for a few years until she can pay down her insane amount of student loans. Dawn has found a file needed by her boss for an important meeting, so she brings it to the conference room and finds that one of the people at the table is Callan. Can they reconnect and move forward, or is their relationship doomed to end?

I loved this story. It was an emotional rollercoaster, but I cared so much about Dawn and Callan that I never wanted to get off. I laughed at their snarky conversations, I felt sympathy for their mental health, and I cried a few times. It was a very emotional story, and I was along for the whole ride.

"Callan was the heat, the flame for her. He'd burn her right up, but she'd shine like a star while it happened."

"Her fall for him wasn't candy and roses; it was jumping off a cliff and praying for survival."

"She was his beginning and his end, his sunrise and sunset."

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“Her fall for him wasn’t candy and roses; it was jumping off a cliff and praying for survival.”

The PERFECT book for Spring! Whether it’s a Spring Break Trip Read or just to get you in the mindset of good and sunny days ahead.

I cannot explain all the feelings I had while reading this book. I started it a week ago and got through the first 4 chapters, but then life got busy until today. I picked it back up today and DEVOURED the remaining 25 chapters.

Katherine Grace has such a beautiful writing style that any contemporary romance enthusiast would appreciate and love. Her ability to balance hard real-life circumstances while also using cute /witty banter and the spicier scenes was enthralling.

The only reason this book did not receive higher than a 4/5 (I personally wished to give it a 4.75/5), was because throughout the book I thought it was a Dual POV and then it would switch to a 3rd person POV which I found to be confusing at times.

It's been a long time since I found a second chance (or a third chance) that doesn't involve cheating or messy breakups. There are highs and lows, but I can understand where the characters were coming from.

I can really relate with Dawn about her career choices. And Callan's backstory actually made sense and seemed plausible as to why he was holding back. Also, the steam was steaming alright 😌

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and the writing kept me hooked throughout. I like dual pov when written in third person. Great for romance starters who love this trope!

𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁: Pick this one if you love summer flings and second chances 🪄

This book was just not for me. I would read like 10% of it and forget the story. I’m sorry I didn’t love it.

Just a fling by Katherine Grace is just what you need for your very own spring fling. It was a delight to read and see a debut novelist get better on every page. If you are inclined to read Colleen Hoover or Emily Henry, then you are going to love this book. The plot is simple, but what Katherine Grace does to make you want to read more should be taught in school. She does a fantastic job of teasing you within the confines of a contemporary modern romance novel. The way she dances back and forth from the will they or won't they is genius and a testament to her writing capabilities. Pick this book up if you are looking for a steamy and sexy book for the spring or summer, but stay for the writer's innate ability to describe things in detail. Whether it was that inevitable sex scene that she teased you forever or her description of activities, such as punting and running, she does a brilliant job at bringing it all together. Every beginner writer who wants to write a romance novel should look at this as a perfect starting point and go from there. It will make you laugh, maybe cry, but definitely leave you wanting more.

To Katherine Grace, herself. If you ever read this or not, just know that you should be incredibly proud of your first novel and it will be much appreciative if you continue to write because you grew on every page I read. It is very hard to get me to read a romance novel, but you managed to make me enjoy myself and read faster than I ever thought I could. Can't wait to see what else you have in store.

Get out there and pick up the book wherever you can. You will not be dissapointed, maybe, just maybe, it will even make you wish you can find your good looking star wars nerd or a six foot tall WNBA star.

Happy Reading.

Rating is actually 3.5. This book was so cute! Dawn is your driven student/associate always wanting to be the best until Callan comes into her life. She begins to think about her future/happiness and willing to go all in, putting her heart on the line.

Your one step forward, two steps back scenario where there is no clear direction on happiness, feelings being spoken. I wish there was a bit more sizzle to see how drawn these two are meant for each other, more than just a Love At First Sight connection. I do wish that there was more Dawn speaking her feelings instead of relying on how Callan felt - stepping out of the typical gender roles and being confident and taking her best friends advice.

However this story was sweet, frustrating at times, and loved ones wanting the best for each other and happiness.

Guysssss I finished my first ARC from @netgalley today and feel so accomplished ☺️
Here's my review for JUST A FLING by @authorkatherinegrace which released this week!

Highlights -
🇬🇧 second chance romance
🇬🇧 grumpy x sunshine
🇬🇧 dual POVs + timelines
🇬🇧 British MMC x American FMC

I gave this 4☆ I loved the tropes, the meet cute, and dual timeline so we could get more background into Callan and Dawn's relationship.

🇬🇧 Callan struggled with a mysterious trauma from his past relationship that readers don't fully know the truth of until later in the story. Callan was motivated to work through this for Dawn, but it took some time for him to want to do it for himself. I actually really liked this because mental health treatment/trauma processing does not happen overnight and it was clear it would be an ongoing commitment for him.
🇬🇧 The BFFs in the story were top notch - called bullshit when needed and gave sound advice too.
🇬🇧 HEA but didn't gloss over all the inner work that the two MCs needed to address.
🇬🇧 the epilogue had me in tears! TW for grief/loss and substance use trauma.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review 🇬🇧

dnf this book, stopped reading at 18% but here are my thoughts for the part of the book that i did read.

i do wish there was a better intro to this book, i felt like i was reading the third chapter instead of the first. i felt slightly like i was pushed into the book blindly and it was missing the details that i really wanted that just weren’t there. callan and dawn had a fling and she doesn’t want to see him and she panics when she does, i wanted to know more details about that fling that happened, it would have been amazing if there was like a prologue on how they parted. the fling is an important part of the book and i did feel like we should have gotten all the details at the beginning. everything felt like it was moving too fast for me. i just wanted more details. i just found the whole thing messy. i found this book to be just annoying, i did not like the characters and i did not connect with the book at all. very disappointing. again, the whole thing was just messy and not enjoyable.