The Love Plot was an adorable romance with the perfect amount of banter between a total grump and a ray of sunshine.

Between that trope and the fake dating... I was bound to fall in love with the characters and the plot. A truly adorable, banter-filled romance. Star Shine Meadows, a free spirit desiring to be as happy as possible, is caught off-guard by her intense attraction to veterinarian (and certified grump) Rafe Whitman. When Rafe hires her to be his fake girlfriend to get his matchmaking family off his back, the two opposites find that they may not be faking falling in love.

LOVED THIS BOOK!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was really fun! Definitely not going to top any of the best of the year lists, but if you like mildly spicy contemporary stories with a hallmark bend, it's palatable.

The Love Plot was a really strange mix of hit and miss for me. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it as much as some of Samantha Young’s other books. Star, a free spirit on a quest to live happily, meets grumpy vet, Rafe, and can’t help but push his buttons. When they cross paths again, Rafe makes a very lucrative fake dating offer, and Star can’t refuse. It isn’t long before real feelings develop for both of them. Rafe doesn’t want a casual relationship and Star has never had a serious one, so they have some hurdles to overcome if they have any chance of making it.

First off, this isn’t a fake dating story really, so that threw me a bit. It’s one of the things that left me feeling that there were too many things going on in this story. Star is unconventional. She had complete shit parents that left her traumatized in regard to relationships and family. She has a close-knit trio of friends that she considers family. She works as a character actor at kid’s parties and a line-sitter. Rafe comes from wealth but turned away from the family business to pursue being a veterinarian. He has a strained relationship with his brother, few friends, and is sick and tired of being setup by his mother and sister-in-law. He has an ex who cheated on him. He has great parents and a wonderful accepting sister. Rafe and Star have chemistry. As people, they do try to be accepting of others and allow people to be who they are. I thought Young did a good job with Rafe’s characterization as the grumpy hero. He’s honest with Star about his attraction to her, and talks about his feelings and shares opinions openly, plus he seeks understanding rather than jumping to conclusions. Star was a harder sell for me. Young didn’t fully convince me that she was a bohemian, free spirit. She certainly marched to the beat of her own drum, and had unconventional jobs, maybe dressed less conventionally than the average person, but her life didn’t really add up. I had trouble believing she could earn enough at the jobs she worked to live by herself in Staten Island and have as much free time as she had. Her friends, so supportive at first, turned on a dime once Star’s life became busier and they disagreed with her choices. Her parents were garbage, such despicable parents that it seemed impossible that Star could have grown into such a positive, energetic person. Rafe’s life made more sense to me, save for his sister-in-law and mother interfering nonstop in his romantic life. His mother seemed so nice, not the meddling type at all. His sister-in-law? She was a piece of work. The way she and Rafe’s brother were written was too cliché for me. When Star didn’t stand up for herself with them, it seemed out of character to me. As for the writing, there was something missing for me. Some details, like the polyamorous relationship or the fact that Star was kind and understanding, were repeated so many times. Once Rafe and Star’s relationship became physical, it was all that was focused on. I struggled once they stopped talking and asking questions to each other. Everything shutdown but their sex life. There was a lot of judgmental moments in the book, making the story feel unbalanced for me. I wanted more character growth than the minimal amount we saw.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and Samantha Young. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own.***

You know what, I don't have anything to say besides that I absolutely LOVED this. It delivered on exactly what it is marketed to deliver. The only thing I don't love is the cover. I'm beyond over the cartoon covers that make next to no attempt to look like the characters. Why the heck is there a corgi in this man's jacket pocket?? It makes his seem absolutely ridiculous. Rafe is a tall, drives an insane car and is Succession-level rich hot who is also a vet. Star is a super sexy hippie trying to figure out her life. This cover reads more like two people who got lumped together for the school play when really the vibe of this book is similar those set photos of Glenn Powell and Sydney Sweeney. You know that ones I'm talking about.

READ THIS BOOK IT IS FABULOUS.

5 stars. When it comes to her traditionally published books, I think this is my favorite from Young, at least recently (and it should be noted I really enjoyed the others too, so this being my favorite is saying something). Grump/ sunshine is one of my favorite tropes, but Rafe and Star were more than just grump and sunshine, they were also complete opposites. While Rafe's family is the Manhattan elite, and he runs his own successful veterinarian practice (is there a sexier career? I don't think so). Star doesn't have a career. She has jobs that allow her flexibility, minimal stress and commitment, and the ability to prioritize happiness above all else. She also doesn't believe in monogamy, which means that Rafe, of course, only engages in monogamous relationships. Rafe ends up hiring Star to be his fake girlfriend to relieve some of the pressure his family is putting on him to settle down. Which means that we have the fake dating trope! But also, a one-bed scene!

Books like The Love Plot are the reason I read romantic comedy. This was funny without being cheesy. The romance was sweet and the banter was on point. There was also a fair bit of steam, which I appreciated. While it wasn't Tessa Bailey level steamy, there were several open door scenes. And I really appreciated that their struggles felt realistic and true to their characters, and not manufactured for drama. Truly, I loved Rafe and Star together. And I loved that Rafe not only accepted Star and her bohemian ways, but loved her for them. All in all, I loved this one and couldn't put it down. Highly recommend.

Thank you so much to Samantha and Berkley for an early ARC.

I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. I thought I could tell where the book was going but I was presently surprised with where the storyline went.

This one is okay. The romance couldn’t stand alone with out the spice I felt like, which I don’t love in books. That alone makes me give this one a 3 star. The writing was good though but as a romance I feel like the plot should be able to drive more without the spice.

I adored this romcom book! It’s light and a very quick read. I felt like both characters were realistic; they made mistakes and grew by the end. The only reason I didn’t give it a full 5 stars is because it was more simple of a plot line. I definitely recommend for people who love tropes like grumpy/sunshine, bad first impressions, and opposites attract.

☀️“My ambition is to live a life that makes me truly happy. And I reckon that’s probably the most ambitious anyone can be.”☀️
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Rafe Whitman: Grumpy veterinarian from a wealthy, traditional family that refuses to stop their matchmaking schemes.
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Star Meadows: Free-spirited costume character actor and professional line sitter who believes in a no stress lifestyle with strict no commitment policy.
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Rafe and Star are about as different as two halves of a whole can be, and they are easily one of my favorite book couples of the year! The two start off in a fake relationship designed to ease his mother and sister-in-law’s attempts to find Rafe a wife, but we all know how blurry lines between reality and playing pretend can be.
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This book was full of witty banter, undeniable chemistry, laugh out loud shenanigans, and a whole lot of self-exploration and growth—not to mention one of my favorite plot ingredients, a dash of angst.
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Samantha Young became one of my favorite authors a decade ago with her War of the Covens (previously titled The Tales of Lunarmorte) trilogy, but The Love Plot has cemented her place as one of my auto-buy authors.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
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Read if you like:
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
😏 Witty FMC
🐶 Animal Lover MMC
🤫 Fake Dating
🧲 Opposites Attract
😎 He Falls First
🛌 One Bed
💕 Self-Acceptance
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The love plot will be released on August 29, and I promise you do NOT want to miss it!
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Thank you Samantha Young, Net Galley, and Berkeley Publishing Group for this eARC! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

💘 Mini Book Review 💘

The Love Plot was a more lighthearted romance that what I'd previously read from the author. While I prefer her angsty-er reads, there was a lot to like about this one.

✔️ Grumpy/Sunshine
✔️ Fake Dating
✔️ I Don't Do Relationships
✔️ Opposites Attract
✔️ Protective Over Her

The characters of Star and Rafe are probably the most traditional grumpy sunshine: she is a bit of a hippie while unconventional jobs (like line sitting) while he is... not.

The banter was fun, though leaning a little heightened - the same vibe as Pippa Grant and Lucy Score with zingers back and forth, like a ping pong match.

Overall, a quick and fun read.

Steam 🔥🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕

The love plot is a cute story of sunshine meeting thunderstorm. a perpetual optimist agrees to fake date a grumpy vet and like any good romance, feeling start becoming real. they decide early on to real date and that’s when the drama starts. His family doesn’t think she fits in and with her worries about being abandoned, feels like she needs to be what they want even if it isn’t what she wants. It’s a cute story and I’m happy there was no real villain!

I really disliked Samantha Young's book Fight or Flight, but the premise of this one sounded too cute not to give her work a second chance. And, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I was enjoying The Love Plot. For the first 60 percent, I thought it was really cute and recommended my book club put it on their TBR lists. There was a lull and some repetition in the third quarter that kept this from being a 4-star read, and there were some worrying characteristics from the main male character that I found worrying (ez: he kept grabbing the main female character's arms when he wanted her attention or didn't want her walk away) but I was impressed at what a turnaround it was from my first Samantha Young experience. 

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this manuscript.

4.75 Stars / Bianca

STAR + RAFE

Star is the daughter of Hippies. She's 28 years old and working as a costume actor - Disney princess for kiddie birthdays et cetera - and as a line standing person. You know, when you want the new phone and can't be bothered to stand in line for hours? That's what you pay Star for.
She has a great group of friends and she loves her life.
Enter Rafe. He's the super hot uncle of the girl she's being a Disney character for. And he does not like Star at all it seems.
But he offers her a job. Play his girlfriend in front of his constantly matchmaking mom and sister in law. Has to be better than to stand in line for hours in the rain.
Right?!

LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN....🤣

═

Adorable!
That was so cute and funny and sparky and arguey and a bit sad but just so very FUN!
The fake-girlfriend trope is not really anything new. We've read those books dozens of times before. But we love them, right? And this was a Sam Young book so I had to read it no matter what it was about... and I just loved it!
Star is so sweet and cute and fun and positive.
And Rafe is so not any of that. LOL!
But he's thawing with Star's help. And she's growing into her real self with his help.
So adorable to watch!
I really enjoyed reading this.
I wish Sam would've put a bit more puppies in it. Rafe is a vet but you hardly notice it. There are definitely not enough animals in here. I wanted more doggy cuddles or something.
But still. Great rom-com with some serious moments.

► THE LOVE PLOT was such an adorable Rom-Com.
Adorable and funny and sweet and sparky and sexy and a bit sad and all the great things!
It was also a bit of a find yourself, BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE, don't let anyone change you or tell you what to do thingy!
Run to your nearest bookdealer for your own Doc Rafe - this one is MINE!

4.5 stars

You know those books that you read a couple of pages and immediately get sucked into? That's how the Love Plot was for me! This was a super quick read and I loved every second!

What I loved:

- All of my favorite tropes: Fake dating, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine
- I really loved Star and her personality. I really appreciated the fact that she was 100% her true self and stood up for herself as well.
- Samantha Young's writing style is extremely fun for me. I can visualize everything she writes and it feels like I"m there
- Rafe. You can't help but love Rafe AND he's a veterinarian? I also loved seeing his personality unfold as Star got to know him. The character development of both Star and Rafe was incredible.

If you're looking for a fun rom com, give this one a try!

Opposites attracts & grumpy vs sunshine -- Eternal optimist Star is so determined to live in the moment it turns out she's fleeing facing the impact of her past. When she meets super hot and uptight Rafe, she's forced to challenge how she experienced love growing up. A lot of disconnect between Star's belief in polyamory and her own feelings of possessiveness and jealousy, neither of which are healthy emotions in a relationship.

A sweet and funny romance with a lovely grumpy hero and a sunny heroine. Star and Rafe are a fun couple with a true meet-cute and a host of classic tropes.

3.5

at times feels cringey and/or rushed, but overall, isn’t bad. the moments that star kind of just threw things out there (about herself or her friends’ relationship, for example) to shock people were probably my least favorite. the story held my interest, & i liked most of the characters.

#netgalley

I have been such a fan of Young’s books for a while- her books are so easy to get hooked into and this was no exception for me. The Love Plot was spunky and full of fun romance tropes! Star was a VERY quirky character and although I didn’t fully vibe/resonate with her, I appreciated her uniqueness. I loved the first half of this more than the second half, which if you have read it, you understand the shift in nature. While I enjoyed the couple, the family made me so infuriated that it made me want to stop reading since it ruined my enjoyment of the book. In the end, I felt like there were some unresolved issues that didn’t feel concluded. Still, I will pick up all future books by Young, this one just wasn’t my favorite.

Read this if you want:
-Fake Dating
-Quirky characters
-Grumpy/Sunshine
-Self-discovery journey

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review!

This is a quintessential contemporary romance with fake dating, witty banter, and likable characters. I would love to be friends with either the male or female MC, and I loved the little circle of people that they surrounded themselves with. Bumps and miscommunication ih this one are fairly mild until the climax, so the stress level before your HEA isn manageable. Recommended for any library that serves adults.

Star Shine Meadows is a free spirit thanks to the hippie parents who raised her. She juggles two jobs, a costume wearer, and a professional line sitter. Little does she know the uncle to the little girls party shes at will end up being her boyfriend. When Rafe Whitman proposes a fake dating relationship with Star, she reluctantly agrees. He just wants his family off his back to find a wife, and she needs the money he’s willing to pay. When things eventually heat up between them, they realize fake dating isn’t the way to go. Who says opposites don’t attract?

This was such a fun grump/sunshine fake dating romance! I absolutely loved Star and Rafe. Star was the epitome of her name and always shined so brightly. She was just so wonderful that I loved everything about her, even her ridiculous name. I absolutely loved why she was named Star Shine Meadows to. Rage was also wonderful, and such a grump! Star was exactly what he needed in his life. Also the whole “I’m rich but want to work” thing that Rafe had going on really worked. I mean, I wish my vet looked like him. Together Star and Rafe were perfect. I even enjoyed the little bit of miscommunication that occurred. It was actually really sweet and very relatable. I was also pleasantly surprised with the amount of spice, yes it wasn’t a ton, but it was the perfect amount for the plot.

If you are looking for a fun grump/sunshine romance book then I hope you grab a copy of this one August 29th! It is worth the read.

Additional links will be added closer to publication per the publisher.