It took me a bit to get into the book, but all in all it was a fun, cheesy romcon.

I loved the setting of the story as well, gaming meets music. Although it was very predictable towards the end, i truly enjoyed figuring out the complot.

Loved how the two MC’s grew towards each other. I wouldnt call it enemies to lovers, more like unlike/hate to love.

3.5 stars!!

This book was so so so much fun!! I really do love a good romance with mystery/crime elements so this was really enjoyable! I thought the romance was adorable, so sweet, the love interest is a huge simp, he absolutely falls first, just, completely obsessed with her from the start it was great. He always said the right thing, the "you're safe" was one of my faves; being with her and supporting her instead of trying to save her was super refreshing and just, such a lovely dynamic to read.

The fmc was wonderful, she was resilient and sweet and ready to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. She was a little- the bit with the initial arrest felt like she was going from completely ignoring the problem to blaming the first person who kind of seems suspicious. I understand the compromising position and maybe that switch was just everything bubbling over but I feel like that transition between ignoring the threat and then the investigation could have been smoother. I loved how the experience strengthened their bond instead of strained it- also, another reason I love this sub-genre is because there's usually no third act conflict between the couple which, is amazing- it just pushes them closer together which is always a win.

I loved the dog, the ending was wonderful, I liked the well-rounded-ness of it all. Overall it was a really fun read, a little predictable at some times, and a little bit too fast paced for me to fully believe both the mystery and the romance plot but it was still fun.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I don’t really know how to rate this book. The plot has a lot of potential, but the characters weren’t all that likeable.
The dual POV, which I’m usually all for, was entirely unnecessary given the fact that the book was written in third person.

My interest was piqued because of (1) THE title and (2) the FIRST PAGE. I’m sold after these two. (BTW, there was a Spotify playlist, too, at the start of this book! I vibed to it first before reading. 🤭)

I got excited about how things would unfold between the two of them in the forced proximity trope. It was sensible and comfortable when they went from being unwelcoming towards one another to looking out, caring for, and being attracted to one another. I loved how they helped each other get past their respective histories.

I am especially fond of the male lead (Elijah) being extra feminist - supporting the female lead (Autumn) in taking her spotlight in the music industry even if that would mean being apart for some time. I appreciate that he, being a partner, did not overshadow Autumn’s personality - being the strong and independent woman that she is. They were both supportive of one another’s endeavors. (I think I have been more appreciative of fictional men who do not need to use women for their “manliness”).

I am both awed and surprised when past the middle of the plot there happens to be a dash of mystery solving! It felt off at first, yet worth it as it progressed. I guessed wrong with the culprit, btw! (And currently holding back from spilling any spoilers on that matter) This pinch of mystery added a unique flavor to the plot. I have to say, however, that the real culprit’s motive was immensely petty and pathetic.

Overall, this has been an easy and refreshing read! 🫶🏼

This wasn’t the book for me. I had a hard time connecting to these characters, which I think is in part due to it being told in third person. When a romance is dual POV, I think it works much better when it’s told in first person. It felt like the dual POV (which I normally love) added nothing to the storytelling since it was in third person.

The romance also left a lot to be desired to me. It was pretty rushed and unrealistic to the point that I felt I had missed a few chapters of development. I stuck around to the end of the story to find out what was the deal with the roses and the stalker.

Thank you for giving me the chance to review this book!

I was happily surprised by Ms Perfectly Fine.
The first 50 to 100 pages were a bit hard to through as things did not really progress and the story just dragged on.
Then, I was captured by the story, Autumn and Elijah, the various people and story elements they had to deal with, and of course their budding romance.
Very cute.

The mystery element was interesting, but I feel the book was strong enough without it.

I did not like at all how to adult people could be so petty and childish in the way they dealt with suddenly moving in together. I get that you might need to use someone's mug the first morning, but going back and forth in nicking food the other person made was not on.
Yes, OK this became a bit of a plot point in mischievousness, but, no I did not like.

Very excited the book was set in Ireland!!!!!!!

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I DNF'ed this book at 35%. I really did try to continue because I liked the storyline, I just couldn't get on board with the writing and timeline.

Would definitely still try a different book by Kate Callaghan in the future.

A thoroughly enjoyable book! I really empathised with Autumn and it was great to have representation of someone with chronic pain, and have some experience of what the daily life of someone who is constantly in pain can be like. Elijah was also very loveable and I LOVED their slow-burner forced proximity romance! I would love to see more diverse characters and maybe more detail on Tim's life; maybe even a chapter from his POV to discover his feelings linked to Elijah and Autumn!

This book started with a great idea. The forced proximity romance stories are usually so good. The antics are good. However, I feel like the main idea got lost.
The added mystery wasn’t needed because there was enough drama.
There’s a lot that happens with the book and I think it could have been better organized and the story to be told better.

Mehhhh the cover drew me in but that's pretty much all that kept me reading. it was a fine story but nothing at all to write home about...

Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Callaghan for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

So this was a super fast-paced and quick and easy read. I ate this up in a day. This book was in the third person, which is not my favourite but it was pretty okay to read; I didn't mind it that much. However, the use of exclamation points was a tad bit excessive. I'm not sure if it was the third-person writing or not, but sometimes the thoughts in the characters' heads just annoyed me. I can't pinpoint a particular reason, but I did skim through some of their thoughts a lot.

I really like how Autumn's story was told. I liked that we got to see how she deals with her trauma from the past and kind of learns to live with it. *please please check trigger warnings before you read.*

I also LOVED Elijah. He was adorable. I liked the cutesy little things he would do for her.
“Oh, she’s beautiful but hostile as hell."

I did actually love the banter and the pranks. I caught myself smiling at the dynamic of the two; it was pretty darn cute.

“Hating him was a lot less complicated.”

This is marketed as enemies to lovers, but it's more of just a bad first impression, forced proximity, girl is grumpy, girl is used to being alone, guy is adorable, guy has dog, etc, etc.

"The only tension between us is frustration."

Overall, definitely enjoyed it; it was a fun read. The whole stalker-y aspect of it was interesting as well. I was making guesses and definitely suspicious of everyone (lol) so I was definitely interested throughout the book.

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this ARC early in exchange for an honest review!

After a life-changing accident, Autumn has fallen into a routine that works for her. She wakes up, goes to rehearsal then comes back to her EMPTY house. One day, it's not empty. Elijah, the game designer shows up with no warning from her landlord. With the two both being stubborn, neither one will leave, leaving us with forced proximity. Then the flowers start showing up at the door...

I wasn't expecting this to turn into a mystery book! I really don't have a lot to say about this one, just that I really enjoyed it and the ending left me satisfied with how it ended and with the character's futures. A good summer pool read that still had a lot of depth to it!

I really enjoyed this book! The romance was great- spicy but emotional. And all the sub-plots added substance to the story and made me more invested in the characters.

I got this book for free on NetGalley and I am writing my honest review willingly.

4.5

I enjoyed reading Autumn and Elijah’s story very much. Before I started it I saw many negative comments so I was a little worried I wouldn’t like it… but it was a really nice read! It was cozy and funny. Exactly what I needed to read at the moment.
It’s so interesting to have a character suffering from chronic pain after a traumatic accident as the MC of the book. And I’m a huge fan of the forced proximity / forced to live under one roof trope~ I guess it’s also a grumpy-sunshine book (the FMC being the grumpy and the MMC being the sunshine).

The « mystery » was quite easy to guess but it’s okay! I still think it’s a really enjoyable cozy love story.

My only negative point would be the short timeline / instalove… I guess I’m not a huge fan of them knowing each other for 3 weeks when they are all lovey dovey, can’t live without you, bla-bla-bla. I would have prefered if they got more time to be friends/ know each other before they started getting together.

I love this cute book. The characters, cover, setting, and atmosphere were all perfection and I can't wait to read what is next from this brilliant author.

This was a cute love story with likable characters. I enjoyed the pacing and overall had fun reading this. A very quick, fun read.

Autumn and Elijah are about to become unlikely roommates in a townhome, much to Autumn's dismay. She's used to living alone and didn't ask for this surprise roommate, especially one as handsome as Elijah, who seems determined to win her over. But that's not the only thing bothering her. Creepy gifts and messages are piling up, and she can't ignore them anymore.

While I enjoyed Elijah's endearing puppy-like nature, I struggled to connect with Autumn's stubbornness and dismissive behavior. The plot had potential, but it felt cluttered with too many subplots, making it distracting. The banter between the characters was enjoyable, and I appreciated the forced proximity trope. Special shoutout to Brinkley, the adorable four-legged fur baby!

Overall, the story was cute, but I couldn't fully immerse myself in it. The writing was decent, but the author relied too much on explanations instead of showing the events unfold. The romance between the main characters felt rushed and forced, like I was missing a few chapters. Additionally, the unnecessary mystery plotline added more drama than needed, considering the book already had plenty of subplots to explore independently.

A mystery? A reverse grumpy sunshine? A book with a deceiving cover? Sign me up!! This was such a fun and surprising read. The cover made me think it was to be a typical romcom but I was wrong…so wrong. Can’t wait for more from this author!! Great marketing

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️.5

Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks Netgalley.

General Thoughts: I appreciated that Kate Callaghan chose to feature a FMC who has a chronic illness and helped represent how that affected the FMC. That was a great part of this book. On the whole, the writing was solid. There were a few plot oversights I caught. Characters not knowing something after we had already read about them knowing that thing. But on the whole, the quality of the writing was good. I also thought, on the whole, Elijah and Autumn were well-developed, although both Autumn and Elijah were annoyingly childish at times. I would have liked to see a more developed secondary set of characters and for Elijah and Autumn and their relationship to be more fleshed out as well.

However, I did enjoy the story, and I liked what I saw from Elijah and Autumn. The story was well paced. There was a bit of mystery/suspense that I figured out too soon, but I still enjoyed it and I'm glad I read it.

Steam Meter: ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 very few sexual scenes and not very graphic at all.

Romantic Tropes
-forced proximity
-close proximity
-roommates to more
-chronic illness rep
-realistic contemporary romance
-dual third-person POV

You can read more of my reviews at mylastromance.com. You can also find me on Insta @mylastromancenovel.

thanks netgalley for this arc .
This book was super cute and i loved the cover .
Eli and autumn were absolutely adorable and the reverse grumpy sunshine is my all time fav trope this book made me laugh and smile as i was reading it and there chemistry was soo goood.
i am definitely excited for more from this author