𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬💭:
I actually almost DNF-ed this book because I had to put it in the back burner when Iron Flame came out. I’m so glad I picked it right back up because my goodness, what a super cute rom-com read taking a top spot on my romance reads this year 🥹

Thank you so much Barkley Romance for my free copy of this book!

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛📝:
When Cassidy recently goes tbrough a break up, her grandmother hands her an article from the 50’s about old fashioned tips on how to hook a husband. As a writer, this stirs an idea for an article to test out and see if it’s any good. Who better to experiment on other than the man who’s the co-founder of the chauvinistic rival company of the one she works for, Jack Bradford.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Wow, I didn’t expect to love this book as much, but I am smitten! Jack Bradford was so dreamy and literally made my heart skip a beat while i read this book. I love the vulnerability the two MCs displayed despite their facade, that the author knocked it out of the park by making it feel so raw. My heart just melted as the tension started to rise. And if you like banter, this one’s got plenty. It was beautiful how the story just touched themes of the patriarchal society we live in, the trials women face in career paths and dating in this day and age. Really fascinating how she weaved this all intricately and seamlessly. If you loved the movie How To Lose A Guy in 10 days, this is a good spin to it that you’ll love just the same.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘛𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘈 𝘎𝘶𝘺 𝘐𝘯 10 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘭, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘢, 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮, 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴

The description referenced How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, but in my humble opinion this take on a similar premise is much much better. Both leads are likeable and understandable, and the plot carefully delves out piece by piece an intriguing puzzle and battle of wits.

I adored this book! How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a favorite movie of mine, and this book follows a similiar storyline. Devon Daniels can do no wrong in my book!!

I really enjoyed this flirty romance, which had great characters (especially Gran) and a fun premise. I also love that it took place in NYC and I felt like I was in the city with Cassidy and Jack as the story was being told.

The chemistry between Cassidy and Jack was sizzling, even when Cassidy originally didn't like him and wanted to make an example of him. I just loved their banter and watching them get to know each other. The steamy scenes were enhanced by their intense attraction to each other. I also like that the conflict took some time to get resolved, as it's rushed in a lot of the rom-coms I've read.

My only concern, which is totally mild given I love pop culture, is how many pop culture references are peppered through the story. I felt like Cassidy was constantly making comparisons to movies and TV shows. Sometimes it was fun and amusing, but after a while it got to be a bit extra.

Overall, an enjoyable rom-com! I definitely need to go back and read Meet You in the Middle and I look forward to whatever else Devon Daniels is cooking up next.

Movie casting suggestions:
Cassidy: Natalia Dyer
Jack: Harry Richardson
Gran: Shirley MacLaine

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙢𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡.

📍 Read if you like:
• Rivals To Lovers
• Slow Burn Romances
• One-Sided Fake Dating
• 1950’s Dating Tips

I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book going into it, but I’m so glad I did. The beginning pulled me in right away and I loved the 1950’s dating tips.

This felt like one of those nostalgic romantic comedies and I really enjoyed it. The story follows Cassidy and Jack, and I loved the rivalry in this book. I also loved the fun take on a workplace romance with these characters.

Cassidy was great in this book, but Jack was on another level. I absolutely loved the way this book wrote this character and absolutely loved the way he acted. I also really enjoyed Cassidy’s grandma!

The banter in this was exceptionally good, I couldn’t stop giggling at the banter. Also, the pop culture references scattered throughout the book were phenomenal - I know many people didn’t enjoy them, but I did. The chemistry?!? Absolutely amazing!

The only reason this isn’t a five-star is because it felt chick-lit at times, which isn’t a genre I’m a fan of. There were also some cheesy scenes I didn’t care for.

Overall, this was a fun, nostalgic romcom with enjoyable characters. I really like the way these characters had a rivalry and the chemistry was so well written. This was so entertaining and I had a great time reading this.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Berkley for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual Content

I was excited to check this one out based on the comparisons to "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," plus I'm always a sucker for rivails-to-lovers romances. I can definitely see where the comparisons come in, and the story mostly follows through on the premise. I will say, however, that the love interest kind of side-stepped many of the original issues that are presented regarding his publication and the problematic/sexist stuff they print. It just....never really gets dealt with? He just turns out to be a nice guy personally? I wish a bit more had been done to flesh out this aspect of the story,.

I was also a bit frustrated by the numerous references in this book. As a millennial woman, these references were definitely of the sort that were targeted to my demographic, and I even found myself enjoying a decent number of them. But man, they just kept coming and at a certain point it became distracting for my reading experience.

I did enjoy the character, overall. Cassidy was a strong female character and Jack had a good balance of confident energy while side-stepping the arrogant line fairly nicely. They also had good chemistry and I enjoyed watching their relationship build up, As this is probably the most crucial aspect of a good romance novel, I do think this one was overall fairly successful. While I had a few nit-picks here and there, I think many romance readers will very much enjoy this one!

This was an easy and delightful read! It is perfect for all of those who love rom coms!! Truly it a treasure of easter eggs!!

I have such a hard time picking a favorite — but How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is definitely in the top 3. Devon Daniels delivers a hilarious and swoony romance inspired by the rom-com, and oh my goodness did it bring me all the giggles and flutters! I absolutely loved the characters, the story, and the balance between Cassidy & Jack’s romance, and Cassidy’s personal growth. This is a book I already can’t wait to re-read!⁣⁣
⁣⁣
The Rom Con is out now so go check it out!

Devon Daniels' "The Rom Con" is a riotous romantic comedy that delivers laughter with a side of unexpected twists. From the onset, the novel catapults readers into a whirlwind of hilarious romantic misadventures, keeping them on the edge of their seats. The characters, a lovable ensemble of quirky personalities, stumble through awkward courtship moments that will leave you grinning. What sets this rom-com apart is the unpredictable twist – a narrative acrobatics maneuver that adds an extra layer of excitement. Daniels' impeccable comedic timing turns cringe-worthy dates and awkward encounters into a comedy of errors, while the unexpected plot twist elevates the storyline. "The Rom Con" is a rollercoaster of love, laughter, and surprises, making it a must-read for those seeking a delightful escape into the unpredictability of romance.

I fun and addicting read. I enjoyed the characters.
The writing style definitely hooks you in. Recommend to those who love Rom com books

Do you ever put off reading a book without any reason? I procrastinated picking up this widget (thank you Berkley!), grabbing it the day before it was archived on NetGalley, and I procrastinated reading it, waiting until I could check out the audiobook from my library (since it was already after publication date). Why?!
I listened to the first 25% the other morning while running errands, and The Rom Con was so cute that I opened the ARC on my Kindle and settled in to read a few chapters as soon as I returned home. While I was cooking dinner I switched back to the audio, then I read the last few chapters while watching football, and just like that I was finished with the book! Someone asked recently what was the last book I binged in a day and now my answer is this one 🤓
The plot of The Rom Con is similar to How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (and references it multiple times), which is one of my favorite romcoms ever. Cassidy’s grandmother suggests some old-fashioned tips to attract a husband, and Cassidy attempts to use them, while writing an article for her boss about the effects. She also chooses her boss’s rival’s founder to use as her target, as they have just had a hilarious meet cute. As you can imagine, Cassidy falls for Jack, who turns out to be quite lovely, even though his company was brash and misogynistic. And the grandmother is a fantastic character in this one! I am going to have to read Devon’s debut, Meet Me in the Middle, after loving this book, because i have read lots of positive reviews for that one, too. All opinions are my own.

This book was phenomenal.

I’m sad I left it on my shelf for so long.

I ended up getting a loan off Libby for the audio version. Fantastic! Couldn’t have loved it more

Slow burn, enemy to lovers, friends to lovers, the drama, a third act breakup that I didn’t mind. But I have to say my favorite aspect of all of it was the continued book and movie/TV references.

This might be a top 10 for 2024 for me. I absolutely loved this book. There’s not one thing I didn’t love about this book.

This book was so much fun! The premise of this one is perfection, and effortlessly pulled off in the writing. I absolutely loved the tv show and movie references (especially the Magnum PI era Tom Selleck- loved our conversation about this Devon! And yes, I have the whole series on DVD 😂) Also, can every book please have a hilarious grandma character? She’s my fave! I can definitely see this book being made into a movie!

3 stars.

Unfortunately I wasn't as captivated by the Rom-Con as I was for DD's debut, Meet You In The Middle. I wasn't very invested in Jack and Cassidy's story. I do like Devon's writing style, however, at times, the writing felt like it was stuck in early 2000s with all of the references to millenial pop-culture, especially considering the leads are in their mid-20s in 2023. I'll still try DDs next book, however, this one overall was a miss for me.

I really enjoyed Daniels’ debut novel, but this one was even better. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is one of the most iconic romcoms and there aren’t enough retellings of it in my opinion. This book was funny and very romantic. Despite dealing with outdated dating advice, Cassidy took the intentions behind them and translated it into modern day acts of love for her partner. I really loved the reasonings she provided for why she did certain things for Jack to make him feel special and cared for, just as much as I appreciated seeing him equally give back to her (not quite the 1950s relationship). There were a few things that her Gran advised her to do that made me instantly want to say no, but overall I loved the balance of old and new.

The main reason I’m knocking off a star is (without going into detail and spoiling the ending) the whole six weeks thing. It’s way too long and was hard for me to get over, despite the HEA. Also—and I know this is expected for the story—there were some things Cassidy said that went beyond cringe when she was on the hunt for a story with Jack.

All in all, I couldn’t put this book down! I’m excited to discuss it with my book club and look forward to reading whatever Daniels comes out with next.

I found this to be quite enjoyable, laughed a lot. I think the premise is good, and the execution as well. There is one scene nearer the end where I thought the hero could have behaved a little better, and I was disappointed to not get a full apology for that scene. But overall it lived up to my expectations.

This is a fun rivals to lovers romance with some memorable characters (the grandmother especially) and an interesting plot.

Cassidy Sutton writes for a women’s magazine site called Siren, and she’s recently has given up on dating after a nasty break up. Her grandmother gives her a 1950’s dating guide and she decides to write an article about how outdated the advice is.

She decides to try out the tips on Jack Bradford, founder of Brawler, a competing magazine site written for men. Hopefully she’ll be able to
call Jack out for Brawler’s chauvinism.

Much to Cassidy’s surprise and dismay, the dating tips actually work and Jack isn’t the bad guy she thought he was.

I highly recommend this one, 4.5 stars.

A visit to her grandmother leads Cassidy to discover a 1950s dating guide, inspiring her to create an article for Siren. At an event, she meets Jack Bradford, co-founder of Brawler. Seeing him as the perfect target for her story, Cassidy blames his magazine for her recent dating troubles.

The Rom Con serves up a delightful blend of romance and comedy. It is a mix of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" and "Down with Love."

Cassidy starts a faux dating plan, armed with her grandmother's old-school tips. However, as Cassidy and Jack's undeniable attraction grows, she faces a dilemma: should she focus on her story or explore the potential of love? Especially when he turns out to be much more than what Cassidy bargained for.

It's an 'enemies-to-lovers' and 'rivals-to-lovers' trope executed beautifully. Their relationship's sweet moments, tension, attraction, and playful conversations were a delight to read.

I picked this one up because a lot of people were raving about it and calling it a modern version of the movie How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days — and I can fully see the connection.

I honestly really enjoyed this — I’ve always loved the stories where there are strong characters on both sides of the relationship, but they’re both teaching each other how to appreciate life/love in new ways.

My only real problem with this one was the MMC’s place of work. The media that was portrayed from his company is what I personally view as what’s toxic about media today. The content his company put into the world didn’t seem to connect with who he was in the slightest, which made it a bit confusing as to why he not only worked there but was actually a founder. But sometimes, this is how life works. Just something that felt a bit confusing throughout the story.

Tropes:
- Rivals to lovers
- alpha cinnamon roll MMC
- NYC setting
- Grandmother sidekick (she’s a hoot!)
- Pop culture references
- Battle of the sexes

“As a writer, there’s a really delicious tension between ‘feminine’ and ‘feminist’ that I had so much fun exploring.“

The Rom Con by Devon Daniels checked all the boxes for how to capture my heart.

✓ Classic Rom-Com Feels

✓ Throwback and modern references that feel close to my heart (Doris Day, Friends, Dirty Dancing, Aqua Di Gio, Betty White, Peloton & Orange Theory, to name a few… ok, maybe those last two aren’t close to the heart)

✓ Rich, broody, sweet & handsome bachelor

✓ Strong, independent & relatable female lead

✓ Smart & funny writing

There was also a fun & interesting layer to this story because I could relate to the struggle that’s the core premise of the plot. As a 90s kid raised in a traditional and Catholic environment, my grandma’s words of advice often conflicted with the woman I was becoming. I have wondered if my complete rejection of those old courtship values is, in part, what has landed me single in my 40s.

Can 1950s dating advice help a modern woman get the guy?
In The Rom Con, Cassidy dumps her latest man after he declares he can’t go to her grandmother’s 90s birthday party because Saturdays are for football with the boys. Her grandmother then suggests that maybe a 1950s article with tips on how to land the man might be helpful to her love life. (e.g., “Read the obituaries to find eligible widowers.“) Cassidy, a writer for a women’s magazine, doesn’t believe there are any merits to these, but she does see potential for a great article.

In a twist to How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Cassidy instead sets out to land a man using 70-year-old advice. In true Rom-Com fashion, “unexpectedly,” the lab rat of Cassidy’s experiment, Jack, turns out to be the perfect man. Cassidy quickly realizes she might want to hold on to Jack and gives herself fully to the relationship. Of course, Jack learns about her original intentions and decides to walk away dramatically. Cue to 6+ weeks of post-break-up depression, and we get *SPOILER ALERT* a happy ever after—this is a Rom-Com, after all. I don’t want to spoil anything else. This book is about the journey, not the destination. (Although I quite loved both.)

Devon Daniels writes the men of my dreams
I just fall for them. Jack Bradford or Ben Mackenzie, I politely but eagerly request the dating gods to please send me one of these. If you are a fan of “a guy with serious alpha male energy but none of the ego that typically comes with it,” The Rom Con by Devon Daniels needs to be on your TBR.