I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Just Some Stupid Love Story. The ratings weren’t high, but the plot seemed interesting. I ended up really loving it!

This story was well written. It’s a true epic romance, taking place over many years. These characters felt like soulmates, but their life circumstances, and their personal flaws, keep them apart. There was so much yearning and angst, and it was written so convincingly. I was dying for them to finally be together!

The story was successfully told in dual POV. A lot of times I struggle with dual perspective stories because the characters read exactly the same. Molly and Seth’s perspectives feel very different and their personalities are very defined. The characters have pretty distinct opposite personalities, but also great chemistry and banter.

I can imagine that some readers will have issues with Molly’s character. She sabotages her relationship with Seth because of her trauma. Seth tends to rush his relationships and Molly fears commitment. It can be frustrating to read about. The miscommunication will bother some readers, but it felt realistic to me.

Initially I was shocked to see that this was the author’s first novel, since the writing had the style and polish of an experienced author. Come to find out, she also writes historical romance as Scarlett Peckham. I’m interested in reading her other work.

I really enjoyed this story. It’s not a full 5 stars, but it was great and I’m looking forward to Katelyn Doyle’s latest book!

I can't believe I waited so long to read this! This story has my favorite trope- right person, wrong time. I loved seeing them travel through the years and try to find their way back to each other. I loved that Molly was such a black cat she couldn't help but get in her own way. I loved that the characters were in their thirties and dealing with grown up issues. It's a quick read too!

Thanks to Flat Iron Books and NetGalley for this eARC!

This was a great debut!! I really enjoyed both of the main characters and their dynamic. The romance was believable and had me reading more. I look forward to reading Doyle’s next book.

Written well, a love story rooted in miscommunication. Teens fall in love yet one gets scared, afraid of commitment that young. Life moves on and when the two reunite, sparks still fly. The two have a lot to unpack as they decipher new feelings and analyze old ones. Some elements felt realistic, especially when assumptions dictated action, resulting in a poor result. Other parts were a stretch, such as some aspects of their jobs, who they know, etc.

Overall, a satisfying read, and I’d read more from this author.

Things I loved:
1) skipping timeline
2) texts/emails to advance the storyline, I'm a sucker for any hint of epistolary novel!
3) the screenwriter FMC, what a fun job perspective

Things that weren't for me:
1) By the end, they felt toxic and I didn't want to root for them anymore
2) I wanted them to get therapy for all of their respective issues vs. saying being with him didn't make her need benzos....this is a disservice to anxiety as a mental health condition
3) The ancillary characters - there wasn't much development and they were all pretty unlikable to me

Overall, it was a quick and easy read but wasn't 100% for me.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Just Some Stupid Love Story is a fast, accessible read with plenty of witty banter between the leads—often funny, sometimes flirtatious, and occasionally sharp enough to carry entire scenes. This second-chance romance picks up fifteen years after Molly and Seth’s high school relationship ended, and while the premise offers plenty of emotional potential, the execution occasionally falters.
The strength of the novel lies in its rom-com energy and clever dialogue. But some plot turns veer into cringeworthy territory, stretching plausibility or emotional consistency. The will-they-won’t-they pacing leans more exhausting than suspenseful, as the couple comes together and pulls apart so many times that the emotional impact starts to wear thin.
Still, readers who enjoy watching flawed people stumble their way back to love—and who don’t mind a few bumps along the road—may find moments of charm and humor that make the journey worthwhile.
Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book. My review is voluntary and reflects my honest opinion.

Another book where every character was likeable. I loved Molly and Seth together. The banter between the two was so engaging. Romances normally always lose me in the 3rd act break up. While i do still hate it, this one didnt make me hate Seth or Molly. Overall i had a GREAT timemreading this one, and would recommend it.

Just Some Stupid Love Story might seem like *any* other stupid love story out there but, to my utter surprise, for the better part was more focused on the difficulty of acknowledging your traumas and not making them the most important aspects of your relationship.
Overall, the romance was nice as much as the next love story: predictable, slightly off balance here and there, and sweet in its we're-following-a-rom-com-script vibe.
But the real celebrity is the dual POV: not only because it lets us see their mistakes from more than one perspective, it was really embodied in the narration and felt pretty much essential — idk if it's ever happened to you but sometimes I feel like it's not necessary, especially when it's pretty clear the story was "thought" from one specific character's POV.

Don't get me wrong, this story is lovely and sweet and I really enjoy Katelyn Doyle's writing, but I just couldn't get over my issues with the characters. Enemies to lovers and second chance romances are usually some of my favorite romance tropes, and that portion of this story delivered in lovely ways. The only issue I really have with this story is that I almost feel like they would be better off apart?

I go into every read looking to see how strongly I am rooting for the characters to get their happy ending and to be together, but in this instance, I just was left disappointed in Seth. We see him be incredibly understanding of Molly and her insecurities. He witnessed the things she had been through firsthand so he had a great frame of reference for why she behaved a certain way. This is what made the proposal such a disappointing moment for me. This moment seemed to be what detached me from really connecting anymore with the story, because for the person who was supposed to understand her the best, he should have known this grand gesture was not what she needed and that it was more self-serving than actually a romantic gesture for her. While the author did a fantastic job of really developing their chemistry, it left me frustrated to have it almost cheapened in this way.

What I did love here was depicting a relationship that had flaws. I know this is a bit hypocritical after what I just wrote, but there was still something to be said for showing a relationship between real people, which means flawed people. There are always going to be misunderstandings or fights in couples and it was refreshing to see that portrayed and in how they would work through those things together, which is why the proposal was so frustrating.

Overall this was an interesting read that I was glad I got the chance to read, just some frustrations with how the ending played out.

Many thanks to Flatiron Books for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had a love hate relationship with this story all the way through. Both characters had their cringe moments but both characters also had some trauma and personal issues to work through and well isn't that the way with most romance stories. I think I was expecting more com with this story and needed the laugh out loud moments to balance the cinnamon roll "he falls first" and her stalwart "I'm not a believer in love" rom com script writer. It had some great moments and others felt like they were just plot devices. All in all 3.5 stars.

Molly Marks hates romance and doesn't believe in it which is ironic because she wrote two successful romcom screenplays. She thinks it's all fine on the screen but in reality, not so much since her parents had a tumultuous divorce and she broke up with her then high school boyfriend, Seth.

Fast forward 15 years later and Molly is at her high school reunion with friends and sees Seth. She is a bit acerbic while he is all charm and fluff. While sitting together, they realize the sparks are still there and hookup later that night. Seth knows she is the one who got away and wants to prove that they are soulmates. They bet on 5 couples that they know to see if they will stay together or break up and will check back in 5 years at the next reunion. One of those couples is them.

The chapters are written in dual POV with some timeline jumping between past, present, and future. I loved the banter between Molly and Seth and I was rooting for them the whole time. There are some spicy scenes but nothing too hardcore. (3/5).

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron books for this romcom.

This one started super cute, but really fizzled in the middle.

I absolutely loved Molly, a pessimistic rom-com writer, and her bet with Seth in the beginning of the book. This book is a typical rom-com, without any unique elements, which was exactly what I was looking for. I loved the character development of Molly even though it took far longer than I wanted. I also loved her friends as side characters. My only complaint is this book could have been 50ish pages shorter. It lagged in the middle and I got bored. Had it not been for the audio, I don’t know if I would have finished. That is to say, the audio is so fun!

2! While I can see many readers enjoying the premise of this story, it just didn’t work for me. The MMC’s personality wasn’t to my taste, and I struggled to connect with their dynamic. However, I can understand how others might find it appealing.

Cute love story. I did find the fact that the one really spicy scene was actually cyber sex a little odd…and also felt like the story could have been shorter. But I liked the main characters and felt their connection

Second chance romance… typically not my genre but I really enjoyed this one.

I allllmost DNF’d this in the beginning but glad I stuck it out. I thought it was going to be same old same old but it turned around me.

I liked the banter between the two characters and the dual POV.

Super quick read. Loved the ending.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the advanced copy!

Sharp, funny, and irresistibly romantic! Doyle’s fresh take on love stories is both hilarious and heartfelt—this one’s a must-read for rom-com fans.

Thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for my gifted copy!

What a fun way to tell a story! I really enjoyed this debut story about this second chance black cat and golden retriever couple.

Some of my favorite moments were the little things, such as respecting people’s boundaries throughout the story. There were times where one of the MCs asked the other not to contact them, and they took them at their word.

I also truly appreciate the length of time this story took. It shows that not everything happens fast, but sometimes the growth that happens over time makes it a true self discovery story at heart!

Overall a solid read, and I enjoyed the story structure a lot!

Fun read and appreciated the new twist to what would keep the two main characters coming back togehter in proximity over the five years but lacked the depth I was hoping for. Cute fluff and enjoyable but not a stand out.

Katelyn Doyle's Just Some Stupid Love Story offers a fresh take on the second-chance romance trope, blending humor and heartfelt moments. The novel follows Molly Marks, a rom-com screenwriter disillusioned with love, and Seth Rubinstein, a divorce attorney who remains a hopeless romantic. Their unexpected reunion at a high school event sets the stage for a compelling exploration of love and personal growth.

Doyle crafts a narrative that delves into the complexities of rekindled relationships. The chemistry between Molly and Seth is palpable, and their interactions are both witty and emotionally charged. The author's portrayal of their journey is both engaging and relatable, making it easy for readers to become invested in their story.

While the novel shines in character development and dialogue, there are moments where the pacing feels uneven, which can momentarily pull readers out of the narrative. However, these instances are few and do not overshadow the overall enjoyment of the story. Just Some Stupid Love Story is a delightful read that balances humor with genuine emotion, making it a worthy addition to any romance enthusiast's collection.

I think the premise of this story is something that most would enjoy, but unfortunately does not work well with me. I think the mmc's personality was just not for me, and I didn't really enjoy their dynamic with each other, but I could see other's finding it enjoyable.

I have a few friends who have also read this and loved it, so I just know that I am not the correct audience for it! Would def suggest you give it a try if you are looking for a book with a second-chance romance :)