I love second chance, it’s my favorite trope, and so I immediately thought I’d like this book. This is a reverse grumpyXsunshine but the FMC (Molly) was just plain mean and rude, and the MMC (Seth) was cringy from the start. He is supposed to be a happy, bubbly guy, but he just seems pathetic to me, he worships the ground Molly walks on and why? Because they dated 15 years ago? They broke up and now met each other again at their high schools 15th year reunion, she supposedly hates him (for whatever reason), but they end up in bed that same night. Figures. What starts is a sort of friendship? If you can even call it that, over the next five years, mostly over text/emails. They get together and breakup THREE times. I don’t get why these FMCs are just insufferable in every book I’ve read lately, it’s not cute, or quirky, she was extremely toxic to him, and he just took it and I still couldn’t tell you why. We go through COVID during this five year span which through me in for a loop. We don’t see any growth whatsoever from the FMC and we are TOLD (as it’s a constant in this book - tell instead of show) that the MMC takes this year to heal from being a serial monogamist but then, when they finally get back together again he proposes…. AFTER 5 months? The whole dynamic between them what’s weird, I did not feel a connection, or any chemistry. I was invested in the side characters more and I wanted to DNF so many times. The two stars is because the spice caught me off guard, although there’s quite a couple of scenes, via phone/text and whatever, the ones in person are fade to black. Anyways, I’m just disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Giving this one a low 3 stars (maybe even 2.5?) — I had high hopes, and unfortunately didn't get as much as I wanted out of it! I had fun reading it, but the characters were both unbearable and unbelievably bad for each other. These are people that will probably break up again if it were real life.

Molly and Seth met in high school and dated up until they were 18, when Molly broke up with and ghosted Seth (for not a very good reason). Now, 36 years old (36!!!!!), she CONTINUES to "break up" with Seth and is a flighty, self-proclaimed "bolter." There's zero real character development from her, and I don't believe that she's actually transformed at the end of the book.

For Seth, he's completely obsessed with the idea of finding a soulmate and getting married and having his happily ever after that he love bombs everyone that looks at him twice. Minutes after he and Molly reconnect, it's "babe" this and "my woman" that and "I love you." What?? I was getting the ick big time from him at some points – he was so 0 to 100 that it blew my mind.

The spice in this book was also confusing! When Molly/Seth are intimate again for the first time, it's really low-key, so I was shocked and my eyes were like popping out of my head when I got to the next spice scene, which was so much more explicit it felt like a different book lol. I guess in line with the characters, there wasn't that much consistency.

So we've got two unbearable leads and a messy plot line, but this book was still fun to read, if only to be shocked and repulsed by their behavior. Not the love story I wanted, but I guess that was kind of in the name.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a DRC in exchange for my honest review!

This was a big miss for me. I had a lot higher expectations but I really didn’t enjoy this. I thought both MC’s were kinda insufferable. I debated DNF-ing it a few times but I was kind of interested to see how the ending played out and was more invested in a lot of the side characters.

There were also a lot of text messages/emails that felt a little long and some weren’t really relevant to the plot. And the way the different sections were split up often didn’t make a lot of sense for me timeline-wise.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Just Some Stupid Love Story

By Katelyn Doyle- debut

Publication 6-4-24, Read 5-30-24

Format: eBook and audiobook

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Macmillan Audio for this ARC & ALC 🧡! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions are mine alone.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ½

🏃🏾‍♀️Run Time: 10:31

🗣️Narrators: Christine Lakin & Tim Paige

The narrators voices fit the characters with standouts Molly, Seth, and Alyssa for pregnancy humor. Their voices were the most distinct, but I could easily tell the difference between all the characters. The reading style brought the story to life and the pacing flowed easily with the story. The narration and the author were in sync, and they fit together perfectly. The narrator paused and announced every time a new chapter came. The book had a table of contents which helped me follow along with the e-book and audio. My recommendation is to read the audiobook because you can adjust the speed, skip parts easily (if desired), and feel the characters' emotions more vividly.

The Plot: Molly Marks and Seth Rubinstein get drunk and have a one night stand at their high school reunion fifteen years after their breakup. They make a bet to meet in 5 years at their 20th reunion picking which five friend couples stay together.; proving that soulmates exists.

Molly (LA rom-com screenwriter who doesn't believe in love) + Seth (a divorce attorney in Chicago and hopeless romantic)

✔ Contemporary Romance
✔Adult/Women's Fic
✔ LGBTQIA+ rep
✔ 2nd chance romance
✔ 33 year old h & H
✔ OP drama
✔ 2 POVs H&h
✔ HEA


Thoughts:

- I loved how Molly and Seth communicated via email and text over the years.

- If I were one of the couples, I would feel a little offended, even though they were right. Marian and Marcus didn't date in high school for a reason, Alyssa and Ryland were the most solid. I felt the crack in Dezzie and Rob's marriage because have much in common. Gloria and Emily were sweet together, and Jon and Alastair couldn't last with Jon pining for their friend Kevin.

- Molly and Seth emotional wreck each other, Molly leaves Seth truly heartbroken because she doesn't care for Seth as much as he does for her.

- I was triggered by Molly and her father Roger's relationship. He was a true narcissist, serial cheater, and just hurt people. I was so glad Molly finally said her peace- once you do, you sleep better at night, trust me..

Trigger Warnings : Self-doubt & Insecurities, parental neglect/abandonment,

Well that was an angsty delight! Molly and Seth were high school sweethearts until Molly broke up with him suddenly. Molly was a child of divorce who had a tough time with it. She now writes rom com scripts in Hollywood, but is very cynical when it comes to love. Seth had his heart broken but continues to believe in a soul mate and a happily ever after. His vocation, though? A divorce attorney! The two meet again at a high school reunion. They get together for a one night stand and then make a bet, where they will collect their winnings in 5 years at the next high school reunion. While the setup for this novel is a second chance romance, I also got a When Harry Met Sally vibe. I really enjoyed the dialogue and how real this relationship felt. It depicted how difficult it can be to decide to be together. But what set this book apart was how well written it was. I couldn’t wait to read it every night. Just a note that Katelyn Doyle is the pen name for contemporary romance novels but she also writes historical romance as Scarlett Peckham (also terrific!).

Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy.

If you like some spicy with the miscommunication trope, this one might be for you. It is an interesting concept that it plays out over a five year span after the MCs make a bet at their 15 year reunion about if romance is true or not. I am not a huge fan of back and forth and breaking up over silly things. I did like that this was kind of a reversal of the grumpy male and starry eyed female that would "fix" him. Instead, Molly is the grump/snarky one, and Seth is the divorce lawyer that believes in HEA. Overall an entertaining book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

I was so invested in the relationships of all the side characters. I felt like I needed to grab some popcorn!
I thought the reunion bet was a really great way to set up the story, and I enjoyed that it popped in and out of the two characters’ lives over five years rather than starting at the end and showing us flashbacks. This book is second chance with a twist (or third or fourth chance?)
This was a really engaging audiobook, and I was sucked right into the story. Some of the pacing/transitions were a bit jarring but overall this was a really fun listen!
I’ve never been to a school reunion, but this made me want to go just to see who’s still together!
Thank you to Flatiron Books for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

With a rom-com writer who doesn't believe in love, and a divorce attorney who does, this was a surprising delight. The premise was so different that I'm not sure what I expected, and didn't know where it would take me. I love that they had history in high school and meet up again at a reunion where a bet ensues, but I also love that the bet doesn't take over the story. The characters are rich in depth with relatable emotions. This was a quick read for me, as I was eager to see where the story would lead. The only thing that detracted from being 5-stars for me was the continual use of both first and last names - Seth does this more than Molly, but there is no other Molly in the story, so no need to keep repeating her full name of Molly Marks. Overlooking that, it's definitely a cute rom-com from Katelyn Doyle with witty banter, a little spice, and definitely would recommend. Thanks so much to Katelyn Doyle, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-arc!

4⭐️

Second Chance Romance. Reverse Grumpy Sunshine. Right Person Wrong Time.

I was smiling, giggling, pulling my hair out throughout the book but I really just felt what Molly was going through. She was really struggling from her past and as much as I was yelling at her I understood it. Those feelings. How scared she was. And I’m so glad at the end she finally just plunged. She’s not perfect, neither of them were but they were working through it together. And that’s what love is all about.

I really enjoyed the writing. There were times though that I thought that it was taking too long to get to the ending. In reality it wasn’t but it just felt dragged out when reading. By 70% I really just wanted to get to the ending. However, I did enjoy how everything played out throughout the story.

I can't wait for it to be published so I can add the physical book to my bookshelves! I am so thankful for the opportunity to get to read this before release.

I did not like this. The first 10% was paced weird - but then once we started into the time hopping, I was starting to get into it. Sure, I couldn't really figure out WHY everyone liked/didn't like one another, but whatever, it's still early yet. But then the middle of the book happened and I was right back to disliking this. Why did Molly start liking Seth? The whole point was that she didn't? But flash forward a year and they have had TWO fun conversations and now she's in love with him?

Another issue is that the book didn't show anything, you were told everything. And even random background info. Like apparently when Molly's parents divorced, her mom fell apart and she had to grow up really quick. But does this ever come out in any way that is impactful? Does it play into anything we want her to unpack? No. Instead it's used as a throw away to make Molly sympathetic. And that's outside of the relationship too - both are obsessed with one another, but we are never really told WHY. Because they dated in high school? Which we don't even get flashbacks of. The whole thing is weird, any actual cute moment is skimmed over.

And finally, the end. Or the final act breakup. It completely ruins the Seth character (even more!) Seth's whole deal was that he was a serial monogamist and rushed into things too quickly. So he takes a year to heal. Great! Sure we don't see any proof of this, but we are told he healed. But then, after dating our main character LONG DISTANCE FOR FIVE MONTHS, he proposes. Does that sound like the sound of someone who has healed? Especially when he knows she's a bolter AND they haven't discussed it! It shows a complete lack of growth and a lack of respect for Molly. Who, while incredibly annoying, is at least consistent.

I would not recommend this book, but I would try another Doyle novel in the future, since I know this is her debut.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this e-book.

This book was a goddamned delight despite being full of tropes and events I don’t usually enjoy. I don’t know that I’ve ever actually laughed out loud so many times from a romance book before. This was not what I expected and I cannot wait to re-read!

Spice: 2/5 - explicit language, some on page, some fade to black

Thank you to Flatiron Books for my advance electronic version via NetGalley. My thoughts are my own.

Molly is scared of feeling her own emotions, and big feelings trigger severe anxiety. So she lets herself be cynical and projects serious April Ludgate vibes. Seth, on the other hand, is a cinnamon roll who believes in true love. He overcommits too soon in his search for his ideal soul mate. I was sure that the cavalier attitude toward mental health at the beginning would be a turn-off for me, but the rep got a lot better as the story evolved. I appreciated that the story played out over the recent past (think: pandemic), and ended up being more realistic and sweet than it seemed like it would. Heads' up for the open door romantic scenes and an overall sex-positive plot, and some flawed main characters that are worth your time.

Trigger warning: abandonment

I mean it was pretty cute.

Is it just me, or is it a little weird that people keep planning highschool reunions every five years? Maybe thats a me thing because I grew up in a small town, and went to a highschool that was a group of small towns together, but I can't say I'd need to see those folks every five years. Maybe thats the introvert in me.

Also Seth was an actual golden retriever, which was fine, but I think the narrator took me out of the story a few times because it was a little too golden retriever-y.

I think part of my issue with this book is that for both Molly & Seth, both characters had the potential to go a little deeper, but the emotional part of it kinda stayed in highschool. I wanted some more depth, and I think that would have made this better.

In the end, this is a fun and flirty beach read, but I wanted some more chew.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio and Flatiron for an early copy.

Really great story, kind of slow to get into but good when it gets going. Characters are lovable (my least favorite quality in books is when the characters are boring and annoying) so I loved it!

This was a fun, entertaining rom-com. The characters were very well developed and I felt like I understood them. The timeline of things made it drag on a bit, but overall it played out nicely, as anticipated. Definitely a fun summer read with the classic rom-com feel!

A fun second chance romance between two people who make a bet about others. Molly and Seth had a thing and then they didn't, Now, 15 years after high school, she writes rom coms and he's a divorce attorney who is the romantic of the two. Their high school reunion brings them together (and into spice) and that's when they make a bet about the fate of five couples-including themselves. Know that this has an extended time line-five years- and it might seem to stall a bit but it definitely picks up. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A fun read.

Short synopsis: Molly runs into her Ex Seth at their 15 year high school reunion, they make a bet about whether romance is fake for their 20 year reunion.

My thoughts: This was a fun debut, the premise was cute and original. A second chance romance with a high school sweetheart. Don’t let think light hearted cover fool you, there is some definite heartache and pining in these pages.

Molly was such a cynic, and I can see why based on her history. I thought it hilarious that she was a screenwriter, for Rom-Coms and definitely does not believe in true love. Seth, is a divorce attorney but can’t wait for his HEA! They both went through a lot of growth throughout the book, and ultimately knew what they wanted in a future partner.

I really struggled with the constant breaking up over nothing, and lack of communication for the majority of the book. And I felt like the spice was a little too spicy for my personal preferences, I was blushing and had to skip past some parts on audio!

The audio was very well done. I felt like the narrators complimented each other very well!

Read if you love:

Opposites attract
Second chance romance
Grumpy sunshine
High school sweethearts
Character growth

Just Some Stupid Love Story deserves to be the beach read of the summer! It is funny and sexy and so emotional… I found it to be so satisfying and gratifying and just really rewarding to read! It takes course over 5 years, between teenage sweethearts Seth and Molly. She’s a cynical rom-com screenwriter who doesn’t believe in love or soul mates, and he’s a divorce lawyer who is a hopeless romantic just waiting for ‘the one’. After she broke up with him before graduation, they haven’t spoken in fifteen years… until the night of their high school class reunion. After “reconnecting” that night, she brushes it off as a one time thing but they make a bet… one of them has to admit the other is right about love and soulmates at their next reunion in five years if one of them can accurately predict the fate of 5 couples. Instead of avoiding each other for the next 5 years, they keep crossing paths and feelings get murky. Seth starts to experience the less fun side of love, while jaded Molly starts to see the positives. But can the once polar opposites get themselves on the same page long enough to make a true go of it? If you love Emily Henry or Rebecca Serle or Alison Rose Greenberg, I highly recommend reading this!

Short synopsis: Molly runs into her Ex Seth at their 15 year high school reunion, they make a bet about whether romance is fake for their 20 year reunion.

My thoughts: This was a fun debut, the premise was cute and original. A second chance romance with a high school sweetheart. Don’t let think light hearted cover fool you, there is some definite heartache and pining in these pages.

Molly was such a cynic, and I can see why based on her history. I thought it hilarious that she was a screenwriter, for Rom-Coms and definitely does not believe in true love. Seth, is a divorce attorney but can’t wait for his HEA! They both went through a lot of growth throughout the book, and ultimately knew what they wanted in a future partner.

I really struggled with the constant breaking up over nothing, and lack of communication for the majority of the book. And I felt like the spice was a little too spicy for my personal preferences, I was blushing and had to skip past some parts!

Read if you love:

- Opposites attract
- Second chance romance
- Grumpy sunshine
- High school sweethearts
- Character growth

I devoured Just Some Stupid Love Story. I loved the plot of this story! I thought the opening bit of the story was clever and unique. It was cute watching Seth and Molly's relationship progress over the years. Seth and Molly's banter and chemistry was chef's kiss. The dual POV's gave me a deeper understanding of where the characters' heads were at. I enjoyed Seth and Molly's characters. Seth had the perfect golden retriever energy. Molly was funny and relatable. I thought the side characters were well developed. Kudos to Doyle and her editors because this book ready smoothly. I will eagerly be awaiting her next book! Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC.