Okay I did like this book but we have to talk about the ending because I'm confused why nobody acknowledges that it was batshit crazy of Seth to propose to his girlfriend after five months, which would be crazy regardless, but is only more confusing given the fact that his girlfriend has terrible commitment issues around the concept of marriage and quite literally never said in the book that she wanted to get married and was barely managing not to bolt from her relationship. Molly took a lot of accountability for her reaction, but why would Seth ask that soon??? Especially when he had a very well known habit of rushing into making relationships very serious and he proposed previously to somebody after only like six months of dating??? So Molly has to work on herself and Seth's flaws are chill??? I kept waiting for Seth to take accountability for him asking a question way too soon that he knew would freak Molly out and then the book ended.

This book was not for me. I appreciate the publishers and netgalley giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I need people to stop comparing their books to well-known authors. I know it gets us many times, but it sets high expectations. I struggled with this book so much! I almost DNF’d it around 75%. I’m so sad because this sounded like it would be great. I love a good second-chance romance! Let me get into it…

My biggest problem with this book was the two main characters. Their relationship was toxic, and I had a hard time getting behind that. I was honestly rooting for the other side characters more. I was on Seth’s brother’s side all the way. In this book, Molly is the grump, and Seth is the sunshine. Unfortunately, it didn’t work, and the author took it too far for both characters. I was not too fond of Molly’s character from the beginning. Seth came off so desperate and in love that I was constantly rolling my eyes. He had so much work to do on himself, but he wanted to be married so badly that he didn’t care. At least Seth did have some growth by the end. He realized his issues and was working on them. I can’t say the same for Molly.

The romance was lacking because I didn’t buy it. In my opinion, they were not meant for each other. They would have been better as friends. It made it even harder to connect with the story by the end. Even when they talked about their relationship from the past, it didn’t feel right. I also didn’t love that they bet on their friend’s relationships.

Overall, I was not a fan of this one. There was a lot of potential, but sadly too many issues. There are so many romances out there, and I cannot recommend this one. If you are looking for something like Emily Henry’s writing, this isn’t the one.

Thanks to Flatiron Books & Netgalley for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Molly Marks… my god. The way you broke my heart over and over. YOU DESERVED LOVE GIRL!

This book was so incredibly well written. It wasn’t slow, it didn’t drag, I was laughing and crying. Genuinely so much fun. Except the times that Molly was self sabotaging and I wanted to scream at her.

Was Seth intense? Yes. But, they all had a ton of history together. So, it wasn’t creepy intense. He was such a Labrador tbh and I was living for it.

I also love that the main characters weren’t hot messes. I love that both were accomplished on their own even if they had some growing up to do. I love that we saw them grow and become better versions of themselves.

I also really enjoyed the side stories between her bffs and her dad. Trigger warning for shitty parents but it could have been worse for sure.

I can’t recommend this book enough. It really is in my top 5 of the year so far. Definitely an excellent read.

Just Some Stupid Love Story was the endearing story of high school sweethearts who get reunited at their 15 year reunion - Molly writes romcom screenplays and Seth is a divorce lawyer - and they made a bet as to who will still be together at their 20 year reunion. True opposites attract who find themselves all grown up and still attracted to each other. This book gave me all the feels. I loved their witty banter and their chemistry. And Seth was so lovable. I giggled out loud and I swooned. A perfect beach read.

3.5 stars

Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle is a fun summer read! Seth and Molly were high school sweethearts who experienced a challenging break up. After reconnecting at their 15th high school reunion, the two make a bet about the existence of soulmates, with the winner cashing in on the bet at their 20-year reunion.

I really did enjoy the book and connected to both of the main characters. Personally, I thought Seth was the perfect boyfriend and, at times, I wanted to shake Molly and tell her to open her eyes. The banter between the two was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the story line. My only complaint was the book dragged on a bit in the last half as Seth and Molly dealt with one complication after the next.

This was such a fun story, with a divorce lawyer Seth, who is a hopeless romantic and Molly a romantic comedy screen writer, who was jaded early from her parents divorce and doesn’t believe in soulmates or care much for love. These two dated in high school and are trust back together at a 15 year class reunion. A bet about love is made and so many ups and downs are to follow.

It was a different twist to see the guy being the family centric, can’t wait to settle down and have a house of kids over the girl. I really enjoyed that aspect of the story. I was definitely rooting for them from the beginning, there were so many missed chances and unresolved feelings throughout the book.

Just a side note: if you aren’t a fan of the 3rd act break up (or 4th or 5th) you may want to steer clear. But if that doesn’t bother you I urge you to give Just Some Stupid Love Story a go!!!

Just Some Stupid Love Story follows Molly Marks’ relationship with her high school ex-boyfriend Seth Rubenstein. After not seeing each other for nearly 10 years after their break up, Molly and Seth make a bet on the outcomes of 5 couples at their next high school reunion. What they don’t expect is that their lives would continue to intertwine with each other throughout the following years.

Molly and Seth are complete opposites when it comes to their stance on love and romance. Molly at times reads as unreasonable and immature on the page whereas Seth is emotionally in tune and 100% sure in himself. While they seem like an unlikely pairing their chemistry is undeniable. The banter, laugh out loud moments and romantic bits make Katelyn Doyle’s latest novel stand out from the rest.

If you enjoyed This Time Next Year and One Day in December, this story is for you!

Thank you again to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for a chance to read and review an advanced copy of this book!

This book!!! Funny, witty, sassy, emotional, heartbreaking, and so freaking good, all wrapped up in an incredible book. I loved Seth and Molly, even though I wanted to reach through the pages and smack Molly upside the head! Loved the premise of this story, and the secondary characters just added yo the greatness. I guess you just never know about romcom writers and divorce attorneys, even they can find happiness! Read it, you won't be sorry.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

This book was such a sweet surprise! This new to me author is a great find and I hope to read more by her in the future.

What a clever plot.....two former loves meet up at a class reunion and place a bet. These two are polar opposites. He's the hopeless romantic who happens to be a successful divorce attorney (irony for sure) and she's the cynic about love who writes rom com screen plays (I mean how?). It was truly the perfect scenario and this author executed it with skill. I was hooked from the beginning and could not stop reading/listening.

I couldn't help but pull for Seth and Molly. They both grabbed a piece of my heart while I read this book and I believe I'll be thinking of them and their story for a while. They really touched me. They were both affected by the surroundings and the way others had treated them. Molly, specifically, was scarred by her parents' divorce and the callous way her father treated her. It messed up the way she viewed love. She continually expected others to disappoint her so she often tried to beat them to the punch by leaving first.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narration was good. I loved being able to go between the ebook and audiobook and was completely immersed in the storyline. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook.

❤️ REVIEW: Just Some Stupid Love Story ❤️

SUMMARY: Molly Marks is a screenwriter who doesn’t believe in love. Seth Rubinstein is her ex-boyfriend – and a divorce attorney – who does. After reuniting at their 10-year reunion, is a second-chance romance in the cards for this pair?

I ended up REALLY liking this book!

At first I was worried, because the main characters bring very strong black cat/golden retriever energy, and I was worried I could not handle Seth’s brand of golden retriever. He was just too excited and too cheerful – it was hard to imagine even being in the same room with him!

But as the evening of the reunion wore on, and Molly and Seth reignited their old chemistry, he became less of a caricature and someone I was really rooting for!

The promo material around the book likens it to Emily Henry, and I can definitely see that! Adults with baggage and significant history have a complicated slow-burn romance. If you’re a romcom reader, it’s worth checking out. I could definitely see myself re-reading this one again down the road.

You can expect:

❤️ Grumpy/sunshine
❤️ Second-chance romance
❤️ Self-sabotaging FMC
❤️ Romance that’s years in the making

I listened to the first part via audio and was so into the story, I switched to the ebook halfway through.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

I really enjoyed this book! It was an angsty romance about two people just trying to get their lives together to make a relationship work.

Molly is a rom-com script writer who does not believe in Happily Ever After. Seth, her high school ex, is a divorce lawyer who can't wait to find his soul mate. When they reconnect at a class reunion, things get spicy quick but they know they will never see eye-to-eye on the true love issue. They part ways, but end up reconnecting by chance several times. The attraction is there but can each be what the other needs?

First, this book is set over a 5 year period. I really enjoyed this timeline, because it gave both of our characters time to grow and change. That said, it is filled with ups and downs, break-ups and make-ups. It made for an angst filled story. Molly had major trust issues after her truly awful father left her family in her early teen years. Seth was way too ready to jump head first into every relationship. They both had great character arcs that made their HEA believable. I also loved the supporting characters in this book. They played a large role and really pushed our MCs to grow.

I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did, but I flew through it in one day and really enjoyed the writing style. I will definitely be checking out more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m all for second chance romance but Just Some Stupid Love Story wasn’t for me. Seth was not my favorite character. He’s a good guy but he seemed almost unrealistic to me. Molly was frustrating then add in that this story takes place over multiple years…I got bored. Their timing either wasn’t right or they’d be together then find a reason not to be together then pine after each other. It got old before 50% mark.

3.5/5 stars. I was so into this book when it started, but it unfortunately declined for me about halfway through. I like second chance romances, but this felt like way more chances than that, to the point where I, as the reader, even felt that the characters should probably not end up together. The humor and writing style was great and really hooked me, but it was the extreme cynicism of the main female character coupled with the extreme cinnamon roll main male character that ultimately made the book drag for me a bit as I just wasn't rooting for them as a couple. The premise of high school romance reuniting at a 15 year reunion was fun, but again I think the characters were mismatched for too much time. I really wanted to love this one, but it was still a very fun vacation read. Based on the author's writing style, I will definitely look out for her other work.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for the advanced eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hollywood rom-com writer Molly Marks does not believe in love or soulmates. She broke up with her high school boyfriend, Seth Rubenstein, before he could break her heart. She’s carrying her parents’ baggage from divorce and is cynical to anything remotely romantic. Yet, somehow, she is successful in her day job writing scripts for romantic comedies.

Seth is now one of Chicago’s most successful divorce attorney’s but not in the ruthless way. He believes in love and grand gestures, and uses these things to delicately transition people through the rockiest moments of their relationship. He keeps going all in on women who are not the one, and still is holding out hope for his soulmate.

When Molly and Seth reunite at their 15th high school reunion, sparks fly and banter ensues. They make a wager to predict the outcome of five couples – themselves included – and set in motion a fun, second-chance romance full of spice and will they or won’t they drama.

Told in alternating chapters, we get Molly and Seth’s perspectives on the relationship. While I enjoyed much of the book, Molly kind of drove me crazy with how much she clings to her cynicism. I also wanted to shake Seth at times because he was like a loyal puppy that kept on coming back for more abuse. It got kind of frustrating to read at times. I kept reading to see what would happen at the 20th reunion and was satisfied with the ending. I just wish that the main characters were a little more enjoyable, but it may just be a me problem.

Thank you to Katelyn Doyle, Flatiron Books and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of the book for an honest review.

US pub date: 6/4/24
Genre: romcom (second chance, grumpy/sunshine)
Quick summary: Molly and Seth were THE couple in school - until she ghosted him. Fifteen years later, it's high school reunion time, they haven't spoken since, and they make bets about the status of five couples for their next reunion - including their opposing ideas about their own romantic status.

True confession: I haven't been to a class reunion, and I don't know if I ever will. But reading about this one sure was fun! I liked Molly and Seth's banter a lot - Molly's cynicism and Seth's sunshiny manner complemented each other really well. I also really enjoyed that we got a longer timescale of the relationships with the two reunion setup - sometimes romcoms are so condensed, so it was refreshing to see the twists and turns of life affecting the couples in question. Reader be warned: there is miscommunication (everyone's least favorite trope) and the steam goes very quickly from 0 to 100 (this prudish reader had to skim over some content). But overall, I enjoyed this unique romcom and it made me nostalgic for high school.

Thank you to Flatiron Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✨ Review ✨ Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle; Narrated by Christine Lakin & Tim Paige

Thanks to Flatiron Books, Macmillan Audio and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

I loved the premise of this Molly writes romcom movie scripts but doesn't believe in love, and Seth is a divorce lawyer that believes fiercely in love (and amicable mediation when possible). High school sweethearts that broke up hard at the end of HS when Molly ghosted him, they encounter each other again at their 15th HS reunion. They make a bet on whether 5 couples will be together or not in 5 years, at which time the loser has to acknowledge the other one's knowledge of love and relationships.

The book precedes to jump in increments of 6 months to a year (ish) as Molly and Seth again hit life milestones or encounter each other again. They flirt and fight and wonder if they're meant to be or not. Second chance romances are my least favorite romance trope but this one mostly worked for me, and I enjoyed it. I think it dragged on a little long at the end, and wish it would have been about 10-20% shorter, but overall enjoyed this.

🎧 I didn't always love the MMC narrator, and I'm not sure if it was in the narration or the writing that sometimes made Seth feel confusing as a character...like sunshiny nice character but sometimes not quite that? I don't know. Definitely the audio is great for getting lost in on a summer day!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
Genre: f/m romance
Setting: Florida, Chicago, NYC, Los Angeles, etc.
Length: 10 hours 31 minutes
Reminds me of: rom-commers mixed with one-star romance
Pub Date: Jun 04 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ second chance romance
⭕️ big rom com vibes
⭕️ high school reunions/friendships
⭕️ characters who like each other but can't quite find the right moment to get together
⭕️ all kinds of relationships

I wanna say it's more like 2.5 stars.

Pretty much like most of the books I read this year, this started out great. The humor was top notch, the romance was swoony, the pacing was perfect. But after a whole it went downhill.

From the very beginning I loved Seth's tone, POV, banter, personality and everything. Molly was okay too but I liked Seth way more. But as went on Molly became insufferable. Her constant ways of sabotaging this on-going thing with Seth was exhausting to witness, especially at the end.

I don't know "what" chance romance this ended up becoming because it was certainly not second chance.

Thank you Netgalley & Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

From the start, the banter between the characters is funny, with a combo of deadpan humor. This makes the story an easy read and could be read in an afternoon easily.

Our story starts with Molly and her friends attending their 15-year high school reunion. This puts our characters in their mid-30's for an age range and this book does have some spiciness to it. I wouldn't call it smutty by any means, but there are definitely sexual scenes and banter.

Molly and Seth end up seated at the same table (some crazy person decided to do assigned seats!), and then we learn that Molly and Seth dated in high school until Molly abruptly left him, disconnected any messengers she had, and disappeared at the end of high school.

The chemistry between Molly and Seth is some of the best I've had the chance to read. They flow effortlessly together, and they manage to push and pull each other only as those who know each other very well can do.

One thing I didn't enjoy about this book was Molly's attitude towards love. I didn't mind that she didn't believe in soul mates, but for me, I'm over characters who are harboring some trauma from their younger years and refuse to work on it. Maybe I have seen too much of that in my own life to be as tolerant of it. Having said that, I still liked Molly's character and was actively rooting for her to open her eyes to what was in front of her.

Seth's character is funny and charming, but there was something that felt a bit disingenuous for me. He's this very romantic, somewhat serially monogamous guy who desperately wants to be in love, but manages to be sort of cocky and arrogant in some situations. It felt like an odd juxtaposition for me, only because he seemed to be an extreme of both. That said, his character is still likable and I think that's a testament to the author developing his character fully, showing both sides of him.

This story spans five years, as Molly and Seth make a bet on what couples will last and which won't by their 20-year high school reunion. With the timeframe spanning this long, the author does a nice job breaking the story up, and we don't have a lot of bouncing back and forth on timelines, nor does any one particular take up tons of the story. Again, this is a fast-paced read.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to other readers. Some of the things I didn't like are my own reading quirks and are not a reflection of the writing or story quality. I think many readers will enjoy this one and I'm excited to see what Katelyn Doyle comes up with next.

Second chance romance? Yes please. Slow burn? I’ll take that too! This book satisfies both of my favorite tropes. I loved the rekindling of thier relationship that spans five more years. I loved the banter and I loved how they slowly fall in love again. This was a great read.