I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. Spoilers may be ahead, so read with caution.

This book has potential. I really enjoyed the premise and the general storyline. There were some aspects that felt awkward to me and I will review those at the end, but first, I want to talk about the great things about this book!

I LOVE the idea of “losing a date” and needing to find him. But she found him SO FAST in the book….I was hoping for more of a chase, to be honest. I do love that she enlisted the help of so many others, and thought it was so sweet that her friend and coworkers were in on the action. I loved the humor, I loved the banter and while it was pretty much spice free, the slow burn of this is so satisfying when they finally do get together.

Now….for the things that felt awkward to me:

-The love “triangle” between Jack and Ben, after the lost date has been found. I just did not find this realistic and honestly, it was kind of insulting that she kept wavering back and forth between the two guys. If I were in their shoes, I would have been so upset.
-I was kind of shocked at the amount of toxicity in discussing caloric intake, exercise and weight, in 2024. I did not love this and it never really seems to be resolved, which makes me wonder why this was a subplot line to begin with.
-Her coworkers are kind of toxic and while it is addressed briefly, they still continue their toxic behavior later in the book and that is annoying. They learned NOTHING from their argument(s).

I wanted to love this book more than I actually did.

The concept is fun and the book starts out great. I loved the meet cute, the characters and the punny puns and movie titles! But then the story kept repeating itself, they hook up, they break up, they hook up, they break up and it got to the point I didn't care if they stayed together or not. The storyline just felt a little flat and forced.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

i had to dnf this book at 50% in and i rarely dnf books. i did not connect with any character, especially not chloe, who's very self-centered and goes way too far to find this mystery guy. her friends were not better and were annoying. the constant diet culture comments were there for no reason and i think that, in 2024, we know better than to push this toxic mentality, especially when it's not related to the story. the pacing was off, it dragged often and the dialogues were too long. i did not really feel the chemistry between chloe and "jack" so i had a hard time rooting for them. overall, the idea was good but the execution was not great.

I slept with this review on my mind overnight - I wanted to let it stew to make sure I wasn't reacting emotionally, and that I was giving it my best thought. Unfortunately, that meant the book dropped in rating for me from a three star book to a one star book.

TW: mention of the death of a sibling; death of a sibling while boating; parent dying from MS.

There are many things that I just didn't understand or didn't like about the book. First, there definitely should have been trigger warnings - and with those, I probably wouldn't have read this book. The FMC loses her sister when she's 8 due to a boating accident; nothing specific is mentioned, but the impact the loss had is mentioned numerous times throughout the book, although I'm not sure how it's relevant to the storyline. As a result of this loss, the FMC is also mostly estranged from her parents. I don't really understand the estrangement either, but here we are. Having also lost a sibling, although not that young, I definitely understand the impact it can have...but again, I'm not sure how it's relevant to the storyline.

The whole thing about not giving each other their correct numbers was weird...it felt like the MMC at times wasn't serious about the relationship, but then was? And then the FMC does a 180 when she decides she can't handle a relationship right now after having JUST given the MMC grief when he had said the same thing. Like...what? I also wasn't impressed when the FMC leaves her BEST FRIEND'S ENGAGEMENT PARTY because the MMC isn't there and then suddenly shows up. Yea, no.

What really decided this book wasn't great for me was the fact that at any point the FMC would be frustrated or annoyed that the MMC was at the hospital with his mom...who is dying and on palliative care. How dare you! Especially from someone who has lost someone close to them...that is just inexcusable behavior.

Not a single character in this book was redeemable except for the MMC's nephew, Mom...and maybe his sister/SIL. That's literally it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest - if maybe a little too honest - review.

Ermmm……points for trying? The concept is just so good. Thinking you’re meeting a blind date who’s late, but it turning out to someone else?! Adorable meet cute. Sadly, the execution wasn’t great. While the MCs’ first day was charming, and eventful, I didn’t really feel a connection. Aside from relief that her date showed, and a little smitten behavior on the MMC’s side, there wasn’t enough chemistry imo to propel the story forward. I needed an “aha moment”.

The next part of the book is a series of frankly overkill antics to find her (FMC) mystery man, and conversations with her besties/coworkers. As I got to know more about the female characters in the book, the more I was irritated with them. I think each was made to have a flaw or quirk that was relatable, but maybe more exaggerated than realistic? Sometimes the writing felt like the equivalent of someone doing “jazz hands”, if that makes sense. Just a little too busy.
After the first half of the book, I pushed through just to finish. And it was just ok. It’s a cheesy, quick romcom that I would recommend reading in a pinch, maybe on a long flight or if you really love this style of romance. 2.75 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc, in exchange for my unbiased review.

I really loved the premise of this book, and really wanted to like it, but unfortunately the farther into it I got, it really just didn’t work for me.

The beginning was great. The big twist really got me and I wanted to keep reading every time I put it down to see what happened. Unfortunately, it just went downhill from there. The main issue for me is that the FMC, Chloe, was just infuriatingly dumb. She made awful choice after awful choice, took no accountability until it was almost too late and then made het another abysmal choice to over correct the issue.
The whole drama with Ben’s ex was just not it for me either. Gave me a big ick. The other supporting characters were not great. Chloe’s coworkers sucked, especially Addison. Jameela was decent but her Bridgerton obsession was strange. The only characters I actually liked were Kit and Theo, and we didn’t get enough of them. Ben was also okay. I was on his side most of the time, although he also made poor choices.

Overall, I feel like this book had great potential but just was too poorly executed, which was a shame because it could have been great.

Thank you to NetGalley, Wattpad Webtoon Book Group, and the author for this ARC.
Publication date 5/7/24

DNF

I'm not a fan of writing where there's a lot of dialogue stacked one life after another without any detail. There was little description of tone or facial expression during these sections. While there's nothing wrong from a grammar standpoint I can't get into this style of writing.

Whoa! This book was stressful! 🤣 Not in a bad way? In an on-the-edge-of-my-seat kind of way.

I loved Chloe and Ben, their chemistry from their first scene together was magnetic, and I loved it. There is a lot of miscommunication that keeps them apart for a while that was uncomfortable… but it does drive the story. You see Chloe make a lot of decisions you would question but it ultimately comes down to her intense emotions driving her feelings. It was a realistic portrayal of the sometimes dumb decisions people make when they have very real, very intense feelings, and are a little scared of getting hurt.

CW: sick parent, death of sibling (past), sex on page

I received an advance review copy from Webtoon Book Group on NetGalley for my honest review. A rom-com about finding love in the right place – even if it’s the exact wrong time? Sign me up! As usual, the adorable cover caught my attention, but the well-written story by Katie Wick certainly KEPT my attention.

Chloe Baker’s Lost Date is a 5-star gem that captures the essence of serendipitous romance. A blind date that almost doesn’t happen turns into a dreamy date filled with enchanting moments throughout NYC. But when said date mysteriously disappears, Chloe's determination to unravel the truth adds an intriguing twist to the narrative. With witty prose and heartwarming characters, this rom-com by the author of "Hazel Fine Sings Along" is a must-read for anyone seeking a perfect blend of humor, mystery, and romance.

Read if you like:
📔 Blind Date
📔 Missed Connections
📔 Bookish Setting
📔 Bridgerton (iykyk)

This is cute, but ended up a bit of a miss for me in the end.

Pros-
Great characters
Great chemistry

Cons -
Chloe's choices and actions get annoying toward the end
The ending felt rush and a bit unstatisfying

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

2 -⭐⭐

Chloe Baker's Lost Date is a quick and easy adult romantic comedy following our titular character after she finds herself in a whirlwind date...with a guy who was not, in fact her date. Now said stranger left no trace behind and Chloe is determined to find out who this Cinderella man. What didn't expect was the drama to unfold when she gets her work involved to find this man...and the lengths she would have to go to keep him.

I'm gonna honestly say this book was a pretty much a DNF for me. By pretty much I mean I skimmed most of the book after the initial date. I felt the premise was cute but I truly didn't feel any chemistry between the characters. I also struggled with the long dialogues without any action truly happening.

I wanted to enjoy this but I feel the style of writing was not for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Wattpad Webtoon for this arc.

Loved this book! Super cute and I really enjoyed the character development and how the plots pace. Crust me, I know what I'm doing XD. I loaf-ed reading this book.

Thank you to Webtoon Book Group and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

OMG YALL! It has been a while since I’ve binged a book in one single day, but I could not put this down! I kept telling myself one more chapter, but I couldn’t stop reading. Each chapter felt like an episode of a show that was airing in my brain and I had to continue to see how it was all going to end!

The story gripped me right from the first chapter, and kept me reading like a mad woman! The NYC setting was just chefs kiss, everything was described so vividly and perfectly I felt like I was there. The premise of this book was so interesting and was unlike any other romance story I’d read before. But I also really enjoyed the classic elements of a good rom com, full of lots of laughs and jokes! It was also so fun to read about a FMC who has a job in a bookish setting, it was like a behind the scenes look!

Overall, I couldn’t recommend this book more if you’re looking for a raw, real, and funny romance read! And I’d like to also officially petition for this book to become a show because I would watch the HECK out of it!!

Chloe finally agrees to go on a blind date after her best friend Kit sets her up. But it’s already off to a less than stellar start because Jack is 30 minutes late. Just as she’s about to leave he walks through the door and she decides to give him a chance. They go on to spend the entire day together (which I would like to mention is like a dream NYC date day), and all the sparks are flying. They part ways and later on when Chloe sends a follow up text thanking him for the date, Jack responds… apologizing for missing their date. So if it wasn’t Jack who went on the date with her, then who was this guy??? Chloe spends all her time trying to find the mystery man while also navigating her job and friendships. She thinks the universe is trying to tell her this man might be her person. But will she ever find him? And if she can find him, will he want to be found?

Just go ahead and READ IT! You will love it!

I appreciate the author's writing style but I couldn't get into this book. I did enjoy getting to know the main character! I wasn't a fan of the MMC.

This book was full of potential - that was never realized.

It wasn’t a BAD story, per se, but it felt disjointed and dragged out. There could have been so much more character depth explored. The depth was there, we were told it was, but it never seemed to really, TRULY touch the characters. The story also felt a little disjointed.

Also, Chloe definitely seems to have the beginnings of a drinking issue.

Oh, and you absolutely can call Amazon customer service. I have, multiple times.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞 𝘉𝘺 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘢𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

This is the second Katie Wicks book I have read, and I'm not sure that I will take my chances with another one because they tend to be the same for me in terms of how I felt. While I did give Hazel Fine 4 stars, I bumped this one down because I just felt that there wasn't enough happening and that didn't work well for me. Chloe is likeable. Ben is meh - I wanted to like him, but I just found him unforgivable in so many ways. Jack was also kind of meh although I truly liked him better than Ben because, well, he didn't lie and then hide things and then basically keep lying.

My biggest issue with these books is that they probably should be a lot shorter. I feel like you could lose 100 pages and not really suffer much of a loss. And that's not a good thing in my opinion, because a good book should feel just right or not enough. I don't want to be thinking: how much more can happen in another 100 pages and why do I have to keep reading.

So, for me, Chloe's HEA was okay. The romance was fine. The characters were generally ok - maybe too many because you could certainly ditch a few to save some pages. The plot was decent. Just didn't really wow me.

I disliked that Ben kept lying to Chloe and she kept being able to look past it. This is someone who deliberately pretended to be someone else because he is fundamentally selfish. Every interaction was about how he effectively used his mom's illness to justify pretending to keep dating his girlfriend, to keep away from Chloe, to pretty much stall his life. And sure, it really does suck to have someone sick in your life, but that's not a reason to be a jerk over and over again. Chloe was marginally better, but even she tends to be selfish in her relationship with her best friend - a friend who has two major life events that Chloe just basically says "wow, now how about me" to - at work, with her parents, and with Jack. Sure, it sucks to have lost a sibling and that's pretty hard to deal with. But it's also been 20 years, and you don't get a pass forever.

I also don't understand her work situation. First, there is no reason why you should and your employer should expect. you and your coworkers to be best friends. Second, if the boss leaves you effectively in charge and you make a decision, then the boss should actually support it especially if it's good for the business. Third, mistakes happen and the outcome seems to be harsher than merited.

If you truly enjoyed Hazel Fine and you like a book that is pretty much a long character study of sorts, then this will suit. If you are looking for a quick read romance, this may not be the right fit for you.

Roses: The adventure to find love was so fun in this story. As a believer in everything happens for a reason, I love when stories use “fate” as a possibility for something happening romantically. Ben and Chloe were a perfect imperfect couple. They suited each other nicely, more-so in a balancing manner. I thought the best relationship was by far Kit and Chloe’s. The love they have for each other was so strong and real.

Thorns: to me there were a few plot holes that were left unfilled. I wanted more with Chloe and Ben’s family. I feel like I missed out on really important moments in their relationship and I would have loved to have been able to experience those. I didn’t like Addison and thought the whole book thing was a little weird since they weren’t really friends. Jack was also annoying. He had no reason to be so irritated at Chloe. Definitely since they hung out only a few times. I feel I wanted more moments with Ben and Chloe that were building their relationship. Most of their times we experienced they turn into fade to black scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. This was not the book for me. It had an interesting premise but a bit of a lackluster execution. It was a quick read but it felt like a lot of work to get through, especially towards the end. From the description I genuinely thought the majority of the book would be on solving the mystery of the titular "lost date" but that's really only a small portion of the story. I had a hard time relating to the characters, the mystery itself felt kind of tepid and its resolution was anticlimactic. I found it difficult to invest in the characters, and the story didn't feel like there was a lot of depth despite some of the heavier elements. I also had some issues with Chloe's repeated references to what she thinks is over-eating; she oddly refers to eating normally as over-eating (or, in one case, "empty calories" to refer to a reasonable meal) a noticeable number of times, which felt forced and clichéd and a bit disordered, honestly.

I will say, there was some refreshing realism within the story and the journey to the resolution of the book wasn't all hearts and roses. Both Chloe and Ben mess up multiple times, about realistic things and in realistic ways. And I liked Chloe's statements about just wanting a normal, non rom-com relationship with a nice guy. Chloe's job sounded fun (even though she totally should have been fired after the box stunt). And introducing a Bridgerton-obsessed supporting character was an entertaining diversion. I've given this book 3 stars but it's closer to 2.5 stars.

I thought this book was so cute. And it was SUCH a quick read!! The MC did annoy me a little bit, but that’s that. Sometimes the MC in my life drives me nuts too 🤪.

I found so many similarities in this book that aligned with my life right now. Going to NYC in a couple of days, having MS, and well another that if you know, you know!

If you’re looking for a fun, fast paced, rom-com I highly suggest picking up Katie Wick’s newest book!

“Chloe Baker has a brand new life in New York City with a great job but zero dating life. When she agrees to go on a blind date, she's nervous but excited. But then, Jack is late. Ten minutes.
Twenty. Thirty. Just when she's given up all hope, he shows up-and they spend a magical day together. An afternoon at the Met. A walk in Central Park. One amazing kiss. The perfect date.
Chloe's on cloud nine, and she can't wait to see Jack again. But when she texts to say thanks for the great date, she doesn't get the reply she's expecting. Suddenly, Jack's unfindable. And Chloe will go to any lengths to figure out what happened-because true love is worth blowing up your life for ... or is it?l”



Thank you to W by Wattpad Books and Netgalley for an eARC. Chloe Baker’s Lost Date is available May 7.

I am very excited to be reading this book! My full review to follow.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.