This is a sweet and fun fake dating love story. It was a very relaxed and easy read. I had a lot fun reading it.
Joe and Sophie are both single parents who meet at their kid's school during the Pick Up time, and to help each other they decide to star a fauxmance. All the other characters, the moms, are a lot of fun as well, and you can see how they all deal and manage their professional careers with parenthood or how they give up their own dreams for their families.
If you like cute love stories this is the book for you.

A very interesting concept of a single mother, her eccentric daughter and the mysterious single dad at pick up. Sophie is a a wonderful female lead and an inspiration to all women. She is the perfect example of a strong individual who can be a girl boss, while being a great mother. Her character was multi dimensional and her relationships with her sister and her family were wholesome.

The way that Joe and Sophie got together seed a little abrupt at first, with no well established chemistry. But as we read about their interactions and see them get comfortable around each other, their banter becomes that much more full of passion and chemistry.

The children were not written about and forgotten, as is common in such a trope. Rather, they had their fair share of page time and contributed to the story as well though out characters.

This was my first Hannah Doyle read, and I loved it!

Two single parents, Sophie and Joe, plot to fake date their way into the parent group at their children's school. Through the story and humorous banter, you fall in love with both main characters. It’s a refreshing twist on friends-to-lovers and fake dating with two mature, parents. As a parent in my 30s, I loved these characters, which are rarely highlighted in romcoms.

My only complaint was the ending felt a bit abrupt, and I would have loved a long epilogue. Regardless, this book comes highly recommended by me.

Thank you to Netgally and HarperCollins for the ARC!

I wanted to give this novel 5 stars, and absolutely love it, but, I didn’t. I did like the storyline and the emotion vibes this book gives you, The ending was the best; such a cute way to end it!

this was such a silly book and sometimes that’s exactly what you need in life.

i loved sophie and joe as characters and i loved them together even more. their chemistry with each other was so clear from the start and it made the book that much more enjoyable. i loved every second of it.

fake dating and single parent are two of my favorite tropes and this one did both of them properly and i had so much fun reading it.

thank you to HQ and netgalley for the arc!

I loved this one so much! Fake dating is my absolute favourite trope and this one was done really well. I enjoyed all the characters and the storyline, I just wish it had been a dual pov.

I enjoy the fake dating trope and I thought it will be enough to help me through the story as I don’t like reading books that have even a slight form of reality in them. Having a child is a form or reality to me but unfortunately it wasn’t enough for me.

If you like books that have discussions that apply to real life then this book will be for you

I really enjoyed this book! Sophie, the main character, is simply incredible. She's strong, independent, and a wonderful mother. And let me tell you, Joe is swoon-worthy! He's absolutely perfect. The chemistry between Sophie and Joe is off the charts, but what really stood out to me was their amazing friendship and support for each other. The side characters, especially the other moms, had me laughing out loud. This book strikes the perfect balance between being lighthearted and fun, while also addressing the real challenges faced by working moms and societal pressures. I just finished it and I'm already itching to read it again!

Thank you to NetGallery, Hannah Doyle and HQ for giving me access to an eARC of this book.

Sophie Roger’s is a single working mum, trying to fit in with the other parents at her daughter’s school. And who better than the brooding single dad trying to avoid another sympathy casserole.

From the moment I picked this book up, it just screamed authentic. From the challenges of parenting, being a working mum, and the fears around letting people in - I loved reading about Sophie’s story, and seeing her growth throughout the novel.

And I absolutely loved her interactions with Joe - and how he came at her with good intentions and an open heart - even though he sometimes missed the read on the situation. And as far as miscommunication tropes go, I think this was really well done.

My only criticism was it felt hard at times to keep track of how much time had passed, so it made the pacing feel a little off.

But if you’re looking for a fake dating romance in a low stakes situation (read: becoming friends with the school mums), with a loveable (but up tight) lead, and a kind hearted, if not a bit awkward love interest, this book will be for you!

I want to give this book 100 stars!

Hannah wrote characters that felt so real, they had flaws, they had drama but they also had some SASS

I loved the fake dating in this, and all the awkward moments that came from maintaining this ‘relationship’ from posing on social media to actual ‘couple trips’

It’s a skill when an author writes some Characters to be utterly insufferable at the start of a book, but by the end they’re just as loveable as our main protagonists!


I adored everything about this, from the characters to the plot, I was obsessed.

I love a good fake dating trope and The Pick Up absolutely delivered! Lots of laugh out loud moments and devoured this in less than 24 hours.

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

i think a fake dating trope can be super fun but it just didn’t feel like it had any stakes here, it’s usually due to heavy pressure from outside forces and the pressure here didn’t feel like enough, because of that i struggled to engage as much with the book and the characters

I am not normally someone who enjoys Rom Coms. However I could not put this down. Sophie and Joe are just perfect together. The fake dating and adoration they both have for their children coupled with the banter is just a perfect combination.

Whilst there is a bit of miscommunication trope thrown in (a personal pet peeve of mine) it is the first time I’ve seen it done well where I didn’t hate the characters for it. Also the resolution to this was well written.

Overall it’s an extremely easy and entertaining read and I will definitely be recommending this book to others.

Ahh fake dating and single parents romcom? Sign me up!

This book was hilarious with heartwarming feels.

Sophie is a single working Mom to cute almost 5 year old, Lila. She is worried that Lila is not fitting in and she isn't with her the other Moms.

Joe is the single Dad who is swooned over by every Mom, much to his dislike.

The two come up with a plan to fake date so Sophie can get some play dates for Lila and Joe can stop getting casseroles from the Moms.

Joe and Sophie start hitting it off, with some fine lines between the fake and real. Can these two just finally admit there is more to their story? Or will their pasts ruin that chance?

This book had me laughing out loud and I absolutely adored the secondary characters. It is the perfect romcom for a quick summer read!

Thank you Netgalley, publishers and author for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

4 Cup of Tea Stars ⭐
Spicy Level: 0/5 (This is Closed Door, nothing explicit but firework kisses)

I cannot remember the last time I finished a book in ONE SITTING. This book hooked me, sucked me in and had a chokehold on my attention the entire time I was reading. This is surprising because this is not typically the type of book that I read, given it was a more traditional closed-door rom-com with the single-parent tropes I don't typically pick up.

This is a first-person narrative told by Sophie, a 33-year-old single mom of the adorable little Poppy. Sophie is desperate to get in with the moms at her daughter's school, as she feels that the other kids are slightly ostracizing her daughter by not being invited to any social events or parties because of her not being in the mom clique. Then there is Joe. Joe is a single dad who is completely hounded and swarmed by the car park mommies whenever he comes and picks up his son. It might be because he is gorgeous, HAS AN IRISH ACCENT and the car park mommies feel sorry for him. So Joe proposes an idea... to get the car park mommies off his back and to get Sophie in with them they should fake a relationship. It's a total win-win situation for the two of them. Because what could ever go wrong with faking a relationship?

One thing that I enjoyed about this was that the characters were older. Joe is 35 and Sophie is 33. It is super refreshing to read about characters MY AGE. While I know that Sophie and Joe have had issues and trauma in the past, I love it when the characters are not children navigating life. They have been through some of life, they have had to overcome struggles and they are people I CAN ACTUALLY RELATE TO!

Sophie has a rough past. She is raising Poppy on her own after divorcing her husband when she found out he was cheating and would rather she have an abortion than be a father - she is doing it all alone. But she is determined to succeed, and she is stubborn to do so. She has a very hard exterior, can be cold and she finds it very difficult for her to let people in because of how she's been hurt in the past. She has a small support system but doesn't open the door to new help very easily.

Which is why this was sweet. Because Joe is the person that makes her inadvertently do just that. Joe is absolute PERFECTION. He is such a good man. He is a great listener! He is a perfect amazing father and is just kind, generous, sweet, compassionate and RESCUES BABY DUCKS! I mean, come on, who wouldn't love a man who would rescue a baby duck?

It was heartwarmingly sweet to see how their arrangement formed into friendship and how he slowly fell in love with her. His adoration of Sophie bled off the pages through his interactions, conversations and general actions towards Sophie and Poppy. They had excellent banter and insane chemistry.

I also really adored the found family element that plays a big part and role in the story. She found a family with Joe and his family and the one she formed with the moms of the school. She forms real friends and finds connections she was missing in her life. This book also delves into the challenge of the idea that first impressions are not always what they seem. Making her see how she's been influenced into who she thinks Joe and the Moms are in the beginning to who they were by the end was completely different.

The one thing that kept this from being five stars for me is that it did contain my favourite trope - miscommunication and the following assumptions that came from that misunderstanding. I felt that Sophie was very stubborn and very quick to form her ideas of the situations that happened, and whilst it was cleared up in the end, it added unnecessary conflict that could have been resolved by being brave and having an adult conversation.

Trope Summary:
▶ Single Mom (Divorced) and Single Dad (Widowed)
▶ Fake Dating
▶ Witty Banter
▶ Reverse GrumpyXSunshine
▶ Toxic Ex
▶ Adorable Toddlers
▶ One Bed
▶ Slow Burn

But all in all, if single mom, single dad romances are your thing...actually if you want a sweet little rom-com that is cute and fluffy, that gives you all the vibes and makes you smile, then pick up THE PICK UP!

I'm a sucker for fake dating, so I had hoped that I would like this one. Unfortunately, it wasn't really for me. I think I'm just not cut out to read or care about the drama of elementary school parents. The characters were ok but I ultimately found myself bored by this book. This may be a great read for someone else, just not my cup of tea.

Another triumph by Hannah Doyle. I love her writing style and character development. I enjoyed this book and would re-read, 5/5.

This is one of my favorite reads of 2024! Sophie is an amazing protagonist, who is independent, loving and an amazing mother. Joe is so swoony - he is perfect! Their chemistry was amazing, but even better was their friendship and support of each other! The side characters - including the other moms - made me laugh out loud. While this book was lighthearted and fun, it also addressed the challenges of being a working mom and societal pressures! I just finished and I cannot wait to read it again!!

"The Pick Up" delivers a delightful romcom experience, blending humor, heart, and irresistible chemistry between Sophie and Joe. With its charming narrative and engaging characters, readers will be swept away by the witty banter and slow-burn romance that unfolds against the backdrop of fake dating antics. This book is a must-read for fans of the genre, offering a perfect blend of laughs and swoon-worthy moments that will leave readers eagerly turning the pages until the very end.

Single parents Joe and Sophie meet at the pick up line while picking up their children at school. All of the moms are hot for Joe, flirting with him, etc. Sophie is not impressed. However they get to know each other a little bit and strike up a bargain to have a fake relationship. This way, Joe will get all of the moms off of his back, and Sophie will have an in with the mom‘s group. Flirting ensues but will this couple ever get together for real?

I thought this book was cute, but very tame. I didn’t feel much sexual connection between the two of them, but they got along great. It was an easy read and I did want Joe and Sophie to get together in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the advanced copy of this book.