I was looking forward to reading this as I so enjoyed The Unbalanced Equation by the same author. This was a very enjoyable and refreshing read. Courtney’s sure she has ADHD and struggles to balance everything in her life, even trying to get her diagnosis. She meets Simon who seems to help her feel settled, but her best friend suggests they become a couple as well and she can’t figure out what to do.

The characters have great chemistry in this book and the narrative voice is so readable - just flows. I think I haven’t given it five stars because I don’t love the whole love triangle element. It felt insincere from the start, she obviously had an undeniable connection with Simon!

What to expect:

- Mental health rep
- love triangle
- opposites attract

Courtney Miller is notoriously bad at making decisions.

She can’t pick between jobs – she works both.

She can’t pick what to eat – she eats nothing.

She can’t pick which film to watch – she gets wasted with her friends instead.

Struggling with her mental health, jumping between jobs and constantly postponing the appointment that would confirm her ADHD diagnosis, the last thing Courtney needs is the attention of a wealthy Londoner currently staying at the hotel she works reception for every evening.

Right?

The only problem is…Courtney can’t make the decision to stay away from Simon Saint any more than she can decide not to order takeaway three days in a row. Add in dog day care centre owner – and Courtney’s best friend – Richard Blake professing his feelings for her, and Courtney is stuck in the middle of a dilemma no amount of booze, insomnia or procrastination can solve.

She can’t date them both…right?

An ADHD-addled take on the classic love triangle, Courtney Can't Decide is perfect for fans of The Kiss Quotient and Love, Comment, Subscribe.

Courtney Can't Decide is the second book in the Hot Mess Trilogy – a series of standalone but connected rom-coms set in Glasgow. Happy Ever After guaranteed with no children, marriage or unexpected pregnancies involved!


Such an amazing read. Can't wait to read the others. My first and not last book by H.l. Macfarlane. will recommend to others.

I wasn’t a big fan of this story. I didn’t attached to the characters or the story itself.
It wasn’t sadly a book for me.

Courtney can’t decide is book two in a stand-alone series called Hot Mess Trilogy.
Courtney has problems with making decisions, she works two jobs, can’t decide on what she eats, and she can’t decide on what man she wants. She can’t decide if she wants the hot wealthy guy named Simon that is staying at the hotel or her best friend Richard who confessed his love.

I’m not really sure why I couldn’t get into this book. It got on my nerves the further I got into it. It just wasn’t for me. I didn’t like Courtney.

Such a cute romance novel. Courtney is easily relatable and is written to portray the ups and downs of a woman living with ADHD. Characters were well written and I enjoyed the setting of Scotland! I look forward to reading more from H.L. Macfarlane.

This is a very funny quick read. I feel like this is a good book for someone who just wants something to read that isn't very serious or hard to follow. I personally didn't like the way that the author made Courtney come across. I feel like it made it seem like woman are just male motivated and so boy crazy that they can't decide. I know that it is a work of fiction and that I can't think too far into it. The characters were interesting, and I truly feel like they were good characters. This book was not for me and that's okay because I truly believe it will be meant for someone. I write this review to not discourage anyone from reading this book but to inform them of the pros and cons that I personally felt the book had. I personally rated this book 3 stars because the book has good characters, it's a quick read and it was something new for me. I will definitely be reading more by this offer in the future to see if another one of her books will be for me.

*Spoilers ahead*

This was a good read. I thought it was interesting to read what getting an ADHD diagnosis looks like in Scotland, vs. America. I felt like the stigma of ADHD might be more striking there? So that was eye-opening and I definitely felt empathetic towards Courtney and her father. I liked Simon’s character. I really liked their chemistry; I didn’t get a “best friend” vibe from Rich, and I also wouldn’t even call this a “Love Triangle Rom-com”. He obviously never had a chance. He felt skeezy to me, so I’m glad he turned out ok in the end. Tom was the best side character-definitely makes me want to read his story. Loved that the sister was standing up for Courtney and teaching their mom to be kind. Probably unrealistic, but I'll take it.

Courtney works as a receptionist at the Plaza hotel, where (after a series of unfortunate inconveniences) she meets billionaire Simon. And as fate would have it, she keeps bumping into him at social events as their circles overlap.

Courtney is also a dog walker for her bestie, Richard's, dog sitting business. And here begins the love triangle. Rich wants to be more than friends, Courtney's anxiety/undiagnosed ADHD sends her second guessing herself. Simon is the "lust at first sight" character that splashes a ridiculous amounts of money on Courtney before even really knowing her; Rich is the sensible, solid, dependable guy who has been there for Courtney through the good time and bad.

Told in alternating chapters between Courtney and Simon, this book weaves through Simon's career, Courtney's relationships (with Rich, with her family, with her friends), Simon's relationship with his grandparents, Courtney's ADHD journey and of course the inevitable love triangle. And sex. Open door sex.

There are trigger warnings at the start of the book - please read them, so you know what you're getting in for.

I really wanted to like this book, but I found it fell flat to me. I found the characters too much of a caricature of common tropes: the ditzy blonde who can't make up her mind; the "distinguished" rich guy; the friendzoned bestie and so on. I liked the fact that ADHD and decision paralysis were represented, but from my own ADHD journey, I found the references to "manic" episodes off-putting as they are not (generally) a characteristic of ADHD itself, but parallel mental health conditions.

Like I said, I wanted to like this, but it was too formulaic for my taste and I didn't care for the writing style. There were errors in the copy I received (uncorrected ARC) that I hope were resolved before final publication.

Others may enjoy a fluffy, superficial open door love triangle romance, but it was not for me.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

This book was overall just okay for me. The H was likable and well developed. For me, he was the best main character. The h was also likable overall, though she had some irritating qualities that I believe the author was trying to attribute to the h’s ADHD. I do not have ADHD so I cannot judge the accuracy of how ADHD was portrayed in this story. I will say that this story’s portrayal did not leave me with any deeper understanding of ADHD than I had going into the book. If you’re going to make a main character neurodivergent, I feel you should commit to fleshing that disorder out fully and in a way that does a service to the community you’re representing. The love triangle, though present, was never much of a real plot. The supporting character friends and family subplots were integral in keeping the story interesting. The chemistry was good when it was present. This book was just overall slow.

Overall, this book was not really for me. There were parts that I enjoyed but something about the writing and the plot did not connect with me.

Adult diagnosis of ADHD is talked about a lot in social media right now, so I was interested to see how this was going to play out in this book. Unfortunately, I felt like these parts of the story felt very forced, like certain boxes needed to be checked, rather than it being a seamless part of the story. There was not even a resolution to Courtney getting or not getting a diagnosis of ADHD at the end the book, despite this being discussed throughout.

I did enjoy reading about Simon. I laughed out loud when Courtney scared him when he was trying to “run into her” on her run! His POV chapters were my favorite to read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Courtney Can’t Decide is book two in a series of (interconnected?) standalones.
I wasn’t overly taken with the style of writing, but the storyline itself was relatively good.

I’m not a love triangle fan, but the synopsis sounded so good that I felt I had to at least give this book a try.
It wasn’t my favourite, I’ll be honest. But that’s possibly due to my own opinions on the trope.

That said, I did still enjoy the book, hence the 3 star rating.
It wasn’t a ‘hallmark’ romance, but there was a feel-good element to it, and the happily ever after definitely helped.

A lot of the chapters from Courtney’s POV felt rambly and somewhat hard to follow. I am sure the representation is effective for certain readers, who are able to follow those ramblings. I just found them tricky and a little too roundabout, they would have made more sense if they were direct.
That said, Courtney was an interesting character to read, and she had a great personality that I could enjoy reading about.

Simon is introduced immediately in the book and as a reader I quickly began to enjoy his ‘company’ on the page. I loved reading about how he treated Courtney and it was definitely a great set of interactions throughout the book.

We meet Richard and quickly learn that he and Courtney are close. They work together, they’re friends, and their chemistry is very clear when they’re on the page together.

Tropes:
Love triangle
Billionaire romance
Open door
ADHD rep
Mental health rep

Courtney can’t decide, she’s notoriously bad at making decisions. Two jobs. Two men. And putting off her ADHD diagnosis.

This book was written to be read very quickly, while I really enjoyed the characters and the details, it was a little simple. A few of the topics and plot points fell a little flat but that didn’t stop me from being able to make my way through it very quickly.

I think the trigger warnings should be viewed by those who may have an issue with those topics.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macfarlane Lantern Publishing for allowing me to read this, all opinions are my own.

●This was a bit of a slow read for me. It also did not revolve much around ADHD like the extended title implies. I also thought Courtney chose the wrong guy in the end! The cover and name of the book are absolutely adorable.

"I don't get paid enough to care."●

Thank you NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and H.L. MacFarlane for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I gave it 3.5 stars but rounded up for NetGalley and Goodreads.

I totally loved the first book in the Hot Mess Trilogy (The Unbalanced Equation) - I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book for 18ish months and I’m so happy it’s finally here!! 4.5 stars!

Courtney Can’t Decide was a beautiful description of so many of us in this day and age - scrambled, indecisive, messy, and chaotic… I think a lot of us have undiagnosed ADHD or something like this and have difficulty with finding exactly where we fit in and what we should be doing (and keeping the mess clean and the schedule straight). Other than the love triangle aspect, I definitely identify with Courtney.

I normally can’t stand a love triangle trope, but the way MacFarlane wrote this storyline it was done to perfection and you could easily feel Courtney’s dilemma and her true intention and her heartbreak the whole time. I definitely could tell where things would go and knew how it would resolve, so I didn’t let it get to me like the trope normally does. Very well done, Hayley - round of applause for this!!

I definitely recommend this to everyone who loved Unbalanced as much as I did (it was one of my top 2022 reads), and everyone who feels a bit scrambled and unsure and can’t decide what to do!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial, and this is my honest feedback.

The book started off great. A gigantic dog, two jobs I could relate to that Courtney had,(hotel reception which I loved and met a lot of cut guys, and working in dog daycare), a fumbling hero who acted more like women act towards men when they know a particular guy is interested. The first half of the book was sniggering/giggling funny rather than laugh out loud, the secondary characters left wanting me to read their story which is the first book in this series.

But then it all fell apart. I don't know what it was. It could have been Courtney not giving a thought to spending Simon's money, it could have been her leading her best friend on romantically, even going so far as breaking up with the hero and trying to make a go of it with best friend. It could have been the ADHD aspect, I thought it was going to be a major plot point in the story. It wasn't. Basically, the ADHD was blamed for her making all these bad decisions, when really it was just her as a person. To me, ADHD had NOTHING to do with anything in this book.

By the time I turned the last page, I was left with a bad taste in my mouth. Idk, maybe I wasn't in the mood for a Pretty Woman romance. But I didn't feel that love connection or that sstisfied feeling after having read a good romance.

Eh. Just...eh.
Premise is good. Love me a love triangle done right.
Just...kinda wish she didn't have to choose, y'know? I feel like this could've been a really nice MFM why choose. But that's just me.
This is also kinda why I'm not a fan of friends to lovers (and especially best friends to lovers) bc see look what happened and it'll never be the same between them in my head.

(Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC )

"Courtney Miller is notoriously bad at making decisions. Struggling with her mental health, jumping between jobs and constantly postponing the appointment that would confirm her ADHD diagnosis, the last thing Courtney needs is the attention of a wealthy Londoner currently staying at the hotel she works reception for every evening. The only problem is…Courtney can’t make the decision to stay away from Simon Saint any more than she can decide not to order takeaway three days in a row. Add in dog day care centre owner – and Courtney’s best friend – Richard Blake professing his feelings for her, and Courtney is stuck in the middle of a dilemma no amount of booze, insomnia or procrastination can solve."

I really enjoyed the pace of this book. I was hooked early on and couldn't wait for opportunities to read the rest. The ADHD representation felt spot on to me (as a female with ADHD), I really appreciated the nuanced version of Courtney that was more than just the typical 'can't sit still' stereotype.

I found the book funny and heartfelt. I was rooting for Courtney, Simon and Rich. Only point of critisism for me is the amount of leeway everyone gave Courtney, along with the maturity of all the male characters. It felt unrealistic to me that all the characters were so emotionally intelligent, but I appreciated the insight into the characters and Courtney's mental health this provided.
\
Thanks to NetGalley and Macfarlane Lantern Publishing for the advanced copy of this book

This was a quick read which kept my attention for over 75% of the book. This was perfect from ADHD brain. Apparently this is a part of a series, which I will definitely be checking out.

The book itself was really funny and relateable. It portrayed some real life situations I find myself in when it comes to having ADHD and not in a negative way.

This review will be posted on my Goodreads along with my playlist for this book.

“Sorry, I was just thinking about the fragility of my mental state.”

Brief Summary-
Courtney is notoriously bad at making decisions. Struggling with her mental health, working two jobs and constantly postponing the appointment that would confirm her ADHD diagnosis. Trying to balance family and friends. The last thing Courtney needs right now is to be juggling two completely different men, right? This is the second book in the “Hot Mess Trilogy”. Can be read as a standalone.

What To Expect-
🌷ADHD Representation
🌷Multiple POV
🌷Love Triangle
🌷Both Men Fall First
🌷Cute Banter
🌷Feel Good Modern Rom-Com

”God, I wanted what they had. A love that you didn’t want to leave your bed for because you’d rather face the consequences of being late to work in order to screw the morning away.”

My Thoughts-
Courtney Can’t Decide- was such a fun, quick, cozy little read. I read this in a day. Under 300 pages. I found the story, relatable, and funny. I adored the adhd representation as you don’t see enough support around the topic. Sadly there is still a stigma around adhd so it was refreshing to see it written in a way that didn’t trash the diagnosis.

The writing in this book was simple, you can expect some millennial lingo. This was a medium to fast pace book. This was a story that you wanted to see how everything played out asap. I think the ending to the story was just right.

The characters were all so fun to read. The side character flowed in nicely with the love triangle. I felt like I was part of the friends group which was refreshing.
💘We all have a friend like Courtney- the hot mess of the group. The fun, playful one. I really enjoyed reading Courtney POV. She was sassy and I loved it. Some might say she was rude, but we all have to be rude at one point in our life ✋
💘Simon the wealthy Silver Fox Londoner, that most ladies dream about lol. He was a hard worker and determined hunk.. You know when a guy is completely crazy over a girl that it brings out his dorky”funny” side. That was Simon. The golden retriever boyfriend. Courtney was intimidated by Simon at first but the chemistry between them throughout the book was cute.
💘Rich reminded me of Shaggy Rogers lol don’t come for me 🤺 Rich is introduced as Courtney’s friend/co-worker/ friends with benefits. Rich obvi was tired being in the “friend zone” that he confesses his love to Courtney. He was sweet, nerdy. Cute(ish). He was giving stoner vibes. Courtney describes him as “safe” person in her life.

🗣️You can’t have a long triangle if the two love interest are not completely opposite am I right? So who does my girl Courtney pick? And does she get her life together? 👀 I definitely recommend this book as a quick cute read. If you love Multiple POV and a love triangle scenarios this book is for you. This is my first book from the author and I can’t wait to read the other books in this series.

✨Thanks to NetGalley and Macfarlane Lantern Publishing for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ✨

3.5 stars rounded up. Things I liked: the chemistry and interactions between the main characters, the friendship group and reappearance of Liz and Tom from the previous book (and the sly dig at their miscommunication issues!), the whole flow of the author's writing style. Things I wasn't quite so sure about (hence why I didnt enjoy it quite as much as the first in the trilogy): the pacing, which was a bit erratic and a tiny bit repetitive with Courtney's lack of decisiveness, and the whole love triangle premise. It was clear from the outset which way it was going to go because of the way the first-person narrative was set up, so there was no tension there at all really. Having said that, it was worked out sensitively and with no 'ickiness'. Another enjoyable outing in this Glasgow setting, and there's clearly more to come.