This debut adult RomCom follows a spunky, blue-haired web producer and a hunky, bespectacled paranormal conspiracy theorist as they work together to create a hit web series wherein they hunt for ghosts, aliens, and even Bigfoot.

I thought this was a fun read and the kind of story that makes you think about all of the Mysteries of the Universe (if you don’t already!) I also really liked that our two love interests were balancing each other out and that their compatibility really jumped off the page.

I’ll be honest: I was a little worried about the male love interest at first. When I read the phrase “conspiracy theorist”, my Ick Senses started tingling. But cryptid-obsessed Hayden is a horse of a different color. (Or maybe a Not Deer of a different color). I mean, he’s really done his research, he’s the male version of Velma from Scooby Doo, and he’ll wash your hair for you when you’re deathly ill? Gold stars for Hayden Hargrove.

I will say the internal monologue wasn’t always executed flawlessly. Some of those moments of narration felt really repetitive. But overall this is an excellent debut and I expect more cute romances (with a dash of the paranormal) from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for my review.

I’ll be completely honest I pushed this book off a little, just because I wanted to wait for the holiday season to roll in a little before I decided to read.!! But I think that was best for me and this book, I truthfully loved the vibe it gave off, going into this book I was in a major slump and the fun fall light-heartedness of a journalist essentially looking for a new story line and man who is a hard core conspiracy theorist trying to work together but also the concept of just including aliens and Bigfoot is wild to me . I loved the forced proximity trope and the one bed trope so I was already on board ..

Such a fun and unique plot to anything i have ever personally read and it was definitely a home run in my books. Definitely will be recommending this to customers

First, I love this book. Hallie and Hayden are such rich characters with interesting and complex back stories. Hallie's still recovering from an emotionally manipulative and abusive relationship (with a current colleague). Hayden is grieving his father's death. Hallie's always been a star at her work, but her horrible ex consistently took all the credit. She has one opportunity to prove herself to the higherups and it's in the form of a web series. She's totally at a loss for ideas when she stumbles across Hayden on a late night program about cryptids and other unknown entities. She tracks him down and convinces him to turn his podcast into a web series, but she's a staunch skeptic. Hallie and Hayden end up costars in their series, The Out There, and they travel all over the place to find answers to life's many questions. Sparks fly, but so do tensions when Hallie's ex sees her succeeding without him. This is such a tender love story that is also laugh out loud funny at many points. Highly recommend!

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Oh my goodness! I can't believe how fun and quirky this book was! You don't have to believe in Bigfoot, aliens, or ghosts to enjoy this read. Not only was this a perfect read for spooky season, it was a perfect romance read for fans who love the nerds! Hayden had a podcast talking about his adventures and facts about sci-fi creatures and spirits. Hallie is looking for a unique avenue to take her producing career to the next level. When she stumbles across Hayden's podcasts she proposes they work together to create a video series. Hayden and Hallie have great visible chemistry and end up being cohosts of the show and their banter becomes well loved among their audience. The longer they work together, the more it is hard to deny the spark between them and their attraction towards one another. This book truly had me laughing out loud and always smirking at the continuous banter and quirky jokes between the characters. What a great laugh out loud rom-com! Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 stars - I enjoyed the baseline of this book! I think it really could have benefitted from a dual POV. Without the dual POV I felt less invested in the romance.

Hallie Barrett made the classic mistake of dating a co-worker. The guy was also a mega-jerk and after their split, it actually had a huge impact on Hallie's position at her job. She's been pulled from the online series she was producing and needs to come up with something new to present the execs, and quickly. Inspiration strikes after watching a late-night docuseries where she sees the most handsome man discussing Bigfoot theories.

Hayden Hargrove has made a name for himself with his podcast. He's an expert on cryptids and was a guest on the show that caught Hallie's attention. She reaches out to him and pitches her ideas. He can't help but be intrigued by the captivating blue-haired producer who has offered him a great opportunity. To her surprise, he accepts her offer to work with her on her new show.

Unfortunately, Hayden is used to podcasting and his solo on-screen performance isn't great. Trying to make him more comfortable, Hallie jumps on camera too and it's then when the magic happens. Their chemistry is great and Hayden seems much more capable of making his points with someone there to banter off from. Thus, their on-screen relationship is born, but what's gonna happen when the camera stops rolling?

This was really cute. I definitely got invested in Hallie, Hayden and their relationship. I loved the initial set-up for how they came into each other's orbits, and appreciated that the author didn't rely too heavily on miscommunication to keep the story progressing. In fact, there really wasn't any miscommunication between the love interests, which IMO was SOOOO refreshing to see.

A lot of the drama really stemmed from Hallie's job and ex, trying to pick up the pieces and get her life back on track. Hayden also had some personal issues, mostly related to his parents. I thought the author did a great job introducing all these topics and seeing them through to their conclusions.

Overall, Love and Other Conspiracies was sort of nerdy, hella sweet and succeeded in keeping me fully engaged throughout. I loved the banter between Hallie and Hayden, but also the more serious moments, how supportive they were of one another.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was such a solid Romance debut. I can't wait for more from this author!

You don't have to be a believer in cryptids for this to be a great read. I thought this one was so fun- like the viewers of their web series, I was all in on Hallie and Hayden. The searches for cryptids that they go on add something charmingly unique to this one, and readers need not worry, you don't need to be an expert (and since Hallie is an avowed skeptic, you're in good company). Their banter and the way they are all in on each other (especially Hayden) makes for an all around great romance.

Because why is Hayden just the biggest green flag ever?

This was such a cute romance but it was even more than that. It had so many elements to it.
A few things I loved:
Hayden.
The monster lore
The friendship
Taking control of your life
Empowerment
Marijuana normalization

Things I didn't like:
Cade

Thank you so much to the publisher for the advanced copy!

This book was exactly what I needed. It's cute, it's funny and full of cryptids - what else could you ask for? The relationship between Hallie and Hayden is great; they've got a supportive friends vibe that only helps make their relationship stronger. Plus, they chase Bigfoot and Mothman...you don't need anything else in a book. #MF #friendstolovers #officeromance #cryptids

This book was a fun read, the main characters were fun, and I loved their personalities, together I could see a really good TV show. I would love to see what this author writes next.

Hallie life is not going the best, she has been dumped and also may lose her job of online show producer unless she can find a new show to produce fast. Inspiration comes to from the strangest places with the most handsome guy talking about Bigfoot. Ok, so yes, she is skeptic but when Hayden is talking all is lost and she is intrigued. So, if he has intrigued her others will follow or at least that is the hope because her job is riding on this one guy. Can love and conspiracies go hand and hand? Well just maybe Hayden can convince the shattered heart that is Hallie that it can.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for copy of this story for my honest review.

💭 Love and Other Conspiracies is an absolute delight! This light-hearted, goofy, and fun read hit all the right notes for me! I’m a huge fan of books that incorporate digital elements like texts, emails, and especially podcasts, and this one did it brilliantly. The little clips sprinkled throughout are packed with witty banter and showcase the incredible chemistry between the two main characters perfectly!

And can we talk about the narration? Alex Finke, who also narrated Ready or Not, is phenomenal! The added audio elements truly brought the story to life and made the whole experience even more immersive and engaging.

Another thing I really appreciated was how the book tackles important themes like toxic workplace harassment, caretaking for an ill parent, and discussions on mental health, creating a fantastic blend of fun and meaningful content.

Overall, I was completely charmed by this book, and I can’t recommend it enough!Overall, I was completely charmed by this book, and highly recommend for anyone looking for a charming escape!

Read if you 🤍:
Workplace Romance
LOL moments
No 3rd Act Breakup
Spooky & Cryptid Hunting
Cinnamon Roll MMC

The first 50ish pages of this book were painful and I would have called it quits if my friend hadn't encouraged me to keep going. I ended up enjoying this a lot in the end, but I couldn't get past the overall cringe of the first chunk. This would have been a much more enjoyable read if the first part had been reworked to give us less of Skroll (stupid name) and it's appallingly named conference rooms. I hated it so much. That said, the vibe between Hallie and Hayden once they started filming was immaculate and I did enjoy seeing them both let down their guards and learn to love and be vulnerable. The hunting for cryptids was also super fun!

Love and Other Conspiracies follows down on her luck Hallie as she tries to regain her footing at her job (the one where her ex also works at and is the "star" of the company). In order to improve her professional reputation she teams up with the unlikely, but devastatingly handsome, Hayden--an expert in all things conspiracies and cryptids. These two unlikely co-workers soon move from friends to more in this laugh out loud rom-com.

Read this book if you love:
Banter! I truly was giggling and kicking my feet the whole time.
Friends to lovers! I love a book that really shows that the characters like each other. And builds their relationship naturally.
One bed! Come on what else do I need to say.
Pet name! He calls her "nonbeliever" and the way a swooned every time.

Beyond that this book does a wonderful job exploring surviving toxic relationships and dealing with the grief of the death of a parent. And finding a person that really sees you.

Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe was such an entertaining ride. Add to your TBR if you like web shows and podcasts, believe in Bigfoot (or want to believe), characters who take care of each other, cryptid hunts, one bed, and seeing toxic exes get revenge.

Thank you @berkleyromance for the eARC of Love & Other Conspiracies which is out now!

This book and my rating is allllll about the vibes for me! I LOVED the premise of the FMC producing a monster hunting/conspiracy theory show and falling for the host! So creative, so out there 😉 and I loved it.

L&OC is Marlowe’s debut novel and it is SO good! The pacing, the drama, the character flaws, everything was so well done. This book is hilarious and sweet and spicy and heartfelt. Most importantly, no third act breakup! Hallie and Hayden are so funny together. I laughed out loud so many times while reading this book.

I’m so glad I got to chat about it with my girlies too! It was so fun hearing everyone’s different perspectives and takes on such a uniquely fun read.

Overall, Love & Other Conspiracies is a fun, sweet read perfect for spooky season! 👻

LIKES:
👤 Single POV
❣️ No 3rd act breakup
🦕 Monster hunting/conspiracy theories
🌱 Personal growth themes
🥧 Cinnamon roll MMC

Thanks to NetGalley & Berkley for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 20% of the way through.

It's got a solid concept and setting, but the writing just didn't quite hit it for me. I think I'm running into an issue with the romance books where there's no like...slow-burn. The characters are immediately horny for each other, for a lack of a better term. If this book is supposed to be Mulder and Scully, they shouldn't even kiss until the very end of the book!

The jerk ex-boyfriend still being employed and loved by everyone at her workplace icked me as well. Hallie complained about him often which is fair, but then she complained about *everything* all the time which annoyed me to no end.

Despite Hayden (what kinda name is that?) knowing the most interesting facts in the universe, he was the most un-interesting character.

I just loved this rom-com debut! It was delightfully bonkers, and definitely one I have never seen before.

One of my favorite parts of this one was the premise. The idea of a skeptic and a hardcore believer being pushed together on all kinds of different cryptid hunting excursions is so wonderfully unique but also so fun to read. I enjoyed experiencing Hallie and Hayden's adventures just as much as I loved their romance.

Speaking of Hallie and Hayden, they were just so wonderfully perfect together. I've already mentioned that she's a skeptic and he's a true believer, and the banter that comes from that dynamic is an utter delight to read. Their chemistry is believable from their first interaction, and the way their relationship developed is sure to tug on your heartstrings.

Finally, it's a mark of a skilled writer when they are able to make you feel all the emotions, even the negative ones, and there is a character in this book that I so deeply despised, that I can't help but applaud the author. As a reader, you're supposed to hate them, and congratulations Mallory, I DESPISE THEM AND HOPE THEY ROT.

Anyway, please read this book. It's wonderful.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
367 pages

“𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘵.”

aliens, cryptids, and an open door romance? sign me up!! 👽

something i haven’t shared on here before is that i absolutely love cryptids and myths/lore about them. i don’t know that i actually believe in them, but i love the idea of them! my favorite is moth man 🤭

okay, but now on to the book! we have Hallie and Hayden who are sooo cute. i really enjoyed their dynamic and the witty banter they provided. there’s so much pop culture, conspiracy theories, and other little add-ons to this book outside of the romance that had me laughing so hard! reading about their podcast episodes and how hard Hallie doesn’t believe, while Hayden is the complete opposite was so fun because i love a good debate 🤪

i would recommend this one to anyone who likes:
▪️the weird and the spooky
▪️references to early 2000s (i.e. Frankie Muniz movies)
▪️open door romance
▪️witty banter
▪️one bed
▪️he falls first

Looking for an out of this world romcom?
This book was super cute and super fun! I loved this book! It was really unique and cute. And is perfect for the upcoming fall season.
Thank you @berkleyromance for the book 💕

QOTD: Do you believe in the supernatural?

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Love and Other Conspiracies by @mallorymarlowewrites

Hallie Barrett’s life has imploded after she’s dumped by her hotshot ex, who also happens to be her coworker and the star of the online series she was producing. Without a new show to present for the company competition, she’ll be out of a job. But inspiration can come from the strangest places . . . like the most handsome guy she’s ever seen passionately discussing Bigfoot on a late-night docuseries.

Hayden Hargrove made a name for himself as a cryptid expert on his hit podcast, and is intrigued by the plucky, blue-haired producer who offers him the opportunity to lead his own web show. When the production team sees that Hayden’s solo on-screen presence is bad enough to make a ghost blanch, Hallie jumps on camera too, hitting him (and his cryptids) with a healthy dose of skepticism—and enough chemistry to electrify their show to the top of the competition.

As Hayden and Hallie investigate the unknown, they unearth feelings for each other that shake their beliefs to the core. In their search for Mothman, aliens, and the truth, the most elusive discovery might just be learning to love again.

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