⭐️: 3
🌶️: 4

🐾 dog groomer x dog dad
💍 proposal planning
🐾 fake dating
💍 love pessimist
🐾 grumpy/sunshine

I didn’t love nor hate this book, but simply could not connect with the characters. Destiny is a dog groomer who transplanted to a new town after some great losses in her life. She’s strong willed, determined, and most importantly a hopeless romantic with a side quest to build a marriage proposal business. Fletch is a grumpy dog dad in need of a wedding date who no longer believes in love after a failed marriage and finds himself wanting to help Destiny make her business a success.

This story had the makings of a great will-they-or-won’t-they love story, but unfortunately fell flat for me.

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️= open door, multiple scenes, descriptive

♥︎ Thank you NetGalley, Montlake and Melissa Foster for the ARC of The Mr Right Checklist!

The Mr. Right Checklist is a charming and heartfelt contemporary romance that explores love, self-discovery, and the surprises life can throw our way. Melissa Foster creates relatable characters who navigate the ups and downs of dating with humor and sincerity.

The story balances lighthearted moments with deeper emotional beats, making it both fun and meaningful. The chemistry between the leads is genuine and engaging, and the pacing keeps the story moving smoothly.

Fans of sweet, feel-good romances with strong character growth will find this book a satisfying read that celebrates finding love in unexpected places.

The Mr. Right Checklist by Melissa Foster is so fun! The chemistry between Fletcher/Fletch and Destiny is through the roof from the get go! Melissa Foster writes, as always, the best characters. Fletch and Destiny couldn’t be farther apart on the “love” spectrum. I’m talking a full 180 degrees! My favorite part of the “opposite attracts” genre is watching the character reluctant to love slowly and naturally evolve into a character hopelessly in love with the other character. The evolution that these characters go through is so slow and natural that you just hope and pray that when the “screw up/3rd act breakup” happens that it won’t hurt too bad. Even though Melissa is famous for shredding your heart while reading she is even more famous for putting it back together in better shape than before! Loved Fletcher and Destiny along with their best pets, Molly and Clementine! Such a great story. The between-the-sheets action is written very well and spicy.

This book is a Grumpy/Sunshine rom-com. One of my favourite tropes.
Ive read many of Melissa Fosters previous series and standalone, and this book is one of my new favourites from her.
I can’t believe that there is such a profession as a proposal planner. Destiny is perfect for that job with her sunshiny disposition.
She plans for other people love gestures. He’s been there done that. Love it!
What can I say about Fletcher ( love the last name )….
Divorced/ Grumpy/Dog Daddy/Professor.
Check/Check/Check and Check. Love him!
I really love all of Mellisa Fosters books and always look forward to her evolution in the romance genre. love her!

This was a good time read. Melissa foster just writes so well and these characters are so well thought out and considered. The premise was so good and turning into kind of idiots-to-lovers made the journey so much better because everyone can see what will happen and it's just that moment of realisation that's so satisfying!!

This book was such a good time! I love a good grumpy x sunshine dynamic, and Destiny and Fletch delivered it perfectly. She was such a fun, positive character, and he was just the right amount of grumpy to make their chemistry pop. The fake dating trope was done so well — I couldn’t stop smiling through their moments. Plus, the pets? Total bonus! The story was sweet, a little spicy, and honestly just what I needed. Lighthearted, warm, and full of charm.

This was a dnf for me. I usually love Melissas books but the MFC was just a but too ditzy for me to take seriously in this one and it put me right off.

The author did a really good job on writing this book and keeping the plot moving. I really loved the characters and how they interacted with each other. ALSO....DOGGOS. Nobody can go wrong with the good boys.

I ah-dored Destiny and Fletch together. She’s over-the-top sunshiny happiness and he’s a reserved grump who just needs to be reminded to loosen up and enjoy life a little more. Together they are sassy, funny, sweet, and sexy.

Destiny is so upbeat, go-with-the-flow, sweet, and fun. She embraces life in such a big way that it’s enviable. And she doesn’t let much get her down, even Fletch at his grumpiest.

Fletch may be set in his ways but he’s a good man, which is obvious by how much he loves his dog … and they way he steps in to help Destiny when she needs it. His life just needs a little shaking up and Destiny is the woman to do it.

We know where this is going, THEY know where this is going if they are honest with themselves, and they do get there. And surprisingly with a minimal amount of drama along the way. Instead it’s a story full of so much sweetness, humor, and spice, with a supportive, loving, fun group of people who open their arms, welcoming Destiny into their lives, and are there when she needs them. Including, and most especially, Fletch as he shows her all those things that she should be putting on her perfect man list.

Melissa Fister is amateur I will read every single time. Her stories, her characters.. everything about her books makes me want to read (and often listen as well) each book.

If you haven’t read it, I suggest you do.. and then go back and read every single book she’s written. You won’t be disappointed and you will love every one.

This is a romantic comedy that is a deliciously chaotic, laugh-out-loud journey full of tangled leashes, fake dates, and some serious emotional whiplash—in the best possible way.
Destiny Amor is a hopeless romantic who plans perfect proposals… or tries to. Enter Fletch—a grumpy, emotionally barricaded professor with more baggage than an airport carousel and zero time for her glitter-bombed visions of love.
What follows? Fake dating shenanigans, a matchmaking dog, business bartering, and sizzling tension that could set off smoke alarms. Destiny’s idealism meets Fletch’s cynicism in an explosion of chemistry, chaos, and charm.
Between Destiny’s doomed-from-the-start proposal planning and Fletch’s begrudging involvement, this story is a hilarious tangle of missteps, misunderstandings, and heart-melting moments. You’ll root for them through every snarky exchange and accidental brush of hands. A steamy, sweet, and unexpectedly deep story.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

If you need a fun story with humour and emotional depth, The Mr. Right Checklist will be the perfect read.
This is a grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers romance with some depth as both characters work through trauma and heartbreak from their past. The young, handsome divorced professor, “Fletch”, and the pretty and cheerful dog groomer, Destiny have a meet cute which is anything but cute. Destiny has a dream to start an engagement proposal business and also meet her Mr. Right by finding a guy who meets all her desired characteristics.
Circumstances bring them together again, and Fletch ends up offering to help Destiny start her business if she agrees to pretend to be his girlfriend at his brother’s wedding.
Hilarious antics ensue. There are also some incredibly emotional moments, as well as steamy romance.

Melissa Foster is at the top of her talent with this one, don’t miss it! It’s a great palate cleanser.

Thank you to Montlake and Netgalley for the electronic advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

“𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝. 𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐭, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫, 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐝.”

Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: 11/19/24

*Thank you @NetGalley and Montlake for sending this DRC book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆:

Bubbly Destiny Amor is a sucker for love and will do anything to witness it. Including starting up a business to help couples with the perfect proposal. When a certain proposal goes sideways, she is asked to team up with Fletch, a grumpy Gus who doesn’t believe in love to get her business on track.
It shouldn’t be a problem at all, sure he’s handsome, but he doesn’t check off the boxes on her Mr Right Checklist. Does he?

𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲:

•Insta-love
•Grumpy x Sunshine
•Dogs
•Cats
•Fake Dating
•HEA
•Open Door Spice 🌶️


𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:

This one started off slow and built steam as it went on. I laughed at the humorous banter between Destiny and Fletch, and even got teary eyed at some moments in the end of the book. The spice scenes were SPICY and I feel in love with Molly the dog.
I found the story to be a bit cheesy at times, and a fairy tale type of relationship... but hey, thats why we read romance right? :)
I was also thrown off a bit with the description of Destiny as this bubbly, young, naive, and slightly air-headed Southern Belle and the juxtaposition with the very descriptive sex scenes. Maybe it was just me, but it felt off/wrong in a way?

This was my first book by this author, and Im interested in reading more in the future.

This book was a delightful romantic comedy that masterfully employs the grumpy-sunshine trope, delivering both humour and heartfelt moments. The narrative centres on Destiny Amor, a dog groomer and aspiring marriage-proposal planner who embodies optimism and a firm belief in true love. Her counterpart, "Fletch" is a divorced sociology professor with a cynical view on romance. Their paths intertwine when Fletch proposes a mutually beneficial arrangement: he'll assist Destiny in organizing her fledgling business if she agrees to pose as his girlfriend to placate his matchmaking family. ​
The book had engaging characters, with fun and laughter. The dynamic between Destiny's unwavering positivity and Fletch's guarded demeanour creates a captivating tension that evolves throughout. Their interactions are both humorous and touching, making their journey from a 'situationship' to something deeper both believable and enjoyable.
It was a heartwarming and entertaining read.

I loved this book and I couldn't put it down once I started reading it and I was hooked from the very first page. This book was so good and didn't want it to end.

This was adorable from start to finish! Not that I’d expect anything less from Melissa Foster! Her stories are always so full of feel-good vibes and this was no exception.

Fletch and Destiny were the perfect pair! She brought him out of his Grumpy Gus shell, and he let her Sunshine flag fly high and accepted all of her. I love that love snuck up on them! I also loved all the little gestures Fletch did for Destiny. For a naysayer, he sure was good at it!

The scenes involving Mama and Daddy Amor had me tearing up! It was so beautiful the way Fletch fully embraced their existence. Destiny’s way of dealing with her grief was beautiful and the chapter where she talked about missing out on certain things with her mum had me blubbering.

Overall this was a sweet, small town romance with a wonderful found family and positivity for days! Also special shoutout goes to the fur babies, Clem and Molly., the best members of the whole family. I can’t wait to see what Melissa has for us next!!

Loved these two sooo much. Fletcher and Destiny tried being friends, but their chemistry was off the charts. So they try the friends with benefits route. Will it end once their fake dating period ends or will they try for happily ever after.

This is a terrific, make-you-chuckle romance that will surely have you unable to put it down. The Mr. Right Checklist is an opposites-attract, grumpy-sunshine, fake-relationship love story in which the characters will have you wiping away the tears from laughing so hard. Ms. Foster always delivers a storyline that is addictive, so easy to get lost in and such a joy to read.
We are given two people who you would never think would work together because of their personalities. Destiny is a free-spirited, easy-going woman who is trying to love life to the fullest but has had some sad moments in her life. She seems to let things roll off her back because she sees the best in things. Trying to start a new proposal business sees her in the middle of a fiasco. The man who was being proposed is none other than Mr. Grumpy Gus, Ryan Fletcher, the owner of the dog she grooms at her job. Well, just when she thought her life was going to end up in shambles, Fletch becomes her knight in shining armor. Fletcher has loved before and because of what happened he steers away from love and all that goes with it but there is something about Destiny that pulls on his heart. He just can't keep away.
I loved the way he helps her and when she reveals some personal secrets about her life, he embraces them and her. The two of them helped and healed one another. Their connection was instant and beautiful.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Destiny and Fletcher. Destiny works part time at a dog groomer and is trying to start a business too. Fletcher teaches at a college. They meet while Fletcher has his dog groomed. There is an instant attraction. Fletcher offers to help set up her new business. They start spending every afternoon together. He ask her to be his plus one for his brother’s wedding. She agrees. They start dating. They fall in love.

Fletch and Destiny are the perfect Grumpy/Sunshine duo. The Mr Right Checklist is heartwarming and hilarious. The perfect read for cold winter nights!