A workplace enemies to lovers is always a good idea. The slow burn was a bit too slow for me to fully love and enjoy. The characters did live up the rom-com drama and had a tiny bit of tension.

Loved this book! The rom-com was rom-com-ing so perfectly. I loved Slator's writing style and THE TENSION between Grace and Eric! Perfection!

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC!

If you like The Hating Game, you will love this book! Grace and Eric are former friends, current-rivals, who are competing for the Head of Marketing position at a dating app. Their past friendship with each other ended sourly, and now they must learn to work together to create a new experience-based dating app, based on their favorite experiences. Fake dating, rivals - friends - lovers, it was so cute!

I really appreciate how much it was like the Hating Game, but it truly had its own personality and unique aspects of it. It was funny, didn't try too hard, and the romance perfectly fell into place! Never once did it seem forced when they realized they liked each other, which is why I loved how well done it was!

The story features charming characters whose playful banter and subtle chemistry make for some delightful moments. It’s the kind of book that offers a comfortable, breezy read—perfect for those evenings when you want to relax and turn your brain off.

Overall, if you’re in the mood for a cute, uncomplicated romance that provides light entertainment without any major breakthroughs, The Launch Date might be just the ticket. It’s a pleasant, engaging read that scratches the itch for a fun romance, even if it doesn’t leave a lasting impression.

If you love “The Hating Game,” this one’s for you! Workplace romance + rivals-to-lovers + fake dating? Yes, please. The witty banter was chef’s kiss, and the fake dating situations? Pure rom-com gold—think cooking class disasters 🍳🔥 and a very spicy couples yoga session. 🧘‍♂️🥵

The pacing kept me hooked from start to finish, making it an easy, binge-worthy read. I also loved the single POV, which made it easy to connect with the protagonist.

That said, the miscommunication trope was a bit frustrating at times—I just wanted them to talk! But overall, this book delivered on the tension, the swoon, and all the laugh-out-loud moments. If you’re in the mood for a fun, flirty romance with plenty of heat, definitely read “The Launch Date.”

I liked this, It was a cute read with the trope of fake dating. Thank you so much for letting me get to read this.

4.5 stars!! 🌟 A spicy workplace romance that had me turning page after page after page! I loved it. Such a fun debut read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

i really liked this book it was a fun read and made me happy when i was reading it, i did wish it was dual pov but everything else was done amazing. cannot wait to read more by slator.

Cute read. Really enjoyed the characters, and felt a connection with the fmc. I could not put this down and it had me laughing out loud!

Well, this was the perfect read for February and a great debut! I don’t normally celebrate Valentine’s Day but my husband decided we should do something and this book gave me a great day date idea (it’s a surprise for the hubby but check back tomorrow.) Grace and Eric’s personalities worked so well together and their banter was spot on. There is some strong character growth (necessary for a rom com!) and the ending was strong. Slator is now on my must read list!

There’s nothing I love more than an office rivals romance. The tension, the yearning, the banter and wit that came with both Eric and Grace was so much fun to read. This is a perfect cozy rom-com that gives you that warm fizzy feeling inside when the characters finally let down their guard. I definitely think this falls into a slow burn, as nothing truly happens until closer to 70% of the way into the book. I love slow burns and this was perfectly executed. Eric had me giggling and kicking my feet the whole way through.

3.5 rounded to 4 A charming workplace enemies-to-lovers romcom, this debut novel follows Grace Hastings, a marketing manager stuck in a job with a terrible boss and fresh off a breakup. When she’s offered a shot at a promotion—if she test-drives a new dating app with her office rival, Eric Bancroft—she’s forced to put their animosity aside. As they embark on a series of curated dates, their competitive tension slowly transforms into something more. With witty British banter, a well-paced mix of past and present, and a relatable slow-burn romance, this book delivers humor, heart, and the perfect Valentine’s season read. The audiobook, narrated by Sara Novak, adds an extra layer of charm, making it an even more enjoyable experience for fans of The Hating Game and Beth O’Leary’s novels.

Thank you to @netgalley @harperaudio and @penguinrandomhouse for this ARC and ALC

It has been a long time since a I’ve been so enamored by a romance that I have stayed up past midnight to finish it, but The Launch Date had me hooked and would not let me go!

Grace and Eric work at the same company for competing dating apps. Despite being opposites, they used to be friends, but following *an incident* they are now rivals. When the chance for a big promotion goes up, they must work together on a series of test dates to help launch this new in person dating app. As they spend more time together, Grace and Eric begin to realize they might be after the same thing after all.

I loved this book. This was a bit of a slow burn, but the tension between the two main characters is so great I didn’t even mind. While the majority of the story is told in present day, we do get flashbacks to when Grace and Eric first meet and start working together, which helps to better understand why they are so at odds now. I loved getting to know both main characters and really liked them both. I saw this book was compared to The Hating Game, which is one of my favorite contemporaries, and I definitely see why!

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for a review copy.

Fun workplace, friendship-to-enemies-to-lovers romance with a bit of heart. I felt Grace could be a little immature at times but I really like Eric’s character.

I enjoyed reading The Launch Date by Annabelle Slator. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

This was such a fun workplace romance! When both Eric and Grace are up for promotion at work, their research on a new dating app not only puts them against each other but also as allys in testing out first date activities (cooking class, hiking, a gallery, yoga). It's only a matter of time before things start to heat up between them! While I would have loved a dual POV on this, I loved watching Eric and Grace go from work friends (via flashbacks) to enemies to friends to more (but let's be honest, were they ever friends?



Thank you Netgalley, and Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my review!

The Launch Date by Annabelle Slator was a fun and enjoyable enemies to lovers workplace romance.
A slow burn story with such engaging characters.
The characters were interesting. I found the story to be well paced and enjoyable throughout the whole book.

So I'm guessing workplace romances are not my favorites trope in the romance world. Launch Date has two co-workers shrouded in miscommunications, working together on a project. Grace is convinced Eric is playboy, and has avoided him after one fateful experience at the company. Grace's characters felt a bit immature at times, especially for someone seeking a BIG promotion. I also felt that Eric didn't give off love interest vibes.

This story dabbles in some fun banter and some spicy scenes. Overall, this novel had me thinking where was HR during all this stuff between them?

Thank you, Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon

4.25⭐
.5 🌶️
Tropes/Themes: Workplace romance, hate to love, forced proximity
Single POV 1st person

This book started off slow, and it took me a while to get into it. And when they sat down to watch the Keira Knightly version of P&P I almost took a whole star off because everyone knows that the BBC version is superior. 😤
(I legit wrote in my notes *considers giving you up* like that Rick Astley meme 😂)

Movie preferences aside, once I got into the story I really started to enjoy it. At first I felt like I was thrown into the middle of the story with her relationship to Bancroft, which I understand is the point to build tension and not give it all away at the beginning but it was a little too vague I guess.

I wasn’t a huge fan of how Grace is simultaneously super insecure but hates me and talks like every man is a piece of shit but I also have a love/hate relationship with feminism.

Amelia’s character is exceptionally written because I found myself hating her so much. So, so much. But again, that’s the point. Actually, I found all the character to be very well written.

Despite not being sure if I would enjoy this book at the beginning, I did eventually get sucked into it about 30% in. It’s a really cute premise for a book. Obviously the storyline is pretty predictable but it’s still enjoyable. The story sort of reminded me of a modernized Bridget Jones’ Diary mashed up with The Devil Wears Prada, both of which I enjoy. In the end, my biggest complaint is the lack of spice.

i fear i am going to dnf this for now. whether it be the london setting or the tone slator was going for (is this a debut?) the writing was reading really immature and i could not get past it. the quick, stilted sentences left me feeling disconnected and i wasn’t buying their “enemies” to lovers, which seemed pretty childish. i wouldn’t give up rn though and look forward to her sophomore novel 💫 i will leave my review here instead of publicly- thank you!