4.5 ⭐
What a cute story!! Grace Hastings and Eric Bancroft are rival coworkers for a dating app company. Grace works for a dating app focused on finding a long-term relationship whereas Bancroft’s app is more for hookups. They both get the opportunity to vie for the Head of Marketing position for a brand new app. It’s the job of their dreams. They must take each other on dates for the new app to test them out before they give their final pitch presentations to see who will get the promotion. Grace and Eric were friends years ago but had become enemies. So as they compete for the coveted new position, could they also have the opportunity to find real love? This book reminded me a lot of the Hating Game and I loved every second of reading it. The date experiences they go on were terrible, funny and spicy. The banter was excellent!! What a perfect debut novel. I will be adding Annabelle Slator to my must read author list.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is Annabelle Slator’s debut novel, and it was perfect to read around Valentine’s Day! The plot is super original and extremely addictive; I was up until 2 am most nights reading it on my kindle. The enemies to lovers dynamic between Grace and Eric was beautifully written!! I do, however, wish that Grace would’ve fessed up and told her true feelings a lot sooner than she did. I also would’ve loved more dialogue between the characters, as I found myself wanting to skim over some parts that weren’t dialogue after 75%. Overall, I really would recommend this to everyone. Slator really did a great job, and I will most definitely be buying her next book (and shamelessly hoping for more spice and dialogue ❤️‍🔥).

a sparkling debut full of wit and charm. I couldn't put this one down. Can't wait to read anything Annabelle Slator writes.

Overall, I liked this one!

Slow burn, office based romance, friends to enemies to frenemies, as the two are up for the same promotion and have been charged to work together to launch a new dating app (they work at rival dating apps owned by the same company.) Fake dating is very loosely applied here only because people assume they are dating based on their assignment (try out dating ideas for the new app.)

Grace was kind of stuck in a rut. Eric helped her get out of her life rut but in a really round about way. He brings out the best in her, even if she doesn't want to admit it. The situation with her ex was kind of bonkers, like whoa, let me digest this a bit and I'm not sure who well she truly digested it. Eric is your typical swoonworthy, handsome, rich suitor, who's obviously in love with her but she can't see it. I liked him, but he was written kind of obvious. I wish the flashbacks were either more frequent or more of them or something, they were just kind of thrown in and the flow was knocked off by them at times (even though they were pertinent.)

The date ideas were super cool and probably my favorite part! There is one area that I don't think was addressed and it really needed to be (unless I just skimmed and missed it) and that was them both matching with each other on the Ignite app??? They never brought it up with each other? Seemed like a missed opportunity.

Overall, really enjoyed it, great debut for the author! Excited to see where she goes from here.

3.5 Stars

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.

The Launch Date is Annabelle Slator’s debut & she’s a new auto buy author for me! This is a workplace rivals to lovers romance, and it was so well done. Grace and Eric work at a company that develops dating apps and have to team up to work on a new app while also competing for the same promotion. They used to be friends but now are rivals, and I loved trying to figure out what happened to make them hate each other. Their flirty banter was so fun. I loved the chemistry and slow burn between them.

This book is truly perfect for fans of The Hating Game and The Spanish Love Deception.

I love a good workplace, friends to enemies/rivals to lovers romance. This book definitely fits that bill. Not to mention some delightful work-related forced proximity/fake dating. I loved that Eric never doubted his feelings for Grace. Eric was honestly pretty perfect. Sexy, smart, charming, supportive, and constantly pushing FMC to be her best. I don’t know how Grace held out for so long because I probably would’ve folded like a chair.

I took off one star because the main issue was the result of massive miscommunication. If FMC wasn’t so against confrontation their issues would have been resolved a long time ago.

That being said, this was an easy, fun read and I finished it in under a day.

I adored this book. It was the hating game on steroids. Friends to enemies to lovers, workplace romance, one bed, he falls first trope. Fabulous banter, supportive best friends, and dealing with an ex. So good and I can’t wait to read more from the author.

I received an arc from Netgalley and the publisher.

Thank you to Annabelle Slator for writing this book. A workplace enemies to lovers almost always hits right. It’s just a good trope for a reason and this book was no different.

Grace and Eric used to be workplace friends. Now? Not so much. They are forced to work together while working for the same promotion. What could go wrong? Or right?

This book was really well done. I liked Grace and Eric and I kept reading cause I wanted to know their past and future.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for providing a DRC of this title for review.

Fun and romantic-- I really enjoyed! Would definitely recommend for patrons who are interested in a book where a young woman finds herself (and romance) amidst the corporate world of online dating apps.

4.25 stars/5.

The Launch Date by Annabelle Slator

Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 1/5 🌶️

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Launch Date is a delightfully charming romantic comedy that excellently combines workplace romance and enemies-to-lovers tropes!

Grace Hastings and Eric Bancroft used to be friendly colleagues. They work for rival dating apps under the same company and are unexpectedly paired to launch a new app. Going on a series of hypothetical first dates as part of a research effort for their company's new dating app won't be easy, but Grace is determined to be the one that wins. Soon, there are sparks and adventure as they navigate their growing attraction.

Grace is such an amazing FMC! The way in which Grace’s imposter syndrome is portrayed as well as how she begins to grow in confidence throughout the course of the story was so great to see. It was also interesting to learn more about Eric’s backstory and to see his character development. The banter between the MCs was incredible and the chemistry was evident throughout. They make such a cute couple and the slow burn really helps to emphasize how great they are for each other.

With humor, impeccable chemistry, and lots of heart, this debut novel is absolutely delightful. I am so excited to see what Annabelle Slator writes next!

Tropes:
- Enemies to lovers
- He falls first
- Workplace romance
- Forced proximity

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this book.
Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with the characters in this story, and because of that I got bored of reading this book. I am thinking of trying this one on audio later on though...

The Launch Date offers a delightful twist on the classic tale of workplace rivals caught in a web of undeniable chemistry. Meet Grace and Eric, two ambitious colleagues whose complicated history makes their forced collaboration anything but smooth sailing. Tasked with completing a high-stakes performance project that could secure a coveted promotion, they find themselves embarking on a series of staged dates for the dating app company they both represent.

As they navigate these faux romantic outings, their initial banter and tensions gradually give way to deeper connections. It turns out that Eric’s past remarks were the very reason Grace distanced herself, but as they spend more time together, they confront their unresolved feelings and misunderstandings. The story masterfully strikes a balance between lighthearted entertainment and poignant emotional moments, making it a captivating read.

If you're a fan of slow-burn workplace romances that blend humor with heartfelt depth, The Launch Date is definitely a must-read!

3.5 * Rounded Up
An overall sweet and fun office romance set in London. I enjoyed the slow build of friendship and the overall slow burn of this friends to rivals to lovers romance. I think it was a tad too long for me, it had some parts that dragged on a tad but in general it was cute. It is a great February romance read and overall a great office romance. The main characters are likeable and have good chemistry, they also both go through growth and its lovely to watch them open up to each other. This is a good debut, looking forward to this authors next book!

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon and HarperCollins for granting me access in exchange for an honest review.

The Launch Date is perfect for Ali Hazelwood fans who love a good rivals to lovers romance with a bit of miscommunication/ misunderstanding!!

This story follows Eric and Grace, two rivals working at competing dating apps, as they go head-to-head for a promotion. The only problem? They have to go on a series of test-dates with each other to get it. 😏

I loved that I got to experience the real connection between the characters as well as their individual character arc too!!

tropes/what to know:
☆ Single-POV
☆ Rivals to lovers
☆ Forced proximity
☆ Workplace romance
☆ Socialite playboy ~ Workaholic
☆ Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an Adam Ed copy of The Launch Date in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t rate book low all Willy Nilly. Knowing the sheer amount of time and effort that goes into a book makes rating it low difficult. However, this book just wasn’t enjoyable for me. I tried, I really did.

Before I get into the reasons I didn’t like it, there some enjoyable moments. The banter was pretty good and kept things interesting. This book really focused on self love and women empowerment, which was lovely. For the corporate girlys, you’ll probably like this.

Now…some reasons I did not this book. The MMC gave me gay best friend vibes. Especially since before they had a mysterious falling out they were really good work friends. Not in a work husband way, in a bestie way. So I wasn’t sold on him as the love interest until things started to come out (for lack of better word) and things started getting spicy. Another thing that bothered me was just some of the story was lackluster. Office moments were boring, long scenes where nothing really happened, and the such. Finally, where was HR?

Despite going back and forth one time too many, I loved this workplace enemies to lovers romance.

I enjoyed the British-isms and London setting too.

It was charming and fun and sexy - the big three!

I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Wonderful debut novel. Our two leads both work for a dating app company, and are forced to go on trial dates for work. Shenanigans ensue. I'm screaming and kicking my feet.
*workplace
*friends to enemies to lovers
*slow burn
*he carries her down a mountain when she's injured (swoon)

In all seriousness, I had a really shitty day yesterday that included having to put my 18 year old cat to sleep unexpectedly. I spent a few hours crying about it, then more time crying with my husband and kids about it. And then after my kids went to bed I sat down and read the last 25% of this book. A great romance book is certainly good for the soul, in my opinion. This book really gave me something to smile about last night and I appreciate that. Love is real and important, and this is one of those books that show how having love in your life (of all types) can help you blossom into the best person you can be.

Big thanks to netgalley and Avon books for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Please be advised, there might be some light spoilers here.

This was a hard one for me. I actually had to take a few days to consider my feelings on it. The first twenty percent of the book was torturous. I couldn’t get a good handle on the male lead, the female lead was far too weak (and we never really knew why, just that big things happened), and the boss reads like an overdone asian drama villian. There were several times I wanted to DNF, but I at least try to get to the fourty percent mark with any book before doing so. I am glad I continued.

As the two spend more time together, you see more of not only their personalities but their but their past. You learn more about the big break up Grace went through and why it might have been tramatic for her, making her earlier behavior make much more sense. Plus, the reason that Grace and Eric’s relationship soured, and why they were most bitter. As the story progressed I found myself liking the characters more, and the different dates were fantastic. Roughly the next seventy percent of the book was amazing to me, even if the pacing between the two parts of the was choppy.

The last ten percent of the book was good, but felt rushed. We have a big, fabulous glow-up for Grace, and she even talks to her boss. But it’s like the woman didn’t even know she was being toxic. As soon as she’s called out she becomes an entirely different person- a decent person. I get it, we learned earlier that the boss was having her own dificulties but the instant change in character seemed a bit unrealistic honestly. Eric, on the other hand, never truly seems to change so much as let his guard down again. I enjoyed seeing the different parts of him, and his interactions both with his sister and with Grace.

Once the two called a truce, the chemistry between them was interesting and realistic. I found myself really invested in every interaction. The banter between the two and the dates scenario brings a levity that’s needed here so as not to get too overwhelming. For me, this was a slow start but quickly grew to be a fun, fast read. The pacing in the second half definitely picks up. For me this is a three star book.

As far as adult content goes, there is language, light sexual contact, emotional abuse, bullying, and (very little) violence. I’t geared toward a new adult/ adult audience, I think.

I was lucky enough to recieve an eARC of this book from Netgalley, working with Avon and Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review. This has no baring on the opinions above. My thanks!

Even though I usually hate to dnf books, I just had to with this book at around the 15% mark. I felt no connection to the writing or the characters. I can’t really put my finger on it, but I couldn’t really get into the story and because of that, it was hard for me to continue. Although I didn’t enjoy and finish this book, I know that others might.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the e-ARC.