This was a perfect romance and I think will be a very popular summer 2025 romance read. This is an author I hadn't read before which is why I requested. Thanks so much for the copy!

The Ripple Effect started strong. The premise hooked me right away, and the emotional setup had real promise. I was interested in where it might go, especially with the themes of grief, healing, and connection—but unfortunately, it didn’t fully hold my attention as the story unfolded.

The pacing felt uneven, and while the writing had some beautiful moments, the plot lost momentum about halfway through. I found myself less invested in the characters as things progressed, and by the end, it just didn’t leave much of an impact on me.

That said, readers who enjoy quieter, introspective stories with a slower emotional burn might still find something meaningful here. It just didn’t quite land for me personally.

This book follows Dr. Stellar Byrd, burnt out ER physician just trying to get her footing under her again, and Lyle "McHuge" McHugh, sunshine of a psychologist trying to run his therapy canoeing business. Stellar and McHuge has what you could call a complicated history - a one night stand and now co-workers when Dr. Byrd takes a job as the camp physician. The chemistry and tension between the two of them is crackling from the beginning. Faking an engagement certainly doesn't help their attraction to one another. This was such a cute summer, camping romance and so fun! Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted eARC. All opinions are my own.

Instagram post will be live week of 02Jun25.

4.25⭐️ All the things I enjoyed about Rules for Second Chances are in The Ripple Effect but in a new way. Burn out is in so many careers. The medical field is no different, and Covid didn’t help. Stellar knows that all too well. It didn’t help she was also greatly taken advantage of and thrown to the curb. So what now? Well, there is a camp doctor needed. The only problem it’s a relationship therapy camping startup with non other than McHuge, the man she ghosted. Let’s not forget that he needs her to pretend to be his fiancé for more creditability as a relationship psychologist. So much for avoiding him. Especially since the scary giant is a super considerate teddy bear. Safe to say Stellar is in trouble to lose something. Her heart maybe.

Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress and @maggienorthauthor for the advanced reader copy.

⭐️: 3.25
🌶️: 2

Favorite Quote:
"You should've used a paper towel. The sterile stuff is really expensive."

"They can bill me," she growls.

"It's Canada. They don't know how."

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I picked up this book. I loved the premise idea of a burnt out ER doctor needing a change of pace and through a round of hi-jinx ends up in a fake dating, forced proximity, grump sunshine, plethora of tropes heavy plot in the wilderness of Canada. What I got was slightly different.

The good? The story was interesting and I wanted to find out what happened next. I wasn’t expecting a few of the twists and I loved the emotional growth of the FMC Stellar. There was also a lot of Neurodivergent representation which I appreciated greatly along with some touching moments about growing older and not quite being the same as you once were.

The not so great? It took a lot of energy and pages for this book to grab me. I literally couldn’t believe how long the story was taking between 4% and 12%. I would say it took until 20% for the story to really hit its stride.

There was also a lot of random descriptions and words that really didn’t say a lot? I found this especially hard during the spicy scenes where I couldn’t quite figure out what was going on. I would flip back and forth between the pages thinking I had missed something. It was more intellectual spicy than physical spicy if I had to attempt to describe it. This also popped up a bit when it came to some of the more hippy-dippy psych sessions. But I guess that’s kind of how that world works some of the time. A lot of talking without a lot of meaning.

I also really didn’t understand the MMC if I’m being honest. He’s a gentle giant yogi who would give you the shirt off his back (literally), but I felt like we never really got to know him very well? Like there’s hints of him but they felt like plot points that never got tied up. I do usually love the “he falls first” trope but in this case the insta love kind of put me off.

Maybe this book just wasn’t for me. I’m not a very outdoorsy kinda person (even though I’m from the PNW) nor am I in a relationship or been in one that required this level of couples therapy. So maybe I had a hard time connecting with those characters? But the through line story is an entertaining which is why I gave it the rating I did.

Okay, the premise of this was very intriguing! Lyle and Stellar (with a history of a ONS situation), have to work together at this couples wilderness” therapy” retreat involving whitewater canoeing. To make it believable for publicity purposes, they also enter a fake engagement. I really loved the relationship between Lyle and Stellar because of the grumpy/sunshine dynamic. Ngl it took me some time to get used to their names.

Stellar is a complex character and I found her inner conflicts really relatable at times. Lyle was such a lovable cinnamon roll with such a protective side for everyone he loves. I just wish this book was dual POV because it was often difficult to understand Lyle. While his motives were explained, the reading experience would have been better with chapters from his perspective. The sibling relationship portrayed in this was very sweet too.

My main issue was that the plot was very slow and I didn’t feel fully engaged with it. It dragged on forever to the point where I was beginning to lose interest outside of the main romance. While Lyle and Stellar were very lovable, they needed a little more development and I wish there was a longer focus on the past. It would have added more to the second-chance aspect of the storyline. While there wasn’t a third act breakup in this, the other conflict with the antagonist was quite predictable with the foreshadowing. I also felt that the ending was very rushed and I was left with wanting more closure.

No doubt that it’s very well written, though! The author covers a lot of touching themes like burnout and mental health. There were so many lines that I loved from this too. While this is not a favorite of mine, it was still a refreshing romance and a quick read.

The Ripple Effect by Maggie North

Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 2/5 🌶️🌶️

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Ripple Effect is a great second chance romance full of adventure and heart! The plot is enjoyable and the characters are super interesting.

Stellar J. Byrd is an exhausted doctor who is struggling. Lyle McHugh (McHuge) is a psychologist and founder of a relationship therapy camp. Stellar takes a job as the physician for the camp. But she has been avoiding Lyle after hooking up with him. She plans to avoid him as much as possible. However, after an article puts Lyle's credibility on the line, they fake an engagement to save the camp from shutting down.

Stellar doesn't trust feelings and tries to avoid them. Lyle is happy with letting Stellar open up on her own terms. Even though they are opposites in many ways, they work well together. The summer camp vibes were top notch and the side characters were great. The emotional growth throughout the story was wonderful. All in all, a quick, enjoyable, and fun read!

I really enjoyed the author’s writing style, and the use of strong character building. This novel has two main characters that fake an engagement to assist in a retreat center having a successful business. Those attending the retreat are facing relationship issues and are seeking help on building more healthy relationships. While I liked the idea of this novel, I felt most of the story was a bit cheesy. Maybe that was the author’s intention and maybe readers will enjoy that however it was not really for me. I also felt that there was too much imagery in regards to the size of the MMC.

I love complex characters, and these two were written so beautifully. The burnt out former ER doctor FMC and the sunshiney camp psychologist MMC made for such an interesting duo. The writing was so heartfelt and captivating and I found myself rooting so hard for Stellar to find her happiness and to feel complete in her life. I LOVED Lyle and how patient and kind he was to Stellar when she needed a soft love the most.

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me and DNF'd around the 50% mark. I really enjoyed the camp setting with the adventure of whitewater canoeing. However, it was really difficult for me to like or connect with the female main character, Stellar. Stellar just doesn't know what she wants in life. Does she like men or women? What is she doing with her career? It was unclear exactly what happened with her ER physician job. At times it is referenced that she was burned out but then says she was let go. Either way, she also just doesn't know what she wants in life for a job either. It's hard for me to believe an ER doc will walk away and start doing minimum wage jobs just to get by. I just couldn't get past this. I hope by the end of the book she gets her life together. While I didn't enjoy this I know there are many who will.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

Grown up summer camp books are some of my favorite subgenre of romance books, and is a new spin on that. Stellar and Lyle aka McHuge had a one night stand that ended in her ghosting him (the sex was good but catching feelings is a no go for her). But when Stellar can help with her best friend's husband's business venture, and that best friend just so happens to be partners with McHuge, Stellar has no choice but to help. Both Stellar and McHuge are Dealing With Some Sh!t, and it's interesting to see how they each handle their core wounds. I loved the cast of characters and the setting. I'm not an outdoorsy person but I love a romance set in the woods!

I really enjoyed this one! It goes by really quickly and is a perfect quick summer read.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

4.5/5 stars

I could not wait for McHugh’s (McHuge’s) story since we met him in Rules for Second Chances. This gentle giant, who is a little bit of a hippy, and also has a PhD in psychology. He was such an interesting character. And then to have the firecracker of Steller J, ER Doctor and best friend of fmc in book1 be the love interest…and they seem to have a history!? I was 100% invested.

I loved the banter and tension between these two. There was so much going on under the surface. And you could tell that McHuge knew Steller J was a runner if he showed how much he really cared about her.

Steller J is an ER Doc who has left medicine after a mess with her prior job. I loved how Mc Huge said to her when they talked about it.

“They didn’t steal everything,” he says, after a while. “They took a lot, but you kept yourself. When you walked out the door, your talent and drive and creativity went with you. They lost a lot when they lost you.”

How many of us needed to hear something like that after something has ended? I loved the scenes where these two finally open up to each other. I got very emotional.

I am admittedly NOT an outdoorsy person, so that Maggie North made this (camping, rafting, portaging etc) something that sounded interesting vs something I have no desire to ever do, is a testament to her writing!

I can’t wait for everyone to read this one!

✨Ya’ll I had the absolute joy of being part of Maggie North’s traveling ARC team for her upcoming release, The Ripple Effect …floating into the world on ✨June 17, 2025!!✨ This one’s an interconnected standalone sequel (say that five times fast!) to Rules for Second Chances and it totally pulled me in like a little canoe on the water, emotional, and full of moments that made my heart flutter. I’ve never done a traveling ARC before…where you read it, annotate it, and send it off to the next reader…and I am officially OBSESSED.

: I loved the dynamic between Stellar and Lyle. It’s that delicious slow burn energy…tender, and so intense. And Lyle?? McHuge. Gentle giant. MY TYPE, just my type. Their story felt like tiptoeing back into something you didn’t know you missed…soft, hopeful, and sweet.

Thank you again, for the arc and for the opportunity!

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

It’s Emotional Catharsis Spring. Oh, that’s not a thing? It sure felt like it reading The Ripple Effect by Maggie North. This book is a stunning plumbing of humanity, nature, & the relationships we decide to have with others.

Stellar Byrd is an often angry woman who used that anger to help other people survive as an emergency physician—and to help herself live with a high-stress pandemic job and a history of emotional trauma.

Lyle McHugh is a psychologist who tries not to get angry, given his own history.

This is a second chance romance that kicks into gear when Lyle and Stellar work together to get a white water couples therapy business off the ground.

Maggie North is a fantastic writer. The way that she describes human emotions can be revelatory and her descriptions in general have so much beautiful detail.

Stellar & Lyle really come together in a lovely seemingly mismatched way.

5 ⭐️, out 6/17.

CWs: parental abandonment, betrayal, professional toxicity, references to the pandemic

The Ripple Effect is a light, trope-filled romance that combines fake dating with a blend of enemies-to-lovers and friends-to-lovers energy, all set against the unique backdrop of a whitewater rafting retreat. The outdoor adventure setting is front and centre, and while I’m not especially sporty myself, I appreciated the fresh take. One of the main characters is a psychologist (like me!), which initially caught my interest, and although that aspect wasn’t deeply explored, it added an intriguing layer to the dynamic. The writing was solid, and while the story didn’t fully sweep me away, it was an enjoyable, easy read that I was glad to finish.

Good romance, not enemies to lovers but they are not friends either. There is way too much emphasis on Lyle's size as a person and I think that is to emphasize how smart and kind he is but in this instance a little goes a long way. Her relationship with Liz is also hard to understand since it seems one sided most of the time. The one thing I loved about this books is how both the main characters and other side characters were queer; it was not a big deal, it was just a fact and I think its high time more books do this.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley & Maggie North for the ARC of The Ripple Effect.

Stellar has built up every wall and runs on anger and making sure all her relationships are perfectly balanced. Lyle's size is the first thing anyone notices about him, and he has constructed his whole giving-to-a-fault personality around no one ever finding him to be angry, read: scary.

This is my first Maggie North book, and her writing just didn't really jive with me. It felt *too* descriptive and like every little thing was a simile or a metaphor. I also had a hard time getting around the names in this book (a grown, hippy-ish man being called McHuge by almost everyone in his life, Stellar J Byrd being named for a type of jay, honestly Lyle isn't that much better.) If I wasn't reading this as an ARC, I may have DNF'd, but I will say that around 35% I became more invested. That's around when the action of the camp starts happening, so there is more going on with the characters and the plot.

I liked the way we got to see what makes both Stellar and Lyle tick in their particular ways and also the exploration of how they can compliment each other and build each other up and what happens if they can't or don't. There is also good bi and pan rep, and mention of being poly without judgement.

Overall, I liked the story and characters here (even bristly, stubborn Stellar), but the prose just wasn't for me.

Maggie North captures the landscape of her novel so well in this cozy, swoon-worthy romance. I loved the dynamic between the mmc and fmc and couldn't stop reading. This is a great romance that blends heavy topics with real chemistry between the characters.

I adore everything about this book. The cover? Stunning! The characters? Loveable! I won’t be able to say enough about this book!

To save her friend's business, Stellar offers to be fake engaged to Lyle "McHuge" McHugh. Stellar has done her best over the past year to forget her one-night-stand with Lyle, but he's hard to forget, and now the two are stuck in a small tent in the wilderness teaching couples how to whitewater raft in canoes to strengthen their relationships. Add in a long-lost sister (who is also famous) and an evil academic advisor, and you have a recipe for shenanigans.

The Ripple Effect is part of a series, but I did not read the first one, and I didn't feel like I was missing anything.

I've been having a really hard time reading lately, and I breezed through this book. Stellar and Lyle are easy to root for, and the setting and plot are fairly unique. Yes, fake engagements have been done, but the boat-based couple's therapy is a new take. I would highly recommend this to anyone seeking a contemporary romance with some outdoorsy vibes and fun characters with interesting backgrounds.