This was my first read by Maggie and I can certainly see myself reading more of her work. The premise of this story was interesting. I will admit it took me a bit to get into it but once I did, I throughly enjoyed it. Maggie did a good job writing an ideal setting at Love Boat. I enjoyed reading how Stellar navigated and worked through her past. And it’s worth mentioning that McHuge is book boyfriend goals.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read and review Ripple Effect.

I’m not always a lover of second chance romances, but I adore grumpy-sunshine stories, especially if the male lead is the sunshine. So even though this was a second chance romance, I adored Stellar and Lyle together. I loved Lyle’s sweetness, Stellar’s growth, and the overall messiness of The Ripple Effect.

I can’t wait to read more by Maggie North!

Maggie North’s *The Ripple Effect* is a heartwarming and humorous grumpy-sunshine romance set in a unique whitewater canoeing and relationship therapy camp. At its core is Dr. Stellar J Byrd, a burnt-out former ER doctor who takes a job as the camp physician at The Love Boat, where couples paddle through rapids to address their relationship issues.

Stellar's pragmatic nature clashes with the camp’s philosophy of vulnerability, especially when she teams up with the charming, optimistic Dr. Will Sloan. When a PR mishap threatens funding, they concoct a plan to fake an engagement to attract investors, but their staged romance begins to feel all too real.

North weaves sharp, witty dialogue with tender moments, capturing Stellar’s journey from isolation to self-acceptance. The novel vividly portrays the wilderness, enhancing the story’s adventurous spirit. With its blend of humor, heart, and relatable themes of healing and rediscovering joy, *The Ripple Effect* will appeal to fans of grumpy-sunshine romances and feel-good narratives., this book delivers in spades.

a LOT of inner monologue and not enough of MMC for my liking. Setting is beautiful

A grumpy burnt out physician and a sunshine psychologist must fake an engagement to save his whitewater canoeing/ relationship therapy startup in Maggie North's sparkling second novel about starting over.

Burned-out former ER doc Stellar J Byrd can solve any crisis except her own life. But with her financial prospects dwindling, she’d do anything to stay in her beloved, pricey wilderness town—even take a job as a camp physician at The Love Boat, an unspeakably touchy-feely whitewater canoeing/ relationship therapy startup. If there are sing-alongs, she’s calling in sick.

What’s worse? The founder is Lyle “McHuge” McHugh, the sunshiny psychologist she’s masterfully avoided since their disastrous hookup last year. Hardheaded relationship bean-counter Stellar plans to dodge his pathological generosity from now until September, but after a scathing article puts McHuge's credibility into question, the two are forced into a fake engagement to salvage the camp’s crumbling public image. It’s strictly business . . . but the more closely they work together, the more Stellar realizes her feelings for Lyle are anything but professional.

This summer is nothing like Stellar expected, but could it be exactly what she needed? With a colorful cast of camp-goers, including a journalist intent on bringing The Love Boat down and an estranged celebrity sibling, plus a dash of corporate espionage, Maggie North’s signature heart and heat shine in The Ripple Effect.

This was so good! Basically it's a second chance romance set in a white-water canoeing relationship therapy experience.
The two main characters, Lyle and Stellar were both relatable and I spent a lot of time thinking about Stellar's way of dealing with everyone so there is balance in the relationship. As someone who doesn't like to owe anyone anything, this really resonated.
There are obstacles aplenty along the way but much like whitewater canoeing, I'd imagine, you learn a lot and pick it up quick or you're swimming nose up toes up.
By the end, I was rooting for these two and the love boat crew.
Highly recommend.
Thank you to St. Martin's Publishing Group for the chance to read this gem.

I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. This was a pretty good book that I enjoyed reading on holiday!

A fake engagement with a former one night stand to save a fledgling business that is part couples counseling and part outdoor adventure? Sure, why not. Somehow it even works. The story ended up being as messy and fun as I had hoped with different couple who sign up for the course and some nefarious moves by a competitor. The romance was a bit less successful. McHuge was a sweetheart, if a bit one-note. Stellar and her internal thoughts got to be exhausting and so repetitive that I had a hard time buying her sudden turnaround. I was more interested in the business than the romance. I had a good time with this book and look forward to what North writes next.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review..

Thank you net galley!
4.5 / 5 stars!
I LOVED this. McHuge was such a fun character in Book 1 and Stellar was such a great best friend, I knew I was going to like seeing them together. I didn't realize I'd like it THAT much.
1) I think the setting here is pivotal, and again, and outdoors setting with whitewater canoeing/kayaking serving as the backdrop to solving relationship problems? Just brilliant. It's its own character, rightfully so, and its described beautifully
2) There is a whole passage and section around the misogyny in medicine and the lack of professionalism around PhDs and as someone who sits squarely between both, I could FEEL this
3) There was a good amount of spice but the language was really well done and never felt over the top. This second chance romance just WORKED between the two, and their tension was palpable and believable
I just plain enjoyed this cover to cover. I think Maggie North excels at writing body language and expression...I just want to take this trip!

[Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Maggie North & NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.]

Stellar J. Byrd, a former ER doctor, is desperate to stay near her best friend. She begrudgingly accepts a job as the camp physician at The Love Boat, a whitewater canoeing/therapy. The only issue is that Stellar has been avoiding one of the co-founders, Lyle "McHuge" McHugh since they hooked up a year ago.

When The Love Boat loses their celebrity endorsement and reservations after a scathing review - all before the camp even has its first session - Stellar proposes a fake engagement. Strictly professional, of course.

Thoughts:
One of my favorite things about North's books is that they take their time to let the story breathe. The characters (main and secondary) are so well developed that it's easy to notice their growth and root for them.

Stellar is always angry and sees relationships as transactional, trying to keep everything balanced. McHuge is a gentle giant, quick to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Despite their glaring differences, they share a lot in common. Both carry scars from their pasts and have built walls to protect themselves.

It's such a tender, vulnerable story about stepping out of your comfort zone and realizing that deep down, everyone is just looking for a connection (whether it's romantic, platonic, or familial). And sometimes you need to stop fighting the current and let go.

The diversity in this book shines (neurodivergence, sexual identities, ethnic background, etc) and the secondary characters add so much heart and humor. Oh, and did I mention that there's possible espionage involving The Love Boat? It'll keep you hooked!

My kindle is packed with highlighted passages (sometimes it felt like I was highlighting more than I left unhighlighted) because every word felt so intentional and meaningful.

This book works as a standalone but I highly recommend reading 'The Rules for Second Chances' first to get more background on the characters.

Unfortunately this was a miss for me. From the start I felt like I was missing major details. The way we jump right into the story made me feel like I had skipped entire pages. All along the way I just kept feeling like I needed more information. I had a difficult time feeling the connection, it seemed forced & baseless. The main characters were both strong, interesting characters & the plot was interesting enough. I just never got into the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

I really struggled to maintain interest in this book. It was drawn out and I couldn't connect with the main characters. So much of the story was internal and reflective, that I had a hard time remembering what was actually happening throughout the story. It felt overly descriptive and, while it is a slow burn, it felt more like a slow-ignite before anything started burning. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

love when authors create a story with a really big guy as a main character. Like bulky, strong, muscular, and tall. I don’t know why other than maybe that’s just my type. But I love the interaction between the characters when you just have the super big guy.

Usually, they are depicted as super sweet, soft, emotional, nurturing people, and generally misunderstood.

The male main character in this particular story is exactly as I described, which is a perfect offset for the female lead who is very complex and afraid of her own feelings. She is tense, and healing, and we all feel it.

There are so many complexities about this girl that it’s difficult to explain them. But rest assured, the growing development between these two is so sweet. I love how they interact together—soft, swoony, and afraid of their feelings.

The author dives in deep with the nuances and intense descriptive areas of the story. North makes everything come alive. The ending for me is the best part as a third party explains the relationship and it is so sweet and romantic. What a clever way to detail everything we experienced firsthand.

The Ripple Effect was not what I expected in several ways. I was surprised but came away with huge emotional happiness for these two. The tension melts away and their romance blossoms. Wonderful!

I couldn't wait to read this book after reading Rules for Second Chances. We met the main characters in the first book as this book follows along with Stellar and McHuge.

McHuge and his buddy start a new relationship therapy program based in the wilderness based on McHuge's successful relationship guide. In order for them to get a sponsorship to work with the camp, McHuge needs a physician with whitewater experience. That's where Stellar J comes in. After being burned out from her job in the ER, Stellar needs a new distraction to keep her from worrying about her money issues so she agrees to the job.

The book follows their relationship from their one-night stand to their working relationship. The spice is just the right amount, and the book is just as good as the first one. I can't wait to see what Maggie writes next.

📖 Book Review 📖 I enjoyed Rules for Second Chances, so I jumped into The Ripple Effect without thinking twice about it and of course, I was in for one delightful surprise! Once again, readers are in for a treat with a beautiful escape to the vast and idyllic wilderness of Canada and a reminder that no matter where we are in our life and how accomplished we may be, we all go through seasons that challenge us and make us feel like dirt on the bottom of our hiking boots. Maggie North delivers another heartfelt rom com that reminds us that on the other side of our struggles is the promise for a brighter future and that with a little chaos along the way, hope can carry us through.

A satisfying, emotional read from Maggie North (a new-to-me author). Lyle and Stellar are both compelling characters and their arc is satisfying. The jacket copy calls this a grumpy (her) - sunshine (him) dynamic, but I don’t think that captures it very well. They are both holding on to a lot of hurt, but Stellar has let that close herself off from the world and let anger and fear dominate, whereas Lyle is overly trusting and wields kindness as a bit of an armor / deflection tool.

It’s written in first-person present, single POV (Stellar’s). This is not my favorite writing style and I felt Lyle remained a bit of a cipher because we weren’t seeing inside his head. Stellar’s internal monologue got a bit repetitive at times, and the non-romance part of the plot didn’t always hold my interest. However, overall I enjoyed this book and think fans of Jessica Joyce will love it.

This is a great follow up to Rules for Second Chances. Honestly I got an early copy of this and I started reading it before the other one and didn’t love it. But after a read Rules, I fell in love with McHuge and couldn’t wait for him to get his HEA. Maggie North writes grown up characters with grown up problems. Admittedly McHuge is probably a little more perfect than her female characters. It is probably why I needed to get to know him by reading Rules, where he is a side character. But this book really is a fun read. And certainly a love note to the healthcare workers that got burned out during the pandemic. Well worth reading.

I absolutely enjoyed this book. Probably my favorite by this author. The novel painted a vivid picture of resilience, one I wanted to carry into my own life.

The Ripple Effect by Maggie North is a campy rom-com novel set in Canada at a wilderness-based relationship therapy program. Featured tropes include grumpy x sunshine, fake dating, and one bed (tent).

I thought it was a fun, generally easy read, however there is a heavy focus on recovering from past trauma/bad relationships that is present throughout the story. The story was entertaining and I found myself curious how things would progress. There were a couple times while reading where I had to scan previous pages because it felt choppy, but that could have been me and not an actual issue with the book. Fans of rom-coms with outdoorsy settings will likely enjoy this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for granting me a complimentary advanced reader copy of the eBook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and based off of this draft; the final publication may be different. Expected publication date is June 17, 2025.

First of all, this book makes me want to take up paddling, which is wild because I am clumsy in a boat! But I would absolutely do it to take a class with Lyle and Stellar, the main characters of this book. Lyle is a psychologist who has been plagued by the pitfalls of academia but earned some amount of success with a book. He's piloting a brand new business of high end adventure relationship retreats called Love Boat. After burning out in medicine during the pandemic, Stellar signs on to help run and serve as the camp doctor, but the twist here is that they had a one night stand a year prior, and that she ghosted him to avoid the possibility of getting hurt. It's clear that he still likes her, and that she still likes him, and when they fake an engagement to avoid fall out from a big celebrity dropping out of their program's trial run, they're forced to admit real feelings. I love a book in which the characters grow together and as individuals, and this felt satisfying because by the end, both Lyle and Stellar had come to terms with what they need for themselves and in a relationship. I loved their journey so much.

Thank you so much to Maggie North, SMP, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was looking forward to these book after reading Rules for Second Chances. McHuge was such an intriguing character that I was anxious to read his story. What surprised me is how much I related to him. I'm also a therapist. I also have been tall since a young age which had people treating me like an adult while I was a child. I could appreciate his struggles and how these things formed his character. He and Stellar were really yin and yang.

North puts so much thought into her character development. All of the characters were so authentic, even the small side characters. The writing is so specific that I felt like I had wilderness skills and I was there on the water in Canada. (I actually have canoed in Canada before - but nothing like this.)

My gripe with this book is that the pacing was a but uneven. I also could have used more with the sister relationship (book 3 possibly?) This book was definitely worth reading. I enjoyed it more than the first. And it can be read as a standalone. Great for fans of Abby Jimenez Just for the Summer. 4 stars. Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.