I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to @netgalley & @stmartinspress for the digital copy. A special thank you to Michele @just_talking_to_my_shelf and Ashlee @bookswithnopictures
for coordinating the Talking to my Books Traveling ARC for The Ripple Effect and to @maggienorthauthor for sending an advanced copy so we could do so!

I really enjoyed this story that felt fresh in so many ways! It’s not just that I haven’t read very many romances tied to “the great outdoors,” but I’ve never read a second-chance romance with a whitewater canoeing/relationship therapy startup company setting. This was simply so well written with fantastic character development!

While this novel is a standalone novel, I do think the reader will have a greater appreciation for the MMC and FMC if they’ve already read Rules for Second Chances by the same author.

Read for:
- A second chance romance
- The grumpy/sunshine trope
- A book that references another book, “The Little Prince.”
- LGBTQ+/bisexual representation
- A book set in the Canadian wilderness.

Super fun and entertaining summer read. I loved the cutesy romance and how well written it was. The feelings were outlined well but I didn't care for the McHuge nickname used over and over. Loved this book and will definitely recommend to others.

Stellar J. Byrd, a former ER physician, takes a job as camp physician at The Love Boat, a whitewater canoeing/relationship therapy startup run by Lyle McHugh, with whom she had a one night stand a year ago. The two end up in a fake engagement to try to help salvage the public image of the camp.

There’s plenty to love about The Ripple Effect. The tropes are some of my favorite. The setting is gorgeous. The main characters and side characters are engaging. I really like North’s writing style, and I love the premise of this book. There were also some things that didn’t work for me. The book is told entirely from Stellar’s POV (except for the last chapter), and it left me feeling like I was missing part of the story without McHugh’s perspective. The pacing was a bit slow for me, and I felt like North could have leaned into the tropes a little more. I had a hard time believing the chemistry between Stellar and Lyle as well.

Tropes and such:

grumpy/sunshine (she’s the grump)
fake engagement
workplace romance
summer camp vibes
forced proximity
LGBTQ+ rep
1st person single POV

This book encapsulates the important topic of burnout among physicians. We had the best time talking with Maggie about The Ripple Effect on the Mayo Clinic Read.Talk.Grow podcast

The Ripple Effect is a delightfully sharp, sun-drenched romantic comedy about healing, hiding, and falling for the very person you swore to avoid. Former ER doctor Stellar Byrd is burned out, broke, and barely hanging on when she lands the last job she wants—camp doc at a kumbaya-style couples therapy retreat. It’s only for the summer, she tells herself. Until her new boss turns out to be Lyle “McHuge” McHugh, the walking ray of sunshine she once slept with and hoped never to see again.

Maggie North’s writing crackles with wit and warmth, balancing biting sarcasm with genuine emotional depth. The fake engagement trope gets a hilarious, high-stakes spin as Stellar and Lyle team up to save the camp’s image while trying to avoid reigniting very real feelings. With rivals, secrets, singalongs, and one woman’s quest to control everything but her own heart, The Ripple Effect is summer romance at its best: smart, swoony, and sneakily heartfelt.

This was a really cute premise. I loved the idea of a whitewater marriage/dating counseling camp.

I loved McHuge! I always love big and bulky heroes but Lyle was different. He was such a sweetheart and someone you earnestly just want to get a hug from, or in Stellar’s case a very special hug 😂

This book has very light spice… nearly closed door, but has small details.

Lyle and Stellar have mutual friends which leads them to having a one night stand. One year later they run at the sight of each other… until they have to fake an engagement to save everything they care about.

The Ripple Effect was refreshing. I don’t think I’ve ever read a romance book quite like it, and the main characters were unique. I enjoyed it! At times the pacing felt slow, but I have to give this book credit where credit is due.

Second chance is hard to write, and this is why. This one is just ok. I liked Stellar but McHuge was bland and annoying. They don’t match to me. Their story was alright, but I think I’d like it better in audio.

Title: The Ripple Effect-a standalone

Author: Maggie North-new to me author

Publication date: 6/17/25 | Read: 6/13/25

Format: eBook 334 pgs.

Genre:
*Women's Fic
*Contemporary Romance

Tropes:
*grumpy/sunshine
*fake engagement
*forced proximity
*slow burn romance
*2nd chance romance
*LGBTQIA+ rep

POV: 1st person single-Stellar

TW: burn out-h, con artist parent-h's father, parental abandonment-h's mother, imprisonment-h's father, hostile work environment

Setting: Canada

Summary: When a Beeswax magazine journalist writes a "hit piece" critical of Dr. Lyle McHugh's romantic expertise, and it gains traction Stellar suggests they enter into a fake engagement. She hopes to save the camp and Lyle's public image and score a partnership w/ Renee Greene- a wellness culture media darling. The problem is she has been avoiding him since a disastrous hook-up over a year ago.

Heroine: Dr. Stellar J. Byrd- 33, a grumpy former ER physician turned camp Dr. @ The Love Boat - a whitewater canoeing/ relationship therapy start-up.

Hero: Dr. Lyle "McHuge" McHugh-a sunny psychologist, becomes Stellar's boss. Launches a relationship therapy program in the wilderness with tandem whitewater canoeing.

Other Characters:
* Liz-Stellar's pregnant BFF, autistic+ husband Tobin-McHugh's business partner
* Sloane Summers- 40, Stellar's half-sister, an actress/they have the same father-Stellar calls her to endorse them. She comes to the camp w/ Dereck Burgos-Sloane's boyfriend and fellow actor
*Camp Couples: Brent/Willow, Mitch/Lori, Petra/Trevor, Sloane/Dereck

My Thoughts: I enjoyed the interpersonal relationships of all the couples including Lyle and Stellar. I'm glad Stellar was somewhat vindicated from her previous job and willingness to step in for Lyle. The queer representation was accepted as a "matter of fact " which I appreciated. I'm glad Stellar and Sloane were able to reconnect even though they held secrets from each other. Lyle and Stellar were meant to be but miscommunication kept them in a slow burn romance.

Rating: 4/5
Spice level 3/5 open door

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Maggie North for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

This was alright in the end. I liked the first half of the book much better than the second half. Stellar's inability to talk to literally anyone was a big hindrance to any character development she might've had sooner. The panic to get Love Boat ship shape before it's maiden voyage was too much of a scramble and made my brain hurt a little. The fake engagement was an interesting choice and I'm not entirely sure it helped sell anything initially; however Stellar said she felt like she went through the program herself in the end.

I really disliked the nickname "McHuge" for Lyle and it clearly bothered him the whole time. He was too agreeable to a fault and behind the scenes he could seem disingenuous when interacting with the campers once you knew how he really felt. I did like reading about the 2 real couples on the trip and seeing how they worked together. I really hated Brent from the start, which I'm almost positive you're supposed to, until Stellar's "My Guy" conversation with him and it all clicked. The mole was VERY obvious from the get go. I really wanted to read an excerpt from the podcast in the end even if we didn't get it on page. Brent's followup article was nice, but left me wanting A LOT more.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT had me reading into the early morning hours because I just couldn't make myself put it down. Stellar Byrd walked away from medicine after dealing with misogyny and burnout. Lyle "McHuge" McHugh is a cinnamon roll psychologist who left academia after unfair treatment from his PhD professor. The two find themselves working together to launch The Love Boat, McHugh's wilderness paddling/relationship retreat, one year after Stellar ghosted Lyle after their hookup.

I was rooting for Stellar and Lyle from the very beginning. I loved their journey to learn to trust each other and let go of their baggage. I also enjoyed the side characters, who really played a part in the plot.

Maggie North is a new-to-me author, but I definitely won't miss her next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC. Opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series (of standalones) and I was excited for McHuge to get his own book, he was definitely entertaining but still deep in this one. Unfortunately, I did not like this as much as book one and I'm honestly really bummed about that. There are so many important topics to be explored in this book- healthcare burnout, your friend having a baby when you are single, your friend making different friends than you, running back into your one night stand you were accidentally super into. But the execution didn't always work for me.

Whyyyy did she ruminate so much on how the first time she met her bestie it was when they hooked up and realized they would be better as friends? To me, that is normal thing to have a relationship with someone and go from lovers to friends but it's almost a credit to this author's vivid storytelling, why are you still thinking about what she looked like the morning after, seeing her naked in different contexts, etc YEARS later. It's just not the inner monologue when the external dynamic is truly friendship, I believe she wasn't still hung up on her friend but why think about it SO much. Sorry, this was honestly a small part of it but just bothered me like your friend could be in labor and you are still thinking about how you met.

Also, this lends itself to my other issue with the book- the repetition. I wish this trusted the reader more. I would be 0% surprised if this author has an MFA. These chapters and the writing style are really set up to be vivid samples or character studies, but brought cohesively together it's like I understand this character, we've seen them inside and out now can something please HAPPEN.

Thank you to SMP for the eARC.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the copy of this book.
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Read if you like: opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine
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Stellar, a burnt out doctor, gets a job working for an outdoor therapy startup. The catch is it is worth her hookup from a year ago, Lyle "McHuge." The two must navigate a rocky business and relationship and see where things will go.
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Overall, this was cute, but I just didn't feel the chemistry between Lyle and Stellar. I wanted to love them and I thought this had some potential, but I just couldn't get into it unfortunately. I did like how calm Lyle was and how he really pushed Stellar to find her best self, which was a great aspect of the book!

I was not a huge fan as the pacing seemed slow and I kept putting the book down. However I found the premise intriguing and wished I had enjoyed the book more. It is more likely a me problem, and not the novel itself!

Stellar Byrd doesn’t do group hugs or spontaneous canoe chants. Desperate times though call for remote wilderness retreats…especially when the job comes with room, board, and a chance to regroup after her career goes off the rails. She also didn’t expect to cross paths with Lyle McHugh-the endlessly optimistic camp founder she’s been carefully avoiding since things got awkward between them last year. And she definitely didn’t expect to fake an engagement with him.

When a PR disaster threatens the future of his relationship therapy camp, the two agree to a fake engagement. It’s just damage control…until the walls they’ve both built start to crack.

As Stellar and Lyle navigate their feelings and the fallout of past mistakes, what unfolds isn’t some sweeping romance…it’s slower, and more honest. Two people figuring out how to listen, how to grow, and how to forgive-both themselves and each other. Maggie North writes with warmth and a clear eye for the work real connection takes, making The Ripple Effect as much about healing and second chances as it is about love.

Just about a year ago, I published a rave review of the first book in Maggie North’s romance series, Rules for Second Chances. I’m thrilled to report that book two, The Ripple Effect, is just as lovely, just as nuanced, just as moving.

Lyle “McHuge” McHugh, the psychologist behind the second chances detailed in book one, is the male protagonist here. He’s a relentlessly positive, understanding nurturer whose new company Love Boat, a whitewater canoeing/relationship therapy business, is facing some challenges. Because of some negative press, McHuge needs to anticipate every potential disaster . . . which means having a doctor on staff.

In steps Stellar J Byrd who is facing her own challenges. After losing a job she loves as an ER doctor, Stellar has been struggling to make a living wage through gig work, but in their expensive tourist destination, she’s having a hard time. The Love Boat opportunity would be just perfect except for the awkwardness of her relationship with McHuge because of an ill-fated hookup that ended with Stellar ghosting him.

Out of desperation, Stellar does accept the job, along with a stake in the burgeoning company. But their first outing includes the journalist who wrote the hit piece on McHuge; his former mentor seems out to steal his idea; and the awkward energy between Stellar and McHuge represents its own problems, particularly after Stellar gets the idea that faking an engagement might help to provide one more shield between the company and the critiques it’s received.

North excels at taking romance tropes and offering authentic complexity. Both McHuge and Stellar have intriguing backstories that have shaped their current outlooks on relationships (romantic and otherwise), and watching North peel back their protective layers is both illuminating and satisfying. I’ll continue to read whatever she publishes, and I recommend The Ripple Effect as a perfect read for summer!

Stellar is a former ER doctor with a troubled past, kind of hard-edged and self-protective (thankfully we do learn why she's like this). Lyle "McHuge" is her best friend's husband's friend, a former one-night stand, and now her current boss. Which is as complicated as it sounds. This bookis a quick read with some deeper themes (check content warnings). The story was engaging enough to stick with it but Stellar was hard to warm up to and Lyle felt a little underdeveloped for a large part of the book. The overall tone is a bit prickly at the beginning, makes it harder to connect with Stellar since it's written from her POV. (Feeling disconnected from the MMC is where a second POV comes in handy, although thankfully we did get more insight into Lyle as the book progressed.) I also felt their relationship was a bit one-sided; Lyle was like one big corrective emotional experience for Stellar but it seemed like for most of the book he was doing the majority of the emotional work in the relationship. This is definitely a book of second chances and self-redemption. Stellar is hard on herself in a lot of ways, which very much impacted her relationships. She's so tightly wound, with good reason given her history. Her transactional personality ratcheted up the emotional tension, often to an uncomfortable degree for the reader. The sub-plot with Lyle's former academic advisor added to the overall tension and also made me want to keep reading. I like how Lyle and Stellar came to understand just how much they complemented one another, and it was nice to see Stellar's self-growth. Lyle and Stellar were an interesting couple, both of them fighting their attraction to one another but for different reasons. The book definitely improved as it went on, and by the time I got to the satisfying ending I'd leveled up my early 3-star rating estimate to 4 stars. Not only did I end up liking this book more than I thought I would, but it's the second in a series and I actually enjoyed this book more than the first one. (Although it's a sequel it could be easily read as a stand-alone). If you're looking for a grumpy-sunshine/fake fiancé open-door romance with two main characters who struggle with their emotional connectedness (but ultimately with happy-for-now vibes), then this is the book for you. Publishes June 17, 2025. This review was based on a complimentary eARC of the book and all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book and thought the plot and characters were interesting. It started a little slow for me but picked up and I liked the way it ended.

I stumbled on Maggie's debut release and since reading Rules for Second Chances I have been so excited for Stellar's story. The little tidbits of healthcare worker trauma and burnout are something that I will always gravitate towards. As someone who has dealt with their own healthcare worker issues I find it almost cathartic to see characters work through it in a slightly lighter way.

Stellar is such a layered FMC. She has trauma from multiple points in her life and you can see the impact of it in how she sees the world as an adult. She is so protective of herself that she has shut down to even the good around her. Enter Lyle (AKA McHuge), who is her polar opposite. He carries his own trauma but it has caused him to live with pure kindness and letting everyone in. I loved how they balanced each other so beautifully and saw beyond both their outer shells.

I loved the setting and the scenery that Maggie painted through the story. I wanted so desperately to be on the water with the Love Boat. I always enjoy the undercurrent of couples working through their relationships in deep and innovative ways that are in Maggie's books. I found that characters I found difficult at the beginning I was rooting for by the end. I craved going back to reading and just couldn't put it down. My only struggle was that it was a little slow to start but once it got going I was absolutely hooked. I hope that anyone who enjoys romance with a little adventure finds Maggie's books and is able to enjoy the beautiful stories she creates.

Thank you NetGalley, Maggie and St. Martin's for the ARC copy of this book.

This one moved a little slowly at times for me but I love the descriptive setting and characterization. The main characters were well thought out. The end felt a little abrupt for how slowly the plot moved as a whole but all in all a very enjoyable read.

This book would be best experienced in a canoe in the Canadian wilderness, but never fear because Maggie will have you feeling like you’re there even if you have to settle for reading it on the sofa.

Maggie’s prose is absolutely stunning, and I love the way that Stellar and McHuge’s relationship played out over the course of the book. They have undeniable chemistry, and their vulnerability as they’re forced to open up to each other to keep up their fake engagement ruse is truly beautiful.

Maggie addresses burnout and emotional baggage so well in this book. This book has the emotional depth that I yearn for, and it is equal parts a heartwarming love story and a beautiful exploration about what makes life worth living.

I cannot say enough good things about this book! Stellar made me feel seen, and I read this book as I was walking away from a job that was draining me emotionally. McHuge’s cool head and calm stability is so attractive, and it reminded me of the attributes I value so much in my husband. Maggie writes such authentic characters, and her books make me want to run off into the woods and become an adventurer.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to read Rules for Second Chances yet, I would recommend doing so before picking this one up! They’re not only two incredible books but also interconnected and best appreciated in publication order.

Thank you to St Martin's Griffin for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.