Our leading lady, Emmy, is a sassy data analyst for a baseball team, who finds herself vying for a promotion against her not-so-favorite colleague, Gabe. At the same time, she's navigating the ups and downs of dating. One morning, she receives a text from a mysterious man, igniting sparks that lead her to invite him to her sister’s wedding. This story brings to mind “The Hating Game” and “You’ve Got Mail” (two of my personal favorites). The witty text exchanges between the characters make this book an enjoyable read, while also delving into the challenges women face in male-dominated industries. Although the third-act breakup feels like an unnecessary plot twist, it is, after all, a romance novel. Ultimately, it’s a heartwarming tale that left me smiling and filled with positive vibes!

📖 Last Night was Fun by Holly Michelle

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

🎬 Holy rom-com vibes! This book could so easily be made into a movie. My favorite kind of movie - a rom-com!

💁‍♀️ Emmy is our FMC. She is a math whiz, baseball fanatic, determined, and very caring. She is a data analyst for her local baseball team. A job that has very few women doing it.

💁‍♂️ Gabe is our MMC. He is a math whi-, baseball fanatic, very kind, and extremely good looking. Gabe had a career ending injury in college cutting his all-star pitcher game short. He works as a data analyst for his local baseball team.

Gabe and Emmy work together and are competing for a promotion. One Night Emmy gets a text from a random number saying "Last night was Fun! 🙂" Emmy had not gone out the night before. She begins to text and connect with this man who was fake numbered by a woman at a bar. Emmy becomes comfortable with the person on the other end of the texts. While at work, she can't stand Gabe and wants nothing more then to beat him in this competition for a promotion.

☺️ This book had me laughing, kicking my feet, yelling into my kindle! I love Emmy's quick wit and her confidence related to her job. I love Gabe's heart and his willingness to put the people he loves needs before his own. The way the relationship between the two characters grows is really characteristic of relationships today minus the fake number part. 😆

This is a fun read and I highly recommend it!

This was so cute!!!!
I love baseball and I like the unique take this
Book had with it! I fell in love with the characters and I was smiling throughout this entire book. Such a cute read! I couldn’t put it down. The author did a great job describing things and it was very well written. I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys love!


Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC copy! I found an amazing author to binge tread!

Ellie and Gabe are bitter rivals in their MLB baseball world of data analytics. They are both up for position of senior analyst and there is no love lost between the two. To make it worse, it's a total boys' club at the baseball team. Ellie is trying to make a name for herself, but it's tough!

Ellie gets a random text from an unknown number. "Last night was fun." She banters back and it's revealed that the mystery man was "wrong numbered" by a girl at the bar. They exchange easily back and forth in a relaxed way that surprises them both. As there fun and flirty exchanged become more intimate, should they meet up? Her ex didn't understand her laser focus on her job and broke up with her over it. Will this guy be the same? Will Gabe stay out of her way?

This enemy to lovers was tropey in all the best ways was oh so fun! I love the data analysis, MLB subplot! This one comes out in June. Thank you Avo n and Netgelley for the advanced review.

I loved this! It was so cute I can’t stand it. I love a wrong number romance and Axe Murderer and Bird Girl didn’t disappoint. They had great banter and illustrated how online convos can be a valuable way to connect. In real life, Emmy has resented Gabe for his charm and ability to fit in easily in their work environment. As one of the only females working for the fictional baseball team for which they’re both data analysts, she often feels left out and less valued than her male counterparts, including Gabe, which serves as a barrier between them.

In this book, there isn’t that conflict of hoping her texting crush will be Gabe, because the possibility doesn’t even cross her mind. In the lead up to the reveal, there were moments shared between Emmy and Gabe that allowed them to see the other in a different light, but they were still pretty platonic. I was anxious about the big reveal, but I love the way Holly handled it! Once it happens, we get to see Gabe’s softer side and I loved it so much. He was such a good dude, going out of his way to be there for Emmy.

Emmy and Gabe suited each other well and while their shared love of baseball united them, they come into it with some baggage, including the loss of a sibling and sports injury. I think of the two of them, Gabe was more willing to take the risk of a romantic relationship, realizing the connection they developed was too special to pass up. That said, Emmy comes around and realizes she can have both a career and a relationship, especially for someone she feels as strongly about as Gabe.

In conclusion, this was so much fun and you should read it when it releases Tuesday!

Like other's have said, this book gave a total 2000's rom com vibe and that's a huge compliment from me! Loved the meet cute and fun banter. I wasn’t familiar with Holly Michelle before this, but now I’ll definitely be checking out more of her books. I would refer this to others. Thanks for the early read!

Thank you Harper Collins and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🔥
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, sports romance, one bed, workplace romance.

This was such a cute, easy, and fun read! This would be perfect for a summer vacation or just somewhere by the water. This was a book I found myself smiling and tearing up during certain moments. This was my second book by this author and I enjoyed both. I think this one is my new favorite of hers!

Last Night Was Fun” is a heartwarming rom-com set in my home city of San Diego, following Emmy Jameson—a brilliant baseball data analyst thriving in a male-dominated STEM field. I loved seeing such a strong, capable female lead, especially one holding her own among three male coworkers.

Among them is Gabe Olson, a former college baseball star and Emmy’s so-called “arch nemesis.” Their dynamic had me grinning! When Emmy gets a mystery text—“Last night was fun :)”—sent to the wrong number, the story takes on charming You’ve Got Mail vibes I couldn’t get enough of.

I adored the characters, the West Coast setting, and the cozy chemistry. My only critique? The ending felt a little rushed, but it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the journey. I’ll definitely be grabbing a physical copy.

Trigger warnings: mentions of death and brief reference to addiction.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read this gem!

This book writes like a love letter to baseball mixed with a classic romantic comedy. This one took be back to romantic movies I would enjoy like Never Been Kissed and You’ve Got Mail. The beauty of this book (beyond the writing and characters which are done so well!) is that it is when will they and you get the repay off and it is wonderful and just the beginning of Emmy and Gabe’s story!

This is one of those romance novels that isn’t just about falling for the guy but also letting yourself as a female have everything you want. You can be successful in your career without giving up on a love life (or family). Again it is so well written I was locked in just smitten by their growing love story I found it hard to put this one down!

4.5/5 If You’ve Got Mail, The Hating Game, and Spanish Love Deception had a baby, it would be this fabulous book!

I have had the best luck in hitting the jackpot for ARCs recently and this book continued the streak! I loved that its was a sporty romance without it being a player of the sport, both MCs worked in analytics for the team. It was a unique twist for a sports romance to not have the hotshot, grumpy player. The wrong number, pen pal text messages in the beginning had me giddy, kicking my feet like I was the one texting a new crush - they were fun, flirty, and adorable. I also always am a sucker for “I need a date to a wedding” especially if said wedding is a destination wedding and there is only one bed for the fake date situation. It never gets tiring to me cause it’s such a fun way to add steam, tension, heartfelt moments, and a free place to build connections away from reality.

The FMC AND MMC were obviously well thought out, they were real, they had flaws, they were goofy, they accidentally made things worse in their heads, they were easy to root for together. And the side characters were also fun and purposeful, there’s a hint to there being a second book with two others from this one and I can’t wait! I will say there was a third act break up due to miscommunication, which I know many struggle with since it is the common problem of romance books. But the grand gesture that brings it all back together in the end makes it worth it! This book also handles grief very well and the exploration of handling it between family members. It added more dimension to this light hearted story.

I am ready to buy season tickets to the rest of this series and highly recommend you don’t sleep on it!

Book Tropes: Rivals to Lovers, Workplace Romance, Pen Pal Texting, Baseball Romance, Fake Dating, Wedding Getaway, One Bed, Wrong Number, Women in STEM
Spice Level: 2/5
Trigger Warnings: Loss of a sibling, injury, substance abuse mentioned, grief, misogyny in the workplace

Thank you Net galley, Harper Voyager, and Avon Books for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was cute, but the tropes and comparisons were troping hard.

The You Got Mail and Hating Game comparison was pretty spot on for the first half the book. The latter half was totally a boyfriend of convenience (is that a trope?), one bed trope and it pivoted the book's tone.

I didn't hate either half of the book and I think if the book focused on either half I'd have enjoyed the book more, but it was just kind of strange to me how it clearly had a delineation in the book.

On that note, I liked the text messages we got. It's one of the communication methods I like in books. I think it's because it's snappier conversations and they oftentimes are some of the funniest parts of the book, while also being the thing that brings the characters together and gives them depth. The text messages in this were cute and funny and I really enjoyed them.

The work-relationship between them was pretty obvious from the get-go. We got less of the "I've always liked you" in this book from the male than I've read in other books similar to this, but I did like how the book evolved from the text to real life and the work to real life. I think it mostly worked, even if there still felt like a clear difference between the first and second half of the book.

The drama of the book was okay. I was a little disappointed after the heart-to-heart they had and seemingly was going to be on the same page. I understand where it all went, but I was still hoping we wouldn't get a miscommunication trope in this. Whomp, whomp.

The end resolved fairly well, though. Not sure she did enough groveling despite the public apology, but...so be it.

Overall, cute story with several things I liked in it. I just wish there was a better connection in the middle of the story.

This book has some of my absolute favorite tropes going on. A strong fmc who works in a prominently male work field. A work competition between two rivals. You’ve Got Mail vibes. I am literally always down to read a book with You’ve Got Mail vibes. Always! There’s a destination wedding where she needs a last minute date. An overbooked hotel aka one bed. I mean come on?! I’m obsessed!

I genuinely loved this book from start to finish. Emmy and Gabe are one of my fav couples now. The banter and flirting was the best. I loved how cute and nerdy they were. I also love so so much that there wasn’t a villain. Every character in this book was so lovely. This was the exact book I needed in the exact right time. Thank you. I loved it.

This was compared to You've Got Mail and that is pretty spot on!

You have to suspend belief for a few things for sure, but it will still very sweet and hopeful. I loved all the characters and relationships. The dialogue (live and text) was bantering and cute. I was definitely rooting for them.

Would recommend this as a nice light read. 3.5 stars!

4-4.5 stars. This was a sweet, romantic book that gives all the warm fuzzies, especially if you’re a baseball fan. I loved watching Emmy and Gabe’s relationship evolve so naturally, both over text and in person. The premise was super cute, but the story also had a lot of depth.

The ending was a little too predictable for me but the chaotic grand gesture was also really fun and such a great nod to SoCal as well. Overall a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to HarperCollins for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Last Night Was Fun has all the things I love in a romcom. If you too are a fan of rivals to lovers, epistolary—well, mystery texting—and a bout of “I need a date for my sister’s wedding since my ex will be there,” pick up Holly Michelle’s latest romance ASAP.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

When baseball analyst Emmy gets a text saying “last night was fun,” she thinks it’s her annoying neighbor and bites back. But it turns out her mystery man was given a her number as a fake from an uninterested date. The two strike up a text correspondence and soon it’s Emmy’s favorite part of the day. Meanwhile, she’s worried that she’s going to be overlooked for a promotion at work sampling because she’s not “one of the boys,” and that her hot, perfect, infuriating rival Gabe will get the job instead. She also needs a date for her sister’s destination wedding, and takes a leap and invites her text buddy. But what happens when it turns out to be Gabe?!?

Gabe and Emmy are adorable together. I like their competitive nature, combined with their chemistry and mutual respect for each other. Their texts are so much fun too; I’m a huge fan of their banter and bird band puns. And while this book is told in Emmy’s single POV, readers can tell that Gabe is all in for her early on. My only quibble is the third act breakup, but otherwise it’s an absolutely delightful book.

Along with being a great romance, Last Night Was Fun has hilarious moments too. If you are a fan of a rivals to lovers romcom, you’ll have a great time reading this one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The first half of this book was a solid 4 stars or so. I was convinced Gabe knew it was Emmy the whole time and I thought “what a nice variation of this trope!” Nope. It was the same old trope. And that made the end kind of drag a bit.

I’ve also noticed in several books I’ve read recently the convenient best friend. This is a character that pops in and out of scenes and does not weigh on the main character’s mind at all. It is a one way relationship where they can be there for our MC, they’re available for brainstorming and emotional support, but they never seem to get the same from the MC. I just want a more in-depth friendship even if the book is a romance.

Overall, I thought the book was good enough. It just wasn’t surprising in any way and I so wish that it had been.

Note: I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked Last Night Was Fun! I wasn’t familiar with Holly Michelle but will definitely read more from her now. I loved watching Emmy and Gabe’s relationship develop and didn’t find it frustrating as sometimes those tropes can be. The baseball background was great too.

Last Night was Fun is an adorable and entertaining rom com featuring work rivals who unknowingly begin a text relationship after one of them receives a fake number from a date that happens to be the coworkers number. I definitely get the You’ve Got Mail vibes in this and love it! The banter made me laugh and it was nice to see their relationship dynamic both as strangers in text and in person as rivals. I liked the pacing of this story. It didn’t feel like we were stuck in limbo for too long but it also left us somewhere to go once they figure it out. As a woman who works in a traditionally male field, I could really relate to the main female character and her struggles. it definitely portrayed the frustration while and even made me cry a little. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Would be interested to read more both in this world and from this author.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

As a longtime fan of Ali Hazelwood, this really hit the spot in terms of women in male-dominated fields! Overall, an easy read with mild spice. I absolutely loved the unique meet-cute and texting flirtationship. I’d hate to give too much away but this is definitely a must read, especially for fans of 2000s romcoms, only one bed and kissing in the rain

LAST NIGHT WAS FUN – Holly Michelle
Avon
ISBN: 978-0063420366
June 10, 2025
Romantic Comedy

San Diego, California – Present Day

Emmy Jameson works for the San Diego professional baseball team as an analyst and is competing for the position of senior analyst with her archrival, Gabe Olson. Emmy’s life is fairly mundane, but one day she receives a text message out of the blue from a strange number with a simple message: Last night was fun. Well, the problem is that Emmy stayed home last night, so it wasn’t her that the message was meant for. But curious, she responds to the text. They don’t exchange names, but she has labeled him in her contacts (for fun) as “axe murderer,” and he has labeled her as “bird girl.” They exchange several flirty texts and are soon in a “relationship” even though they have never met.

Meanwhile, Emmy is full speed ahead in her quest for the senior analyst job. She is forced to go out with the analyst team to the bar and hang out. Emmy hates being around Gabe. Add in that she is stressing out about her sister’s upcoming destination wedding, then Emmy is feeling nervous. Her ex-boyfriend will be at the wedding, and Emmy will be coming dateless. Her best friend suggests finding a date. Maybe ask the mysterious text guy? So Emmy decides to meet the guy and ask him to come with her to Cancun as her date. She arrives at the meet-up point and the only person there is…Gabe. Turns out she has been texting with him and neither realizes it until now.

Readers will figure out pretty soon in LAST NIGHT WAS FUN exactly who Emmy was forming a text relationship with. The big question is going to be when will our couple learn they are sending somewhat revealing texts and being flirty to each other. This tale will have you chuckling at several scenes, not only between Emmy and Gabe, but also those involving other characters. Emmy’s sister is a bridezilla and wants a perfect wedding. Suffice it to say, once they arrive in Cancun, things are not going smoothly as planned. Emmy and Gabe’s coworkers provide a colorful background to the business of working for a major league baseball team. There are a lot of analyzing players and posting charts about it.

LAST NIGHT WAS FUN is cute and entertaining. The main reason Emmy doesn’t want to show up at the wedding dateless is because her ex dumped her as she chose her job over devoting her time to her ex. She doesn’t want him to see that he is still right about what her priorities are. I won’t go into details about what happens in Cancun, but the comedy keeps rolling there as Gabe accepts Emmy’s offer. It’s more of a favor because she is angry that her mysterious texter turned out to be Gabe. But she is desperate. Despite her anger, the sexual chemistry sizzles between Emmy and Gabe. It’s only a matter of time before they’re kissing…and maybe doing more.

Will Emmy survive Cancun? Will she or Gabe get that coveted job? If they decide to take their relationship to the bedroom, how does a romantic relationship affect their futures at work? If you enjoy a romance that is fun, entertaining, and will have you laughing out loud, then don’t miss LAST NIGHT WAS FUN.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today