Beatrice was SO unlikeable. I really struggled seeing the chemistry between the two main characters because I could not figure out how Nate would find any of Bea's antics endearing. There was some suggestion that they could talk forever, so they had that going for them, but she was mean & so closed off. I do think that was purposeful on the author's part, Bea had armor that had to be broke through, but it was just a little too thick for me. The writing was fun & Nate was a gem. Even though I didn't love this one, I'll still be interested in checking out Emily Harding's future books.

I’m giving this a solid three stars: it’s enjoyable and humorous, with moments that genuinely landed for me—but it didn’t quite come together as the emotionally satisfying full package I was hoping for.

I LOVED this book so much!!! Nate was such a green flag guy and I loved how Bea just assumes he’s an asshole and he never corrects her or takes offense, but slowly shows her that he’s far from an asshole. I loved Bea’s motivation to become a lawyer and how loyal her character was to her friends. Overall, this book was easily 5 stars and I loved everything about it!

Okay so... I have feelings. I have A LOT of feelings.

First off, this book was almost perfect for me. I really adored Bea and even though Nathan was painted as a jerk from the beginning, I was totally rooting for the book of them the whole book.

This book was funny, little bit spicy at times, and made you swoon in spots. All of that was amazing. Then we get to the 3rd act break up and them getting back together. I can't explain what it was that I didn't like about them getting back together, it just seemed... weird. I just didn't care for how it happened. I know I can't be the only one. That's the only reason I took one star off of my review.

Anyway, huge fan and I can't wait to read more from this author.

2/5 on spicy scale. There was spice but it wasn't a biology lesson.

Beatrice is exactly as the description suggests—feisty and combative. But she’s also loyal and does everything with her heart on her sleeve. She’s a tough woman, and I ended up loving her. It was a bit hard at the beginning of the story, but that’s the beauty of a well written book. Characters mold and change because of the obstacles they face in the story. And the hero sees through all the heroine’s crap and loves her anyway. Emily Harding did a fantastic job in this fun debut. Nathan was a great hero. He also didn’t put up with Beatrice’s crap. He challenged her and saw through to her core. He often knew why she was acting the way she was. Backstory, and the fact that Beatrice doesn’t like change, made her the way she is. I don’t like change either. I see you Beatrice! I adored this story. It was well written and plotted. It had lots of good character growth. It was just enjoyable to read. This author’s next book will definitely be on my TBR list! I received this book from Gallery books and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable enemies to lovers romance, and was a quick read. The perfect book to read this summer while it is hot outside, the book being set in winter. I did wish that our main male character had had the plumbing fixed fixed at her apartment. (If you read it, you will know what mean). Thank you to Netgalley for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

thank you Gallery for this review copy! I know Emily Harding from her books with Audrey Bellezza and it was a treat to read her solo work. I loved this book, I have to say there are just some romcoms that get the charm, banter vibes that I love and the chemistry I want to dive into, How Freaking Romantic nails this!
I tore through How Freaking Romantic and had a blast—it’s funny, high-key tense (this author could teach a class on slow-burn!), and full of flawed, lovable people making questionable-but-relatable choices. Bea is far from perfect (exactly what I wanted in a FMC), and I loved that the MMC could challenge her without steamrolling her. The final stretch lost a little momentum for me—classic third-act romcom wobble—but overall this is a one-sitting, poolside, perfect summer read. I was 100% here for the messiness, even if I occasionally wanted to hand Bea a hug, a good therapist, or at least some emergency chocolate. Highly recommend if you like your romance smart, sharp, and just a little chaotic.

I'm a huge fan of the author's co-written Jane Austen inspired books so I jumped at the chance to read her solo book. I really enjoyed both the romance arc and the friendship arc of this book and loved watching fiercely protective "coconut shell" (iykyk) Bea let her guard down and also learn to take care of herself for a change. And aside from one mistake that he more than made up for, Nathan was pretty perfect. Utterly enjoyable!

3.5 stars, rounded up.

This is an entertaining book that is perfect for fans of Legally Blonde! After a disastrous first meeting, a law student finds herself TAing for a class taught by her best friend's ex's divorce lawyer.

While the premise of this book was interesting and the story was entertaining, I felt that the romance was not strong enough to support all the lies, sneaking around, and mistakes the characters make.

If you are a fan of Legally Blonde, workplace romance, forbidden romance, and meet-disasters, this might be a perfect book for you!

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review!

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤 is a solid rom-com
with great character chemistry and banter. Smart and independent Beatrice Nilsson, a teaching assistant in her final semester at NYU law school, is passionate about a lot of things—like healthcare rights law, the lack of hot water at her apartment building, and the happiness of her best friends, to name a few examples. That’s why she hates Nathan Asher on sight. He’s a handsome, self-possessed family law attorney whose success and wealth comes from the unhappiness of others… including Bea’s best friend, who is currently in the middle of a contentious divorce with one of Nate’s clients. But Bea’s determination to dislike Nate starts to crumble when he takes over for her boss’ class as an adjunct professor and they get to know each other better.

Though some lines and plot points get repetitive and it is a bit unbelievable that two intelligent, principled people would carry on with a will they-won’t they flirtation despite obvious conflicts of interest, overall this is an enjoyable and amusing book great for those interested in enemies-to-lovers stories and workplace romances. 3.75 stars rounded up! Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

“How Freaking Romantic” by Emily Harding was my first book by this author. Bea is a law student who is fiercely loyal to her friends. Problems arise as her two best friends end up getting a divorce. Bea goes head-to-head with her friend’s divorce lawyer who seems to be doing everything he can to make her friends life miserable. When this layer suddenly takes over teaching one of the classes she is a TA for, an unlikely friendship develops. I liked all the side characters and wish we would have had more interactions them with. Josh’s issues could have carried more throughout the book. The relationship building for Nate and Bea mostly took place off page. We were told how much fun they had together but I prefer to see it happen. The miscommunication troupe in act 3 felt forced when there was another glaring factor that would have been more believable to separate them. That said, this was a quick fluffy read that would make a great pallet cleanser between more heavier reads.
Thank you to NetGallery and Gallery Books for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Bea is one angry girlfriend. It's hard for her to develop relationships of any kind so when her best friends announce their impending divorce, she has no issue running down one of the attorneys and giving him a piece (or three!) of her mind. Unfortunately, he also turns out to be her temporary colleague and she can't seem to get away from him. Bea is confronted with the why and how of never putting herself first and the fallout from it all.
Emily as a duo with Audrey Belleza has given me two recent retelling favorites over the last couple of years and I was eager to see what she'd do on her own. The writing style remains the same and there was so much to appreciate outside of Bea's intolerance for love and those who are responsible for her unhappiness. Her bravery for standing up for what she felt to be right was commendable and special. Nathan is such a great MC to her newly minted main character energy and, at times, I wondered why he liked her when she was so mean to him. But! Bea gets there in the end and all works out just as it ought to.

I think, ultimately, Bea was just too angry and wouldn’t let go of her grudges for too long. She called Nathan a 🍑hole far longer and way too frequently (total count 53), which if it had become her pet name for him, I would have gleefully accepted, but it was most often in disdain. That being said, I would absolutely read another from Emily, because one unlikable FMC out of three would never be a reason to not pick up again.

Thank you @gallerybooks for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

This was so good. I loved these main characters. They were layered and flawed and interesting. Their relationships with the other characters were beautiful and real. The banter was fun. The only thing I would have wanted was a peek at the MMC's thoughts (this had one POV from the FMC).

ARC provided by the publisher through Netgalley- thank you!

Bea is a third year law student who is barely holding it together. The apartment she can barely afford is in need of repairs, her job search is off to a slow start, and her close group of friends from undergrad is growing apart and a couple within the group is going through a divorce. When Jillian tells her that Josh has requested alimony, Bea loses it and goes to confront Josh's lawyer, the big-shot family law attorney, Nathan Asher. But then she finds out that the professor that she is TA-ing for is going on medical leave and his replacement is none other than Nathan. Spending so much time together, Bea begins to realize there is more to Nate than his job "destroying marriages" and she must come to terms with how her own history with her mother's divorces has affected her outlook on marriage and relationships.

I had previously read (and loved) the Austen-inspired retellings co-authored by Harding, so I was excited to read her solo debut. This one had all my favorite tropes - enemies to lovers, he falls first, she's dealing with past traumas, only one bed... It was an utterly charming story and it was hard not to fall in love with Bea and Nate as she overcame her relationship fears and he patiently dealt with all her hang-ups and insecurities. I also thought the secondary storyline delving into Jillian and Josh's divorce was mostly well done. I did find Bea's temper a little juvenile for an L3 which was slightly off-putting, but in most cases her anger was justified - I just wanted her to have a healthier outlet for the anger. Overall I would definitely recommend this one to any contemporary romance lovers.

Overall 4.25/5
Spice 2/3

HOW FREAKING ROMANTIC is a quick and light-hearted romance about two lawyers with a rocky first introduction (Nate is Bea's enemy as he's representing Bea's best friend's soon to be ex-husband) to colleagues to friends to lovers. It was fun to see the exploration and what it takes for Bea to start enjoying Nate's company after first ripping him a new one.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Divorce attorney, Nate Asher, is Bea Nilsson's current enemy number one. Bea's two best friends are getting divorced and she can't believe in the audacity of Nate's alimony petition on behalf of his client. But Bea is never one to stand down in the face of adversity, so she storms in to Nate's law office to tell him exactly what she thinks of his underhandedness. When Nate steps in to take over her law professor's class, Bea finds herself having to work as his TA, attend meetings, and network by his side. As they get to know each other, Bea must accept that there's more to her friends' divorce than she may realize and there's more to Nate as well.

I loved how Bea is portrayed as being feisty with a hard shell. I enjoyed watching Nate work hard to win her over and see beyond the rough exterior. I feel like a lot of contemporary romances have the female main character working hard to win over the grumpy male main character. It was nice to see the turnabout where the FMC can be stubborn and abrasive while also having a huge heart with a close-knit group of friends. I also appreciate the inclusion of a diverse group of friends struggling with personal issues of their own that went beyond just your average breakup.

*** I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ***

I absolutely loved Emily Harding’s How Freaking Romantic. The book centers around Beatrice (Bea) a law student who is absolute force of nature. When her best friend is going through a particularly nasty divorce she decides to drop in on Nathan Asher, the lawyer for the soon to be ex-husband, and she absolutely unloads on him. Little did she realize that wouldn’t be the last time she saw him. Before long she has run in to him at a networking event, fearful that he could blow up her chances at landing a job. Then things get worse, the professor she works for is going into the hospital and Nathan is taking over his classes and they’ll be forced to work together. The story features such classic tropes as enemies to lovers and forced proximity to name a few. I really loved how strong willed (some might say bullheaded) Bea could be. She felt real. The drama and tension between this pairing was so much fun. 4.5 stars. Excellent summer read.

4.5 Stars!

Ahh! This book was so much fun! An enemies to lovers book about a law student who is a TA for her new adjunct law professor who happens to be the same guy representing her best friends in their divorce. Lets freaking go!

Bea was one of my favorite characters. She was angry and I loved it about her! She was fierce and didn't take crap from anyone and unapologetic in everything she did. I loved the backstory of her childhood and you really got to understand who she was and why she was so focused and driven. I also like how she showed up for her friends, always, and was the glue that held the friendships together.

Nathan was so patient and understanding. I loved that he knew what she needed before she did and there were no ulterior motives. He just wanted to get to know her and spend time with her. I would have loved to get a few chapters from his POV just to see what went on in his head.

The tension between them was perfection! I got the anticipation tingles and Bea’s quick witted responses and Nathan's jesting really was one the highlights of the book. I could listen to their conversations and bantering all day!

I also liked the little bit of drama mixed in with this book. Her two friends getting a divorce really did help the story and propel it forward. It made for additional tension between Bea and Nathan. I also liked the dynamic of how friend groups from college change over time and how you have to adjust as these relationships morph into something different but how these people are equally important in your life forever.

This book!
How freaking sexy
How freaking relatable
How freaking anticipatory
How freaking feisty
How freaking amazing!


Huge thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for sharing this book’s digital advanced review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The plot felt fresh and sweet, and the characters were well developed. Beatrice (or Bea) was a bit over-the-top with her anger at times, but I understood it was meant to serve the story and create dramatic contrast. Nathan (or Nate) was a perfect counterbalance—gentlemanly, likable, attractive, and kind.

The opposites-attract dynamic worked beautifully, and the subplot involving Bea’s friend’s divorce added emotional tension that enhanced the story, especially in building Bea’s connection to Nathan.

The spice level was just right—enough to satisfy most readers without overshadowing the romance. Overall, it was a smooth, easy read with plenty of heart.

Thank you to Emily Harding, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely loved Emily Harding’s How Freaking Romantic. The book centers around Beatrice (Bea) a law student who is absolute force of nature. When her best friend is going through a particularly nasty divorce she decides to drop in on Nathan Asher, the lawyer for the soon to be ex-husband, and she absolutely unloads on him. Little did she realize that wouldn’t be the last time she saw him. Before long she has run in to him at a networking event, fearful that he could blow up her chances at landing a job. Then things get worse, the professor she works for is going into the hospital and Nathan is taking over his classes and they’ll be forced to work together. The story features such classic tropes as enemies to lovers and forced proximity to name a few. I really loved how strong willed (some might say bullheaded) Bea could be. She felt real. The drama and tension between this pairing was so much fun. 4.5 stars. Excellent summer read. I’d like to thank Gallery Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of How Freaking Romantic.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3GMRV8XYNWJJJ/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv