Oh my gosh this was SO dang cute!!! I’ve read her previous book and fell in love with her writing!!

I definitely recommend her rom coms such a fun book and devoured in a little less than a day!

I enjoyed love at first spite and worst in show was also cute so couldn't wait to.dive into this author's latest!

As a PNWer who would also love to end up in Glasgow (i mean come on how magical!), this was a cute coworker enemies to more to lovers, alllll the dogs one could want and plenty of delicious banter and one heck of an MMC. Holly on the other hand was a bit insufferable and had an 'I'm better than everyone else' aura about her that didn't quite sit well with the tone of the rest of the book. I loved watching Jonathan's growth through the story and his intentionality with Holly. I loved all the dogs and it was easy to picture the spots they were photographing and if only there could have been a glimpse at the calendar at the end of the book 🤭

I would have loved a dual POV and more of an epilogue since the ending felt a little rushed and would also love to see more (next book maybe??) glimpses of Jude and Rachel, because hello, they almost had just as much chemistry dripping off the page! Can't wait for this author's next story either way!


Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for my review!

i literally don't really have any criticism or feedback for this one -- it was just okay. i applaud the effort given to this storyline because it was certainly a premise i hadn't seen before, but i simply didn't really care about the characters or the romance. there was a bit of tension between them but it just kind of fizzled, and then everything towards the end with the drama of the storyline was just... stupid. dumb. i understand the need for a third act breakup but it was so annoyingly immature. nothing against the writing, it was actually quite well written! but this particular romance just wasn't for me.

This book was just okay for me but I think a lot of people will enjoy it. I really enjoyed Rachel and Holly’s friendship. I love a good female friendship in a romance and this one delivered, and I also liked Holly’s relationship with her brother Jude and niece Ava. I liked that Holly and Jonathan weren’t a traditional enemies to lovers and that as they got to know each other they realized they had lots in common. I also liked that Holly was in a second phase of life and was an intern who was older than the rest. It kinda gave me The Intern movie vibes. I just didn’t necessarily gravitate to the main characters so this one was just okay for me.

For as much as I loved LOVE AT FIRST SPITE by Anna E. Collins, I had high hopes for FINDING MR. JULY. It fell a little flat for me, unfortunately. I couldn't feel the chemistry between Holly and Jonathan so it made their relationship hard to root for. Plus, a one-night-stand-turned-lovers isn't my favorite trope, so I felt like I was fighting an uphill battle with this story. I loved the concept of creating a hot-man-with-dog calendar, but the plot wasn't engaging enough across the whole narrative to keep me excited to turning pages. Hopefully the next Anna book will hit better for me!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the e-ARC (and to Forever for the finished copy) in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. FINDING MR. JULY is out now!

This one was cute and perfect for 4th of July!
I enjoyed the characters, the actual story was just ok IMO. It felt a little flat, but altogether it’s the perfect holiday read.

REVIEW✨
Finding Mr. July
By Anna E. Collins
••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• •••
I thought this was the perfect book to read in the summer and continue into autumn. It has hot men, dogs, nature, photography, finding oneself, starting over, and finding love in unexpected places! I thought that the writing was well done, the plot was flawlessly paced, the character development was perfectly done, and the chemistry was sizzling. The only thing that I disliked about this book was the unnecessary 3rd act conflict it was a little out of character, but that was it. I thought over all it was a perfectly fun and sweet romance novel.

Holly is starting her life over again and it happens that she is a intern for a huge nonprofit, and to land her dream job she needs to win a fundraiser campaign. She has a great idea of forming a calendar of hot men with puppies, but she will need the help from Jonathan Summers who she didn’t have the best introduction with. Things start to sizzle between the two but they need to stay focus so she can move to Scotland.

Romance: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Plot points: 💥💥💥💥
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Out everywhere now

I would like to thank you Forever and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

this book was a really sweet work place romance. it had relatable characters cute dogs and a sexy mmc .... what more could a girl want.

This book is a breath of fresh air, just in time to kick off the summer. It’s packed with all the fresh, feel-good emotions you need to have a great time, and it’ll have you laughing nonstop—those deep belly laughs that leave your stomach sore. I definitely recommend it. Thank you for the opportunity to read the ARC.

This book looked a little unassuming at first. I’d read a book by Anna Collins before and wasn’t super impressed—but I’m so glad I gave this one a chance! The cover (with the dogs!) and the title—especially perfect for July—totally drew me in.

This is a workplace romance following Holly, who left her law career after it went up in flames. She takes an internship at an eco-nonprofit she’s passionate about, and while she’s there, she meets Jonathan, a graphic designer who turns out to be a former award-winning photographer.

They get assigned to work on a project together, and slowly a relationship begins to grow. This was such a great grumpy/sunshine romance! I loved the emotional depth between them. While there was miscommunication and conflict at times, they actually talked through things, owned their mistakes, and apologized—which you don’t always see in romance novels.

What started as passion and attraction developed into a caring, tender relationship that genuinely moved me. I wasn’t expecting to love this as much as I did, but it completely won me over.

This book was so stinkin’ cute and exactly what I needed…an easy read with a lot of heart and witty banter that had me smiling and laughing out loud as I read! I mean, who doesn’t love a book with a high stake fundraiser, a hunt for 12 dog-owning hot guys, themed photo shoots, and a pile of puppies? A single POV, opposites attract, workplace romance and starting a new career later in life because it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

This is a new to me author, I requested it because of the fun cover and synopsis that sounded like a cute summer read…which it was! I enjoyed the intriguing relatable plot and the well developed characters. I love when the MCs are closer to my age making it easier to relate with them. I also adored the side characters, specifically the FMC’s older brother and niece. So many things resonated with me that it was easy to connect and get fully immersed into the story. The work fundraiser competition and romance were predictable but still enjoyable. The sacrifices the MCs were willing to take for their relationship was heartwarming, but the sacrifices her brother was willing to make to take care of their aging parents was so heartfelt that my eyes filled up with tears.

This was my first audiobook by Lauren Ezzo, and I think I’ve been missing out on another fantastic narrator. She’s energetic, enthusiastic, easy to listen to, and captures the character’s sunshine personality perfectly!

Thank you @readforeverpub, @hachetteaudio, and @netgalley for the #gifted ARC and ALC.. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Okay, so full disclosure—I never use paper calendars, let alone buy them. Like, who does that in 2025? And the fact that an environmental nonprofit is banking on one as a fundraiser? A little weird, but hey, I’ll roll with it.

That said, I really liked Holly and Jonathan. Holly’s trying to rebuild her life after her ex torpedoed her law career, and now she’s an intern at a nonprofit, scrambling to win a job in Scotland. Her big idea? A calendar of hot guys and their dogs. The only catch is that she’s stuck working with Jonathan, the office grump who also happens to be a stupidly talented photographer. And it turns out that they have crazy hot chemistry. But of course, it’s not smooth sailing—Holly’s got her heart set on starting over overseas, and Jonathan’s got his own baggage. I won’t spoil how it all shakes out, but let’s just say I was rooting for them the whole time.

P.S. If Anna E. Collins writes a sequel about Holly’s brother and her best friend? I’m 100% here for it.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thanks again to Forever Publishers for this advanced e-copy! :)

Anna gave us sweet, tender and heartfelt chemistry and connection but a storyline to entertain and a plot that worked well in my opinion.

Holly is on a second career come back and is literally starting from the bottom as a previous lawyer now turn intern in a not for profit. It's a 360 degree she never anticipated but is embracing full on having dealt with a lying ex who spurred her previous career down fall.
Holly is motivated and committed so when the final challenge of the interns competition comes around she is willing to put her all in it. In comes Jonathan her only hope. The guy at the staff gathering she ended up making out with.

Let's just say these two didn't know what all these unfortunate events had in common with them meeting.
The banter and getting to know these characters is a sweet build up you don't want to look away from. It's that story that you want the girl to win but you are cheering on all those involved in their happily ever after.
The characters felt real and vulnerable with a tender chemistry that was felt right off the pages. Gobbled this one up!

A great. summer read! Sweet with all the chemistry, inspiration and love!

Happy Reading!

Sometimes a book surprises me with how much I like it, and this was one of them. Holly and Jonathan had real depth and issues, and their chemistry was so strong. The premise of the book sounds cheeky and silly, but the characters really grounded it and gave it heart. Really no complaints, it was a perfect rom-com read.

But I would have loved to see Holly’s brother and friend get their own story instead of just a mention here. They were shaping up to be really cute together!

Perfect for dog lovers and fans of early 2000s rom-coms

Well, this book has all the puppies and who can resist that. This was a quick read, although parts did feel very repetitive with the calendar shoots. I liked how our FMC was so ambitious and career oriented, but also able to grow throughout the book.

This is another of the miscommunication trope stories that I just don't enjoy. Just let someone tell what happened! Ugh. I wish we could get away from this as a tool for storytelling.

Anna E. Collins has become an auto-read author for me with her sophomore novel, Finding Mr. July. I love that I am already sensing a pattern of the type of book I'm going to get from Anna. It's going to be a cute romance with characters I fall in love with and dogs. Who doesn't love a romance with an animal in it?

Finding Mr. July is the grumpy/sunshine romance I needed for this hellscape we are currently living in, weather and all. I love that her writing easily allows me to put a picture in my head of what's going on. I might need Netflix or Lifetime to take a shot at this movie. It might be a tad too spicy for Hallmark. Although the scenes aren't super open-doored, I still enjoyed them although they didn't come until closer to the end. I loved the diversity of men used for the calendar as well. This is the type of calendar I would definitely buy. It would take the spot of my snippy cat calendar I currently use.

I'm really looking forward to the next book Anna writes. Hopefully we'll get another one from her next year (2026).

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

This book was just plain adorable. Holly is chaotic in the most lovable way, and Jonathan is the perfect grump with a hidden soft side. And a charity calendar featuring hot guys and puppies? Absolute genius.

Their banter had me actually laughing, and the chemistry felt natural without falling into insta-love territory. I really appreciated that Holly was focused on building her own life, not just falling for a guy. She had goals, drive, and a ton of heart.

It’s a grumpy x sunshine, workplace romance where two coworkers are thrown together for a calendar project. Not quite enemies, not quite friends - but the tension is there from the start, and when it shifts into something more, it works so well.

✨ Some highlights:
💖 Holly chasing a fresh start and going after what she wants
📸 The calendar process added fun, stress, and made everything feel real
🔥 Great balance of steam and emotion
💬 Realistic relationships all around, especially between Holly and her brother
💐 The grand gesture at the end was chef’s kiss

I was genuinely worried about how things would play out, but the resolution totally delivered. The ending was heartwarming and left me with the biggest smile.

Finding Mr. July is a cozy, funny, feel-good romance with just the right amount of emotional depth. If you love grumpy x sunshine, dogs, and a little workplace tension, this one’s a must-read.

After her ex ruining her reputation at a law firm, Holly takes an unpaid internship at a nonprofit through the help of her friend. She has her sights set on a job in Scotland. The catch? She has to join a fundraiser contest with the winner getting the job. Holly is nothing if not persistent, convincing her coworker, Jonathan, to team up with her to help her win. Her idea: a calendar of men and their dogs. Things heat up between Holly and Jonathan, though their time together has an expiration date if Holly gets the job in Scotland.

The story is predictable but it was fun. This truly was a cozy rom com with an office grump. Moral of the story: if you want something done correctly, do it yourself. do not trust a man to do it correctly for you.

This was a cute read but not my favorite. I enjoyed Holly sometimes but at other times she was pretty obnoxious. She tends to blame everyone for everything wrong which is annoying. I also felt that Holly and Jonathan went from complete strangers to a couple so quickly. There was minimal build up to their relationship.

But the thought the concept was really cute and I wish I could see the calendar for myself!

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for this ARC!