This is my first time reading something by this author, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The story’s premise was really interesting: a former lawyer is now an intern in a non-profit foundation, trying to find the “perfect job” in a different country. I liked that the main character, the MMC, is in her thirties. Jonathan is the typical grumpy MMC, but when the FMC actually talks to him and convinces him to work with her for the calendar project, she actually discovers how nice he is and all the reasons why he’s so grumpy because of all his trauma and past experience. At the end it was a cute HEA story.

Such a fun read. Holly is interning at a non-profit in Seattle, hoping to get the plum lead job coming up in Glasgow. That way, she can leave Seattle, and her disgrace at her previous workplace ,behind, and start anew
Unfortunately for her, the decision between interns will be via a contest, and she is stuck with Jonathan, the office grump. Things get off to a steamy start, and we also have PUPPIES !!
There are some bumps, some (lol) humps, and some miscommunications.
Overall, a great read, and I can't wait to hear more , perhaps Rachel's story next ?

Finding Mr. July is a cute workplace grumpy-sunshine romance between Holly, an intern starting again at thirty-something, and Jonathan, a graphic designer and photographer.

Overall, I thought that this was an easy read, with both comedic and heartfelt moments. It also takes place in Seattle, so it was nice to see how that setting was almost its own character in the story. I enjoyed the cast of characters (and can see some spinoff material).

Unfortunately, I did think some actions of the characters seemed more appropriate if the MCs were younger, so I was getting frustrated as the book went on. I think some of the dramatic moments could have been easily avoided with communication.

3 stars.

3.5 stars - I came for the hot guys with animals concept but stayed for the sweet romance. The concept here is the real selling point- a disgraced early 30-something forced to work as an intern and compete with other interns on the best fund raising project. And of course she's stuck with a partner she doesn't want to work with (cause even in your 30's group projects are no fun)- the grumpy designer. Cue all the workplace, forced proximity, figure out your life in your 30's fun.

AS someone who (voraciously) loves to consume those Australian firefighters with kittens and puppies calendar content, I immediately was pulled in by this idea. As someone who only until recently was also in her 30's, I also love a romance that centers on a more mature heroine, particularly one who is in a place of rebirth- romantically, professionally, personally. That kind of character arc really resonates with me- someone who felt like her life didn't even really begin until my mid-3o's, so I was really excited to dive in.

I loved the first half of this book. The playful concept, the opposites attract energy, the grumpy but lovable leading man (cause we just KNOW there's more to him), the quest for delicious shirtless dudes to hold even more adorable puppies. So fun. The back half fizzled for me a bit- in part because I felt like our 30something characters started acting much younger and emotionally immature and the ending conflict felt a bit contrived. Overall, though, this is a cute and charming story- and the fun concept alone makes it worth the read.

4.25 stars
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A grumpy x sunshine, workplace romance, and men with adorable dogs - what more could you want from a book?

Holly is starting over. After a scandal leaves her blacklisted from the world of law, she finds herself working as an intern for an environmental non-profit. At the the of her internship, she must compete against four other interns for the position of their dreams. The task at hand? Come up with a fundraiser idea that will bring in the most money, and whoever wins will get relocated to a position in Scotland. No big deal for Holly - except she's forced to team up with grumpy and brooding Jonathan.

Holly comes up with the brilliant idea of selling a calendar a la firefighter style, except her version will feature men and their adorable dogs. As the project progresses, Holly finds herself getting to see the true Jonathan, who isn't as grumpy as everyone thinks. I liked the concept of the book and how Holly and Jonathan had more in common than we think. In another life, Jonathan was a photographer - travelling around the globe, getting wonderful shots, that is, until an unfortunate incident lands him on a no-fly list.

Although this may seem like a fluffy read about dogs, the story dives into some deeper content and real-life emotions. This project is everything for Holly, she needs this job. She's currently living with her brother and his daughter, but when he announces he's looking to move to be closer to their parents, Holly begins to panic.

I think my favourite part of the book is the onslaught of adorable dogs and their owners. The author does a great job of writing unique characters and their traits, but also matching those same traits and oddities to a dog. As much as I loved the book, I wasn't a fan of the third-act breakup. I don't think the book needed the additional conflict to get our main characters to the happily ever after they deserve.
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I would like to thank Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever, Anna E. Collins, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Finding Mr. July in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions formulated are my own. Finding Mr. July is set to publish on July 1st - you can pre-order your copy today.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the privilege of receiving this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my second read from author Anna Collins and she brings some of my favorite tropes to the table. Enemies to lovers, work place romance, grumpy vs sunshine, and DOGS! Need I say more!?
I loved how Anna creates characters who are willing to challenge themselves when a new opportunity arises and get competitive! In Finding Mr. July, Holly’s journey, navigating the fallout of an unexpected career change in her 30s and the sting from a terrible breakup, forces her to reevaluate what she wants in life. At times I found myself cheering Holly on and at other times I was sheer cringing at her choices. Girl, what was up with the dude at the park and trying to get him to sign up for you photoshoot? That one scene was hard to swallow.
Still the story had so much charm and fun woven in and so many cute dogs ( and men 😉).

Broody MMC with hidden soft spots, workplace romance, starting over, and puppies! What more could you want?!
Holly King will do anything to get a promotion. After her career as a lawyer came to a hard stop, she is an intern at a nonprofit in need of a change of scenery and hopes to get a job across the globe doing something she feels passionate about. Her ticket to this job is to be the intern to raise the most money in a fundraising campaign. Her idea is to make a calendar featuring local "hot guys and dogs" (the animal kind). Sounds easy, right?
All except for getting stuck working with the broody, quiet grump at the office, Jonathan Summers. That, and deadlines, cancellations, sporadic puppies, on top of her own family issues and complicated feelings.
As the story unfolds, we get to meet all kinds of characters, and dogs, that seem to complete the puzzle her Holly's project. But when feelings get added to the picture, things can get a bit messy.
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The different scenery and setting the story takes place in make you feel like you could step right into the beautiful nature of the Pacific Northwest, regardless of whether you are near or far. I loved this book and think it is a quick, romcom of a summer read, and I would recommend this book to anyone who loves workplace romance, complicated feelings, broody MMC, close friendships and family, starting over, and, of course, puppies!
The ending was really cliche, and it felt like I was watching a cheesy rom-com movie, but I did love it. I felt like everything was tied together nicely, except for Jonathan's dad. I may be alone in this, but I did feel like he did up and leave his dad when he moved to Scotland with Holly. However, I can understand that other people may not feel the same way.
The biggest critique I would give this book is the name of the company they work for. I did not know if GCL stood for anything, and I felt that it should have been clarified. I even tried to Google GCL and other nonprofits to see if I could come up with anything, but it was never a certainty. Once I got over the company name, I thought the rest of the book was great, and I would definitely recommend it to others! I would also love to see another romance book about Jude and Rachel!

She was thrown off by his dismissive behavior in the beginning...I giggled like a little school girl at the way he ran away from her. Then, I laughed later when she challenged him to a drinking game. Having to compete to win the job offer in Scotland gave her the kick in the pants she needed to do whatever it took to win...and I guess that meant beating him at his own grumpy game. This was the moment I knew I liked this book.

Then I turned to the next chapter, and when he accused her of seducing him, that's when I knew I was going to LOVE this book! 👀🫣🤣

This is the perfect summer read for those who love:

Office romance
Grumpy/sunshine
Forced proximity
Banter
HEA
🌶🌶

There were so many great one-liners in this book. It had me cackling the whole way through! I'm looking forward to reading more romance books from Anna Collins.

This story was the cute rom/com I was looking for! Holly's character is so relatable- just a girl in her 30's trying to figure things out when life isn't going the way she expected. Jonathan is on a similar path to self-discovery, and the way they help each other is so cute. Jude and Rachel were such well written side characters. I laughed, but it also tugged at my heartstrings. Great summer beach read!

Holly is not your average intern. After leaving the legal world for personal reasons, she takes a job as an intern for an eco-friendly company and is embroiled in a competition to raise money for the firm. Whomever wins the competition amongst the interns is awarded a coveted position in Scotland, which is perfect because Holly needs to escape her life. Enter Jonathan, curmudgeon, web developer, and savior of those trapped in small spaces. Jonathan may not want to work with Holly and help her win this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but he finds himself pulled along despite his intentions to steer clear. Full of warmth and humor, Finding Mr July will keep readers invested until the end.

Cute fun beach read - grumpy/sunshine coworkers - nice banter! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Anna E. Collins for the ear.ly access copy of Finding Mr. July.

When Holly started her new career interning at a nonprofit, she knew she'd need to do whatever it took to win her internships fundraising competition. If she won, she'd be able to restart her career in Scotland, far from the demise of her past relationship and past career. What she wasn't prepared for was having to work with her coworker, Jonathan Summers on her hot, outdoorsy guys with their dog's calendar. Even more so, she wasn't prepared for his photography skills. Jonathan is not what Holly expected. When sparks fly from the start, Holly and Jonathan need to figure out if what they have is worth the risk.

Finding Mr. July is a spicy romance with personal growth, humor, witty banter, and tension that is palpable. It was hard to put this book down, and even harder to say goodbye to the characters.

I LOVED this book! It's such a cute, feel-good rom-com with a side of puppies and spice. Perfect summer read!

Holly is a 30-Something starting over as an intern with an environmental nonprofit l after leaving her lawyer job and her lawyer boyfriend. She’s competing with the other interns for a chance at a job in Glasgow and the ultimate fresh start. Reluctantly teaming up with broody office loner, Jonathan, to produce and sell a calendar as a fundraiser. Who doesn’t love hot guys, nature, and dogs!? Plus it turns out Johnathan was an acclaimed photographer in his past life…

First of all, I love a 30-something FMC!!
The banter is incredible. I was literally giggling and laughing out loud. The spice is *chefs kiss*. Love the focus on environmentalism- very fitting and timely for this day and age. I also love the secondary storyline with her brother and niece both dealing with their own versions of starting over.

An overall story of new beginnings and how starting anew can look different for everyone. Plus what it really means to be happy.


Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. Honestly, I have nothing but good things to say about this one.

This is my first book with this author, but I’ve already checked out two of her other books from the library. I’ve found my latest author obsession!

This novel follows Holly who quit her job as a lawyer to work as an intern at a nonprofit that focuses on the environment. She is tasked with creating a final project that (if she produces the highest proceeds for the nonprofit) would lead to a real job at their new Scotland office. She really wants this job but she’s stuck working with the office grump, Jonathan. Together they work to create a hot man and cute dog calendar with Jonathan as the photographer. The two go from funny banter and bickering to stolen kisses in between shoots. Will they beat the odds and end up together?

This book is adorable, has an easy plot to follow, and has characters that are dynamic and lovable. There wasn’t a single character I didn’t like. The side characters added to the storyline and weren’t just fillers. Everything had a purpose, and it worked.

Sometimes when you have novels like this, the main objective (such as the calendar project) goes to the wayside as the romance takes center stage. Not here. I liked how we see each unique photoshoot as well as Holly’s struggle with finding the models. Is there a real dating site for pet parents because sign me up!

This book made me laugh and helped me calm down after a long, stressful week. Honestly, pick this one when it comes out. It’s a cute and fun read.

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

Finding Mr. July was such a cute book! Loved Holly and Jonathan’s dynamic and appreciated that it was not a slow burn. Great side characters and just the right amount of drama to keep it interesting. Also really loved the ending!

This book was as adorable as it sounds! Finding Mr. July is a sweet, feel-good rom-com full of dogs, banter, and slow-burn grump x sunshine tension. Holly is a relatable, driven heroine trying to chase her dream job (and put serious distance between herself and a toxic past), and Jonathan is the brooding photographer with a soft center that sneaks up on you.

The calendar competition was such a fun premise—hot guys and puppies? Yes, please. I loved the way their dynamic grew naturally, even after their steamy accidental start. The forced proximity and creative chaos of staging all the photo shoots gave them space to develop something real without it ever feeling rushed.

It’s light on angst, high on charm, and would be perfect for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon, Sarah Adams, or anyone who loves a little workplace romance with their dog cuddles. Bonus points for the Scotland subplot—I’ll never say no to a career-meets-life pivot moment that includes kilts and fresh starts.

Finding Mr. July is a case of "I liked it, but I didn't love it." It started off slow and I even thought about DNFing this book, but made the decision to keep reading. I'm glad that I did that, because the story finally picked up and the resolution was great. Plus, getting little tidbits of information about the dogs was probably my favorite aspect. Even though I enjoyed how this book ended, there are still a few component that made it lean more towards the "I didn't love it" side of things. Holly being so hung up on her ex was a bit much and I wish there would have been less of an ex haunting some of her motives and decisions. Even so, it is definitely a cute, summer read that is perfect for the summer months.

This is a cute contemporary romance - Jonathan is a hot, grumpy main mail character and Holly is a 30 something working on her second career after a bad breakup with her lawyer ex. There are fun dog photoshoots, some spice, and interesting family and friend dynamics. It was predictable in that easy, light rom-com way. I felt the third act didn’t flow with both of how both main characters had been maturing through the book.

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

This was very cute and fun, I felt that it dragged a bit toward the end but absolutely would still recommend it. Great beach read.