I was really excited to read this sapphic, second-chance romance set in the world of academia / publishing. I really hoped to get swept away in some classic sapphic yearning and lovely romantic moments. While the concept of the story was really fun, and while Toni and Adelaide's relationship was sweet and there were a lot of cute moments between them, the execution of this concept fell a bit flat for me. As another reviewer mentions, the time jump that happens halfway through is extremely jarring and I was unable to reorient myself in the story - it really interrupted my reading experience and left me feeling unsatisfied. Overall, this book absolutely had its moments, but it didn't hook me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Melissa Marr, and Tor / Bramble for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was such a fun and heartfelt read. I really enjoyed how Toni and Addie’s relationship unfolded—from a one-night stand to years of flirty emails to a full-blown fake wedding photo going viral. Their chemistry felt natural, and I loved the blend of romantic chaos, career pressure, and unexpected vulnerability. Toni’s sudden rise to fame as an author (and the debt she’s trying to escape) added real stakes, while Addie’s insecurities around acting gave the story emotional depth.
The story balances humor with heart in a way that makes it easy to root for both characters. I also appreciated the playful jabs at publishing, fandom, and the weirdness of internet fame—all wrapped in a genuinely sweet romance. If you're into fake dating tropes, celebrity chaos, or just want a good sapphic rom-com with substance, this one definitely delivers.

I was excited about the premise of this book—the mix of academia, publishing, and a reality-blurring romance had so much potential. I went in expecting sharp tension, layered emotions, and a whirlwind of media-fueled chaos, but I found myself struggling to stay engaged. The story had moments that kept me interested, and I liked the dynamic between Toni and Addie. Their history and the unexpected viral wedding made for an intriguing setup, but the execution fell flat for me. The writing leaned heavily into telling rather than showing, and I found myself wishing for deeper, more immersive scenes. I wanted to feel their emotions, the pressure of their circumstances, and the tangled nature of their relationship—but instead, everything was laid out too plainly, which made it hard to fully connect. I also felt like the pacing didn’t always work in the book’s favor. Some sections dragged, while others rushed past moments that could have been explored further. I loved the idea of Toni navigating the publishing world and Addie chasing her big break, but their individual arcs felt underdeveloped in ways that left me wanting more.

While I didn’t completely dislike the book, it didn’t leave much of an impression.

Toni and Addie Go Viral is a fun, sapphic, romcom that will appeal to readers of Delilah Green Doesn't Care.

I was so excited to read this book, but I ended up being so disappointed in this book. I have been wanting to read a Melissa Marr book, but have a hard time with paranormal romance, so I thought this was the perfect solution. Sapphic romance, especially with second chance aspects is my favorite genre, so I thought this would be a home run of a book for me. However, this book was a really rough read for me. I thought the time jump in the middle of the book was jarring and could have just happened before start of the book for a better effect. It felt strange to have that amount of time in the book even though much of it was waved away in the time jump. I also felt that this book went beyond communication issues and went straight for a lack of communication that was really hard for me to read. Toni's refusal to give Addie any information or do any self-reflection for so much of the story was really hard to read. I felt that Toni crossed many lines, and it felt unbelievable to me that Addie would have stayed with her and continued to pursue a relationship with her. This almost felt like a lit fic story rather than a romance. I think it would have been a stronger book if it had been treated as lit fic and they hadn't ended up together in the end, honestly. I wanted to love this book so much, but it just wasn't for me.

DNF 48%

I couldn't anymore. I thought the problem was the ARC itself, but then I realized that I wasn't invested in anyone. I couldn't figure out why Toni thought Addie was brave when she was just weird, I couldn't bear to hear one more time that Toni believed she'd turn out like her dad. I couldn't figure out why Addie didn't clock Toni's commitment issues, and...otherwise, Addie feels like she's a completely flat character. From about 40-47%, I thought "If it ends in therapy, maybe I can handle it" but when a chapter repeated the same conversation twice that we'd already heard dozens of times in less than 200 pages, I hit a wall. When we heard about lesbian history not from our main character lesbian history professor but some random character whose name I already forget, parroted in the driest way possible, I was done. I realized I was never going to care whether I FINALLY get anything interesting about our characters except the two things the author was hyperfocused on: Toni's anxiety and Addie's sad reaction.

Hopefully this isn't the last pass, but if it is, this book is a mess.

Marr’s writing effortlessly pulls you into this romantic world, and the dynamic between Toni and Addie is both funny and touching. It’s an emotional rollercoaster with the perfect mix of romance, humor, and oh no, they didn’t moments. A total win for book lovers who adore heartwarming stories about love, identity, and learning to take risks.

This was a really fun book, I really enjoyed this story and everything about it. Thanks for letting me read this book

This story didn't work for me. I regularly read books very similar to this in premise and love them but the characters in this just didn't have enough dimension and realism for me to buy into the plot. I didn't find the characters read as the age they are being portrayed as. The writing felt quite staccato, as well, and felt like it hadn't been fully fleshed out yet. I look for a more developed writing style. Overall, not for me.

The premise really grabbed me, and the cover is gorgeous, but unfortunately this one didn't do it for me.

Addie and Toni really read like stock characters to me, mostly because the writing is so flat. This happens, then that happens, then this happens. Even the stuff I liked didn't keep me locked in, because the story is so belabored. Addie is also, like, comically stupid. Maybe she could be read as trusting and a little naive, but she has no real care for her physical safety. I didn't like how she was infantilized at first, but then I guess I got used to the fact that she can't take care of herself. Toni is mean and I didn't like a lot of what she said and did. I liked the tenderness between her and Emily, and her feelings toward her mother are very complex and interesting. But she was super shitty to Addie, who deserves better despite being a few cards short of a full deck. Toni is an interesting character, but her actions are selfish and she cannot get out of her own way. Honestly, she's a walking red flag. Addie's stupidest move is continuing to see Toni when she makes it clear she's not open to love and romance. Honestly I found them both exhausting and I wasn't even rooting for them.

I did read until the end because I wanted to know what happened, but overall this book was just so slow and dull and needed a few more drafts before it would be properly entertaining. I also noticed the (entirely American) characters in this book using Britishisms, which is just a little thing that annoys me, but I'll own I'm nitpicking here.

This is exactly the Ashley Herring Blake/ Meryl Wilsner type book that I would totally look for in book stores about a year ago. The writing style just really took me back to when sapphic contemporaries were all I was reading. Unfortunately that's just not the headspace I'm in right now so I wasn't able to enjoy it as much as I know I would have otherwise. I will be coming back to this for sure!