This was such a cute book! I loved the FMC, Mallory, and the love she had for her grandpa. As someone who moved to Florida, and also a Jewish woman, I enjoyed the Jewish rep in the book, and all the Florida references. Mallory's relationship with her grandfather was so sweet, and Gramps was such a fun character, the traditional Jewish grandpa, but he had a bit more knowledge of technology than the average grandparent. This book had friendship, romance, family, and work drama! This was my first book by Lauren Appelbaum, and it certainly won't be my last!

An Introvert’s Guide to Life and Love was an interesting book. I say this because I always look for something to relate to in a book. I’m an introverted woman, so there were aspects of this book that resonated with me, such as family dynamics, single life, and the introverted experience. I requested this book on NetGalley because it's my title, right here, lol. However, I didn’t feel much of a connection between Mallory and Daniel, her love interest. Not much of a love interaction. Mal had a make-up moment with him, and she felt like it was too much. This book was more of a discovery for her rather than love. What I loved about Mal’s grandpa, I LOVED HIM so much. I wish I had a grandpa like him. Loved their relationship, their chemistry so much. I went in with high expectations, but I encountered a quiet, but funny grandpa.

This man offers to wash her hair when they are "just friends"....

Mallory inherits her grandma's cottage with the stipulation that she not sell it and look after her grandpa. And when it seems harder to manage a home long distance, Mallory decides to leave Seattle and stay with her grandpa til she can get the cottage sorted. And with the help of Daniel, the property manager she hired, she hopes it won't take long. But when she finally meets Daniel in person, turns out he's the guy she kissed at the bar the night before.... So they agree to keep it professional but soon that line seems to blur...

But the question is, will Mallory stay or go back to Seattle?...

I loved this book and Daniel goes out of his way to help Mallory!!! Must read!!!

Thank you to Forever Publishing and Net Galley for letting me read this book.
This book was so,so good! I related to so much of this character (maybe because I am an introvert, maybe because I also took the lead in caring for my grandparents) I found myself cheering her on and getting misty-eyed at parts that touched me. This book is rom-com, Hallmark movie -esque in all the most amazing ways! So,so good! 😊

Thank you for this ARC! 3⭐️ I did enjoy this book but I think I could’ve enjoyed it more. I did not love the FMC nor could I relate to her so that may be why.
I did enjoy meeting all of the characters and they were very unforgettable. All in all, it’s a fun easy read and I’d reccomend!

I hate doing this! I wanted to love this book so much! It sounded like it was going to be a quirky and heartwarming story. But unfortunately I had to DNF at 15%. I thought the FMC was kind of insufferable. Then FMC kept mentioning THE major event of 2020, I lived and I just don’t want to read about it. I know it was meant as a reference point in the FMC life but she kept mentioning it in all the chapters I read. I guess I wasn’t the target audience but I do hope it is received well!!
Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing for an opportunity to read this.

A really sweet and charmingly heartwarming book.

I fully loved Mallory and deeply identified with her.
The characters were rich and well formed, even the family members we only briefly met.

I found myself smiling manically at times and then feeling the heartbreak of loss when Gramps was dealing with his grief over Lottie.

Absolutely loved this book. Can’t wait to buy myself a physical copy and read it again.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

This one's for every introverted millennial that had that weird social transition of WFH to not. Mallory is about as average as they come but it makes her as relatable as can be. Her blossom of personal growth by the end is very heartwarming. Her relationship with her grandfather is pretty distant at the beginning. But it was my favorite part watching them grow closer and have the relationship that her grandmother knew they both needed. The romance is a background story but felt like a cute hallmark movie. I could have gone without all the political references, because ultimately she ends up there so why keep saying it? But a wonderful story of the beautiful things that come out of death and grief.

This book was cute but could have been better. I wasn’t a fan of the pandemic talk (hello I lived it, I don’t wanna read about it) but I do get why it’s in there to make the FMC even more introverted. But really it just was an excuse she used because she was more scared than introverted. It was really frustrating reading about an almost 30 yr old not knowing how to do everyday stuff that’s easy. I also wasn’t a fan of the whole political aspect. Why have the book set in Florida to only make it know you don’t like their politics because they’re too Republican. That was frustrating to read and honestly could have been left out. I did like Daniel! Hello a red headed MMC?! Yes please! I loved his sunny self and his banter. But let’s really talk about the main star of the whole book, Gramps. He was so adorable and I loved the wisdom that he had. The characters at the senior home were great also and I loved the PowerPoint presentation night. They had me laughing out loud. Overall, it wasn’t bad and I still did enjoy reading it. The narrator did a great job as well.

This book will publish on September 16, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever and Hachette Audio | Forever for my advanced readers digital copy/ audio copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

Thank you Lauren Appelbaum, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for a copy of *An Introvert's Guide to Life and Love* in exchange for my honest review💗🌴

Publication date: September 16, 2025🗓

~ 3.5 ~ rounded down to ⭐️⭐️⭐️

An Introvert’s Guide to Life and Love feels like a gentle romcom made for introverts. It's a cozy and sweet read full of family love and a heartwarming romantic love. Mallory is an introvert to her core and her story came across as authentic. She's awkward, anxious, charming and lovable. I really enjoyed watching her go from hiding and secluding herself behind a screen to truly living. Her grandpa and his senior friends are such wonderful addition to the stories and the main male character Daniel is very sweet.

The pacing dragged a bit at times but overall it was a cozy and enjoyable story. Small-town vibes, a cinnamon-roll love interest, and wonderful character growth made this a charming romance read.

I enjoyed Mallory’s story. Working from home can encourage you to live a very bland life, following daily routines without any excitement. That may FEEL complete, but an unexpected inheritance causes her to rethink this life she has created. I loved how she told the story in the first person so that you could read how her thoughts and feelings changed through the new experiences that she was able to have while staying with her grandfather. I also loved how her changes were reflected in her grandfather too, and even in her mother who was across the country for most of the story.

Are you an introvert with social anxiety that always says weird things at inappropriate times? Or is that just me? This book was so relatable and heartwarming but also absolutely hilarious. I fell in love with all of the wonderful characters and now I’m dying for another trip to Florida’s beautiful gulf coast. If you are a romance lover, you need to read this one!
The audiobook was so wonderfully narrated with a great voice (even at my preferred 2.5x speed.) Overall I would give this book a strong 4.5 stars.

4-4.5 stars. This book was delightful. I have such a soft spot for books with grandparent characters, and reading one where part of the entire premise is the main character getting to know their grandparent better, spend more time with them, and bond with them was something my heart needed. Of course there also being a romance with a property manager wrapped up in a home renovation project didn’t hurt either.

Mallory took her remote work from Seattle to Florida after being left a cottage from her grandmother with the caveat that she also look after her grandfather in addition to the home. I loved seeing her relationship with her grandfather grow. Not to get morose, but I know all too well how easy it is to take having time with a grandparent in your adult life for granted. Mallory getting to forge a deeper closeness with her grandfather as an adult was something so charming and lovely to me.

Mallory was also an introvert to her core, to which I could relate, and she was even more settled into that role as a full-time remote worker. She had to acclimate herself to opening up to new people again and making new friends. She also had to navigate developing feelings for a man who would be living on the opposite side of the country when she returned to Seattle. Daniel was pretty worth it though. I really enjoyed their dynamic and the push/pull tension of the “should we/we shouldn’t, we want to but we can’t” battle of their attraction to each other. The way their feelings and relationship developed felt really genuine.

I listened to the audiobook alongside the ebook. Renata Friedman was the narrator, and I enjoyed her performance. She had a good delivery and rhythm to her narration. She also did a good job of creating different tones and accents for the voices to really define each character in the story.

Thank you to Forever for the eARC and Hachette Audio for the ALC, both via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook. A slow burn romcom with a highly introverted mfc, but when her grandmother passes and leaves her a house states away, she goes to fix it up and to help her grandfather with day to day tasks. She falls for a guy in a bar only to find out he’s the handy man she hired to fix up the house. When multiple problems arise she ends up cancelling her flight home and staying put to help her grandfather. She states making friends and falling into a new routine when she gets an email from her job saying that they can no longer work remote and must report to the office, but she starts realizing that she was complacent in her old life but starting to feel useful in Florida with her grandfather.

Being an introvert myself, I have to admit my hopes were high going into this book and for the most part I wasn't disappointed. Overall, this was a really sweet story! The thought processes of the FMC are relatable to real life and it made the few negatives I found in this book easier to digest.

There is a lot of what seems like filler in this book. It makes the story drag and a lot of the moments didn't really lend to any of the characters. It was just there as a movement to the next scene. The FMC and the MMC have a sweet relationship, or what feels like the build up to one. I don't think this story was one of deep, soul altering love which is fine! I think it was meant to be a glimpse into the choices and inner dialogue of a very anxious and introverted person. That was well accomplished.

If you're looking for an FMC with personal growth, this is the book.

The premise of this book is nice. What do introverts do to find connection in this world? But the way this book/story was executed was so uninvolved. I don't know how else to say it. There could have been a way to make this book fun, but no. It wasn't. The pace of the story was also pretty slow. That along with the subject matter made it a bit of a drag.

3/5

A little bit quirky but a large bit wonderful, this book will grab you from word one and keep you engaged through to the final sentence. Your only regret will be that it isn't longer.

This sweet story really pulled at my heartstrings. Mallory, an introvert that works from home, moves to Florida when her grandma dies. She inherits a cabin while also taking care of of her grandfather that lives there. Gramps and Mallory’s relationship was a delight. Their heartfelt interactions were the highlight of the book. There was also a charming romance subplot with the property manager.

As an introvert myself the cover & title drew me in! I loved the cozy smal town vibes and the theme of rediscovering yourself and reconnecting with family. There was no spice, which I was fine with and the romance is shared more towards the end of the book but the emotional payoff is worth it. I enjoyed this cozy read and will definately recommend it to my audience!

Thank You Forever & NetGalley

3.5 Stars, rounded up because I’m feeling generous.
Thank you NetGalley, Lauren Applebaum, and Forever Publishing for the ARC!

So, here’s the thing: I liked this book… but I also yelled at it a little. Let’s break it down:

The Pros:

It’s an easy, cozy read — the kind you can breeze through on a rainy Sunday with coffee in hand.

I really appreciated how it tackled grief, especially the loss of a grandparent and the messy, exhausting process of caring for a loved one after.

Grandpa? Perfection. The man carried this book on his wise, cardigan-covered shoulders. I adored him and wish he could adopt me.

Lottie sounded like she had “life-changing character” energy. More flashbacks of her, please!

I loved that Mallory’s anxiety was represented honestly. And the commentary about my generation’s hamster wheel of go to college → get a job → work to live? Yeah. Accurate. Depressingly so.

The Cons (a.k.a. Mallory, we need to talk):

I had a very complicated relationship with Mallory — like, one moment I understood her existential crisis, and the next I wanted to gently toss her into therapy. As someone who also went through the whole “mundane job → pandemic burnout → identity crisis” pipeline, I get her vibe… but whew.

Mallory thinks she’s an introvert, but really, she’s just extremely focused on what makes her comfortable. And that’s fine — therapy exists! Especially since she pushes Grandpa toward therapy when, honestly, SHE needs a punch card and weekly sessions.

Also… her internal dialogue. Girl. Not everyone is thinking about you. I promise. Sometimes people are just… buying eggs at the grocery store.

Other random grievances:

Her manager? Actually seemed like a good manager. Do you know how rare that is in this economy?! Mallory does not appreciate the gift she has.

And yes, Daniel is hot. And has biceps. And is a redhead. We get it. Move along.

Overall, it’s a sweet book with heartfelt themes, a lovable grandpa, and a main character who made me want to alternate between hugging her and handing her a therapy brochure.