Thank you to Netgalley and Random House/ Dial Press publishing for an ARc of this book!
Daddy issues is a single dad age gap romance with sprinkles of great banter, Star Trek references, and a love for comic books.
Goldbeck has such a unique writing style and kind of dry humor that I absolutely relate to and found myself giggling out loud while reading. I love how she incorporates multiple perspectives on blended families and blended family relationships. Similar to her FMC in You, Again; Sam’s growth from doing nothing with her life to doing something with her life and the journey in between is something I love to watch enfold. I love that the break up in the story was more for choosing her own personal growth over the relationship (as it should be). Nick is such a model for a good dad that isn’t perfect but is realistically trying his best and loves his daughter. Each character was so well fleshed out and relevant to the plot.
I do feel like the end was very abrupt. I expected one more scene and was surprised to the turn the page and see the acknowledgements but don’t think it took away from the story at all.
Overall this was an incredible read and I look forward to reading more of Goldbeck’s work in the future!

First of i live the cover of this book. Second my favorite tropes are single father and age gap sooo win win.

This was definitely something I did not think I would enjoy as much as I did but I guess I found a new guilty pleasure!

(4.5 star) this book definitely felt relatable. I feel like it almost leaned more women’s fiction than romance I was really craving more of the romance on top of everything we got. I did really enjoy this story and will recommend it to everyone I know.

Okay wait why was this one so fun! This was my first book from this author and I had the absolute best time. The tropes were all there and they were fantastic, the cover is so cool and fun, and I was drawn in from the first page. I adored this one. I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

I’m actually in love with this book! I think it’s witty, chaotic and just down right funny! It’s the perfect romcom! Not to mention the cover is absolutely gorgeous in so many ways! I think this book is total perfection!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this advanced copy of Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck.

Overall rating: 3.75 out of 5 rounded to 4 stars

Daddy Issues tells the story of Sam, a failure to launch former student who gets stuck in an ongoing 5 year long “gap year” after the pandemic puts her career on hold. Sam is living in her mother’s office and trying to make sense of her life now. She meets Nick, a single dad who lives next door to her mother. Together they form a friendship that turns into more.

My main critique of this book is it shouldn’t have been a romance. It is literary fiction with a romantic side plot. The first half of the book she’s in a situationship with Hal, a guy from her part time job. The main meat of the story is Sam’s reluctance to move on, from both the dream she wanted and the father who treated her badly. Her romance with Nick is a side part that gets rushed at the end and honestly comes across weird. It’s almost instant-love and then breakup.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It just wasn’t what I expected. Goldbeck’s niche seems to be “unlikeable main character” but honestly everyone in this was flawed. The best characters were Kira, and Perry.

There’s a lot to love here! Daddy Issues is voice-y, funny and incorporates comic-style prose in a unique storytelling device.

I loved how love for so many different generations was portrayed, and I resonated with the big themes of perfection and failing by not doing anything to fail.

Single dad romances, as much as I enjoyed aspects of this book, just might not be a good fit for me.

I was truly hoping for more. This did not really feel like a romance to me, aside from the fact that she had romantic feelings towards other characters. I didn’t really enjoy Sam’s character as much as I wanted to, and I think that FMC’s like her just don’t really “click” with me. I’m sad because I wanted to love this book as the premise and cover seemed promising :( either way, big thanks to NetGalley & Random House for the eARC:)

I was really looking forward to this book but unfortunately, I could not get past the insufferable FMC. Her character lacked depth and she came off extremely childish, which I was not here for. The dynamic between the FMC and MMC were also off and felt too forced with no real chemistry. The pacing of the story also felt extremely off and there were some major plot issues I had.

I do think that there will be individuals who love this story, just was not for me.

i think calling this book a romance was the first mistake bc to me that part felt more like a subplot and honestly so weird that i was rooting for them not to end up together. don’t get me wrong i actually liked nick but i can’t think of two people in more different stages of life to be paired up (and let’s be real, sam was never meant to be a stepmom). what did work for me was how sam’s feelings were portrayed, she felt super real with very real problems (sometimes almost too real tbh). i just wish we’d gotten to see more things actually working out for her, the ending could’ve been a thousand times more satisfying in every way. overall i was disappointed but i didn’t hate it, it was just… fine

I love Kate Goldbeck's unique stories! She writes underdogs and people who feel ordinary having extraordinary love stories and I think it's wonderful.

I'm not gonna lie the title really threw me off but I ended up absolutely loving this book!! There is something in it that just hooks you!!

Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck is a complex story, there are multiple different stories trying to be told and I feel that the book synopsis is misleading. Personally, I felt this story's main plot focused on our FMC Sam's struggles to find herself after losing so many opportunities post pandemic. The romance ends up being a secondary plot- which is fine if you market it properly. Even so, the romance was lack luster- they had little to no connection, and it seemed like neither were really ready for a relationship. Also... our MMC had veryyyyy little appeal- very cringy lines and added nothing to the story. The story lacked development for the multiple plot lines and characters.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 STARS

When I got the ARC for this book I was SO excited! It was one of my most anticipated books dropping this year. Unfortunately, I did not love this book.

What I did like:
I think the character of Sam was well thought out and executed. She felt real to me, which I feel is a very hard thing to do as a writer. I liked the early development of her and Nick’s relationship. I thought they had great communication and the spice that was on the page was great! I also think the author really did a great job at showing difficult relationship dynamics—Sam and Nick while he is a single dad with a young child. Sam’s mom and her partner having to deal with Sam living with them even though it’s highly inconvenient for empty-nesters—while also showing how worthwhile and fulfilling those relationships can be, even in tough situations.

What I didn’t like:
I didn’t ever really feel like Sam’s situation was resolved or that she ever truly was happy. This story felt like it wasn’t really a romance, even though it is marketed as such. It felt very literary fiction to me, and I didn’t love the last half of the book because it felt like the book switched genres, and we had almost no romance on page, and only Sam discovering who she might be, but even that wasn’t super well executed. I wish there was more on the page about her and Nick. Them actually being a couple, maybe showing more of how Sam is integrated into Nick and Kira’s little family. I would have also loved to see more about Sam and her relationship with her dad and resolving those issues.

In the end, all I really felt with this book was me being very underwhelmed and wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the gifted ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book, but the central romance just wasn’t my cup of tea. I did appreciate the very real representation of post-college and grad school struggles—especially the challenges of job hunting during Covid—which added a lot of authenticity. At times, the dialogue felt a little confusing and awkward, which pulled me out of the story. Overall, I liked the read, but it’s not one I’d widely recommend.

This was a great adult romance novel! Sam grew a lot by the end of the book, and I liked the supporting cast of characters. I would definitely recommend trying it to those who think it sounds good!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher

I’ve adored all of Goldbeck’s writing thus far and similarly devoured this novel. I thought it was interesting to take two very opposing messy characters and have them work through things together

Kate Goldbeck knows how to weave a love story between complicated people, with elements of finding themselves and finding their person. Daddy Issues is both a journey of self discovery and how this impacts other aspects of the character’s lives. Let’s face it, life is messy and never goes how you envision it, but we live to find joy within.

Sam. She lives with her mom. Crashed at her mom’s place due to her academic life not panning out how she planned. Paralyzed by lack of motivation and disappointments, Sam wishes things were different.

Nick. He lives next door, sharing the wall with Sam’s room. Makes a racket in renovating his apartment, fuels Sam to say something… Following a divorce and trying to keep everything stable for his daughter Kira, Nick prioritizes work, home and being a single dad.

Sam and Nick have their meet cute, and eventual friendship, considering he is a dad, they have an age gap and Sam has a toxic situationship on the side, plus her mom is enraging, their romance story does not follow a classic format. Loved that. Nick is confidently undeterred by Sam’s current life predicament, but he knows there’s something there, to explore between them and when he finally verbalizes it, I was thinking yes, finally!

Some aspects move the plot quickly, could have expanded on the romance, however, the self discovery was an important element to explore with Sam. You have to be true to yourself to be your best in a relationship. I feel Kate gave a realistic portrayal of people trying to sort themselves out. I quite liked this story. Definitely be reading the next book by this author.

Thanks to Random House - Dial Press Trade Paperback for providing me with an e-ARC of this via Netgalley.

I really enjoyed the writing style! It was sharp, self-deprecating, and genuinely funny at times. I related to Sam, the main character, in more ways than I expected. The characters also felt believable and real, especially Nick and his daughter, Kira.

The story follows Sam, who has been struggling to find her footing since the pandemic. Career opportunities have dried up, and she’s mentally and physically stuck. living in her mom’s “office”, wallowing in self-pity and of course her daddy issues. Things shift when Nick moves in next door, sparking a dynamic that’s steamy, awkward, and often humorous.

One of the most clever parts of this book was the way it incorporated comics into the story. The mentions of how they’re created with choosing panels, dialogue, and structure were fascinating and added depth, especially since Sam loves to draw. It tied into the narrative in such a fun and thoughtful way.

While I appreciated the humor, the comic details, and the authenticity of the characters, I personally wasn’t very invested in the love story itself. That said, I loved the creative touches, and the cover is absolutely beautiful. I would recommend to an audience who enjoys

- age gap romance
- single daddy tropes
- spiceee
- self deprecating humor

And honestly a good time!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for my digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.