I like that you get both sides of "daddy issues". This book made me laugh, made me cry, made me feel incredibly heartbroken. I loved it!

While I thought this book was okay, I wanted to like it more than I did. And since I’m not into comic books, I couldn’t appreciate the comic book tie-in as much as others might.

Quick summary: Sam is a 26 year old who, after getting a degree in art history, struggled during the pandemic and is now feeling stuck in her life. She hasn’t committed to much in the last five years under the guise she will be leaving for grad school at some point. That is until she meets 39yr old Nick, a man who used to be a free spirit but now is separated and has shared custody of his 9yr old daughter. Relationship drama ensues, Sam also finally takes steps to further her life including learning to face some hard truths from her childhood and getting back into art.

While I liked the premise and writing, the pacing was inconsistent - resulting in a lot of the story that felt like it dragged on while other parts could have used more focus to give depth (e.g., Sam getting into drawing and her experience in NY was really compressed).

As I said, I never read comics so I didn’t appreciate the sections written like comics that reference other comic-like things. That said, I thought it was a cool idea and I wish I could have gotten it a bit more!

Thank you to Kate Goldbeck, Dial Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first single parent/dad’s girlfriend book I’ve read that I felt actually talked about the struggle and also joy of fitting into an already established family. It was beautiful and messy and so incredibly real. Loved this and especially love the cover! So excited to recommend this to readers.

I really liked parts of this, but the pacing of the romance didn't work for me even though I liked the characters together well enough! The pacing was really 0 - 100 and I didn't understand how they fell in love? Most of Sam's internal thoughts were about herself and her baggage so not sure how she fell in love? What I love in a romance is seeing those small moments where they fall in love so the omission of those parts made me not that invested in the relationship.

I did enjoy Kate Goldbeck's writing and how Sam and Nick are pretty normal people. She is flawed and makes mistakes and I always love seeing imperfect people in romance.

This book deals with the existential crisis of being in your mid twenties in 2025(ish) and it felt very real and accurate.

To be honest I'm bummed I didn't like this one more. I didn't give it a star rating bc I'm not sure what I would rate it. I enjoyed parts of this A LOT but a Romance with a relationship I'm lukewarm on is always disappointing.

*thanks to the publisher for the eARC; all thoughts are my own*

A gorgeous cover that perfectly emulates the personality of the FMC, who has a background in comics! While the mention of covid was a jumpscare, Sam's hopelessness in feeling stagnant in her life is extremely relatable. And her relationship with Nick is interesting and a blast to witness. I love a good single- dad trope, and Kate Goldbeck really cashes in on the Daddy Issues of it all. (Literally those first few pages is just an onslaught of daddy issues that hits a little too deep.)

I’m so sad. I super wanted to love this since I adored You, Again, I loved the premise of this book and adored the cover. Unfortunately it really missed the mark for me. I didn’t find the relationship to be believable and didn’t sense their connection strongly and didn’t feel like the couple would make it in the long run either. I wasn’t giddy at any point or excited for them to hook up or end up together. It just felt like there wasn’t enough relationship establishment on why they compliment each other. In addition, I liked the comic book angle bc that’s not seen often but found the integration of it into the writing (ex. The panels) to be distracting not complimentary.

This was the first single dad age gap book that I have read and I don't think any book will be able to top how much I enjoyed this book. Typically this would not be my trope as children often times aren't always written well. That is NOT the case here! Kira is written so well and it was fun to watch her use more modern ways such as Discord to communicate with Sam.

The romance was so good between Sam and Nick. I craved Chili's several times throughout this book thanks to Nick being a manager at a Chili's. Who doesn't love a 3 for me!? It was so interesting to me that they were literally only a wall space apart. If they needed each other, all they had to do was knock SOS. The author did such a wonderful job separating the romance from the parenting/child time. As someone who probably has a very similar mindset to Sam when it comes to children, it was so fun to watch Sam interact with Kira and bond with her.

I didn't really care for Sam's mother. I felt like she was so negative towards Sam's growth and just viewed her as a failure. While she was kind enough to let Sam live in the office space of her apartment, she was cruel in every other aspect of parenting. She did try to line up jobs for her, but she also tried to hook the neighbor up with one of her friends just because they were both divorced. She just felt so pushy and wanted things to constantly go her way.

The cover for this book is absolutely stunning. I love the layout, the colors, the character art, everything! I really like that its not your typical cartoon-style characters and I think the cover really sets this book apart from other romances. Thank you to Netgalley, Random House, and Kate Goldbeck for an ARC of this book. I absolutely devoured this book and I can't wait to read more books by this author! This review is my own honest opinion.

Oh this was SO GOOD! Kate Goldbeck writes characters that are so earnest and real and I love every word of her books because of this.

This is romance without any unnecessary drama or dragging out of a resolution - it’s the story of two separate humans with their own separate gifts and struggles and joys and sadness - and how they grow as individuals and together.

I was so moved by so many beautifully simple but impactful moments - the gift from Kira?? The family drawing and note from Kira?? Ok as someone who does not want children apparently the communication from the kid in this book was very impactful for me 😂

It is such a gift to get to read books where an author puts some of their own experience or inspiration into the story, and I loved the two essays following the end of the book that got into this more deeply. I felt how genuine the emotions were throughout and the validation of a romance story as real and inspired was refreshing and such a gift.

This was funny, fun, silly, earnest, emotional and everything in between. I had such a great time bingeing it all in less than 24 hours 😂

Thanks to Dial Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thirty (close enough), flirty and thriving is how I'd best describe the vibes of this book. I normally hate an age gap and was nervous but pleasantly surprised with how well done this was!

This is a serious book -- I know that isn't a word that we often associate with romance, but I really like the way the author tackles some very intense issues within the romance framework. I love watching the heroine come to terms with what's happened in her life, and make the (yes, serious) decision to do some self-work, come to a state of acceptance, choose to move forward, etc. The characters felt very human to me, in the best possible way.

thoroughly enjoyed this one! It was unique and fun and romantic. LOVED the inclusive of the comic panels.

While I was frustrated at times with the lack of accountability for her life circumstances and failure to change, I ended up really loving Sam’s journey. The story was full of complex relationships, confronting past traumas and essentially becoming a human to be proud of - rather than what is deemed “perfect.”
I looooooved that Nick was a functioning, emotional male that was up front with his feelings and own growth, instead of the “too cool for feelings” older guy.
This was a fun and easy to read romance!

This book stole my heart in the most unexpected way. It captures the magic of finding love when you least expect it and reminds you that sometimes, life’s detours lead to the best destinations. The writing is fresh and witty, balancing humor and heartfelt moments so perfectly. It’s not just about romance; it’s about the complicated relationships we have with ourselves, our families, and the dreams we’re still trying to chase. The chemistry between Sam and Nick feels so natural and raw, and the way they navigate their differences is genuinely beautiful. It’s charming, funny, and packed with so much heart. I didn’t want it to end.

In all honesty this book took me completely by surprise. For a novel about a single dad romance, this had so much heart. Surprisingly, the romance wasn’t even the central conflict, it was Sam’s relationship with herself that she needed assistance with and the Chili’s manager, almost 40, precious roadie single dad next door was the catalyst.

DNF 44%

This is not the book for me. I do see the appeal of the plot line, but the main character was fully dreadful. In general, I don't like plots that are COVID centered. I especially don't like plots that are "woe is me, COVID is hard" for five full years. The love plotline in this story also feels very forced considering the FMC does not like children, and the MMC is a single father. The FMC just feels like a lost cause that is a drain to every other character in the novel.

I do believe this book could be everything to someone else, but it is the opposite of relatable for me.

Kate Goldbeck.... you are now one of my ELITE employees!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was perfect, no notes. I consider myself to be one of the biggest You, Again fans of all time. I have read it several times and it gets better each time. I was so excited when Daddy Issues was announced and even more excited when I got the eARC so I could read it early!

I just think Kate's writing and characters are so impressive and the yearning and slow burn of her romances really get to me, personally. I loved Sam's ~journey~ in this one and I loved Nick's dedication to his daughter.

It was funny at times and sad at others. I loved their sweet romance a lot.

Just great all around.

The lost years! We’ve all had them and now readers will know it’s a shared experience. Sam and Nick are characters I will think about for a long time! The dialogue, steam, and everything in between was perfection! ❤️

I loved this- Kate Goldbeck infuses her writing with so much wit and humor, and her romances are top notch. The heroine, Sam, is a gifted burnout kid who, because of the pandemic, has been living at home for the last 5 years. Although I'm sure some readers will get frustrated with Sam, I enjoyed her journey and how flawed and human she felt. I loved her relationship with Nick, and I think the book did a great job talking about the implications of dating a single dad- what you'll mean to the child, the child's mom, etc. There was an honesty to their relationship that made sense, given where Nick is in his life, and I loved how it added to the romance. I wasn't fully invested in the book towards the end, which is why this isn't a 5, but I thought this was a fresh, sharp romance.

Witty, insightful, and perfectly messy. Daddy issues is a vulnerable and realistic love story that fully exceeded my expectations as someone who doesn't typically care for the single dad trope. Sam was such a lovable, relatable character and I loved reading from her POV. The chemistry was perfect as well. The depiction of Sam's previous situationship was painfully well done and a great tool to showcase her growth as a character. 4.25 ⭐️

I don’t think Kate can write anything I won’t like. Her stories and characters are always so layered and complex; the writing witty, funny, and engaging.

I didn’t even find myself relating much to either of these characters in the broad sense, but I sure cared about them—as individuals and as a couple. I felt for them, and rooted for them. Kira, too. If that isn’t a mark of good writing!

The only reason I’m giving this 4 stars is because when the “I love you” came, I was a little surprised by it. As a reader we usually already know it and can sense the moment coming, but this one, somehow, came a little soon for me? I think I was hoping for a deeper emotional connection first. There was no doubt they had Feelings, but maybe a scene or two that convinced me it was More.

I can’t thank you enough for this ARC! I will always be recommending Kate Goldbeck. Big fan.