I really wanted to like this one and I think it will hit for lots of people but it didn’t work for me. I guess I went in with different expectations, like a more romance heavy book, and instead got women’s fiction. I didn’t love or relate to the FMC at all and I don’t enjoy the comic book random inserts throughout. This truly is about a girl with daddy issues, and many other issues. She as bit too messy for me.

KATE GOLDBECK I want to kiss you on the mouth (with consent). I've been incredibly unwell since this book was announced. I was camping out in Dial Press' inbox, begging for this book (& not even remotely chill about it).

Firstly, I'm an absolute WH*RE for a single dad / age gap combo 🙂‍↔️ if you serve it to me, I will eat down. Guaranteed. But honestly the best part about Nick was that he was (and I mean this in the most endearing way possible) he was so... normal. dare I even say basic??! A single dad, pushing 40, and a manager at the local Chili's. The real triple dipper!! (iykyk)

Much like her debut (You, Again) That book was/is literally still perfection to me. I don't want to hear any slander against my baby. I actually loved her main characters- Sam & Nick- as well as the dynamic between them. Her characters always feel like real people to me. I especially how age-appropriate the characters were. If I ever felt slightly annoyed with Sam's actions or thought processes, the geriatric millennial in me would be instantly humbled. I'm annoyed with her because she is me 🥴 or I'm mad because she's maybe smarter or more self aware than I was. And Nick was so consistent. Always ten toes down, all business in his big age. We love a man who knows what he wants.

10 stars for the cover art as well 🤩 love you forever, Daddy Dial Press for the eARC and physical galley (!!!!)

After reading and loving Kate’s debut “You, Again” I had high expectations for her 2nd novel. Needless to say, I loved it. Kate has a way of writing characters that leap off the page and become so real and raw and not fictional at all. Sam and Nick feel like real people who exist outside of this book. I adored the pop culture references to niche things (shoutout Spider-Man turn off the dark the musical) and the love for comics that Sam has. I’m not a fan of single dad romance, but I enjoyed the overall arc and story as we got to know the characters more. As a loyal Instagram follower of Kate’s, I saw so many things woven into this book that are reminiscent of her real life, and I love that so much. It helped me to connect deeper to who Kate is as a human and an author. I cannot wait to read her next book. This truly has solidified her as an auto buy author for me, and I need producers to see that these would make great movies considering how developed and real the characters feel.

A fun, saucy time this was! I loved Kate Goldbeck’s debut and Daddy Issues was even better! Such a fun romance

"I'm so used to settling for tiny pieces of people. Little fragments of attention while they're doing something else. And right now he's literally holding me with both hands."

Kate Goldbeck bundles narcotics in her tales. Promise. Her romances are the PERFECT balance of mess/control, spice, emotional vulnerability, and snark. In a world with happy go lucky tales and dark romance, Kate weaves the perfect balance that removes you from your current reality, but her novels stay grounded enough to work in this reader's brain.

Sam Pulaski aspires to a thriving academic career in the competitive and lucrative art space, but after moving home in 2020 hasn't made much traction. At 26, she is underemployed at a local tiki themed restaurant/bar with her situationship and is crashing in her mom's condo. When Nick, the late 30s dad to Kira moves next door, he exudes "adulting." Sam's dad left, but Nick gave up his entire lifestyle and is obsessed with his daughter in the best way.

Sparks fly between these two. There is an age difference, a kid, familial expectations, I rounded this to five stars because I cannot stop thinking about these characters.

Sam has been enamored and entrenched with comic books from a young age and seeing her sort through her life in graphic novel panels was a genius way to envelope us into her story. I adored that Nick was a Chili's manager and poked fun at the chain. Honestly, I love reading about a messy woman, and Sam is a great one to invest in.

Thank you so much to Dial Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy. This comes out November 18, 2025.

Katie Goldbeck managed to capture the disappointment and ennui that happens when the path you're dead set for your life on isn't the path you end up taking. "Daddy Issues" is a relatively quick read with a different spin on the single dad trope.

This is the first book by this author I’ve read and I really enjoyed it! It was so easy to enjoy the book because the two main characters were great. Sam and Nick upon meeting get along fairly quickly which then leads to them in a relationship and I loved that they were very communicative with each other. That communication made them so likeable and it’s something I don’t see often. With Nick being a dad it was understandable that Sam may feel different but it was nice to see them talk it out. It really was such a great book, I couldn’t put it down. Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this book, I really appreciate it!!!

Kate Goldbeck delivers a slow burn, perfect level of steam romance that also feels like a tender beautiful coming of age story as well.

Sam is stuck in a post pandemic career rut living at home trying to make it back into academia when grounded Nick moves in next door. Nick has his own daughter which draws him back into his steady and consistent routine, which Sam clearly lacks.

What’s transpires is character development and growth alongside two people figuring out how they can make life work together. Loved it!

Daddy Issues hooked me from page one with its witty voice, lovable mess of a heroine, and swoon-worthy single dad next door. Kate Goldbeck perfectly blends humor, heart, and heat in a story that’s both laugh-out-loud funny and emotionally grounded. Sam and Nick’s chemistry is electric, but it’s their vulnerability and growth that really shine. A smart, sexy, feel-good read I couldn’t put down!

The way this book was written was so unique. To have a story partially told through comic panel descriptions without having actual images is so fun. It made the inner monologue so interesting when it was told through comic panels. The single dad and younger FMC that doesn’t really have her act together is such a classic, but I REALLY liked the kid in this one. Usually the kids feel like background characters, but I think this one really stands out there.

A single dad/age gap romance AND they know how to communicate!! Let me be one of the first to tell you that when this book releases on November 18th you NEED to pick up a copy! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of this!! Sam’s life is off track: her PhD got canceled, she’s back home bartending + living with her mom, and stuck in a situationship that's going nowhere. Then she meets Nick, her calm, reliable single dad neighbor, and their unexpected connection forces her to reflect on everything; from her daddy issues (see what i did there) to what she really wants from life. It’s such a relatable story for anyone who's felt lost in their twenties, and I loved that Sam’s growth wasn’t about fixing everything at once, but about learning that moving forward starts with just one small step. This was also my first book ever by Kate Goldbeck and now I'll be rushing to pick up You, Again!!

wanted to love this more but it was just ok. I love an age gap and I love realistic characters but Sam and Nick just didn’t click for me. I went in expecting a romance but I felt like the romance was more of a subplot and the focus was mostly on Sam’s development. There isn’t anything wrong with that but it’s just not what I was looking for. I also found Sam to be quite irritating and I think that was somewhat intentional but the author but it was just too much. Also, the comic aspect of it was cute in theory but I found it pulled me out of the story. I really think what the author was going for was a unique idea but I just didn’t love the execution. Thank you to Random House and the author for the chance to read it.

26-year-old Sam Pulaski is stuck. Stuck working a job she doesn’t love, stuck paying off student loans from her Art History degree, stuck crashing in her mom’s condo, stuck in a messy situationship. For most of her twenties, Sam feels like her life has been put on hold, and she’s just waiting for it to finally begin—once she gets into a PhD program and moves out of Ohio, that is. But Sam’s world turns upside down when Nick and his daughter Kira move in next door. Sam’s not too interested in a guy at a completely different age and life stage to her, and she’s honestly a little afraid of kids…but what will happen when she and Nick strike up a connection she can’t ignore?

I loved following Sam’s journey! For a lot of the book, she’s lost and stuck in a way that some readers might find frustrating, but I rooted for her, even despite her more unlikable moments. I think a lot of people will be able to relate to her character. Kate Goldbeck really captures her voice; it’s distinct and funny and real, and I just clicked with it from the start.

I will say that I think the personal growth/character development side of the story resonated a little more with me than the romance did. I did think Sam and Nick had great chemistry, and that they complemented each other well, but I felt like DADDY ISSUES really shines in its portrayal of someone getting “unstuck” and slowly gaining confidence to go after the life they want. This was my first book of Goldbeck’s, but now I’m definitely interested in reading more of her writing! Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and The Dial Press for the ARC.

Thank you Dial for letting read and review this copy early. This is a new to me author but with a stunning cover and a very intriguing blurb I was ready to dive in. We first get introduced to our FMC Sam who is 26 and living with her mother told solely from her POV, we get to live through Sam and the way her life has stalled over the past few years.

There was alot in this story that I really enjoyed but going into this with the mindset of it being a romance sort of let me down in a few aspects. I feel as though this book was better as a fiction novel with romantic aspect as it was lacking what you really want to strive for in a book boyfriend. As much as I adored Nick I felt his character was very unrealistic and as much as I adored him for the plot I do not think their ending together really made the most sense. Some of his character was perfect having his life together, being emotionally available to Sam as we watch her try to find who she is again. I did love her story and how she seemed to find a way back to herself. But then the ending very much threw me off from the trajectory of their
story.

The writing was beautiful, I felt a very strong connection our FMc and really enjoyed her journey.

There were moments in this book that made me laugh out loud with the banter and the wit. I found the main characters fine but not amazing. The FMC's struggle with finding her way again after hardships was fairly easy to relate to but it felt like she was wallowing in it instead of picking herself up and making something work. The romance was sweet and the tension was great between the two main characters. Overall I enjoyed this book but it wasn't an absolute favorite!

Another hit from Kate Goldbeck! I really enjoyed her first novel, You, Again, and Daddy Issues has solidified her as an auto-read author for me. This book was so good - emotional, realistic, and so, so funny. Sam was a great protagonist. I think she really captured what it feels like to be a 20-something whose plans have been derailed and they've been forced to "re-enter the nest." She experienced tremendous growth throughout the book in a way that felt very natural and earned and I wish we could continue hearing her story. Nick and Kira were also great characters. Nick was such a great love interest and I was rooting for him from the beginning. Sam's mom, Perry, and Romily rounded out the cast in a very natural way and I liked how she developed her relationships with each of them. This examination of the "single dad trope" was fresh and fun and I will definitely be recommending it to everyone when it comes out.

oh my god i ate this book upppp!!! the writing was so beautiful, and the struggles of the main character were relatable and painful in the most perfect way. i thought the ending was so well done, and while i normally don’t enjoy single parent noms, this ended up being one of my fave books of the year so far.

Thank you Random Housr for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book very much! It’s sharp, funny, and heartfelt, with characters that feel real and relationships that feel earned. I know Kira wasn’t the main point of this novel but I loved her character so much! She’s sweet, clever, and full of life. I found myself wishing to have a little girl like her one day.

Overall, Daddy Issues strikes a wonderful balance between humor and heart, exploring love, family, and the messy complications that come with both. Highly recommend to anyone looking for an engaging, modern read.

As I told my best friend, "a single dad stuck in Columbus, Ohio and managing a Chilis? That's my literal nightmare love interest, I do not claim this energy." Okay actually my friends and I love our local Chilis so falling in love with the manager could be beneficial, but I digress. And in my defense, I have a deep personal history with Ohio, and none of it is positive.

But as I also told my friend..."I'm absolutely loving this book." Yep, Kate Goldbeck did the impossible: she made me (and Sam) fall for a single dad from Ohio. She's just that good. I saw the cover, I saw the author, and despite the synopsis (again, Ohio and I have beef) and I knew I HAD to have it.

Where this book really hooked me was the authenticity that Kate approached the realities of falling for and dating a single parent, and after reading her author's note at the end, I'm not surprised she totally nailed it. She exposed the sometimes really tough realities while also still finding and showing the good. I found myself empathizing more often with Sam (I also have a mom moving to Albania and a deadbeat absentee dad from Ohio and, well, daddy issues) than Nick, but I've also never been a parent. I have been a 26 year old with unresolved daddy issues (thank you therapy). And despite agreeing with Sam on her many hang ups over the relationship, I still found myself rooting for her and Nick, and understood her ultimate choice at the end.

I also loved the unique touch of Sam's artistic point of view, and seeing certain scenes as though they were comic book strips. It added a fresh twist as a reader, and I found myself wishing I could see the actual illustrations (a special edition one day??).

The emotional depth and COMMUNICATION (YAYAYAY) between Nick and Sam was the real hook for me. Kate Goldbeck does this so well, and I now find myself reaching for her debut as the book hangover hits. I cannot recommend this book enough, and will be first in line on release day.

I really related to a lot of parts of Sams character. Her trying to figure everything out just going day by day is really relatable for people who are trying to go through that stage in their life. I enjoy the single parent aspect as I always do in a book. But it feels like this book is so much more than a romance. I loved the depth and way that her feelings were expressed. You really feel like you’re going on the journey with her. It feels extremely realistic. There’s also a lot of great one liners in here that can really stick with you. It was definitely an emotional read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for sending me this arc!