I think I’ll be the minority in terms of ratings with this one but I couldn’t get through it. 2 stars because I know it’ll hit the right audience, that just isn’t me!

Personally not a fan of Goldbeck’s writing style. The premise is so great and I do think it’ll do well in store, but I found the quirky/woe as me narration and character traits more annoying than endearing or relatable. Wanted to love it but it fell really flat for me!

First of all, Daddy Issues has such an incredible title; it works on so many levels. Sam is 26, living on her mom's couch, and dealing with actual daddy issues in the form of her father left a long time ago AND when he left, he left her with a love of graphic art and comic books, and literal boxes full of assortments of issues of various values. She has a situationship with someone else at arms length, but she starts to inconveniently fall for her neighbor, a man in his late 30s with a daughter. Her character growth is lovely, and the way that this story was framed with interspersed graphic art moments as though she was storyboarding her own life was so charming and beautifully crafted! I enjoyed the emotional arc of everything here, and the whole cast: the family, the assorted friends, even the kind of jerk situationship and the way too hot literary it girl he was into. But most of all, I loved Samantha, and Nick, and his daughter, Kira.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review!

Sam Pulaski, de 26 años, es una joven que siente que su vida está en pausa. Atrapada en un limbo tras rechazos a programas de posgrado en Historia del Arte y sumida en deudas estudiantiles, vive con su madre y trabaja en un empleo sin futuro. Su vida parece una serie de viñetas de cómic, donde todo se repite sin avance real.

Nick, su nuevo vecino, es todo lo contrario: un hombre responsable, padre soltero de una niña de nueve años llamada Kira, que ha dejado atrás su carrera en viajes por un trabajo estable y una rutina centrada en su hija. Nick es maduro, centrado y emocionalmente disponible, cualidades que descolocan a Sam, acostumbrada a relaciones frágiles o dañinas como la que mantiene con su amigo con derechos o la ausencia emocional de su padre.

Lo que empieza como una coincidencia incómoda (vivir separados solo por una pared) evoluciona en una cercanía emocional y física que desafía las barreras que ambos han levantado. Sam debe enfrentarse a sus propios prejuicios sobre la paternidad, la madurez y el compromiso, mientras Nick descubre que aún puede enamorarse, incluso en medio del caos de la paternidad.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

DNF at 62%

I had the chance to be an early reader for this story, so I want to start off this review by thanking Dial Press and Random House Pub for taking a shot on me. However...

I couldn't possibly consider choking down the last third of this book.

Given how much I was a fan of Kate Goldbeck's first book, I'm ultimately very surprised that this is where I've landed with her second one. I think there needs to be a lot of heavy consideration done before this book reaches the public. It could be so much better than what is and I just know that there's enough talent and passion behind this project to get it done.

Let's talk about what went wrong...

First of all, I was such a sucker for the premise and it had been so long since the release of "You, Again" that I was beyond excited to get an ARC for this story. What it seemed like this story was going to be was a battle of wills between two people who knew that *maybe* they were a little wrong for one another, but that in the end they might give it all up for just one shot to be together. I was ready for the pining, the anticipation, the stolen touches between the man with too many commitments to consider the girl with no commitments at all. It had so much potential, but that is not what this story was at all.

Instead, I found the story to be a sort of awkward, flailing about between our two main characters. They really only end up together so that our main character, Sam, can get revenge on her FWB. After hooking up once in a minivan, she's sort of roped into this committed relationship that she seems to have one foot half out of at all times. Like she's still waiting for Hal (the alleged FWB) to commit or for Nick, the MMC, to screw it all up just to say "Yep, he's just like my fuck-up of a dad." I couldn't convey how awkward it all is, even if I tried over and over again, so here's just a quote from one of Sam and Nick's interactions...

"To be fair, that is The Dream for most people."

"-and now I'm looking at myself and my life and my gut-"

"I like your dad bod."

Maybe it's because I know the context of this particular scene that I find it hard to look past, but TRUST me when I say that this how they speak most of the time. He's like this guy stuck in the 90s, pretentiously so, and she's supposed to be this down on her luck "Gen Z" girl but it all tries too hard to be on the nose. They have no chemistry whatsoever, every time they speak with one another it makes me cringe so hard I can't even consider it anymore, and this all only scratches the surface.

I just don't like any of the characters, especially Nick's daughter, because it feels like the writer tried too hard to make them seem quirky and different. Like Nick is the General Manager at a CHILIS for god's sake, and that's supposed to the representation of a responsible adult that's got his life all figured out???? Everything just tries too hard in a way that tells me the writer doesn't understand the types of people she's trying to convey.

Now let's talk about something more technical - the writing. One of my biggest qualms when reading this book has to be the awkward, choppy scene jumps. None of them flowed organically, I just sort of felt like I was being forced out of a moment that didn't really finish in the first place. I think there are too many of them and that the writer will lose appeal from her readers if the choppy nature of the writing isn't worked on some more before publication.

I also found Sam's inward thoughts to be a bit overwhelming and that it was distracting from what was happening around her more often than not. I get that she's supposed to be this overthinker, overachiever type, however, it gets to the point where we lose all consideration of what the scene actually is and what's happening. I think she can be obsessive in ways that aren't as intrusive to the overall plot of each scene.

I'm sure as I think on it, there might be some other things that bugged me about this book, however I think it just boils down to this feeling like I didn't get what I thought I was going to. I feel a bit scammed and I think, knowing Goldbeck's other writing, that this book can be FAR improved upon before it lands on those bookstore shelves. I sincerely hope that happens.

Again, thank you to Dial Press and Random House for this ARC.

I devoured this book. I quite literally just finished it so let’s see if I can get my swirling, twirly thoughts in order.

An emotional and relatable read on so many levels. This story takes place post pandemic and follows Sam whose life is completely different than she imagined. Living in her mom’s apartment in her late twenties - she’s 27, has no money, no prospect vibes (iykyk). Which relatable!!! Insert the kind, honest, just what she needs, single dad. This is sooo much more than a single dad, trope filled romance novel. It’s about someone who lost their way and is finally coming out of the haze and Groundhog Day of life when you have no idea what is coming next.

I loved the comic aspect of the book. As someone who doesn’t read comics, I was so enthralled by the way it was added to the story.

The dynamic between Sam and her mom was also devastatingly honest. The guilt, shame and all the other feelings Sam was experiencing were written about with such openness.

In short, I loved this.

4 stars.

Forever a Kate Goldbeck fan. This was a sweet and tender story and even though I’ve never been in Samantha’s position i found myself aching for her. Kira was such a delightful addition to this story and I would have been happy to read more of her.

My only complaint is I wanted a few more fleshed out scenes of emotional depth between Sam and Nick. But Kate’s writing still had me hanging onto every scene between them.

Big thanks to Dial Press for the ARC of this one! I read this one immediately when I got it, because I loved You, Again and was so excited to dive into Kate Goldbeck's newest book! It was a quick read for me and I really enjoy Goldbeck's writing style. That being said, this one missed the mark for me a little bit. The book follows Sam, whose life has stalled since she got her Art History degree back in 2020. Originally, the pandemic derailed her and sent her to live back home in her mother's retirement condo. It's been five years now, though, and at 26 Sam has basically failed to launch. When a new neighbor moves in with his young daughter, Sam finds herself drawn to him despite the fact that she has never been drawn to kids. Even though there is a substantial age gap, she feels like Nick really sees her. The story definitely had potential but I felt like Nick and Sam's connection was sort of surface level and I just really wanted to shake Sam and tell her to get her life together. There are some important details in regards to mental health and healing past trauma from childhood but overall, I just really wanted more from this one.

I will definitely still read more books by Goldbeck in the future, though!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Kate Goldbeck for the ARC.

I really enjoyed <I>You, Again</I> by Kate Goldbeck, so I was excited to dive into her second novel without reading too much about it in advance. What a pleasant surprise to find that the "issues" in <I>Daddy Issues</I> are a clever nod to comic books… a theme that delighted the comic nerd in me.

The story follows an art history academic whose career is abruptly stalled by the pandemic, prompting a return home to live with her divorced mother. Goldbeck deftly explores the idea of “lost years,” capturing the emotional and psychological fallout of that time. So many stories set during or shortly after the COVID-19 lockdown can feel too raw or heavy-handed, but this one manages to be grounded and resonant without feeling exploitative of a shared-trauma.

What stood out most to me wasn’t the romance (which, ironically for a romance novel, didn’t feel like the star) or even the father-daughter dynamic that the title hints at. While those threads are there, they didn’t quite feel fully resolved. Still, the story as a whole worked beautifully. I couldn’t put it down, feeling mediocre in life and as an artist and fan of comics all hit very close to home for me with just enough humor woven throughout to take the edge off.

The Author’s Notes are a must read. Goldbeck’s shoutouts to Lynda Barry, Scott McCloud, and sequential art fandom history genuinely moved me.

This book was provided to me for free in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck

Daddy Issues follows twenty-six-year-old Sam, whose life has felt stalled since the world shut down during COVID. After repeated rejections from Art History graduate programs, she’s moved back in with her mom, now living in the condo’s office space, stuck in a loop and seeing her world through comic book panels.

Things begin to shift when Sam is drawn into spending time at the condo’s pool, where she meets a vibrant nine-year-old girl named Kira and her charming, nerdy father, Nick. Their connection is immediate, and soon after, Sam learns that Nick and Kira have moved in next door, quite literally on the other side of her wall.

Nick is a diehard Trekkie and, more importantly, a devoted father, something that surprises Sam and challenges her perceptions of fatherhood. As their relationship deepens, Sam is forced to confront her own fears about adulthood, love, and finding her place in a world where nothing seems to go as planned. With no clear path in the art world and uncertainty about where she fits in Nick’s already-formed family, Sam’s journey is one of self-discovery and emotional growth.

I gave Daddy Issues 3 out of 5 stars. While the premise is compelling and the character dynamics are charming, the pacing often drags, and several of Sam’s personal arcs feel underdeveloped. Although the addition of a comics class shows some forward motion for her character, it doesn’t feel like a fully satisfying resolution. That said, I appreciated the closure in her romantic “situationship,” which added some emotional payoff by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Daddy Issues.

3.25 stars


Absolutely loved the concept, but the execution didn't QUITE meet my expectations -- tho that's in huge part due to my preferences with the romance genre. I did really like how comics were incorporated into the story -- sometimes the heroine's hobby feels shoe-horned into the story, but it was really cool how Goldbeck made the comic hobby integrate into actual narrative style of the book.

Despite the parts I liked, there were also ones that didn't work for me. I feel like there wasn't quite the emotional intensity or depth that I turn to the romance genre for. I prefer a 3rd person, dual perspective narrative, since I think that usually gives authors the most room to build tension and do character work that really hits home. Daddy Issues has 1st person, single-character perspective -- and while I know many people enjoy that style, it didn't quite work for me. It shifted the focus to be more on our main character & her personal struggles/growth, which gave it more of a contemporary fiction vibe, since we don't get her love interest's internal perspective at all and thereby lose out on possible tension.

So, while not my most favourite, I did still have a fun time reading this and will be recommending to patrons and friends. Definitely would like to check out more from this author!

Two books in, Kate Goldbeck has proven to be a bit hit and miss for me. There’s so much I like about her work: compelling characters, realistic set-ups, steamy sex scenes, and an interest in using past traumas to build on all of those things and find a new path forward. This stuff is so good, but I often feel that Goldbeck hasn’t yet mastered the balance between these excellent elements. As I did with “You, Again,” I found myself skipping through big chunks of text that leaned way too hard on Sam’s memories of her father and, yes, her real-life daddy issues. I appreciate the character-building that goes into these bits, but found myself thinking, “I cannot hear one more time about these goddamn comic books.” Get to the good stuff!

i loved every second of this. i sat and finished it in two sittings- this is my fav kate goldbeck thus far! i know her first book was fairly polarizing, but i implore you give this book a shot 🥹 it is 100% “romance” and not romcom, and i wouldn’t be surprised if i start seeing people say this is women’s fiction with the way we explore sam’s personal growth (my favorite kind of romance to read tbh)