I hope that everyone finds this book, because its message of hope is so universal. Kate Goldbeck's sophomore effort is wonderfully big hearted, vulnerable, and romantic. I could tell how much care went into writing all of the characters, from the main characters to the supporting cast. And rest assured: there is no moppetry afoot in Kira. She's an obnoxious, interfering, essential part of both Sam and Josh's character arcs.

I think I may not have been the proper target market for this book but for the right audience it could be massively cathartic.

When I saw “single-dad Romance” and the comic book cover, I expected something a bit more rom-com and a lot less emotional/realistic/women’s lit. In so many ways, these characters read like real people who really live in a random city, living their real and unremarkable lives. A whole lot of this book is the FMC working through her (appropriately named) childhood daddy issues and the way it has affected her relationships with men in adulthood and how stunted she now feels as a formerly gifted child who has failed to find any success academically or job-wise. For anyone in the age bracket most impacted by the COVID shutdowns around school or the job market, I believe they will resonate with her struggles and emotional depression as she tries (and fails) to navigate her new normal. For those outside it, ehhhh… I think you might find her insufferably annoying, with an overinflated sense of self-importance.


I think that for what the book is, it’s done really well (plot structure, writing style, character growth) and the inclusivity is top-tier. The comic book snapshots are fun and bring something unique to it! But I personally don’t enjoy such intense realism in my romance books (Ohio is my literal idea of hell and who would willingly choose to stay there with a manager in fast casual dining?!) and I couldn’t share in the catharsis of coming back into yourself after a five year long failure to launch scenario. So was it good? Yes. Was it for me? Nah.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the chance to read early in exchange for honest review

"Daddy Issues" by Kate Goldbeck wasn’t the single dad romance I expected and honestly... I’m still not sure it should have been. Told from the perspective of 26-year-old Sam, who’s sharing a two-bedroom condo with her mom and her mom's fiancée while trying to get her life together, this felt more like a coming-of-age story wrapped in a romance package.

Sam falls for Nick, her mom’s new neighbor: a single dad to a bratty 9-year-old (who, to be fair, does grow on you eventually). Nick is great in the relationship—emotionally available, thoughtful, communicative. A complete 180 from Sam's previous "relationships," if you can call them that. But despite how well he’s written, it was a hard to buy into him as the main romantic lead. He didn’t have typical “book boyfriend” energy—which could’ve worked!—but the story never fully committed to that angle. There were moments when I could look past the fact that this late-30s general manager of a Chili’s with a dirty minivan was being positioned as the guy, because he was fun and kind. But still, I was genuinely baffled when they ended up together—it just didn’t feel like the book wanted to be a romance.

Meanwhile, Sam is firmly in her "lost years" era: bartending at a tiki place, avoiding big decisions, bed-rotting her days away, and stuck in a messy situationship with her coworker. What really works is watching her slowly understand the difference between that dead-end entanglement and the emotional intimacy she experiences with Nick. That contrast? That’s where the story shines.

The third act delivers some genuinely beautiful drama. Sam gets a wake-up call from her mom when she finds out about the relationship, and a not-dream-but-still-good job offer in NYC that gets Sam back into the art world, her first love. Nick, grounded in Ohio because he is co-parenting, doesn’t ask her to stay, and it felt right. The breakup scene was thoughtful, emotional, and well-earned. It should’ve ended there: bittersweet, honest, full of growth. But then... Sam moves back to Ohio (for reasons that are, let’s be honest, vague at best), and ends up reconnecting with Nick through his daughter. Just like that—HEA. It’s cute, sure, but it undercuts the realism that made the rest of the book work so well.

I genuinely enjoyed reading this. It felt real in a way romance books rarely do. But if I’m being honest, it would’ve landed stronger as a coming-of-age novel with a wistful, open-ended goodbye instead of a happily ever after that didn’t quite feel earned.

I absolutely died when I got this arc and stopped everything, I was doing to start reading it. The concept and the tropes were everything so I had very high hopes. I was not disappointed. The emotions were wild and free, while the story and the characters were so well done i needed to go touch grass after I was done, just to be sure I was still existing in the real world.

Reading this didn’t feel a lot like reading romance. This definitely had more of a fiction edge to it with some steamy scenes. I will say, it was relieving to read about romance in the non “over the top” and “grand gesture” category. A lot of what made this so romantic was all of the ordinary and small things, nothing glamorous.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House for the ARC!

My first read by Goldbeck and I am hooked from now on. This was a really great read filled with seriousness, humour and everything in between. I'll be buying a physical copy when it comes out in November!

Incredibly sweet. The characters… talked to each other about their feelings and through conflict. The third act breakup felt natural and unforced. Now this is how you do an age gap romance !!! Daddy Issues is also one of the first books I’ve read that viscerally captures the challenges and “lost years” of those in their early 20s during covid. Throughly enjoyed!!!

Thank you to netgalley and Dial Press for a complimentary earc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved You Again SO much by this author, so I was super excited going into this one. I bet people won't like Sam, but I thought this story was an amazing journey of love, personal growth and confronting the worst parts of yourself!

I loved Kira and Nick, I loved the mom and Perry - perfect!!!

We all have those absurdly unbelievable moments in life where we think, "You can't write this stuff." Well, Kate Goldbeck did. She's taken the wildly relatable "failed to launch" phase and given it main character energy. Carefully plotting an emotional growth arc for Sam that starts at home-office-squatter and develops into someone who tries. And that's it. That's the goal for Sam—to try. Daddy Issues is a slice of life survival story one embarrassing, messy, depressing, tender moment at a time.

I swear, too, Kate Goldbeck doesn't write characters—she brings them to life. It's not necromancy, but definitely some sort of sorcery. Her skill and, I'm guessing, hyper focus perfectionism with dialogue is unmatched. And not just between characters, in head talk also. Sam's self-deprecating panicky anxious sarcastic inner voice is fully developed and supported by the work done on page (see: death grip on toxic relationships and yes, daddy issues).

Of course because her characters are so real, the relationships are just as natural. Before the romance, can we please acknowledge the brilliant tension, frustration, devotion between Sam and her mother, Jennifer! When Jennifer passively, delicately, pointedly attempts to parent her adult child you know it's going to trigger Sam's defenses instead of inspiring action. But behind the shame they both carry—Sam failing an adulting, and Jennifer as a parent—there is love. They just have a midwestern indirect conversation, scripted argument, tone-is-everything way of showing it.

Romance? I'd get here eventually. Sam and Nick start as strangers and fall in love. I highlight that because Sam is at her lowest emotionally when they meet. She's got nothing to brag about but her comic collection and still this man - this sweet, dependable, competent king of a man - falls in love with her. Counting instead the times she's made him laugh. Valuing Sam's care for his daughter. Chasing the possibility of their chemistry. He's not ever trying to fix her. She's not broken. It's support he offers. Nick is always right about wall anchors.

A highlight for me was Kate's use of comic book script storytelling. Often Sam will break from the narrative to describe a situation as if it was a comic book page. She "draws" everyone in her life as their comic character equivalent, herself being Lydia Deets from Beetlejuice, and plays out a flashback or attempts to describe the ridiculousness of her current life. These moments felt like therapy and helped Sam filter stress or process difficult memories. But sometimes, triumphantly, her comic point of view helps put old hurts into rest and it's more about reclaiming the narrative of her life.

Daddy Issues features all the ways Kate Goldbeck is one the most unique voices amongst romance authors. Masterful dialogue. Fully shaped characters. Stories grounded in reality. Sharp comedic timing. And beyond the technical strengths, at its core, there is a very relatable journey of day-to-day survival. It's witty, raw, emotional, and one of the best reads of the year.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House | The Dial Press for the advance digital copy to read and review.

e-ARC: 3.5⭐️ rounded up — let me start by saying: this book was absolutely four, maybe four and a half star quality. There were SO many great lines that had me highlighting on my kindle, a bit bummed that the ARC quotes wouldn’t sync to goodreads for me to look back on later (and for context I’m not usually a big highlighter). I really, genuinely enjoyed seeing Sam grow into herself over the arc of the story. I also found the integration of comics/Sam’s art really interesting and fun.

That being said, I didn’t really find myself rooting for her and Nick’s relationship, and found the ending a bit unsatisfying, despite having some really sweet moments (I do love Kira). Ultimately it just didn’t give me the JOY that I want in a romance, which is why I landed on a 3.5 star overall rating.

As always, thank you to NetGalley and Random House / The Dial Press for the advanced copy!

It was the comic-style, swoon-worthy cover that first caught my eye with Daddy Issues, and honestly, I went in with zero expectations. But after finishing it, I’m pleasantly surprised and really happy with this on a whim read.

Daddy Issues is a second-chance story about both life and love. I really appreciated that Sam (FMC) is in her mid-twenties and totally lost; dealing with the aftermath of COVID, a stalled career, and moving back in with her mum and her mum’s new partner. Enter Nick (MMC), a single dad raising his 9 year old daughter Kira…in the apartment next door. (Yes, it's giving neighbours x single dad trope and I was here for it.)

Sure, the romance between Sam and Nick is a slow burn, but what really set this book apart for me was how much it focused on self growth, figuring out how to love yourself when you feel like you've failed at everything you thought you were supposed to be good at. That part hit hard.

Sam’s growth is one of the highlights of the book. You can see how she starts to care for herself, open up to others, and let herself be loved. It’s also clear she has some serious “daddy issues” (as the title suggests) and these shape the way she interacts with the men in her life. But she does the work and watching her move through that is satisfying.

I also adored the relationship between Sam and Kira from their first pool encounter to the sweet DMs and the way Sam shows up when Kira really needs her. It added a lot of heart to the story.

Thanks to Kate Goldbeck, Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

She's done it again folks. I was a huge fan of You, Again (it was my favorite book of 2023) and I was incredibly lucky to receive an advanced reader copy, so I will refrain from sharing my favorite quotes quite yet but dang, some of this hit real hard. I cried both from the sweetness and from the feeling deeply seen.

I don't know how Kate manages to capture the messiness of human emotions in all their complexity in such a relatable way, specifically to me and my own experience, even if I have almost nothing in common with the characters (but who *doesn't* have Daddy Issues, amirite?)

I love how there is no villains, no trendy trope to latch onto (unless you're really into Chili's managing DILFs, in which case, welcome home) I appreciated the thoughtful exploration of what it means to be a parent, a step-parent, a child of divorce and remarriage, when everyone is trying their best without easy solutions or conclusions.

I love Samantha's growth through this book, her gradual self-awareness that blossoms into allowing herself to love and be loved.

I also appreciated the author's notes at the end. I, too, have gotten into comic collecting and have Understanding Comics sitting on my shelf (now I really wanna read it!). Fandom spaces (especially the one Kate and I share) can feel extremely hostile, not only online but in person at Cons or in stores. I'm lucky that my local comic book store feels like a safe space, and by extension, I feel more at ease walking into other ones and heading for my favorite section. There is a place for us, and this whole book is a lovely reminder of that.

Much like You, Again. I would love to see this made into a movie someday! I'm gonna go stare into space for a bit before I start another book and really let it sink in.

A perfect slump-breaking read. There is a lot of shit going on in my life and in a way, I feel similar to the FMC despite having nothing in common with her.

The sense of limbo: of wanting but not taking, of hesitating in lieu of issuing demands. But I’m right on the precipice of all the noise fading…a full 180°

And it was really reassuring to see the character experience her own hangups, and come through the other side too

This is exactly the kind of couple that I like an awesome teddy bear a semi jaded lover girl and real bodies and complex histories and tangled feelings

I love that the dad is barely described physically and yet he is so attractive. Consistency and competence is really hot.

I like the way that’s author writes. It’s digestible and lucid. For most importantly, it’s the perfect vehicle for communicating just the right feels— not too emotionally overwhelming, yet not too distant so that readers struggle to feel anything at all

I think I do need to give her first book a try. Again and again I’m reminded that others’ tastes are not my own. In fact, I don’t love an ocean of popular authors; I’m continually reminding myself that just like relationships, writing and storytelling is inherently personal

In a way this book is more of a four star read for me because I didn’t feel blown away or pleasantly overwhelmed at the end. However, I love the intimacy of a good book and that’s exactly what this story gave me

This was my first Kate Goldbeck and I can't WAIT for my copy of You, Again to get to me on Libby. The writing was so so well done, the story was sweet and bittersweet, I would've loved for it to be like, 100 pages longer!

Solid solid solid four-star read. The title Daddy Issues might make you expect a certain kind of story, but this one actually had way more depth than I thought it would. It shows how those kinds of issues can show up in so many different ways, not just the ones we usually see in TV or movies.

It felt like a real story with characters who each had a purpose. Nothing felt random, and the pacing made sense. I was a little nervous it would fall into something predictable, like her dad suddenly reappears and everything gets better, or she starts dating a man with a daughter and ends up repeating the same patterns. But it didn’t go there, which I really appreciated.

Now, the romance didn’t quite hit for me. Nick was fine, but he felt a little too eager to be in a relationship, and I didn’t fully buy the chemistry. That’s probably the main reason I didn’t give this five stars.

What really stood out was Sam’s personal growth. As someone who overthinks everything, there were moments that made me pause and feel seen. She starts to realize that a lot of her hurt came from what she imagined people could be, not what they were actually showing her. That part really stuck with me.

There were also some great moments exploring family dynamics beyond just her dad. We get glimpses of step-parents, her relationship with her mom, and how all of that shaped her understanding of love and trust.

So yeah, the romance didn’t do much for me, but the emotional growth and the way the story handled complex relationships made this such a worthwhile read.

I love love love the way Kate’s books feel. There’s just something so raw and real about them. Like it feels like something I could experience. I mean for gods sake the main male character is a manager of a Chili’s. I just appreciate that these people feel real and not like one of them is absolutely perfect while the other is crumbling.

I am a huge fan of her writing style, I loved it in You, Again and in this book. it’s so easy to read and connect with. My one issue: I do feel like about 70% of the way through the book it felt messy and rushed. I wish the book had about 50 more pages so that section could have been built out a little more. But I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved the comic aspect throughout. I just wish that it had been a little less chaotic and rushed in the third act.

This book surprised me quite a bit. Not the typical “single dad romance” by any means, but I found that to be refreshing. The romance felt very sub-plot in this (which isn’t a bad thing) with most of the book being about our FMC learning how to overcome her own self imposed restrictions. This book felt more real than a lot of romance books tend to. I do wish it had been a bit longer so we could’ve gotten more out of certain scenes.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

Daddy Issues was a really fun time! I enjoyed getting to know the characters. Generally I’m not a fan of kids featuring prominently in romances but Kira was such a fun little spitfire! No spoilers, but the part where Kira calls in Sam for help was sooo sweet. I enjoyed Nick a lot and his burgeoning relationship with Sam was lovely to read.

The cons:
- I got frustrated as the book went on with Sam’s immaturity and unwillingness to pivot from her original dream. I think Sam was likely struggling with depression but it eventually got old (though she does make strides at the end).
- I wished the romantic relationship between Sam and Nick was slower to develop. I think it would have allowed for their emotional connection to deepen as the story went along.

"Daddy Issues" surprised me as being more than just a kinky single-dad smut piece. While it did have some of those aspects, it was also a poignant coming of age piece about family dynamics and finding yourself in adulthood.

I really liked Kate Goldbeck's writing style. The flow was great, I loved how she wrote inner monologue, and every page felt meaningful. The characters were all so real and complex. The story and conflict itself was so complex that I found myself wondering how it would even end.

I laughed, I cried, I related, and found myself wondering where my own life was going.

Love this story and can't wait to see what's next from Goldbeck!

Kate Goldbeck's romances are so interesting to me because they're kind of... unsettling? But there's something satisfying in facing the uncomfortable aspects of life that romcoms usually sweep under the rug. As a grad student myself, reading about a directionless 20-something-year-old pursuing grad school as some magic fix for her life was always going to be a bit of a difficult read. Thankfully, it didn't approach the topic in a way that I found overly depressing or anxiety-inducing.

It was interesting to read an exploration the dynamics of dating a single parent that isn't over-romanticized. The romance faces additional obstacles from the massive disparities between Sam and Nick's stages of life. There's an effort to explore this and what their relationship could realistically look like, but I'm not sure the book entirely reconciled with the reality of what it means for Sam to be in Nick's daughter's life and how that fits in with her life and her desires. That being said, it made more of an effort and was more grounded than other similar plots I've read.

The book's biggest weakness is that Nick never felt like a well-defined character beyond his single fatherhood and relative stability. This means that it's hard to entirely understand why they would stay together despite all of the hard stuff. I did like Nick—I particularly enjoyed the direct way he communicated about romance and it did feel like he was really treating Sam like an adult and an equal—but he felt like a bit of a blank slate at times. There were a few moments where it veered in the direction of his almost taking a fatherly role (like teaching Sam how to drive) but they moved away from those moments quickly enough that it wasn't too uncomfortable. I just needed more domestic intimacy or emotional intimacy between them that didn't entirely revolve around his single parenthood.

There was a lot I enjoyed about this. It was messy and well-grounded, and Sam felt very real and human. I would've liked to see more from the love interest though, and I don't know that enough was done to make the relationship seem viable by the end.