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.

I wanted to love this one. I’ve been excited about it since it was announced however, it’s the first romance I’ve read in a long time that I didn’t think the couple should end up together. I think it would have been better if they realized their affair was meant for a short time not end game. I wanted the FMC to go to real therapy and help deal with some of her abandonment and the MMC to actually have finalized his divorce. And I know the L word was used but it still felt a lot more like lust than love the me.

Cute story with great writing. I loved the tenderness and frankness of dealing with a bit of an age gap relationship. Loved it and just what I needed to pull me out of a slump!

First I would like to thanks NetGalley and Random House for the chance to read this ARC but ….. twas not for me unfortunately AND I HATE TO SAY THAT cuz I was really excited for it. Really, a single dad, age gap is right up my alley but this one did not land.

There are moments when the fmc breaks up part of the story into comic book panels? She and her dad had a thing for comic books so there’s some relevance but it took me out of the story every single time. She would describe a scene that was happening to her in the book as a comic book panel… and she was Lydia Deetz from Beetle Juice and her on and off friends with benefits (not the mmc) as Jughead from Riverdale? But like in her own made up comic book?! It was weird.

Samantha, our FMC was hard to root for honestly. She was immature and stubborn and stagnant (and a little judgey for someone in her position) but didn’t seem to want to chance at all? She also introduced the term ‘fury’ to this man’s daughter on like the first time meeting her? WHAT. Her mom isn’t great at points but I found myself understanding where she was coming from more often.

Nick was …fine? From what I read? He fell to the side with every thing else going on poor guy lol

I was really excited about this one. As I’ve said, love the main tropes in it, but also loved the idea about the characters being relatable people! He’s a single dad and a manager of chilis and she’s 25 living with her mom because of the pandemic and losing her job/schooling opportunities. Would have been a nice change up in the romance world.

I would say this more of a coming of age story and less of a romance honestly. And if I knew that going into it, I might have enjoyed it more.

I love a good age gap, single dad book. What’s even better is he’s the next door neighbor. This book was so good. The only reason it’s not a 5 is because it kept bringing up the pandemic. Like too many times.

Sam and Nick are flawed in believable ways—she’s grappling with depression, financial strain, and unresolved issues with her father; he’s juggling career sacrifice and single-parent life. Goldbeck’s dialogue sparkles with humor, and the emotional interplay keeps the story engaging. This isn’t fluff. Anchored by real-world issues, ie father abandonment, financial precarity, post-pandemic effects, and even an off-page abortion. Goldbeck injects the story with genuine emotional stakes.

Kate Goldbeck should win an Oscar for her ability to write the most relatable characters on this planet. I honestly saw parts of myself in every single person in this book, even the side characters. Her ability to observe people and write about their interpersonal relationships and specific quirks, to me, is unparalleled in the romance genre.

I loved this book.. Gimme 14 of ‘em. I WILL be rereading it when it comes out and getting it in every format possible.

kate goldbeck is SUCH a gem. she is really out here writing for the messy, burnt out millennials and we thank her for it!!

i loved every second of this. if you had issues with her previous book “you, again” (as i was one such person) i truly implore you to give this book a chance and be utterly ruined by these two people learning to love ❤️‍🩹

4.5/5

This was a book filled with laughter and funny moments, while also being emotional and full of depth. Sam is living in her mom's home office with no direction in her life after being rejected by PhD programs. She wanders around aimlessly in her career and in her love life until she meets her new neighbor Nick, a recently separated, single father with a cute daughter.

Trope: age-gap, slow-burn

While the book centers around Nick and Sam's meeting and eventual relationship, this was really about Sam's journey of self-discovery as her relationship with Nick helps her confront and let go of her past, particularly her unresolved feelings towards her father. In the beginning, Sam is just at the precipice of her life, but is stalled and scared to jump into her future, and Nick plays a huge role in helping her realize what she wants and deserves. The last part of the book is where Sam really begins to come into herself and shine, and it was a joy to see. I was really rooting for her to find some footing in her life before taking on the responsibility of being in a relationship with someone who has a child. Nick and Sam awaken something within each other that had been long dormant and really help each other move on from being stuck in their own lives. I liked how Nick encouraged Sam to be independent and find her own way, untethered, and I liked how Sam allowed Nick to open up his heart to another person. Their relationship was quiet but steady, and their communication with and understanding of each other were the highlights of their relationship.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC!

Daddy Issues was such a refreshing story! In a market that seems to depict the most ideal version of women, we have a a breakout FMC who is relatable and messy *GASP*

Sam is a down-on-her-luck (& motivation) 20-something who is living with her mother until the *PERFECT* opportunity comes around for her to make moves toward her future. Sam struggles with how she feels behind career-wise and romantically. Her situationship with Hal (i hate him) constantly has her second guessing her place and her desires. Sam is lost, and amid these struggles she is also grappling with resentment for her father, who is not present in her life and never made her feel worthy of love unless it was on his terms. Sam is kind of this floater in her own life and seems to suffer from this external locus of control, where she almost blames her circumstances on everything other than herself. This can make for an insufferable character, but Sam's inner monologue was more reflective than anything. She wants things to change but she doesn't yet realize how to shed the mask she created to please her father, which is what has been holding her back from acting on her own desires.

When Nick, our delicious Chili's manager, moves in next door with his daughter, Sam begins to process the deep wounds she has about receiving love and addressing what she wants head on. Nick offers her consistency that she has never gotten in a man. Not from her father and certainly not from Hal (again I hate him). In watching how Nick is with his daughter, Sam begins to question her own warped relationship with her father in a way that is ultimately healing. I LOVE how Nick's self disclosure to Sam about this feelings showed her that love and affection don't have to be twisted up and messy. This man told her what he wanted and never had her overthinking where she stood with him. He created space for her to self disclose and be a whole person. not once did he try to twist her into something that would fit into his life.

For someone who relates deeply to the struggles Sam went through, I really appreciate how family dynamics, self worth, and romantic relationships were addressed in this book. I didn't expect to get so emotional reading this, but Kate Goldbeck decided to give me (much needed) therapy in book form. I loved every minute of this from the banter, to the water lions, to Romily, to Chili's.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for this ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be recommending this to EVERYONE. I mean everyone.

This book was heartwarming, it was sweet, and it was growth in under 400 pages. You have a twenty something woman who's very carefully planned life was thrown into chaos when Covid-19 hit, and now in current time she is struggling to see that life doesn't have to follow a linear path. Its not 'this or nothing at all.'

When she meets her new neighbor, a single dad who makes her see everything a bit differently, you fall in love with their connected journey.

I loved reading this book. To me it wasn't a romance more of a sweet story.
Spice was .5/5
Storyline was 4.25/5

This book is so dang lovely.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback for the arc early! I appreciate it, and it was an amazing read when in a reading rut.

This book offers a down to earth and refreshingly real spin on the single dad trope.

Sam is struggling with restarting her life after the pandemic cancelled her niche PhD program and is stuck living in her mom's apartment. It's there she meets her new neighbor - an older single dad just trying to do the best for his daughter.

The main characters come across as genuine and complex with messy emotions and relatable struggles. While their chemistry is sizzling, the romance feels honest and grounded.

This book was EVERYTHING. Painfully unfiltered and achingly beautiful. So layered and metaphorical and deep. I loved it so, so much.

It’s full of all kinds of love. The messy, complicated kind between kids and parents/stepparents. The quiet, comforting kind between two broken people that just need to catch a break. And the kind that sneaks up on you when you finally stop being so hard on yourself all the damn time.

Sam and Nick felt REAL real. Like, managing-a-Chili’s-in-Ohio real. Trying-your-best-with-a-sassy-preteen real. Living-in-your-mom's-spare-room real. I’ve read a few post-pandemic "what am I doing with my life" books lately, but none that handled it this naturally. Sam’s unraveling made sense. So did the way she fell for someone stable and good and grounded.

The romance itself is soft and slow and exactly right. For both Sam and Nick, it wasn’t about fixing each other. It was about making space, literal and metaphorical, to let something new in.

Kate writes like she’s handing you a piece of her soul. Her characters are flawed and funny and so deeply human. By the time I got to the acknowledgements, I was a goner. It genuinely feels like a gift to read something this raw and personal.

I have nothing but hot pink feelings for this book.

a hot single dad that manages the local chili's? need him. while there was a lot I enjoyed about daddy issues there were aspects of the story that left me wanting more.

"It’s a sequence of images, right? But it’s not like animation, where you’re seeing every single moment of action in this smooth way. A comic artist decides which moments to draw and which to omit. Some moments make it into a panel that the reader can see, and some happen in the white space between the panels. And that part is up to the reader— filling in those gaps. It’s like this duet with the artist. And the artist finds this balance between what’s seen and what’s unseen. And to me, the unseen part is the magic.”

The cover makes so much sense after having read this book, and it makes it even more special. I kind of feel like this book was almost specifically written just for me. The way I related so hard to Sam, we literally share a name. This book made me confront some really hard truths about my own relationship with my father along with how I have also ended up with an older man who has been healing my childhood trauma from my own dad. Sam goes through this realization in here that maybe her dad wasn't all that great and he doesn't really give a crap, and it cut me deep because I have been in her shoes before, feeling how devastating it is to realize that a parent probably shouldn't have been one in tge first place. There are some really tender moments of feeling like your supposed to be accomplishing something with your life and really captures that late twenty something feeling of existential dread of not having done enough, but its never too late to grow up. Although I loved a lot of the book, I felt like maybe the characters were almost so real that it felt hard to root for the romance plus I felt like their relationship went way too fast and they fell fast and hard, but again, just like my own relationship in real life. I just felt like I was reading a not as exciting version of my life, and I find that I would have just wished that the romance had a little bit more air to breath, just felt really insta lovey. But other than that Kate Goldbeck really knows how to write relatable characters that you just can't help but root for. Thank you so much Netgalley for the early copy of this one, it was really good and I can't wait to read whatever else she has to write.

4.5 ⭐️. I have never ran to read an ARC faster than when I got approved for this one. I am such a sucker for Kate Goldbeck's writing -- she makes messy, complicated characters so loveable and relatable. I adore the way she writes romance, and this was no exception. my only qualm is that the last 10% of the book felt....off. It felt like the characters were taking actions that didn't align with who we know them to be.

thank you to Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback and NetGalley for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had mixed feelings about this book. I really didn't like the female main character until about the last 10% of the book. Nick, the male interest, was likable from the beginning. I liked Kira but thought the author made her way older than a 9 year old girl would/should be with the questions she'd ask. I have a 9 year old and can t imagine many similarities. I did enjoy seeing the relationship progress and the female lead eventually come to find herself.

Goldbeck's debut wasn't afraid to get a little messy, and DADDY ISSUES was no different--and all the better for it. I did kind of wish we had multiple POV's again, since this flirted with being more coming-of-age (a little later than expected) than a full-blown romance, but I still had a good experience reading.