Daddy issues is right because ow! Mine were on high alert from like the first couple chapters.


This is a romance novel but also packs a punch and leaves you reflecting on your whole entire life and comic books and step parenting and everything in between.

I love a book that makes me feel and this one did that. I also love a book that makes me think and my brain is broken from how many thoughts I’m having, not only about this book and these characters, but about MY own life and I’m just so overwhelmed but in a good way that makes me want to just ask myself a bunch of questions about myself and what the hell I’m doing, you know?

I still have snot running down my nose and I finished this book probably about 30 minutes ago from when I’m writing this. We don’t appreciate these sort of books enough and I think that’s a shame because this is a gem of a book and Kate’s writing style is so unique. I’m obsessed.

I’m sitting at 318 total highlights from this book, along with 58 notes. Most of them consist of the skull emoji, which is an emoji I use when I’m dying of laughter so this book was HILARIOUS in my own very humble opinion. The humor is unmatched and I love how awkward it was. Even when it was awkward, it just fit so well with the situation and the characters that I felt like if it wasn’t awkward, that would have been awkward and not fit at all. If that makes any sense at all.

Sam’s head was such a fun place to be in. We have this 26-year-old who’s living with her mom and mom’s partner who has a complicated relationship with her father (understatement) and is sort of stuck in her life. She has a routine but also is kind of depressed? She also has a weird dynamic with her mom and also can’t drive/doesn’t have her license.

Twin, because!!!! I also can’t drive and don’t have my license and I’m well past the age where you’re “supposed to have your license”. Whatever. Sam is me and I am Sam. I understand her on such a great level, it’s insane that I’m not her.

I also found it so cool how the author wrote about this childless woman who has no interest in being a mother, getting with a man who HAS a daughter. We get to see her spiraling thoughts about anything and everything and get some insight from other people that really just makes you think a lot about stepparents and the way people parent.

She brings up her own dad a lot in comparison to Nick which I thought made total sense because he’s like the opposite of who her own dad is and it’s quite a beautiful thing to see, in a way?

Her dad plays such a huge role in this book and yet we never actually see him physically, but he has such a presence that was written very beautifully and it is amazing how an author can do that.

I really enjoyed Romily, Sam’s friend who is obsessed with making PowerPoints anytime she has to essentially present an idea or anything to anyone and she’s SO funny for it. The one picture she uses so many times in this made me burst out laughing every time.

We also have Perry, who is Sam’s mom’s partner. They are younger than her mother but also just genuinely such a nice kind person and I really loved them in this. The last conversation they had was so heartwarming to me.

Kira is the obvious star of this novel. Kira is Nicks 9-year-old daughter who has such a big personality and is so blunt (as any 9-year-old is). The conversations she’d have and the topics she’d bring up were so random and so funny.

Some of my favorite scenes were when Sam was interacting with her and they were just having a fun time together, just as two people existing, not necessarily as daughter and dad’s girlfriend.

I know most people hate when the pandemic is mentioned in books, but personally, this book ate down in capturing the brutal pause everyone took in 2020 and how it changed everyone’s lives, some for the good and some for the bad.

Sam is essentially every person whose lives got put on pause or hit a rut in 2020 and never got back to getting around to hitting the play button again.

I wanna give Sam the biggest hug because she deserves the world. The way that she is wired and how much her dad impacted her, was just so fascinating and sad to read about.

We as the reader see so much that Sam sort of blocks out in favor of no conflict. I loved seeing how the comics and art in general played a role in Sam’s life and how it’s all connected to her rut, her dad, her future, etc.

She grew so much in the span of this book, in the last 20% or so, I was so proud of her while also being so frustrated with how things had to go in order for her to get there but it all wrapped up so beautifully that I simply must clap and say wow.

The romance between them was soft while also being so very sexy, I loved every minute of it.

As someone whose dad used to take her to chilis to eat when we were out of town, the MMC being a Chilis GM made me laugh so hard while also crying over it. #DaddyIssuesForReal

I really need to visit Chilis more often and also get into comics but also try DRAWING comics but also!!!!!! So many things. I love books that make me want to do things!!!!!!!! This one makes me want to do all the things!!!!!!!!!! I love it down.

I realize I love age gap romances much more than I thought I did. They’re just so funny because the characters joke about it as well and it’s this whole thing when really it’s like “okay whatever”.

Preorder this book if you know what’s good for you.

I’m really happy I got a chance to read and review this. I had zero expectations and was pleasantly surprised. That swoon-worthy cover caught my eye, and I requested this on a whim.

Sam is a twenty-something forced home by the pandemic and never left. Her PhD program was eliminated, which left her bartending for money and stuck in a friends-with-benefits situation that’s never going to pan out. She’s literally stuck. Plagued by a lack of confidence and overwhelming perfectionism, she thinks she knows what she wants but doesn’t know how to get there.

Enter Nick, Sam’s new neighbor and single dad to Kira. He is Mr. Responsible, the opposite of Sam’s temporarily aimless youth. He radiates calm and care. I loved that he was the reliable, dorky dad with a minivan and a Star Trek obsession.

Their chance meeting and growing relationship bring about a lot of soul-searching questions and revelations for Sam. Comparing the tender, loving bond between Nick and Kira to her own one-sided relationship with her absentee father was beautifully written. It wasn’t immature, and Sam’s feelings were never unfairly projected onto Kira.

I think Sam’s journey is very relatable to most twenty-somethings who feel lost when the goals they set for themselves veer off track. She could definitely be frustrating, and you want to shake her out of her funk and help her get back on her feet. I loved that getting back on track for her didn’t mean having it all figured out. It meant remembering that it all starts with the first step forward.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy!

I’m so disappointed in this book I did hear a good things about it but this book just wasn’t for me. I found it incredibly boring and dull and ended up not finishing the book. It was just mind numbing I hated it. Thank you for the opportunity to be able to read it.

Thank you to Random House/Dial Press for the advance reader copy of Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck.

Sam is 26 and living in her mom’s condo. She’s looking to get into a PhD program and get out of Ohio to get her career goals moving forward. Sam meets Nick and his daughter, Kira, and later finds out the two have moved into the condo right next to her mom’s. Sam and Nick begin to form a connection with each other.

As soon as I read the summary, I really wanted to read this book! After reading You, Again, I knew Kate Goldbeck would do such a great job crafting this story. Where Sam is in her life is so relatable and depicted so well. I loved the romance, and the progression of Sam’s story throughout the book was one of my favorite aspects. I love Nick and Kira. The moment we meet these two is sweet and memorable. There’s a moment toward the end of the story with Sam and Kira that is one of my favorites of the story.

Thanks for the review copy. I really liked You, Again but this one not as much. I think readers who like comic books will enjoy it more. I did not like Sam.

Daddy Issues was a cute story, albeit a bit rushed. Sam Pulaski is 26 and crashing in the office of her mom’s condo after her life was put on hold after the pandemic. It’s been five years, but she’s still just waiting to get accepted into a PhD program and finally unpause her life. Nick, her mom’s new neighbor, has his life completely together. His nine-year-old, Kira, is the center of his world and the reason for all of his decisions in life.

I loved Sam, main character so much. Her struggles with life post-pandemic were horrifically relatable. Thank goodness I wasn’t unable to relate to any of her “daddy issues” as my father is more similar to the type of dad Nick is to his daughter, or else I would have been concerned that this play (book) was about us (me). Nick was a phenomenal character on his own as well. I loved his undying conviction towards his daughter’s happiness. BUT, I didn’t feel any chemistry between the main couple. They weren’t together and then suddenly we were told that they were both super horny for each other. Conflict always felt like it was suddenly introduced instead of being led up to. The whole “show, don’t tell” thing wasn’t utilized as well as I wish it had been. I found the overall premise adorable, but this just did’t hit like I wanted it to.

Sam’s obsession with his hands was one of my favorite parts though, I couldn’t help but laugh a little bit every time she got distracted by them.

The comic books were an amazing story telling device. I really wanted to LOVE this book, it just felt too rushed. We only *really* got to know Sam, everyone else was only known on a two-dimensional surface level.

This was a 3.5, but leaning more towards 4 star read. I just wanted more depth and chemistry!

So thankful to Random House for sending me an eARC of this book!

My review on instagram (@averys.library) will be posted closer to the publication date, in mid-to-late September. Thank you!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck is a refreshingly real take on the single dad romance. Don’t expect cookie-cutter cuteness—this one digs a little deeper. Both characters feel like actual people, not rom-com tropes, with regular jobs, messy emotions, and zero glam. The chemistry is there, but so is the honesty, and that’s what makes it stick. It’s funny, grounded, and just heartfelt enough without going over the top. A solid, satisfying read coming November 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advance readers copy!

Daddy Issues took Goldbeck's strengths in her debut to a whole new level, in my opinion—the attention to detail in the characters' voices, the humor and heart and pain, the thematic development, and the tender, slowburning romance have my whole heart. The themes of family were a particularly rich counterbalance to the romance plot, everything weaving together in such satisfying ways. I'm not ashamed to say it brought me to the verge of tears more than once, and I'll be thinking about it for a long time to come. Highly highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

This was an okay read! I didn’t feel the spark between the two main characters but found the relationship dynamic interesting especially as it relates to the FMC’s growth around her daddy issues and family dynamics. It was entertaining and angsty enough to finish and enjoy!

first of all, I want to thank netgalley as well as the dial press for sending me this arc, I was very excited for this story. I had never read anything from the author but the cover really stood out to me and while single dad romances aren’t usually my thing, I figured I’d give this one a shot because the synopsis drew me in. I unfortunately had to dnf this, it just wasn’t for me. early on I found sam to be pretty insufferable but I soldiered on because in reality it does take a lot of adults a while to figure out what they want out of life, and to find their place in the hustle and bustle… but this girl was a hot mess. “daddy issues” was spot on because her dad’s absence really did a number on her. on top of that, the inner monologue’s were too long in my opinion.. so long that I skimmed several pages and she was still on the same thought. I’m pretty disappointed because this was a highly anticipated read for me but it just didn’t hit its mark.

Okay I don’t know what silly goofy person approved me for this but thank you queen!!!! I have been waiting for this since book MARCH. You are doing the lords work.

I knew before I even read this book that I would love it. The premise is made up of so many niche things that just all speak to me and was a (insert smooch noise) chefs kiss.

Sam moved back in with her mom 2 months before graduating college when the pandemic hit……..and still lives there 5 years later. She feels lost. She idolizes a dad that quite frankly, probably doesn’t even remember she exists. Insert hot zaddy (literally) neighbor who manages a chilis. Yes, chilis. Home of the iconic triple dipper.

This book felt so real—Sam was struggling in the same way that I feel like a lot of people my age struggled when the world shut down. Hell, just in general. Kate has a way of writing such relatable, messy, quirky characters that I can’t help but love and root for.

Nick? NICK? I have no words. Actually I have one word: woof.

I will say that the pacing of this felt a bit slow at the beginning and then a bit rushed at the end but man oh man did I love this. It was laugh out loud funny! And cute! And hot! I’m just such a big fan of Kate and I can’t wait until my pre-order arrives because the cover is immaculate and deserves to have its own shrine on my bookshelf.

I will hear absolutely NO criticism of this book ever.

As someone who spent a good chunk of her 20s living with her parents in a failure to launch scenario while being obsessed with comics, chocked full of her own daddy issues trauma, and having a questionable relationship with a dad who managed a chain restaurant, this book felt incredibly real for me (and tbh I wouldn’t have been able to handle it if I was not in a very different place in my life now- the relationship didn’t work out but I did move on with my life, move out from my parents’ home, and properly launch my career, but ooooof it was rough for a while). Kate Goldbeck is just so good at writing the lives of messy depressed millennials and reassuring us that hey, maybe we can get a happy ending too.

Also the smut was hot and this book included one of my favorite pastimes- recreational data analysis. 5 stars, go read this while eating a Chili’s Triple Dipper 🌶️✨

(Thank you to Random House/Dial Press for the eARC!)

I’m not sure how the publishers knew I needed this book but I’m glad I received this ARC, thank you very, very much, I love you. Within the first 30% of this book I knew it would become a favourite of mine. I’m not particularly in love with the single parent trope because I feel as though most authors don’t really delve into the intricacies of actually navigating a relationship with a person who has a child. This book, fortunately was not like the rest I’ve read before. The characters were real, they were interesting and I love them. Kira seemed like an actual important part of the story and not just added so that the dad would be a “dilf”. That’s literally all I could ask for. I can’t say much about Sam and Nick and be normal at the same time, they gave me a serious buzz that I honestly was not anticipating and I loved how they constantly communicated WITH WORDS. Thank you Kate Goldbeck for writing this. I owe you my life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sam was not a perfect FMC and it was great to read her thoughts as the story progressed. I really enjoyed the incorporation of comics into this story and how Sam would lay things out if they were panels in a comic she was drawing. I wish there had been some more exploration into the relationship with her father as I felt it was left a bet unresolved. Overall, I had a good time reading this. It had a great mix of heavy topics and witty dialogue. Thank you Net Galley and Random House Publishing for the ARC!

4.25☆

this exceeded my expectations! i went into this keeping in mind that it was probably going to be a silly romcom (which is was) and was going to make me roll my eyes every chance it got based on the title, but i enjoyed this so much more than i thought i was going to. i flew through this in about 24 hours and i wasn’t bored once!

i usually don’t tend to like age gaps since the guy usually makes a huge deal about how much older he is than her. the only time the age gap was mentioned was when they were poking fun that he was pushing 40. there was never a mention of power play, which i was thankful about.

i enjoyed both of the MC’s and i even liked nick’s daughter kira, i thought she was super fun! though, i really despised sam’s mom. genuinely made me want to punch her through my kindle. and hal.. jesus, he was annoying as hell and i wanted to smack some sense into sam.

thank you to netgalley and dial press trade paperback for the arc! i had a fun time with this one 🤍

While the pacing of the romance was a little off (AKA I was shocked and a bit discomforted when he said “I love you” 50ish pages after they met.) all the other pieces of these characters were so thoughtful, well written, and shockingly funny. The first Covid-related book that didn’t make me cringe. The first Chili’s manager I’ve been convinced is hot. The first time I’ve cried over a pack of erasers. 5 stars in my heart, 4 stars for the premature ILYs.

i tried to like this i swear, single dad romance is normally one of my favorites but this was just not good
i didn’t like any of the characters, the FMC just seemed very whiny & i understand that sometimes it takes a while to get your shit together but like she had been there for 5 years 😅
the MMC i did like but they had no chemistry & it was hard to even imagine them together
also his daughter got on my nerves, i get that she’s 9 but the pushing & baby voice?? nahhhh
her mom & Perry i did like cause they were actually just telling Sam how it is

thank you to netgalley & dial press for the arc!

This book hit me harder than I expected—not because of the romance (though it’s great), but because of how deeply it burrowed into the emotional wreckage of being in your mid-twenties, watching your life stall out while everyone else seems to move forward, and feeling not quite good enough. For your crush, for your parents, for your career, for your dreams.

What stuck with me most? Sam’s inner monologue. Especially this:

“I created a DeviantArt profile and posted my comic-style works there, getting little dopamine hits every time someone left a nice comment... I loved drawing. I loved that I was good at drawing. Then, in the middle of sophomore year, I got a B-minus in Drawing and changed majors out of embarrassment. Somehow, the positive comments on my DeviantArt profile failed to translate to concrete sessions in my studio art courses. My professor explained that I hadn't developed my own style- I was simply imitating other artists. He called me ‘a competent draftsman.’ The achievements I craved came much more easily in art history. Turns out I excel at sitting in dark lecture halls and writing analytical papers about obscure Belgian surrealists.”

I’ve never seen this exact experience—of pouring your identity into art, being told it’s not enough, and rerouting to a more ‘praiseworthy’ version of creativity—captured so clearly. That moment felt like therapy. Like Sam, I once believed I was going to be an artist. I earned an art scholarship, but in an early art course had a professor tell me I was better at “replication” than original composition. And like Sam, I redirected that creative energy into Art History which earned me far more praise. That scene alone made me feel profoundly seen.

The relationship between Sam and Nick works because it’s not fantasy, it’s work. I expected some kinky daddy vibes based off the title and did not get that. Their dynamic captures the quiet realism of adult attraction: not the sweeping gestures, but the way someone’s stability can both scare and soothe you. Sam is adrift. Nick is rooted. That contrast, and eventual connection, feels earned.

Also, this book is called Daddy Issues, but the real isn’t with her dad. It’s with her mom. And frankly? I hated her mom. Not because she was badly written, but because she was too well-written. I hated reading her scenes. I hated feeling like I was fighting with my mom. That’s show biz, baby!

I also appreciated that this wasn’t some trope-y “single dad” story. The book actually grapples with what it means to date someone with a child. Logistically, emotionally. The “note from dad’s girlfriend” from the author at the end? Brilliant.

In a genre that often falls back on the FMC’s growth being career ambition or girlboss success, Daddy Issues does something rare—it lets growth be about peace, connection, and self-acceptance. There’s no climactic job offer. No “I did it” montage. Sam is very much a work in progress at the end. But I’ll allow this third act break up (I hate to see it) because it allowed for Sam’s slow, quiet work of choosing a life that feels like hers.

The pacing meanders a bit—but honestly, so does life. That messiness? It felt human.

“There’s no such thing as love without commitment—without putting your heart and your pride on the line.”

This book did that.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Kate Goldbeck for the advanced copy!

Rating:: 3.75/5

There was a lot I really liked about this book. Our fmc, Sam, is stuck in a rut she hasn't been able to climb out of since the pandemic. She's living in her mom's office and doesn't know which way to go. When her new neighbor, Nick, and his daughter, Kira, move in next door, it makes her really take a look at her life and what she really wants to do.

Kate writes Sam in a way that makes her seem more human. She's incredibly selfish at times, kind, introspective, and dealing with lots of "daddy issues," and finally taking a look at her relationship with her dad growing up. You want to yell at her, but in times, you understand where she's coming from. The pandemic happened when I was still in my early twenties, and it stunted my life for a bit. Granted I didn't stumble as far as Sam, but it was hard to really figure out the next steps.

Sam's relationship with her mom is written like walking on eggshells, and it adds more to the conflict of Sam figuring out the person she's supposed to be. It felt incredibly relatable as I have struggled with some of this myself with my mom.

My favorite relationship isn't between Sam and Nick, but rather Sam and Kira. While Sam struggles with whether she actually wants children and dealing with underlying issues with her dad, Kira helps Sam heal her inner child by seeing what a healthy relationship should have been the entire time.

Nick, our mmc, I feel like could be better fleshed out. It felt like an insta-love for him almost, which I am really not a fan of. While he is shown as a dad that wants only the best for Kira, I wish he had wanted more for himself? Sam works on figuring out her next steps but I wish he would've grown in that sense. They talk about his life prior to Kira, and the wild things he used to do. Maybe that's just a me issue! While they obviously talk about Nora, Nick's ex-wife and Kira's mom, I wish there had been more from that. It's talked about in the book that they spend holidays all together and maybe it's just me, but I would want to meet "the girlfriend" my kid is spending time around.

Overall, there were times I really laughed out loud at this book to the point I was told to shush. I'm a sucker for an age-gap, and I like even more that Sam is in her mid-twenties rather than her early twenties (Idk I'm getting old leave me alone). I am definitely interested in reading more from Kate!

A grounded romance that encapsulates the challenges many face post-pandemic. I highly recommend it to romance readers who appreciate depth in their stories.

I generally avoid age gap and single dad romances; however, this didn’t read like most of the other books I’ve checked out with these tropes. It shines a light on the challenges and issues facing the main characters’ relationship.

Also, rarely do you see a romance these days with two main characters who aren’t super successful. Everyone's a tech CEO or a best-selling author or an investment bro. Instead, we have a twentysomething woman with failure to launch who has reverted to living with her mother and is underemployed, and an almost forty man who manages a Chili’s. I loved this. In the end, the takeaway from both of them is that you don’t have to love your job; sometimes it’s what you have to do.

The title of the book suggests it’s going to be a spice-filled romance, and while there is some heat, this is a substantive novel that could also be categorized as women’s lit. It’s fully fleshed with a sarcastic, amusing heroine, comic book references, and some interesting insertions of comic book dialogue imagined by the heroine to journal her life.

Tropes:
-Age gap
-Single dad
-Neighbors

Spice: 🌶🌶🌶