Ok, but I actually really like them working through trauma together. This enemies to lovers romance DELIVERS. Damian starts out as the worst but slowly evolves over time. Lexi is just perfect. I really feel like I could go on about how unexpectedly deep this was and how much I enjoyed its examination of grief and what that does to a person.

𝟣,𝟧/𝟧
𝘋𝘕𝘍 𝘢𝘵 𝟦𝟢%


I really wanted to love this book and gave it multiple chances, but unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me 😕. The chapters are extremely long—some reaching up to 33 pages—which made it hard to stay focused. I kept losing interest and honestly felt bored most of the time 🥱. I’d find myself zoning out and struggling to finish even a single chapter.

The pacing felt off too. The main characters briefly interacted in the first two chapters, but then didn’t cross paths again until chapter nine 😵‍💫. That kind of slow burn could’ve been fun, but it just dragged way too much for me.

Now, about the characters... Damian Navarro didn’t quite click with me. He acts more like a moody teenager than a college senior 🙄. Hopefully, he grows as the story goes on—he really needs to. On the flip side, Lexi Dornan is brilliant, responsible, and overall a solid character. But the moment Damian shows up, she turns clumsy and awkward 😬, which felt out of character.

It had potential, but I just couldn’t push through. DNF for now 🚫.

The Girlfriend Agreement is a fun romance romp with one of my all time favourite set ups - fake dating. Even though Damian started out in my bad books, Croft gave him a believable redemption arc and some really great character development! Lexi was a fun FMC - a little quirky, but still fun and relatable at the end of the day. I enjoy the banter between the characters and their transformation as a couple. The fake dating lends its hand to many chaotic moments that are fun!

Thank you to Rowan Croft for an e-arc of The Girlfriend Agreement! All opinions are my own.

Thank you Rowan Croft and Netgalley for an ARC of this book!

This was the perfect rom com to read for the summer! The banter between Lexi and Damien was so great and had me laughing out loud throughout the entire book.

All of the pop culture references made my millennial heart burst!

The story arc was done great and the character growth was superb.

This story made my heart hurt knowing how the healthcare system has failed so many in our country and I'm glad that Rowan shed light on those issues as well as giving us a story to love.

After reading this story - and everything Lexi went through with her mom makes me want to hug my mom a little tighter and much more often.

Definitely recommend to readers that love:
Fake Dating
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Grumpy/Sunshine

The Girlfriend Agreement by Rowan Croft
⭐ Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

📚 What It’s About:
A funny, heartfelt romance that brings together two unlikely people in a fake dating scenario—with very real feelings. Along the way, the story explores difficult topics with care, humour, and emotional honesty, all set against a backdrop of personal growth and unexpected connection.

💭 What I Thought:
I thought this was a great read! It tackles some tough subjects, but Rowan Croft handles them delicately and respectfully. What really stood out was the humour—there were moments that genuinely made me laugh out loud. It’s the kind of book that gives you all the feels while still being light, relatable, and fun to read.

💡 Favourite Part:
The humour! It gave the book so much personality and helped balance the deeper moments beautifully.

✅ Would I Recommend It?
Absolutely. If you enjoy romcoms with heart, emotional depth, and characters you want to root for, The Girlfriend Agreement is one to add to your TBR!

This was a fun, easy read, but it didn’t totally blow me away. I liked the fake dating setup and the banter between Lexi and Damian was entertaining. There were definitely some cute moments, and if you love college romance tropes, this one checks all the boxes.

That said, it felt a little too familiar at times. The plot was pretty predictable, and I never fully connected with the characters. It was enjoyable enough while I was reading it, but not something that really stuck with me after I finished.

Still, big thanks to Rowan Croft and NetGalley for the chance to read this early! It was a light and playful read that fans of tropey romcoms will probably enjoy.

I feel like The Girlfriend Agreement was such a unique college romance book in the best way possible. It's not every day that you get a great character development and redemption arc from the MMC and Damian Navarro did that. Lexi was different too—she is a certified genius and is a little aloof when it comes to social queues, but it made her all the better with her little quirks.

Last year, Damian was acting out made a bet with Mason—that he could sleep with a bucket list of different girls (Lexi being the "poor girl") and in return, Mason would give him his car. Of course, Damian does the bucket list and gets the car, but he also gets exposed and creates a media frenzy for him and his family who own a large pharmaceutical company. This humiliated Lexi and causes her to be even more closed off, refusing to let people in. After that fiasco, Lexi responds to a Craigslist ad to be paid to be a fake girlfriend... She really needs the money, but doesn't know it was for Damian. Damian's parents are threatening him with his inheritance and basically disowning him if he doesn't get his act together so in order to show his parents that he's maturing, he wants to show that he's in a committed relationship. Lexi pretends to be his girlfriend and he pays her heavily for it so she can afford the medication.

The only thing that I felt like kept this book being a 5-star read was that some things were really repetitive. And also it was unique of the Lexi being a math genius, but the math made my eyes gloss over when we were talking about equations and explaining the math (not on the author, but definitely on me!). It is still a fantastic read and it got me in my feels—especially when talking about cancer and the lack of health care in the United States. If you read the Author Note at the end, you'd know that this book hits home for Rowan Croft and I appreciate that personal touch and all the research that went into this book. I'm looking forward to seeing what Rowan does with Conwick U, I really enjoyed it and I'm interested in Ronnie's book!

i unfortunately did not like this book. i disliked the mmc and think his actions were trying to be romanticized whereas they were just dangerous.

For fans of The Love Hypothesis. This book had all my favorite things! A nerdy FMC, check. Fake Dating, check. Billionaire MMC, check. Plus, Enemies to Lovers! Incredible banter, a great story line, and fantastic spice. This was a new adult readers dream. Highly recommend! Every time I thought it couldn't get any better, it did.

Can't wait to see what the next book in the series has in store.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Rowan Croft, and Shire-Hill Publications for allowing me the privilege to read this book before publication.

The Girlfriend Agreement by Lexi Dornan is a fun and fiery college romance that hooked me from the start. Lexi, a brilliant but socially awkward student, and Damian, the charming playboy with a reputation to uphold, have an electric, slow-burn dynamic that’s impossible to resist. Their fake dating agreement starts as a transaction, but the chemistry between them builds into something far more complicated and swoon-worthy.

The banter is sharp, the tension is delicious, and I loved watching their enemies-to-lovers transformation. Both characters have depth, with Lexi’s intelligence and Damian’s hidden vulnerabilities making them feel real and relatable. The fake dating trope is done so well here, with plenty of laughs, steam, and chaotic moments. It’s a delightful, spicy rom-com with a solid mix of humor, heart, and steam that guarantees a happy ending you’ll adore.

Overall, I couldn’t put it down! If you’re a fan of slow-burn romance, witty banter, and some spicy moments, The Girlfriend Agreement is a must-read.

3.75/5 ⭐️

I enjoyed this! When in the right mood, I’m always a good pick for a college romance, and this one was in that ball park. While I felt some areas could have been tightened, I did grow to love our MMC as trust was build and character growth was shown. Will keep around for book 2!

Oh, this book was AMAZING.

I could have finished it in one night, I stayed up until 3am devouring this book.

I was laughing out loud, and squealing like a high schooler all alone in my room looking like a real psychopath reading this book.

I absolutely love Lexi and Damien’s chemistry. The tragic backstories, the hinting of neurodiversity, the needing out over twilight.

This was everything, I haven’t loved a contemporary romance like this since The Deal.
I cannot believe THIS is a debut. I will be watching for all of Rowan Crofts future books.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had the special chance to get an advanced copy and this is my 100% honest review.

I wasn't sure at the beginning that I would like Damian. He is a f*ckboy through and through. Of course the smart girl, Lexi - would end up with him. This story was so good it kept me hooked.

Damian was a misunderstood bad boy that had some grief he had to work through. He made several bad decisions which led Lexi to him. They both had private things going on in their lives that they figured each other could help the other with, by being in a FAKE relationship.

Little did they think by the end of the agreement that they would both grow within themselves and actually grow feelings for one another.

I highly recommend this book.

I loved this story, it is not your average fake dating senario, the characters were diverse, the plot had many twists and turns and the chemistry between the FMC and MMC was on fire!
The story flowed well, was easy to to read and it almost had me tearing up at a few points.
This was a surpsrising read for me and wholy deserving of all of its 5 stars!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Rowan Croft, and Shine-Hill Publications for the ARC of The Girlfriend Agreement! I loved every single minute of this read.

I fell for Damien way faster than I expected to—even though he starts off as a total “fuckboy,” he somehow wormed his way into my heart with his soft side, chaotic banter, and most hilariously, his unapologetic Twilight obsession. (A Jacob stan through and through. I respect the conviction.)

The fake dating trope is done so well here—equal parts flirty and vulnerable, with moments that had me laughing out loud and others that gave me a genuine case of the butterflies. Damien and the main character have such electric chemistry, and their emotional arc felt both satisfying and real.

This is the kind of romance you finish with a goofy grin on your face and immediately want to reread. Rowan Croft, I’m officially obsessed.

This book was PHENOMENAL. I fear it will take me a LONG time to recover from this and return to the romance genre since I know few will compare to this masterpiece. So beautifully and realistically written (well as realistic and dreamy as a sexy billionaire boyfriend is...sigh). I flew through reading this in less than 24 hours and I regret it a little since I could read this forevermore. The portrayal of characters with their flaws, arcs, tells was perfectly written with even the side characters interweaving perfectly into the narrative (yeah they're my besties too). Such an interesting read especially for the fake dating trope which is rarely written to so high a standard as this. Overall this is probably up there as one of my favourite romance reads this year and with how girlboss Lexi is I loved the epilogue and need more of her AND Rowan Croft's writing ASAP.

💋The Girlfriend Agreement🤝

I was given an ARC of this book by the author via Netgalley - thanks so much!

It's been a while since I've read a college aged romance and I was really impressed with this one!

Lexi, our FMC, is prickly, guarded, sarcastic, witty, slightly 'tism coded, and all around just a real and relatable character. She is worried about school, about money, about her family, and balancing all of that.

Damian, our MMC, is a selfish, self-centered, spoiled playboy who's never had to take accountability for his actions. Until his parents threaten to take away the future he's been looking forward to unless his changes his ways.

He decides that getting a (fake) girlfriend will convince his parents he is serious about... everything and not cut him off. When Lexi answers his ad looking for a fake girlfriend, they are both thrown because they have... History. Chaos, sharp banter, and warring emotions ensue over the pages in what has become one of the most charming rom-coms I've read all year!

The Girlfriend Agreement had me laughing from the first chapter, and kicking my feet and internally screeching the whole way. I LOVED the banter, the wit, and the characterization and character arcs of both the FMC and the MMC. Their actions and motives made complete sense as the story progressed and the book was good at sparking a range of emotions for a rom-com.

I gave this book 4.5 stars. It was a nearly perfect book to me. I think for me, the intended emotional impact didn't hit me over the head like I wish it would have. HOWEVER, I think the author did a great job of balancing the emotional stuff with the funny and sexy stuff- the book does not have a heavy feeling to it. Rather, just a lot of feelings based in reality and a story where it all works out for everyone in the end. 🩷💚

Though The Girlfriend Agreement is a sweet rom-com, full of funny moments, the book highlights more serious themes such as the US healthcare system and how that affects people with terminal cases and more. This was a pretty big part of the plot and it was written beautifully.

On a lighter note, I really enjoyed Lexi and Damian's relationship, the banter and bickering were really funny, but most of all I loved how they grew together and changed for the better. I am also happy to report there wasn't any third act breakup.

Lexi is extremely intelligent, brutally honest, determined and even though Damian at the beginning seems the complete opposite, being sarcastic, egotistical and downright a fuckboy, his character development is one of my favorite things in this book and by the end they realise they are not that different after all.

And even though I am not really a fan of long chapters, I didn't really mind it here.

All in all, it was a really fun book and I would really recommend it if you are looking for something sweet, with laugh out loud moments, but also with a more serios subplot.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Rowan Croft for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This college fake dating romance was an enjoyable experience. Lexi and Damian were the perfect main characters and I enjoyed their growth throughout the book.. The plot was well constructed and I embraced how it developed, the writing was perfect and I couldn't wait to see what happened between Lexi and Damian.

As I’ve seen several other reviewers say, I took issue with how overly wordy this book was and how insufferable Damian’s character is for a large chunk of the book. I love a “bad boy turned good” storyline but he was just a straight up d bag. He did redeem himself eventually but it was a struggle to get there.

I will say I enjoyed the storyline of Lexi and her mom and the fact that it shines a light on how messed up the healthcare system is and the lengths people have to go to in order to get care for their loved ones. I am going through something similar now so I appreciate it being discussed. I also enjoyed the spice and the banter between Lexi and Damian. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the chance to read it!