Zoe wanted the love, marriage and babies, but when her boyfriend of 7 years chooses to ghost her, she decides she will just have a child by herself. When she returns to work however, there is a shortage of childcare options and she only has one week to get it sorted. After her, pain of a neighbour Will, drops Zoe and her baby to work following an issue at home, his boss mistakenly assumes that Will is the father to Zoe’s child and insists that Will takes paternity leave. Could this presumption help both Zoe and Will or does another secret that Zoe is keeping, turn out to have dire consequences for them all?

The Pros:
1) I was a fan of the romance and how it progressed organically over time
2) The relationships of the two main characters with baby Hazel are really adorable
3) The story really highlights the difficulties of parents (especially women) - including in the workplace.
4) I do love a contract in a story lol
5) Lots of great tropes including: *enemies to lovers *fake dating * forced proximity

The Cons:
1) There are some sadder parts, but it really helps round the story out

The Quotes:

1) ‘There’s a study that shows fathers are more desirable job candidates than non-fathers. People think they’re better at their jobs. More committed.’ This was true - I’d read up on it this morning. also totally unfair because while fathers often got promoted, the opposite happened to mothers. the same study had shown that being a mother worked against a woman. They called it the Motherhood Penalty.

2) I took a deep breath. ‘It’s been bloody hard,’ I admitted. ‘I wanted this so much. I chose to have her, knowing I’d be on my own. And I love her more than anything. I feel I have to qualify everything with that. But I miss my old life so much. I miss being able to do whatever I want. I miss being stupid with my money, and fitting into my old clothes, and not being covered in milk. I miss sleep! And my brain hurts from paying constant attention to everything. And I just feel so guilty the whole time. And on my own, there’s just no break. Ever. It never stops. And it’s quite lonely.’

The Summary:
Gosh did this book resonate with me. Motherhood in particular, is so hard at times and the author conveys this so well in the story, from Zoe’s POV, but also highlighting workplace issues (and other problems you can face as a parent). However, the romance was lovely and I liked that it did feel very organic, how their feelings grew throughout the story. Hazel is a sweetie. Plus other sadder/complicated issues that arise, really helped round the story out. The book has lots of fab tropes like fake dating and grumpy sunshine, plus I admit, I do love a contract as a plot device!
Overall, I adored this story, go read it.

Summed up in a sentence?:
Zoe enlists her grumpy neighbour for childcare after a misunderstanding

I rated the book 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5).

A big thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Ahhh, this was so much fun!

I honestly wasn't expecting to laugh as much as I did. The banter was top-tier, the drama kept things moving, and I was genuinely kicking my feet and giggling through so many chapters.

I also loved that underneath all the fun, there were some really emotional moments that gave the story a lot of heart. Zoe was such a relatable main character, and I really loved how she was written.

This would make such a great book club read. If you love witty romance with plenty of laughs and a bit of emotional depth, definitely give this one a go.

From the very first chapter I knew that I would enjoy the story. I found it cute and easy to follow and I loved the author's writing style. There was also a great cast of characters. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.

entertaining rom-com with plenty of witty banter, believable chemistry, and all the fake-dating goodness I was hoping for. The relationship developed at a satisfying pace, and I enjoyed watching the characters slowly let their guards down.

There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments balanced with enough emotional depth to keep me invested. If you're a fan of enemies-to-lovers romances with humor, heart, and a satisfying payoff, this is definitely worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been in such a reading slump recently and this certainly helped me out of it.
This was a great and easy read. It had me reading in the middle of night way past baby fell back to sleep. In fact I read this over one night. I just didn't want to put it down.
Zoe is so relatable, 100% see where she's coming from as a mum.
Will is a sweetheart. I was rooting for them hard from the very beginning.
It was lovely to see them let their guard down around eachother and for them to get better acquainted (despite having been neighbours for years).

What started as a fun, lighthearted rom-com turned into a surprisingly emotional story about parenthood, family and finding the right balance.

When I started The Love Contract, I thought I was in for a fake dating romance filled with banter and plenty of funny moments and that’s exactly how the story begins. We follow Zoe, a single mother preparing to return to work after maternity leave, only she still hasn’t found childcare for baby Hazel. Enter Will, her workaholic next door neighbour/nemesis. When he’s mistaken for Hazel’s father, Zoe comes up with an unconventional solution: fake date Will so he can take parental leave and look after Hazel.

There was plenty of banter and some genuinely funny moments but I wasn’t expecting the story to take such an emotional turn. Beyond the romance, it explores the realities of parenthood, the challenges of returning to work and the struggle of trying to balance work, family and everything in between.

At one point, I was genuinely stressed with how everything unfolded, especially the fraud storyline. I kept wondering how they were ever going to get out of that situation.

What I loved most was the way the book explored motherhood through different perspectives. Seeing how each woman approached motherhood, the struggles they faced and the relationships they had with their own mothers added so much depth to the story. Watching those relationships heal over time made for a really beautiful and heartfelt journey that even made me tear up.

As for the romance, I really enjoyed the slow progression of their relationship. They took the time to get to know one another before their feelings developed, which made it feel natural and believable. Zoe was a bit of a mess at times but Will’s unwavering support, patience and steady presence made him incredibly charming. He was exactly the kind of person she needed and I loved watching their relationship grow stronger.

This was a lovely reminder that sometimes the books you pick up for a bit of fun end up leaving the biggest impact.

Thank you to the publisher, Aria and NetGalley for the arc!

i loved this from the very front cover. the banter between Zoe and Will was just th kind we all love to read. it makes you smile, make you KNOW there is more between them, helps build something more deep and honest between the pair.
Zoe wants a baby. she decides to do it alone. all good. but this then involves needing to time her return into the working world. her boss needs her absolute commitment to the job and is less than understanding of her new circumstances. this isn't helped when the vacancy for childcare and or ones with a affordable price are just to fully booked. fully booked for seemingly years ahead!
enter Will. Will's boss in his own way comes up with the solution. he mistakenly assumes Will is the father of Zoe's baby when she sees them together. this would be to his boss's gain to give the father time off. oh goodie a progressive label for them is his angle.
so they devise a plan to carry on the lie and in doing so Will will also become Zoe's manny on the time she needs to be working.but this is a fake relationship book. and we know the gorgeous bubble of what might come next. yep, the more they spend time together. the less fake this feels. Zoe has had a complex time with her neighbour Will before now. but this is helping her see him in a whole different way. perhaps the truth of this man is way more than she thought it was.
Steph's premise for this book was a really great way of looking into an actual problem for so many. not being able to find or then afford childcare. it then pricing(usually the mums sadly) out. and this comes with a huge cost to both woman and parents. and actually a huge cost to the work force even if they dont want to see it. parental leave is something mothers struggle with. the need to get back straight away otherwise your previous role shifts away from you and simply how some bosses work against parents and or their return to work ability. this book explores those themes but does so with the right amount of drama yes, but also the light touch of humour built in as well.
i enjoyed this book so much. there were moments i truly smiled far to much hand far too wide. but also the tender moments.
the way Steph weaves it all together is brilliantly done to cover so many aspects of single woman, parenting and finding love.

There’s something so comforting about a romance that makes you giggly just as much as it makes your heart ache, and The Love Contract did exactly that.

It perfectly blends together fake dating, slow-burn, and the real chaos of everyday life into a warm, feel good read that I found myself flying through. Zoe and Will’s relationship develops so naturally, with banter, tenderness, and the kind of chemistry that has you silently willing two characters to just kiss already.

One pf my favourite parts is the repetition of just how disproportionate parenthood is, how dads typically get to clock in and out, whilst mothers suffer all day every day from their mental health to their careers.

Steph Vizard explores family, vulnerability, and learning to trust again with so much warmth that the characters felt wonderfully real. Hazel completely stole my heart, and every scene with her added an extra layer of joy.

I enjoyed this so much!

I have been struggling to get into a reading groove lately but this book had me hooked and I zoomed through it.

Once I got past my doubts over whether Zoe would really leave baby Hazel with a near stranger…. the plot was perhaps a little too predictable at times but that didn’t reduce how entertaining this was.

This was the first book I read read by this author and I will look out for more.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Zoe had a baby on her own and is suddenly in a pinch for childcare. A misunderstanding leads Will’s boss to believe that Will is Zoe’s baby’s father. Luckily, Will’s law firm has recently introduced paid paternity leave, and Zoe comes up with a plan for Will to take advantage of the new policy and help care for her daughter. Will’s boss is thrilled that he’s finally making use of the benefit. But what could possibly go wrong?

This romantic comedy combines humor, romance, and emotional family drama to create an entertaining story about two people who begin with a complicated lie but gradually discover that love, trust, and family don’t always develop according to plan. The fake-daddy and forced-proximity tropes add plenty of fun, awkward situations, and romantic tension as Zoe and Will navigate their unexpected arrangement.

Overall, it’s a lighthearted and heartwarming read with plenty of humor, chemistry, and just enough emotional drama to keep things interesting.

Having finished 'A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances', which I really enjoyed, I was delighted to find another book by Steph Vizard. It is safe to say that this is a great read that kept me hooked throughout.

Zoe is a single mum who is fiercely independent although she has a range of issues linked to her upbringing and severe abandonment feelings. Will, her next door neighbour, is a workaholic lawyer who she has clashed with several times in the past. The two characters end up creating a contract (The Arrangement) whereby Will pretends to be on parental leave to score points with his legal firm so that Zoe can go back to work and have childcare. I really enjoyed this premise how real the struggles were for parents in the modern world- the author addressed this so well and did a great job of highlighting the gender imbalances that exist in society. Will underneath all of the lawyer persona was a kind, thoughtful person who cared deeply about Zoe and her daughter. I loved reading about their relationship and how it progressed from enemies to fake dating to *spoiler* real dating. I didn't wish that there had been more of this because their chemistry was great.

Poor Zoe had it all thrown at her from abandonment from her Dad, issues with her Mum and the way she had patented, struggling to communicate with her sister, work issues, being a single parent, and the whole fraud aspect. Not to mention the sudden springing of Adam (her ex) halfway through the book. Because of the sudden crashing of her world, it felt a bit jolted which was why I gave it 4 rather than 5 stars.

Aside from this, I loved how the author demonstrated what the world is like for mothers returning to work and facing prejudice. I loved the way she wrote about the relationship of the main characters, and also Zoe's love for her daughter. It was well-written and had some nice humour thrown in for good measure.

If you like enemies to lovers and fake dating then this is certainly the book for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of The Love Contract. All views are my own.

I adored this - it was sweet , funny , romantic and a wild ride . I really loved the characters, the snippets of humour and the bonkers idea of the childcare arrangement. The supporting characters and side stories added nice touches. I found the second half of the book a bit frustrating but I think the turn of events was needed , otherwise it would have just been too easy. Love love loved!

This book was such an emotional rollercoaster! I was into it from the first page because enemies to lovers is my absolute favourite trope! Enemy neighbours to lovers? Even better!
Single mum Zoe is trying to do her best for her daughter and for practically every person around her but always ends up feeling alone. Raising her daughter on her own is proving harder than she thought.
Her neighbour Will is a super smart workaholic who she loves to annoy, but when her childcare options fall through she comes up with a plan to get him to help her..
I loved the chemistry between Zoe and Will and how genuinely caring he was to both Zoe and baby Hazel. Their connection felt very real.
As they both learnt to work together to look after Hazel I saw both of their characters softening, but at the same time, the lie they had told was getting bigger and bigger and I didn't know how it was going to pan out, especially as their lives became more intertwined.
The ending was absolutely perfect and the entire book had me feeling every emotion possible.
I laughed, I swooned, I cried.
If you're looking for a smart, well written rom com, this is it!

I really enjoyed this book, and devoured it as fast as I could. The story follows 2 neighbours, but is told from just 1 POV, who seem to have a mutual dislike for each other, as they’re thrown together into a lie. A lot of the book is Zoe dealing with the consequences of her ill chosen decisions, and the growth that comes to her from that, as well as the realisation that Will wasn’t the monster she first thought. The book is very realistic about the trials of having a baby, and how that can play with your body and emotions, as well as showing that things that don’t always work out perfectly. It does have a HEA, though not a picture perfect one like you normally get with romance novels, which actually made me appreciate it more. I would definitely recommend this book, especially to anyone who’s had a baby in the last couple years.

Advanced reader copy review of The Love Contract by Steph Vizard
🌟🌟🌟💫 – I really liked it
🔥🔥 – on-page, non-explicit

This book is heavy on parenting and family themes. The romance is lovely, but often feels like a side plot to the family life and drama of raising children (honestly, realistic!).

That said, I kept reaching for this. I would put it down to get on with chores, then pick this back up shortly after.

It was a lovely book to sit down and read in the sun with a nice cuppa. Refreshingly honest about parenthood.

I adored that it was set in Melbourne. It’s always fun to see an Australian city through fresh eyes.

I do typically like to see how a couple is after their reunion, which this book offered none of. Another chapter or an epilogue would’ve seen me rate this a little higher.

Disclaimer: I was not incentivised to read or review. Thank you to Steph Vizard, Aria & Aries, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was fun and entertaining. I loved the fake dating, enemies to lovers storyline. There was a great balance of romance and humor all with real life issues and motherhood mixed in.

If you love a rom com then this is for you!

There are a lot of layers in this book, it can be read as a nice romance between neighbours but it is much more than that. The author doesn't shy away from the difficulties of parenthood, from the excruciating workload in some careers, from characters that both make mistakes.
So the story and the characters, not only Zoe and Will, have depth and the characters building is very well done.
That being said, it still have rom-com vibes with laughter and good banter.
So if you want some romantic story with depth, this book is for you.

What I enjoyed the most while reading The Love Contract is the cultural depth. The book has roots in traditional small-town community dynamics and contemporary corporate realities, and this alone was so fresh to me.

The story begins with Zoe, the main FMC, who is forced out of her quiet life and thrown directly into a dangerous world of balancing work and hidden secrets. Zoe has her life as a single mother all figured out until a massive childcare drought derails her plans to return to work. In the meantime, her peace gets disrupted by her frustratingly handsome neighbor and corporate lawyer nemesis, Will. When Will's boss mistakenly assumes he is the father of Zoe's baby, Zoe is on a mission to rescue her career alongside him by entering a fake-dating agreement.

During their identity discovery journey and the process of navigating the glorious chaos of parenthood, Zoe and Will find themselves in close proximity and begin discovering deeper feelings for each other. The story slows down just a bit around the middle of the book where Zoe learns to handle her deep abandonment issues while Will balances his corporate ambitions. Somehow, just like this, the white lies and dry contract clauses grow into a messy, heartwarming reality that blurs all lines between fiction and truth.

This is a beautifully sweet, clever, and laugh-out-loud masterpiece of a romantic comedy. I did enjoy this book so much as it's a romance filled with realistic family drama, adorable toddler antics, and witty banter, and the lovely ending left me completely breathless.

This book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting but even still, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down.

I thought it was going to be a simple, cute, fluffy romance between a single mom and her neighbour and although It did start that way and I was obsessed with them, their relationship and everything Will did for Zoe, and Will’s dynamic with Hazel, it quickly turned into something a bit different then Zoe’s secrets began to unravel.

I won’t spoil anything but I will say that although I found the turn it took a bit unexpected and I found myself struggling to see how things would work out, I think this “second part” of the book was definitely its strongest. Although the romance took a bit of a back seat once things unravelled, I loved seeing Zoe’s growth, the way she took blame where needed, fought to make amends and just overall improve her life, all while taking care of Hazel and helping her friends. I really felt for her and everything she went through so I couldn’t have been happier when she got her happy ending.

And of course I have to mention Will. Although we didn’t get to know what really was going on in his mind, as this was told in Zoe’s single POV, I adored him. I loved the way he cared for Zoe and Hazel and it was great to see him open up and recover from the burnout his job caused.

I also really enjoyed the conversations about gender inequality in the workplace and women’s struggled coming back to work after having a baby.

When Zoe's long-term boyfriend ghosts her, she decides that instead of through bad date after bad date, she'll have a baby on her own. However, when it's time for her to go back to work and send baby Hazel to nursery, there seems to be no childcare available. This culminates in Zoe and her neighbour and nemesis Will entering a deal where they pretend to be in a relationship so that Will can take parental leave at the trying-to-be-progressive law firm where he's on track to become Partner, and as a result Zoe can have some help looking after Hazel...

As a childless by choice woman in her mid-thirties with very conflicting emotions about parenthood and societal expectations, I found it refreshing and almost therapeutic to read Zoe's story as a single mum. Abd although the book was mostly very easy to read, there were some more challenging moments involving complicated family dynamics that felt very real and that I think the author did an amazing job with.

I must say, I went through lots of feelings in regards to the protagonist Zoe as she's so different to me but felt so realistic and reminiscent of people I know that I wanted to shake her for most of the book!

Overall I would recommend this book but I do think it may not be everyone's cup of tea. If you're looking for a light-hearted spicy (this isn't spicy at all) romance, this may not be it.

The Love Contract is certainly predictable, but in the comforting way you want in a cosy romance. Of course our MMC Will was going to fall for single mum Zoe and her adorable toddler Hazel. And once Zoe saw her grumpy neighbour Will’s softer side while he was looking after Hazel, it wasn’t difficult to see where her feelings were heading.

Zoe and Will are both equally likeable and well rounded and I was invested in their relationship and enjoyed watching them slowly find their way to one another. Their chemistry felt natural, and Hazel added a lot of warmth and cuteness without simply being used as a convenient way to bring them together.

I really appreciated the storyline surrounding Zoe’s job and the difficulties she faces as a working mother. Her experiences felt very reflective of the pressures placed on working parents, particularly mothers, and I think a lot of readers will recognise the impossible balancing act she is trying to manage. The book shines a light on parental leave policies and the ways they can fail parents returning to their careers. It made Zoe incredibly easy to root for and I really wanted to see her succeed professionally as well as personally.

Steph Vizard’s writing is warm and inviting, and I loved the Melbourne setting which I feel like we don’t see often enough. There aren’t many surprises here, but there don’t necessarily need to be. The Love Contract is a sweet, comforting romance with likeable characters, a lovely central relationship, and some thoughtful commentary on the realities of being a working parent.

Biggest thank you to NetGalley and Aria and Aries for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.

📖 The Love Contract by Steph Vizard 📖

Huge thanks to Steph and Aria & Aries for the ARC! 💛

This was everything I wanted in a rom com. Did it reinvent the wheel? No. Was it the warm hug I was craving? Absolutely.

Zoe thought she was living the dream. She'd found the ring and was about to start the family she'd always wanted. Then Adam disappears, and so does her perfect plan. So Zoe decides to do it all herself, and suddenly Hazel is her whole world. But going back to work means facing the nightmare of getting into a childcare centre, and that's where a mix-up sparks a crazy idea that just might work.

Enter Will, who has never quit anything in his life. Seriously, never. He's up for partnership at his firm and wants it more than anything, until his boss decides he has a child and makes him the new poster boy for parental leave. The only problem? Will doesn't have a baby. 👀

I'm the complete opposite of Zoe. I've chosen a happy, child-free, single life, and I still connected with her so much. Steph captures how isolating and terrifying it can be to become a parent, and that feeling of having no one to turn to. It gave the book real heart underneath all the humour. 🥹

If you want a cosy, funny, feel-good read with a little more depth than you'd expect, add this one to your TBR!

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5

I really enjoyed reading The Love Contract by Steph Vizard . It’s fun, romantic and full of those awkward moments, and growing chemistry.
And I especially loved that it’s set in Melbourne, my hometown! Recognising familiar places made the story feel that little bit more special.