*No spoilers*

While this book sounds like a typical rom-com, readers should be excited to hear that it goes way deeper than surface level attraction that fizzles out after “The End.” This author did a wonderful job of creating these characters with real life emotions that an audience can relate to as it comes to love. Anxiety can be a really difficult battle but Doyle managed to create characters that faced their anxieties for love and friendship. While I didn’t love the whiplash theme, I think it was necessary for these characters and how they managed their anxiety throughout the story. Overall, deeper themes throughout but still a rom-com to be read in one sitting.

I have not devoured a book this quickly in a very long time. I have lot so throughly enjoyed reading a book like, to the point that I read and forget that I’m reading entirely, in a while.

I didn’t know what to expect going into this one, especially since it’s my first book by Katelyn Doyle by my GOODNESS am I in love.

I was hooked from the first moment. With quick witted writing, flawed characters, that second chance romance that spans years and heartache, pining and waiting and bad timing. MY GOD AM I MELANCHOLIC RIGHT NOW.

Molly and Seth and their friends and families made me laugh and tear up, they made me angry and upset and made me tug at my hair in frustration because ENOUGH! YOU LOVE EACH OTHER STOP IT!!!

I didn’t love some of the pet names and the frequency of them but you know what? I loved this book so much that I can overlook it entirely.

I cannot say enough how much I love this one. I need a hard copy to hold to my chest with adoration, and now, I will never let go.

Overall, I enjoyed it and it was a quick read that moved along for me and kept me reading. I didn't find the main character Molly likeable for most of the book. She had issues and I'm not sure I feel that she worked through her issues by the end of the book.

I liked Seth much more and he was trying so much to grow and work through his issues.

I enjoyed the that the book went back and forth each chapter from one character to the other. I did enjoy the ending, it wrapped it all up nicely.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my review.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Flatiron books for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. I am not a fan of this book. It is an ok Rom Com. It is the story of Molly and Seth. They are a couple in High School, and Molly breaks up with Seth before graduation. Then she ghosts him for the next 15 years. They meet again at their 15th Reunion. She is a screen writer who writes rom coms. He is a divorce lawyer. She is cynical, he is a romantic. They get drunk and have sex. They make a bet on 5 couples from the reunion, of who will still be together at the 20th reunion. Seth makes them the fifth couple. What follows is their story over the next 5 years- as they navigate life( and the pandemic) together and apart. Seth is wildly romantic, looking for his soul mate. Molly does not believe in soul mates. Her father left her mother when she was in middle school and the resulting divorce has left scars and wounds that won't heal. She has trust issues, and really issues with love. So I had some problems with this book. First, I recently finished 2 books with similar plot lines( The Rom-commers which has a rom com script writer as its protagonist, and Funny Story, which has a female main character with trust issues.) Both were really good, and this one pales in comparison.The story line also includes a running commentary of both Molly and her mother being angry with Seth because he is a divorce lawyer. I get that Molly's dad had a devious lawyer who cheated her mother. Seth, on the other hand, makes a point of telling Molly that he became a divorce lawyer so he can be a different type of divorce lawyer, one who helps couples with mediation. They just keep throwing it in his face, when he is so honest and sweet he is almost a poster child for sincerity. And then when a friend needs a lawyer , and for plot line reasons I can't reveal, Seth cannot take the case- Molly encourages him to be unethical! The third problem I have is something I may be the only one who cares about, but here goes. I am a baseball fan. In the book Molly and Seth meet up at a game in LA- the Cubs ( Seth lives in Chicago) and the Dodgers. ( Molly lives in LA). The games is described as the final game of the National League Championship Series. In 2019, the NLCS went 4 games- with the Washington Nationals beating the St. Louis Cardinals.I know this is a work of fiction, but why ? I am sorry, to me this was stupid. Anyway, if you don't care about baseball, and don't mind a so so story, you might like this. I rounded my 2.5 up to a 3.

This delightful debut novel was so fun. Molly doesn't believe in love and yet writes rom-coms. Seth believes in that one person who is meant for you, soul-mates and works as a divorce attorney. At a high school reunion they run into each other. What happens when a hopeless romantic and non believer of love collide? I thought this read was so fun. I enjoyed the reverse of tropes. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was such a fun book to read. I really enjoyed the long game of Molly and Seth figuring out their lives and each other. We all have that one really dumb mistake that we made in our relationship history; I loved reading about Molly’s.

If there’s one thing about me, it’s that I like messy “unlikable” characters and this pair is a nice opposites-attract/ second chance romance set up. She is averse to emotional intimacy and sabotages relationships that get too serious. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is in love with the idea of soul mates and a HEA.

Unfortunately, I think I like the concept of this one more than the actual execution. Maybe it's the writing. Maybe it's that the author's brand of humor doesn't really mesh with my own. There were some great moments but often those felt overshadowed by a lot of minutiae that I didn’t really find interesting.

Also, a random thought: I do feel like there should be content warnings listed for Covid19 and discussions of pandemic traumas. It plays a large enough role in the plot that I think it warrants a CW. (It was a jump scare right around the 40% mark)

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed this book! At first Seth was kind of cringey, feeling that every and any person they come across could be THE ONE is weird. I was glad that they both dated around before they gave each other a shot. They're playfulness with each other was fun to read and ultimately, I'm glad that Molly overcame her abandonment issues.

I love a good grumpy sunshine, especially when the guy is the sunshine. This book is all the best parts of a hallmark movie. Although slow in the beginning, it was a very fun read.

The character development is well done and tactfully executed. Although Molly’s self-sabotage is predictable and can be irritating, Seth’s love and care for her and outweighs it every time. Her growth was so fun to see.

High school sweethearts Molly Marks and Seth Rubenstein's love story took a tumultuous turn when Molly shattered Seth's heart. Fifteen years later, fate reunites them at their high school reunion, igniting a passionate one-night stand. Despite their lingering mutual attraction, both are certain this fling won't evolve into anything more—yet.

Molly, a seasoned rom-com screenwriter, harbors a cynical outlook on love, dismissing the notion of happily ever afters. In contrast, Seth, a dedicated divorce lawyer, firmly believes in the enduring power of true love and the importance of family.

Katelyn Doyle's debut novel introduces a rich tapestry of characters beyond Molly and Seth, including supportive friends and family members who contribute to the story's depth.

Spanning the gap between their fifteenth and twentieth reunions, Molly and Seth's relationship encounters numerous false starts. The narrative unfolds through dual perspectives, offering readers insight into the complexities of each character's inner world.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to review this engaging debut. I eagerly anticipate future works from this promising author.

Molly Marks writes rom-com for movies but doesn't believe in love. Seth Rubenstein is one of Chicago's best divorce lawyers, but he does believe in love and is looking for "the one." The two dated in high school but broke up at graduation.

They meet again at their fifteenth high school graduation and realize the love they had for each other had never really gone away. But Molly is still the sort who runs away from relationships and Seth is still the one who leaps into them too soon. They make a bet with each other: if they can correctly guess the fates of five couples at the reunion, including themselves, each will adopt the other's point of view regarding love and soul mates.

Then the story leaps ahead to various encounters the two of them have during the next five years which are all ill-fated. For example, she's willing to give their relationship a try just as he commits himself to someone else. Or he makes a play for her just as she is disappointed again by her emotionally distant father. And again, and again. They meet at the wrong times for one or the other of them.

It was interesting to watch each of the main characters grow up and amend their views of love and soul mates. It was also painful to read about all the times they tried and failed to build a relationship and communicate with each other.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥🔥

▫️ let's talk about it

High school sweethearts Molly (love pessimist) and Seth (hopeless romantic) reconnect at their 15-year reunion. They make bets on whether five couples from their lives will be together or not at their 20 year reunion. The 5th couple? Molly and Seth.

This was well written, and had a great mix of flirty fun, will-they-or-won't-they, and personal growth. The story spans five years, where they spend time exploring/fighting their feelings for each other. (this is a pandemic era book, btw)

I loved Seth and his golden retriever, squishy romantic heart. Unfortunately, I didn't love Molly. She is an April Ludgate-level black cat. I hoped she'd grow on me as the story went on, and although she did grow as a person, I never did come around. 😬

As a general rule, I give 3rd act break-ups some slack because I know that the rom-com formula asks for conflict/resolution. Don't get me wrong, if it's missing, I'm the first to shout 'hallelujah'!
I just tend to let them slide. This book doesn't only have a third act break-up, it has years worth of breakups, and I was frustrated pretty much the entire book.

Overall I think super-spice/super-angst lovers could really enjoy this.
While I wasn't over the moon for this one, I would try more books by this author!

If you loved The Rom-Commers, you will enjoy this debut novel! Second chance romance, cinnamon roll MMC, she is grumpy and he is sunshine. He believes in happily ever after and she doesn’t. I couldn’t put this book down once I started. Molly and Seth dated in high school, Molly broke up with Seth at graduation and they spark up their friendship again at their 15 year reunion. Their friendship is full of sexual tension and comedy. They are adorable together and once they admit their feelings for each other again, the spice is spicy. Seth helps Molly navigate some of her past trauma and the ending was very sweet. I definitely recommend.

Thank you to @flatiron_books and @netgalley for this ARC copy of a second chance romance that really worked for me!

First rule of second chance romances is that the initial breakup can’t be too awful or nasty or else the whole idea of them being together is yucky. Molly and Seth broke up after high school, and given that this is 15 years later when the book starts, it’s water under the bridge (ish). At least for the reader. Seth hates Molly (ish). Seth is a golden retriever, a man very in touch with his feelings, and the new hot shit mini trope of the contemporary romance world, he’s a completely bright eyed and bushy tailed, startlingly non-cynical divorce attorney. You might ask yourself why that’s popping up in many books this season and you will not get an answer from me - I find it hilarious because I don’t know any personally and I am a lawyer.

Molly, Morticia Addams, is deeply embarrassed about the high school breakup and also deeply sorry but she doesn’t know how to express herself because big feelings are scary when you’re a child of acrimonious divorce. Molly is also a deeply cynical romcom screenwriter.

I found this grump/sunshine pairing bonkers in the best way, honestly. She’s goth and angry and writes cute, he’s flowers and puppy dogs and handles your dissolution of marriage.

Somehow they manage to bang it out in 2018 after the reunion, and then the breakup gods are appeased. Ok not really, they make a wager that in 5 years, four couples they know will make it or break it, and one couple will end up as dates (it’s them). Then, they pine and orbit around each other as they navigate other relationships and each other and bad timing. There are horrible grand gestures from both of them that go awry, the way that bonkers grand gestures should go awry.

This book was really fun. And I can’t possibly ever say no to a half-Jewish golden retriever attorney, can I? Listen, Katelyn Doyle is a fantastic writer, and some of you know this already because she’s Scarlett Peckham. 🤯🤯🤯

But in all seriousness, this comes out 6/4, so put it on your TBRs.

Unfortunately, this story didn't really work for me. I love second chances and a story with a bit of pining, but I didn't love the characters. Molly's inner thoughts didn't always match up with her outer actions and sometimes she was just mean for no reason. Seth was all the way on the other end of the spectrum, but in a toxically positive way. He was a big too "smile though the pain". And after taking a whole year away from talking to Molly to figure out how to fix his penchant for jumping into relationships too quickly, he makes the same mistake again by proposing to her ridiculously soon (what is probably the world's worst idea). I really was just dying to find them both a therapist. But what really soured me on the book is all the COVID content. A little lip service would have been fine, the isolation of the beginning was a good catalyst, but it kept coming up, right through the end of the book. I don't need that much of a reminder of that terrible time in my romance book, thanks.

I really wish I could have given this a glowing review, but hopefully it's better for you than it was for me.

I absolutely loved this book! A fantastic, well-written grumpy-sunshine, second chance romance where the locations feel like characters. I really enjoyed Just Some Stupid Love Story and loved getting to know Molly and Seth.

Molly heads to her 15th year high school reunion in Florida and is seated next to Seth--not just her ex, but her ex who she dated for all four years of high school, who she broke up with on prom night and didn't speak to for fifteen years. Molly is sarcastic and doesn't believe in love, an ironic twist for a rom com movie writer living in LA. Seth is a bonafide romantic who also happens to be a Chicago-based divorce attorney. They reconnect at the reunion and make a bet about five couples who are there and whether they'll last or stay together--and they'll decide on the winner at the 20th high school reunion.

The bo0k jumps timelines so we're not just sitting and waiting for Seth and Molly to recongize that they're each others' soul mates. They go through ups and downs as friends and as more and as less, all the while trying to figure out how to let go and work through their own emotional baggage in order to find their way back to each other. It's a good struggle that doesn't go on too long unnecessarily and isn't something that gets cleared up with a simple conversation. I really appreciated that Seth and Molly were always talking about their needs and their fears and not holding it in like they would in so many other books. The ending is worth it.

This was my first book by Katelyn Doyle, but won't be my last. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was really good. This is a second chance romance for a pessimist and an optimist. Molly, the pessimist, was so easy for me to relate to as a pessimist and an introvert. Seth, the optimist, is so happy-go-lucky you want to see the world through his eyes. There are so many bumps in their relationship you’ll feel anxious but you just know they belong together. Definitely recommend. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

Thank you for the chance to read an ARC, NetGalley!

This was a fun and cute romcom that I overall enjoyed reading. The characters were fleshed out with individual traits and witnessing them interact read very naturally. Sometimes the relationship between Molly and Seth was, forgive me for saying, cringe. He always seemed way more into her than she ever was into him. By the end of the book, I could finally see that she really did love him. The cringe did tend to make the story and characters more believable and real; I'll say that. The side characters really enhanced the story. I loved their friends, with the exception of Rob. You could tell they all cared for each other. I just wish there was more oomph in the story. It was very slow at times.

This, unfortunately, did not work for me at all. I found the main character to be just plain mean - not grumpy of a grumpy sunshine trope. I also wasn't sold on the chemistry between the characters. When it comes to a second chance romance, I am a pretty hard sell because the author has to convince me that the characters are worth getting back together, and I don't think that was accomplished here. I was hoping they would become friends and then find the person that they had chemistry with, which is what I don't think should happen when I'm reading a romance. I know this book is already getting a lot of love, and I'm so glad it is. It just wasn't for me.

3.5⭐️

The writing itself is fantastic.
This was a super fast read for me and I couldn’t put it down.

However, I didn’t like Molly and I got tired of her constantly running away from Seth and breaking up with him.
Apologies are worthless if you repeat the same mistake.

Unfortunately, by the end of this book I don’t believe this is a HEA relationship.
I don’t believe that Molly healed enough to pursue Seth again.
But also Seth allowing her to come back after running away 3x also says something about him.