Swipe Right by Stephie Chapman!

This book follows the life of Fran, who during her interview for the role of Content Creator meets the very cool and very handsome Ollie. When they both get the job the pair overcome their differences and become the hilarious work wife/husband duo. Unable to be together due to their partners - the very annoying Lou and the very emotionally abusive Lucas, this pair become best friends instead! This is a great book with a brilliant plot, it’s something a bit different to the usual rom-com books. I love the relationship between Fran and Ollie, Chapman keeps you guessing as to wether or not this couple will ever find their timing and be together. Fran and Ollie were loveable characters (except for maybe how Ollie acts towards the end, you’ll have to read and find out what I mean) and the author excelled at making us despise both Lou and Lucas. My only complaint about this book is that it ended too soon, I would have loved to read more about these characters as they are finally reunited. This Book gets four stars from me!

I couldn’t exactly look at ‘Swipe Right’ as an updated, contemporary (and more frenzied) version of ‘When Harry Met Sally’ for some reason, but instead, kept thinking of Fleabag going on a rampage, on the dating merry-go-round before finding seeing the person who had been hovering right before her eyes.

It’s a little hard to call this romance really; squint hard and then you’ll get the simmering attracting that swirls beneath Fran Tatlin’s and Ollie Taylor’s somewhat turbulent friendship in the long period of time that this story stretches over, but even that’s doesn’t feel like the whole point of the tale. ‘Swipe Right’ is more like a woman’s journey through Tinder dating, work and reactionary rebounding as much as a person can do before emotional (and reader) fatigue sets in.

Written wholly in Fran’s POV, this felt more like her stumbling through quirky co-workers, the highs and lows of her disastrous dating life while the man she was always looking for wasn’t really available until 'The End’. There was lots of self-introspection, a bit of expected narcissism and self-absorption with Fran in all her glory (she did get downright annoying and tiresome at times), yet there were parts that made you empathise given how much we’re made to walk in her shoes. I did find that the middle part lagged however, and ended skimming through because I’d fully expected something to come up with Ollie sooner rather than later (read: at the very end!).

From a ‘purist’ (loosely defined) romance-novel perspective, with both Fran’s and Ollie’s diverging paths throughout the book as Fran went through different dating partners/flings, I didn’t quite feel their build-up as keenly as I thought I would had they gotten their act together much earlier. But when this is read with a more conscious idea that this belongs perhaps more suitably in the ‘Chick Lit’/Women’s fiction category however, 'Swipe Right’ hits the right notes.

*ARC by the publisher via Netgalley

Swipe Right follow Frannie at her new job, Buzzfeed-esque media company Viral Hive. We're also introduced to colleague, Ollie, who's friendship with Frannie grows and changes throughout the course of the novel.

Despite a slow beginning, I really enjoyed this novel. I'm a fan of any contemporary romance and this one really hit the nail on the head! There were moments I was laughing out loud, moments I was cringing so hard, and many heartfelt moments, as well. The main characters were so lovely, you really were rooting for them from the start. It also helps that I got major Anna and the French Kiss vibes from this!

This was cute, fun, and surprisingly delved deep into emotions - not just a fluffy read. It reminded me a lot of Sally Rooney, but with a little bit more levity to it. I'd recommend it to those that are interested in reading a contemporary, young fiction story with romance elements to it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

This is a love story for the modern world taking us along for an interesting ride through the perils of dating. Everything for Fran starts off well with her landing her dream job at Viral Hive, and who cares if she has to work with the ever confident Ollie. These two are a match made in work heaven, and whilst everyone seems to think they could be more, there respective relationships nip any romantic inclinations in the bud.

When Fran finds herself single, after what is one of the best scenes in the book she decides to document her dating journey in a blog for Viral Hive. She changes the details to make them anonymous, from the guy who gives her a badge of his cats, to the one who wanted to add to his polygamous family plus the guy who asked her to pay half of the bill when he realised he wasn't getting any, its not surprising that all these dates cause Fran to re-evaluate.

Through it all Ollie has been a constant, despite him being less than impressed about her blog. However, when he announces that he is going travelling with his girlfriend Lou, Fran does her best to be supportive whilst knowing that this is going to change their friendship forever.

One of the things I really liked with this book is that there comes a point where it could have naturally ended, quite happily and possibly satisfactorily. However I think what Stephie Chapman does here is really good, in that she creates a circumstance which gives Fran the chance to find her feet and really focus on her. For the majority of the book she seems to get swept up in circumstances which stops her from really thinking about what she wants.

Whilst I did enjoy reading this book, it feel like it took a while to get going. I also found it surprising the level of detail Fran went into on her blogs, I for one would not feel comfortable laying out all the intimate details of my dates in order to get good ratings. That being said I wonder if that was part of Fran's journey, to give her that moment when she has to figure out what was the main reason for doing the blog.

This is a feel good book which at the moment provides a great escape from what is going on in the world. There are laugh out loud moments and cringe with embarrassment moments, but the ending will leave you feeling like everything is going to be ok.

This is modern story but with wide appeal, based in part about modern dating but primarily about the friendship between work colleagues Fran and Ollie. From the first meeting at a job interview where Fran thought he was full of himself they start working together and gradually become friends of sorts. I liked Fran, she has lots of good qualities but also human weaknesses too although she has a strong backbone when needed. I can only judge Ollie from Fran’s perspective, I think I would have enjoyed a few Ollie chapters to understand him better, especially regarding his relationship with Lou however overall you could see he had some good qualities with a good dose of charm thrown in. The chemistry between Lou and Ollie was well written but I liked that they both had integrity. Overall this is a solid rom-com of a book.

Going into this I thought this would be the typical boy meets girl trope. However, this adds a great modern day twist.

It really shows the in and outs of online dating and does so in a fun way - I loved the blog extracts after all the dates!

Fran and Ollie were great leads and you find yourself rooting for them from the first meeting.

This is the perfect light hearted and funny read. If you enjoyed the Flatshare by Beth O'Leary I think you'll love this!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an early copy

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book.
Fran, one of the main characters in the story, is quite a strong and confident lead. Whereas the male lead, Ollie, came across as cocky, and yet, isn't really.
I did enjoy their friendship and it reminded me of When Harry met Sally. Then I read the author's acknowledgements and discovered that was the aim.
The story was lengthier than I imagined, and became more enjoyable once Lucas was out of the picture.
Was very easy to read and follow, plot wise.

Thank you NetGalley and Hera Books for this arc.

A fun updated version of When Harry Met Sally! Fran meets Ollie when they are both applying for the same job at a viral media entertainment company. Fran's hackles are immediately raised, but she's offered the job! Happy Day (hackles down). Her first afternoon on the new job, she finds out that Ollie has also been hired as her collaborator (hackles back up). While Fran and Ollie are unaware, it's evident to all around them that they belong together. And so begins the year plus story of their lives and misadventures while they get clued in as well.

The characters were likeable and engaging (except for the minor ones who weren't supposed to be). The writing and pace of the story flowed along with some hysterically funny moments and some truly heartfelt ones. The drama and angst were balanced with Fran's introspection (a surprise for me). Overall, a very nice read.

Well, this was adorable. I was pleased to find there was some meat to the story and not just generic romance fluff.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable read. There were times when I laughed out loud, especially at the date reviews. The characters were great & I'd love to read more!

This book was cute! Fran and Ollie are after the same job, but there’s no denying there’s immediate attraction between the two along with a bit of rivalry. When their paths cross again there’s no denying there’s something between them and the book takes you along for the journey.

I immediately wished I worked at Viral Hive and these characters were my coworkers! They were fun, charismatic and enjoyable. Loved the immediate attraction between Fran and Ollie and couldn’t wait to see where Chapman took them!

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would! It's a well-crafted modern take on a familiar trope. Fran and Ollie are competitors for a job and end up realizing that they make an excellent team, so much so that they become collaborators instead of competitors. Their close friendship and brilliant working relationship is not without the drama though, and they are tested time and time again. Stephie Chapman writes compelling characters and narrative that makes you want to keep reading.

Reader's copy provided by #NetGalley for an honest review.

This book was just perfect, the characters were great, the chemistry between Fran and Ollie was just fantastic.
The way the writing just flowed and the plot was just brilliant. It was a book that i just couldn't put down, you knew where the story was going but you just had to keep reading to get there. After reading this i will definitely be reading more by this author.

Very mediocre. If you read romance novels this is just the same as the rest. It could have been good but then same old same old.

Very early on in this book, I thought "this seems eerily familiar, kind of like When Harry Met Sally...but more current" so I loved seeing in the author's letter at the end of the novel that she came up with the idea for the story based on When Harry Met Sally!

So, like I said, it was a familiar premise, but it felt fresh with the more current updates: Tinder, the work environment based on Buzzfeed, and the general use of phones and social media. Fran was very likable, and I (much like her online fanbase) loved reading her exploits with her Tinder dates - though I have never used Tinder myself, her stories do not sound very far off from the tales I've heard from others. Ollie was a fantastic leading man, very sweet and attentive. I loved this book and will continue to think about the main characters for a long, long time.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for this ARC - all opinions are my own, and I'll be sharing these opinions (and my wholehearted recommendation) with all of my friends.

This book was given to me by Netgalley in exchange of an honest review

This hilarious romantic comedy is When Harry Met Sally for the Tinder age – will make you laugh and cry! Perfect for fans of Mhairi MacFarlane, Lucy Vine and Sophie Ranald.

Thank you NetGalley and Hera Books for a chance to read and review this book early.

This is not my first Stephie Chapman book. I have read 'Call Me Maybe' and I have to say that I like this one a lot more. It was witty and fun and I enjoyed reading it. The plot is based on Tinder dating sites which I found a lot more original and interesting. It was a sweet rom-com between two friends who had a lot of potential to be more than that. I found it refreshing and would definitely recommend it to the fans of Mhairi Mcfarlane and Sophie Renald. Hope you enjoy it.

Stay safe and happy reading!!

It is a well known fact that I absolutely bloody hate books written in first person. I don't know why, I don't know when it started, it's just become a fact of life.

On the very rare occasion, I'll find a book in first person narrative that is so good, so well written, that I forgot I hate first person, sometimes I even think that maybe I've judged it unfairly.

This book, though.

Oh. My. God. This book!

The chemistry between Ollie and Fran was palpable from the very beginning. The additional characters, the colleagues at Viral Hive, just everyone, was amazing. I don't think I have Ever been this into a book written in first person narrative before, I actually forgot that it was even written in first person before I even got to chapter 3.

I'm not even sure I can explain how much I loved this. I laughed, I cried, I got really bloody annoyed. I am actually annoyed with myself for not having read anything by this author before.

Seriously, if you don't buy this book and love it then you're basically as bad as Awful Lou.

Can you say squee? Because I did when I finsihed this book. Swipe Right is everything its title promises - a funny, heartwarming, engaging, and absolutely transporting romantic comedy. Five stars!