Thank you Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the eARC! All opinions expressed are my own.

☆☆☆ Overall

I expected something completely different from this book than what I got, but not necessarily in a bad way? I’m not really sure how I feel about it. The book itself is well written, but I feel like there are ways to be Out of the Box without being so against the grain at times, if that makes sense. This was an enjoyable read, but I felt like there was so much going on at times.

Rating: 3.5/5 (rounding up to 4)

Summary: Three friends and coworkers feel as though they have tried everything to find love and have completely run out of luck. After finding an ad for an agency that guarantees a soulmate they each decide to give it a try for a different reason. Tamara needs a distraction from the fact that her ex-husband is back in her life, Milo feels as though he has dated every man in the area and they have all ended poorly, and Saffie believes it would make an interesting story for their magazine.

Thank you so much Head of Zeus for the eARC of this book. I was so intrigued by the concept of this book and could not wait to read it! I really loved that is was about three friends with very different outlooks on love and experiences. The beginning of the story was a little slower paced <spoiler> and I wish we had more content when they were actually on the 24 hour date. </spoiler> I also wish we had more content about Milo as I felt his story deserved a little more time. Overall it was a very cute read, especially for the summer. If you like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Love Guaranteed then this may be the book for you!

This was a bit slow to start but very fast paced once I got into it! This book follows three friends all trying to fall in love. They decide to join a 24 hour dating agency that promises to find their soulmate. I enjoyed the dynamic between the three friends and the witty banter makes it a quick, easy read. I really liked that the dating matches focused more on personality than looks and how that can relate to the struggle in finding love. I wish each character had their own book as it was hard to completely connect to three main characters and their love story and some of the time there was way too much information and detail all at once.

3.25 stars

Different premise, this book was fun and engaging. The characters were very likable and relatable, and once I got into it, it was hard to put down. I enjoyed the three different stories of the main characters, each had a great story in their own way. The British slang was hard to follow sometimes but it was a fun story!

Saffie, Tamara and Milo all signup to a new matchmaking service, which promises to find your perfect match while sending you on a 24 hour date. The dating agency offers a soulmate guarantee where you meet “The One” or you get your money back.

Mary Jayne Baker is on my list of favourite authors This book was just wonderful.

A very fun idea and executed well!

Saffie, her co-worker and best friend Milo, and his older sister and their boss Tamara are all in romantic ruts. When Milo stumbles upon a dating agency claiming to help you find your soulmate or your money back, guaranteed, he decides to sign up. After much convincing, Saffie and Tamara sign up as well, and the three of them embark on blind 24-hour dates with their supposed soulmates. All three of them end up with something they very much did not expect.

I thought this book was charming. It was a little slow at first, but when you get to the actual dates, it really picks up. I only wish that there were more time spent with each character—I think that's the downside of having three POVs, you can really only do so much with each one.

Overall, I would recommend! An entertaining, easy summer read.

THE 24 HOUR DATING AGENCY is a tale about three friends, all involved in publishing a small family-owned periodical, who decide to try out a new dating service. Although this book is really about so much more than their trial 24 hour dates. Each main character has a fully developed storyline, with ancillary characters and backstory galore. The characters move between their own lives, their shared workplace and their mutual friendships; this book is a joy to read. Nothing is a complete surprise but every detail is well constructed and created with care. I enjoyed this book enormously. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Really enjoyed reading this books. Enjoyed the story line and the characters. Definitely need to get the physical copy of this to display on my shelf :) 😀

Thanks, NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I would give this book 3.5 stars. Overall, an easy and enjoyable read. However, with all of the characters and plot lines, I found it hard to connect with any of the characters/storylines fully.

Not your typical romance novel. It was quirky & whimsical, and just a good feel-good story. While I enjoyed it, I wish it had focused on one character's story rather than multiple storylines as it got a little difficult to keep track.

Mary Jayne Baker's The 24 Hour Dating Agency was a fun, easy read. Once I got into this book (which didn't take long), I finished most of it in one sitting. I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tamara inarguably had the most traumatic backstory. The scene where she finally lost it at the barbecue will stay with me indefinitely. As much as I loved Harry Hamilton and his easy, relaxed way with Willow--Natalie stole the show in Tamara's drama. My heart goes out to Natalie the same way I know Tamara's did. Their friendship was unexpected and amazing.

At first, I felt like Milo's storyline needed a bit more flare. After some consideration, I realized it made sense for him and Christian to have this comfortable, easy-going relationship.

Saffie was my favorite storyline by far. I had no idea how Russell was going to play into the story long-term, and that plot twist was everything! Even more was that Saffie finally has something worth running into a burning building for.

The greatest love in this book is a hard call. On one hand, you have the friendship between Saffie, Milo, and Tamara. On the other hand, you have their love for the Throstler. This was a great read, perfect for a relaxing weekend at home or afternoon by the pool. Thanks to NetGalley, Head of Zeus, and Mary Jayne Baker for the ARC!

Bit of a slow start, but good once the romance gets going.

Journalist Saffie Ackroyd and friend/co-worker Milo Cook are suffering from a dating slum. When at a speed dating event they each run into one or more of their exes, they decide to sign up for the 24 Dating Agency. This agency costs a bundle, but it promises to set you up with your soulmate and you really get to know them because your first date is set to last 24 hours.

The story is follows Saffie, Milo and Tamara (Milo’s sister and editor of the magazine where they all work). I liked the Saffie parts best. I think the Milo parts were underdeveloped - his main problem is when to say “I love you” to his boyfriend - it lack the usual bang chicklit romances have.

A fun cute vacation or beach read.

I loved the intertwined stories of the three women

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

It took me a bit to get into but I really liked the interactions between the different characters and the ending was great

Saffie and her friends aren't very lucky in love. Her boss, Tamara has been alone since her painful divorce and just haven't have the time, effort or trust to waste on dating. Tamara's brother Milo is on his fifth boyfriend in as many months. And Saffie, she just isn't sure she'll ever find Mr Right after leaving her ex at the altar.

So when Milo finds an advert for the 24-Hour Dating Agency, they decide to give it a shot.

Instead of endless swiping and small talk, you get matched and spend 24 hours on an intense, specially designed date made just for the couple. But despite the agencies soulmate guarantee, they can't help but think they might all need to rethink their idea of what a happily ever after really looks like.

"No matter how old you get, today is always the first day of the rest of your life."

Wacky, whimsical and wonderful - this somewhat eccentric blind-date story was so much fun.

Having three main characters can feel overwhelming - but I loved them. Each had their own stories, their own struggles and motivations, but came together in a beautiful friendship which was honestly the star of the show for me. I would've loved a little more time spend on Milo but in general we spent enough time with each character to get easily attached to them.

All three worked together at a quirky periodical, with it's own issues going on and giving hilarious workplace antics and giving all the characters even stronger a tie together. The whole story was beautifully character and dialogue driven, making it a very easy, casual read and creating both loveable and detestable characters with such intensity.

Underneath all the zany fun and adorable romance, there was some truly touching stories about life after divorce and heartbreak, about self-confidence, about family and about the pressures placed on us that sometimes make us settle for less than we deserve.

A perfectly fun read with a lot of heart.

This book was a pleasant surprise and I can’t stop thinking about it. I enjoyed that it was fast-paced because I FLEW through this book. Banter is something that a book NEEDS for me to enjoy; let me tell you, this book is full of banter and I was living for it.

The concept of the book was unique and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

Thank you to Head of Zeus/Aria and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC before publication!

This story followed three different people. If you had to stop mid chapter ect it could get a little confusing and you may have to backtrack but it was worth it. Fun romance!

This book follows three friends on three separate journeys and because of that, it felt like a lot was going on and that it would have been beneficial to their stories to split them into three books to have a series versus a single title.

The story was quirky and cute but would have benefited from a more targeted approach and less going on will all the details and complexity of multiple stories being told at once.

I am so grateful for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

A great quick, lighthearted vacation read! I've had intermittent luck with mary Jayne Baker's books, but this one was fun.

I was wondering how this book would pan out. Loved it!
The characters were very real with a hint of fun and the read was made to feel as if they were looking down on the conversations.
They all had their trials and tribulations which somehow related to each other. It was interesting to see how the agency’s ‘Dr’ had other motives for running the non profitable business.
Captivating read without being complicated. Would thoroughly recommend.