This is the first book I have read by Ms. Peterson and I can definitely say it won't be my last! I enjoyed her writing style, it kept me interested and engaged and I had a lot of fun reading this book. The storyline flowed nicely and I totally got caught up in Perci and Nate's story. After the difficult time she's been having lately, Perci sets out to reinvent herself and along the way she finds a new friend, Nate, who helps her along with that by pretending to be her fake boyfriend. He helped her change her outlook on life and learn to love herself and along the way, their fake relationship became real.
It was such a sweet and charming read, I honestly did not want it to end. The characters were wonderful and so well-defined, there was no way I wasn't going to fall in love with them. Such a delightful read that warmed my heart and left me with a huge smile on my face. I loved the book and you can be sure I will be looking for more of Ms. Peterson's books!
I received a complimentary copy from Bookouture via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

That's one of my favorite rom-coms now! I give this book 4.5 / 5 stars, because I just absolutely LOVED it.

Perci (Persephone) Mayfield is at the dentist's office when she hears her boyfriend breaking up with her for some concert tickets. Then Perci sees her ex at her job, so she decides to quit. Now Perci doesn't have a boyfriend or job, so she makes some New Year's resolutions. But at the family gathering, Perci accidentally tells her parents that she's actually dating her neighbor, Nate. Yes, that's a fake dating trope, everyone!

I enjoyed this book so much! Perci's a ray of sunshine, she's a little bit awkward, but at the same time, she can stand for herself. Her character development is one of the best parts of this book. The chemistry between Perci and Nate is just the chef's kiss. Every time they were in the same room I just couldn't stop reading, because I wanted to see more of them. They act like real adults with their own problems and scars they're trying to heal.

Besides Perci/Nate love story I was also interested in getting to know some other characters. Like Lilah, Nate's child, who is obsessed with birds. Or Mimi, Perci's eccentric grandmother, who is definitely one of the best characters. And, of course, Phee and Matthias, Perci's younger sister and best friend. I was really invested in their storyline, though it wasn't the main focus of the book.

Highly recommend reading this rom-com with some family drama, because I fell in love with all those characters. I'm definitely going to read the next books by this author.

I'm sorry to say this wasn't my favorite and it took me a really long time to get into. I would pick it up, read a chapter, then pick up my phone; it just didn't hold my attention until probably around the 70% mark.

I really enjoyed the character of Mimi, she was hysterical. However, this book ultimately fell a bit flat for me and should have included a CW/TW. Perci clearly has disordered eating habits and her mother is so fatphobic, it made it very hard to read at times. Also, chapters keep ending with weird twists (sister getting engaged, her ex being her boss, Lilah’s mother being deceased.) Most of the folks in Perci’s life are almost abusive and infantilizing towards her. For most of the book, they all sucked. There was also a lot of internalized misogyny from Perci's mother and sister.

Also, for a book that is marketed as a romantic comedy, I don't feel that is accurate. Another review noted that if you stripped away the romance, you would have been left with that same overall message, and I agree. For calling itself a romance, we didn't even properly meet the MMC until 40% in. I felt like I didn’t have a clear image of Nate and wish he had been explored more.

TW: Diet culture, fatphobia, mention of death of a loved one, internalized misogyny, classism

The Do-Over was so. funny. There were passages I had to read multiple times because I got giddy with laughter. An absolute feel good novel and a main character that was so relatable, that it hurt. Absolutely loved.

I really enjoyed this book! Loved the characters and the main character's growth. Very cute supporting characters and some very frustrating! Overall a good read this summer.

Thank you NetGalley and Sharon M. Peterson!

I recently read an ARC of the Do-Over. This is a tricky one. I really enjoyed the writing and I think it had the bones of a really great story, but the fat representation was so hard. There were so many parts of this book I almost DNF'd because I didn't want to keep reading fat trauma.
The story between Perci and Nate and his daughter was really wonderful. Weight never played a part, he was a great guy and he liked her just the way she was, so there are points there. Mimi is another fantastic character who gets to show her flaws and it is wonderfully done. So those are the reasons I kept reading.
Unfortunately the fat representation in this book was so full of trauma. It hit all the major trauma tropes. You had the heroine who dislikes herself and her body, you have a mother who is truly a terrible, you had the the fake dating "how could he possibly like me," you have a horrible ex, just really all of it except there was no dieting... so there's that I guess.
I will say the mother in this is one of the worst mother's I have ever read. She is constantly ragging on her weight and telling her how many calories are in things, it is bad. Then when she finally does stand up her herself (albiet in a hurtful way.) The heroine is made to feel bad. She had to apologize to her mother before her mother will talk to her. They do attempt to mend their relationship and the books end on a positive note where she is learning to love hersef and stand up for herself in ways that are not harmful, but I just do not think I could recommend this book to my readers.
I understand these stories of fat women learning to love themselves are important. There are people out there who are just starting their journey and books like this could help. I do see that there can be something cathartic about it, but I just wish we could have stories where people bodies weren't an obstacle to overcome. I hope we can start moving that way, because as someone who had already done some of the work to love herself and sees so much of this for what it is it can be triggering.
So yeah, that is my review for this book. I am ready for better representation.

A great feel good story like no other. Its hilarious and filled with twist and comedy that is bond to keep you on the edge of your seat. I love that it was a coming of age book that is about knowing yourself and self discovery. Mimi is all about being ones true self and how knowing ones self will in the long run help you out in life.

Whole of her 29 years life Perci always struggled to impressed her mom. She is a relatable example of people pleaser and feel like failure in her perfect family, a big one. She let other people control her life choices. When she decide to grow her backbone and embrace all her weakness, do you think it will make everything better? Well, To Do-Over worming it is ways to my heart since read each unforgettable quotes at each paragraph, it is totally gems.

This book is ticked all lists I ever want from contemporary book. I personally love all the characters include the one consider as villain. Off course Mimi is superstar with all her sarcasm and witty comments. The plotlines are rich, unique and provide alot of self empowering messages for women. Don't missed how funny and smart the banters. The romance stuff is very light but highlighting the story very well.

I really like this book and enjoying every moment I spent when I was read it. This is my first read from the author and I am sure with start hunt her another books. Highly recommended for readers who as me, want my CR romance also brimming with positive vibe and inspiring uplifting messages.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for provided my copy. I am truly grateful and my thoughts are my own.

This was a cute read about a woman who gets dumped live on the radio for concert tickets. As the story progresses she learns to love herself, finds things that make herself happy, and of course finds love with the next door neighbor. Her mother is an absolute nightmare with the constant body shaming.

wow!!! i absolutely loved this story
let me tell you , the characters , the plot , the humour , the ROMANCE ; there was not a single chapter of this book that I hated!

Plot line:
Perci Mayfield feels her life is in massive need of a do-over when she is dumped in the most humiliating way , so she decides to put together an anti New Years resolution list so that she can turn her life around.

turns out it’s much harder than she thought it was going to be especially when her mother is trying to set her back up with her ex. so what’s perci’s solution? say that she’s dating her neighbour

Now all perci needs to do is keep her interfering family away from her non-existent boyfriend (who has no idea they are fake dating) what could possibly go wrong with that?

My thoughts:

At the beginning of the book, we are introduced to Perci , our main character , who is faced with an unfortunate and humiliating situation , which sends her into (thinking) she needs a do-over.

As a reader , I felt I could connect with Perci in so many situations , i think that’s what makes this story so powerful , because not only did it include humour and romance, it also had elements of self love and confidence too.

as for the storyline itself it was amazing! I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters especially Perci & Nate and seeing what would happen as the plot went on!! (Mimi was an added bonus).

i think if you’re looking for any of the following, then this story may be for you:

- funny
- heartfelt
- romance
- meaningful messages
- comfort read

Overall, I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to see what Peterson releases in the future!

This had a really interest premise that unfortunately did not end up holding my attention in practice. I did end up finishing the book and think I will try a book from her again in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

I read quite a few books in the past month, mostly because they were all ones with happily-ever-afters. If written well, it is a breeze to read, and a book takes less than a day to work my way through in a satisfying manner.
The only problem with reading many of them back to back is that I have to be (or at least end up being) harsher than I usually am otherwise. This book might have had a star higher at any other time, and I would still recommend this to readers of this genre.
The cover of this book depicts the leading lady more realistically, given her descriptions in the book. The narrative style was engrossing and draws you in. It is almost impossible not to like Perci and bemoan her complicated life. Her grandmother is loving and supportive, her mother harsh and critical, and her sister more of an enigma given the choices in men. Our leading lady has a pretty harsh wake-up call at the beginning of the book when her boyfriend publicly dumps her. It is at this point that something in her more 'normal' side breaks, and she decides to give rebellion (of smaller proportions than one would imagine for her situation). What follows is how people start to view her differently and how the smaller pieces stack up and change her life in the long run. The arc of her love life felt a little forced and could actually have been a whole novella/part set a little after the other major events of this book.
It was a good growth arc, I just felt like the momentum was off a little, and I would have appreciated a better punishment for naysayers. The best outcome of the lot, I felt, was for the sister's boyfriend. It was only his comeuppance that seemed to match his behaviour. The mother was let off a little too lightly!
There are very clear lines to show us the characters to cheer for and to hate/dislike. It was hard to see the very people who were supposed to help Perci treat her like someone with no consequence. The one time I teared up was when her father responded to the question she asked him.
There have been other books with such an imbalance in relationships that I have read and found distasteful. The author here did a pretty good job of holding up the story so that the focus was spread around a little.
I would like to read any future books by the author.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is based on my own reading experience.

Really enjoyed this cute romantic read. I loved the main character's growth and the collection of fun supporting characters. I would definitely recommend this book as a perfect vacation/beach read or for any time you need a sweet. uplifting story.

I started reading this ARC and am so into it so far. I was approved for an audio arc and will be leaving my full review there.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Perci Mayfield’s new year started off horribly. Her boyfriend broke up with her over the radio, she’s trapped in a job she hates at the family business and her mother is constantly making remarks about her size and calorie intake. She needs a change. While wallowing with jalapeño poppers and booze, her best friend Mathias creates her a resolution list for the year. Or rather, her anti-resolution list. And after reading it Perci scoffs and yet she unknowingly embarks on a year of self-discovery and change. And romance, with a certain neighbour named Nate.

I loved this book it was a delight to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

In the new contemporary romance (well, it's marketed that way, although I'm classifying it as a "growmance" in which the lead's personal growth is more relevant to the story than the romance itself) The Do-Over by debut author Sharon M. Peterson, Persephone "Perci" Mayfield is, suffice to say, putting up with plenty of crap. Her milquetoast boyfriend dumps her over the radio for a concert ticket giveaway on New Year's Eve, working at her dad's business is a soul-draining experience, she can't help but feel small next to her perfect sister Phoebe (or Phee), and her mom Roberta constantly nitpicks her over her weight and pretty much everything else about Perci's life. While lamenting the state of her life with her best friend Mathias, he encourages her to transform her life by creating a list of New Year's anti-resolutions, such as not putting in effort to lose weight and steering clear of the desire to be her mom's perfect daughter—all goals that are meant to help Perci focus on her inner self. As she puts this plan into effect, some unforeseen events end up unfolding over the course of the following year, including her getting wrapped up in a fake-dating scheme with Nate, the ruggedly handsome and mysterious next-door neighbor in her apartment building.

Whenever I get into new books, especially those coming from debut authors, I'm always in the position of hoping I'll love them or at least like them. Unfortunately, I have to say that The Do-Over just isn't my cup of tea, a huge part of which is due to the interrelationship between the book's depiction of fatphobia and the intense hatability of Roberta's characterization.

First off, I've read plenty of books that promote plus-size representation in different ways. Some star fat women whose size isn't commented on, whose size is accepted as normal and even gorgeous in their world—one such example being the Brown Sisters series by Talia Hibbert. Other books star fat women whose size becomes a target on which fatphobic scumbags can hurl their spite, a route that can succeed as long as it's handled with enough sensitivity and respect—something that Olivia Dade has accomplished with her contemporary romance novels. If a book is going to head down the Olivia Dade road, the writing for the fat character in question needs to involve enough layers that she feels like a complete person. Otherwise, her personality will come off like it's made up of her weight and nothing else. But that's how The Do-Over made me see Perci as it insistently shoved all her mom's weight-related snipes in my face. Even in the beats when she's trying to shed her doormat past and embrace the New Perci stage of her life, I found myself wishing she could be even bolder. Instead, she's fairly passive most of the time, particularly around her overbearing mom.

And that's where we can segue into my other major issue with The Do-Over: Roberta, who is quite possibly one of the most despicable book parents I've ever read about. She has repeatedly meddled in both of her daughters' lives when it comes to their looks, their jobs, their boyfriends, etc. Roberta's prying nature is particularly virulent when she aims it at Perci every other minute by, say, asking her if she can lose some weight by a certain date or advising her to avoid "unhealthy" food. You know that icky sensation you automatically get whenever you're in the presence of a toxic person? That's what I felt every time Perci had to interact with Roberta. Without getting deep into spoilers, the book doesn't even do the justice of dealing with the ramifications of this relationship and realizing that it might be healthiest for Perci to distance herself from her horrible mom. Nope, it chooses instead to wrap things up with a Hollywood ending that encourages the reader to suddenly sympathize with Roberta and forgive her for the emotional abuse with which she's saddled her daughters. Furthermore, the conclusion involves her interfering once more, except it has a positive effect this time. It genuinely feels like The Do-Over wants us to think it's actually a good thing that Roberta is a busybody at heart, which adds a false layer to a narrative that’s already depicted her behavior with such heavy-handedness.

The romance between Perci and Nate isn't all too memorable, especially since it plays second fiddle to Perci's personal evolution, but it does have its charming moments. In addition, it's tons of fun whenever Lilah, an adorable little girl whom we assume is Nate's child, comes onto the page to lighten up the story with her endearing obsession over birds and whatnot.

As for the C plot that concerns Mathias carrying a torch for Phee while she's in a serious relationship with her smarmy narcissist of a boyfriend Joel Allen (my distaste for him is almost as acute as it is for Roberta), I think it's perfectly acceptable but nothing special. It does feel quite a bit like a friends-to-lovers romance, and while the trope can engage me if it's deployed effectively, I find it to be thinly developed here. But I appreciate Mathias being a platonic male best friend to Perci (they'd actually tried to kiss once to see if sparks would fly, but the cringeworthy result assured them that they would never share any sort of amorous entanglement), and it's the kind of companionship I'd like to see more of in rom-com literature.

At least we have the existence of Mimi, Perci's lovably spunky grandma, to alleviate the situation. Strongly evocative of the equally endearing grandma Gigi from the Brown Sisters series, Mimi brings a whole lotta sunshine with her sassy wit and edgy tendencies. This is definitely made clear upon the revelation that's made early on about her smacking her husband over the head with a cast-iron pan after finding him cheating on her with another woman. Her words of wisdom, or Mimisms (two of which are, "Know your worth. Then add tax," and "A good friend'll help ya bury the body. A great friend knows how much rat poison you'll need."), opening up each chapter only adds to her charm.

Overall, The Do-Over boasts a few bright spots, but they aren't enough to compensate for the difficult time I had slogging through its portrayal of fatphobia and its toxic parent-child dynamic.

This book made me laugh out loud more than once and the characters are so likable. Perci is absolutely the woman you want to be friends with and Nate is the perfect grump.

This book is a super easy read and will leave you smiling, I will almost definitely reread this book again in the future

A nice easy summer read. Perci is a character you’re rooting for from the first few pages. Perci is trying to find ways to live her life how she wants and not with the expectations from her family. Mimi was a brilliant character and you wish you had a Mimi at home, too! Overall I really enjoyed this, perfect for a little escape.

Fabulous story which I absolutely loved! A fresh take on a traditional romance book full of fun, laughter and emotion. Just want to know what happens next....

I love a book where the characters feel so real, and The Do-Over nailed it. We’re all just trying our best to make small (sometimes big) improvements to make ourselves happier, and personally, I hope those improvements help me stumble into a love story like Perci and Nate.