The Situationship has a fresh and timely concept, tackling modern dating struggles with authenticity. Taylor-Dior Rumble captures the complexities of situationships—where commitment is unclear, and emotions run high—through a relatable protagonist and sharp social commentary.

While the premise is engaging, the pacing felt uneven at times, and some character dynamics could have been explored more deeply. The writing is engaging, but certain emotional beats didn’t land as strongly as they could have.

Overall, it’s an enjoyable read with important themes, but it left me wanting a bit more depth and resolution. A solid pick for readers who enjoy contemporary romance with a realistic edge.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. For more book reviews, please check out @blondesbooknook

This book took me a while to get into the story but your following Tia who is trying to put herself out there as the love of her life has shown up with a girlfriend. You watch her go through trying to put herself out there through dating apps and how her expectations to find someone through them being very low, to connecting with a photographer called Nate.

You follow them have this instant connection and how he makes her feel safe.

Having bounced through my 20's in and out of my fair share of emotionally frustrating, confusing and disappointing 'situations', I could totally relate to the 'are we/aren't we?' nature of Tia and Nate's relationship - written with both a brilliantly funny and astutely emotional tone - but #TheSituationship is about much more than that. Yes, it's romantic. Yes, it has great comedy (and some sizzling hot sexy times!), but Taylor also deep dives into corporate culture, racism, ambition and expectation with a light touch that brings a refreshing take on the traditional romcom. I raced through it, savouring every smart line.

I enjoyed this book whilst I was reading it in a light read way, but found myself constantly wondering why the characters are not just talking to each other about their expectations and standards whilst dating

Tia can't wait for Aaron, her childhood best friend who she shared a night of passion with before he left for America, to come back to London. But when Aaron comes back, he brings a girlfriend with him.
Tia's friends convince her to try dating apps to help get over Aaron, and Tia reluctantly agrees.
Tia never expected to hit it off with anyone, but she soon connects with Nate.
As Tia and Nate grow closer, Tia wonders if they're on the same page.
Do Tia and Nate want the same thing?

I am not a big romance novel reader, but the blurb for this intrigued me, so I decided to give it a try.
This book is described as a romcom, but I disagree with that as I didn't find it particularly romantic or funny. Instead, I thought it was more about Tia deciding what she wanted in her life - career-wise and relationship-wise.
I found Tia not knowing where her career was going quite relatable, and while I did like her and the relationship she had with her friends and mentor, I don't feel like I got to know her that well overall.
The plot was okay - I liked that Tia was passionate about representation and wanted to write about it - but it did feel like not very much happened, and I did get bored.
The writing style was easy to follow most of the time, but I lost count of the times characters 'kissed their teeth'.
I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more.

Overall, this was an okay read.

When journalist Tia’s long time crush returns from a trip abroad with a new girlfriend, she decides it’s time to try dating apps. She’s surprised when she immediately clicks with Nate, a handsome photographer. However, the dating game now requires couples to have ‘the talk’ about what they are. Are they friends? A couple? Or simply a situation? My favourite thing about The Situationship were Tia’s friendships. She has some of the best friends ever and I really enjoyed the commentary on how Black women are treated in journalism. Both of Tia’s love interests are trash, so I had great fun hating both of them! The ending was very satisfying indeed and not at all expected. I’ve got to a point now where I feel pretty sure I always know how a rom-com will wrap up, so to be pleasantly surprised by this one was a real treat.

I think comparing this book to Bridget Jones' Diary did it a disservice for me, as I couldn't really find any comparisons between the two. I found The Situationship rather slow, the writing didn't work for me, and I thought Tia was rather immature at times.

I also think this book was mis-marketed, it's marketed here as a rom-com but this reads as more of a contemporary fiction. This misshelving really impacted my expectations going in.

Wow. This book was so delightful and funny to read. In part I felt like it was maybe over descriptive and could've easily been shortened in areas. But overall, a pretty solid read. Thank you.

This wasn’t for me, I couldn’t get into it and it just fell flat for me unfortunately. Had it picked up in the beginning, it could have been better.

I loved this book! Such great flirting and frustration, with a cast of characters that I felt like I’d met over and over again. Complex, modern romances are back!

This one wasn't for me, unfortunately. It was a bit slow and I couldn't connect with the characters. Having said that, Taylor-Dior Rumble is a talented writer and I'll definitely check out their future books.

Probably he worst book I've read in a very long time, it definitely wasn't for me. I probably should have given up on it, but kept thinking it would get better. I didn't gel with any part of it. The characters came across as being teenagers, had to remind myself a few times they were supposed to be more like 30.
The constant use of 'kissed his/her teeth' was incredibly annoying, I don't even know what it means or why some one would do it at least once, sometimes several times in every chapter.
The description of the book sounded promising, but didn't live up to expectations.

This one wasn't for me. I really wanted to enjoy it but it just felt a bit immature. That said, 20 something me would have loved it.

"The Situationship" by Taylor-Dior Rumble is a contemporary romance novel that dives deep into the complexities of modern relationships. The story follows the journey of Maya, a driven and independent woman navigating the blurred lines between friendship and love with her longtime friend Jaxon.

Rumble's narrative is both candid and compelling, exploring themes of trust, vulnerability, and the challenges of defining relationships in today's dating landscape. The characters are well-crafted and relatable, each grappling with their own insecurities and desires as they navigate their feelings for each other.

The novel excels in its portrayal of emotional depth and authenticity, capturing the ups and downs of Maya and Jaxon's journey towards understanding and commitment. Rumble's writing is engaging, filled with witty dialogue and heartfelt moments that keep the reader invested in their evolving relationship.

Overall, "The Situationship" is a captivating read that resonates with its exploration of love, friendship, and the complexities of romantic entanglements. It's a perfect choice for fans of contemporary romance looking for a story that blends passion with introspection, leaving a lasting impression.

I just finished reading "The Situationship" by Taylor-Dior Rumble and I have to say, it was a real page-turner. As someone who's been in my fair share of situationships, I found the author's portrayal of the ups and downs to be incredibly relatable.
The story follows the protagonist, Tia as she navigates athe love of her life showing up with a girlfriend, which leads to a series of casual relationships with no clear labels or expectations. The author does an excellent job of capturing the emotional highs and lows that come with being in a situation like this. I found myself nodding along as Tia struggled to reconcile her feelings with the uncertainty of her relationships.
One of the things that really stood out to me was the author's writing style. Rumble has a way of weaving together witty dialogue and introspective musings that made me feel like I was right there with Tia, experiencing her emotions firsthand. The characters are well-developed and complex, with flaws and strengths that make them feel real.
My only reason for docking a star is that I felt like the pacing was a bit uneven at times. There were moments where I felt like we were stuck in a rut, waiting for something to happen, and other times where the plot moved too quickly without enough resolution. But overall, these were minor quibbles in an otherwise engaging read.
If you're looking for a book that will make you laugh and nod your head in recognition, "The Situationship" is definitely worth checking out. Just be prepared for some serious feelings and maybe a few awkwardly familiar moments.
4/5 stars

Thank you for my eARC of this book. Overall, I enjoyed this book and though I found it a little slow at times, I would read more of this authors work in the future.

This is more of a contemporary fiction novel than a proper romance book, offering a pretty realistic depiction of modern-day dating and relationships and a picture of personal growth in your twenties. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in contemporary novels that explore themes of popular culture, romantic relationships and modern-day dating - and it somewhat reminds me of Maame by Jessica George.

I hate giving negative reviews but with this book I didn't understand some of the words and phrases used in it, and had to look some of them up, which takes away the enjoyment of reading, or at least it did for me. I concluded that I wasn't the demographic that the book was aimed at - I felt very old!! However, out of courtesy to the author, I did finish it but have to be honest and say it was a struggle. I like to finish a book and wish there was another chapter, not the case with this one I'm afraid.

On the surface of it, this was a will they, won't they love story revolving around Tia, Nate and Aaron and who, if anyone, Tia would choose.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy of this book. A quick and quirky fun read! I enjoyed it, though it might not stand out as memorable.

men are red flags!!

plot line:
When the love of her life shows up with a girlfriend, Tia decides it's time to put herself out there.

Expectations of dating apps are low, so it's a surprise when she instantly connects with handsome photographer Nate. He's everything she's looking for; he makes her feel safe, seen, and desired.

Tia assumes they're on the same page - the only catch? They're yet to have The Talk.

In a generation that's normalised competing over who cares the least, can Tia overcome her fears and lay her cards on the table, in the pursuit of something real?

my thoughts:
after having this book on my kindle for a while and wanting a quick and easy book to read I thought I would give this new author / book a go!

I really liked how the story interconnected tia’s relationships with her work as (in my opinion) it gave an honest and modern approach to dating in this generation.

despite the book being enjoyable , i was quite disappointed that the plot was somewhat predictable and in places used teenage slang such as “bruv” and “innit.

up until around half way through the book I believed that the characters were younger than in their mid twenties not only due to the amount of slang used but their behaviour towards some of the events that took place and other characters in the book

overall, this was an enjoyable book that (for me) needed some adjustments but i know that this book will reach its target audience and I look forward to read more of Rumble’s work in the future.

thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review