"We Met In A Bar" took me on an emotional rollercoaster that I didn't expect. At first, I found myself not exactly on Team Erica, but as I delved deeper into the circumstances of her upbringing, it all clicked into place, and I became a staunch fan. The book skillfully portrays how a person's background shapes their choices and actions. Erica's journey from a pampered heiress to an undercover bartender with a mission was both relatable and riveting.

The banter between Erica and Charlie in the beginning of the story was almost catty. Both characters deserved genuine love, and their connection was undeniable. The book beautifully highlights how a parent's love, or lack thereof, can profoundly influence our lives. Erica's struggle with her mother's conditional love was both heart-wrenching and thought-provoking, reminding us of the lasting impact of family dynamics.

Erica's mother, with her obsession over societal status, played a significant role in shaping the story's conflict. Her actions had lasting repercussions on Erica's life, serving as a poignant reminder of how external pressures can shape our choices and happiness.

The chemistry between Erica and Charlie was electric, and their journey from resistance to love was skillfully crafted. Charlie's fear of commitment and Erica's initial reluctance added depth to their characters, making their eventual connection all the more satisfying.

In the end, "We Met In A Bar" delivered a heartwarming and triumphant love story that left me with a sense of fulfillment. It's a powerful exploration of the impact of upbringing, societal pressures, and the search for true love. I'm glad Erica and Charlie found their happy ending, and I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a captivating romance with real emotional depth.

We Met in a Bar has been on my radar for a little bit. From the premise to the cover I was thrilled to have yet another (potential) enemies-(to friends)-to-lovers book to add to add to my
collection. While the book wasn’t for me and didn’t meet my expectations, it was still an easy and quick read.

My main issue was with the characters and dialogue. I had a hard time loving the characters due to their dialogue. Seldom did they read as natural conversations to me and I often felt
like I was watching an American sitcom (minus the audience’s prompted laughter).

I really wanted to love Charlie but I found her grating and a little annoying. I think there were so many ways in which her character and subsequent characterisation could have been better if there was less telling us how or what she was. I mean to say that many aspects of both Erica’s and Charlie’s personalities and characterisations were told to us as opposed to naturally integrated into the story.

I genuinely believe this author has potential and can grow even stronger as a writer. I would love to see more fleshed out stories where the author is more confident in the readers’ perceptiveness and allowing of nuance.

Thank you Claire Forsythe, Bold Strokes, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

okay so i enjoyed this book overall. though at times the dialogue was a bit frumpy/forced. i really liked our MCs dynamic and how fleshed out the different relationships were. the only time it felt a little two deminsional was the weird/unrealistic dialogue, but i think that could be saved by more editing. thank you for the chance car to read!

I have very mixed feelings on this book. I wanted to love it. The set up sounds adorable! A wealthy woman having to work at a bar she owns to ferret out a thief while also falling in love with a woman who prefers serial one night stands? Sign me up! Unfortunately it did not meet all my expectations.

At its core, I think my issue is that there is a good story here that needed more polishing and lots more editing than it got. The scenes were unnecessarily long. The dialog was not engaging and at times made me cringe. The twin brother of the main character frequently referred to her as sis and older sister. I have never met siblings who have done this. Worse than that were pieces of conversation like "some rumpy-pumpy would do you good."

I was not the least bit invested in the characters until halfway through the book and I did not feel that there was any tension to the story until the 85% mark.

This was a 2.5 star book for me. Again, there was a good story there but it was hidden by lack of polish.

Another solid read from this author. Loved the flirty banter between the 2 MCs, great secondary characthers and special mention to Hera, the cat. The first scene felt like forever but in the end a very enjoayble read, rom com style.

Free ARC via NetGalley.

I’ve never been so torn over a book review I loved this book so much till the last few chapters. I loved the banter the silliness the love the happiness and of course the cat. Charlie was my favourite she’s such a fun down to earth crazy gal. Her friends were adorable. Erica I loved too till she broke Charlie heart along with mine. I know it’s to show her growth and her becoming her self and being true to her self I just didn’t like the way she went about it. It just didn’t feel right. I started the book the didn’t want to put it down I really did enjoy it so much so I’m so torn I would definitely recommend it i just wish the last couple of chapters didn’t happened maybe I’m just too soft and wanted a perfect ending.

I really enjoyed the flirty banter between the main characters throughout the book and also how the main characters interacted with those around them. You go to know all mentioned not just the two main characters which was really nice, plus a cat which is always great. It was a good east read romcom that’s just made you smile which was lovely and easy to keep going with.

100% a 4 ⭐️ read.

I was looking for a rom-com, entertaining stand-alone that would get me hooked but still deliver substance… and I found it with this book. I actually devoured it, which I wasn’t totally expecting, but once I picked it up I basically read it in a day and loved it.

This book had great banter between the main and side characters, the reformed player trope was executed so well (go Charlie!), and the emotional/ personal growth from Erica made me so deliriously happy. Also, a cat named after a Greek goddess? Absolutely sign me up; a detail I couldn’t let go as those are two of my absolute favorite things in life.

Cannot wait to read more from this author, she even had me noting that the side characters were well-developed, a feat to accomplish without overshadowing the mains.

I received a copy of this fabulous work from NetGalley/ Bold Strokes Books.