BOOK: The Pick Up

GENRE: contemporary romance
TROPES & THEMES: single parents of same-age kids that go to school together fall in love, fake dating, dead ex, divorced mom, funny, banter, family pressure, strong heroine
HOTTIE METER: 🔥🔥
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
RELEASE DATE: May 09, 2024

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy of the book

It was a quick and enjoyable read with very likable characters and an overall lighthearted plotline, and I would recommend it to all fans of contemporary romance who love these tropes mentioned above and also fans of British romance novels.

Love a good fake dating trope and this one fit the bill. This book was very fun, cute, and at times relatable. Loved the couple and the kids! Would definitely recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'The Pick Up' by Hannah Doyle.

I'll be honest, I don't know what happened after page 100 of this Arc. I was so immersed and invested and then it just became white noise and no matter how much I'd repeat reading the same sentences I could not tell you what happened. But the first 100 pages was good but I just lost interest I guess.

Well written, intelligent and hilarious rom-com,, perfect read for the bus, the beanbag or the beach.

Big fan of Hannah's writing style which is funny but never dumbed down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC.

I loved this fun, easy read about two single parents fake dating! I was immediately invested in their relationship and loved all the side characters. I felt like it was a lot more realistic than some fake dating stories, I really felt
connected to Sophie and her little girl from the start and was rooting for her and Joe!

Overall a fun read! No spice. Would highly recommend!

Thank you HQ for providing me with a copy of this book. Rest assured, I'll be sharing my genuine thoughts and feelings in this review.

Tu redacción es clara y transmite la premisa del libro de manera efectiva. Sin embargo, hay algunas pequeñas mejoras que podrían hacerse para que fluya mejor:

We follow the story of Sophie, a successful (and stubborn) businesswoman and full-time mom. Drawing from her experiences in her first marriage, Sophie isn't keen on romantic entanglements. However, for the sake of her daughter, she longs to be part of the tight-knit circle of school moms, so when the charming single dad from school proposes a fake relationship, Sophie sees it as her golden ticket into the social scene she craves, even if it means bending the truth a little.

The book was really good! Usually it’s difficult for me to even finish this types of books but this one had me glue to the page. The mc was super lovable and the romantic interest was 10/10❤️🫣. All the characters felt super complete and I enjoyed their little side stories.
The pace was good and the plot felt genuine.
The only but for me was the ending. I felt it a bit cringey but that is totally just my opinion and personal preferences.
So, in conclusion, I liked the book and I would recommend it.☺️

This was such a cute story! If you're looking for a light and cute story you will definitely enjoy this book! I loved the two main characters in this story but also loved the other characters and how well they added to the story and the overall atmosphere. I was rooting for Joe and Sophie as I went through their journey! Thank you HQ Stories for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley.

I absolutely loved this book. It's definitely different from the romances I'm used to read, and that's probably what made me appreciate it even more. I love the fake-dating trope, although I think the evolution of the story is quite obvious, because it always creates fun and entertaining scenarios. It's my first time reading a romance in which the MCs have children and I was a little nervous about it, but I really liked the lightness and total randomness, typical of children of that age, that this detail brought to the story. It made me laugh and I couldn't stop reading, unfortunately every now and then I actually had to stop reading and in those cases I couldn't stop thinking about it.

ARC Read 💗 The Pick Up - Hannah Doyle

* I received a free digital copy of this book in return for an honest review *

Sophie Rogers is the single mom desperately wanting her daughter to make friends and get her aggravating sister off her back. Joe is the attractive, single dad who wants to get the moms in the drop off lane off his back. They find themselves in a fake relationship to help both sides, but end up wanting more.

“I love you with every tiny fibre of my being. When you’re around it’s like someone switched the light on.”

Read if you like:
+ single parents
+ successful woman
+ fake dating
+ romcom

This was such a perfect story! It truly felt like a big hug, just like the blurb said! Sophie and Joe were so perfect for each other and I smiled and laughed my way through this book. The plot was good, the characters well developed, and the world building was pretty thorough. Both Sophie and Joe felt real and I really connected with them as a reader. I really enjoyed this story.

Such a fun read. Fake dating! One bed trope! Dilf!! What more can you ask for?! Literally devoured this book. Great banter and interesting characters. No third act breakup is a plus too although miscommunication can get fustrating but feel like this book has limited amounts. Would definitely recommend :)

This book has all my favorite tropes!! -- fake dating, enemies-to friends-to lovers, one bed, he falls first -- it’s so cute!!!! Sophie longs for her daughter Lila to have all the best experiences in life and that includes making friends with her classmates so if that means that Sophie has to join the mom’s group at school then so be it! Joe wants these things for his son too but unfortunately some of the moms like Joe a little too much! Cue the perfect plan, Joe and Sophie will pretend to date so that Sophie can ride Joe’s coattails into the heart of the “Barnaby Babes” and Joe can get a break from the constant flirting! I’m sure you can guess what happens next!

The romance between Sophie and Joe is a slow burn but you can tell that they are destined for one another from the first few pages. I love a story where the characters are genuine and kind and Sophie and Joe are both. The Pick Up is both funny and incredibly sweet and I am so very glad to have read it!

If you are looking for a sweet and sunny romance full of chemistry, then The Pick Up is for you!

From the moment Sophie met Joe I was rooting for them to get together. They both seemed like such lovely people. Some of the yummy mummies were annoying but that’s real life for you! This book had wonderfully written characters that I genuinely wanted to be friends with. I read this on a train journey and was disappointed when I reached my destination as I wanted to carry on reading!

I want to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley for granting me access to an ARC of “The Pick Up” by Hannah Doyle ahead of its official release. It was an absolute delight to immerse myself in this captivating story.

Now, onto the story itself. Set in the city of Bristol, United Kingdom, “The Pick Up” follows the journey of a 33-year-old single mom grappling with a ton of emotional baggage. As she navigates the complexities of romance, her past traumas threaten to overshadow any chance of real happiness.

One of the standout aspects of this novel is the protagonist’s stubbornness, which is both exasperating and endearing. Despite her undeniable feelings for Joe, she struggles to let go of her past hurts and fears, leading her to push away those closest to her. Doyle expertly explores the protagonist’s internal conflict, shedding light on her desperate need to prove her independence, even at the cost of her own happiness.

Throughout the story, I found myself empathizing with the protagonist’s struggles and cheering her on as she slowly learns to listen to her heart. Doyle’s writing effortlessly draws you into the narrative, making it difficult to put the book down. I can’t wait to read everyone’s thoughts once this book officially releases!

The Pick Up by Hannah Doyle
POV: First Person POV
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes: Slow Burn, Fake Dating, Widower/Divorcee, Oblivious to Love, Last to Know, Sworn off a Relationship.

I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end. What an easy read.

Sophie and Joe concoct an idiotic plan (come on we all know how these end) and decide to start fake dating in order to please the playground mums. Needless to say we were taken on many twists and turns and were finally awarded with a wonderful HEA. I also want to add that the side characters to this novel were absolutely chef’s kiss. Tally, Poppy, and Frankie were everything!!

Hannah Doyle you did a wonderful job with this story and it without a doubt deserves a round of applause!

I would highly recommend The Pick Up if you’re a fan of easy clean romance and wanting a fun quick read.

This book was a lovely read - it's always good to read other people's opinions of the school moms!!

I really liked Joe and Sophie and enjoyed the friendship that built between them. All of the side characters were interesting and well developed too.

I will definitely be reading this author again.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked both the characters of Joe and Sophie, however If I had a sister like Sophie does I think we would have fallen out long ago. I found all of the secondary characters engaging, especially the school mums. A well written, entertaining book that I would definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed this novel. While I don't normally gravitate towards single-parent romance, I had such a fun time with this book. The author did an amazing job of portraying two loving, dedicated parents who put their children first in life and just happen to fall in love with each other. My only complaint is that the formatting of the document I was sent made the book difficult to read at times.

—Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fake romance that turns into real love.
If you love Elena Armas’ novels, you’ll love this one quite a lot.
I loved it! It was amazing. I found a new fav author.

Sophie & Joe are single parents who decide to start a fake relationship. Sophie is sick of the disastrous dates her sister keeps setting up for her, and also needs a way into the mom group at her daughter’s school. Joe wants the moms at school to leave him alone, so to solve all their problems they agree that a fake relationship is their best bet.
Sophie was such a fun fmc. Her relationship with her daughter is lovely, she is seriously funny, and she has confidence in the career she is building. I loved her budding friendships with the mom group- especially Frankie.
I wish we would have gotten a POV from Joe, as I felt he was a mystery for a good chunk of the book. We get pieces of him from their conversations, but he never got to the point where I was rooting for him. And to be so wishy-washy with such a big decision about his job didn’t help either.
I enjoyed the build up to their relationship, but once her ex-husband popped up and Joe decided distancing himself with no communication was the way to handle it, things went down hill from there.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and HQ for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.