I really appreciated the writing but I wished we had at least one or two chapters written in Joe’s POV. It was a really sweet book but for a fake dating trope I didn’t feel like there were many fake dating haha, it was more of a stranger to friends to lovers kind of book. I loved Sophie and Joe’s dynamic and chemistry + their children being so close was cute as hell. I can’t wait to read more book from this author.

Single parents Sophie and Joe embark on a fake dating scheme to navigate schoolyard politics. Sophie, independent and organized, clashes charmingly with Joe's easygoing nature. Their banter and chemistry make for a delightful read, with Joe emerging as the perfect romantic hero who slowly melts Sophie's defenses. While Sophie's stubbornness can be frustrating, her journey towards embracing the unexpected is heartwarming. Doyle skillfully blends humor, charm, and realistic portrayals of single parenthood, creating a comforting and enjoyable read. The exploration of fake dating for single parents adds depth, and the ensemble cast enriches the story. By the end, I was fully invested in Sophie and Joe's journey and left wanting more.

The Pick Up by Hannah Doyle is a lighthearted story about two single parents and how they navigate life and the school yard. It is a fun and quick read, that everyone would enjoy!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of The Pick Up by Hannah Doyle

The Pick Up is an emotional and sweet romance about two single parents. Sophie is a not so freshly divorced mother to a 4 year old and a successful independent business consultant. And she is a very good mum who cares for her daughter and makes her her first priority, always. Joe is a not so recently widowed dad to Sophie’s daughter’s classmate and an English professor. He also doesn’t do too bad of a job at parenting. The both of them have some minor hiccups of course - Joe is bothered by the intrusive mothers and Sophie wants to befriend those mothers to get an in for her kid and she also wants her sister to stop bothering her about dating. Naturally, the two strike a deal to fake date and we go from there.

Quite a lot of this book does revolve around the kids - and I loved it. In lots of ways this book is not totally novel, but the execution is brilliant. The experience of parenting is described in truly beautiful ways and the relationship of Sophie and her daughter “and Sophie’s family is heart warming. I got super emotionally invested in our characters and might have shed a tear or two at some point. The book is an incredibly angsty yearning slow burn and I loved that because it felt super authentic for the characters who prioritise their kids. If you’re into some heartfelt, easy to read romance, do check this one out!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free copy provided in exchange for an honest review!

Ohmygod so freaking cute!!!!!
I had so much fun with this book, so fluffy, cute and funny, not too fast or slow and lovable characters everywhere.
We follow Sophie, single mum, as she attempts to take on the dangerous world of school mums, to help single dad Joe offers a deal that can help them both.
Aside from fake dating being my favorite romance trope, this book actually made me love tropes I usually avoid, that being single parent trope. It was written so well! The srtuggles and the joys articulated beautifully, as well as the fears of fitting in with the other parents.
Even though this book was not dual POV I still felt like we got to know love interest, Joe, thoroughly. We also got some good side characters, as well as a little side romance from Sophie's sister and her best friend which I found so cute. My only frustration was the miscommunication in this book between the characters, sometimes I felt like screaming at Sophie and Joe through my kindle oh my god ! But all ended well so smiles from me :))))))))
Really was a fun, light book would genuinely recommended to anyone, even if you're not a big romance reader.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!
This book was the definition of adorable. The banter in this book was so refreshing, there's nothing more entertaining to me then dry banter and flirty quips. I really enjoyed the journey both characters went on throughout this book. I really was smitten with Lila and her goofy little personality. I particular love of mine is reading romance novels that are set in England and this was a perfect edition to my collection! I would 100% recommend this to a friend when the book is published!

If you love slow burn closed door romance, this is the book for you! The characters are very relatable! I found myself not being able to put the book down!

Fantastic novel, enjoyed every minute of it! Absolutely nothing not to like about it. Such a cute story and great characters. Highly recommend this!

Thank you to @netgalley for this eARC for review.

This is my first Hannah Doyle book and im sure it will not be my last. Aside from the format of the ARC that made it difficult to thoroughly enjoy like a book experience. This was SO refreshing. Light, funny, and wholesome. A single parent love story on both ends that we dont see enough of. I loved the chemistry and didnt find it forced at all. I did feel like their conflicts felt a little dragged on until they resolved it but I still found that the story moved so well. Most of all, this story was FUN. just enjoyable and warm. I cant wait for more.

I freakin LOVED this adorable rom com. It was my first book by this author and it won’t be my last. I loved the banter between Joe and Sophie and the sweetness of them coming together after their tough backgrounds. And I think all moms can relate to those “school yard” moms. What a fun read!

I loved this romcom! In this sweet romance, two single parents, Sophie and Joe pretend to date so the other school moms will stop bothering Joe and Sophie can meet new mom friends. However, Sophie's insecurity was irritating at times, causing her to hurt Joe unnecessarily. However the witty banter and romance made up for that.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

MY FIRST ROM-COM OF THE YEAR AND IT WAS SUCH A HIT, MATE!
an Irish man with a kind and gentle nature and with a great personality?? i'm sold.
but in all seriousness, they are so Jake and Amy coded from b99 which in turn makes them chandler and Monica coded and what else could I really ask for anymore? throw in a couple of sweet kids that's sure to give you baby fever! also I really need to know what did Sophie do in particular to get such an amazingly kind and awesome mother-in-law, I'd kill to have one! I can only hope I have as much grace and poise as Sophie has if and when I get hit by as many adversaries as she did. woman is a tad bit idiota but we love her she blew my mind away. Work-life balance is never easy and she does it so well that I can only admire from afar.
I have nothing but only good things to say about this book. the only reason I deducted one star is because i wish they had explored the characters romantic relationship some more. because the misunderstanding and in poppy's case the will they wont they went on for so long, I'd have liked to see the relationships more fleshed out than the rushed ending we got. like it felt too overwhelming and too underwhelming at the same so that was the only problem I had but other than it's such a sweet treat.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc! This book was hilariously funny and well written. This was a very fun, easy read that made it easy to get invested in the characters.

Such a funny and rewarding five-star read. I loved this one, it had a lovely realism, even when you factor some of the crazy situations in the story, there was something so honest about it all. I was so happy that Sophie and Joe get the ending they do, as it really is fabulous. There are so many crazy and fun characters that you come across, they make you smile, even when you don’t think they are people you would like to have a coffee with, you still find something about them to love. This story has something for everyone, and its one everyone should pick up.

3.5/5⭐️
This was a cute single parent fake dating to lovers book! I laughed out loud while reading a lot. This book was very closed door which I enjoyed and I loved Joe in this book. I enjoyed Sophie’s character in the beginning but I started to not like her so much by the end. I think her I don’t need a man to make me happy stance lasted way too long. I also feel like the ending wasn’t way too quick and a bit too much to be enjoyable. Overall it was a cute book but not one I would choose again

I was so surprised by this book! The cover and general blurb hooked me in, but inside was a much deeper, thought out, hilarious story of a new take on fake dating. As soon as I started I was too glued to put it down.

Sophie and Joe are two single parents with kids at the same school, which is a refreshing new approach to my favourite fake dating trope. Their plan is to help them both out by getting the other mom's at school off Joe' back and Sophie into their friendship circle, which leads to them deciding to fake date each other,

The story was so much fun, we get to explore so many interesting relationships between Sophie and Joe, but also their friends Poppy & Adam and the kids too! This felt mature and current while also having so many streaks of joy and life and falling in love mixed in. The immediate chemistry sparks a friendship which of course always leads to more...

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for a copy of the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This truly was a cute, refreshing read. It felt like watching a romcom, and I love that.

Sophie is a single parent to Lila, but she doesn’t fit in with the other moms at school, and she feels it’s affecting her daughter’s opportunity to be included; Joe is a single parent to Sidney, who all the moms at pick up seem to have a crush on. As the two start talking, they decide to fake a relationship: Sophie would have an in with the school moms, while Joe would get them off his back.

The story was genuinely so funny, Sophie’s inner monologue was truly hilarious at times. Kids in books can usually either make or break the book for me, and in this case they definitely made it; Lila especially was such a cute, bubbly presence throughout the story.

The chemistry between the main characters was there, and watching their friendship blossom was amazing. The side characters were such a great addition to it all, the Poppy and Adam subplot was something I really liked to see pop up every now and then, and I found myself looking forward to it as the story progressed.

My attention did drop a bit once we got to the third act, as the conflict felt so unnecessarily long. While I do understand Sophie’s reasoning and I think it’s a reasonable thing to happen, I also wish it was resolved differently. They could have easily sat down to talk and work through everything together rather than just… not speak.

All in all, I really did enjoy the book and had such a great time with it. The writing was great, the story was fun and entertaining, the characters were thoroughly enjoyable, the banter was excellent. What more could I ask for?

Many thanks to HQ & Netgalley for the eArc in exchange for my honest review!

So, this was cute and funny. But not much more than that.

I love the fake-dating as well as the one-bed trope in this, but they rarely actually fake-dated in public…? That seemed a little strange. Generally, I liked Sophie and Joe’s dynamic a lot. Their friendship didn’t feel awkward and flowed nicely, and the book succeeded in conveying that feeling of them coming alive when they’re with each other.

Sophie was a little too in her head sometimes—though aren’t we all—but it got draggy. There was no third-act break up, and thank god for that, but that was probably only due to the fact that they didn’t actually get together until the very last page.

I was also missing a bit of overall character depth in pretty much everyone. The humor and laughs were genuine and there, but Sophie, Joe, and all the other adults are supposed to be people in their mid- to late-thirties, but in their mannerisms and the way they treated each other it reminded me more of how a bunch of college students would behave. I’m all for fun and games but not at the cost of the story’s credibility.

If you’re looking for a very lighthearted, somewhat senseless but still funny, and quick read, this is good enough.

Special thanks to Netgalley and HQ for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I liked this book! I thought the premise was cute and girl power-y in a way that made me intrigued by the main character. This book is about a working single mom who is determined to make it on her own without relying on a relationship. She desperately wants her daughter to fit in and agrees to a faux-lationship to make this happen. The development of the two main characters was a bit slow, but I think the author did a good job of giving each character a thorough background for readers to understand. I enjoyed the ending of the book and would definitely recommend this book to a romance/fiction lover!

This is a super cute story about two single parents with a wonderful fake dating trope. What's not to love?

It's a lighthearted read with a wonderful array of side characters (mainly the other parents at pick up). I loved those scenes, many of which were laugh out loud.

It's one of those books you can lose yourself in for a few hours. I read it in two short sittings.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.