Great book and enjoyable read. Lucy is face with redundancy from the magazine where she works and decides to go out of her comfort zone & work as an agony aunt for a men's magazine. Ross who already works at the magazine is intrigued by Lucy and friendship blossoms before quickly turning into something.else. The side plot of Lucy's sister is comedic and often steals the scene away from the main storyline. Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy

A FUN, light novel perfect for a Summer beach read !

This slow burn Rom-Com flows so well that you can either devour it one sitting or read at a leisurely pace of your choosing. Great writing, amazing banter and a wonderfully creative plot, The Love Hack is just the thing to add to your Summer TBR!

Thank you to Netgalley, Storm Publishing and the Author for the ARC

#TheLoveHack #NetGalley #StormPublishing

First off thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and author Sophie Ranald for this eARC.

Going into The Love Hack I was expecting more of “the work-place romance” storyline. However, I feel like the book turned into more of a fictional romance that focused on not only romantic relationships, but the relationship between sisters and kind of finding yourself.

The main female character Lucy has a lot going on with her job, her sister, and her romantic feelings both past and new. I think sometimes the pacing of the book threw me off, just jumping between the many things that are happening. A lot of the story focuses on what’s happening with Lucy’s job and her really learning more about herself. I honestly wanted to scream at her quite a few times with the back and forth in her head about things, but to say I haven’t done that in my life would be a lie. It’s definitely a slow-burn and I feel like we really didn’t get to know the main male character, you get to see a little more of who he is at the end but I was looking for that through the whole book.

The book overall still made me smile, laugh, and had its shining moments that I enjoyed! My biggest takeaway is while I did enjoy the read overall, I wouldn’t market it as a work-place romance as the primary storyline, if that’s what you are looking to read.

I have just finished reading Love Hack by Sophie Ranald and I really liked it. It’s a really cosy book, the story is funny and from my point of view relatable.

Book Summary
Lucy Master’s is a very capable journalist. She works as a tech expert in Fab! Magazine, she has a wonderful cat named Astro with whom she spends most of her evenings with and in general everything is going great in her life. Except from the fact that soon enough she is on the verge of losing her job but thankfully she is an adaptable woman. She now has to give advice to men in crisis under the nickname Adam and not only that but she has to work in a floor full of men colleagues as well. Piece of cake you might think but not for Lucy. She doesn’t understand men and she has a very strict rule: you don’t date men you work with. Especially when they are handsome, funny and kind like her new colleague Ross... Especially then.

I have read many workplace romances and to be honest before actually reading the book I expected the typical enemies to lovers trope. To my surprise there wasn’t such a thing and I quite enjoyed this new perspective on workplace romance. Lucy is a very relatable character. She has insecurities and flaws like most of us, she loves fiercely and she will do anything in her power to be there for her people. Ross on the other hand is a very cute guy. I found their love story really sweet.

The main reason that I gave this book three stars is because I think that for a romance book there wasn’t as many romantic scenes as I would like. I think that the story focused more on the character development of Lucy and her personal growth and not on the chemistry between the couple. There were some good scenes between Lucy and Ross but I just wanted some more.

Nevertheless it is a cosy rom-com, suitable for fellow readers who love a good workplace romance.

I had high hopes going into this book.

But I must admit I got increasingly disappointed.

I understand the need for flashbacks to give us some context. But having them throughout basically the whole book was a bit disorienting and felt a bit out of place sometimes.

There was a lack of character development and, from my point of view, there is barely any romance – which was surprising considering that I went into is assuming this would be a "rom-com".
I feel like the focus was Lucy reading and answering emails sent to Adam, her sister and the relationship between Lucy and her ex.

I was hoping for a slow burn but actually not much happens in terms of romance. No real tension at all which was such a let down! The relationship between Ross and Lucy could have been so interesting, with a good play of "Will they? Won't they?". But not much was there.

(Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review)

I had trouble with this book, I wanted to like it, and initially did because the characters seemed like normal average people, but ultimately I felt that I couldn't relate to the protagonist as much as I wanted to. There were aspects of her character that were endearing like her cluelessness surrounding men and some of her totally normal insecurities, but at times she just really seemed to move backwards and make dumb mistakes that didn't seem to make sense. At times she seemed way younger than she actually was. Her relationship with her sister seemed strange to me, considering that she didn't have any other friends really. I also found the romance lacking, as it was a slow burn with not as much pay off as I would have liked. Some of the jokes were funny, but overall they weren't really enough to turn this book around for me. It would have been nice to have some of Ross's point of view as well. 2.5/5⭐

Thank you, NetGalley, Strom Publishing, and Sophie Randald for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was not a fan of this book at all. I found it SO hard to get through. I do not understand how we are supposed to be rooting for our main character or the romance in this book. Lucy signs herself up to do a job she knows nothing about and I have a hard time believing she even likes her job. In the first 50 pages, we meet the love interest and then he hooks up with another girl and then goes to work and acts like her doesn't even like Lucy. The part that was even more unbearable was that he spent over half the book in a situationship with ANOTHER GIRL!! Somehow Lucy still wants to be with him and as a reader, I was just not behind that. This book was BEYOND difficult to get through. I was not a fan of the ending either and was disappointed that I didn't just DNF it earlier on.

This book was okay, I liked the premise of this workplace will they/won't they romance. My biggest issue what that the characters felt flat and I had no real feelings towards them. The FMC was a bit unlikeable and I didn't have much connection with the MMC.

This book was fine, I really liked the premise of this workplace will they/won't they romance. My biggest issue what that the characters felt flat and I had no real feelings towards them. The FMC was a tad whiney and I felt no pull towards the MMC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and author Sophie Ranald for this eARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Love Hack by Sophie Ranald.
It was funny, cute, had great characters and was easy to read.
The premise was fun and straight foreward and set the stage for some highly entertaining scenes.
I could see myself in so many aspects of Lucy and could often relate to her so well. I loved her growth and how she discovered new things about herself and her relationships.
Ross was a good mmc/love interest and we had some amazing/loveable side characters like Lucy's sister and her best friend.
Would absolutely recommend!

2.5 Stars, actually.

Oh man, let’s unpack this. First off, the female lead in this book? Total disaster. Like, were we even supposed to root for her!? ‘Cause if so, the author missed the mark big time 😭. Second, this ain’t your typical love story. It’s more like a deep dive into the life and mind of the female lead. We’re talking 300 pages of her inner turmoil, her annoying problems, her family drama, work drama, ex drama – you name it. Even her cat, Astro gets more page time than the main guy, Ross.

What to expect:
Workplace “Romance”
0,5/5 🌶️
Friends-to-“Lovers”
Women’s Fiction

Alright, here's the lowdown: Lucy's the new advice columnist, dishing out relationship wisdom to men online. Enter Ross, the office crush who's got Lucy feeling all kinds of flustered with his jokes and those dreamy hazel eyes. After getting burned by a past office fling, Lucy's sworn off workplace romances. But then she gets an email that she's convinced is from Ross, who's definitely not single. As Lucy's advice column blows up and her inbox fills with love dilemmas, she turns to her AI assistant for help—especially with her own feelings for Ross. Can her digital Cupid sort out her love life, or will "Ask Adam" make things even messier?

Alright, let's keep this review short and sweet. This book had so much potential, seriously, it could've been a solid four-star read if it weren't for one thing—the female main character. The writing was smooth and easy, the banter and dialogue were on point, and the pacing was just right. Plus, the plot was creative and kept me intrigued (which is why I requested this ARC). But man, oh man, the characters ruined it for me 😭. They were seriously annoying, and it made the whole thing a drag to get through.

Let's talk about Ross first because, honestly, I don't have much to say about him. He was just kinda... there. Not great, not terrible, just kinda meh. I mean, half the time he wasn't even around, so I'm not sure how Lucy managed to fall for him when he was practically MIA. Plus, he was a bit immature if you ask me. Like, dude, grow up and be straight about your feelings instead of letting Lucy run wild with her own delusions. It's just weird. All these characters are just weird.

Let's talk about Lucy, our main character. Ugh, just thinking about her annoys me 😓. I'm hoping to quickly forget about her character ASAP. This book was all from Lucy's point of view, and let me tell you, being inside her head was unbearable. She totally deluded herself into thinking her coworker, Ross had a crush on her when he SO doesn't, and she's just overall kind of crazy. I don't get her role in this book. Lucy's supposed to be giving advice to MEN, but then she's like, "I don't have a clue about men." THEN WHY DO YOU WORK THERE?? 😭 It's so frustrating. And she keeps reminding us every five pages that she doesn't understand men. Like, okay, we get it, but we don't give a damn either. She's just plain dumb. The whole book is her being delusional, whiny, unbearable, and dumb. She's too old to be acting this way, she's TWENTY-NINE for crying out loud 😐. Get a grip and grow the hell up, you're so annoying my eyes almost rolled out of my head. Everyone in this book is freaking insane. Peace out. ✌🏾

*Thank you NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and the author for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.*

1 ⭐️

Oh my lord. This book was bad.

The FMC was one of the most infuriating people that I have ever read about.

For background: the main character Lucy was getting fired from a column at the women’s magazine she was writing, so with the advice/guidance of her sister, she pitched to write an advice column for men and their relationship problems.

Fine in theory, but the issue with that is the fact that Lucy knew nothing about relationships and did not have the ability to respond to most of the answers… her sister (who after two weeks refused to help her) had to feed her responses. I really don’t understand how she could pitch a job that she could barely do. She was also extremely judgmental every single time she read a letter from the men asking for advice. Although she did “try” to see things from the men’s perspective, for me it did not come across as genuine. There were even numerous occasions where she asked a chatbot to answer the questions for her, and she submitted that as her column…

In terms of the relationship between Lucy and Ross…. It basically did not exist. Lucy’s cat Astro was a more prominent character than Ross.

THE JUDGMENT AND WOE IS ME ATTITUDE really killed this book for me.

Lucy spent most of the book complaining that Ross hooked up with another girl when she literally barely knew the man.

“I’d thought I could trust him – thought he might be different from other men. But however much I tried to rationalise it to myself, what had happened between him and Bryony had left me feeling disillusioned and betrayed.” - Lucy

… like BITCH BETRAYED?! 😂
1. He can do whatever he wants he has no attachment to you.
And 2. You can’t judge someone you don’t know ANYTHING about. You’ve literally had like 3 conversations with the man. To be honest, I could go on about this, but I am not going to.

I also had an issue with the fact that there was a lot of British lingo that was not explained. I have absolutely no issue with the fact that the book was British, but if you want to reach any people that don’t live in England, things need to be explained. Please and thank you. I don’t want to google every other sentence.

I’m not going to get into Lucy’s sister and brother in law, but just know that was also a highly toxic relationship.

I could go on, but I think I have went on long enough.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Ranald, and Storm Publishing for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A cute take on the rom-com genre, Ranald's Love Hack gets three and a half stars. Worth the read if you're looking for a light, will-they-or-won't-they romance.

The Love Hack is a cute little quick read that made you smile a little. Was it a great book, no but it was a great book to read after you read a very heavy book. I like reading these quick reads and walk away with a smile.
Lucy Masters is a columnist who is unlucky in love and is still looking for that great job. Then one day Lucy is offered the job of an advice columnist for men. ASK ADAM. How could Lucy take this job when she know nothing about men and their problems. Her last relationship ended in heartbreak. She has no social life and to top it off she is in charge of her sister Amelie's hen party. What is she to do.?

Lucy tackles Ask Adam with the help of her sister. Until an email lands in her inbox for Adam and Lucy thinks it is from her work crush Ross. How could it be because Ross is going out with Lucy's sisters friend ever since they hooked up at the hen party. How can she answer this email knowing it's Ross and hide how she feels about him. Lucy doesn't know what to do especially since Amelie is getting married and moving to NYC. How can she write her Ask Adam column without her sister.

There wasn't much character development in this book. I would have to really like to know Lucy. There wasn't much to her. It did take a long time for her and Ross to figure out what they wanted. I did like her sister Amelie because she started out as a stepford wife and she turned into the women she wanted to be. The women she had to be. All in all I did like the book. It could have used a bit more meat. I would like to see another book about Lucy and see how she has grown and how her work life turns out

Thank you NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Ms. Ranald for the ARC. Enjoyed the story.

This book was very light and easy reading! Typical chick lit romance set in the workplace!
The main character Lucy loses her female magazine writing job to another colleague (man) in the male magazine who wrotes for the same section.. A "last in, first out" situation but she comes up with the idea of working as an "agony uncle" for the male magazine. Cue to the blushing, stolen glances across desks, office based romance!

It's worth a read, ideal for holidays or if you just need something that doesn't involve too much thinking!

This novel was easy to read and the story was simple and cute. Although, it did lack quality details in my opinion. It was quite slow going throughout the entire book with not many plot twists. I enjoyed the storyline itself, but wish it had more bulk and depth in the writing. I feel like the romantic aspect of the story could have been elaborated on much more. However, I did enjoy Lucy’s character and her relationship with her sister. Overall, this book is a quick read with a surface level storyline to add to your collection.

Hen party for younger sister and one of the hens hooks up with Lucy's new colleague Ross.
After a previous work place romance failed Lucy has sworn off men but Ross is getting under her skin.
Will they,won't they with a few missteps. A heart warming romance that you will enjoy.

This was a pretty surface-level book, but it was still enjoyable and easy to read. I’m not sure I would define it as a romance though.
The book centres around Lucy Masters, a journalist who’s recently found herself out of a job and takes on a new advice column for men, called ‘Ask Adam’. The romance aspect is there when she funds herself having a crush on the colleague sitting at the desk opposite her.
There’s way more about Lucy’s past relationship, her sister, and even her cat, than there is of the romance between Ross and Lucy. Ross is in a relationship with someone else for most of the novel and there’s very little passion between them, making it feel like the romance is actually a minor subplot.
I did like the part when Lucy was in New York, where Ross had grown up, and he was being her tour guide from back in the UK. I also quite liked the banter between the guys at the office where Lucy worked, and how reading the questions for her column made her see them all a little differently.

This story felt more like women’s fiction than a romance. Lucy as an MC was fine. She began the story as a bit of a hot mess and ended it more confident, so she definitely showed some character growth, albeit in a pretty roundabout way. There were moments where I could really relate to her because of things she’d been through and situations she found herself in, but there were definitely instances where I couldn’t relate at all. The backdrop of the story was her sister’s wedding—her bachelorette party, wedding prep, the honeymoon and consequent move from London to NYC—and for me it took up way too much of the story for a romance. There was also Lucy settling into a new job and trying to prove herself, and this is where she crosses paths with Ross. Ross was kind and well-liked but seemed closed off in some ways until very late in the story. While I believed Lucy and Ross liked one another, their romance was almost non-existent. They spent too much of the story giving the other mixed signals, avoiding one another and never being direct with each other. Lucy’s column “Dear Adam” added some laughs to the story, though I rather liked the unedited, off-the-cuff responses she would originally pen better than the toned-down ones that were published. I didn’t love how the column was used to further the story, if I’m being honest. At the end of the book, I was happy for Lucy and Ross but underwhelmed by how the couple found their way together.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Sophie Ranald. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own.***

Forget the office romance, the true heart of this story lies in the bond between sisters. Lucy faces a double whammy: a career change that throws her in the deep end and a crumbling relationship with her seemingly perfect sister. The fast-paced narrative keeps us on edge as Lucy navigates her anxieties and tries to decipher cryptic messages, all while desperately wanting to help her struggling sibling. The slow-burn romance with the charming colleague is a delightful bonus, but it's the fierce sisterly love that takes centre stage, making this a heartwarming read for anyone who cherishes their family ties.