1.5/5
I hate to be so brutally honest, but I hated this book. The FMC was so wishy washy and spineless. Literally all of her problems would have been solved if she would have put her foot down. Even just mildly spoke up. And, to be honest, I didn't even know she had a love interest until she decided to start bawling like a teenager and throw a fit when she saw him snogging her sister's friend. She never expressed that she even had feelings for him like at all throughout the book. I feel like the concept of the story was good, but it just wasn't well-written.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of The Love Hack in exchange for an honest review.

After the magazine that Lucy works for becomes an e-zine and cuts down on staff, Lucy finds herself working for the men’s e-zine as the new agony uncle, Ask Adam. Unfortunately, Lucy is not exactly an expert on men, so she finds herself reaching for the help of an AI assistant to answer the questions sent by all kinds of men. In the meantime, she gets to know her new co-workers, including Ross, who makes her blush and feel butterflies that she wishes weren’t there, and her sister is getting married to a man Lucy is not very fond of, especially after receiving an anonymous email which describes a very familiar situation. Will Lucy get to understand men and succeed as Ask Adam, ignore the tingles she feels around Ross, and help her sister?

First of all, this book is set in London, and there are tons of British terms, references and humour, which I personally appreciated as I live in the UK. However, it might not be for everyone, so keep that in mind. I liked the premise of this book and as I said, I enjoyed the British humour; I do think it’s more of a women’s fiction book rather than a romance. Lucy is besotted with Ross right away, and crushes hard on him - maybe too hard, too soon? There are not enough interactions between them in the first half of the book that justify all of Lucy’s feelings, and at points the way she acted was very reminiscent of a teenager with a crush. It all felt more justified once they started interacting more. However, there is very little romance compared to the rest of the book, which is why I felt it was a women’s fiction.

There is a lot (A LOT) of the story which is just Lucy’s internal monologues, and whilst mostly enjoyable, there are moments in which you can’t help but be annoyed at her. Learning about her last relationship helps you understand her behaviour in the present, but the situation just made me very angry!

The actions she took to help her sister were a little bit crazy, let’s be honest… No spoilers, but if you have concerns, the reasonable things is to talk to your sister, not what Lucy did! Regardless of that, I enjoyed most of the interactions between the sisters, and for me they had more importance to the overall story and Lucy’s character development than the interactions with Ross.

The part I enjoyed the most was the different emails featured in the Ask Adam column, and how she started to understand men a bit better.

Overall, Sophie Ranald does a good job at setting the scenes and locations, the premise of the book was interesting, and the dark and sarcastic British humour was enjoyable.

A fairly average read. I wasn’t completely obsessed and some of the actions of the FMC I found quite frustrating but it’s fairly light and fluffy.

this was a pretty average romance book in my opinion. I liked the premise and the characters were enjoyable.

The Love Hack is an unexpected treasure. A love story without romance at the core of its focus - and it is just what I did not know I needed. I’d lump this one in with the likes of ‘Anything Could Happen’. Apart from the fact that they both involve a trip to New York, they are also both focused on a love story that is not romantic.

The relationship between Lucy and Amelie was clear the focus here. I know I’ve already seen a review complain about a low percentage of Lucy with her love interest, but their love was a bonus to Lucy growing into herself. I think that often writers will only write stories about very young women figuring out who they are, when in reality many figure it out much later just like Lucy.

Amelie is Lucy’s younger sister and is in a very different space in her life. The way this was written as a genuine relationship between sisters, really kept me interested. The majority of romances always seem to give the FMC a loving sister who is also her best friend or brothers who are so close it borders on strange. This, however felt a lot more realistic. They were clearly close but also they fought and we genuinely singling-y. I loved that it almost felt like they ended in the same place they started.

This was a fast read for me. It was a good pace and interesting. You really got to know Lucy and you could see, although it was not always express on the page, she had time to get to know Ross. I particularly laughed at a line that was about Ross’ shock resembling a flat earther who was shown aerial images of the earth.

Lucy is a tenacious, awkward, funny and intelligent individual. She is insecure but not in every single way and she does have a legitimate reason to be as such with the downfall of her previous relationship. Ross is a great constant during this story. He is the calm amongst the storm that is happening within Lucy’s mind.

I loved the “tech” element of this book, too. It felt modern without being too forceful or cringey. My favourite thing of all though, about this book, was that so many of the stories sent in by men were seen from multiple angles. Initial judgement was passed, often by Lucy but then she, or her “assistant” would work from it from a different POV. I also loved the Britishness of this book and as a Brit myself it felt authentic.

Thank you so much to Sophie Ranald and Storm Publishing for granting me access to a ARC to read this. I will be purchasing a physically copy when I get a chance.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!!! I adore Sophie Ranald books, in this one we meet Lucy, she has landed a job as an agony uncle giving relationship advice to guys. Her own love life isnt anything to shout about however, soon things take a turn and become complicated and what ensues is a terrific read you won't want to miss.

This was engaging and enjoyable - not amazing, but I really enjoyed it and would read others by the author

Exactly what I have come to hope for from Ranald - a light, funny, quick read with some great characters and well written dialogue. An enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours reading.

This is perhaps a little more of a slow burn than some of her previous work, but well worth the investment in reading.

Lucy's journey balancing her job advising on relationships with her real love life struggles felt so relatable. Her budding romance, despite her reluctance to date coworkers, kept me rooting for her. And the twist with the "Ask Adam" inbox added an intriguing layer of complexity. Overall, it's a charming story that beautifully explores modern romance and the challenges of finding love in unexpected places.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange of an honest review.
I’m sorry to say that I didn’t enjoy this book at all. The description seemed promising, a cute, funny and romantic story with a little bit of office drama, exactly what I needed right now, when I feel like I might be getting into a reading slump. But this book unfortunately wasn’t it.
I didn’t feel any connection or romantic tension between the FMC and the MMC. Nothing actually romantic happened between them until like 80% of the book (and I don’t mean that in a slow-burn good way), and I never had the impression the MMC was interested in the FMC at all. And the FMC felt a little annoying and sometimes borderline delusional about her crush. The rest of the story just felt bland.
I’m usually not a harsh reviewer, I’m generally easy to please when it comes to rom-coms, and I don’t like dragging a book knowing all the work that involves publishing one, but I also don’t like lying when I can’t find much positive things to say about a book.

Firstly, thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

The intro to this book and the general first 5% made me feel as though I was going to read another version of the Hating Game.

I struggled with Lucy at first, she came across a bit like a pick me character and honestly; as having an unhealthy reliance upon key relationships around her. Coming across as bitter and jealous at times. Honestly, she is so judgmental based on first meetings and it grated on me. But bloody hell the end of chapter 6 the drunken ache. God I felt that deep in my soul - brutal.

Just when I was beginning to get fed up - chapter 7 lured me in. Who is Kieran and what the fuck did he do to Lucy. I hated him instantly, strong grooming/ predator vibes - or at least someone who takes advantage of young impressionable women.

I felt like the real turning point for me, was when Lucy stopped seeing her colleagues in a 2 dimensional light. Her conversation with Chiraag at the pub and her growth the the Adam column really made me want to persevere with her story.

The writing is funny, easy to read and there are definitely some really relatable sections. I found myself really enjoying the British narrative and it did make it more palatable for me. It's not that I disliked the book, I actually rate it 3 stars as it really does pick up. It's is always hard to follow the story of a character you don't necessarily like, or take a while to warm up to.

Look some of it is so predictable - but I didn't go into this expecting a new classic. I went in looking for a heart warming, slightly funny romcom-esque book and this ticked all my little boxes, even with my frustrations.

Lucy is forced to change jobs and ends up facing a tempting office romance. But she's been burnt before. Posing as a male 'agony uncle' for a Men's magazine, can Lucy figure out how to understand the enigma that is the male mind?

I would categorise "The Love Hack" as Women's Fic, rather than a Rom-Com or a Romance novel. Once I stopped expecting the latter, I really enjoyed the story for what it was. Lucy was an interesting character, who was often in her own head. I appreciated that Ross wasn't your stereotypical "perfect" MMC and I hazard that that was actually the whole point. At the heart of this story, for me, was the idea people are complex and deserve to be judged on their own merits. Lucy's journey to understand the male mind was at times funny, sad, frustrating but ultimately enjoyable to read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for they opportunity to read this ARC.

A huge thank you the NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Sophia Randal for the ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to love this book, however it felt like so much was going on. I’m usually a huge fan of British Rom-coms. The book was hard to follow and felt like so many stories pushed into one. The romance in this book was very little and felt more like a crush . I wish we got more a development in their relationship. It was a little cringy at times and I felt more invested in Amelie story.
This book has great potential to be a cute beach read but I think it takes a bit to actually grow and by the time it does the ending feels rushed.

That being said this book is a cute fast read for anyone looking for a slow burn work crush book. Just wasn’t my cup of tea. I hope Sophia does make a book about her sister tho I’d be interested in reading one :)

This is a great and a quirky book. It has so many interesting nooks and crannies that it explores. The book has friendly characters with what comes across as real emotions, be that nerves about a wedding and a dislike of a brother in law, the impact of 911 is briefly touched and all of this is underpinned with humour. Lucy pretends to be a man and becomes an agony aunt, her worries over what to write, how to be honest and not hurtful, and then just how to be honest are very funny. The romance is constant but not overpowering and leaves place for the characters to grow and charm the reader. I loved it.

The authors writing style was really the only part of this book I could handle. I really struggled to even finish this one. I did not like the characters or story at all and it all felt like a giant plot of delusion, gas lighting and a lot of crazy. There was no chemistry and it felt like everything was made up in her head. Lucie just felt extremely immature and completely delusional. This was a 1 star read for me that I would DNF if I wasn’t providing a review!

I kept reading in hopes it would get better but it just got more and more cringey as I read. Main character felt delusional and out of touch (not in a cute way) and read more like a stalker novel than romance.

0⭐️


Este libro debería llamarse "Como perder tu dignidad por un hombre". 7

Todo grita "aprobación masculina".


No tenia sentido la reacción de Lucy al ver a Ross besando y acostandose con una amiga de su hermana, sólo eran compañero de trabajo, sin embargo, Lucy actuó como si la hubieran engañado y fuera el fin del mundo. Pero luego me sentí mal por ella, tuvo que estar escuchando como él habalaba de ella, como ahora eran novios, como él conocia a las amigas, veía las publicaciones de sus citas y lo escuchaba hablando de la novia.

Odie a Ross porque se la pasó dando señales contradictorias a Lucy a pasar de tener novia. Durante el 70% del libro sale con la otra, pero su relación no es exclusiva, lo mejor es que cuando la chica lo terminó, él al otro día le dice a Lucy que le gusta y ella se pone feliz en lugar de darse cuenta que nunca fue la primera opción y que es el premio de consolación.

La confesión de que Ross fue quien mandó un correo a la sección pregúntale a Adam para que Lucy supiera que aunque estaba de novio, no estaba seguro de su relación y sus sentimientos, fue asqueroso. 🙄 El tipo no puede ser más descarado y Lucy no puede ser más tonta:

‘I mean, it was just a casual thing. I didn’t think anything would come of it after your sister’s hen night. But then we started seeing each other.’
I nodded. What if I’d got it all wrong, Ross was devastated by Bryony ending their relationship, and I was just a quick rebound fling? In front of me, I could see the last few people straggling on to the plane and taking their seats – if what he was about to say wasn’t what I wanted to hear, it was too late for me to run away.
He went on, ‘It was just casual, really. On my side and on hers also. If I’m honest, I kind of expected it to peter out after a few dates. And then I wrote that thing to Adam, to see what you’d say if you knew how I felt about you.’
‘And I didn’t say anything,’ I remembered. ‘I got the AI to write back because I didn’t know what the answer was.’
‘But when you didn’t… I mean, when I didn’t get the answer I’d hoped I’d get from Adam, I let it carry on. I shouldn’t have done that. I knew she and I weren’t right for each other. But it just seemed easier, somehow. Easier than telling you properly how I felt, and easier than ending it with her.’

Si un hombre coquetea contigo cuando tiene novia, no vale la pena. Ojalá Lucy se hubiera dado cuenta, lo más seguro es que cuando llegue otra, Ross, dejara a Lucy.

Ojalá en su viaje a NY, Lucy hubiera conocido a alguien y tenido una aventura.

Se me rompió el corazón por Lucy, primero su experiencia con Kieren y luego quedarse con tremenda basura que es Ross.

Fue irónico que L se diera cuenta de la situación de su hermana e incluso quería que dejara al esposo, pero no pudo ver que Ross era igual al infiel de Zack.

Es normal que alguien de 28 años no tenga experiencia sexual, pero que no sepa de temas sexuales y más siendo alguien con estudios fue raro. Parecía que Lucy vivía bajo una piedra y no sabía temas básicos sobre sexualidad.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for and honest review.

Was not a fan- and I was very hopeful.

There’s irony in the fact that she’s a columnist that give advice to men under a pseudo- gender but the whole book it’s her failing to understand men. Sooo frustrating.

Thank you for the ARC NetGalley and Storm Publishing. 🦋

2 stars purely for Astro the cat, if it wasn't for him this book would get 1 star. If I hadn't gotten this book from Netgalley as an ARC I would have DNF'd this book.

Lucy was infuriating as a main character. She spends the majority of the book complaining about how she doesn't understand men, but also wanting to write an advice column for men. She starts the column with the aide of her sister and then when her sister stops helping her she uses AI, which is a huge red flag. Yet, somehow, by the end of the book she says she feels more confident as Adam and actually understands men, which makes no snese at all. About halfway through the book I decided she was undiagnosed on the Autism spectrum and then I was able to let her annoying habits go.

She and Ross barely interact and she develops a crush on him out of nowhere. Honestly, it would have made more sense to me if she just had this guy she had a small crush on at work as a side story to her learning more about men while writing her column and then revealing her crush once she feels more confident. That's where I thought the book was going, honestly.

The whole storyline with her sister makes no sense to me (other than setting up a sequel) and did nothing for the character development (of which her sister is the only one who did any developing). Lucy is the same from the beginning of the book to the end and I was done with her by chapter 3.

The Love Hack, a romcom story that starts with Lucy have a career switch after loosing her position in a magazine and ends up taking on a men advice page called 'Ask Adam'. She moves up a floor to the new magazine and is surrounded by the team of men, which is where she meets Ross.

At first she is doing ok with her replies asking her sister for advice at times too but the. When she moves to NY she turns to a AI Bot for help.

The storyline moves on at a steady pace, with a hitch in-between when she reads a 'ask Adam' email she thinks is from her Brother In Law and send her to NY to investigate, a surprise visit from a certain someone when things didn't go quite to plan!

The romance itself was obvious but I think it was a bit rushed and didn't make me feel like a connection for Lucy and Ross to be together.

Overall an enjoyable read

Thank you to NetGalley for the download