3.5 stars for a cute, fun read that I would recommend to others that love a chick lit British romance.

The premise was really original with introverted Lucy writing a male advice column in a last ditch effort to save her job.

The story did a good job of weaving the advice column articles into the plot, and also kept the momentum through additional plot points such as a Lucy’s relationship with her sister and Lucy’s work crush.

There were a few place where the story did lag towards the end and I found myself flipping ahead. Overall though, it was a cozy romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC.

The concept was interesting: a tech journalist finds herself writing an advice column for men with the help of AI, but I found the plot predictable and the protagonist a bit tiresome with her constant self-doubt and imperceptions. I would’ve appreciated some more focused attention on AI’s role. Overall, it was a fun but ultimately forgettable read.

This book was cute. It's your classic rom-com office love story, but with that extra sprinkle of charm. Your perfect feel good, relaxed read. 💖
It's the kind of book that puts a smile on your face and you go back to it when you’re feeling a bit down. 😊📚

If I had to nitpick, I'd say a clearer divide between past and present would've been chef's kiss. Didn’t like the sudden switches between Lucy’s present thoughts and her daydreaming of her past moments with Kieran for example. Had those moments had dedicated sections, I think they have made the book a much more fluid read overall. That’s why I had to knock off one star. ⭐️
But I found it cute.

I devoured this in one day! I just couldn’t get enough, the twist and turns throughout the story. The different themes touched upon through the book, it was phenomenal! Feel so lucky to have had the chance to read this before its publication in June! Truly beautiful, heartwarming and heart wrenching at times!

This was a quick and easy romance novel. I didn't like Lucy, the main character, in the beginning of the novel but her character development was really great to see throughout the novel and I loved her by the end. I feel like the dialogue could be cleaned up a bit before publication as Lucy repeats often that she "doesn't know men" throughout the novel.

Was an easy light hearted read. Was easy enough to read but not sure I bought into it all! Thanks for the early read net galley!

Thank you for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I DNF this book; it just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t connect with the character and felt like the story didn’t make much sense.

Lucy almost felt obsessive with Ross even though she barely knew him, I just couldn’t understand her reasoning to be upset or jealous at times. She felt quite childish and selfish.

I didn’t understand how she managed to get the role she did, she had no experience on the topic, she used other people and AI to answer the column articles. It just felt a little off, I just couldn’t see this happening in real life.

It’s a shame as the synopsis ticked all the boxes for me and I really wanted to love it.

"The Love Hack" proved to be a delightful and breezy read!

The tantalizing glimpses into Lucy and Ross's relationship are enough to make you want to shout, "please get a room already!" Their endearing interactions left me craving for more. This book is great for you if you are looking for an easy breezy read, like the office setting or simple need a “palate cleanser” after reading a book with heavier subject matter.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

If you're a romance fan, especially in an office setting, than this is a feel-good, easy read. I loved Lucy and Ross together - so much so that I wish they got together far sooner! Her 'Ask Adam' column was also a fun addition scattered throughout the chapters. Perfect for a chill evening in, it's worth giving a try.

To be honest, I’m not a big fan of Lucy. There’s times when I can completely relate and other times I wanted to be like “ girl, get it together!”
This book was ok for me but did fall flat a few places where it felt drawn out and other parts I was all about it! Def would still like to see more from this author!!

First off, Thank you Sophie Ranald, Storm Publishing, and Netgalley for giving the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

"The Love Hack" was a quick and easy read for me! The little snippets you get of Lucy and Ross relationship will really have you screaming, "JUST KISS ALREADY!". I found their interactions to be too cute, and it just left me wanting more! Ask Adam definitely added a lot to the storyline. Overall, I enjoyed this book, just wanted more of the romance with Lucy and Ross!

This was okay. Not the best. It was a little too all over for me. It was hard to tell if Lucy actually liked her co-worker or not and if that was the main story we should be following. Good effort just really missed the mark.

"The Love Hack" by Sophie Ranald is a delightful romantic comedy that explores the complexities of love in the digital age. Lucy, a rookie advice columnist, finds herself doling out relationship tips to men online while navigating her own romantic dilemmas. When she meets Ross, her charming office crush, sparks fly, but complications arise when she discovers he may not be single. As Lucy's advice column gains popularity, she turns to her AI assistant for help, leading to a series of hilarious and heartwarming moments. Ranald expertly weaves together humor, romance, and modern technology in a story that will keep readers hooked until the very end. "The Love Hack" is a must-read for anyone looking for a fun and uplifting romantic read.

Cute, light weight beach read. Lucy veered into unlikeable territory a couple of times, but the writing is good and flowed well.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc and the opportunity to review this book!

I wanted to like this book more than I did. On the plus side, the FMC had some relatable problems in her life that felt familiar to me, and likely will to other readers as well: a lack of feeling confidence/awareness of what to do with people of the opposite sex; a tricky relationship with her sister, and a past relationship that still haunts her... but it wasn't enough for me to enjoy the book, unfortunately.

I wanted to get Lucy some serious therapy most of the time. I wanted less of her sister's relationship, and more about Lucy herself. I wanted Lucy to be more confident and less of a 'pick me' girl. I felt like I kept waiting for it to be less about Lucy's prior relationship (which goodness, he should have been reported) and more about her and Ross, and I wanted her to act more her age and have more confidence with him.

Ultimately Lucy wasn't the kind of person I'd want to hang out with, and I had a really hard time connecting with this book.

*This was ARC I received from NetGalley and Storm Publishing*

Love Hack has great banter and LOL moments that had me thoroughly enjoying interactions between main and side characters. Mentions of current pop culture and worldly significant references kept me interested and going for the next chapter.

Certain aspects of the book felt out of left field for me or maybe could’ve used more of an explanation in the earlier chapters. There were also parts that seemed drawn out maybe a bit too much but not so much to deter me from finishing this book.

Overall I’d give this a solid 3/5 and am looking forward to more from this author!

I really wanted to like this book, but there were so many things that made me cringe, roll my eyes, and just want this book to be done.

1. I didn’t like or feel connected to the FMC or the MMC. Lucy was very childish. While I could connect with her because I am a fellow introvert, she was extremely isolated and had no experience to do her job. Ross was just unlikable (and honest I kept picturing Ross from Friends the whole time).

2. I don’t like when the main characters are with OW/OM. It just ruins the whole story, so chapter 6 ruined everything for me.

3. The plot was so boring. I thought the synopsis of this book sounded great, but it was better than the book.

4. I usually hate when people say this because it is so vague, but the flow was off and didn’t work for me.

I really wished I liked this book. Maybe next time.

*An ARC was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had to DNF this book at 54%... was I supposed to like the FMC? Lucy is insufferable, has a strange co-dependency with her sister, and somehow lands a job writing an advice column for men with little to no experience with men? I'm supposed to believe this is a romance, but, at this point, the only romance between Lucy and Ross is one scene where they exchange Sienfield quotes, and then she feels "betrayed" when he kisses another girl at a club. Come on now.

My breaking point was Lucy's cavalier use of AI to write her column. I realized I honestly do not care if she gets caught and sacked, how it comes back to bite her, if it does at all. I don't care about any of these characters, and I simply cannot go on. Honorable mentions to the office mates joking about the bomb scare and the weird Christopher Columbus joke.

3 stars.
Firstly, what a brilliant FMC. Despite a few occasions were I found her reflective episodes irritating and of little addition to the story, I loved her as an individual. She is strong, speaks her mind and is protective of those she loves. Her office romance with Ross takes centre stage, but I feel the focus on this takes away from a really good storyline without the additional romance. I feel that Lucy losing her job, navigating through new job issues and the ‘Agony Adam’ column, protecting her sister and embarking on her own mission to protect her sister/best-friend could’ve really made for a funny story without the need for the workplace romance. That being said, this was a lovely easy read and the romance between Ross and Lucy was sweet and endearing.
The sister character, Amelie, also adds another layer into this book which really has the reader thinking and stirs up emotions, which I also really enjoyed.
I was also very emotionally invested in Astro’s wellbeing throughout.
I’d recommend this book for a chilled, evening read. Thank you for the ARC of this book!

Author: Sophie Ranald
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Publishing Date: June 07 2024

Lucy can’t seem to catch a break. She gets demoted from her job, her dating life is nonexistent and she’s about to lose her best friend, her sister to marriage. She always thinks quickly on her feet though, and leverages an opportunity to run an advice column, Ask Adam.

While writing the column, she uncovers more about men than she had bargained for, including some secrets that could totally hurt those she loved.

Overall a really cute and fun read! Good character development and a sweet story about a woman coming into her own.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the early release copy in exchange for my honest review.