Member Reviews
I found this to be a lighthearted entertaining story. A slow burn romance with some dramas along the way.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.
This story turned out to be quite touching, sweet and a bit of fun. I'll be honest, after the first few chapters, I wasn't sure I wanted to continue with it, but I'm really glad I did. The reason I wasn't sure about continuing was Lucy's constant inner arguments with herself ... pages worth! Sure, she's feeling a little insecure and at first it was quirky, then it just got really irritating. But, once she started to get over herself after the first few chapters, the story really came into itself and the pages worth of Lucy's thought processes settled down. A good read with some touching moments, especially during the trip to New York.
Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing and Sophie Ranald for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this but it took a while to properly get into the story. I found myself only reading a chapter or two at a time, then putting it down and coming back to it a few days later. It was lovely, sweet and fluffy but fell short for me.
I wanted to like this, but it fell short for me. The main character read as very immature. Her early infatuation with the male main character seemingly came out of nowhere, and their relationship never felt fully fleshed out. They barely interacted before the inevitable happy ending. The FMC was very much ‘not like the other girls’ which is a trope that I personally do not mesh well with. She seems to not really like or respect women very much based on the few interactions she has with them, and the language she uses to describe them (calling a few women ‘the indistinguishable blondes’ instead of learning their names for example). She also does not understand men. I repeat. Lucy does not. Get. Men. This fact is stated over and over throughout the whole story. The repeated use of ai to generate her advice column was also a strange take in my opinion. I don’t think it was necessary to drive the plot along. Overall, I was not very satisfied with this story, but enough of it was enjoyable. Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this eARC
Getting to know Lucy and her job as a journalist was a treat I was not expecting! Walking through a career where you are one of few women while navigating your baggage can often feel daunting. However, Lucy does it with grace and fortitude!
As Lucy takes on her role of an advice columnist (with a caveat), the friendships/relationships that evolve are fun, easy, and only a little spicy, (I mean if you blink you'll miss it).
If you like sister bonding and office banter with the bonus of a secret crush, then this should be on your TBR.
Loved this read and can't wait to grab more by Sophie Ranald!
Lucy was about to lose her job and ends up writing an advice column for men pretending to be a man. This was the interesting part of the book. She actually came to more of an understanding of men through some of their letters and her interactions with her coworkers. Her sister was her help then disappeared into her lousy marriage. Her work crush was with someone else and was up and down with her, which would honestly confuse anyone. Lucy was still not past her years old fling with an older coworker that was simply trash and ended with her losing her job. As infuriating as these things were, it made the characters real. Maybe, in some cases, not likeable, but real.
First thank you the NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.
So I early round up but in this instance for what the book was. A fluffy clean romance novel it was delightful.
I would give it 3.5-3.75 stars had I had the option. It took me a bit to get into but once I did I wanted to know how everything turned out so the pages kept turning (or swiping as the case may be)
There is definitely a lot of repetition and could have had a better edit but on the other hand it could have used more fleshed out side plots and building of the relationship between Lucy and Ross. It suffered from what a lot of books do as it doesn’t delve into the meat of the how their relationship built in meaningful ways. It consisted of looks over a computer screen and random blushing. It was missing the why of how their friendship was built.
Anyway, I did enjoy the different sub plots and wished there was more. Would so read it again? No. Am I glad I read it and got entertained by it? Absolutely. It would make a great hallmark movie to be honest.
So if you’re looking for some clean fluff beach read, give it whirl.
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.
⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again
I really struggled with this book. The premise has all the makings of a story that I should love (slow burn, office romance), but I found Lucy to be a bit insufferable and the pacing extremely slow. I do think that readers will enjoy this book, but it ultimately fell a little flat for me. Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The idea behind this story is so lovely. Someone who wants to help men with love problems is not something I've seen before and I was really intrigued by the idea and am very thankful for Netgalley for allowing me to read it before release.
I absolutely loved it, the banter between the characters, Lucy trying to understand men better to help them through the ‘Ask Adam’ column. Lucy and Ross becoming friendlier and starting to catch feelings for each other. Lucy wanting to help her sister when needed.
I couldn’t stop reading when I started it, and ended it in one sitting. I was so hooked and wanted to know how it would end and the ending was all I could ask for. It was a slow burn romance, but a nice one and I am glad that Lucy and Ross got their happy ending.
The characters were likeable and it’s a story where they struggle between their job, love and personal lives. It was also really nice that there were multiple locations included. The Love Hack is for sure a book I would recommend if you like a quick read with a bit of comedy.
I gave it 4.5 stars because I couldn’t put the book down and was into it right away. I enjoyed the characters, the setting, the build-up between Lucy and Ross and most of all the happy ending. It’s not a 5 star, but that’s because there were a few bits that could be changed to be better. But overall I really enjoyed it and hope more people will take a chance on it when it’s released.
I somewhat struggled to finish. It just didn’t really pull me into the story. I enjoyed the writing style but overall the story just wasn’t for me
So this book… it was nice. I feel like there was a lot happening and oddly I liked the Ross having a potential gf storyline but I really thought it would be a grumpy/sunshine read. Instead it was a very insecure FMC and a Labrador male love interest. I loved Ross, I loved his backstory, I feel like it added depth. I wasn’t keen on how it felt like it was rushed. There was just something about the pacing that felt very off. There were pages and pages of what felt like useless description but a quick mention of a tube destination and her home, no clue even what her flat actually looked like but I know inch by inch what her sisters face looks like.
That being said, it was nice and sweet and there was mild banter throughout. The POV of the men in the emails and the office vs the POV of the ladies WhatsApp thread and nights out was fun to read. I feel I could’ve had more of that and honestly none of Keiran. Honestly that man is disgusting.
I was excited by the premise of this book. I have read some office romances that I really enjoyed but sadly this book did not really read like a romance. This felt much more like a women's fiction book. The MMC played with our FMC emotions a lot during the book. While our FMC did a lot of ranting. Unfortunately this book fell flat for me.
Not my favorite romance lately but still a good short book. Some of the parts seemed slower than others and I think that’s why it was just ok for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Actual Rating: 2.5 🌟
For full review, please check my goodreads review linked below. If there is a possibility to take in consideration some comments especially joking about a bomb as this is a seriously offensive matter to a lot of people I'm sure, then it would be great. Thank you for the e-arc. The author has a flowing writing style which made this a readable book despite its many flaws in the story and characters themselves.
I loved this book so much! The characters were so fun to get to know and I loved the banter. It was a very easy read and I would recommend it to so many of my friends that would love this book. It did not take long to get into and hooked. And once I was hooked, I could not put the book down. I read it so quickly, just in a few hours. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a quirky cute and quick read. It has all the elements of a perfect romance book and a bit of comedy. it is the perfect book for a vacation read!
Title: The Love Hack by Sophie Ranald
Release Date: June, 7th, 2024
3.5 Stars
Lucy, a rookie advice columnist known as "Ask Adam," finds herself in a complicated situation when she develops feelings for her office crush, Ross. Despite her reluctance to get involved with a coworker after a previous heartbreak, Lucy can't deny the chemistry between her and Ross. However, things become even more complicated when she receives an email to her advice column that she suspects is from Ross, who is not single. As Lucy's column gains popularity and her inbox fills with relationship problems, she relies on her AI assistant to help navigate her own romantic troubles. Can "Ask Adam" guide Lucy through her feelings for Ross, or will her love life become even more complicated?
This story offers a delightful slow burn romance that can easily be devoured in one sitting. While it may not stand out as the best in its genre, it's a charming and fluffy read perfect for when you're in need of some light-hearted entertainment. Despite moments that may feel familiar to fans of office romance novels, the story is engaging and enjoyable, making it a fun choice for a cozy evening read.
Thank you to the publisher Storm Publishing ,The Author Sophie Ranald & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.
2.5-2.75 ⭐
I went into this knowing it would be a light hearted Romcom , which I'm a fan of.
Unfortunately I don't think this was for me and at times felt almost too surface level for me with not alot of emotional pull.
I personally found the FMC a little too childish and at times quite misogynistic re: her observations of women and wasn't the biggest fan of the "I'm not like other girls" element.
The romance was sweet between too sweet characters but the fmcs personality didn't give me the usual buzz of HEA's.
I do think pushing this towards fans of Beth o Leary and Emily Henry might not be the best as those books are very far from one dimensional and are full of emotive characters and plot lines.
Thank you to Netgalley and Storm publishing for a e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC. Below is my honest review that will also be shared on Goodreads.
Lucy works for a magazine company called, Fab. Within the last 3 years, Fab has gone downhill due to worldly things like, Covid.
Causing budget cuts, Lucy loses her column, and is on the verge of losing her job.
After pitching a new column idea, Lucy finds herself working under the company's men column, Max! Online. Her column is an online segment called, Ask Adam. With the help of her sister, she answers questions that men send in on various topics.
While juggling her new job and swearing off men in her own life, there's the cute coworker she sits directly across from named, Ross.
Right off the back, I like Ross.
He's funny, kind, and is just a likeable character. This is a cute, slow burn romcom about a girl crushing on her coworker, while also juggling her job, and her personal life.
Lucy, our fearless journalist, has some serious confidence issues. And maybe that's from being in the shadow of her sister ("the pretty one") Amelie. When she's about to lose her job as the tech editor of her magazine, she pitches a column to the "brother" men's publication. The column is advice around women to their male readership.
Lucy has been single for a long while, and doesn't have terribly much experience with men, so can she pull it off? Not to mention, most (if not all) of her coworkers are men, and that comes with its own set of cautions. And it comes with a crush on one of them! Quick & cozy read - 3.5/5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Sophie Ranald for the eARC.
The star rating for this book is unnecessarily harsh. Do not judge this book by its star rating! While not what I would call a traditional romance, as much of the "romance" does not take place between the hero and heroine, but rather by a bad relationship in the heroine's past, this is a satisfying work of women's fiction...and the publisher should probably shelve it as such if they don't want to keep getting backlash to this title! It's got Sophie Kinsella vibes, which means it may have romance in it but it's 100% women's fiction.