When Lucy traded her tech column for relationship advice, it was a colossal leap she wasn't prepared for. Amelie and Zack's red flag-filled wedding & relationship drama overshadowed Ross & honestly Lucy's cat Astro got the spotlight more than any character in the book. So...if you like cats, read this.? Thank you, NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and Sophie Randal, for the ARC

4.5 rounded up to 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Have you ever been let go from your job but given the opportunity to come up with a new position to pitch to your company after they did away with your previous department? Lucy has and her life gets turned upside down in the best way when she starts working for Max! the men’s magazine.

Lucy becomes “Ask Adam” a new column where men write in to get relationship advice. This is where Lucy meets Ross and starts learning the ins & outs of relationships while being “Adam”.

I loved this book! Lucy and Ross were both such good characters. It ended just how I’d hoped. I’d love more of Lucy, Ross & Amelie in the future. Without spoiling anything, I’d love to see Amelie & Zack’s future and how that plays out. Please give us more Sophie!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Ranald and Storm Publishing for the ARC of The Love Hack. Highly recommend this book if you love a good cheesy read!

This was a very low stakes, very chill read.
It was a good book to read in between intense/ more complex books. I didn’t swoon at any of the parts but i enjoyed myself enough to keep reading ! Me likes 👍🏼

This was a super sweet office romance book where Lucy, the main character, is trying to learn from her past mistakes while also trying to keep her job. Out of desperation, Lucy pitches “Ask Adam,” a new online column that would give love advice to the readers of a men’s magazine.

Unfortunately, Lucy doesn’t have much experience with men and dating, but she trains an AI chatbot to become the perfect Ask Adam to help her win readers over. When she starts this new job, her tech editor counterpart from her time at the women’s magazine happens to be sitting right next to her, and she starts crushing hard.

While this book was easy to read and, at times, predictable, that doesn’t take away from the fact that it had its deep moments and very compelling characters. Lucy was a great main character because of her complexity, but all of the friends she made throughout the book were all well thought out as well and worked as great side characters all propelling the story forward.

Lucy’s younger sister is getting married to a seemingly perfect guy, but Lucy is just trying to look out for her. Overall, the book is about Lucy coming into her own, finding her confidence, and allowing herself to be a part of life.

This book also features a very cute cat that is a huge part of Lucy’s life which is so relatable and amazing. Lucy’s sister got Astro for her after her last situationship crashed and burned. He’s also the perfect book cat because what a buddy.

I liked Lucy - she's a plucky heroine who's willing to go outside her comfort zone and ends up finding success. Her sister Amelia is difficult to like, and I'm not sure her storyline added to this book. I liked the slow burn with Ross but I think it could've been a little quicker paced.

Lucy is starting a new job. One she doesn't have 100% confidence she can do. But it was this or become unemployed. Another obstacle happens the day she starts. She meets a great guy. But unfortunately the last time she had an office romance it ended badly. So Lucy needs to keep her crush to herself. This book was a joy to read. I thought Lucy character was easy to relate to. I enjoyed the banter between Lucy and Ross. There were multiple stories that flowed very well throughtout the book. I was invested in the story from start to finish. I think this is a fun entertaining read. I will definitely be reading more books ftom this author. I already orderd her other books from Amazon.

I don't generally believe in 'guilty pleasures' because you can like whatever you like - but if I had one, Sophie Ranald would be mine. A beautiful slow-burning romance, the right amount of silly romcom chaos, sickeningly sweet romance and so much fun. Always just such an enjoyable read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It was really wonderful!

Ended up listening to the audiobook version of this book. I didn't end up finishing it, as I was disappointed with Ross 30% of the way in. Lucy and her lack of grit, also made it difficult to continue. Maybe I'll come back to it at some point in time.

A charming story.

A slow burn romance.

Nerdy characters make it seem realistic.

Loved Lucy's sense of humor in answering the "Ask Adam" column questions.

Great bond with sisters.

Thanks to netgalley and Storm Publishing for the arc.

This was one of those books that was so easy to read that it will make for a good book to have on hand when a quick escape is needed.

*The Love Hack* is a contemporary romance that explores the complexities of workplace relationships and love advice in the digital age. The book blends humor with the dilemmas of modern dating.

Lucy, the protagonist, is charming and relatable as she juggles her role as an advice columnist with her own uncertain love life. Her interactions with Ross, her office crush, are filled with sweet, awkward moments that add to the authenticity of the story. The use of an AI assistant in her advice column introduces a clever, modern twist.

However, the narrative sometimes drags, and the plot can be predictable. While the book has its enjoyable moments, the pacing and some cliché romantic conflicts make it a lighter, more straightforward read than expected.

This book is a good match for those who enjoy light-hearted rom-coms that touch on contemporary issues like technology's impact on relationships. It’s perfect for a quick, engaging read without deep complexities.

Ahh this book!

I LOVED this, the character development, slow burn romance and the TWISTY TWIST!

I thoroughly enjoyed this and will absolutely devour anything else by this author going forward!

I enjoyed this book, and it was written quite well however I feel that the romance was lacking and it felt more like a subplot then a full romance book. I really liked Ross and I wish there was more build up on them as a couple and his feelings for her. I did like Lucy but I she did annoy me a little bit, when she would always talk about how no guy could ever like her and all men suck. The Ask Adam column was interesting however the constant reference to AI/chatgpt was a bit much.
Overall it was a decent book, but don't go into it thinking that there's a lot of romance.

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC of this book!

When looking at NetGalley the cover of a book usually draws me in and this was no exception. I have not read this author before. The blurb also sounded like something that I would like, but it was not everything that I had hoped it would be. Lucy and Ross slow burn was barely a flicker in a candle. There were too many directions going on within the story and it was hard to follow the plot. I was also hoping for more laugh out loud moments and was let down. While this was not my favorite book, I did see it through to the end. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. 3.5 stars

Really enjoyed reading this book , as the story progresses you really get to know the characters . Thank you for this truly magic

An irresistibly charming, nerdy romance set against the bustling backdrops of London and New York, making it the perfect, heartwarming escape for your summer holiday reading!

*3.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"Don't be a dick."

If you take anything away from the often hilarious, sometimes infuriating, a bit sad and quite sweet The Love Hack, by satirical romance author Sophie Ranald, especially for men, it's please don't be a dick!

In order to stay employed Lucy, with her sister's help, creates the advice column for an online men's magazine, "Ask Adam." Her identity is secret since it's supposed to be a man giving advice to other men. Being part of the all male staff isn't easy especially when she starts crushing on the sweet quick to blush Ross.

Besides the bad optics of an office romance, her first time with a man was with a misogynistic coworker who owned the power dynamic. But Ross is a kind person and slowly her barriers fall.

The thing is this is very much Lucy's coming into her own story more than a romance. She's self-deprecating to the point that her inner comments become more sad than funny.

There's drama in her sister's new marriage that leads her to NYC from London and a hysterical reenactment of the famous scene from When Harry Met Sally in Katz Deli. But the real turmoil is how she struggles with the advice she gives in her column, often asking others' opinions and even using an AI program.

Voice actress Harrie Dobby was funny but her tone also shows how insecure, anxious and awkward Lucy feels most of the time. It's partly through the men that ask for advice that she starts to realize most men are good, feeling humans and not all of them are dicks.

I wish we had a few POV chapters from Ross. We don't really know him until the last chapters. I think the title Ask Adam is more accurate than The Love Hack because Lucy's not a hack at love; just ask Adam...better yet ask Ross!

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was the first book I've read by this author. A light, summer read based on the main character, Lucy. Lucy finds herself about to be made redundant so starts an agony uncle column where she answers questions under the alias of 'Adam'. While working in her new office she finds a connection with Ross and a typical rom com features. A light summer read.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher; the review is my own.*

If I hadn't felt obligated to finish this book and leave a review, I wouldn't have finished it. But I'm not sure which option the publisher would prefer, to be honest: a "will not leave feedback" or an unfavorable review. So here I am.

This book was very, very British. I'm not saying that in itself is a problem or the reason I rated it 2 stars (it's not). I've read other British books and enjoyed them. But this one was absolutely full of British slang, which reduces its readability for someone who may not be familiar with it. (I prefer it when books don't rely on slang in general, whether it's British, American, or from anywhere else. Aside from diminishing readability for audiences outside of that particular region, it ages poorly. Dialect is a different story.)

Despite Lucy (29) developing in an interest in Ross (early 30s?) fairly early in the book, any relationship between the took a backseat to everything else in the story. Instead, what the book focused on was Lucy's obsession with her sister's life, her inability to perform the job she created for herself, and a failed relationship with a former coworker a few years prior. Oh, and her cat. What romance the book contained was very focused on sex, so it didn't even really feel like romance--just physical gratification.

I didn't find Lucy to be particularly likable, and her attitude towards men was rather sad. In fact, it appeared that most of the women in this book shared the same view on men: that they're all awful and can't help it. Although her attitude about some men changes by the end of the book, it's obvious that she still views them as less than women. At one point, Lucy "smiled indulgently" as her boss and coworker had a "man moment together," like they're some type of children and she knows better. She also came across to me as somewhat desperate and incompetent. Not only did she rely heavily on her sister and then AI to help her write her new column (one she obviously wasn't qualified for), but for someone who was supposed to have been a tech writer, she frequently knew nothing about technology. Romantically, she grasped for something, anything--did she not see all the red flags waving in front of her face with Kieran? Even with Ross, it wasn't much better; she just got luckier with how that turned out.

Obviously, this book just wasn't for me.

Note: Language, including f words. Crude language, including lots of use of "d*ck" in reference to men who are jerks. A few cringy sex scenes.