This was laugh out loud funny and had so many of my favorite things in a rom-com including fake dating and the one bed trope.

Sophie is divorced raising her daughter on her own. Driven to succeed in her business, she has sworn off love, but her sister is determined to find her a match. Joe is a widow not sure if he is ready to get back into dating, but the moms at their kids school scare him with their flirting. Sophie and Joe agree to fake date. Sophie wants to get in with the mom’s group and make friends for her daughter’s sake. Joe hopes a relationship will get the other moms off his back.

Likes:
- Joe is the best and is so patient with Sophie even when you want to shake her.
- The banter in this book! I really was smiling to myself constantly and laughing. I don’t see how I could rate this lower than 4 stars for that alone.
- Sophie’s strength and how she stands up for herself.
- The healthy relationships the characters have with their families.

Dislikes:
- The middle third of the book moved a little slow. I think it needed a little more forced proximity for the fake dating.
- It was obviously coming by how much he was brought up, but the ex-husband popping up didn’t feel like it was necessary.

This was a very cute book with little to no spice. Closed door with a few thoughts mentioned. Would highly recommend the audiobook as well.

💖 The Pick Up was on my 2024 release radar so I am ✨thrilled✨ to have listened ahead of its publication day! Also, that cover is gorgeous!

It starts as an enjoyable and laugh-out-loud listen! "I know it’s wrong to formulate strong opinions on four-year-olds but Oscar quite clearly is a douche" had me cackling from the go. Oscar Battenburg and his mother are unsung heroes of The Pick Up, utterly bonkers.

I eat a fake-dating trope up when this is done well and this was done so well, two single-parents isn't something I've read before so it was fresh. The banter between them was great but I would have liked to have Joe's POV for a well-rounded romance. The ending was a bit meh and I struggle with the miscommunication trope, especially when they've been really good at communicating for the rest of the story. 3 stars.

Audiobook narration. Olivia Mace did a brilliant job of differentiating between the characters and does a believeable Irish accent. 4 stars.

Thank you HarperCollins UK Audio, HQ Digital + NetGalley for allowing me to listen to The Pick Up before it is released! The Pick Up is out tomorrow, 9th May 2024 💖 #ThePickUp #NetGalley

Single mum Sophie just wants both herself and her daughter to fit in with the school crowd. But she's barely being recognized by the other mums. Cue Joe, a single dad at the school who seems to be getting all the attention from the other mums. When Joe suggests they fake a relationship to get the mums off his back and more onto hers, Sophie is quick to agree. I'm sure you know what happens next.

This was such a fun romcom! If you know me, then you know I love a good fake dating storyline. It was lovely having two single parents come together especially with children the same age who got along too. If you're after a sweet story with plenty of laugh out loud moments, you'll like this one. The narration was absolutely fantastic too if you prefer to listen to the audiobook!

What a thoroughly delightful book, I couldn't stop smiling! In Hannah Doyle's 'The Pick Up', single parents Sophie and Joe fake date so the flirtatious school mums back off 'Single Hot Dad' Joe, while Sophie can use Joe's popularity to be accepted by the other mums so her daughter is included in play dates.

Divorced Sophie is fiercely independent, entrepeneurial and loves lists compared to Joe who is much more go-with-the-flow. Both of them complement each other perfectly, with a great banter and a very sweet chemistry. Joe was also the perfect sort of romantic hero, swoony and his easy-going nature slowly breaks down Sophie's walls. At times Sophie could be frustrating, but I loved how she slowly realised what she had was something worth risking.

This book was funny, charming and just an all-round warm hug of a book. Hannah Doyle creates such a vivid world of parenting and the school gate shenanigans. I also liked that she addressed the fake dating concept in a realistic way for single parents and acknowledge it *is* a bit of a bonkers idea. I was invested in all the characters, especially the Barnaby's Babes. By the time the book finished I was bereft. Sophie and Joe felt so real, I could've kept reading more. Narrator Olive Mace brought this book to life. I particularly liked her soft Irish accent for Joe (though, I’m sure Irish people may have a different opinion)

Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the ARC. I will definitely buying myself a copy as well as the audiobook (depending on narrator) and I was also be going to buy Hannah Doyle's previous books.

This was a really sweet, fast paced and funny romance story.

I really enjoyed the audiobook. I think the narrator did a fantastic job. She portrayed the characters personality traits very well.

Both main characters were likeable and relatable. They felt very real and that was what was most appealing about them.

I enjoyed the addition of characters like the male main characters mum and female main characters daughter, Leela. They added to my enjoyment of the story.

The plot was simple, and I would have rated this book higher if the plot had more depth.

Everything about this book fed my soul. I’m a massive fan of this trope anyway and it had everything and did justice to all I loved in a book. Fake dating, enemies to lovers, parental trope. It had a great cover, great writing and a swoon worthy romance. I seriously loved it.

Sophie and Joe - what a duo. So adorably cute and the kids too added a great element. I always found myself excited to return to this book and I wanted to slow it down so I could enjoy it for longer!

I was so invested in the characters and the audiobook added to the enjoyment of the book. Really well narrated too. I always love the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you’ve finished a heart warmingly good book and I got this here! I loved the ending and it was just so sweet.

The Pickup is a delightfully swoon-worthy romantic comedy and a fun and easy read.

From the play on words in the title (school pickup) to the fun premise (two single parents fake date to gain membership of the inner sanctum that is the school mothers group), I flew through this audiobook.

It had all the great elements of a perfect from com, and was so well written I really felt I was watching a movie. Witty banter, well rounded main characters that you can’t help but love, and a well paced plot that still kept you asking ‘will they’?

I loved the cast of side characters, particularly Denise and Frankie. I actually would have loved to see Adam and Poppy with their own book! The other parents at the school were the perfect balance of cringeworthy/eye-roll, and fellow allies to Sophie and Joe.

The narration was engaging and emotive, and really brought Sophie and Joe’s witty banter to life. Joe’s accent was perfection, and I think this is a story which really lends itself to audiobook.

Thank you HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

I always take notes while reading or listening to an ARC so that I remember things for my future review. My first note for The Pick Up? “I LOVE SOPHIE!” My second? “I LOVE JOE!”

I downloaded this one immediately when I woke up, and I was so excited that I started it at 6:45 in the morning. I’ve been in the mood for a good romantic comedy, and this scratched that itch in the most satisfying way! Fake dating is a trope I usually feel neither here nor there about, but The Pick Up might’ve elevated it to a new favorite. Joe had me swooning almost immediately. To be honest, I was probably no better than some of the moms at pick-up! Watching the two of them move from enemies (one-sided, at least) to friends to lovers was pure magic.

I adored Sophie’s relationship with her daughter, Lila, as well as her sister’s desire to see her find her happily ever after, which was as endearing as it would be frustrating. All the characters felt real and human, and I genuinely laughed out loud several times. (My coworkers were probably all mildly concerned for my sanity.) The banter. THE BANTER. It was delightful. I love banter, and Joe and Sophie had me feeling butterflies over theirs.

It was also lovely seeing Sophie develop friendships with some of the other moms, especially Frankie! Frankie had me laughing so much. Should I even mention how much I love Poppy or Adam or Joe’s mom? There are just so many excellent characters in this book. Honestly, I could ramble on and on about all the things I loved about The Pick Up, but I’m just going to tell you that if you love love, you need to read it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was an absolute joy! An actual rom com with actual rom and com. Loads of laugh out loud moments, and I enjoyed every single second.

Hot single dad at the school pick up ✔️
Stubborn hardworking single mum feeling left out of the cool mum clique ✔️
Faux romance ✔️
Adorable kids ✔️
Annoying but loving sister hell bent on finding love for the single mum ✔️
Nobody ACTUALLY looking for love ✔️

Joe was the most adorable character I’ve read in a long time. If someone could knit me a Joe I’d really appreciate it! Seriously though, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, it wasn’t an eye rollingly predictable chick lit, while it’s not a completely original trope or anything of the like, but the characters were all so likeable, they were so well written that I was rooting for them hard! My old cynical heart could wait for the showmance to become a romance. Really well written. Beautifully narrated.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.