Overall I enjoyed the read, although I didn't love that it was written in third person. The book fulfills its purpose of entertaining and making for an enjoyable time. I didn't know it was part of a series, and that there were books before this one, and I honestly don't know if I would read the previous 8 books, but I feel like this one is readable without much of a problem.

I couldn’t stop reading this book and I stayed up until almost 3 AM just to finish it.

The story was captivating and full of emotional and shocking moments.

The characters were likeable. Well, except for Duncan.. I didn’t like him from the start and he just got worse.

The idea for this book was clever and we were a part of a healing process and also redemption.

I was so happy with the ending of this book and I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley for gifting me this book as an ARC.

Thank You, Next [Book to Add to Your TBR] 🙏🏼 thanks to @kathryn.freeman_author harpercollins @netgalley for this #advancedreaderscopy

Thank You, Next (The Kathryn Freeman Romcom Collection, Book 9) ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

PUBLICATION DATE: June 30

Molly Harris’ beau breaks up with her to boost his follower count on a popular reality dating show. Although feeling rejected, she decides to go on the show as well to win him back—only to discover another ex she hadn’t accounted for…

This was my first book by this author but certainly won’t be the last! Her characters are likable, layered and the setting & premise is so creative. Although it took me a while to figure out what would happen, as opposed to the typical romance predictable formula.

For fans of reality shows like #thebachelor or #loveisland looking for a heartwarming (but steamy) summer story, pick this one up!

Speaking of “thanks” — what’s one positive thing that happened to you this week? 🙏🏼 💜 🙏🏼

#bookishlove #booksofinstagram #romcom #romancereader #newbookalert #steamyreads #ʟᴏᴠᴇsᴛᴏʀʏ❤️

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC of “Thank You, Next” by Kathryn Freeman in exchange for my honest review.

Molly and Duncan break up because he’s asked to go onto a reality show “The One”. He decides it’s a great idea to grow his business to gain more followers. Of course, Molly is heartbroken, she assumed they would be getting married. She ends up being asked to be on the show as well. Turns out, she was matched with an ex-boyfriend, Ben and Duncan was matched with Jasmine. Molly is given a second chance at happiness with Ben.

I enjoyed the storyline at the beginning and it reminded me of my days of watching reality shows like “Bachelor in Paradise”. I found the storyline to be ok, I honestly lost interest about 40% in the book but I never give up on a book so I stuck it out to finish. I was happy the main characters were able to work through their community and trust issues.

I thought this book was just okay. I found it super predictable and a little boring. I also didn’t really feel myself caring to much about what happened.

3 stars
TW; toxic relationship with gaslighting, childhood trauma, grief of lost loved one, mention of drug abuse of character not on page

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

Thank You, Next was just okay for me as a romance read admittedly. I enjoy watching reality dating shows, which is the main reason I picked up this book, and when I started it, I was so enraged by Duncan's treatment of Molly that I couldn't wait for her to end up on the show and get with Ben instead. I was pretty hyped up for the concept and couldn't wait for Duncan to get his comeuppance, but I think where this story failed to grip me most is how the author chose to develop Molly's character. I struggled to really connect with her when she remained resolute to Duncan and his toxic conditioning of her as his girlfriend, despite treating Ben so terribly in the next breath. The conflict between Ben and Molly felt ridiculously blown out of proportion - yes, I got Molly's abandonment issues truly played into this - and yet Duncan was such a toxic red flag that Molly's persistence to treat Ben like trash yet let Duncan walk all over her gave me the major ick. I think there were better ways to portray drama and progress the storyline without compromising character development. Sadly, this didn't occur, so I spent a great deal of time growing exasperated that Ben kept apologising when really Molly was unchanging, and Molly's actions really alienated me from her as a character overall.

I also felt like a lot of the content surrounding these characters felt very heavy for a romance, and it always felt like an uphill battle to get to the good bits. And whilst I have been critical in this review, there were some fun elements to the storyline, and how certain scenes played out was pleasing. I think despite them taking forever to get anywhere, that the chemistry between Ben and Molly did make sense, and the intimate scene was believable. I had hoped for more building of Ben and Molly without Duncan undermining Molly or Ben's actions every step of the way, though. It was also a shame that Ben was built to feel such a way about marriage and commitment and then, in the end, changed his mind without truly showing the work for it in the book. But it was a cute enough ending, so I can't be entirely mad (though the fact that Duncan got anything good still grates me).

This is an easy read to get through in a short time, and for people who enjoy messy drama in their romances, and shows like The Bachelor/Bachelorette, then Thank You, Next might suit your reading tastes more than mine.

First I’d like to say thank you to NetGalley and Kathrine for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review .
Let me just say this book was great! I loved the banter and grumpy/sunshine theme. Ben and Molly are just super cute and the story was well written. I felt the author really captured the struggles of insecurity and trauma as well as emphasize that sometimes even if you feel like it’s positive it can be persuaded in a way that’s more toxic. In this case it’s about healing from one relationship to find out you were allowing yourself to be molded into what your new partner wanted . I just felt really connected to that part . The ending was super cute and I would definitely buy and read this again .
❤️

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of Thank you, Next. This is a fun twist on the behind the scenes reality show romance with the MC joining a dating/marriage reality show to try to get back together with her ex-boyfriend only to find herself paired with not with him but with someone who truly broke her heart. What unfolds is a series of pairings for all of the matched couples to decide if they will or will not get married/stay together at the end of four weeks. The story is compelling, the romance and slow burn vibes are strong, and the background story of the main characters, why they broke up, and the inclusion of strong secondary characters adds nice depth to the story.
MY one comment is that this book could do with some editing, at times it felt like I was reading a summary of behind the scenes info on each episode of the reality show, I am not sure if the book needed all of those "events"; a few of them just felt like filler versus really moving the plot forward. I felt that made the middle drag a bit but overall this is a fun read, I enjoyed the plot and seeing how the main characters resolved their past in an attempt to maybe have a future.

📖 Thank You, Next
✍️Kathryn Freeman
🗓️ Jun 30 2024
📝 HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter

Genre:
Contemporary romance
POV
Third person POV, I would have preferred first person, but this didn’t disturb me too much!

Summary:
Molly thought she found love after being disappointed. Then her boyfriend breaks up with her to take part in a reality TV show to find true love. Even if it’s just for sure. Molly also surprises everyone when she takes part in the show. But to her surprise, there is also Ben, her ex who broke her heart…. Will she find true love?

Series or standalone
Standalone
Tropes:
✨ reality TV
✨ meet her at the altar
✨second chance
✨ love triangle


🌶️: 1/5
❤️: 2/5
⭐️: 2/5

Heroine:
Molly Harris
Hero:
Ben Knight
Side cast:
Duncan, her ex boyfriend who is also in the cast of The One

character development
I am not sure how much I liked it that both men kind of were her exes.
Some fresh blood would not have been bad. It seemed very unlikely for that to happen. I’m on the fence with this decision.
All in all, the characters felt very flat to me. Not much development and progress.

Location:
The fictional manor HEA Towers

Fluency/Writing:
So much potential here, but this was more miss than hit for me.
I had my struggles with the third person narration, it just felt like it didn’t work at all.
All in all I felt disappointed by this. I had so high expectations for this.

Do I recommend:
This was not my taste but I hope someone else will love this more.

⭐️Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own, I was under no obligation to review.

Thank You, Next is a fun summer read. I enjoyed Molly's character and the idea of a second chance romance with Ben. The story is set within a reality dating show, with a twist of being matched with your ex, going on dates in front of cameras, and dealing with past trauma in relationships.

I didn't care for Duncan from the beginning - his character description was well written and clearly made out to be the "bad guy". Molly and Ben had chemistry, which was what kept me reading the book. At times I wished for more depth and back story of the characters, but overall I enjoyed the story. A little predictable for me and some of the dialogue was repetitive so I gave it 3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for sending me an ARC of "Thank You, Next" in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5⭐ Molly Harris is used to being left. Parents, boyfriends – she’s the queen of rejection. Her latest boyfriend, gym-fanatic Duncan, dumps her to go on reality dating show The One which sets up hot singletons to date for four weeks before meeting at the altar to say, ‘I do’.

But Duncan was the one who picked Molly up and put her back together the last time her heart got broken, so, determined not to let ‘The One’ get away, she follows Duncan onto the show. If she can prove that they’re meant to be, she might just get the happily ever after of her dreams.

But on the first day of filming, another reminder of her painful history walks into Happily Ever After Towers: Ben Knight, her it’s-not-you-it’s-me heartbreaker. The one she loved before Duncan.

Unfortunately, this didn't quite hit for me. I think it would have been better in first person POV so we could get into their heads a little more. There were a lot of unlikeable characters, too. There are characters we love to hate, but this also fell flat. The book was okay, but for me, it was something that entertained me for a few hours and I'll forget about it by the time I'm done with my next book. Nothing wrong with that, but also nothing to write home about. This might hit better with younger audiences, though. I think I'm too old for reality TV. 😀

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a perfect combo of cute romance and spice.
Really enjoyed this one and would love to read more by this author :)

I’d rate this book somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. As a reality TV enthusiast, I was immediately attracted to this book. Reality dating shows? Check. IN A BOOK?! Double check. The concept is fantastic and reminds me a lot of "Love is Blind." It was a quick and entertaining read, much like my favorite reality shows.

However, just as reality TV isn't known for its quality, the same can be said for this book. I loved the initial chapters, but then I felt as things started to get repetitive. I often struggle with third-person narratives, and I found the side characters, as well as Duncan as the villain, to be quite one-dimensional. I understand that being a romance novel, it doesn’t always need to be deeply fleshed out, but since the main characters faced significant life issues outside their relationship, I felt that the rest of the cast should have been more developed to provide a more well-rounded reading experience. More friendships among the cast members would have been a great addition, similar to what I enjoy in "Love Island" and "Love is Blind."

The story heavily relies on the miscommunication trope, so if that’s not your thing, you might not enjoy this read. Additionally, the main characters irritated me with their petulant and unhealthy interactions, although this does mirror the behavior of many reality show participants.

This was so dang cute and I really felt the chemistry and adoration. I was drawn to the book by the cover and the premise. As a romance reality show lover, I couldn’t wait to dive into this. A rom com focused on contestants of a Love is Blind type show - second chance romance, enemies-to-lovers, love triangle, slow burn - sign me up! Maybe due to all that anticipation I was a bit disappointed at first and just wanted more - more depth and romance. The middle section was too repetitive and frustrating for my taste. I know some readers love that long build up of “will they, won’t they,” but I just wanted to see the romance and connection blossom sooner. However, the last few chapters made up for it and had me smiling from ear to ear like a fool. It was so sweet.

I adore both main characters, especially Molly and her eclectic style. Ben has integrity and intelligence that I really appreciate in a lead character. This story was fun. There was also emotional depth (it just took a while to develop) and the premise was clever. It would certainly be a cute movie or TV show. Read for a quick, amusing diversion!

The book description reeled me in as my guilty pleasure is watching reality dating tv shows! Characters were interesting, story good so would I recommend? Absolutely!

Such a fantastic feel good romance and thoroughly enjoyed this. Would recommend for anyone looking for a nice paced romance.

Molly is shocked when her boyfriend Duncan dumps her so he can go on reality show The One. Then the show gets in touch to offer her to go on the show to have a twist. She agrees but then discovers her first love Ben is also on the show

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for providing a DRC of this title.

This one was so fun! I really enjoyed reading my first Kathryn Freeman book and am looking forward to reading whatever she's writing next. I'd definitely recommend this one to my patrons who are fans of British chick-lit or the Bachelor/Love Island.

I adored Kathryn Freeman’s book ”Nobody puts romcoms in the corner”, and this one was just as good! This story is centered around a reality dating show, which is one of my guilty pleasures, I will admit 🤫 I found it so entertaining to follow behind the scenes of reality tv, the backstabbing, the fake scenarios, the competition between Ben and Duncan, Molly’s two exes. But also the genuine moments, not all is fake.

I found Ben and Molly’s storyline to be very authentic and real, despite it being a romcom. You really felt for the characters, Molly didn’t just roll over and forgive him. Ben had to work to earn that trust and forgiveness. It was all very sweet and lovely to read about.

Loved the writing, loved the enviorments, loved the storyline and loved our main characters. Highly recommend! ♥️

Read if you like:
📺 Reality TV
🥈 Second Chances
❤️ Romance
3️⃣ 3rd Person

I definitely don’t love third person typically with romances, but for this one it worked better than I would have expected especially with the reality show bits!

I really enjoyed how sweet of a read this was and how in true reality show fashion we had clear villains!

Also, the mix of the reality and second chance romance trope I thought was well done!

All in all this was an enjoyable read and I binged it just like I do reality tv 😂

Thank you to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my review!