Was so happy to receive this book from Netgalley. I love Kathryn Freeman and this book didn’t disappoint. Thought it was a great storyline. I loved Ben,he had his issues to deal with but he came across as a kind caring person. Molly just wanted to get married and be looked after. Duncan just annoyed me. So when they all went on the TV show I just couldn’t put the book down. Duncan was just out for himself and I couldn’t see what Molly saw in him. He wanted to go on the TV show to get himself exposure for his business so when Molly got invited to go on too things got interesting,especially when Ben appeared. He only went on the show to help his sister out and wasn’t keen to expose his feelings. It follows the 3 main characters through the show with twists and turns but as always there is a happy ending. Very definitely worth a read.

What a cute read! I loved the reality show vibes, which should be hard to convey through a book, but it was awesome. I loved how real and flawed the characters felt and how invested I was. SO SO SO GOOD.

This was a quick read and is good for anyone who likes reality TV. It's 3rd person narrative so sometimes that is not the best!
Characters were a bit under-developed and overall this was fine for a quick summer read. 2.5-3 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

In four weeks’ time, who will she meet at the altar? Duncan, the first person who ever made her feel loved, or Ben, the first person who made her feel?

This was such a fun read and I was dying to know who she would end up with. I am torn on how I feel about the ending, but this would make a fun book club pick and see what people thought of the ending. I thought the characters were well written and I enjoyed their story arcs.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Such a heartwarming and charming book! I was obsessed from the get go with ‘Thank You, Next’. The premise is unique, which is what initially drew me in (massive Love Island fan!) and I stayed for the love of Molly. She is a pure, well rounded character who is open about her anxiety and her own fears. I loved watching her character arc. A lovely, light summer read for fans of a good love story, I don’t usually like slow burn, but this book just might have converted me!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kathryn Freeman for this absolute gem of book!

"The One" by Kathryn Freeman is a delightful romcom that blends heartwarming moments with a dash of spice. Molly Harris, determined to reclaim her happiness, follows her ex-boyfriend Duncan onto a reality dating show, only to face her past love, Ben. The story is filled with simmering tension and engaging characters, keeping you guessing until the very end. It's a captivating read that perfectly balances romance and emotional depth, leaving readers eagerly anticipating Freeman's next book.

This was a fun read! I enjoyed the dating show aspect and loved the characters. This was a fairly quick paced read that was lighthearted and heartwarming at the same time.

I love when books have titles of songs and thus pretty much embodied the feeling of what Thank You Next feels like listening to it, it was a great time and I highly recommend it. The banter was great

I really struggled with this book front eh very beginning to be honest, I found it difficult to get into and afew time I thought about just leaving it, however I did really want to give it a chance!

I just did not feel the chemistry with the characters in this book and I struggled with the fact that the book is wrote in the 3rd person.

Thankyou NetGallery and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

I will start by saying that this book was not what I expected in a good way. As it started, I was wanting Molly to get over herself, but as the story carried on and I saw the relationships she had knowingly(or unknowingly) created with other characters, it made me like her so much more. This was a fun, and funny, book and I appreciate getting to read it.

Thank you netgalley for an arc of Thank You, Next by Kathryn Freeman

A reality TV show about love and marriage was an interesting backdrop for this story, but the characters didn’t flesh out like I’d hoped they would. Duncan, Molly’s boyfriend as the story begins, did not come across as a good guy to me. I didn’t really understand why she’d fight for him given the fact that he broke up with her so he could go on a reality show and grow his business with the exposure. That aside, Molly and Ben were nice people, but there was SO much repetition in their thoughts and actions. I grew tired of being in their respective heads with all their worried thoughts. I didn’t like how Duncan repeatedly tried to manipulate Molly by preying on her insecurities. You don’t really get to know the other couples on the gameshow beyond random conversation and joking around. This seemed like a missed opportunity to me to add more depth to the story. The ending was cute but felt a bit out of character for Ben. I guess I wanted to see him communicate with Molly about his change of heart instead of springing it on her. This book was 2.5 stars for me.

***Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter (HarperCollins UK) and Kathryn Freeman. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own.***

Reality TV dating show. I'm not a huge reality tv girlie but this book was cute. Dual POV. Ex lovers. Found family. Troubled past. Ben and Molly have so many obstacles to face but will they make it work? It ended tragically the first time around now add in 2 ex lovers and a reality show.

Book was a little too slow paced for my liking but over was a cute fun read

Thank you NetGalley for the arc

This is my first time reading a book by Kathryn Freeman and what drew me about this book was the description of a dating show. As a fan of reality dating shows such as Love is Blind, The Bachelor/The Bachelorette I was super interested in requesting this book. It’s a great book concept, I liked the interaction between the characters, but certain parts/storylines got a bit repetitive. Overall it was a solid 4 stars, I would definitely read another book by Kathryn Freeman. Thank You NetGalley, Harper Collins UK for this early copy in exchange for my honest review. Publishing date of June 30, 2024.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Net Galley for the ARC of Thank You, Next by Kathryn Freeman. This story follows Molly, and young woman who finds herself dumped by her boyfriend Duncan, an up and coming fitness social media influencer, when he has the chance to be on a reality dating show called The One. Things get interesting when the shows’ producers approach Molly and ask if she wants to also join the show (unbeknownst to Duncan) to add the drama of having an ex-girlfriend around. Molly sees it as an opportunity to prove to Duncan that she is “the one” for him, it when she gets there, her world is turned upside down when she realizes Ben, a man who broke her heart three years prior, is also a contestant. Now, as she spends time with Ben again and learns the truth about why he broke up with her all those years ago, she realizes that maybe her one true love isn’t as clear cut as she thought.

Overall, I really enjoyed the premise of this book. A dating reality show where a woman comes face-to-face with two exes seems like a great opportunity for lots of tensions and drama. Unfortunately, the execution of the story was not as strong as I wanted it to be. Molly is supposed to be a young woman struggling with abandonment issues as a result of her biological mother abandoning her when she was just a child, but her character never quite hit the emotional depth it needed to. Throughout the story, Molly complains about Ben’s lack of communication and it feels like they just have the same conversation over and over again. Additionally, I absolutely reviled Molly’s ex-boyfriend Duncan. This jerk simultaneously “dates” a girl he is matched with and tries to string Molly along, called her “Babe” throughout the story. Even though Molly can see his deception, she mentions several times that Duncan “loved” her in a time when she felt she was unlovable. I know the story needed her to be conflicted for the drama, but I don’t know how she could have even imagined getting back together after the way he behaves on the show. This is a two star book for me because of the lack of character depth and the dialogue that felt inauthentic at times.

2.5☆
Loved the idea of this book. I love watching cringey dating reality TV, so when I saw this one, I knew I had to read it.

Unfortunately, I did not vibe with the characters at all. They were all childish and irritating. About halfway through, i didn't really care what the outcome would be. Which was very anticlimactic.

I couldn't wait for this to end.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I think there are plenty of people out there who will enjoy this book, but the relationships felt very forced and strenuous to me and I just couldn't get into the story.
Firstly. I still don't understand why Duncan was given a free pass for breaking up with Molly to go on a dating show while they were at the point of their relationship to be discussing marriage, while Ben was made to be the villain for being open with Molly and explaining that he was not at a point where he could be emotionally involved in a serious relationship. Ben tried to be upfront so that he would not end up hurting Molly and she completely iced him out. Even after explaining that he had lost his ex-wife and did not feel comfortable pursing a relationship, Molly was still very standoffish. It really bothered me that she still considered Duncan in everything that she did, even while actively dating and falling for Ben. I know that it was supposed to come across as a jealousy inducing "fake dating" situation, but it really didn't read that way. I'm also incredibly surprised that Jasmine put up with as much as she did from Duncan because that would have been a dealbreaker for me.
Secondly, the flow of writing seemed very choppy to me and much of the dialogue between characters was kind of cringy. When Molly was asked what she was looking for in a match on a dating show to get MARRIED, her response was something to the effect of "bulging muscles and blonde hair and blue eyes." Really? You're wanting a husband and those are the only qualities that you're looking for? I know she had Duncan in mind, but can you say shallow? The fact that she hurt Ben with her responses and didn't give a second thought really bothered me. Also, Molly and Bens inability communicate or compromise on their desire to be married at the end did not read well either and felt like an extremely unhealthy pairing.
The ending was okay, but it came across as being extremely awkward at the altar. I will never know for sure if Ben truly wanted to marry Molly or if his fear and insecurity made him agree to prevent her from going after Duncan.

For someone who does not ever watch any kind of dating reality TV shows (EVER!), this is the third reality-series-based novels I've read in a relatively short period of time. This book was just okay for me. I didn't love it, and I didn't hate it. It was fairly predictable but I had a hard time liking any of the characters (even Molly), and parts of it felt very repetitive (this could be a function of me reading way too much reality-TV-based fiction lately, though). Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK One More Chapter for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

📚 This book took me wayyyy too long to read. There were several instances where I debated DNF’ing but had to force myself to keep going. 😩📖

What I struggled with most in the book was the 3rd person narrative, the one-dimensional characters, the repetitive dialogue and conflict, and the main characters' supposed chemistry, which truly felt nonexistent. 🤷‍♀️💔

"Thank You, Next" delivered on its interesting premise with a funny and cute romance taking place during a reality show. 🌟📺 Molly and Ben, who have dated before, end things badly, only to be surprised when they’re matched up on a dating show where couples meet at the end of an aisle after four weeks to say ‘I Do’… or not. 💍📆 Molly actually comes on the show to match up with her ex, Duncan, so I was looking forward to what would happen amongst all the couples. 👀💞 Luckily (or unluckily, depending on your tastes), this story has everyone acting mostly as their best selves, allowing readers to focus on the romance and our main characters working through past trauma that could challenge their journey to finding love. 💖✨

I would like to express my appreciation to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of "Thank You, Next" by Kathryn Freeman.

The story revolves around Molly, whose boyfriend Duncan, a personal trainer, decides to participate in a dating reality show and temporarily breaks up with her. Unbeknownst to him, Molly is invited to the show where she comes face to face with two of her exes, including Ben, who broke her heart during their 6-week relationship. To her dismay, Molly is paired with Ben on the show, and we witness how their forced proximity affects their behaviour. While the book was entertaining, there were moments when the pacing felt slow, and it was challenging to maintain interest due to . The story explores the impact of reality TV on relationships and emotions, shedding light on the difficulties of navigating love within a highly orchestrated setting.

I don't watch reality TV shows, so I don't know if this is how it goes.

#RomanceNovel #RealityTV #SecondChances #RelationshipDynamics #LoveStory #CharacterDevelopment #EmotionalJourney #DatingShowDrama #UnexpectedTwists #BookReview

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this cute rom-com.

I requested this arc because I LOVE a good reality show and even better if it's a reality show based on finding love. The concept really drew me in and while the story line was cute, the overall execution fell a bit flat for me.

I'm not a huge fan of third person but I really don't mind it if the story is a good one and like I said, it was a cute story, but I just wanted more. I didn't feel like any of the characters were truly likeable and there really was no growth throughout the story. Every character was the same as when you initially meet them. I wanted a little more depth out of the story but it did make for a cute summer read.