This book is an easy read. It will give you that wholesome feeling. It has a good pace, it’s simple and fun – exactly everything it promised it would be but be warned it’s for the lovers of slow burns, the lovers of those almost happening but then it doesn’t happen… and when happens it’s so much more rewarding.
- Childhood crush
- Small town
- 2nd chance
- Slow burn
- Banter
- Funny

I'm a sucker for a grumpyXsunshine romance and I love a black cat FMC with her golden retriever MMC (who she had her first kiss with at 18!!) so this book was ticking boxes before I'd even begun. I loved Hannah, who under that icy facade, was super sweet and Teddy was the dream MMC. I expected this to be a fluffy, cute, steamy romance and that's exactly what it was!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for providing the ARC.

I want to start off by saying that grumpy/romance is one of my favorite tropes and I especially love it when the FMC is the grumpy one. However, I felt that this one really missed the mark.

I had a hard time relating to Hannah, especially because she was in her mid-thirties but the outlook she had on herself was very reminiscent of the same outlook I had when I was in college, and much younger. Her bully acted and reacted like a stereotypical high school villain and the MMC was completely blind to this person's behavior until he witnessed it himself. Everything about their whole relationship felt forced and strained.

The most egregious part about this was that I never felt that Hannah even really liked Ted. I could tell how Ted felt, but despite it being a single POV book, I never really grasped what Hannah felt at any point in time. And after everything, the complete shift from thinly veiled animosity to being in love felt very much like whiplash.

Not a bad book by any stretch. Just I feel like it could have been fleshed out some more and perhaps add some more empathy to Hannah's character so readers can understand why she is the way she is.

Returning to her home town after finding her boyfriend in bed with another, Hannah takes up a position as a vet in a local practice, a bit of a demotion from her research position at a university. She finds out that Teddy, with whom she had some history at school, was refurbishing the house next door to where she was now living. She considers him just a flirt, whilst struggling with her own feeling of being unattractive.
I'm always worried when the synopsis of a book hypes up the spicyness of the story as I'm not a fan of too explicit scenes. I'd enjoyed the author's previous book The Henry Effect so had high hopes for this one and wasn't disappointed. I could relate to Hannah's social anxiety with her resultant lack of conversational skills and poor self-image, handsome Teddy unfortunately less so. There were plenty of humorous moments whilst Teddy attempts to teach Hannah how to interact with people, some less so when she faces those who bullied her at school. Being a vet there are naturally animals in the mix and I didn't need to worry about the spicy scenes are they fitted the story so well. Definitely recommended.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

What do you get when you cross a prickly vet with the gorgeous architect she kissed at eighteen, add in a blind goat, a mischievous cat and an ex who won’t take no for an answer?

You get a hilarious rom-com filled with flirtatious banter, grumpy resignedness and sprinkles of feeling. Oh, and of course, that steam we are all so addicted to!

This was a delightful read, following a socially struggling vet, Hannah, and the man who was her first decent kiss at eighteen, Teddy - now a gorgeous and bearded architect....and her neighbour. After a rather dramatic reunion involving a horse and a mountain bike, the two come to a mutually beneficial arrangement - he'll help her be nicer, and she'll become his DIY assistant.

What could possibly go wrong?

After reading The Hot Henry Effect I was so excited for this one!! This is one of my favorite tropes, black cat x golden retriever and it’s Henry’s twin!!! Teddy was just delicious and adorable and was so obsessed with Hannah. They had such good chemistry and the angst was perfect. It was a perfect little romcom that I was very invested in the whole time. Happy to see their happy ending :)

Teddy Fraser is such a dream boat. In this page-turning golden retriever x black cat romance, we see insecure Hannah move back to her old time to, of course, almost immediately run into the one boy who gave her the unforgettable kiss fifteen years prior. A story about knowing your worth, this one’s worth the read.

The way I ate up this cute rom-com like it was my last meal! The chemistry between Teddy & Hannah is HOT. Teddy doesn't just fall first, he falls for her YEARS ahead of our story and never gives up. My heart was so full seeing him break down some walls to help Hannah get to a much better place.
This is def a slow burn with a steady stream of funny banter. Hannah really does find her place in her own village, goats & all.
Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollinsUK/OneMoreChapter for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4/5.

*4.5

This was adorable. All these two idiots had to do was talk to each other but they refused and I loved it. They clearly had feelings for each other but were too worried about the intentions of the other person to do anything about it. The little moments of Clara and Henry were also cute. Teddy being on love with her since they were kids is a fun little add on.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Hannah is a vet with a chip on her shoulder that has left her a bit abrasive some would say. She keeps running into Teddy, a hot makeout buddy from her past and the biggest flirt she has ever met. He keeps popping up and so she asks him to help her be nicer because her boss had asked her to work on it. It is a slow burn small town romance that I really enjoyed!

Fundamentals in Flirting is a novel that blends British wit, quirky characters, and a unique narrative style. While the book offers some charming moments and a refreshing take on romantic comedy, it also stumbles with a few missteps.
One of the novel's strengths lies in its British setting and the easy use of British slang. Teddy's character, with his charming attempts at accents to get them out of a sticky situation and endearing quirks, is a highlight.
However, the character of Hannah, while realistic, can be frustrating at times. Her constant self-sabotage and annoyance at the world often hinder the narrative's momentum.
The novel's frequent breaks of the fourth wall can be both endearing and disruptive. While it adds a unique layer to the storytelling, it can sometimes feel excessive and detract from the immersion.
Additionally, there are moments when Hannah's behaviour seems inconsistent with her age, making her feel younger than her 30s.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the novel is the inclusion of a sex scene that feels like it doesn’t want to be there.
Overall, Fundamentals in Flirting is a mixed bag. It offers some enjoyable moments and a unique perspective on love and relationships too.

This is a wonderful, heartwarming, and funny book, that I thoroughly enjoyed! Hannah is a vet who leaves life as she knows it, and ends up finding everything she wanted. Lots of shenanigans, a goat, a cat, a hot architect, misunderstandings, and a treasure hunt are involved, and make you smile while reading this book. I'd definitely recommend it to fans of the author, as characters from her previous book make an appearance, and make this enemies to lovers book a must read.

This was such a cute read. It's definitely a slow burn, though, so I ow that going into it. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline.

A cute romance read to warm your heart! Fundementals in Flirting follows Hannah, a vet with a chip on her shoulder, learning to be less prickly and more sociable with the help of ex high school crush Teddy.

As much as I wanted to like this, I just couldn't get into the story and dnf at around 30%. A lot of the plot sounds unbelievable and naive at times. My biggest peeve was the portrayal of Jonathon and the response to him sexually coercing two of the characters, one of them a student of his. He gets off scot-free and the main character both loses her position at the university and any other chance to work at other universities. It doesn't sit right with me and I'm disappointed that this wasn't explored further.

Not my cup of tea overall, but if you like authors like Ali Hazelwood, give this a go.

Slow burn. Hannah’s insecurities really get in the way. She just can’t believe that anyone could be attracted to her and love her, especially a sweet, kind flirtatious man. But her prickliness is getting in the way of her job, so she asks Teddy to teach her be friendlier. He has his own insecurities and so these two just keep drawing the wrong conclusions. But ultimately they take a chance on each other. Loved the assorted secondary characters including all the animals!

I loved this book, I felt so many emotions whilst reading and I felt so invested all the way through,

Cute slowwww burn. I tend to gravitate to book where a main character is a veterinarian. The banter was fun also!

Another adorable RomCom from Lucy Chalice. This time we are in the Cotswalds at a Veterinary practice with Dr. Hannah Havens. Hannah runs into her old crush/nemesis Teddy Fraser, and then proceeds to agree to a ridiculous deal with him where he teachers her how to be nicer and charming (because her job is on the line for her lack of bedside manner), and she helps him remodel the new rectory next door that he's just moved into. Hannah and Teddy have a short but fiery history from when they were 18 and kissed one night at a party. One misunderstanding from post-kiss, and Hannah has held a grudge against Teddy for decades while he's only ever wanted her. What really makes this book work is that Hannah and Teddy have such great banter. They give each other a really hard time while also helping each other out. Teddy brings Hannah out of her shell and supports her when she's unsure. Hannah acts like a "lunatic," but it's probably one of the things Teddy loves most about her. It does get a bit tiring that Hannah doesn't believe Teddy the thousands of times he tells her that she's beautiful and he wants her, but her self-esteem is really low from years of being bullied. You really root for these two the entire time, and are completely charmed by the countryside, farm animals, and cast of side characters. It's easy to fall in love with a Lucy Chalice book.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a cute take on a second chance/rivals to lovers trope. I found the female main character a bit hard to like, as she consistently thought the absolute worst of the mmc. The constant interruption of them finally making a move got a bit tedious.

If you are a fan of romcoms with an HEA this book is for you!!! Throw in some dating/people-ing lessons with an added dash of tension and you have a smash hit!!! Hannah and Teddy complement each other so well with their witty banter and spicy personalities. From the beginning of chapter one to the epilogue I was hooked!! I felt like I could really relate to Hannah’s struggle with self-image and was inspired by her confidence (and the fact that the author, Lucy, portrayed the reality of setbacks when trying to reach a goal)! It’s been a long time since I have found a book I couldn’t put down!! I read this in one sitting!!!