The Launch Date was such a fun, lighthearted read! Grace is relatable, and I couldn’t help but root for her as she navigates her work and love life, especially with the twist of having to date her rival, Eric. The chemistry between them is electric, and even though it’s filled with fake dates and office tension, I found myself hoping they’d figure things out. If you’re looking for a cute, romantic comedy with some workplace drama, this one’s a great pick!

Stellar. Amazing. The best enemies to lovers I have read in YEARS. I was lucky enough to receive The Launch Date as an eARC, but I truly adored Grace and Eric with all my heart and I will be running out to buy a physical copy asap. I 11/10 recommend!!!

A super cute fun enemies to lovers romcom, The Launch Date is the perfect novel to enjoy on a eh longer!

The Launch Date by Annabelle Slator. Four star read. I found this witty and fun. It’s a well-written workplace romcom.

This is a nice, easy read with great characters! I found it slow to get into but once I did I couldn’t put it down!

This was a fast paced read and I did enjoy it, but there were parts of it that I found frustrating. The continual lack of communication and the fact that things were withheld from the reader for seemingly no reason. It was also very obvious that Eric never even remotely disliked Grace and so none of the tension was there for me. I did enjoy all the dates and the way that they allowed the characters relationship to deepen and all the hotel stuff was really fun, as was the ending.

Two tropes drew me in to this one; enemies to lovers and workplace romance. It was a really easy and fun read with a cute backstory and an initially compelling budding romance.

The rom-com element of this book was the real star of the show. Annabelle can write banter like the best of them. As a fellow Brit I found great joy reading a book with *our* sense of humour written into it. Grace and Eric sure can entertain, and I had many a giggle and feet kick moment while reading their discourse.

There was a lot of focus on the workplace trope - a technical jargon overload to being with - and I found myself reaching for more depth in their relationship. I loved that they hated each other, and I loved that they became friends (again), but I wasn't totally sold on their romance. They ended up loving each other - duh, it's a romance book - but I didn't fully believe the story of how they got there. The slow burn just kind of... slowed to nothing for me.

Overall a good solid debut and I would definitely look for more releases from this author in the future.

I had seen so many of my friends read this early and absolutely loved it so I was very excited to jump in and pick this up.

I'll fully admit I struggled to get into this, and to b e honest, I have no idea why. There was nothing wrong with the book - I do think it was a me problem.

I love a workplace nemesis to lovers romance and this book handled it so well. The characters were well developed. The writing flowed well and was easy to follow and read. The plot was ideal (who doesn't love some fake dating!?). Overall, this book was very good.

I have knocked a star off because something felt missing for me. I don't know what, and I can see why it gets 5 star ratings, but I just couldn't quite justify it from my view.

5 stars
Content warning: toxic previous relationship, mentioning of past cheating, predatory behaviour in the workplace, workplace bullying, misogyny, injury, child abandonment, toxic parenting (historical), emotional neglect growing up
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

The Launch Date is Annabelle Slator's debut, and you often forget that while reading this novel. It's a witty, albeit predictable yet refreshing take on some of the popular romance novels we all loved several years back, and very polished for a first novel. I loved the nostalgic feeling I got reading this, reminiscing on books like The Hating Game when I first started reading again as an adult, and this just really filled me up with happiness.

Grace is battling to get herself heard in her current job. She's full of ideas yet a huge people pleaser and weighed down by the tasks suitable for more than one person. The transformation she undergoes seems subtle initially; she reaches out for a career-changing opportunity, and it's full of mistakes and hardships, yet it allows her to grow. She defines her boundaries, and her self-worth, and rediscovers being in the company of her workplace rival Eric isn't as bad as she was telling herself. With Eric's banter, her desire to win the role they're competing for, and their softer, vulnerable moments, you really get to understand that the miscommunication between them, whilst valid reasons led her to take with the information she had at the time, had divided them from thriving together for some time. I loved that the romance isn't rushed, there's good tension throughout, yet building their previous friendship back up is important to them.

Eric is honestly a walking green flag, even if for quite some time, Grace doesn't think so. Although you wish he had tried harder to push Grace through her perceived notions, it makes sense he let her think poorly of him all this time and continued to press her buttons just to have some interaction with her. The importance of navigating that he too has feelings and she hurt them is appreciated by me. I liked that Grace started to see her black and white picture of Eric as murky grey the longer they were together working on their project. And when the passion ignites, it's beautifully done. Annoyingly, there is a small obstacle immediately after said passion, but it's handled well, and the revelations create a space for the pair to acknowledge their hurt and move forward with their evident connection.

The Launch Date came to me at the perfect time and I read it all in one sitting, right into the early hours of the morning because I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this to readers, especially those who enjoyed The Hating Game and love banter within the workspace.

This book was great. A very full and interesting story with plenty of characters with unique characteristics. I actually did not dislike any of the characters, which comes as a surprise as there is always one! The characters were very interesting and each had their own quirks and stories to differentiate them from one another.

I absolutely LOVED the relationship between Grace and Eric. They seemed to have a previous friendship of sorts which definitely makes the story feel realistic and 'lived in'. They were great friends, enemies and lovers - all in one.

The intimate scene was a pleasure to read and had me GIGGLING! The way that it started was super satisfying and I absolutely love how it flowed. I am absolutely screaming at the fact we were left of on a mini cliff hanger! I need to know what we were going to be told!!

I have mixed feelings about this one.

It did everything it promised it would do based on the premise, but I was still sadly a bit bored reading this. It didn't feel very new or inventive to me, and therefore didn't give me that feeling of 'I really want to keep reading this'. Had I not read somethhing similar before, then yes, this would probably have been a better book for me.

I enjoyed the dynamic between Grace and Eric, though, it is very evident right from the start that he didn't dislike her at all so I wouldn't call this enemies to lovers as it doesn't deliver on that premise. More so, it would be a case of 'he falls first' with all the little details we get about him and his infatuation with Grace. He really was down bad for her which I found endearing.

On that note, I also almost found it surprising how oblivious Grace was to Eric, and how she kept ignoring this. Likewise, how she acted after their first night spent together, annoyed me. Rather than making me want to keep reading, it just made me frustrated. I also felt a bit let down by the scene when they FINALLY got together and likewise the one when they made up. Instead of rooting for them and cheering them on, I felt quite passive and neutral about it all. It was more of a 'Yay for them' and not a 'YAY FOR THEM I AM SO HAPPY!'.

Based on this, I'd give this book 3 stars. It delivers on what it says it will do, looking at similar books I have read, but due to having read too many other titles like this, I felt like I couldn't connect with it. I will say, this is a title some people could easily love, it just wasn't for me.

I was far more invested in this book than I anticipated and was desperate to know what had happened to damage the friendship (with chemistry) between Grace and Eric in the past. These two are friends to enemies to rivals to lovers so it's bringing a lot of energy to the book. I liked that Eric and Grace worked the same role for different companies, so their paths don't cross often naturally but boy when they do, it sure is something. The rivalry that developed between these two is savage and throw in some forced proximity and a good dose of competition, along with some very romantic dates, and tensions are running high. It was easy to get swept up into the drama and I enjoyed the chemistry between these two and watching them rebuild a tentative friendship, healing some of their broken pieces. Books where a defining event in the past has ruined the main characters' relationship aren't my go-to choice because I'm impatient when it's teased out over the length of the book, but I thought the author did something interesting with this that I won't spoil (it's a small thing you might not notice or appreciate though). I did also struggle to get behind the name Eric for the mmc. It's not very common with younger generations. Finally, I personally would have liked to see their physical relationship develop at a different stage. It didn't feel quite right to me at that point. Otherwise, a really great read with some good development of connection between these too and a pretty movie-perfect finish.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Happy release day!! 🎉

The easiest way to describe this book is to think of The Hating Game combined with The Devil Wears Prada and this is what you get!

I liked that Grace was a bit of a push over to begin with that soon developed the strength and confidence to stand up for herself, especially towards her boss. I also enjoyed how Eric let Grace see underneath the persona that was portrayed by the press and he let her see the real him. Both Eric and Grace were very witty and I enjoyed reading the banter thrown between them both!

I do enjoy a slow burn and this one had all the chemistry. However, I’m not the biggest fan of a miscommunication trope…just talk! 🙄 But overall I enjoyed this romcom, I raced through and it was just the filler I needed 💘

Tropes you’ll find;
💋 Enemies/rivals to lovers
💌 Workplace romance
💋 Forced proximity
💌 Slow burn
💋 Strong side characters

Thank you @bantambooksuk for my eArc of this one 🫶🏼

3.5⭐️ A great debut, but I think this needed to be a dual POV kind of story so that we can get a full scope of story. IO felt like Grace was a little unreliable.
I am always up for a workplace enemies to lovers book, especially when it’s being compared to one of the most popular, The Hating Game. Strangely enough, this was not a favourite of mine and I am a huge fan of enemies to lovers but when I read that a second time, I was no longer a fan. The Launch Date gave me similar vibes. While I have zero experience with dating apps myself, I do find myself enjoying the fun angle they bring to contemporary romance. While I think this one may have been just a bit too slow burn for me to love it, I still enjoyed getting to know these characters and watching their relationship progress. All in all, this is a cute romcom perfect to read during the month of love.

Despite going back and forth one time too many, I loved this workplace enemies to lovers romance.

I enjoyed the British-isms and London setting too.

I took off one and a half star because the main issue was the result of massive miscommunication. If FMC wasn’t so against confrontation their issues would have been resolved a long time ago.

I can’t believe this is a debut, I loved it so much! This was a really cute and funny read, plus extremely relatable for anyone who’s ever suffered a horrible boss.

Grace is stuck in a job she can’t progress in thanks to her demanding manager and dreams of not having to be at her beck and call. When a promotion opportunity comes up it’s the perfect chance for her to move up…only it comes at the price of partnering up with her colleague and ex friend Eric.

Annabelle has an amazing way with words and the pacing of the story was perfect! She seamlessly flipped between the past and present, never leaving me confused on where the story was. The romance was a slow burn build up and I was laughing out loud at how relatable it was.

You’ll love this if you’re a fan of Beth O’Leary’s books, I highly recommend and can’t wait to read more of Annabelle’s books in the future.

I could not put this book down and ended up staying up till 3am to finish it. I was hooked from the very beginning, reading it in one sitting and it is one of the easiest 5 stars I've ever given.

I loved everything about this one, from the premise to the characters. It also has two of my favourite tropes, enemies to lovers and workplace romance, with the two being forced to work together and go one 'test' dates while competing for the same promotion.

Grace and Eric were fantastic and loveable characters whose character development was on point. I loved seeing the two grow, especially Grace, and open up to one another as their bond forms. They are both incredibly witty and the chemistry between them is absolute perfection.

Honestly I could talk about this book for hours but I don't want to spoil the experience. I 100% recommend this if you are a big romance fan, especially workplace romance or enemies to lovers. It's engaging, addictive and I'm still in shock that this is a debut novel! I cannot wait to read whatever Annabelle writes next.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found this to be a really enjoyable read. Our main character Grace was very relatable especially because of the imposter syndrome aspect/ bouts of self doubt that have you questioning everything you do professionally and personally. I did get frustrated with her at various points because there were instances where she hid behind her insecurities instead of trusting what was right in front of her but overall I really liked her as a character. Eric was everything I love in a leading man, a little arrogant, a little charming and just full of hidden layers that get pulled back as the story progresses. I loved the fizzy energy and chemistry between Grace and Eric. Lots of banter, snark, angst and mutual longing hidden behind their fears and masks/ walls. I liked how bit by bit we got to know the history of their relationship and what led to their current “rivalry” and I loved how it all came to a head. Grace’s roommates Yemi and Alice were a delight and the type of wonderfully supportive and wise friends everyone should have. Well written, engaging from the start and kept me hooked to see if and how things would be resolved. 4 ⭐️

Grace Hastings seems to be facing downhill--she had a nasty breakup, her career is stagnating, her boss is a nightmare and she has begun to hate her dream job at the popular dating app Fate as she doesn't believe in happily ever after anymore. However, the CEO offers her a chance for promotion and Grace is determined to prove to everyone that she was reliable and hardworking. However, she has to develop a series of test dates and she has to work with her work rival, Eric Bancroft. Grace reluctantly starts fake dating Eric but didn't realize that she was going to be in love with her own work rival.

This was a fun read. Grace is a likable character and I enjoy enemy to lovers trope, which suited well for this story. The whole story is well written and engaging and there were some funny parts in the book that will make you love. I also grew to like Eric. I also like how friendship developed between Eric and Grace and then eventually, they for real started falling for each other. This would have been a typical Hallmark movie but as a reader, you would have wanted a happily ever after for both Grace and Eric. There were some spicy scenes in the book as well. Overall, I actually enjoyed reading this book and had fun time reading this one--worth 4.5 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

This story had me rooting for Eric and Grace the whole way through, I absolutely loved them! Enemies to lovers is my favourite romance trope and this 100% lived up to my expectations! What a great book for Valentine’s Day, the humour, the workplace forbidden romance, the little spicy parts, the jealousy all worked nicely in their relationship! It was lovely to learn of their previous friendship and how this went wrong. Expertly written and I wish that dating app could become a reality because I’d be straight on there! I flew through this, which was a surprise since I’ve been in a bit of a slump, this must’ve been exactly what I needed! A lovely romcom to read in my usually thriller filled world!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, and Annabelle Slator for the ARC of Slator's debut novel; The Launch Date.

The Launch Date follows Grace and Eric, employees of two different dating app companies who work under the same umbrella group and, therefore, in the same office. They used to be friends, but after an eventful office party, they can barely stand being in the same room. Grace and Eric have both been given the opportunity to put together new presentations for the Catch Group's latest venture; Ditto, in order to secure the Head of Marketing position.

I will say that The Launch Date is definitely for those who enjoyed The Hating Game by Sally Thorne as they have very similar premises and follow the same workplace rivals going for the same job trope. I did enjoy reading this book, however, the first half was quite slow-paced so it took me a little while to get into it. Once the slow burn started burning, I found myself more interested and wanting to pick the book up.

The Launch Date releases on 13 February 2025.