Book Review💫💫
How To Write a Rom-Com by Cristina Wolf
Pub Date: May 15th 2025

Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Debut Novel
Small town romance
Single POV
He falls first
Book about books

Lucy Bowen has had enough of romance and sworn off love. Working in the biggest romance publishing house she deals with it on the regular. When their bestselling author Ruby is in a creative rut and threatens to leave due to poor sales.

She is sent to a small lakeside town to find inspiration for Ruby's next bestselling love story. And suddenly she finds all her views beginning to change..


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I've been on such a weird funk with my reading lately that I am not obsessed with anything I have read lately but this book was the complete opposite.

Just loved it, such a good read. I will recommend this to everyone I cross paths with.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Such a quick, charming read! I loved the premise of How to Write a Rom-Com from the very start - an editorial assistant at a romance imprint sent to a small town to work on a book idea for a burnt out author? Brilliant. Lucy was such a great heroine. I really connected with her, and her weaning hope in romance being real. Her character arc was done so beautifully, from the eagerness for promotion and frustration to embracing the people of the gorgeously set lakeside town, to falling in love with Liam and realising what she wanted from her own life.

The ending had me grinning like an idiot to my Kindle on a plane. Just loved it, such a lovely book. Would recommend to all rom com fans!

I loved this book so much. It was a perfect debut romance.

It had all the feels you need.
It was a pleasure reading this book about writing a rom-com. It's interesting learning about what an author has to do to write a book.
Can't wait to read this authors next book.
Just loved it!!!!

Thank you, Net Galley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

I was disappointed in this novel, as I came to it expecting to find something more than a romance. The idea at the heart of the novel, showing how writing a romance works is smart. However, the story never goes beyond this simple aspiration. Depicting engaging characters who struggle against the platitudes of the genre, raising some comic plot devices to undermine the genre, while eventually having to succumb – after all, who wants to really deprive the world of romance and its authors – would have been such a smart move. Cristina Wolf does not take this option.

So, how well does she do with the material with which she chooses to work? Girl meets boy under a false pretext, dawning realisation of attraction and guilt about the secrecy, eventual resolution? The setting, a publisher, is a positive. Researching a plot and characters for a romance novel, is another clever idea. However, for me this was potential unrealised. There is a lovely, fortuitous event beginning and ending the story, and Wolf’s references to familiar romantic fiction, films, and television series, provides good background to her ideas. Lucy has potential, as do the other characters. However, repetitious phrases – people ‘whine’ rather than speak, are jarring.

For readers who want a romance, this book will satisfy. For those who want more, it will disappoint.

A charming, witty delight—this book had me grinning from page one!

How to Write a Rom-Com was everything I wanted in a feel-good romance and more. I went in expecting a light, cute story, and what I got was an absolute joy to read—clever, hilarious, heartwarming, and totally addictive. I devoured it in a single weekend, basking in the sunshine, drinking iced tea devouring the dopamine it delivered.

Lucy, our main character, is a total mood and I want to be her bestie. Funny, self-aware, and unexpectedly vulnerable, she felt so relatable from the very beginning. Her job in publishing brought an irresistible charm to the story, especially with the way the book played with rom-com tropes and poked fun at them in the most loving way. Her Instagram obsession and love for happily-ever-afters made her feel like a character straight out of a BookTok feed, in the best way possible. I wonder if she’d join my book club? 😂

And Liam? Oh, Liam. The grumpy small-town restaurant owner across the street from her rental cottage? He was the perfect counterpart to Lucy’s chaotic optimism. Their chemistry was electric, the slow burn delicious, and the moments of yearning and miscommunication had me squealing.

I laughed out loud more times than I could count—at the banter, the quirky small-town residents, and the perfect awkward moments. But beneath the humour was also a story about rediscovering hope, embracing vulnerability, and finding love in the most unexpected places.

Fans of Book Lovers by Emily Henry or anyone who lives and breathes rom-coms will adore this. It’s smart, joyful, and absolutely brimming with heart. I genuinely haven’t stopped talking about it since I turned the final page—and I’ll be first in line for whatever Cristina Wolf writes next.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Aria for the ARC—I’m still floating on a cloud from this one. If you love books, if you love love, and if you need a break from the bleakness of real life, How to Write a Rom-Com is the book for you!!!

Such a fun read! I love a protagonist who works in publishing and the meta qualities of the book made it so much fun and fresh! I loved the use of Lucy's instagram and her love for book tropes dotting throughout the book. This was devoured in the garden over a weekend and it could not have been more perfect. The yearning, mis-interpretations and hilarious town characters create an irresistible small-town romance read!

this was a short and sweet experience for a rom-com lover like me.
while reading the story of the female main character Lucy I was like she's such a mood help I can't with her! simply because she could be funny, lighthearted and also an inspiring main character and it was a pleasure for me to read her story that led her to meet Liam our lovely small town male main charcter and the rest of the gang

I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you NetGalley for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a cute story, a little cliche at times but I found the town and the characters to be very charming and sweet. I needed a little bit more from the romance, I didn’t really feel the chemistry between the characters and there could have been a bit more tension between them.

♥️ How to write a rom-com
✍️Cristina Wolf
📚Published 15 May 2025

Thank you @netgalley for a kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy has sworn off love, but happens to work for New York’s biggest romance publisher. Her next assignment? A working holiday to research small town romance, undercover in an actual small town… What could possibly go wrong?!

Lighthearted, cosy, cute and fun. I couldn’t put this one down! I found Lucy to be really relatable, and everyone who knows me knows how much I appreciate a FRIENDS reference 🤭

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh my.
I think I've never read such cliched and predictable book before. I know, I know, it is "How to Write a Rom - Com", but I've never thought that it will be so literally written.
The beginning was good but it didn't take long and everything went downhill. I had a feeling we are staying in one place, that nothing is happening. Everything is described in a very minutiaed way, with very small and often not so important details, I didn't have a chance to see the things as I was told by the author what to see. It was not interesting. I didn't connect with the characters, the main character's inner monologue was killing me, but really the worst was the fact that we were truning in circles and you've seen it coming - you've seen everything coming. I understand, I do, but I think, some surprises on the way wouldn't be so bad.
I also wasn't invested in the romance and when I was at the end it was already too late. Also because I have skipped a lot.

I love bookish rom-coms and the synopsis was really good and inviting, but the book didn't deliver to me at all. I was happy when I finalley reached the end.

Lucy works in publishing as an assistant, she is sent to small town upstate New York to get ideas on a new small town romance novel. Luke is the local diner owner (I see what you did there) who runs into Lucy when she arrives in town. Quirky, funny and romantic, this story will perfectly capture your heart if you love a small town romance novel.

I have been screaming from the rooftops about this book to every single soul I've seen. I am someone who needs a rom-com to ensure that they feel an ounce of happiness in their life. How to Write a Rom-Com provided me with an infinite amount of joy. I feel like I have been floating around on a cloud since reading this dazzling debut from Cristina Wolf.

Let's be honest, the current dating scene doesn't exactly fill a girl with a lot of hope at the moment. It's no wonder that Lucy Bowen has sworn off love. If you're searching for a fairytale romance with a happily ever after, you may as well turn to the books. The only place you'll find a decent man these days is in between the pages. And that's exactly what Lucy does, working for the New York City's biggest romance publisher. When Lucy is given an assignment to go to a small town and find the next chart topping hit for their bestselling author, Ruby Jones, it sounds exactly like the start of a cliche rom-com she would sink her teeth into at home. These kinds of stories don't exist in real life. Or do they? When the first person she meets is the attractive restaurant owner, Liam, who just so happens to live across the road from where she's staying, could Lucy have been wrong this entire time? Always remember the biggest cliche of every rom-com... love finds you when you least expect it.

From laughing out loud, to just giggling at how much I loved the characters, How to Write a Rom-Com was a book that I couldn't put down. Not that I wanted to. There's nothing quite like having your eyes glued to the page of a rom-com.

This truly is for people who loved Book Lovers (Emily Henry). And just for people who love books.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Aria for sending me an e-ARC of this book! I have been skipping down the road ever since I finished reading! If you love romance, read How to Write a Rom-Com. If you love reading, read How to Write a Rom-Com. If you want to get into reading, read How to Write a Rom-Com. In case I didn't make it obvious enough, I think everyone should read How to Write a Rom-Com.

Whatever Cristina Wolf writes next, I will read it. Until then, I'll just continue gushing over this book!

This is a light romance story about Lucy, a book editor from Manhattan who goes to the small town of Hudson Hollow to find ideas for romance stories. There, she meets Liam, a grouchy restaurant owner. The book combines the charm of a small town with the idea of a romance expert learning about love herself.

While I appreciated the fast pace and the nice setting, I have mixed feelings about Lucy. I don't need my heroines to be perfect to be likeable, but I do like them to be a bit more grounded. Opening with the FMC being generally kinda crappy to a barista is not my vibe. I think some interactions are supposed to be cute and sassy, but ended up being grating. The romance genre culture drops are heavy and fast, and while cute here and there, got to be a bit of a pastiche in my opinion.

Something about this book just didn't vibe with me, I think maybe I'm just the wrong audience.

I love a small town romcom and this book does not disappoint. It had me giggling and kicking my feet from the start. It was such an easy and fun read.

Lucy is such a fun, loveable and quirky character. She speaks before she thinks and this really had me laughing throughout the book. Liam comes across as mysterious and grumpy at first but you soon come to release he is a big softy like his GSD Blue. He is passionate about his town and has his family, friends and townspeople best interests at heart (and he’s a great chef, what more could a girl want)

The relationship between Lucy and Liam is fun and lighthearted yet you can see the romantic tension building between them from the start, it had me rooting for them after every meet! The book is such a slow burn romance but in the sweetest possible way!

Hudson Hollow is literally the blueprint for a small town. It was detailed so well that I felt I was there. I loved the town and all of its characters.

This book gave me Abby Jimenez vibes and I loved it!

If you enjoy a slow burn romance with serious small town vibes then this is the book for you!

3⭐️

Lucy is a romance book editor from Manhattan who has lost her mojo. She is sent to small town Hudson Hollow to research romance novel ideas for a client who is threatening to leave the agency.
Liam has lived in Hudson Hollow all his life, and runs a local restaurant. Lucy isn’t sure what to make of Liam at first, with his grumpy persona and specialism of “city folk”. As they spend more time together, they begin to break down each other’s walls. Maybe Lucy can fall back in love with love.

This was a really sweet read and I sped through it in 1 day. I really liked the town and the characters were very lovable. I didn’t find anything particularly unique about this story, and I find sometimes it’s a bit meta reading a rom com about someone writing a rom com, but we was still an enjoyable read - and a perfect summer read/palate cleanser.

When I read the first page of this book I honestly thought this was going to be just anothet cheesy romance book...in a hallmark film kinda way. But the more I read, the more I fell in love with the characters and the small town and I devoured this book in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. Yes, its plot is very much hallmark, but the character development from big city girl (with a lot of swearing I may add!) to being humbled by the small town and friendly people she meets was what helped me to see this as something more. It's pure escapism and such an easy read. A little bit of steam but not too much. It made me want to visit Hudson Hollow myself just for the atmosphere, and to eat in Liz's diner. We all dream of a romance like this and for our lives to fall into place with the support of friends and family. It's such a heartwarming read.

Just by the title alone, I knew that How to Write a Rom-Com was going to be for me. This story begins when Lucy Bowen agrees to go on a research trip to a charming lakeside town to gather inspiration for Ruby Jones' next romance novel - hoping for a long-overdue promotion - she finds herself immersed in the charm and chaos of small-town life, and irresistibly drawn to her charming neighbor, Liam. But as time goes by, fiction starts to blur with reality and Lucy faces her biggest challenge: will she stick to the script or finally take a leap of faith in her own love story?

This book had so many things I loved, making this an easy and enjoyable read. The first thing that caught my attention was the writing, it’s light, funny and does a great job of showing the characters emotions, you can easily see that through Lucy, our main protagonist. Lucy is such a great character to follow, she’s funny, easygoing and sometimes a bit messy (in a very realistic way). Following her journey felt like following a friend, and I really loved seeing her growth throughout the story.


The town of Hudson Hollow felt vivid that I honestly felt like I was right there with Lucy exploring with her. But the best thing about the town was all the side characters, they were absolutely delightful and made a strong impression. (petition to get Jill her own book!!!)

I’m in LOVE with the romance in this book. Since their first interaction I was hooked and amazed by their chemistry, the slow-burn was torturous (just the way I liked it). Watching them slowly find their way to each other was everything, this is the feeling that I search for in every romance book and Cristina Wolf delivered perfectly. The romance made me want to stay in the book forever!!!


That being said, there were a few things that bothered me. While I loved Lucy, sometimes in her inner monologue she would over-explain her actions, which felt unnecessary and slowed the pacing a bit. I also really wanted more scenes with the small-town locals, because there was so much focus on the romance, we didn’t get enough moments of Lucy connecting with them which resulted with the small-town atmosphere not being as strong as it could have been. If the book had been just a little longer, there would have been more room to explore these characters.

So if you're looking for a cozy and heartwarming small-town romance I'll definitely recommend this amazing book.

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Thank you to Aria & Aires and NetGalley for providing this eARC. All opinions are my own.

I love a bookish romcom and this one, with its small town setting, made it even more appealing to me. It’s a lighthearted, fun story, which is quick and easy to read. In all honesty, I don’t love Lucy’s character - her behaviour is poor and the initial interactions with Liam feel really awkward and cringey - plus she has a tendency to blurt out quite rude comments, which is pretty off-putting. I did like Liam, his dog and his sister’s children though. This may make a good beach read when it is out on the 15th May 2025. Thanks to NetGalley and Aria & Aries | Aria, for allowing me to get an early version of this book - it is much appreciated.

This book had a fun premise and the setting of Hudson Hollow was cute and cosy. I didn't love the characterisation and found Lucy to be an unsympathetic protagonist, and also felt that more generally the dialogue could have been better. Despite this I think that for the right person it would be a good choice for an easy summer read.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I liked the plot, characters and setting, but all three felt like there was too much telling and not enough showing. The “book within a book” storyline was great fun, but it felt a bit rushed to me, I’d have liked to feel like I’d spent a bit more time with each character/setting.