I have to say that I liked the book, but I think the book could have gone deeper into the romance. Ross and Lucy had potential to be a good literary couple, but it all came off very rushed.
We only see a little bit of Lucy and her liking for Ross. And that's it. It's not until the last few pages that they become a thing. I don't know, I feel like the romance was a little weak here. Also, Ross being in a relationship was a bit of a cringe, I know he was single and could do whatever they wanted, but I feel like he jumped from one relationship to another too quickly. It all felt very rushed.
I confess that everything about Adam's column I loved, the letters, Lucy looking for answers to issues she wasn't quite sure about, Zack's letter was tremendous I KNEW IT WAS COMING moment. The most beautiful thing about the book is the beautiful sisterly relationship between Amelie and Lucy, I think the book focuses more on that and Lucy's journey with Adam's column than the romance itself.

This book is about a girl named Lucy who gets hired by a male magazine to write a column called "Ask Adam," where guys send their relationship problems and expect advice. Lucy soon discovers that giving advice online and understanding how men think is not as easy as it seems.

I thought the premise of this book was really fun, and the hint of an office romance hooked me from the start. However, what seemed promising in theory was somewhat poorly executed. The story focuses primarily on Lucy’s problems with her family, her past relationship, and her cat. Unfortunately, I couldn’t relate to the characters or care about them. I wish the book had focused more on the romance and less on her sister. At some point, the story was just about her sister and her husband’s problems. The romance was almost non-existent, and when they finally end up together, it felt forced.

The writing is not bad, but this book ended up being a disappointment. Perhaps I had higher expectations, but it’s advertised as a romance, not literary fiction. If I hadn’t gone into it expecting something like *The Hating Game*, maybe I would have enjoyed it more.

Honestly, the sister stole the show, and I would rather read a book about her story than about Lucy (whom I didn’t like) and Ross.

Such a fun romance. I found myself captivated my the characters very quickly. A well constructed romcom, with lots of swoony moments.

I think this book missed the mark. Instead of focussing on Lucy and Ross, it focused on Lucy complaining. It was a very slow read and the characters are unlikable. Thank you, NetGalley.

<b>ARC Review</b>

<b>Scale information:</b>
<b>1:</b> terrible, awful, I cannot stop ranting about how bad it was; <b>3:</b> this is exactly what I expect from a book of this genre; <b>5:</b> I cannot stop thinking about this book, I must own a copy, I will tell everyone to read it.

CW: there are like two pages worth of being concerned for the safety of MC's cat, but nothing bad happens to the pet at any point during the book.

I really enjoyed the writing in this book; it was pleasant and frankly the easy-to-read prose (and occasional modern phrase) that one expects from this genre. I'm excited to pick up other books by this same author for that reason.

That being said, the plot of this book just didn't do it for me. And the MC was incredibly unlikeable (and not in a it-served-the-plot way). She just didn't really make much progress in terms of character development; which is not usually a deal breaker for me, but it was just a very bizarre "all men are the same and they're awful and I don't understand them. I don't even see them as real people with feelings or experiences outside when I perceive them." It felt really icky, like the lens was flipper on the "this is how men usually present women in media" way that women are props to the man's story. But it was explicit in the way that the MC viewed men as Not-Really-People. And this non-American was rolling her eyes at the inclusion of 9/11.

But again, the writing of the story was really well done, so it wasn't hard to get through. A light story, I cried a few times, I laughed a few times. I wish most of the characters good will and a happy future.

<i>I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.</i>

⭐️2
Workplace romance that just felt…frustrating to me unfortunately.

The premise seemed intriguing, which was why I requested this one, but it didn’t quite meet my expectations.

I felt like the main character Lucy was really about sixteen rather than almost thirty. Another issue was that she is a journalist but had trouble crafting her column? It didn’t make sense. Her falling for Ross felt more delusional/obsessive rather than romantic.

If you like several little plots within the main plot and lots of drama, you will like this one. It was a miss and didn’t quite work for me.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6512082827

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date: June 7, 2024

Thank you to Netgalley, Sophie Ranald, and Storm Publishing for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Ranald’s, The Love Hack, brings you a story about Lucy, an amateur advice columnist, who lacks confidence in her ability to make choices and to understand men. Lucy seeks her sister’s help with doling out advice to men about their love lives until her sister gets married and can no longer help her. Ross is Lucy’s office co-worker, who she is crushing on, but in her own naivety isn’t sure if he likes her. As the e-mails start coming in to “Ask Adam”, Lucy finds one email that seems to close to home to ignore.

Throughout the story you start to see growth in Lucy’s self-confidence and self-worth. She’s starts to process through her past hurt and starts to piece together why she is the way she is when it comes to relationships with me. Ross struggles with his own confidence and shows up as a friend for Lucy; however, can send out some conflicting vibes. There were times I wished the characters and/or plot were developed out a bit more with some additional depth to increase feeling more connected. It’s a slow burn workplace romance rom com that is great for a quick beach read.

“I could do this. I could be wise and empathetic, even to men.”

Did not finish this book, I'm sorry it just kept going and going with no destination in sight, gave up at 60%. Honestly just didn't care anymore about the MC and her weird flashbacks and unbelievable plot that I can poke holes in......this was a love catastrophe

Landing a new job as online agony uncle “Ask Adam” Lucy dishes out relationship tips to men. But when it comes to her own love life, she’d rather spend Friday nights curled up on her sofa with Netflix and her cat, Astro.

As Lucy tries to dish out advice, while having her distaste to men grow, she discovers one particular inquiry that seemed a little too familiar…

I loved this story. It had romance, drama and I loved reading the various articles coming in from the men throughout (are they all really this dumb?). It gives you all the warm and fuzzy feelings, while also giving you the opportunity to watch Lucy grow and find the will to fight.

Slow-burn, workplace romance that is sadly missing the much needed tension. I didn’t buy into the main couple and I really struggled with Lucy. Her pick me/not like other girls attitude whilst also not understanding that men can be three-dimensional human beings was tiresome. However, I enjoyed seeing Lucy navigate a new working environment and I think falling into an unexpected role and having to essentially learn on the job is very relatable for many people in the current job market. I do think it was a shame that we didn’t see more growth from her in that area and falling back on AI felt like a very odd choice.

I liked the writing style and there were some enjoyable moments, but think the pacing wasn’t right. Sadly I don’t think this is the book for me, but it is a quick, easy read that might be a decent palate cleanser between other books.

UGH I promise that I tried. The idea was so cute and I wanted to be into it. I love a good slow burn but there needs to at least be some chemistry in order for the slow burn to work. At 65% through there was still no chemistry and I couldn’t even remember the love interest’s name most of the time. I finished 3 other books while I tried to work my way through this one because I kept getting disinterested.
Lucy was about to be fired from her job as a women’s magazine writer until she came up with the idea to pose as a man giving other men advice, Dear Abby-esque, for the male version of her magazine. However, Lucy lacks all knowledge about men and their thoughts so she tries to fumble her way through the job.
I felt zero connection to Lucy and didn’t care whether she lost the job, got the job, or even got caught not knowing what she was doing.
1/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️

LOVED LOVED LOVED. Everything about this story was wonderfully written. I was literally living the story. The characters were 100% believable. More please Sophie Ranald. Did I say I loved it?

I for the life of me cannot understand why this has such a low rating on GoodReads. Because you think its gonna be a romance and then there isn't much romance? There was so much happening in the book I didn't even care! I absolutely adored it. The only problem I had was the sister was not my cup of tea.

Lucy was the epitome of be delulu until it becomes trululu. It was fun to be in her world for a while but I wished it had more development and self growth apart from the hero.

Ugh I really struggled with this one. I wanted to like it more than I did because I found the synopsis intriguing.

I found all of the characters annoying and frustrating. Specifically the main character, Lucy. I found her rather immature. It made it hard to get into the story and root for the characters. With that said, the support Lucy had for her sister, even when Amelie didn't reciprocate it, did redeem her a bit for me.

Overall, it had potential and had some cute moments, this one just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF. I really struggled connecting with the characters. A slow burn that was too slow for my liking. An interesting concept though.

The Love Hack is a charming romantic comedy that will have you laughing out loud one minute and swooning the next. Lucy, a newly minted advice columnist, is tasked with dispensing relationship wisdom to men under the guise of the enigmatic 'Ask Adam.' Her own love life, however, is decidedly less adventurous, preferring the company of her cat and Netflix. Enter Ross, her charming and witty co-worker, who quickly becomes the object of Lucy's affections. The story unfolds with a delightful blend of humor and heartwarming moments. Lucy's witty internal monologue and her attempts to navigate the tricky waters of office romance are relatable and hilarious. The addition of her AI assistant, a quirky and somewhat overzealous cupid, adds a layer of lightheartedness and unexpected twists. The plot thickens when Lucy discovers a 'confidential' email in the 'Ask Adam' inbox that she suspects is from Ross, revealing a complicated love life that throws her own burgeoning feelings into question. The tension builds nicely as Lucy grapples with her own burgeoning feelings and the potential consequences of her actions. Ranald skillfully balances the lightheartedness of the story with a touch of emotional depth, allowing Lucy's vulnerabilities and anxieties to shine through. The reader is invested in her journey and rooting for her to find happiness, both in her love life and in her career. This book is a quick and enjoyable read, perfect for escaping into a world of laughter and romance. It's a lighthearted and entertaining story that will leave you with a smile on your face and a warm feeling in your heart. It's a book I highly recommend reading!

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of Love Hack. All opinions are my own.

This was a cute story but I felt it lacked a bit of depth and the build up of the connection between Ross and Lucy felt like it lacked a bit and dragged. This was a verrrrrrry slow burn and I tend to prefer a bit faster build up of tension/connection. I enjoyed the support Lucy had for her sister and there were a few fun twists as well.

Such a cute story. It reminded me a lot of Pam and Jim from The Office. The covert glances and slight flirting. From very limited dating Lucy has zero u seating of the male brain. Through her column as Adam giving advise she’s able to glimpse that not all men are d**ks! This story was a fun ride that was an entertaining read. Thank you to NetGalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Welcome back to another episode of: Was I supposed to like this chick?

The author will try to convince you that, yes!! You should like her!! But I'm just not seeing it. If I'm supposed to like someone with codependency issues who can't handle being away from her cat OR her sister, and who's still living in high school on the merits that if a boy looks at you he must like you, then idk what the bookish world has come to. This woman is a whole ass 29 years old and thinks that because her and her coworker shared Seinfeld quotes and make coffee for each other that that means he likes her, and she gets genuinely upset when he starts going out with one of her sisters friends because he's single and he's allowed to?

And if you hated that, get ready for bomb jokes and using AI to do your job because you're a woman trying and failing to give men advice!

If you're looking for the good bit, I'll save you the agony and time and tell you there isn't one. This couldn't even really be pedaled as a romance. There was no real romance between Lucy and Ross, just delusion on her part. Go girl, give us nothing!