Sally is a coffeeshop owner, a devoted sister, and a lover of all things romance. Her coffeeshop is decorated in reds and pinks, with iconic film moments painted on the walls. She has hearts on the front window with couples’ names, all people who had met for the first time in her shop and gone on to date, fall in love, and get married. To her, there is no better way to unwind in the evening than to make some popcorn and watch a favorite romcom.

Harry is a builder who doesn’t want to believe in love. He’s seen his parents’ marriage implode and his last relationship did not end well. In fact, she is still living in the house he built for himself, and he’s looking for a room to rent somewhere else. When his buddy’s girlfriend suggests that Sally has a room at her place that she’s wanting to rent out, he decides to give it a try. Even when he looks at the room and sees just how very pink it is.

A coat of paint and Harry moving his own bed into the room, and they are set. But they live parallel lives, not really having much in common. Harry is still trying to convince his ex, Isabelle, to move out of his house while playing go-between for his parents. Ever since his father retired, they haven’t been able to get along. And they talk about getting a divorce, but they don’t really move in that direction. They just use Harry to send messages to each other, making him far more miserable each time.

Meanwhile, Sally is trying to earn more money to pay off her sister’s debts. After their parents died, they had moved in with an aunt and uncle for a while, but once Sally was out of high school, they moved back to Brighton where they had grown up. Sally was able to get into her trust fund early, to buy an apartment for herself and Amy, and to start the coffeeshop. Amy can’t get her trust for several more years, so even though she is the sister with the college degree, she keeps coming to Sally for money for herself and her boyfriend Chris.

One night, as Sally is watching the classic Dirty Dancing with friends, Harry comes in and hears them talking. He can’t understand what the big deal with the lift they keep talking about. After her friends leave, Sally shows him the iconic scene, and he scoffs. He doesn’t see the big deal and decides to try it with Sally, just to show her how easy a lift like that would be. They decide to film it for posterity and give it a shot. The video ends in laughter and awkwardness, but Sally decides to upload it to the internet, calling it an epic romcom fail.

Apparently, a lot of people like epic romcom fails, because her social media numbers grow by leaps and bounds overnight. They decide to try it again some time, to see if they can maybe get to the point where they can earn a little money. So they go for an iconic scene from When Harry Met Sally, and then Pretty Woman, mixed with a little of She’s All That, and then Never Been Kissed. Their views and Sally’s followers keep going up, so they keep shooting their videos. But the more time they spend pretending to be in romantic moments, the more the chemistry between them blooms.

Sally knows that nothing can really come of their mutual attraction, as Harry doesn’t believe in romance and she’s firmly got her eyes set on The One. Harry is just her Daniel Cleaver, and she’s waiting for Mark Darcy. That’s how love works, right? Or is it possible that the romcoms have it all wrong?

Nobody Puts Romcoms in the Corner is not for those who hate the films. This is all about the films. It’s about the iconic scenes and the endings and the in-betweens and the dialogue and the settings and all of it. So if you have any misgivings on any of those famous movies, you may find yourself rolling your eyes all through this one. But if you, like me, love all those movies, then you’ll find yourself at home in the pages of this charming book.

I really enjoyed Nobody Puts Romcoms in the Corner. It’s funny and sweet without being saccharine, and it’s steamy with just the right chemistry. I liked the characters, and I thought that their personal family stories added some much needed texture, giving them depth and motivation. And it was just a lot of fun as they acted out the iconic scenes, taking them to new levels and finding all the fuzzies along the way.

Egalleys for Nobody Puts Romcoms in the Corner were provided by One More Chapter (HarperCollins UK) through NetGalley, with many thanks.

This was not for me, I read another book by this author and it was the same. The writing style just doesn’t work for me, we jump into a very surface level story with awkward and cringe worthy interactions. The idea of this is really cute and I love romcoms, but I just couldn’t get into this and don’t want to read on, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free preview in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded to 4! While this one had a slow start for me, I did enjoy it! Cute, sweet, and a little spicy. All my favorite things!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I'm DELIGHTED to say that this is the glorious love letter to rom coms that I hoped this would be based off the cover.

A LOT of names are thrown around in the first few pages and that had my head spinning. I had to start again from the beginning twice and was THIS close to pulling out a notebook, but when I realized this book was a Sally meeting a Harry, my romcom-loving heart shrieked with delight.

This was a veritable layer cake of my favorite tropes- opposites attract, forced proximity, and most of all, grumpy/ sunshine!

In terms of heat, I see a lot people give this 2 🌶 but I would argue it's only 1. Go ahead and read it shame-free next to your Nana.

This quick read is perfect for fans of Beth O'Leary, Sophie Rinaldi, and Sophie Kinsella brit- romance books. It's also out today!

4/5 🌟

Nobody Puts Romcoms In The Corner was a culmination of all the best rom coms! What a hilarious idea for Sally and Harry to reenact the most romantic scenes of all time. Just lodgers? Puh-lease. These two had chemistry from the beginning and it definitely showed throughout each of their TikTok videos. Despite Harry being a cynic about love and Sally being wholeheartedly all about love, the heat between them sizzled. I think my favorite reenactment was Never Been Kissed, but on the football field instead. That kiss!! Or the Love Actually note cards! So cute and swoon worthy!

I also enjoyed the friendship dynamic and Sally's growing relationship with her sister. Love, lust, friendship and fun made for a lighthearted, quick read!

I absolutely loved The Italian Job by Kathryn Freeman, so I was very excited when I saw this one come up on Netgalley, with a cute cover and title to boot, I was so excited to read and review it. This book features a grump/sunshine, roommates to lovers set-up with two very cute and very sweet main characters. Overall it was a cute, quick, and fun read for me. For me this was actually a little too Insta-love/lust for me, and the conflict mostly felt like something they could have worked through pretty easy with more conversation. There was also some not great like stereotypical male/female typecasting going on, particularly with the male friends "ribbing" that was a little off putting. I absolutely loved all the references to my favorite rom-coms, it made me want to rewatch all of them, and gave me 2 new ones to add to my list! Overall an enjoyable read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Nobody Puts Romcoms In The Corner is a romcom (obvs!) about Sally, a hopeless romantic, and Harry, her gruff new tenant who doesn’t believe in love. Harry and Sally. Already the jokes are there. The two of them decide to reenact famous romcom scenes for TikTok as a way to make some extra cash and the sparks start flying. This book was a warm hug on a rainy weekend. All the romcoms were included and it was so fun to hear their takes on the pivotal scenes like Johnny lifting Baby or Sally eating that sandwich in the deli. Just a book of warm fuzzies, adorable flirty banter and goofy grins.

Super cute book!! Loved the characters, the storyline, and refreshing take on a rom com. Looking forward to reading more books by Kathryn Freeman

What a sweet read for romcom lovers! I was immediately drawn to this book because of the premise and the cover and it did not disappoint. As someone who loves to read and watch romcoms, this book was a wonderful ode to everything I love about the genre.

Sally was exactly what I wanted in an FMC - - spunky and quirky with some depth she doesn't show to everyone. This is my favorite kind of FMC and Sally was wonderful. Harry isn't entirely my cup of tea for a leading man, but they had a genuine relationship that Kathryn Freeman did a great job of taking us along the journey for.

I loved how timely this book felt with the social media references. It was a really unique concept and this book will make a great read for anyone who loves traditional romcoms and current pop-culture.

What an absolute delight! Grumpy/sunshine is one of my favorite tropes, and this did not disappoint.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Nobody Puts Romcoms In The Corner
by Kathryn Freeman
Pub Date: 27 Feb 2023

Oh my! This book gave me all the feels!! How can you go wrong with a main couple named Harry and Sally who recreate iconic rom-com moments on camera. Our sunshine heroine believes in love and finding "the one" for whom the bells toll...Our hero has never been shown love or a healthy relationship due to his dysfunctional parents. (Boo, hiss to both of them!) My heart hurt so much for Harry's backstory, and it is understandable why he would question the validity of love. Watching Harry and Sally's relationship go from strangers, to roommates, to friends, to something more was so special. The side characters were well written, too. Yes, this is a rom-com about rom-coms...but there is a layer of deeper issues.

This book was such a joy to read...I am still smiling! This will be one I will also listen on audiobook.

5 stars

Harry met Sally when he rented a room from her. Harry fell for Sally when they started recreating classic romcom scenes on TikTok for thousands of followers. Sally is your classic romantic - she loves romcoms and happily ever afters. Harry is your classic cynic - he doesn’t believe in love and definitely not happily ever after. When Harry moves in with Sally and they begin recreating classic romcom moments for TikTok, he can no longer deny his attraction to her but still promises he will not fall for her. Sally on the other hand has to sort out what is real and what is part of their romcom recreations when her feelings become very real.

This was such a fun read. Perfect for those romcom lovers out there! Thank you Netgalley and One More Chapter for the egalley in exchange for my honest review.

MCs are Harry and Sally just like the classic romcom, When Harry Met Sally, and they’re similar to the movie characters. Sally is a hopeless romantic (and also has curly blonde hair) and Harry is a cynic who doesn’t believe in love or happy endings. I loved their chemistry and banter! Although the dialogue and texts could be cringy/unbelievable at times.

So cute with references to some of my fave movies, it made my heart so happy with all the nostalgia! The story made me giggle, cry, and blush-yet another reason why I cannot be trusted to read romance in public, no poker face 😂 I flew through the book, reading it in 2 days (technically 3 because I stayed up until 1:30 AM to finish) 🙈

Characters are okay, they could both be frustrating because there was a bit of miscommunication in the second half. Or maybe more accurately not wanting to admit their feelings for each other to themselves, and continuously denying their chemistry. Harry is understandable because of his past and the issues he’s dealing with but Sally irritated me. Bringing up the fact that she thought he wasn't ‘the One’ constantly, because of some stupid stereotypes about needing to feel “a spark” or “hear bells” when you’ve found ‘The One’ for about 60-70% of the book, was annoying and got old quickly! I also got tired of every page describing the color of Harry’s eyes; I know Sally they’re grey because you’ll never let me forget it 🙃

Good character development-at first they seemed flat but as they got to know each other you also got to know more about them. It was a lot more depth and dealt with some heavy topics which I wasn’t expecting. There was a huge amount of character development throughout the novel, which I always love!

There is a third act breakup but thank god it wasn’t miscommunication! Plus it was fairly original and it added to the character development, so I wasn’t as bothered about it.

If you love romcoms, or the grumpy x sunshine trope, pick this one up! This was my second novel from Kathryn Freeman, my first being The Italian Job. I did enjoy TIJ a bit better than this one (mainly because it’s my two fave tropes-fake dating and enemies to lovers) but I’m intrigued to read more from Freeman!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5/5)
Spice rating: 🌶️ (1.5/3; one very graphic scene and then the rest are alluded to/fade to black)

Tropes: grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, friends with benefits/friends to lovers

This book was adorable!!! If you love rom coms and are a huge hopeless romantic this is the book for you! It had me laughing out loud, and cheering for the two main characters! It also had me angry at other characters… if you’re feeling so many emotions towards a book you know it’s good! Highly recommend this book to anyone who likes romance books or movies.

Nobody Puts Romcoms In The Corner is a sweet and spicy book for any romcom lover. With a friends to lovers dynamic with so many fun scenes and references to some of the most iconic movies of all time.. this book is adventurous and full of emotions.

3.5
Cutie book it is heart warming and everything roommates and friends to lovers.
Grumpy sunshine book.

Would recommend this book for those who love grumpy sunshine roommates suckers.

This book was an absolute delight! Sally is lovely and sweet, running a cafe and trying to support the sister she raised. She meets Harry when she becomes his landlady. They are opposites in almost every way, especially in movie tastes. Harry loves to tease Sally about her love of rom-coms, but when she uploads a video they make for fun of them recreating a rom-com moment, it goes viral. Harry and Sally then dance around one another with loads of tension and longing. This book has all the feels!

I’ve enjoyed Kathryn Freeman’s books before, and I was excited to read this one, but I just had some trouble connecting with it. Maybe I was in a bit of a reading slump that it took me two whole weeks to get through it, instead of two days. The premise was cute… roommates-to-lovers… one is Sally who is a rom-com obsessed hopeless romantic and the other is Harry, who is quite the jaded guy who believes true love doesn’t exist. Classic opposites attract. And they are certainly attracted to each other as Harry humors Sally by acting out classic rom-com movie scenes with her for TikTok. But when they give in to the attraction and feelings get involved and it all just gets too messy, someone’s bound to get hurt. If you love romance movies, you’ll definitely love this book!

If I could rate this book based on the title and the cover, it would be 5 ⭐️. Unfortunately, the lack of genuine chemistry between Harry and Sally and the poor execution of the plot leaves us with this 2.5 ⭐️ review.

I’ve read a lot of grumpy x sunshine romances and this one just didn’t hit the spot. When Harry moves in with Sally because his ex is living in his house (red flag #1), we meet this unlikely pair. Harry doesn’t believe in love while Sally spends her evenings rewatching romcoms. When they start to make TikToks of famous romcom moments for money, we begin to see a spark.

Although I appreciated the many romcom references in this book, it wasn’t enough to sell the romance between Harry and Sally. The plot started to get a bit repetitive after a few famous romcom moment TikToks and don’t even get me started on the miscommunication trope.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review 💗

This is a quick read, perfect for an evening. Sally has rented her spare room to Harry. His former girlfriend has not vacated his house and he has no desire to stay with her there.

One of the things that Sally enjoys is watching rom coms. After a night watching Dirty Dancing and having margaritas, Sally and Harry try recreating The Lift as a joke. Sall;y uploads the video and to her surprise, the video gets lots of views. Excited at the prospect of making some money, she convinces Harry to make more videos with her....

I adored this original story and loved the interaction between Harry and Sally.