I really liked this! it’s very different to the normal romance/romcoms i have read before—definitely not your usual romcom but has the same comedy and romantic elements that you would find.

Tia was a character that was definitely relatable, and her narrative definitely got stronger as the story progressed. i loved being in her mind! The struggles she faced at work were so interesting to read which i think that was definitely the strongest element of the book. I definitely felt her finding her self worth at work built her confidence to stand up and say what she wanted.

I did struggled with the writing slightly and some of the descriptions, it became a little repetitive with certain aspects but i think that is more a personal thing as i didn't find that it took anything away from the story.

i LOVED this! the writing flowed effortlessly to make for an easy, but enjoyable read. the friendships all felt authentic and i really appreciated how Tia’s personal storyline got as much attention as the romance.

it is a very current read and focuses not only the issues of modern dating, but integrally, racial inequality faced in the workplace. Honestly, please read for the ending, it is absolutely perfect.

Really thought I was going to enjoy this book, oh how wrong was I. Not for me, how many times the word ‘bruv’ was used in this was painful.

Unfortunately this really wasn’t for me. This isn’t a romcom and instead should be marketed as women’s fiction. The dialogue felt choppy and immature and I couldn’t get to grips with the slang used. The characters acted/came across a lot you get than expected, almost teen age. There were FAR too many instances of someone kissing their teeth that it became jarring and I had to stop reading when this phrase came up - I’m surprised nobody caught this during reviews and it actually made me consider dnf’ing the book at several points. There’s also pieces of text repeating. Unfortunately, this had a great premise but really missed the mark for me.

Once I started reading this, I literally couldn’t put it down. The characters were so relatable and I found the interactions between Tia and her friends so nostalgic. I thought the pop culture references were great and made the story all the more enjoyable and the body positivity reflected throughout the story was refreshing .

The chemistry between Tia and Nate was undeniable and executed fantastically. What I will say is, the disbelief from men when women find sense is oh so satisfying 😂 (shout out to the non-toxic, intentional Kings🤴🏾).
As for Aaron…🙃

The exchange between Tia and Leanne was also really lovely💕

Most of us have either been a Tia or known a Tia. This one was for the girls that have been there and the girls still figuring it out and I love that❤️.

Great debut!

Though the synopsis and marketing and even the introduction of this book had me thinking this book was going to be a lot more romance focused, the more I read the less true this became however I wasn’t too disappointed as it was quintessentially a book about a woman navigating her 20somethings which is my favourite genre.

You start off reading this as a woman in her 20’s struggling with relationships and being recognised for herself in the workplace. We’ve all been there and let’s face it, unfortunately this runs way past than your 20’s.
Obviously not being in my 20’s, I could understand and relate to the predicaments Tia felt herself facing. Dealing with modern day life dating, dating apps and the reality of them.
I think how Tia ultimately deals with the romantic element of the book was admirable, and ultimately serves as a good example of not wavering from your beliefs or morals.
It’s a good book that showcases the realities of modern day dating and finding your voice and self in your career.

I would like to thank Netgalley for giving me a copy of the ebook, in exchange for an honest review. Firstly, I liked reading a book with a black woman (Tia) as the main character. It was very relatable with how she was struggling with dating. Then she does meet this guy (Nate) who is everything she can wish for, until he isn’t… I liked how Tia focused on creating an article about black women’s hair being discriminated against. The ending was refreshing as Tia gets a new job and has the opportunity to explore USA after work burnout. The story had a few laughs, however only giving it 3 stars as some of the dialogue didn’t flow and it took me months to finish it.

When we meet Tia, she is excited to reunite with a friend who has been living away, who she has been in love with since they were at school together. When he returns with a new girlfriend, she is devastated. Her other friends convince her to join a dating app to get over him and find a new man.

Tia is also trying to progress her career and hopes that someone she meets online might be able to help her.

I didn't love this book but I didn't hate it either, for me it was very middle ground. It was a quick, easy and fun read which took you easily into Tia's world. I thought the characters and the storyline were fine but neither stood out as being exceptional to me. A good debut novel which I'm glad I read but not one I will be rushing to pick up and read again.

Brief overview: Tia is a 20-something year black woman trying to find her place in both her career & romantically. When her ‘bit on the side’ shows up with a girlfriend, Tia takes to online dating in order to move on.

This book was described as a Rom-com but I feel like it definitely wasn’t. The dating element which was promised in the synopsis fell quite flat as there wasn’t much dating and whilst there was romance, it seemed the book revolved more around Tia’s job. I actually enjoyed this aspect the most as she brought to life the harsh reality of white privilege and casual racism in the workplace.

One thing I really disliked was the amount of times the author used the phrase ‘kissed her teeth’!!!!!! I’m not sure if this was intentional but it was used way more than 20 times! A lot of slang was used which I’m not a huge fan of but I can appreciate some pop culture references. Overall, the writing seemed very young and made the characters all seem immature.

I don’t think this book was aimed at myself and definitely missed the mark for me but I can appreciate that perhaps older teenagers may enjoy it.

Overall, not a memorable read and I wouldn’t rush to recommend it to anyone unfortunately.

Thanks to Netgalley and MerkyBooks for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

This title was a great summer read, I found myself whizzing through it! I found bits of it so be slightly repetitive but overall it was a fun, easy read that I would definitely recommend to anyone going on a beach holiday. I also found it really refreshing to read a romcom that wasn't white-people-centric like most books on the market are.

I did not love this book, I gave 3 stars I felt like for a book which was based around adults mature people it was written as they where very immature, I didn’t hate it some parts where funny but I just didn’t love it. I requested this book based on the blurb as it was based around dating apps and love and I felt it was more based around the main character Tia and her finding her way and grounding her feet in her work place so for that I gave 3stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy for my Honest review

have mixed feelings about this book, i wanted to love it, i spent the entire book rooting for tia (more so in her work life than her love life) and really enjoying seeing her grow and blossom in her job and realising she deserves more, but i really struggled with the writing in parts of this too. it feels a little juvenile and repetitive at times. still overall enjoyed it, and a very satisfying ending.
3 out of 5. thank you NetGalley for providing the advanced copy.

This book was not for me. The writing felt off, the characters fell flat to me and the overall atmosphere just wasn't what I wanted and needed in this story.

Aspiring journalist Tia fancies one of her best friends, Aaron, until he returns from the states with beautiful Olivia, forcing Tia to dive into online dating, where she meets hot Nate, but he’s far from perfect (shame because he sounds ideal). And throughout all of this Tia is working to get a promotion.

Outside of my usual type of read, but I enjoyed this. It did make me feel verrrry old (Nate saying not to worry, his mum is out 😆🫣) and I was EXHAUSTED at how complicated Gen Z have made dating (it should not be as hard as this!) Nate is pretty much perfect but really emotionally immature. Tia is also pretty useless at standing up for herself and saying what she really wants.

One really offputting thing was that the characters are ALWAYS smoking. Takes me back twenty years to having a cheeky snog and getting an unwanted mouthful of ash taste (& I’m a ex teenage smoker so no judgement here but just yuck, I thought cool people didn’t smoke now). And one other gripe was over repetition of some phrases (I nearly counted the number of times ‘kissed my/her/his teeth’ was used. It just seemed a bit repetitive after a while.

Anyway, I’m old, so if you are gen z ignore my millennial moans; this has absolute Sex and the City vibes (but London, less glam and less fashion) and I hope it does well for the author.

An okay read, but there was way too much repetition in the language which made what could have been a good read frustrating instead.
I liked the fact that it promoted personal growth over being in a relationship, but unfortunately it took a while.
Tia was a really confusing character, in the workplace she had a really strong drive and was working hard to overcome corporate biases. I loved seeing her take on some difficult situations and triumph. But in her romantic endeavours she was quite juvenile and I didn’t like her attitude at times.
I’m definitely not the target demographic, especially age wise.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book ahead of its release,

I was in the mood for a romance, so decided to read this but unfortunately it was just really boring. It took forever to get going, it was so slow and dull and I just could not get into it no matter how hard I tried. Sorry! Not for me!

This story about Gen Z dating and career woes did not feel particularly original or engaging, though the writing flowed well and the main character Tia was interesting and well thought out. It did make me feel relieved that I am no longer in my twenties though.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

In "The Situationship" we follow Tia through her romantic and career challenges. The two become intertwined when Nate, who she met via a dating app, is able to help her with developing a pitch she desperately wants to make a success at her news researcher job.. Could Nate and this opportunity be everything Tia has been looking for or will her "sort of" ex and her awful colleagues ruin her plans?

I am delighted that books like this one are being published. We need more diversity in all industries, including publishing. I was also really pleased to see a depiction of some of the challenges that young women, particularly those from marginalised backgrounds, face in their early careers.

The book is billed as a "romcom" but I would say it's more "rom" than "com." It does have some great characters - Tia came across particularly strongly but I think the book would've benefitted from some of the other characters being fleshed out a bit more. Given that I found some parts of it a bit repetitive, perhaps more time could've been given to the other characters in place of some of the descriptions,

I also found myself shouting at Tia on numerous occasions for some of the decisions she made which left me feeling frustrated but who wouldn't shout at their younger self for their dubious decisions?!

Given that this is a debut novel, I think the author should count it as a success - I'm sure many readers, particularly ones of a similar age to Tia will enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I thought this book would have been right up my street. However I found this book to be quite dull and boring!