Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle was such a brilliant opposite attract, second chance romance I loved it!

Just Some Stupid Love Story is the story of Molly and Seth, who once dated in high school but haven’t seen each other since, that is until they attend their high school reunion 15 years later. Molly is the grumpy cynic to Seth’s glorious sunshine golden retriever. The irony, however, is that Molly writes rom coms and yet doesn’t believe in soul mates, meanwhile Seth is all for true love and happiness but happens to he a divorce attorney. They hatch a bet to try and predict the fate of five couples before the next reunion in five years, and the winner will declare the other right when it comes to true love. The catch, though, is that they’re the future couple!

I’m such a big fan of opposites attract and second chance romance and this one worked so well. It’s set over the course of five years, and the time leaps work really well within the story. I will say that for part of the story includes the pandemic, which I know not everyone is ready for, but it really worked in the context of this story.

The duel POV is just perfect here; there is a lot of miscommunication between our MCs and having their own POVS really helped to explain just where they were coming from. Both Molly and Seth are wonderfully real and messy characters, they are each aware of their own strengths and issues, and I found this really refreshing. Molly has some significant anxieties when it comes to relationships which is explained within the story, and she knows that she self sabotages to protect herself. Her character growth arc was both satisfying and painful because it felt so realistic. Meanwhile Seth is the hopeless romantic who is chasing the idea of love but finding himself often left alone. His growth arc is equally satisfying as he figures out what he really needs to help him be happy.

The chemistry between the pair was brilliant and I loved their humorous back and forth. The tension between them is palpable at times. I won’t give anything away but I loved the ending and the way they found each other once again after the third act break.

This was a great contemporary romance and one I’d definitely recommend.

3.5 stars out of 5. I spent half of this book laughing my ass off and the other half crying.

The banter between Seth and Molly had me cackling for the entire book. ‘Right person, wrong time’ is always the most heartbreaking of tropes and so predictably, watching them stumble throughout the 5 year timeline (whilst gratifying at the end) hurt badly. But ultimately the humour is what solidified the enjoyment for me.

However, the constant repetitive, tragic cycle of these characters did start to grate on me by the last 70 pages. This cycle meant that the book began to drag at certain places. It had me really feeling like they weren’t meant to be and if they were real people I would fully stand by that opinion. I feel, so strongly, that the event that causes their last breakup was absolutely not Molly’s fault but rather Seth’s absolute inability to read the goddamn room.

There are many things I love about the romance genre but one of the things I do not is the way in which the epilogue always seem to have the couple already married and thinking about having kids/already pregnant. It would’ve made more sense - timeline and character development wise, that is - if Seth and Molly were just planning their wedding. Not to mention, Dezzie already getting married again? After her previous divorce? Bad decision. This trope always cheapens the integrity of the story for me, never really feeling wholly authentic.

Onto more things I loved: the main characters’ jobs as a screenwriter and a divorce attorney and the way those professions were included in the story? Immaculate. The female friendships? So important to include in fiction and so heartwarming to see. Mollys character development when it comes to her dad? Empowering. Overall, incredibly fun.

Lots of things to love about ‘Just Some Stupid Love Story’ and I thoroughly enjoyed it - the romcom for readers who don't believe in soulmates but desperately want to. Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and Piatkus for the E-ARC.

This was such a refreshing romance in so many ways!

I adored the male lead, Seth, and loved that he was someone who could put his feelings out there, cry in public without shame and believed so hard in LOVE! So often in romance male protagonists are messed up and broody (which I honestly do enjoy as well 😅) but it's so nice to read a book where the guy is the one who believes in soulmates and the gal is the one struggling to get on board with the idea.

I loved that the premise of this book which spans 5 years of will they, won't they, involved so much of these two working on their issues both as a couple and on their own, or trying to anyway! They were so aware of their shortcomings and how it affected them in their relationship, or again, at least trying to be. It was just so REFRESHING!

This felt so real, so modern and did I mention it was REFRESHING?!

Absolutely adored this. Only thing that would've made it better for me was if Seth was vegan! 😍 He seemed like the kind of guy who might care about animals. 🥰

I really enjoyed the dual POV in this novel, and the grumpy/sunshine dynamic. Second chance romances always have my heart and I loved the journey the characters took together.

Dual POV, second chance romance, with an FMC with a fear of abandonment? Count me in! Just some stupid love story is about both Molly and Seth, who were high school sweet hearts until Molly broke it off unexpectedly. She lives to regret this and moves on (or so she thinks) until her 15th high school reunion where she bumps straight into Seth. They rekindle for the night and make bets on what will happen y the 20th reunion and who will be together..including them…

I loved this book, however I will say Molly is HARD to like and uses a lot of elaborate language which I had to look up. I loved it though and thought it would make the perfect summer/holiday read!

Love a good dual POV and enjoyed getting the story from both Molly and Seth’s side. The setting of a high school reunion was super fun too, I really liked Seth, unfortunately I didn’t gel with Molly so much. I get that she has trust and abandonment issues and being raised by her bitter mother wouldn’t have helped with that, but she really doesn’t seem to want to make an effort to work through these issues to give herself a better chance with life and love. It’s almost like she’s accepted every man will hurt her (and every lawyer is evil) and she’s not prepared to learn otherwise. Seth was caring and sincere and put up with a lot from her. I absolutely understand we need realistic characters in fiction and that there are women like Molly in the world but I guess I just wanted to see more growth from her throughout the book. I feel like sometimes she was just a bit mean. I did like her sense of humour though, Other than that, I enjoyed the story, well done to the author for including covid and the pandemic. I know some readers don’t like it included in books but it happened and we can’t ignore that. An enjoyable beach read. Thanks Netgalley and the publisher.

Molly Marks makes a living by writing romantic Hollywood screenplays, a profession that has left her doubtful about genuine love. Her skepticism is deepened by her own story: she fell for her high school boyfriend, Seth, but abruptly cut ties before their graduation. She hasn't crossed paths with him in the fifteen years since. When the two are reunited at their high school reunion, it becomes clear Seth is very much the one who got away.

A very easy, fun little romcom – but WITH spice, crucially. A perfect holiday read with all the classic tropes you'd expect from a romcom.

Title: Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle

Release Date: June, 4th, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars

Molly Marks, a Hollywood rom-com writer, is convinced that love is a sham, thanks to a past heartbreak with Seth, her high school sweetheart whom she ghosted fifteen years ago. Seth, a divorce attorney seeking his soulmate, still believes in true love despite failed relationships. When they reunite at their high school reunion and make a drunken bet to predict the fate of five couples, they find themselves as the fifth couple. Molly insists they're destined for heartbreak, while Seth is determined to prove her wrong.

This rom-com hits all the right notes for me! And the SPICE!!!!!!!

With enemies-to-lovers and opposites-attract tropes, it's like catnip for my romance-loving soul.

The banter is sharp, the chemistry is off the charts, and the unique dating bet adds an extra layer of intrigue. Plus, the character development is spot-on, making it easy to root for everyone involved.

From laugh-out-loud moments to steamy scenes that'll leave you blushing, and from swoon-worthy pining to heart-wrenching moments, this book delivers it all. It's top-tier rom-com material, and I couldn't get enough of it!


Thank you to The Publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK | Piatkus, The Author Katelyn Doyle & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle
Rating: 4/5
Release Date: 4 June 2024

Molly Marks earns her living by crafting Hollywood rom-coms, a job that has made her skeptical about the authenticity of romance. Her belief is solidified by her own experience of falling for her high school sweetheart, Seth, whom she ghosted on the brink of graduation and hasn't encountered in fifteen years.

Contrary to Molly, Seth Rubinstein remains a firm believer in grand, destined love, despite his career as one of Chicago's most accomplished divorce attorneys. Despite numerous attempts to find "the one" through countless dates and rushed relationships, no one has managed to capture his heart like Molly did.

When Molly reluctantly attends her 15 year high school reunion in Florida, fate puts her face-to-face with Seth. After a night of too many martinis and an impulsive hookup, they strike a bet: they must predict the fate of five couples before the next reunion, with the fifth couple being themselves. Molly is convinced they're destined for heartbreak, while Seth is determined to prove her wrong by making her fall in love with him within five years.

This debut romantic comedy is a breath of fresh air, offering a delightful blend of humour, warmth, and entertainment!

Filled with hope, longing, tension, and sparkling banter, the story is infused with undeniable chemistry and just the right amount of steamy romance. The characters feel authentic and relatable, drawing readers in and eliciting cheers as they navigate their way through the ups and downs of love.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group UK, and the author, Katelyn Doyle, for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.

My thanks go to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book. Regrettably, I did not finish it as I found it challenging to engage with the content.

"Just Some Stupid Love Story" is a romcom written by Katelyn Doyle. A light, fast and funny book that unfortunately did not fully convince me. I loved the idea of the high school reunion after fifteen years, the bet that Molly and Seth, the two main characters, stipulate, but the story at times gave me the impression of dragging. Good the early part, good the final part, but in the middle I felt moments of heaviness. I think it partly depends on the choice to develop the narration over the span of five years and partly on the protagonists themselves, who unfortunately did not captivate me. I don't know, I found them rather superficial, anonymous, and this prevented me from bonding with them. In the end it is a pleasant romance, which entertained me, although it did not win me over.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF. I've actually read one of this author's books before - she also writes historical romance under the name Scarlett Peckham - and I did not enjoy it. So that was kind of the first nail in the coffin. The second was the 'primary colour characters'. The FMC gave me a slightly weird feeling - why would you go to your own high school reunion if you hate being there, we have free will, we don't have to do stuff we don't like - and the MMC was so intensely on the nose that it was impossible to distinguish whether he was being genuine about how much he liked being there or if he was just being constantly sarcastic. And then, the clicker. And I think this is a feeling that bakers, flower shop owners, journalists (all the romantic comedy jobs women have) get whenever they read these. I am not convinced this author has ever met a screenwriter in her life. That's the job of the female main character - it's also my job! And the idea that screenwriters live a glamorous Hollywood life schmoozing by pools and, inexplicably, getting BACK TO BACK INDIE FILM SUCCESS RIGHT OUT OF GRAD SCHOOL? Laughable. So far removed from reality this book should technically be classed as fantasy. And it was it was at that point that I just decided to completely check out - it is not worth it. I think there's a reason I see the phrase 'X is a screenwriter' (seems to be a growing trend in rom-coms right now) and get a horrible shuddering feeling when I come across these books.

Please do your research authors.

This book had a good premise and the beginning of the story where Molly and Seth make a bet at their fifteen year high school reunion was fun, but sadly overall it did not quite live up to my expectations.

Set over five years, the novel felt long and the lack of momentum made me lose interest somewhat. I personally do not enjoy COVID/pandemic references in books and inclusion of this as a large plot point was not for me. I also unfortunately did not quite click with the voices of our two main characters and found Molly to be frustratingly tiresome, and Seth to be a bit much in his commitment to hapless positivity. I didn't really feel the connection between them and found that I was not really rooting for them.

However, despite me not personally connecting with the characters both Molly and Seth have very distinctive voices. The cast of supporting characters are also multi dimensional and have interesting stories that weave seamlessly into the main plot. So if you are a fan of second chance romances with a good dose of angst and miscommunication then I think that you may enjoy this.

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