Rating: 3.5 stars

Grace Hastings is stuck. Her career at Fate, a dating app she no longer believes in, is going nowhere, her boss is unbearable, and her love life is non-existent. So when the company’s CEO offers her a shot at her dream job (working on a new app that actually aligns with her values) she jumps at the chance. The only catch? She has to test-run a series of first dates with her biggest rival, Eric Bancroft, the charming but insufferable playboy who’s competing for the same promotion. But fake dates don’t lead to real feelings - right?

This was a fun take on the workplace enemies to lovers trope, with great chemistry between Grace and Eric. Their banter and tension made the fake dating setup entertaining, and I really enjoyed the way their dynamic evolved throughout the book.

My only real criticism is that I didn’t always vibe with Grace’s character - there were moments where she frustrated me, which did take away from my overall enjoyment. The pacing was spot on, making this a perfect, lighthearted read.

If you’re looking for a fun, well-paced romcom with strong chemistry and a fresh spin on classic tropes, The Launch Date is definitely one to add to your summer 2025 reading list. I’ll be recommending this as a great beach read!

I thought I was deep into a reading slump until I received the eARC for this workplace enemies to lovers romance. Then I read the entire thing in two days (whilst also working full time).
I really enjoyed the layers this story has. The characters have their history and their relationship wasn't always as charged as it is at the beginning of this novel. Little by little the reader is let into their history and learns about all the intricate details of their dynamics.
Other than that the story, the characters and the writing made for a very enjoyable, binge-worthy novel.

★★★★★

💌 rivals to lovers
🤳🏼 he falls first & harder
💌 workplace romance
🤳🏼 slow burn
💌 forced proximity

This is such an amazing debut from Annabelle Slator - it’s a rivals to lovers workplace romance, sort of second chance, and the angst and the pining is just 🤌🏼 perfection I love it 👏🏼

This is very British and I forget how refreshing it is to read something I relate to so much! It’s set in central London, they work in a tech startup, it’s a public school boys club, there are sweaty tubes and bustling cafes and every single bit of it is my life 🥹 I related to the characters and their experiences so much, and it made me love it even more.

Grace and Eric are perfect, I truly think they’re made for each other. They challenge & support each other in the way that only really special people can. I loved watching their relationship evolve from colleagues to enemies to tentative friends and finally lovers - and their slow burn was so so good! When they finally got together I honestly shed a tear of happiness, these two are everything 🫶🏼

I love a work place romance and when you throw in enemies to lovers I already know I am going to love it so when I read the synopsis for this one I knew I wanted to read it.

I enjoyed the story of each character even though we only got one POV, Grace's journey of self-discovery was a joy to follow and I was invested in the couple.

The only thing that fell a little short for me was the spicy scenes, they just didn't work for me, I love a spicy scene but I am equally happy with closed door and I think in this case maybe that's what it should have been as the scenes ended up taking away from romance and investment I had in the couple.

A cute workplace romance. I loved the push, pull and chemistry between Grace and Eric. The intrigue was there as to why they went from lovers to enemies and some of the fake dates they had to go on were hilarious.

At first i thought I couldn’t engage with the book with all the jargon in marketing and dating apps but that was only a couple of chapters and then the rest flowed well.

I enjoyed Graces character development from being a doormat to standing up for herself and Eric just seemed so dreamy. Overall if you want a cute workplace romance this is a great read.

Out 13th February, perfect for a Valentines read.

In this witty and fun rom-com debut from Annabelle Slator, rival coworkers become reluctant daters after they're forced to work together on a brand-new dating app in hopes of winning a promotion.

This was so fun!! I loved the dynamic between Eric and Grace from the off but it only got better and better as the book went on. I enjoyed the dating app behind the scenes and love knowing that the author did actually herself work in the dating app world!

The chemistry between Eric and Grace was electric.

I rated this 3.5 stars.

I had very conflicting feelings about this book and eventually I settled on a 3 star rating.

I did think it was fun, flying through it in a day. Pacing wise, it went quite quickly. However, I did feel like the way the couple was set up as 'enemies' who had history already wasn't done particularly well. The fact that they had been friends before their rivalry isn't really mentioned until 30-40% of the way through which made the timeline of their relationship seem quite muddy.

Character-wise, while I did enjoy Grace'c character development in the end, she was a doormat for most of the novel. Not in a oh-she-takes-on-a-little-extra-work sort of way but in a this-is-a-serious-HR- violation sort of way.

The Launch Date took a lot of it's beats from The Hating Game in a way that I found a little distracting but if you like workplace romances this one will be right up your alley.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc!

Grace Hasting’s is offered the chance of her dream job as head of marketing for a new dating app. The only problem is her biggest rival and ex friend, Eric Bancroft is also being considered and even worse, as research into the new app, they need to go on fake dates together. Will they manage to put aside their differences and maybe find out they aren’t so incompatible after all?

This was such a good romantic debut! I knew I wanted to read this when I saw the blurb as I enjoy the enemies to lovers trope and the premise of it being set around fake dates and dating apps sounded like it would be interesting. Straight away I was invested in the story and the characters. Grace and Eric were strongly written and even though they could be frustrating, I was desperately rooting for them. The tension and connection between them was sending sparks off the pages.

The story is also laced with important topics, such as company politics, which are explored well. Even though it was a bit of a slow burn, it was an entertaining journey, full of banter and steaminess. I enjoyed the ending and will definitely be recommending this uplifting, passionate debut. I can’t wait to read more by this author. 4.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Grace is stuck in a dead-end job at a dating app, freshly dumped, and feeling like a total fraud when it comes to love. When her CEO offers her a shot at a big promotion by launching a new IRL dating app, she’s all in—until she finds out she has to test the dates with her work nemesis, the annoyingly charming playboy Eric Bancroft. As their dates get chaotic, Grace starts to realize that maybe Eric isn’t as bad as she thought—and maybe love isn’t either.

Grace and Eric made such a great enemies-to-lovers couple! I really liked how the story alternated between past and present, showing how their friendship evolved (and fell apart) over time.

Grace’s storyline had a lot of depth, especially with everything she went through—from her ex to her boss—which added a lot of emotion. And Eric trying to balance his job, fight for a promotion, and deal with the press about him and his sister made his side of the story just as compelling.

The slow burn between them was done so well, making their transition from friends to enemies to lovers feel natural and satisfying. Plus, the supporting characters really brought the story to life. Such a fantastic debut from Annabelle Slator!

Thank you to NetGalley for the download.

A super cute workplace enemies to lovers romance that I didn’t want to put down!!

Thank you to much to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy!

This is a fantastic friends to enemies to lovers, workplace romance debut, which follows the story of Grace and Eric.

Grace has spent years trying to prove herself at Fate, a dating app and when the chance at getting the promotion she’s dreamt about, Grace is apprehensive and determined to beat the only thing standing in her way - Eric Bancroft.

Grace and Eric were friends before becoming enemies. Grace finds Eric to be insufferable, cocky, arrogant and unjustly gorgeous.

In order to get the promotion, they are required to work together on a new app, which requires real-life connections, and they have to have a series of ‘test’dates’.

The rivalry between Grace and Eric is hilarious at points, with banter and longing which turns into something much more intense.

This is quite the slow burn and I thoroughly enjoyed the past chapters, which gave us an insight into their friendship and what went wrong.

Despite the rivalry between them, Grace and Eric work together so well and actually bring the best out in each other.

I am excited to read what Annabelle releases next💕

I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to read this ARC, thank you to the publishers for the chance.

I read this in one sitting!

Could not put it down!

I kinda thought Eric and Grace would end up doing what they did!

Thank you Annabelle Slator for getting me out of my slump!


Thank you to the Random House UK team at Netgally for the ARC.

The launch date was a cute cozy enemies to lovers office romance. I absolutely adored Eric and Grace. ERIC BANCROFT THE MAN YOU ARE. I found myself in love with him from the moment i read about him. He’s rich, he’s sarcastic and CHARISMATIC.

Eric and Grace get partnered together having to complete a series of dates in the lead up to presenting their own projects both rivalling for the same promotion.

The author seamlessly weaved past and present so it flowed well. I haven’t rooted for 2 characters this much in a long time. Such an easy fun read which had me kicking my legs and giggling. Highly recommend it.

Thank you for the e arc

I LOVED this book. Filled with so much tension I was kicking my feet and giggling the whole way.

Definitely comps with the hating game and it really reminded me of nostalgia rom coms.

THIS is how you write enemies-to-lovers office romance! When I say I want slow burn, this is exactly what I mean - actual rivalry that believably progresses into romance, not insta-love disguised as dislike.

Grace genuinely loathes Eric, and he's a bonafide arrogant, cocky, playboy office jerk who seems to enjoy making her angry - not because he's secretly pining, but because he actually dislikes her. Their backstory unfolds with perfect pacing, touching on something deeply relatable: not just romantic heartbreak, but the devastating loss of a friendship and the pain of discovering someone thought badly of you all along. This history creates a workplace rivalry that feels authentic and earned.

The romantic tension is absolutely incredible. The author crafts classic moments - the accidental fall-and-catch, the close-quarters confrontation, the tension-filled doorway scene - in ways that feel natural and believable. I spent half the book kicking my feet and giggling while also screaming “NOW KISS!”

What sets this book apart is how the author lets situations and actions communicate the emotions, rather than telling us how the characters feel. The chemistry builds through meaningful interactions instead of endless internal monologues about how attractive they find each other. It's refreshing to read a romance that trusts its readers to pick up on the subtle shifts in dynamics.

This book is a must read for if you love rivals/enemies-to-lovers progression, slow burn, great banter, a sprinkle of fake dating, and tension that you can cut with a knife.

I can't wait for this to release - it's an immediate add to my slow-burn favorites shelf .

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

3.5 stars

A workplace rivalry romance? Sign me up!
The Launch Date is absolutely bingeable. The story kept me glued to the pages, wanting to know how things would unfold. It gave me The Hating Game vibes, but unfortunately watered down.
This book had so much potential for angst, however I didn't feel like it delivered on that aspect. The rest of it though? I liked!

Thank you to Transworld for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

"Dancing is what we've been doing this entire time. The push and pull. To say it is anything but a dance would be an understatement."
3.75⭐

Gracie Hastings is a marketing manager for one of the biggest startups in London, working for Fate (a dating app)
'She markets love for a living but has absolutely no romantic prospects.'
She has to work head to head with her rival/nemesis to get a big promotion it's either her or him. In doing so she will have to go on a series of dates with Eric Bancroft (the hot shot sexy man all women love and are obsessed with)
Therefore, they attempt a ceasefire in order to work on this project and be objective about it. However, going on dates with your ex-friend/rival/ nemesis is not that easy especially when things start to heat up between the two 😉 🫠.
First of all, thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #TheLaunchDate in exchange for my honest review.
I liked this book and enjoyed reading about the journey of a woman struggling in a male dominated world trying to prove herself that she is capable and enough. While also spotlighting the toxic and manipulative relationship that she was involved in and how deeply it affected her love life afterwards. Those points were so important in the novel and we get to see how Gracie was navigating her love and work life while having Eric by her side as an example of an honest and loving man.
The only thing I disliked about the book was the miscommunication troop which I hate to be honest and that it was too slow burn for my taste.
Hope you give it a chance and pick it up once it's out.

Xoxo😘

Loved it!

So generally speaking, I’m a fae/fantasy fan, but I do like to drop in and out of some fun and flirty type reads every now and again and I’m really pleased that I did that with this book.

The Launch Date sees Grace and Eric, colleagues turned friends turned enemies, forced to work together in order to launch a new dating app.

It’s super cute, super flirty and really enjoyable. The ‘will they won’t they’ is, in my opinion, really well written and nothing drags out too long to the point it becomes frustrating.

A really nice little read and I’d recommend it.

Thank you for the ARC and I wish the book every success on its launch (date). See what I did there?

*I’d like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, and Annabelle Slator for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“The Launch Date” is the debut novel by Annabelle and tells the story of how the development of the dating app ‘Ditto’ brought Grace and Eric together.
Grace Hasting, marketing manager at the successful dating app ‘Fate’ has lost her faith in love. After being dumped by her fiancé the day after their engagement, being continuously stuck in a circle of working overtime and doing the work for two, as well as fueling a feud with her rival/colleague Eric Bancroft, she is hanging by a thread. So when the chance of getting promoted, defeating her rival, and opening doors for more opportunity arises, she wants to grasp it by all means necessary. The only problem? Eric Bancroft also wants the position. Now they have to work together on the project. Not only forced to share their work, but also having to face what happened eight months ago, Grace finds herself in a conflict of love, success, and finally moving on.
“The Launch Date” is a contemporary office romance featuring the tropes of rivals-to-lovers, forced proximity, and fake dating. The story is completely told from Grace’s perspective, not featuring Eric’s POV.
The story starts up pretty strong with introducing Grace as a person with great ambition, but filled with doubt. Her feud with Eric first appears more petty than anything, but it gets clear quickly that behind the bickering lays a long bygone misunderstanding and simmering attraction, Grace is not ready to acknowledge. But soon after both of them start going on their research dates, the plot starts dragging. Throughout the entire book they are on those research dates five to six times which I felt took away from the actual essence of the plot, especially as they did not have real conversions during those scenes and mostly just bickered which in their case is mild flirting. The betrayal of Eric was something that I didn't really get. For one, I think it’s lowkey illegal to access someone’s private info for personal use even if you work for the app you’re pulling it from. Secondly, I did not get why Grace was so deeply hurt by not being informed when it’s obvious that she could have simply done so herself, and avoided Eric for eight months after cancelling their friendship. After that her hesitation of accepting her feelings and brewing relationship with Eric felt a bit idiotic. Grace is a woman in her late twenties/early thirties, for her to behave in such a manner because of a boy seemed very silly to me. I also was bothered how the book did not address the fact that Grace is a total workaholic which certainly is not healthy. She works through her lunch break, does overtime or brings work home. Yet, even in the epilogue she is still working from home even though her guests are already arriving because she does “work-life-balance”.
The thing I loved the most was the friend group around Grace. Her both roommates were fun to read about. Their overall dynamic was super entertaining, and their conversations certainly brought the plot along while the conversations between Grace and Eric mostly didn’t. I still wonder about Grace’s family. They were mentioned once during the engagement scene, but otherwise are never mentioned. Though I expect that her broken engagement and workaholic nature certainly affected that relationship as well.
The time jumps confused me at times. There were a couple of scenes in which Grace has flashbacks, and sometimes I found it extremely confusing to differentiate between the present and the past.
Overall, an interesting debut with potential but some difficulties in execution.

ARC Review: The Launch Date by Annabelle Slator, Published: 13th February 2025
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Grace Hastings is finding it pretty hard to believe in true love, which makes her job at a dating app seem even more all-consuming than before. When the company’s CEO presents her with an opportunity to gain a promotion and do more with her skills, she jumps at the chance of chasing her dreams. But, of course, that means she has to work with Eric Bancroft, her competitor for the job and her biggest work rival. As Grace grits her teeth and gets stuck in, going on a series of fake first dates with the notorious playboy, she starts to wonder whether she really wants the dream she’s been chasing all this time.
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Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read an ARC of this book, and, let me tell you, I had SO MUCH FUN reading it. I struggled to put this book down from the minute I started reading it - and I read about 60% of it in one go. (Thank you train journeys for allowing me the time to obsessively read). I was having to tuck my face into my scarf to hide my blushing and grinning face from other commuters - that’s how infectious this book was!
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Grace and Eric were both so believable as characters, and their relationship dynamic was DELICIOUS. Friends-turned-workplace rivals-turned-allies is a fantastic trope, especially when you know it’s going to turn into something more. It creates so much beautiful angst - they have the chemistry from before but the tension from whatever it was that turned their relationship sour. And in this story, it works so well.
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I felt SO MUCH whilst reading this book - moments where I was mentally screaming at Grace to see what was right in front of her, moments where I felt her pain and her self doubt, and moments where I felt so happy alongside her, whether she was with Eric or her housemates. It’s such a fun book to read.
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The only criticism I have of it is the epilogue. I respect that questions needed to be answered and epilogues are generally quite short, but this one felt incredibly rushed and, to me, fell flat. I’m over the moon at the outcome, but the epilogue was very much ‘tell, don’t show’ which massively contrasted to the rest of the book.
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Overall though, this book was a banger. So, if you want to giggle and kick your feet like I did, keep your eye out on the 13th Feb - a perfect little treat pre-Valentines Day!
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5