The story was enjoyable overall, but the pacing felt off. There wasn’t enough tension or build-up between the MCs before they got together, which made their romance less compelling.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

This has to be one of the most believable romance stories i have ever read. A work place romance which comes to fruition after the break ups of both the mmc and mfc.
Ivy is fresh out of an 8 year long relationship, and all she has to show for it is a couch. Needing a more affordable apartment she finds herself in need of a job. That job lands her on the doorstep of Ethan. Ethan is struggling to find anything positive about his relationship and is undecided if just loving someone is enough. All that indecision ends one fateful night when he bumps into Ivy at a bar, which turns into a night of heated passion. Ivy and Ethan struggle to balance professional life and new love when the company is expanding.

I have to say, I feel like this book may be a little to fast paced, for a romance book it seems to lack romance. The only date being the meal they go on to meet Ethans father. Which turns into a wedding and honeymoon within the next few chapters.(And no honeymoon content) I feel it was more focused on the actual workplace than the romance.
That being said it was an easy read, but not something I overly enjoyed personally.

This was a nice quick read. Starting off, I wish there would’ve been more backstory given with Ivy and Rob. We were given more with Ethan’s relationship but not Ivys. Anyway, the whole story was predictable which wasn’t a bad thing. I was partly annoyed at Ivy a few times. She just came off really immature at times for someone in their 30s. All in all it was a decent read and I enjoyed the narrators. Also. What was up with Marcus. I’d love to know why he really left.

I am honestly not sure how to rate this book and what I think right now. Ivy and Ethan got out of extensively long term relationships and seemingly jumped into a relationship immediately. And to top it off, he is her boss. Most of the things that I thought would happen to stand in their way, really didn't. But they had a whole different set of things to navigate. Their story was a bit all over the place and went from zero to one hundred between them very quickly but I didn't find tha anything triggered me so that was a plus. Everyone was suprisingly agreeable the whole book, even with deeper themes happening, the book was light and very fluffy.
Thanks to Victory, Netgalley and the author for an ALC.

I listened to the audiobook, just finding my love for them because it allows me to reach my reading goal on days I have a lot to do as well. This one was a little bit hard to get through to be honest. There was pretty much no chemistry in my opinion and up until the last few pages, I wasn't able to find ANYTHING lovely about either of them, I'm so sorry. I kept zoning out ever so often and still, nothing essential was happening. Well, anyways, I fear it was not for me!

This was a quick and easy listen. It started off exciting but lost steam. There were parts that dragged, The romance felt rushed. The exes were terrible. The book ended with questions for the next book. I would recommend for something quick to listen to.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Eddy Twice and Audio ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC copy.

The pacing seems off. I didn’t really feel the tension between the two before hand and then they fell into bed together, but it didn’t feel like a pining/yearning slow burn before hand. It may have been better if the first chapter was their hookup and then do a “_ months before” or something like that. The story overall is good but didn’t really drag me in as much as I’d hoped due to the lack of tension between the main characters. I was more invested in the MMC and his initial fiancés toxic relationship than that of the two main characters.
The amount of time focused on before they got together and the time after they were married vs the amount of time focused on their dating was not great to me. I’d rather more time of them getting together and dating/wedding planning. I didn’t really care about it after their wedding, personally.

Overall not bad but could use a bit of fine tuning and editing down.

An audio release of a previously released title.

I wanted to like this one more than I did, but it felt a bit vapid, honestly. Don't misunderstand me, I wear makeup and use it as a confidence booster for myself, but let's inject more self worth into life, hmm?

I picked this one up as a bit of a palate cleanser between a few other genres I was reading and to me, as someone who’s not a usual romance reader, it kind of just felt similar to many other romance book I’ve read.

It kind of gave me similar vibes to The Devil Wears Prada for a while. It was a super easy quick read and the characters were easy to follow, the plot was a nice and simple one and I think most of what I expected to happen, happened.

I sort of felt that the climax happened a little bit too early so the end dragged on a little and I wasn’t a huge fan of the spicy scenes they felt a little forced to me, but those are a personal preference. It did have a little 2 year later section which I typically don’t enjoy myself, but others may like this.

I listened to the audio version and while I absolutely loved the female narrator, I found the male narrator didn’t really match the character I had in my head for the MMC.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC

I struggled a bit with the audio to this book. I found the voices very robotic especially Ethan’s.
The story itself was cute but not hugely memorable. It was just an ok read for me.

Ivy was having a terrible time, her boyfriend breaks her heart, and takes everything in their once shared apartment. She is alone with no job, no boyfriend, and nothing to show for the 8 years she spent with her once love. She is forced to start over and ends up as an assistant to a copy editor at a makeup company. Arriving late on her first day isn’t doing her any favors as she meets her surly boss Ethan. She runs into her boss in a bar one night and they have an earth shattering kiss. Will Ivy dive into a new relationship? Will she lose this new job? Will she put herself first and rise in the company? Is it possible to have it all?

This book was so cute! I felt like I was in a. daydream listening to it. The story was well written and full of humorous, heartfelt, and steamy moments. There are mentions of problems conceiving and loss, but it was written well. I would have liked more character development and backstories, but I also enjoyed the simplicity of this book. It reminded me of a sitcom and was fun to listen to. The narrators did a good job and the story flowed well with solid chapter transitions.

I didn’t expect to love this as much as I did. Ivy felt like that one friend who always texts you the wildest updates—and somehow turns heartbreak into healing with humor and grit. The romance wasn’t over-the-top, but that’s what made it work. Ethan choosing her in quiet ways? Swoon. And the real magic? Watching Ivy slowly believe in herself again. Flawed, fast-paced, a little chaotic—just like real life. And I adored it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this audio ARC.

This is being published as an audiobook. The e-book has been out since late 2024.

Very easy and quick read, especially with the audiobook.

The main thing that stood out to me while listening to this was something that one of the side characters said. I can’t remember the exact quote, but essentially it was that makeup can be healing. It can be empowering! It is not just something to look “better.”

I think their relationship is a little bit more of a happy for now than a happy ever after. I don’t believe their relationship is going to last forever. Both main characters are coming out of bad relationships. They almost needed a little break before starting their relationship with each other to explore what they went through. It was skimmed over, and staying very surface level - when a discussion with a friend or even internal dialogue would have showed that it was at least reflecting on it.

The audio had a strange echo to it - specifically in the female narrators part. So that definitely dampened my listening experience, but it did not affect my rating as I’m unsure if it’s my file in particular or the audiobook is general.

Tropes:
- workplace romance
- boss x assistant
- grumpy x sunshine

This book had potential, especially with its setup: Ivy, fresh out of a toxic long-term relationship, gets a new start working as a personal assistant to Ethan, a high-powered businessman with his own romantic baggage. It seemed like the foundation was there for a heartfelt and healing slow-burn romance - but unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite deliver.

The biggest issue for me was the tone and writing style. It felt very juvenile for a story about characters in their 30s. The dialogue and decisions read more like a high school drama than a mature adult romance. Ivy, in particular, came across as immature and inconsistent, and I struggled to connect with her. Her lack of professionalism early on was jarring, especially considering how "high-stakes" this new job was supposed to be for her.

Ethan was more tolerable, but his development felt shallow. Both main characters had painful pasts that were touched on but never really explored with any depth - especially for Ivy - which made their quick emotional bond feel more convenient than earned. The chemistry was minimal, and their romantic progression felt rushed and surface-level.

Pacing also became a problem. Things jumped ahead without much transition or clarity - one minute Ivy and Ethan are awkward coworkers, and the next they’re having relationship drama that didn’t feel fully set up. There were moments where I thought the story might turn a corner, but it never quite got there.

All in all, I didn’t hate it, but I can’t say I truly enjoyed it either. A promising idea that didn’t quite live up to expectations.

Grumpy / Sunshine
Work place romance

I am a new Eddy Twice fan and I'm very excited about it. The Makeup Girl was a fun read. I love a grumpy sunshine.

This is the first book that I’ve listened to/read by Eddie Twice and it proved to be an easy read and good enjoyable fun. The book was written from the point of view of Ivy and Ethan who ended up working together due to a breakdown in Ivy’s relationship.

Ivy got her first real job writing copy for a make up company when she doesn’t use make up herself. She has a grumpy boss to cope with, but things soon change on that front. Ethan has scared all of his previous assistants away up to this point, but Ivy really needs this job so tries to stick it out and her perseverance pays off.

Characters were likable, some of the directions that the story goes in are a little far-fetched but we read fiction to get away from reality so that’s not a problem. There was a male narrator for this audiobook who voiced the point of view of both Ivy and Ethan, which may prove a problem for some, but I thought it was fine..

Overall, this was a quick fun book to listen to and I enjoyed it. I will read more by this also in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

3.5 stars
This is an entertaining, fun read. I enjoyed Ethan and Ivy’s romance and the path it took to get to their HEA. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The story is easy to read and get into.

I enjoyed the audio version of this book and the narrators.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was just okay for me. The characters weren’t very likable and there wasn’t much of a plot just day to day activities in which they both spend too much time being self absorbed. Both characters exes were more unlikable but they just conveniently came and went with little drama even though they were dramatic people. It just didn’t feel like a fully developed story.
The narrators were okay but they were pretty monotonous and there were several times that I couldn’t keep track of which character was actually in charge in that moment (not the narrators fault) which made it harder to stay engaged in the story.

The Makeup Girl by Eddy Twice is a lighthearted, fast-paced romantic comedy that delivers plenty of laughs, sharp banter, and just enough emotional depth to keep you invested. It’s a great pick for readers looking for an easy, entertaining escape with a relatable heroine and fun workplace drama.

What Worked Well:

Ivy’s voice is a standout—funny, awkward, and authentic. Her journey from heartbreak to self-confidence is both hilarious and empowering.

The workplace setting is engaging, with a beauty start-up vibe that adds energy and uniqueness to the story.

The romantic tension between Ivy and Ethan (classic grumpy/sunshine dynamic) is full of sharp dialogue and slow-burn chemistry.

Makeup as metaphor: The novel uses beauty not just as a theme, but as a means for Ivy to reclaim confidence and agency.

What Didn’t Fully Land:

Some emotional arcs feel underdeveloped, particularly Ethan’s—his backstory and growth could have used more space.

Pacing and POV shifts sometimes interrupt momentum; not all perspective changes added new insight.

The romance escalates quickly in some moments, making the intimate scenes feel more rushed than earned.

Overall:
This is a witty, feel-good read with a strong narrative voice and a vibrant setting. While a few elements could’ve gone deeper, The Makeup Girl ultimately succeeds as an uplifting and engaging rom-com.

Recommended for readers who enjoy:

Contemporary romance with humor

Office/workplace dynamics

Grumpy/sunshine pairings

Stories about self-reinvention and confidence

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

Let’s just say, we redheads are having our day in print and media. But then at the end she dyes it black?! I’ve never in my life seen a redhead that could pull off black hair.

This book was honestly just smut, and while there were some phrases that caught my attention and made me smirk. Overall, it was predictable and fluffy with a lot of open door smut.

Some of the plot points or side information seemed to come out of nowhere.

I wanted a light-hearted banter-laden romance, and this was not it. It was interesting the change in dynamics between the stereotypical characters, and it definitely had an everyone gets exactly what they wanted happy ending.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me review an ARC

Sadly, there are no quotes on this one.