Zoe wanted the love, marriage and babies, but when her boyfriend of 7 years chooses to ghost her, she decides she will just have a child by herself. When she returns to work however, there is a shortage of childcare options and she only has one week to get it sorted. After her, pain of a neighbour Will, drops Zoe and her baby to work following an issue at home, his boss mistakenly assumes that Will is the father to Zoe’s child and insists that Will takes paternity leave. Could this presumption help both Zoe and Will or does another secret that Zoe is keeping, turn out to have dire consequences for them all?

The Pros:
1) I was a fan of the romance and how it progressed organically over time
2) The relationships of the two main characters with baby Hazel are really adorable
3) The story really highlights the difficulties of parents (especially women) - including in the workplace.
4) I do love a contract in a story lol
5) Lots of great tropes including: *enemies to lovers *fake dating * forced proximity

The Cons:
1) There are some sadder parts, but it really helps round the story out

The Quotes:

1) ‘There’s a study that shows fathers are more desirable job candidates than non-fathers. People think they’re better at their jobs. More committed.’ This was true - I’d read up on it this morning. also totally unfair because while fathers often got promoted, the opposite happened to mothers. the same study had shown that being a mother worked against a woman. They called it the Motherhood Penalty.

2) I took a deep breath. ‘It’s been bloody hard,’ I admitted. ‘I wanted this so much. I chose to have her, knowing I’d be on my own. And I love her more than anything. I feel I have to qualify everything with that. But I miss my old life so much. I miss being able to do whatever I want. I miss being stupid with my money, and fitting into my old clothes, and not being covered in milk. I miss sleep! And my brain hurts from paying constant attention to everything. And I just feel so guilty the whole time. And on my own, there’s just no break. Ever. It never stops. And it’s quite lonely.’

The Summary:
Gosh did this book resonate with me. Motherhood in particular, is so hard at times and the author conveys this so well in the story, from Zoe’s POV, but also highlighting workplace issues (and other problems you can face as a parent). However, the romance was lovely and I liked that it did feel very organic, how their feelings grew throughout the story. Hazel is a sweetie. Plus other sadder/complicated issues that arise, really helped round the story out. The book has lots of fab tropes like fake dating and grumpy sunshine, plus I admit, I do love a contract as a plot device!
Overall, I adored this story, go read it.

Summed up in a sentence?:
Zoe enlists her grumpy neighbour for childcare after a misunderstanding

I rated the book 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5).

A big thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Ahhh, this was so much fun!

I honestly wasn't expecting to laugh as much as I did. The banter was top-tier, the drama kept things moving, and I was genuinely kicking my feet and giggling through so many chapters.

I also loved that underneath all the fun, there were some really emotional moments that gave the story a lot of heart. Zoe was such a relatable main character, and I really loved how she was written.

This would make such a great book club read. If you love witty romance with plenty of laughs and a bit of emotional depth, definitely give this one a go.

From the very first chapter I knew that I would enjoy the story. I found it cute and easy to follow and I loved the author's writing style. There was also a great cast of characters. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.

entertaining rom-com with plenty of witty banter, believable chemistry, and all the fake-dating goodness I was hoping for. The relationship developed at a satisfying pace, and I enjoyed watching the characters slowly let their guards down.

There were plenty of laugh-out-loud moments balanced with enough emotional depth to keep me invested. If you're a fan of enemies-to-lovers romances with humor, heart, and a satisfying payoff, this is definitely worth picking up.

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

I have been in such a reading slump recently and this certainly helped me out of it.
This was a great and easy read. It had me reading in the middle of night way past baby fell back to sleep. In fact I read this over one night. I just didn't want to put it down.
Zoe is so relatable, 100% see where she's coming from as a mum.
Will is a sweetheart. I was rooting for them hard from the very beginning.
It was lovely to see them let their guard down around eachother and for them to get better acquainted (despite having been neighbours for years).

What started as a fun, lighthearted rom-com turned into a surprisingly emotional story about parenthood, family and finding the right balance.

When I started The Love Contract, I thought I was in for a fake dating romance filled with banter and plenty of funny moments and that’s exactly how the story begins. We follow Zoe, a single mother preparing to return to work after maternity leave, only she still hasn’t found childcare for baby Hazel. Enter Will, her workaholic next door neighbour/nemesis. When he’s mistaken for Hazel’s father, Zoe comes up with an unconventional solution: fake date Will so he can take parental leave and look after Hazel.

There was plenty of banter and some genuinely funny moments but I wasn’t expecting the story to take such an emotional turn. Beyond the romance, it explores the realities of parenthood, the challenges of returning to work and the struggle of trying to balance work, family and everything in between.

At one point, I was genuinely stressed with how everything unfolded, especially the fraud storyline. I kept wondering how they were ever going to get out of that situation.

What I loved most was the way the book explored motherhood through different perspectives. Seeing how each woman approached motherhood, the struggles they faced and the relationships they had with their own mothers added so much depth to the story. Watching those relationships heal over time made for a really beautiful and heartfelt journey that even made me tear up.

As for the romance, I really enjoyed the slow progression of their relationship. They took the time to get to know one another before their feelings developed, which made it feel natural and believable. Zoe was a bit of a mess at times but Will’s unwavering support, patience and steady presence made him incredibly charming. He was exactly the kind of person she needed and I loved watching their relationship grow stronger.

This was a lovely reminder that sometimes the books you pick up for a bit of fun end up leaving the biggest impact.

Thank you to the publisher, Aria and NetGalley for the arc!

i loved this from the very front cover. the banter between Zoe and Will was just th kind we all love to read. it makes you smile, make you KNOW there is more between them, helps build something more deep and honest between the pair.
Zoe wants a baby. she decides to do it alone. all good. but this then involves needing to time her return into the working world. her boss needs her absolute commitment to the job and is less than understanding of her new circumstances. this isn't helped when the vacancy for childcare and or ones with a affordable price are just to fully booked. fully booked for seemingly years ahead!
enter Will. Will's boss in his own way comes up with the solution. he mistakenly assumes Will is the father of Zoe's baby when she sees them together. this would be to his boss's gain to give the father time off. oh goodie a progressive label for them is his angle.
so they devise a plan to carry on the lie and in doing so Will will also become Zoe's manny on the time she needs to be working.but this is a fake relationship book. and we know the gorgeous bubble of what might come next. yep, the more they spend time together. the less fake this feels. Zoe has had a complex time with her neighbour Will before now. but this is helping her see him in a whole different way. perhaps the truth of this man is way more than she thought it was.
Steph's premise for this book was a really great way of looking into an actual problem for so many. not being able to find or then afford childcare. it then pricing(usually the mums sadly) out. and this comes with a huge cost to both woman and parents. and actually a huge cost to the work force even if they dont want to see it. parental leave is something mothers struggle with. the need to get back straight away otherwise your previous role shifts away from you and simply how some bosses work against parents and or their return to work ability. this book explores those themes but does so with the right amount of drama yes, but also the light touch of humour built in as well.
i enjoyed this book so much. there were moments i truly smiled far to much hand far too wide. but also the tender moments.
the way Steph weaves it all together is brilliantly done to cover so many aspects of single woman, parenting and finding love.

There’s something so comforting about a romance that makes you giggly just as much as it makes your heart ache, and The Love Contract did exactly that.

It perfectly blends together fake dating, slow-burn, and the real chaos of everyday life into a warm, feel good read that I found myself flying through. Zoe and Will’s relationship develops so naturally, with banter, tenderness, and the kind of chemistry that has you silently willing two characters to just kiss already.

One pf my favourite parts is the repetition of just how disproportionate parenthood is, how dads typically get to clock in and out, whilst mothers suffer all day every day from their mental health to their careers.

Steph Vizard explores family, vulnerability, and learning to trust again with so much warmth that the characters felt wonderfully real. Hazel completely stole my heart, and every scene with her added an extra layer of joy.

I enjoyed this so much!

I have been struggling to get into a reading groove lately but this book had me hooked and I zoomed through it.

Once I got past my doubts over whether Zoe would really leave baby Hazel with a near stranger…. the plot was perhaps a little too predictable at times but that didn’t reduce how entertaining this was.

This was the first book I read read by this author and I will look out for more.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Zoe had a baby on her own and is suddenly in a pinch for childcare. A misunderstanding leads Will’s boss to believe that Will is Zoe’s baby’s father. Luckily, Will’s law firm has recently introduced paid paternity leave, and Zoe comes up with a plan for Will to take advantage of the new policy and help care for her daughter. Will’s boss is thrilled that he’s finally making use of the benefit. But what could possibly go wrong?

This romantic comedy combines humor, romance, and emotional family drama to create an entertaining story about two people who begin with a complicated lie but gradually discover that love, trust, and family don’t always develop according to plan. The fake-daddy and forced-proximity tropes add plenty of fun, awkward situations, and romantic tension as Zoe and Will navigate their unexpected arrangement.

Overall, it’s a lighthearted and heartwarming read with plenty of humor, chemistry, and just enough emotional drama to keep things interesting.

Having finished 'A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances', which I really enjoyed, I was delighted to find another book by Steph Vizard. It is safe to say that this is a great read that kept me hooked throughout.

Zoe is a single mum who is fiercely independent although she has a range of issues linked to her upbringing and severe abandonment feelings. Will, her next door neighbour, is a workaholic lawyer who she has clashed with several times in the past. The two characters end up creating a contract (The Arrangement) whereby Will pretends to be on parental leave to score points with his legal firm so that Zoe can go back to work and have childcare. I really enjoyed this premise how real the struggles were for parents in the modern world- the author addressed this so well and did a great job of highlighting the gender imbalances that exist in society. Will underneath all of the lawyer persona was a kind, thoughtful person who cared deeply about Zoe and her daughter. I loved reading about their relationship and how it progressed from enemies to fake dating to *spoiler* real dating. I didn't wish that there had been more of this because their chemistry was great.

Poor Zoe had it all thrown at her from abandonment from her Dad, issues with her Mum and the way she had patented, struggling to communicate with her sister, work issues, being a single parent, and the whole fraud aspect. Not to mention the sudden springing of Adam (her ex) halfway through the book. Because of the sudden crashing of her world, it felt a bit jolted which was why I gave it 4 rather than 5 stars.

Aside from this, I loved how the author demonstrated what the world is like for mothers returning to work and facing prejudice. I loved the way she wrote about the relationship of the main characters, and also Zoe's love for her daughter. It was well-written and had some nice humour thrown in for good measure.

If you like enemies to lovers and fake dating then this is certainly the book for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of The Love Contract. All views are my own.

I adored this - it was sweet , funny , romantic and a wild ride . I really loved the characters, the snippets of humour and the bonkers idea of the childcare arrangement. The supporting characters and side stories added nice touches. I found the second half of the book a bit frustrating but I think the turn of events was needed , otherwise it would have just been too easy. Love love loved!

This book was such an emotional rollercoaster! I was into it from the first page because enemies to lovers is my absolute favourite trope! Enemy neighbours to lovers? Even better!
Single mum Zoe is trying to do her best for her daughter and for practically every person around her but always ends up feeling alone. Raising her daughter on her own is proving harder than she thought.
Her neighbour Will is a super smart workaholic who she loves to annoy, but when her childcare options fall through she comes up with a plan to get him to help her..
I loved the chemistry between Zoe and Will and how genuinely caring he was to both Zoe and baby Hazel. Their connection felt very real.
As they both learnt to work together to look after Hazel I saw both of their characters softening, but at the same time, the lie they had told was getting bigger and bigger and I didn't know how it was going to pan out, especially as their lives became more intertwined.
The ending was absolutely perfect and the entire book had me feeling every emotion possible.
I laughed, I swooned, I cried.
If you're looking for a smart, well written rom com, this is it!

I really enjoyed this book, and devoured it as fast as I could. The story follows 2 neighbours, but is told from just 1 POV, who seem to have a mutual dislike for each other, as they’re thrown together into a lie. A lot of the book is Zoe dealing with the consequences of her ill chosen decisions, and the growth that comes to her from that, as well as the realisation that Will wasn’t the monster she first thought. The book is very realistic about the trials of having a baby, and how that can play with your body and emotions, as well as showing that things that don’t always work out perfectly. It does have a HEA, though not a picture perfect one like you normally get with romance novels, which actually made me appreciate it more. I would definitely recommend this book, especially to anyone who’s had a baby in the last couple years.

Advanced reader copy review of The Love Contract by Steph Vizard
🌟🌟🌟💫 – I really liked it
🔥🔥 – on-page, non-explicit

This book is heavy on parenting and family themes. The romance is lovely, but often feels like a side plot to the family life and drama of raising children (honestly, realistic!).

That said, I kept reaching for this. I would put it down to get on with chores, then pick this back up shortly after.

It was a lovely book to sit down and read in the sun with a nice cuppa. Refreshingly honest about parenthood.

I adored that it was set in Melbourne. It’s always fun to see an Australian city through fresh eyes.

I do typically like to see how a couple is after their reunion, which this book offered none of. Another chapter or an epilogue would’ve seen me rate this a little higher.

Disclaimer: I was not incentivised to read or review. Thank you to Steph Vizard, Aria & Aries, and NetGalley for the ARC.