Fun and light romcom. If you prefer reading and getting all the Hallmark vibes, this will do it for you.

Loved the movie and the book was a great way to fill in the little things that we didn't see on screen.

#Dater's Handbook
by Cara Lockwood


#Dater's Handbook
#NetGalley
This book was based on the Hallmark movie. A very cute, fun and funny romantic comedy.

Cass decides to follow a dating handbook to find love.

She gets into a pickle being torn between two guys.
Her family has their own opinions.

Hilarity ensues with all the different dates and her trying to decide which guy, if either one, is Mr. Right.

A nice escape, sweet romance and just a nice delightful way to spend an afternoon or evening.

4 *** highly recommended if you like love and laughter.


Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my honest review of the e arc.

This was a cute book, and definitely evoked the classic Hallmark romance. It was cheesy and the writing wasn’t anything special. But the story was fun and cute.

Love this story! It’s even better that it was made into a Hallmark movie! A great romance with a cute plot and characters.

A Hallmark book based on the movie? Yes, please! This is your typical Hallmark storyline and absolutely charming.

Fast, easy romance based off a hallmark movie. Decent enough. If you've watched Hallmark Original Movies... you know what you're walking into. Downloaded free from netgalley in exchange for free review. Three spoons for this one.

Dater's Handbook was an okay adaption of the Hallmark movie. The entire time I was reading this I kept comparing it to the movie, which made it hard to enjoy it.

A lovely warm hug of a book. This is your typical happy go lucky romance that will leave you with a smile on your face when you turn the last page.

The best of the Hallmark books I've read. Hallmark should hire this author to do more adaptations. This is the first one where I enjoyed the book more than the movie. Very clever, witty and it has actual romantic chemistry, which is rare in a Hallmark book. Well done.

Cute little romance that is a fast and easy read.
If you want something nice and easy to read, something that gives you a quick escape and will entertain you but not make you think?
Give this one a read!

Writing is cliched and annoying.

...................................................................................................................................................

I requested this book because I love the genre. Plus I also love Hallmark movies. This book is everything I thought it would be. I loved it. More please.

I enjoyed the book as much as I enjoyed the movie! I was so happy to see it was one of the stories Hallmark decided to put into print.

Great romance read. Ties right in with the movie. Love the characters. Hallmark books are the best books ever

This was a cute book and if you liked the movie of the same title, the story follows quite well. I was impressed by the writer and her ability to keep the feeling of the story and the place very similar to what we see on screen, yet gave enough to use your own imagination to fill in gaps that made it very much your own story. I also enjoyed reading the character's thoughts, which aren't always shared by the movie as well. Great story!

This was the first book that I’ve read by Cara and loved the humor and writing style. I laughed and felt connected with the characters. She drew me in and I had felt as if I was living the story. Excellent story and I’ve found a new author. Happy reading!

Dater’s Handbook by Cara Lockbook

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the opportunity to review and read this book. I was very happy knowing a great Hallmark film was yet again based off a book.

I never give any spoilers but I will say this book had me smiling and it was just a fun read. I enjoyed this book very much. I look forward to reading more books by Cara Lockwood in the future. You should check this one out yourself.

Daters Handbook was such a quick fun read. I can't wait to watch the movie. It wasn't as predictable as I had originally thought it was going to be there towards the end. Robert was such a great character I thought! George got on my nerves a bit. I guess I like the more laid back personality like Robert than I did George's uptight nature. Cass should have listened to Duke! Dogs know best!


Cass is such a sweet character. She deserved way better than Peter! I just wanted to slap him.

*I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley to review

I will be completely honest – while I haven’t seen the Hallmark movie this is based on, I picked this up because Megan Markle’s on the cover and it was released the same week as her famous wedding. After reading the book, I think I’ll definitely check out this movie the next time I’m in the mood for a rom-com!

“Cass, my husband is consistent and predictable and average in every way. He brings home a steady paycheck; he always asks about my day. He doesn’t look around constantly for the next thing when you’re sitting right in front of him. Now, that is commitment.”
She’d gotten me. She had. Because right then, in that moment, I realized that’s exactly what I wanted: a real partner, someone to share my life with, not someone like Peter who flirted with every pretty girl to walk into his bar. Standing here in front of Dr. Susie, I knew, for the first time in my adult life, I was ready to get serious about finding The One.
And it started with The Dater’s Handbook.”

This novel is told from the first-person POV of Cass, the thirty-something owner of a successful marketing items business (think umbrellas with logos). While she’s been lucky in business, mostly due to her hard work and good sense, she hasn’t applied that same level of work to her love life. Peter, her “let’s not put a label on it” not-boyfriend of two years can’t even remember she’s deathly allergic to honey. Her mom and her married-with-one-kid-and-another-on-the-way older sister Nadia want her to change her dating ways. While her mom reminds her to follow her heart, Nadia wants her to try a TV personality’s bestselling new book. Dr. Susie says women should be looking for someone “reliable, dependable and responsible” – and the first time Cass hears that, it reminds her more of her dog Duke than someone she wants to spend the rest of her life with. But after repeatedly being bashed over the head by reminders of Dr. Susie and her Dater’s Handbook, Cass realizes that she has a habit of dating noncommittal guys – guys who don’t seem to care if they’re in a relationship or not, and she resolves to start ignoring her instincts and instead start following Dr. Susie’s rules. Luckily enough, she’s got two new prospects in her life to experiment on! One is Robert, a dog-loving guy who makes her laugh and takes on her dates to mini-golf and a picnic that’s ruined by rain. The other is George, a long-time client of hers, who’s serious, polite, and respectful, and who takes her to fancy French restaurants and art gallery openings. They couldn’t possibly be more different, and while Dr. Susie’s rules approve of one of them, it’s the other that she feels a spark with. How will Cass balance dating both guys, and what will win out in the end – the handbook, or her heart?

Yes, it’s cheesy and predictable (the one guy’s habits remind her of her dead father, which is simultaneously weird and sweet, so it’s pretty obvious who she’s going to end up with), but that’s one of the draws of these books. It’s sweetly funny – one of the running gags is that Cass has an inner sweets monster, which caused the meet-cute with Robert when she stole a bit of his cake at a wedding. This sets a pattern of her stealing food off of him, and him tongue-in-cheek defending it. Her dates with Robert are playful and adventurous, and their banter is equally cute and flirty. The biggest angst in the book is Cass’s worry that she’s doing something wrong by dating two guys at once. It’s also closed-door to the max – by the halfway point of the book, the most Cass has done with either potential boyfriend is hold hands, and kissing is the farthest they go. My usual issue with low-angst closed door books is that I don’t get a good sense of the couple’s chemistry, but that was not a problem with this book. Their chemistry – and this book – is as sweet as the chocolate cake Cass is so fond of, and sometimes that’s exactly what I’m looking for. Which, by the way, if I have to complain about anything, Hallmark includes a dessert recipe at the end of their books, and I think they made a serious mistake by including a recipe for Lemon Elderflower Mini Bundt Cakes instead of chocolate cake!

Overall, if you’re looking for a closed-door rom-com with lots of yummy desserts, playful dates, and a discussion of what women should look for in a partner, you’ll like this book!