Once a month every assistant working in T V and film talent agencies meet at a different terrible bar in Central London to network [ ex gossip]. There was never any food available at these events, though there was always an abundance of a very particular type of white wine which was the cheapest. Evie gets a call from Monty - her boss had needed her and she was to convince Ezra or NOB to finish writing his screenplay by proving to him that she can find the man of her dreams like in romantic comedy.
I liked this book It’s a light fun romantic comedy read. II even laughed out loud at times which is rare for me. I think Annette added a lot to this book. But she does act a little old for only being seven. I liked seeing Evie’s growth in this book. I liked that the author brought to real life issues like: dating, and being a single parent. This did drag for me at times . I really liked the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend it.

This book had everything I thought I would love. Rom-coms? Script writers? London? I had super high hopes going in, but this book ended up being just an average read that I didn't feel the need to devour and keep on reading.

I want to start off by saying that this book was in no way bad. It was actually cute and I did enjoy the romance, but I never found myself dying to read this or to find out what happened next. When I finished, it was just an okay read that I know I'll forget about in a month or two. I think that Evie was a very relatable character with how she was stuck in a rut with both her job and her love life, and she just wanted to prove she could be an actual agent instead of just an assistant. When she decided to do these meet cutes to help out the screenwriter who was her boss's client, I loved the idea. As she did the meet cutes, though, she never actually had any guys who came close to being an option of her actually dating. I would have liked it better if some of them actually did lead to dates instead of every single one of them being a disaster.

By the end, the story did become pretty predictable and I called the "twist" pretty early on in the book. The real love interest was obvious from the start and, while that romance was cute, it took way too long to actually develop in my opinion. This one held so much potential, but instead it was just an okay romance that was fun to pass the time, but didn't really leave any real lasting impression on me.

A charming Rom-Com style story that keeps you engaged and interested. It did have a bit of a slow start but once the story really got going I found myself anticipating every twist and turn.

After years as an assistant Evie may finally get the promotion she deserves. But the thing that stands in her way is rude and childish Ezra, an up and coming talent who will be writing the newest script for the film agency Evie works for. The only issue is he hasn't delivered the script in a timely fashion, and unless he does Evie will loose her job. She assumes he has writers block and comes up with a plan to help him. She will have her own meet cute's to inspire him to write the Rom-Com the agency is looking for. What she didn't expect was how this simple task would change her life.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this digital arc.
There's a fair amount that I liked about this book and there were also things that frustrated me. Evie is a long-time assistant at a film agency trying to get their number 1 client, Ezra Chester (aka NOB), to finish a romcom script. She makes a deal with him to try out classic meet-cutes and try and fall in love within 3 months in order for him to get over his writer's block. How many successful meet-cutes can she possibly go through?
I am very in the middle about this book because it sounded like a lot of fun. The meet-cutes are interesting, Evie's friends are definite funny characters, and Ben is my favorite. Ezra is my absolute least favorite person in the book. I'm sure the author intended it to be that way but his behavior is frustrating and what he did to Evie seemed fairly obvious to me from the beginning. Even when he tries to redeem himself, it doesn't work for me. Besides that, it was fun and light. There are humorous moments that I could easily being played out on the big screen and the author clearly is a fan of the genre. It may seem predictable but their are some original characters that I kept wanting to read about.
It's not my favorite book of the year but it's a fun read to get through quickly.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

I really don't know why I don't read more rom-coms...I love watching romantic comedy movies and every time I pick up a rom-com to read, I end up loving them! And that is exactly what happened with this one!

This meet-cute rom-com couldn't have been more delightful and even though I had my suspicions as to where it was headed almost from the beginning, I still enjoyed the journey. After all - I think after seeing tons of romantic comedy movies and reading enough romance books in the past, we can all probably figure out who is going to end up with who, right? But for me, it's not really about the ending as much as it is the journey...I love seeing how a couple falls in love and what happens along the way.

This book is filled with some delightful, charming, and quirky characters and some that will get on your nerves and that makes it all the more endearing. It's a book that is full of rom-com references, so if you are like me and have seen many of the popular movies, you are sure to chuckle when they are named - and if you haven't seen them, consider this the list you didn't know you needed!

What sets this one apart from other rom-com books is that this one is all about writing a rom-com movie. It's low on the steam factor - it really only involves a few kisses here and there - and is more about the meet cutes than anything else. But that's not to say that the main characters aren't well-developed, because they are. I felt like I really got to know them and understand what was driving them.

I really enjoyed this story and will definitely be making a point of reading more rom-coms in the future...especially books like this that are not heavily reliant on the steam factor. Rachel Winters clearly shows that it isn't always needed!

I ended up skimming to the end of this one, as neither the writing nor any of the characters really captured my attention, and most of the scenes were too secondhand mortifying for me to enjoy. Also the dialogue, especially from the main love interest and his child, read as stilted to the point of distraction. I just couldn't really take it seriously or get into it.

If you love Rom Com "meet cutes", this one has them all even though those formulas don't necessarily work well for our leading lady. Even though the reader has a pretty good idea of where things are going story-wise pretty early on - there is a formula after all - Would Like To Meet was cute and wrapped up nicely just as a good Rom Com should, leaving me with a smile at the end.

ARC via Net Galley pub date December 3 ( this is an unpaid review)

Remember all those great meet-cutes from the movies? Well, we get to see them all again in Would Like to Meet, only those scenarios don't work out quite the same way for our main character, Evie, as they did on the big screen. Some are hilarious and some are downright cringe-worthy, but the one thing Evie's meet-cutes have in common is they all come together for an over-the-top bit of escapism. This story is not at all realistic, and it's packed with almost every cliché you can name in chick lit and romantic comedy. It's also quite predictable, and all of those things combined would usually be something I would scoff at, but in this story and with these characters, it all just worked. The story is fast-paced and just plain fun. The only drawback in this one is the lack of romance. It's not hard to figure out who Evie will end up with, and there are some hints at romance here and there, but I really wanted more on that front. The characters are what really made this book for me. Clichéd or not, the characters each have their own distinctive personalities. They aren't just window dressing. And my favorite would have to be young Annette, who stole the show every single time she appeared on the page. So, over-the-top? Absolutely. Clichéd? Yep. Predictable? You betcha. Nevertheless, Rachel Winters' debut novel kept me turning pages and laughing out loud from start to finish. This wonderfully witty tale is perfect for curling up and forgetting the real world for a while, and I'll be interested to see what this author does next.

if you enjoy reading books by sophie kinsella and have run out of new ones, then would like to meet would be a very good stand-in. it's a british rom-com, in which evie summers, our hapless heroine, who's naïveté about her boss's willingness to promote her and her tolerance of their most prominent client's bad behaviors can't help but lead her astray.

the gambit here is that she is going to try to reenact famous film meet-cutes in the hopes of finding love, to prove to the nob (the poorly behaved client) that the premises of romantic comedies can work in real life. the nob is a "serious" screenwriter, and can't stand the idea of writing something he believes is unrealistic.

in the process of doing this, she keeps running into a widower and his child, ben and anette. and the trio form a connection, a friendship, of sorts. but the nob is forever putting a wrench in things and evie is just silly enough to be lead astray.

don't get me wrong, i enjoyed evie, but she's also a huge idiot for a huge chunk of this story. when she finally wises up and gets her head on straight there's a series of miscommunications that up the stakes, but this is a rom-com and all's well that ends well.

**would like to meet will publish on december 3, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/g.p. putnam's sons in exchange for my honest review.

Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters is a fun romantic comedy that I really enjoyed. Evie Summers had always planned to be a writer, but she has given up that dream after being told she was not good enough. After working seven years as an assistant, she is more than ready to become an agent. She will finally be promoted if she can help the firm's arrogant client, get over his writer block. I found this book to be laugh out loud funny. I will be reading more of Ms. Winters books, what a better way to escape life and just enjoy and laugh for a few hours. I highly recommend this book to all who enjoy a fun rom-com.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

This was a debut that was funny and had some pretty awesome meet cutes! The writing was easy to fall into and the humor was great. This is a sweet book, but what added to that was that the characters are dealing with real issues and I loved that it was shown here. Sometimes while finding love, we have other things going on in our lives.

I have to say that I did find this to be a bit drawn out. It could have been a bit shorter and had the same effect. Also, I feel like Ben and Anette carried this book and made it worth reading.

While it’s not a new favorite for me, I would read this author again!

4.5 stars

The cuteness is real, and I loved this with my whole heart!

If you like rom-coms and meet-cutes and the movie industry, this is the book for you! Evie is an assistant, dreaming of becoming a screenwriter. She’s ready to be promoted, but the only way that’s going to happen is if she can get hot shot screenwriter Ezra Chester to finally finish the rom-com script he’s been working on. Unfortunately, Ezra is having some serious writers block and taking out his frustration on Evie. When Evie agrees to create as many meet-cutes as possible to give Ezra some inspiration, so many crazy shenanigans ensue as Evie rediscovers what it means to fall in love.

I really really enjoyed this one a lot! Evie is lovable and strong spirited. Ezra is a pretty big jerk to her when she’s just trying to do her job, but she doesn’t take any of his arrogant attitude, and instead holds her own whenever they have a verbal sparring match. Again, Ezra is a jerk, and SPOILER ALERT: THANKFULLY NOT THE LOVE INTEREST. I was really concerned going into this that it was going to be a girl falling for the “bad boy” and potentially ending up in a toxic or problematic relationship, but rest assured, that does not happen, despite Ezra’s pathetic attempts.

Ben. Ben is the cute, sweet, but sometimes grumpy love interest that just really made the book for me. I love when Evie meets him and his daughter Annette after a failed meet cute and from that point forward, they act as a commentator for all of Evie’s future attempts, while being supportive, but also judgmental when it’s called for. I wish there were so many more of their coffee date meetups, I would have read a whole book of those.

I loved that Evie started out pretty strong, but still grew more as a person and faced her past heartbreak and learned to move on from it. This is just a really great book if you love sweet rom-coms and British humor, and I totally recommend making a cup of hot cocoa and curling up with it under a blanket!

*Thank you to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Evie Summers is far overdue for a promotion. Being an assistant at William Jonathan Montgomery and Sons used to be all she ever dreamed of. But that was when she was young and far less cynical.

She’s determined to do whatever it takes to finally become a full-fledged Agent. Even if it means catering to every infuriating whim of her agency’s biggest client - Ezra Chester.

“I’m really doing it,” I said, slightly dazed. “I’m going to live as if I’m in a rom-com for three months.”
If I was truly honest, I knew I feared the very thing my friends believed this challenge might be good for. Am I risking falling in love again? Ricky’s final words to me were at the back of my mind. I think you’re great, Evie, he’d said. It’s just me. I want more. It was the ultimate “It’s not you, it’s me” breakup, only I was still left feeling like I’d failed to be what he wanted. I wasn’t grieving anymore, not exactly; but some things linger.
“To Evie,” Jeremy declared, as we clinked our glasses, “and her love life.”
“Career,” I corrected. “And here’s to my brilliant friends proving, with a little manipulation, real life can be like the movies.”
Jeremy held two books from the coffee table over my lap like they were a director’s clapper board, bringing them together with a snap. “Action.”

Evie maps out her plan of attack every Sunday at the same coffee shop. And every week she can’t help but gravitate to the same table where a broody (yet ridiculously handsome) man and his adorable daughter somehow manage to take up residence in her heart.

But between chasing the dream that she thought she always wanted and dealing with some of the most hilarious – and embarrassing – situations ever to exist, Evie Doris Summers just might miss the chance to find her own love of a lifetime.

“How can I expect him to forgive me?”
“You know how I feel about love.” Jeremy pulled back from the huddle. “You can keep all the flowers and the heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. When a man comes over to unblock your toilet, that’s romance.”

I never considered myself a fan of your typical “meet cute” until I read this book!

In Would Like to Meet, Rachel Winters elevates the genre to dizzying heights with her band of lovable characters, quick-witted banter and captivating story line.

With that said, Anette absolutely stole the show for me with her adorable sweetness and determination. She helped Evie to see that she didn’t need to look for something wonderful because it was right in front of her the whole time.

I was amazed at how much this book made me feel. And it’s a spectacular debut from an author that I can’t wait to read more from…

I had SUSPICIONS from the get-go, and then I was really hoping that said suspicions would prove out because I began to be VERY conflicted about who I wanted Evie to end up with! This book gave me major second lead syndrome and while I knew who she'd end up with in the end (or thought I did), there were definitely moments where I had hope for the Other Guy. I was even wracking my brain trying to figure out how they could somehow be the same person so she could end up with them both, hahahaha (yes I'm silly).

Ohhhhh Evie. I love how she puts on a brave face and goes through with all these meet-cutes, and how she starts to find herself throughout this book. She's just... she's such a terrible friend, like to the point where her character is both likable and pretty unlikable at the same time. My feelings for her confuse me, haha. Also, as someone who is super into rom-coms and romances, Evie sure is dense as to her repeated meet-cutes that fate keeps arranging with Ben...

Evie alternately made me want to hug her and strangle her (a feeling her friends could likely relate to...) and her friends were a little interchangeable and felt sort of extraneous at times. Ben and Anette basically made this book for me, and weirdly Ezra as well. I wish we'd gotten some chapters from the male lead's POV, because I'd really have liked to see inside his head (and the second lead's head too, come to think of it...) but I get why the story is told from Evie's POV.

This was a fun read that somehow stayed really light-hearted and also dealt with some serious issues like self-confidence, standing up for yourself, the terrible and unhealthy work/life situation some people are put in, not letting someone else's opinion derail your dreams... I'm looking forward to reading more by Rachel Winters, for sure.

Would Like to Meet was a good debut novel with great life lessons and wonderful characters.

The beginning started off strong. I really thought Evie was doing everything humanly possible to catch the attention of the cute guy with the Ramones shirt at the cafe and have an epic meet-cute moment... But it didn't go as planned and she doesn't even get to say one word to the guy 👎🏼 (cue second-hand embarrassment 🙈).

After that begins the real reason why Evie is working so hard to capture a meet-cute moment worthy of a movie moment! She needs to persuade Ezra Chester (an egotistical screenwriter) to have a script ready in 3 months before she and her boss lose everything (the agency is at stake) and get this; Ezra hasn't even started writing it yet 🙃.

Next thing you know Evie makes a deal with the N.O.B. (Number One Boychild) to prove she can fall in love in real life like they do in the movies. If she succeeds, Ezra will write the script and sign the deal.

Rachel Winters keeps the who will Evie end up with card close to her chest (she had great chemistry with two love interests), which in turn, keeps readers intrigued. I would say Would Like to Meet is a good chicklit story. Not too centered on the romance as the main focus is on Evie and her personal growth as the story progresses.

Though I hated that Evie was a bit of a pushover when it came to her boss Monty and Ezra (he treated her poorly in the beginning), I loved Evie's style and her group of friends. Overall, Would Like to Meet was hilarious and heartwarming. I've hit a slump in reading which could be why I found this book to be a bit too slow. However, I definitely will be giving it another chance later on 💃🏼


*I received a complimentary copy of this book from G.P. Putnam's Sons through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

Evie’s job is on the line when she is put in charge of getting the arrogant screenwriter Ezra to finish his script. She strikes a deal in order to get him to deliver - Evie has to prove that RomCom’s can exist in real life.

I absolutely adored this book! It was cute and charming, albeit a little cheesy. I appreciated how Evie grew throughout the book, finally realizing she needs to take back her life and stand up for what she wants and deserves.

Her relationship with Ben and Anette was endearing. I loved that he didn’t try to woo her with fancy dates and boxes of chocolates, but showed up for her when she needed him. Isn’t that real life love?

This book is definitely a slow burn, and it took me a bit to get into this one. But once I settled into the story, I was hooked. I highly recommend for fans of rom coms (a plethora of movie references!) and authors such as Sophia Kinsella and Christina Lauren.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I thought this book was cute. It was well-written, and I enjoyed the format. I really loved the relationship between Anette-Ben-Evie, and I thought she got a deserved and satisfying ending. However, there were some twists I didn't like very much and that I thought didn't really contibute to the story at all. The whole NOB thing got infurating because it was pretty clear how awful he was. Also, I didn't think Ben and Evie spent that much time together throughout the book, which was disappointing. It was an entertaining read, but not one I'd read again.

Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters is a sweet rom con romance. Evie, our heroine, has been an assistant to an agent for 7 years, and has determined that now is the time for her to be promoted to a full time agent. Her boss, pressures her to get an author to send him pages of his new book/screenplay, as they have an agreement with producers to produce the next film.

The author, Ezra (whom Evie and her friends call N.O.B (number one boy child) is obviously having writers block, and Evie tries to help him get back on track. She convinces him to write a rom-com, with her help, as she will go to places and pretend to find a boyfriend, writing her experiences and sending them to Ezra to help him write the screenplay.

We get to meet (they text each other all the time) Evie’s wild and crazy friends (girls and a gay friend), who are supportive of her, pushing her to find the right man for her. Their relationship was fun (but a bit wacky), especially with bachelorette party, hen do, and them all getting together to drink and get drunk.

In between her rom- com and snarky wild friends, there is another possible romance for Evie. Every Sunday at the café, Evie always runs into a widower and his daughter. Ben and Anette watch Evie get herself into funny situations, and soon both Ben and Anette look forward to seeing Evie each week. Of course, Ben isn’t enamored with the witty Evie, but it is Anette who pushes him toward her. When things start falling apart for Evie, it is Ben who will come to the rescue a few times. She begins to see him in another light.

As much as she submits her experiences to Ezra, she suspects he is not writing, but he tells her he is loving what she is sending him. Can Evie trust Ezra? Will she lose her job if the author doesn’t produce?
Ezra is also pushing himself on Evie, making her think he is falling in love with her. Will Evie fall for Ezra or will it be Ben?

Evie was a very good character, whom I couldn’t help root for her. She was smart, savvy, fun and when things got tough, she stood up to both her boss and Ezra. I did think the crazy shenanigans by her friends, and the rom com meets were a bit too much, though some were fun. I did like Ben and Anette.

Would Like to Meet was a charming, fun and entertaining story that was well written by Rachel Winters in her debut novel.

Everything about this synopsis screamed "LINDSEY READ ME PLZ" - and I'm so glad I did! Evie has just a few months to convince her agency's too-big-for-his-britches-super-serious-screenwriter that rom-coms are more than just fluff; the stories they tell can be found in the real world and those stories are worth being told by too-big-for-their-britches-screenwriters. How is she to do this, you wonder? Well, by acting out some of the most famous meet cutes in romcom movies - no matter how embarrassing, ridiculous, or unlikely to succeed they may be.

I spent a good portion of the first half of the book trying to figure out who the heck I was supposed to be rooting for, as some of the characters really don't make the best first impressions ... but I'm so glad I stuck with it! Everything comes together in such a wonderful way by the end of it, and there were some plot twists I genuinely didn't see coming. The story was fun, heartwarming, and anyone who’s seen their fair share of romcoms will love recognizing all of the meet cutes from various movies. (Also, the last line of the acknowledgements is FIREEEEE - make sure you read it!)

Thank you to NetGalley and GP Putnam for the gifted book and opportunity to read and review it prior to its publication date! This in no way affected my review, all opinions are my own.

Would Like To Meet by Rachel Winters is a fun, upbeat romance read that’s perfect for the holiday season!

SYNOPSIS: Evie is desperate to be promoted after seven years as an assistant, and now her career hangs in the balance because of a stuck-up screenwriter who refuses to write a rom-com because they’re “unrealistic.” So, Evie makes him a deal — she’ll prove that rom-coms are real by orchestrating a series of meet-cutes that will provide both proof and inspiration to the screenwriter. The only catch: she’s supposed to fall in love too. What could go wrong?

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and read it in about six hours — it had just the right amount of twists and turns, great characters and the perfect amount of slightly saccharine moments that I expect and love in my rom-com books. Evie was a fun and really strong protagonist (even though she was occasionally a terrible friend) and I enjoyed reading about her meet-cute exploits as well as how she navigated a male-dominated industry!

It’s set from November-March, so even though every scene doesn’t take place in front of a Christmas tree, there’s still plenty of holiday spirit to be had, so I’d recommend curling up with a warm drink and a fire. Also if you like a romance without so much heat, this is definitely a great option for you!

Thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for an e-ARC of Would Like To Meet, which is out on December 3rd & it would make a fabulous gift (and if the gift’s for you, I’m not judging)!