I really enjoyed this book, it started a little slow but really picked up. Once I got to that part, I couldn’t put it down. The plot is interesting and different than most of the other romance books I’ve read, which makes it a real winner in my mind.
The main character, Everly, has severe social anxiety. I like how the author address this, she shows how supportive friends can make a big difference to people with this disorder. All in all, a solid romance with compelling characters and a great plot . I highly recommend this book. 4 stars.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, thank you so much Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this arc!

Both the cover and synopsis for this book were super cute and I was really excited to read it. However, it unfortunately did not live up to my expectations. The first thing I struggled with it was being a super slow burn, closed-door romance. I typically prefer a steamy romance, and often get bored with closed-door. However, I had some other issues. Story wise the characters were frustrating me a little with their inconsistent characteristics, and often immature-seeming behaviors. I did really love the relationship between Everly and Stacey, but Everly and Chris’s relationship seemed very surface level and random to me.

On a more technical level, I’ve read quite a few arcs, and most of them are pretty much ready to be published. This arc felt like it still needed a good round of heavy editing. Lots of typos, awkward wording, and inconsistencies in small details - such as positions of characters or times oof day, ect that kept changing from moment to moment. One little issue wouldn’t have thrown me off, but the fact that it kept happening pulled me out of the story.

Overall, a very cute and sweet romance, but I personally like stories with a little more depth, and a little more steam.

I wasn't really sure about this book at the beginning. However, it grew on me and I ended up really enjoying it. I found the concept pretty interesting and appreciated how Everly's social anxiety was handled. It didn't strike me as the start to a series, but who knows! The romance was definitely a slow burn and some of the obstacles weren't the most impactful for me. But I adored the relationship between Stephanie and Everly, which excused some failings. I also liked the radio station setting and Everly's dynamics with her parents. There was a particular scene that had me cackling.

Ten Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan
Source: NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin
Rating: 4/5 stars

As far as birthdays go, Everly would be perfectly content to ignore hers. Every. Single. Year. As an anxiety-riddled introvert, Everly doesn’t like being in the spotlight, and every year, without fail, something awful seems to happen on her birthday that draws her firmly into the spotlight.

This year is no exception.

On the morning of her birthday, Everly catches her D-bag of a boyfriend in bed with his assistant. Though she isn’t overly heartbroken, she is very angry, and that anger comes out to her best friend as they are starting work. Unfortunately, Everly isn’t aware, until it is way too late that her whole story comes tumbling out over the airwaves of the local radio station. Yet again, a disastrous birthday that puts Everly in the spotlight.

Within hours, Everly finds that her story totally resonates with listeners and a scheme to help save the radio station is hatched. Shy, introverted, anxiety-riddled Everly is going to become her own Bachelorette program and over the course of several weeks, she and the station’s listeners will work through a list of eligible bachelors to find Everly her own happily ever after. Everly is completely freaked out by the prospect of multiple dates with multiple men, but she wants to keep her job more, so she agrees to the madness.

Standing on the sidelines is the one man who truly cares for and appreciates Everly. Even with all her issues, Chris sees Everly for who she really is and wants nothing more than to care for her openly and honestly. The trouble is Chris is Everly’s boss and he has never given her the slightest indication he has anything but professional feelings towards her. In the weeks of the dating competition, Chris is by Everly’s side and always available should she have any trouble. Chris becomes a source of support and friendship that eventually, at least for Everly, grows into something far more intense and real. Obviously, neither are going to confess their true feelings until they have too 😊

The Bottom Line: I guess I’m reading books incorrectly again, because I quite liked this book. Never once did I feel sorry for Everly, but compassion and support for her as she struggled through her own issues to try and help others. Everly is a character I couldn’t help but root for and I especially appreciated her best friend and her boss, Chris. Neither enabled Everly but sought to help her overcome and accomplish. In all, I found this to be a rather uplifting book with a load of feels thrown in for good measure.

The main characters, Everly and Chris, are sensitive to other people and tortured by their difficult parents. However, they are less sensitive to their own needs and strengths. Luckily they discover more about themselves as they fall in love. This is a romance without the usual passionate scenes. There is more tingling in their touching pinkies than there often is in the sex scenes of other books. I kept reading because I wanted to know how they would deal with their difficulties. There is room of a sequel between Rob and Stacey which is always fun.

Ten Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan is a light-hearted rom com with an interesting premise and likeable characters. I really appreciated the care Sophie Sullivan took to showcase the reality of living with social anxiety.

However, the slow burn romance was too slow for my liking. I also felt the novel was often bogged down by overly descriptive writing and too many scenes focusing on plotlines for side characters.

Radio producer Everly isn't fond of birthdays, but her thirtieth birthday is turning out to be the worst one yet. First she walks in on her boyfriend cheating on her, next she accidentally airs the entire experience on air and then she's sent home from work because her on air rant lead to dead air the station can't afford to have. Luckily for Everly, thousands of listeners who heard her rant share their support for her online and some are even offering to date her, which gives her boss Chris the idea to create a Bachelor-style promotion for Everly to find the happily ever after she deserves. The promotion will boost ratings and attract new advertisers which will give Chris the opportunity to finally move up in his career and it will hopefully help him get over his year long crush on Everly. As the promotion gets underway, Everly and Chris begin to spend more time together and both Everly and Chris find themselves struggling to fight the growing connection between them.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin and the author for the chance to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute book! I liked seeing both the narratives and the chemistry between them. It was a very slow book, I wish it wouldnt have been so dragged out.

On my god, my heart!!!

Honestly, I feel like this is one of the books the world needs. This is a book that represents a completely relatable female character with social anxiety that readers can understand, and some, can identify with on a personal level. Social anxiety is more prevalent than most people can guess. Many people with social anxiety feel the need to try and hide it because they are under the impression that they should be ashamed. This book basically says "no, it's okay. You are fine just the way you are and you shouldn't be afraid or ashamed to be who you are." It also shows that if you want to change yourself, you can do that too.

If you don't have social anxiety, it provides some insight to what is going on in the heads of people with social anxiety. Thankfully the author cuts down on the fast, constantly running dialogue of what ifs that seem to run through the heads of most socially anxious people because this books would be at least twice as long as it already is. But it does get the general point across.

This book spoke to me. Like, directly to me. At first I was like "yeah okay, this is pretty good" but as it went on I started thinking "that's me. That's me. That's me. Oh my god, that's me too!" How often is it that you read a book that is so incredibly cute and sweet that completely speaks to you as a person?

Everly has severe social anxiety, while I would say mine is more of ' general' social anxiety in comparison. I haven't had true, full blown attack since I was twelve. I've gotten pretty good at recognizing my signs and extracting myself from situations to go have a private chat with myself either in a bathroom or my car to wind myself back down. Poor Everly seems to be on social terms with her anxiety attacks and gets hit so fast and hard she doesn't have much of an opportunity. Plus, she's actively trying to push herself because she wants to be different so the anxiety striking back isn't such a surprise really.

She puts herself in all sorts of situations she's not comfortable with, including restaurants and surprise parties because she wants to be different. She wants to make friends and hang out. I identified SO HARD with Everly. The dislike of restaurants, the dislike of being the center of attention, of having people too close that you feel like it's getting hard to breathe. I get those things. I don't like restaurants where people are close and can totally see everything you're doing (booths for life folks). I don't like taking the LRT or the bus and being crammed in near strangers. I hate bars and clubs where everyone is in my space (this is where my car trick came into play. And like Everly, I totally left). I HATE parties. Slightly less so if I know everyone there. BUT you take me to a party, you better not leave me alone and there had BETTER be a dog I can go pet in a quiet corner while you pee.

Everly is terrified to speak in front of her colleagues and pitch them her ideas. She does it, because it's an necessary evil. I get that. Public speaking in front of strangers or friends puts the fear of god in me. But I do it. Part of the job, part of having friends sometimes.

I get the wanting to go home, the wanting to go hide in the corner, the sheer exhaustion of putting yourself out there. The not wanting even your friends to know how much something has bothered you because you're sure it's just you being a freak 'thing'. The need to feel in control by BEING in control. I totally get her. I totally get IT.

She clenches her hands till her fingernails impale her palms, I clench my shoulders muscles so hard I spent the majority of my time with a mild headache. She taps her fingers, I bounce my foot. The more stress she's under the faster and more methodical she taps, I can bounce my foot so fast my chair actually can be seen vibrating. Cold sweats, feeling sick, wanting to die when the social spotlight is cast upon her...I feel you, Everly. I feel you.

But Everly is simply amazing. She takes up the challenge issued mostly by herself, and a bit by her best friend, and DOES it to the best of her abilities. She goes on these dates with multiple men. She DOES things she's not comfortable with. She pushes herself. My Heart, Everly. I mean, Chris is great too...

Seriously, Chris is great. He's hot, kind and most importantly, understanding. Chris is practically the perfect guy for someone with social anxiety. He gets it. He instinctively knows where the limits are for Everly's comfort zone. Of course he did a slightly more colourful background story than perfect should have, in order to get the 'drama' part, but he's honestly just an all round nice guy. Who is hot. But he wasn't what got me committed to this book. Team Everly!

In Conclusion

This book is funny. This books is relatable. This book gives people with anxiety someone they can completely relate to and people who are more...relaxed with themselves a valuable look into the psyche of someone who has rather severe anxiety. This book tells people that they are okay just the way they are, but if they want to change, even just a little bit, that's okay too.

I really enjoyed this book and I hope to god there will be many more like it!

This was a really fun read. I think it could have been more tightly edited because at some points it went on a little too much. I loved Everly and Chris and Everly's bff Stacey. The backdrop of the radio station was a lot of fun too.

Honestly, this is... fine. Not amazing, but not terrible either. I would recommend for fans of SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE because of the radio premise.

This is a really cute book. It's really different than most romances because it concentrates on Everly, her lists and her social anxiety. So many romances are just he said/she said and sex scenes. I liked the actual story and the fun friendship between Everly and Stacey. It is every girls dream to have a bff as kind as Stacey. I am looking forward to reading other books from Sophie Sullivan!

Bachelor Nation assemble! (don't mind me as I wait on the sidelines because I don't actually watch the Bachelor/Bachelorette 👀 )

We have Everly, radio show producer, taking part in a Bachelorette-style dating competition to boost up her radio show ratings. She will narrow down her contestants to one lucky man by 5 weeks. Only things is, she has the hots for Chris, her boss.

➽ Forbidden love (boss/employee)
➽ Radio show setting
➽ Bachelorette style dating
➽ Slow burn
➽ Social anxiety

➽ Great banter! Who doesn't love some good banter?
➽ There was a back and forth "I like you but wait I can't like you" between Everly and Chris. Another case where communication could've solved everything 🤷🏻‍♀️
➽ A LOT of angst mixed in with a slow burn. To be honest, I couldn't handle the pace. It was a sloooow slowww burn. It was killing me! And yes, I got frustrated lol.

➽ Everly's parents. Too much emphasis on the drama between her parents. Pretty unnecessary and I began to skim the pages.
➽ Clean romance. The farthest they get is kissing. (whomp whomp)
➽ Overall, it felt more like YA than adult romance? Because of the angst and clean romance which were unexpected. Still an adorable read with great humor!
➽ I'm sensing a book two? Hmmm 🤔🤔

It's cute and lighthearted. The main characters definitely had chemistry and the romance is a slow burn. The problem is that it's way too much of a slow burn. About halfway through I was thinking....ok they're so close to finally kissing and admitting feelings where else is there to go? But go on it did. The plot really got stretched here. I also had a problem with how Everly has some pretty severe anxiety to the point where it interferes with her life. Only once it was mentioned to her that she should get some help (and that's never explicitly stated as help from a therapist), but she never does and it's never mentioned again. I did like how her anxiety isn't treated as a turn off or something to be annoyed about, but she really should have seen a therapist.

Along with being a slow burn, this definitely is not an explicit sort of book. It's probably the most tame romance book I've read in a long time.

I really liked the premise of this book, and I was very much into the Bachelor like dating game aspect of it. I thought the concept and set up was really fun. I also really liked all of the characters. Stacey was a perfect sidekick and Chris was a great hero. But I did find the pacing to be a little slow. The book felt a lot longer than it needed to be. So while a lot of the aspects of the book worked, the whole thing felt kind of dragged down.

This was the sweetest book. The ending was really something to behold and smile about. It was a pretty rushed ending but the plot was sweet, the writing was neat, and the story uncomplicated even though it was all over the place. I can't wait to see the excitement over this book once published.

On Everly’s thirtieth birthday, she thought that she’d surprise her boyfriend with coffee and bagel on her way to work. Well she was the one that was surprised when she found her boyfriend and his assistant in bed together. After dropping the food on the floor, she left to work.
When she walks into the radio station studio where she works, the morning DJ who also happens to be her best friend, decides to surprise her by singing Happy Birthday. When Everly goes off about what happened, not only does Stacey’s jaw drop, but so do all the listeners. You see, Stacey left the mike on so that it would be broadcast. Yup, all the morning listeners got to hear about what Everly discovered on her birthday. You wouldn’t think that would be a big thing, but Everly suffers from severe anxiety. It’s dictated how she lives her life, and she was fine with it. But no more. When station manager Chris Jansen hears Everly’s meltdown on air, he gets an idea that will help boost both ratings and ad revenue. With Everly’s blessing the station launches a Bachelorette style segment. Everly will go through all the applications from the men who wish to go out on a date with her. She will choose the ones that matches up to her expectations and she will go out on a date with them. Two a week, then cut down each week until one is left. There’s no guarantee of marriage or anything like that, the winner is simply the one that Everly would like to get to know better and maybe see herself in a relationship with.
But Chris has a hidden agenda. He’s been attracted to Everly since the day he met her, but he knows that he can’t be with her for two reasons. First of all is the pesky no fraternization rule the station has, and secondly is the fact that he’s not at the station long term. He’s had 18 months to turn the station around at his father’s behest. Yup, his father actually owns the station, something no one knows. If he makes the station profitable, this will be the last step for his father to let him take over a vp level position with their family’s company. A company that Chris’ grandfather built from scratch many years ago. But Chris’ father is a horrible boss. None of his three sons likes him, and he blows through fiancees like it’s his job. He’s currently on fiancée number six and has been married three times already.
As Everly works with Chris on this project, she realizes that she actually likes Chris, but doesn’t think he’d be interested in a woman like her. Even when he recognizes her anxiety and buys her the perfect present (wait until you read about the party her parents throw and the pinata, you’ll laugh until you cry), she still doesn’t think he’d be interested in her.
Everly is a warrior. Not only does she get cheated on on her birthday, she decides to change her life. She makes a list of things to do and sets out to actually do them. Even with her anxiety, she’s trying. That’s why she’s a warrior. As someone who has severe anxiety, I recognized myself in Everly. I understood the pain, the shakiness, the fear. The author did an amazing job describing what it’s like, without either overstating it, or downplaying it. Thank you for that.
Yes, there’s a Happily Ever After. No, there’s no cliffhanger. It’s just a really great book. The writing, the characters, the plot. It’s all great. If I could give more than 5 stars I would. This book has made it to my Top 10 Books of 2020 list. Thank you for allowing me to read this story.
**I was provided an ARC of this story and this is my honest and voluntary review.

The Bachelorette Radio Style!

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💜💛💚
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📔
World building: 🌎🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 👤👤👤👤👤

The setting: California

The Hero(s): Chris – His father owns the radio station and Chris is the station manager, only working there sort of as a proving ground before he can before he can work as the head of communications for his fathers companies in New York.

The heroine: Everly – She is a radio producer and she has social anxiety which is a big part of the story and is handled very well. Everly hates birthdays and on her 30th, she finds her boyfriend in bed with his assistant. She mistakenly blurts it out on the air and ends up getting a lot of offers from guys that say they will treat her better than her ex.

The Love Story: Chris has always had a thing for Everly, but knowing he is a short-timer at the station and in California, he tried his best too keep her at arms length. Once the unfortunate incident occurs on her birthday, he comes up with an idea for the station and it means working more closely with her.

I liked Everly, especially since she is doing more to put herself out there. She is fighting her anxiety and her fears to try new things because she wants better for herself. I know how it is to be more comfortable staying home and watching Veronica Mars than to go out in public on a date or to a party. I really liked how the author portrayed Everly.

The romance between Chris and Everly at times seemed way too timid. Chris is sometimes almost as unsure of himself as Everly which doesn’t really fit with a station manager who lived in New York and comes from a wealthy family. I would think he would be more sure of himself with women. I hate in books when people keep denying their feelings over and over. Though I did like the book overall. I liked the setting, the world building was great and the supporting characters were terrific.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

this novel was cute and sweet, but not something I would read again. I appreciated that we got first person narrative from both main characters.

I was really excited for this one, the synopsis and cover were both so cute. Unfortunately I did not feel invested in the characters or plot. Their behaviors felt really young and didn’t match their ages. DNF at 38%

I was really excited for this, I love a work place romance and how they deal with it. It also started out strong out of the gate, fun, interesting.

But then the main part of the plot, it got a bit slow. Just a bit repetitive with how Everly was judgy but had her own troubles she wouldn't consider that others might have. And how Chris was SOOOOOOOOOOOO into her without really knowing her, suppressing it all.. and why was he the only one to understand her? Her friend? nothing? Just dragged from then, and lost my interest. And the power imbalance was a bit on his mind, but then it was never really addressed? Hm.