Aly is a fixer. She’s tried to fix everywhere around her; friends, her parents, boyfriends, etc. Aly’s so good at what she does that now her friends want to create The Fixer Upper. An underground service to help women outsource emotional labor and get their men to see their true potential. Once word gets around, a high-profile influencer enlists their help to fix her boyfriend. Only thing is, he’s Aly’s childhood best friend.

I selected the book based on the cover, and I wanted to read it with an open mind. I really loved this read! Aly is such a relatable character, and I rooted for her throughout the entire story. Lauren Forsythe does a wonderful job exploring Aly’s character as she goes through her highs and lows. She’s a strong woman, and she tapped into her own potential as she helped others. It was heart-warming to see old friends connect and grow. Plus Aly’s friends, Tola and Eric, were gems! I’m a huge fan of romance, and I felt like there was just enough to tide me over. Overall, I think seeing Aly take control of her life and realize how much power she has was the best part of the story.

I’m looking forward to buying this book when it’s published. Thank you, Net Galley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC!

DNF at 25%, I had to push to this point. I didn't like the two main characters (Aly and Dylan) who were best friends in childhood and teen years. Aly and her two co-workers who I did really like decide that Aly has a knack for "fixing" men. To me this is where the book began to fall apart fast. Women don't need to "fix" men just as men don't need to "fix" women, what people need to learn is to communicate because that was what so many of these people didn't do which is why they had problems. Don't get me started on Dylan pretending not to recognize Aly when his current girlfriend and "influencer" (so tired of books with influencers) hire her to "fix" him which she and her partner decides not to take until Aly needs money because of an issue with her divorced parents and makes a deal with the influencer for way more money and then lies to her partners about the amount. That's when I was out. I found nothing about this book funny, engaging, or remotely interesting.

“Tell me something real.”

A cute Rom-Com set in London. Aly is a fixer, that is of making her boyfriends into the men they should be, and moving on with someone else. She is hired to help a Influencer “fix” her boyfriend and make him husband material. When she meets the boyfriend in question it turns out he is not a stranger and someone very important to Aly’s past.

The FMC and MMC don’t meet until 20% into the book, so the beginning is a lot about Aly. But when these two do meet up, it’s all sharp barbs and quick tongues. Enemies to lovers at some of its finest moments.

The beginning drug for me a little, just because I personally perfect more interaction between the MCs earlier in the book. But I really enjoy reading this story and the secondary characters are hilarious and I really loved them!

Overall a great read and I think a lot of people will enjoy this one.

I was not too crazy about this book. I couldn't find myself captured at all by the story, i was very uninterested. I think the concept of the fmc being kind of a fixer upper for men is good but i dont think it was executed well storyline wise.

One Sentence Summary: Aly starts helping women "fix" their love lives, reconnects with her childhood best friend, learns some important lessons, and ends up fixing her own life.

This was an interesting read for me. I love the premise, and highlighted quite a few passages. So many people know what needs changing in their lives, or at least what they'd like to change, but for whatever reason just get stuck. Forsythe manages to acknowledge that much of modern life is performance while also insisting that it's okay for women to want more out of their lives than what they currently have. That's a fine line to walk, but she does it well.

Forsythe's characters are well-developed and fascinating. I liked Aly. She's smart, driven, cares for others, has difficulty putting herself first, notices "problems," and does her best to fix them. I was rooting for her, even as I was groaning when she made mistakes. Her friends - Tola, Eric, Ben, Priya, Dylan - were all fun to follow and felt like people I would want to be friends with. Nicki was aggravating, but in a way that makes me pity her. I can't even imagine wanting to live in the spotlight, and her obsession with it ended up being a little pathetic, personally.

I do feel like the book was a little slow-going, especially at the start - but to be fair, I read a lot of this book at the airport while battling flight delays, so that could be a me-problem. As I've mentioned in other reviews - my number one requirement for books is that they be entertaining, and this one more than meets that criteria.

Thanks to Netgalley, Lauren Forsythe, and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.

I tried to enjoy this one, but it isn't for me, unfortunately. No investment in the characters or the plot. I'm sure it's enjoyed by others, just not for me. The pacing was SLOW and really hard to get into and want to keep reading.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this advance copy of The Fixer Upper in exchange for my honest review.

This rom-com had some really high funny points - the main character Aly’s two besties Tola and Eric were totally a highlight of this work. They were comical, loyal and real, plus always came with the best quips. That being said, the premise behind this one was a bit strange - maybe it was because I was surprised that any woman would use a service like the Fixer Uppers, but maybe that’s just my own feelings - it felt a little unrealistic. There was some added drama with the main character’s own parents that tried to give the story a reason behind money being the motivating factor, but honestly it was confusing and I didn’t think it added much to it. Overall, this is an easy read if you’re looking for a predictable romantic comedy, because who doesn’t love it when the main characters get their happy ending?

Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to review this title - it’s out in a few days on 8/2/22!

Let me start by saying that I am completely blown away by Lauren Forsythe's writing. Her writing style is exactly what I am always searching for and have finally, finally found! She's quick, but not too fast paced; witty and clever; and there's not a scene wasted. I read this like I was watching a movie. Her premise is original and really entertaining, but it's her characters that are the stars of her writing. In my opinion, characters are everything, and she has fleshed out every one of them. You know these characters, they're three-dimensional; they're complex and real; you feel like you're watching their stories unfold on a screen rather than on paper.

I'm not going to reiterate the basics, and I'm certainly not going to spoil this for anyone. I'll just say this: this story made me really feel; it made me long for my childhood best friend, and all those inside jokes, and what it was like to share everything with someone who was your world at such a young, vulnerable age. It made me nostalgic in all the right ways.

These characters will stay with me for a long time, and I cannot wait for more from Lauren Forsythe! 🤗


Special thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for sharing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute British Rom-Com that ended up feeling just a little too light and fluffy for me. There was good banter and some funny parts, but I was longing for a little more depth or complexity to the story.

The main characters were both likable but I felt they lacked a little bit of chemistry.

I received a gifted copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This book had such a charming premise and potential to explore the nuance of what does it really mean to "fix" someone as Aly starts a side hustle a la Hitch with friends to help convince men to propose, be good dads, find real jobs,etc. And the book delivers on some of this premise, but I would have loved to see it delve deeper into the nuances of the storyline.

I enjoyed the banter between Aly and Dylan as they went from former friends with animosity to true friends to friends with simmering attraction. The feelings added excellent tension to the story, but the outcomes were very predictable. Overall, I just felt that the characters were very one dimensional and there was not much significant character development to change that.

This story had its moment of sweetness and tension and love, but it just didn't quite work for me. If you need a fluffy beach read, this could work you but I would have liked a bit more nuanced characters and growth.

Love is only meant to be terrifying right at the beginning, right before you fall. Then it’s meant to feel like home.

This book yall. I love Aly and Dylan and their story.

Aly is a control freak. She hates being vulnerable and has a track record of “fixing up” her boyfriends before they find their wives. Her friends decide to capitalize on this and launch Fixer Upper. Fixer Upper lands the attention of the Kitty Litter Princess, an heiress and an influencer. She’s trying to land a wedding show but needs to be engaged. Enter Aly and her crew. However, things go sideways when it turns out the KLP’s boyfriend is Aly’s childhood best friend, Dylan. Obviously their is history and the pair haven’t spoken in years. Aly’s journey is a good one and the ending made me cry because sometimes you just need to be brave to get your happy ending.

Pick this one up on August 2nd! Thank you Netgalley and Lauren Forsythe for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Because it's only scary when you're falling. And then it feels like home."

I'm a sucker for a happy & unbearably romantic books. Lauren Forsythe's upcoming novel is all of that wrapped in a "BA" feminist bow.

The ending really is the factor that hit me with all the feels. I audibly squealed "awee" like a high school tween.

I loved that the main character was a confident and powerful female. Aly was a boss "b" who knew what's up. She deserved all the accolades. All the moments focusing on her success & bravery made me want to fist pump for all the strong women in the world.

• Light Read
• Enemies to Lovers
• Childhood Romance
• Swoon-worthy Main Man
• Powerful Women

If you're someone who gravitates to books that are a guaranteed smile & has character worth cheering for. Pick up The Fixer Upper this coming Tuesday, August 2nd!

#QOTD What are five things you're grateful for today? If you can't think of five things, it's time to take yourself on an adventure.

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Random House and Lauren Forsythe for the advanced copy of this book!

Rarely do I relate to a character as much as I related to Aly, and I think many woman will as well. The premise of this book was absolutely perfect and the plot twists/stakes kept me on the edge of my seat. While I found that the first 1/3 of the book a little slow, the last bit more than made up for it-especially the last 5 chapters! This isn’t a cute little romcom, but a thought provoking and satisfying story of someone fighting to better themselves and finding love.

I have mixed feelings about The Fixer Upper. There were things that I really liked about the book, but there were a lot of things that I disliked. I liked the writing style, it was engaging, and I wanted to keep reading the book to know what would happen next to the characters. I liked the supporting cast: Aly's friends, Tola and Eric, were my favorite characters.

I didn't love the main characters, especially Dylan, the love interest. I prefer a romantic hero who takes risks and fights for the girl he loves, but Dylan came across as passive. After he and Aly reconnected, Dylan continued to date the other woman, the influencer he was not in love with. The break-up didn't happen until the end of the book! Was he too scared and indecisive to end the relationship? Or did he want to have his cake and eat it too? Either way, it made him a poor romantic hero. In addition, the whole premise relies on miscommunication and manipulation tropes, both pet peeves of mine. I had high hopes for The Fixer Upper, but it didn't quite live up.

This was cute, but not earth-shattering. And maybe I’m completely naive, but I have a difficult time with stories where the two leads are admittedly in love, but not together, so the male MC continues having sex with the current girlfriend. When the MCs are apart for 15 years, then that makes sense. But when they’re back in each other’s lives, and closely, it feels icky. But again, maybe I’m a prude.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Fixer Upper is a fun, Hallmark-like romance! Aly has a knack of fixing people, so her coworkers Eric and Tola decide they should harness that power and they set up The Fixer Upper, a service for women where they step in to take on some of the emotional labor of relationships to help the women get what they want. And then they’re hired by a social media influencer who says her fixer upper is Dylan James—only he’s Aly’s childhood best friend and first love and she’s forced to question everything. This has a very Hallmark vibe and while I think this is more Aly’s story than a romance, it’s a very cute story with a lot of growth. Aly is working so hard for promotion in a male-driven job and I just totally related to her. And I loved watching Dylan and her reconnect after so long apart. They’re both so stubborn and broken from their past and it was just nice seeing them reignite their friendship. And I loved their adventures! the ritual of if you can’t name 5 good things, then you go an adventure was one I just loved! I think Dylan’s relationship with his girlfriend felt a little drawn out and I would’ve liked more time with Aly and Dylan, but I thought the complexity of the emotions for it made a lot of sense. I thought Aly’s home troubles were well handled too, and I adored the side characters. I would read a whole book on Tola and they added so much fun and life to the book. The chemistry and friendship of a these characters really shone. It has a lot of Hallmark movie vibes and a lot of great characters!

Summary
After a run-in with an old flame, Alyssa has come to an epiphany. Throughout her life, Aly has dated for potential and she has done all the emotional labor in her relationships. Ultimately, the men learned from her and grew into that potential, for a later relationship, and they are living the lives Aly has been searching for; happy relationships, the house, successful careers. Aly and two of her coworkers decide to spin that into The Fixer Upper... helping the men in women's lives reach said potential. Word of mouth leads to their biggest client yet, an heiress/influencer who wants Aly to get help her boyfriend ready for a big work pitch that could be huge for his career, but also to propose. When Aly is introduced to said boyfriend, it's her former best friend and her first love from growing up, but Dylan pretends he doesn't remember her. Now Aly needs to lie to Dylan about why she is helping him, while pushing him to a woman that isn't her and dealing with the heartbreak from so long ago.

Review
Overall, I adored this book. I love a good romance, but this also was very character and growth focused. The author captured how things can go wrong in a friendship/relationship in a honest and realistic way. Obviously, Aly's personal and professional growth was a big focus, but also on Dylan, and her mom and that relationship between her and Aly and her mom and her father.
A good romance is a good romance to me, I can do sweet, spicy and everything in between. This has zero spice, if you are someone who that is important to in a book. There are insinuations of sex and some light kissing, but that is it. For the most part, I liked how it all came together, but I did have some issues with Dylan and his actions with the girlfriend when there is obviously something with Aly. It seemed disingenuous to both of the women.
I loved the relationship between Aly, Tola and Eric and growth from coworkers to business partners to friends. I appreciated the ethics they put into creating their business and how they shifted the model as it developed into focusing on women getting what they deserve instead of trying to 'fix' the men for them.

I just want to say thank you to Netgalley and Lauren Forsythe for the advanced reader copy. I received this book as an arc from Netgalley and the author in exchange for an honest review. Everything I write here is my own thoughts and opinions on The Fixer Upper by Lauren Forsythe.

I need to start by saying that I read a lot of romance books, chick lit, rom-com, and fiction but in all of my reading, I have never read a book like this one. I absolutely loved this story and once I started reading it I had a hard time putting it down. I am not going to sit here and give you a play-by-play of the story but I am going to say that I found the main characters to be absolutely lovely with the exception of the influencer mentioned in the story. I do have to say though that I imagine an influencer's life is accurately portrayed in this book through Nicki's character.

I believe this story is about friendship, second chances, and coming into one's own. I loved watching Aly interact with her two pals Tola and Eric. I loved that they were so different from one another and I am not just talking about the Gen Z and Millennial age difference but personalities and preferences too. I also enjoyed watching how Dylan interacted with his pals Ben and Priya and how they always seem to stick by one another. There was one character that really frustrated me at times and that was Aly's mom. In my opinion, she did not act like much of a mum throughout most of the story but more like a needy child. Oh and some of the male office characters were just the kind of characters that you love to hate if you know what I mean.

With all that being said I have to finish up by saying that this is in my top books of the year so far. If you are looking for a feel-good can't put it down book with a bit of a twist in the romance part then this book is for you.

Super cute British romcom with some funny banter. This book doesn't have the steam factor but it's still will have you hooked. I pretty much read this in one sitting so you can tell by that the story moved along at a great pace.
I would recommend this one as your next beach or pool side read. You have your best friend trope , enemies to lovers trope and the classic miscommunication trope all rolled up in one book.

The Fixer Upper
by Lauren Forsythe
2 stars
For her whole life, Aly has always been the person to help everyone out and try to fix everything around her. Between her family and her boyfriends at the time she's always wanted to help but the guys would take and not give. After her work colleagues point out what's been happening all along they think of a plan to start a side business to help women with their guy problems and help nudge them in the right direction.
I liked the idea of this book a strong independent woman making it out on her own not needing anyone but yet wanting someone to be there when she needs to lean on someone. The old friends to strangers to friends to lovers was a lot, but I liked the ending the most. I was so excited and giddy about the last few chapters after everything was out in the open that she didn't have to hide anything and finally stood up to her boss and everyone around her. I wasn't fond of fixing the guys and giving them a nudge in what females wanted. I mean if we could get guys to do more stuff around the house and what not great but having someone change how they feel about marriage just wasn't for me. I enjoyed Aly's friends the best they were amazing to her and kept wanting to push her in the right direction.
Thank you, Net Galley, and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC for an honest review