I don't know why but the concept of The Fixer Upper, it seemed moderately toxic, but low-key most concepts in the books I consume could be considered toxic. I really enjoyed this book, it was a good feel good, but I found the MMC to be a little bit....left something to be desired. This is not to say it's poorly written, because I really enjoyed the way it flowed, but I just felt he was just a little too passive in his life for my taste.

The Fixer Upper by Lauren Forsythe released a few months back on August 2, 2022. I've never read a book by this author, and I was thrilled to receive a complimentary advanced reader copy by Putnam Books. This novel was everything I wanted from a romance - uplifting, hopeful, and full of love. I really enjoyed Alyssa and Dylan's story, and I was rooting for them all they way. As far as intimacy, this was not a spicy romance. There are no open door sex scenes at all. Overall a fun read. Recommend!

The Fixer Upper just wasn't for me. I read until about 50% and decided to stop. I would encourage others to read it, as there was nothing wrong with it other than it just wasn't for me.

this book made me so happy, i was so entranced from the first chapter it was so funny? and i relate to aly i unfortunately have a i can fix it attitude 😭 watching her journey and growth was both fun and chaotic

The overall plot of Aly starting a self-help side business that seemed to be mostly about tricking men into doing want their girlfriends/wives wanted was a little far fetched and confusing at times. I felt no emotional connection to the main character and think she could have been more likeable and relatable. Her two work friends/colleagues also added nothing to the story for me. I also struggled to really see and feel the connection from the past with Aly and Dylan. It came across as a one-sided crush and then as an adult Dylan just seemed a little lost and it took a while to understand his goals. The fact that the miscommunication seemed over exaggerated made it seem unrealistic to me and yet they still ended up together rather quickly at the end.
Overall, I wanted to like this more and just feel like the story and characters needed more developing and believability.

The Fixer Upper was an adorable British romcom that I just fell in love with! Aly has a habit of being the one to fix things, her parents’ marriage, issues at work, and even her friends relationships. When she finds out her last boyfriend has gone from a dud to a total stud who is married and a project manager. Aly’s friends encourage her to start doing this professionally- enter her new business, the Fixer Upper. Do you have a boyfriend who need a little encouragement to make that next level? Push him a little more towards husband material? Call Aly!

The FU gets good work right away, but when a big social media influencer, Nicki comes in looking for help with her boyfriend, Aly is turned upside down. Because she wants help with … Dylan, Aly’s childhood bff and first love. He needs some help taking the next step with this app he’s developing and Nicki wants a successful boyfriend before he proposes. Should Aly tell Nicki she knows Dylan from her past?

Aly was so good at what she does and I loved that she encouraged people to be their best selves. They just needed an outsider’s push to help themselves. I loved the chemistry between Aly and Dylan. I think this would make a very cute movie!

Thank you so much to @putnambooks and @laurenforsythe_author for my gifted ebook. I can’t wait to see what Lauren writes next!

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Fixer Upper by Lauren Forsythe
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 352 / Genre: Romance

Aly has a knack for turning her less-than-perfect boyfriends into perfect ones just in time to be dumped by them and watch them get scooped up by some lucky women who just can’t believe their luck. Urged on by her two best friends, Tola and Eric, the trio start a secret underground business to fix other people’s boyfriends by doing a little suggestive meddling to coax them in the right direction. Everything is going splendidly until their biggest client, a spoiled, shallow social media influencer, hires them to convince her boyfriend to propose. And said boyfriend ends up being Aly’s first love and former best friend—turning this into an enemies-to-lovers/second-chance romcom.

I really enjoyed this sweet, funny romance. I loved the friendship dynamic among the trio and some of the dating scenarios were just hilarious. Thank you @netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

A lovely, very cute British romcom with a second chance romance trope (done well!). I appreciate a fast-paced book as well!
Thank you to Lauren Forsythe, Putnam Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!!

This is more sad than I expected. Especially the relationship between Aly and her mom, and her mom and dad. I like how Aly found her backbone at work and her friendships with Tola and Eric are enviable. Not much romance in this. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

A cute little romance. Nothing to write home about, though. I am learning I need a little bit more depth. Still would recommend for romance lovers!

Read this if you like: Childhood friends, relationship guru, celebs, enemies to lovers, clean romance, slow burn

Aly is a "fixer" and always has been. It started with her parent's marriage, and now it's her colleague's work problems, and her friend's love lives. Aly decides to put her talents to good use and, alongside two work friends, sets up The Fixer Upper. It's an exclusive, underground service for women who are tired of unpaid emotional labor. Using little tricks and tips, Aly and her friends get the men to do the work themselves whether it's to get out of the job they hate, sign up for that growth seminar, to do more parenting.

Before long, a high-profile Instagram star hires them to fix-up her app developer boyfriend. She shows up only to realize he’s Aly’s childhood best friend and first love. As Aly tackles her biggest “fixer upper” yet, she’ll have to come to terms with their complicated history and figure out how much to change someone she’d always thought was perfect as he is.

I really enjoyed this book. Many parts made me bawl. The characters were so well developed. Aly and Dylan were childhood friends who became estranged. He seems almost mad when he sees her again. The growth in the book is perfect. It's definitely a slow burn and there is no sex or anything. The ending was the sweetest thing ever. I was left with a few questions at the end. I needed a bit more conclusion to some things. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author, and Putnam for the gifted e-book! ❤️

This is reminiscent of Failure to Launch if it was for women instead of the parents. But I did enjoy this. A little predictable but what good romance novel these days isnt? I’d still recommend

Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, debut, childhood sweethearts, manipulation madness, miscommunication, light on the rom, second chance

I was drawn to this one by the premise and the cover and it ended up being just alright for me. I wasn't overly in love with any of the characters, except for Tola and Eric. Aly's parents were something. Aly's boss was a tool. Dylan coulda stepped up more. And what was up with Nikki, blah with her.

I did like how Aly fixed things with Dylan at the end, but I wouldn't have minded more than a smooch. Since this was a debut I'd give this author another go.

*Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam, the author and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

I was able to listen to the final version as well, so I went back and forth reading and listening. Lily Howkins did a fine job for 8 hours and 22 minutes, easy to follow at 2.25-2.5x.

Such a cute mix of romance and women's lit about a woman who wants nothing but to get her own HEA! I loved the character development for Aly, and enjoyed how similar her character was to Olivia Pope.

One of the plagues of being a woman is societies expectation (subconscious or not) to be a fixer.

Insert Aly, our heroine who has spent her life fixing things, and now she finds herself fixing relationships and creative happy ever afters.

I went into this one expecting a romance, but the focus lies more on Aly’s relationship with herself than purely on a relationship. We see Aly interact with her friends, and deal with the struggles of those around her than romance.

There’s no spice for those who would rather not read explicit scenes and it’s a cute and fast read!

Is the premise far fetched? Of course, but it’s fun and I recommend for those looking for a cute fun women’s lit with a touch of romance!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is a cute, easy read and the fact that it’s a British rom-com was a plus for my Love-Island-and-Great-British-Bake-off-Loving-Self. I enjoyed the supporting characters (Aly and Dylan’s friends were the stars in my eyes), and the HEA for everyone (even if it wasn’t until the very very VERY end of the book). I also found the writing style to hook me from the first few pages and I could definitely relate to Aly’s dating troubles.

What I couldn’t relate to, however, was the people-pleasing nature of both of the MCs and the lack of communication. I wanted to keep yelling at them to stop being wimps, stand up for themselves and say their peace!! I hate when something could be solved with a simple conversation.

Finally, I felt it was a bit weird that we didn’t meet the main man until more than 20% into the book. Quite the build up for a sub-par book boyfriend. The romance was definitely lacking.

Overall, this wasn’t bad and I would definitely pick up a Lauren Forsythe book in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for the fun ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Take a group of three friends and co-workers who are growing disillusioned with their day jobs at the same time they're realizing Aly "fixes" everyone around her; her relationships are a history of her taking on "project" boyfriends, the relationship ending, and years later Aly bumping into them, only to see they took her advice to heart and have found success in life, in relationships, in work. Those without direction or motivation are transformed through their time with Aly, and her friends encourage her to offer her "fixer upper" services out to others.

When Aly's steadiness and brilliance are taken advantage of and she is overlooked for a long overdue promotion, she's forced to reckon with the reality of her life and what would bring her happiness and meaning. This is a lighthearted, predictable read, while also drawing attention to the mental loads women often shoulder, whether it be at work or at home.

The book closes with discussion questions, should a group of friends be interested in a lighthearted read and a guided discussion.

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

The Fixer Upper is a fun and different type of romance novel which has some twists and takes on love and forever. I really identified with the main character and her family struggles on a personal level which made the story more interesting for me and probably brought a different depth to it. I really loved her friends and coworkers and rooted for them all to have the happy endings that they deserved.

‘The Fixer Upper’ by Lauren Forsythe was a quick, fun read that had my emotions all over the place. It was a slow start for me, but ultimately I ended up really liking it. Would recommend.

3.5-4 rating

The story was fun and drew me in instantly. The characters were great. They are the friends you want to have on your side. I expected this to be more about the main characters falling in love, but it wasn't. I enjoyed the way the author told this story. It was different.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.