The book was fun and cutesy. I would've like more from this book, Mara was all over the place and kind of hard to connect with but this was an okay read not my favorite.

Thanks Netgalley for this ARC

The Setup by Lizzy Dent. Pub Date: June 7, 2022. Rating: 2 stars. The cover art of this novel is appealing and I thought it would be a cute and fun rom-com, but ultimately I found the main character to be lacking in confidence and belief in her herself. She consults the horoscope for every decision she makes in her life and can't trust her gut or intuition about anything. Makes me sad to think that this could actually happen to someone and the lack of control that person would have over their own life would be minimal because it would be dictated by astrology. As a woman who was in her 30s, I found it to be not as believable to act this way and it made the main character seem immature and desperate. This was a miss for me. Thanks to #netgalley and #penguingroupputnam for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was cute and fun and overall I enjoyed the concept of the book. Mara was an interesting character that definitely had some flaws. I'd recommend the book.

This is a really interesting premise for a book. The characters have one thing in mind, but start to fall for one another, regardless of what their initial intentions were. The plot itself was very intriguing from start to finish.

I had a great time reading this novel! I love each of the characters in the world and was intrigued to keep flipping the page! 3.5/5 stars!!!

I absolutely loved the summer Job so I was eager to read the Setup, but I just couldn’t get into it. I didn’t like Mara. I wanted to yell at her the whole time. Well written, just not for me.

This was such a fun book! I love Lizzy Dent's books! I thoroughly enjoy the "supernatural" element to this book. It was such a fun read!

Sorry for the late review.

I love the character building and the confidence boost that every reader needs. This was really inspiring for me to just be myself and see how I can push myself to be better.

Do men like Ash really exist?? What a sweetie!!! Honestly, Ash made this book as I found the main character somewhat unlikable.

Some books leaving you feeling meh. This is one of those books. I wanted it to be so much more, but it left me with something more to be desired.

Mara expected her life to be so much more, but it’s left her with feeling as if she let down herself and everyone around her. She’s moved to a town to be close to her best friend who has her life together being married and a child. Mara wants to find the love of her life and will do whatever means.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy

"The Setup" by Lizzy Dent is a delightful and charming romantic comedy that will leave readers with a smile on their face. Dent's witty writing style and relatable characters make for an engaging and enjoyable read. The story follows a case of mistaken identity that leads to a series of hilarious and heartwarming events, making it a perfect choice for fans of feel-good, light-hearted novels.

As i've probably made clear in other reviews, travel/destination romances are something I'm rabid for. I was hoping this would fit the bill, and in a way it did, but in another way... I just couldn't get into it. Not for me. A main character who is around my age (early 30s) and super immature, making all her life decisions based on astrology? No ma'am. And it's billed as "not a love triangle", but it essentially is. By her own making! I don't know, man. I wanted to like this but I think it skewed a little too (unintentionally?) Young Adult for me to really get into it..

I really wanted to like this one, and I kept trying, but i just couldn't get into the story and didn't really care about any of the characters.

I had a hard time getting through The Setup. In fact, it took me over six months to finish the book; I never wanted to read it and was excited to get through a chapter and put it down again.

Ultimately, it just wasn't a book for me. Maybe others will love it! But here's what I disliked:
-Mara, our main character. I never connected with her, and none of her decisions ever fully made sense. The premise of the book. When I first read the synopsis, it sounded fun and silly, so, I requested it. In reality, it was just a series of "Mara, why are you doing that?" and "Mara, why are you thinking that?" moments that relied heavily on her being kinda dense.

What I liked:
-The supporting cast. There were a lot of lovable side characters that were much more interesting than Mara. They were the only reason I didn't dnf the book.

I may still check out more of the author's work in the future, as the writing was good. I'm just hoping I'll like the next main character.

"The Setup" is a delightful romantic comedy that will make you laugh out loud and leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling. The story follows the character of Lucinda, a struggling artist who is given the opportunity to pose as her friend's high-powered executive at a work retreat. Lucinda is reluctant at first, but she quickly finds herself enjoying the perks of the job, including the attention of her handsome coworker, Jake.

The author, Lizzy Dent, has a talent for creating lovable and relatable characters. Lucinda is quirky and endearing, and readers will easily empathize with her struggles to find her place in the world. Jake is charming and swoon-worthy, and their banter and chemistry are delightful to read.

The plot is fast-paced and engaging, with plenty of humorous moments and unexpected twists. The story also touches on deeper themes, such as self-discovery, friendship, and finding the courage to pursue your dreams.

Overall, "The Setup" is a fun and heartwarming romantic comedy that is perfect for fans of the genre. The writing is witty and engaging, and the characters are lovable and memorable. If you're looking for a lighthearted and enjoyable read that will leave you feeling good, then this book is definitely worth checking out.

2-2.5 stars, can’t decide if I want to be generous

Would’ve dnf at 10% but I’ve never done it before and don’t want to start now. Maybe it’ll get better? Nah, but at least I sped-read through it.

Throughout, I don’t like Mara. She’s putting too much stock in nothing (telling everyone she ‘met someone’ when literally he doesn’t know her!), and flat out says that her existing for a reason is tied to finding love. But I also personally put little stock in horoscopes and such so to each their own. She also treats her family like trash, struggles with empathy with her friends and bonding with coworkers.

Sadly this just wasn't for me. I was an easy read but that was just it. I wasn't knocked off my socks. The main female character was all over this place and not in an endearing way. She felt hard to connect too. I will still read new Lizzy Dent books, but this wont go down as an all time favorite.

2.5 ⭐️

Mara is horoscope-obsessed and lives her life by these predictions on the DAILY. A psychic told her that she would meet a tall guy immediately and she zoned in on one guy and became obsessed. She found out his name and stalked him. All while one of her new guy friends starts crushing on her.

Ehhh the main character was very annoying where you just don’t root for her. I was literally hoping she wouldn’t get her HEA. She was constantly flip flopping and I’m just screaming on the inside!

This book could have been much better with a dual perspective (that would always make a book better imo). Hearing Ash’s inner thoughts would maybe bring the romance in this ROMANCE book. Also maybe not flip flopping so freaking much! 😡

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Mara, baby girl, what the heck are you doing?

I thought the premise of this book was going to be a great one. Woman finds herself and then finds the love of her life. I could not have been more wrong.

Mara's character drove me ABSOLUTELY insane, and I just wanted to shake her. If I'm acting the way she is at 31, I would hope someone in my life would give me a dose of reality.

This was my first Liszt Dent book. It was so cute. I loved it! I would love to read more books by this author.