this was cute and had its fun moments, but overall I just couldn't get over how it was basically "life as we know it". yes, I know you get that right away from the synopsis anyway, but it didn't escape me as I was reading so it just continued to bother me.

Words aren’t coming to me. Overall, I enjoyed this book. I’ve read books like this before. This one feels a little different, but I’m not sure why. The main characters were intriguing and complete opposites. The kids were cute and felt kind of realistic. The hero’s best friend was the shining star, scene stealer. This book was a good mix of heavy and light.


I voluntarily read an early copy.

I absolutely LOVED the movie 'Life as we know it'. And after reading the blurb on this I just knew I had to read. This book was so cute and definitely gave the romcom feels! This was the book that I sat down to read during the day and then looked up and it was the middle of the night. Could not put it down!

This reminded me so much of the movie "Life as we know it" and I loved it. A sweet and swoony grumpy sunshine & opposites attracts romance novel. While this book was super light and cute, it also discussed heavy topics really well. I SO enjoyed getting to know Rip and Colby.

There was so much pining, so much sweetness, and so much beauty. Rip and Colby are complete opposites, and yet they somehow find themselves godparents of two little kids who are now having to live with each other while taking care of the kiddos. It was so unique and filled with so much complexity. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone.


Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an ARC in exchange for honest review.

The Godparent Trap

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5
Publication date: July 19, 2022
TW: grief, car accident, death

Tropes:
❤️ Forced-Proximity
❤️ Enemies to lovers
❤️ Sunshine/Grumpy

Extra Info:
✔️ Dual-Pov (Rip and Colby)
✔️ 1.5 🌶 (few descriptive scenes)
✔️ HEA

Quick Summary: Both Godparents and enemies, Colby and Ben, are thrown into parenthood when their best friends/sister dies in a sudden and unexpected car crash. They must now live together while navigating their new chaotic life of parenting. Rip is an accountant that loves his life to be organized and filled with rules and plans. Colby is a popular food blogger that travels the world and lives her life with no rules. They both couldn’t be more opposite of each other; however, they have to find a way to get along to take care of their new kids.

My Review: I love the “Life As We Know It” vibes!!!! I think that this book was so cute and a fun, fast read! Colby was my favorite character in the book. She was the epitome of sunshine. I like that she wasn’t put together. She doesn’t necessarily fit in the typical “mother” box. She can’t cook, doesn’t clean, and has a hard time keeping the kids in control. She is also a food blogger with a big following which is cool to see how she continues to do that while adjusting to her new life. She’s hilarious and relatable, which is why I love her so much. I also loved how Rip and Colby’s relationship developed throughout the book. You see the different stages of grief make their way through both Colby and Rip and how they adjust to the new life of parenthood. I loved their banter with each other and their relationship towards the end. The author did a beautiful job including a complicated topic in a rom-com. It was well-balanced and fun to read!

Okay. Now for what I didn’t like. I didn’t like Rip in the beginning. I think he was too hard on Colby and had unrealistic expectations for her. At times, it was funny with the banter, but I think he was way too mean sometimes. Other than that, I think the book was great. Eventually, Rip evened out at the end and became a likable character. I still highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so cute and sweet; the issue is that it felt like I was watching the movie Life as We Know It (2010) with Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel. There are enough variations to make it not identical (2 kids instead of one, who’s related to who, which person is Type A, etc), but the concepts were so similar that it was hard for me to get past. That being said, I did love that movie, so I also liked this book.

I enjoy Rachel Van Dyken's stories and saw the Godparent Trap as a fun take on the Katherine Heigl movie <i> Life As We Know It. </i> Furthermore, I thoroughly enjoy the Grumpy/Sunshine trope and honestly enjoyed how fundamentally different Colby and Rip were but how they both deeply loved their Godchildren. Overall, this story was swoony, funny, heartbreaking and an amazing story to get lost in.

What I loved more than anything was how real this story felt. You could see that Colby and Rip mourned the loss of their loved ones while also simultaneously wondering how they would manage. I also felt that Van Dyken did a great job balancing the heartbreak and humor in this story while also giving us a believable love story. This was a great read. 4 stars! ~Ratula

"One thing I had already learned was that you had to hold on to the moments-- even the ones that drove you crazy. Because you never knew how long you had to enjoy them."

What You'll Find:
✔️Romantic Comedy
✔️Enemies to Lovers
✔️Sunshine/Grump
✔️Forced Proximity
✔️Dual POV

The Godparent Trap tells the story of two enemies who must live together in order to raise their godchildren when tragedy strikes. And for my first time reading this author, I can say I'm easily a fan.

Colby is pure sunshine. A food blogger, who travels the world. She is, shall I say, a bit clumsy and a tad messy though. Rip is a straight laced accountant. A bit of a grump who prefers order. These two couldn't be more opposite. But they have this fantastic chemistry that sizzles underneath the enemies banter they have going on.

I really enjoyed this story. It's fast paced. I literally read it in one sitting. But what I really loved was how it should be a heavy storyline, but the author wrote it in a way that while you feel emotion, it's mostly in a light and positive way. This story has great humor. A little steam. And just all the feels. I would have liked a little more depth. And while I didn't love the twist in the end, I thought the epilogue truly tied things up perfectly. Banks is also a welcome fun addition.

Overall this was a great story to get lost in. An easy read that I would definitely recommend. I look forward to reading more from this author!
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CW: Death, Grief

*I received a complimentary ARC from Forever Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and given freely.

Are you looking for a romance that is absolutely adorable and gives you so much joy?! Look no further! I present to you THE GODPARENT TRAP by Rachel Van Dyken!

I absolutely love the movie Life As We Know It and this story follows a similar premise with enough changes that make the story refreshing.

I read this in a single day and will absolutely become a comfort book of mine! I couldn’t help but be absolutely invested in the relationship and the definition of family.

THE GODPARENT TRAP was a delightful read and I can’t wait for everyone else to read it!

Thank you so much to @readforeverpub for the opportunity to read this e-ARC!

Oh, my, gosh...this book! I am a fan of Rachel Van Dyken, and I know I have enjoyed many of her other books, but this one was just so good! I got all the feels from this book, and I wasn't expecting that. Rip has just lost his sister and his best friend in an accident. Rip's sister was Colby's best friend. Rip and Colby are named as guardians for the orphaned children. From there, the book really becomes what I believe would happen in this situation. Colby is overwhelmed being thrown into a stay at home mom position, something she has no idea how to navigate. Rip is the stereotypical man thinking Colby has it easy being at home and wondering how she can't seem to make it work. The way they work through these first few weeks of devastation and navigating instant parenthood just rings so true. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I really just love, love, loved this book! A strong 5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy for this 100% honest review!

It is one of those books that I find myself reaching out to re-read again and again aka my comfort book. This was super fun and quick read for me. I laughed and smiled so much while reading this. Also the kids were fun and pretty cute too! It was definitely a full 5 stars read for me.

"Why couldn't I be like that?
Relaxed?
Not so controlled?
Free. Why couldn't I be free?
Maybe I was drunk off her smile, but my brain told me if I kissed her once, I'd feel that freedom, I'd be able to steal a bit of it for myself. I wouldn't feel so stressed out all the time. I'd dumbly admitted this to Brooks after one beer, and now he was shoving me toward her."

What do a travel food blogger and a tax accountant have in common? Almost nothing, but Colby and Rip must now live under the same roof and become parents in the blink of an eye after losing Monica (Rip's sister/Colby's best friend) and Brooks (Rip's best friend) in an accident.

The pair are left to co-parent Viera and Ben and not only do they have to deal with their own grief, but they also must deal with two grieving kids, alongside learning how to be parents.

I loved the way Colby and Rip's relationship developed over time. I also LOVED the kids to bits. I always love little kids in books because they can create some of the most magical/hilarious little moments in a book with the main characters and this book was filled with all those fun, heartfelt moments.

If you're big on the movie "Life As We Know It" and you love an opposites attract romance, then you'll love this! Despite the heavy topic surrounding the book, it was super cute and filled with lots of heartfelt bits. It was also filled with tons of conversational nonsense that a person can get into with two kids under the age of six, ranging from swear jars to a conversation where Viera thought that live chickens were going to grow inside of her if she ate chicken nuggets.

Thank you to Rachel Van Dyken, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 5 out of 5

2.5 stars. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC. Colby and Rip are thrown into parent roles when their best friends die suddenly. We are told repeatedly that they hate each other, but then suddenly they’re in love and we are supposed to believe they always were. The biggest issue to me is that Rip was beyond mean to Colby for years but she just suddenly accepts barely an apology and moves in. I wish there was more character development. I enjoyed the scenes of the MCs interacting with the children.

I’m enjoyed the premise, wished there was more background or flashback with Monica and brooks to give a fuller emotional impact. I felt that around the halfway mark things just started to fall together with little explanation and the accident and ending was rushed and a bit confusing.

I think this would be a great Hallmark movie, maybe Lifetime. Either one of those. I think the premise is really interesting and bittersweet but there were just a few things I couldn't get over, which made it hard to fully enjoy this book. One: the characters are just... unlikeable and superficial. They have no real growth outside of what the author has spelled out for us and repeated ("He hates mess!"; "She hates being scolded!!"). Also, the children seem actually flat. I don't know how you can write children this bland. I think it's simply because this book was trying to accomplish too much in too little time (accident-"we're parents now"- parenting- romance-fake dating-childhood bully- job related problems - more romance- another accident - memory issues). That being said, I think the author is a super fun write, like the moments that are funny, are very funny. So perhaps it's just that this book was not my cup of tea.
I do have some questions: How large was that spider? Why do they text like they're calling? Why did we get so much surface information about Colby and Rip's jobs? What made Rip randomly stop being an asshole?

I think this book is very cute. But fails to live up to its own description and goals. I will probably try to read it again on the beach and see if that changes my perspective (beaches make all contemporary romcoms better).

ok, the characters were a little hard to get behind in the beginning. and then that whole first chapter was literally copy pasted later in the book? and at that point it literally didnt make sense that they were acting like that. I also strongly feel like the book could have ended at about 85%. 2.5 stars

The Godparent Trap was a fun, easy read and engaged me from the get go. Rip and Colby are complete opposites, and are thrown into an “insta family” situation after a tragedy. The book handles the tough subject of death yet doesn’t turn the story into a sad one. I think the characters were a bit under developed, but otherwise it was a lovely story.

Well my feelings on this book are complicated. I laughed, I teared up, I felt sorrow, joy, and everything in between. I also felt longing. I wish this book just had a bit more. Sometimes the relationship felt rushed, leaving me wanting for some type of communication. It felt like there was so much build-up just for everything to happen almost too quickly. That being said I loved the characters. Rip and Colby just complimented each other in such a great and loving way that I wish there was more of them. I needed more conversations, more of them being happy, not just a time jump of their future life. I wanted the boring details of the life they finally built together. I just wanted more of them.

The Godparent Trap
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (rounded up to 5 for rating purposes)
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 7/19/22
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 352
Goodreads Rating: 3.87

TW: ⚠️ Grief

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing a copy of the book for me to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Colby's world comes crashing down when a tragic accident leaves her co-guardian of her best friend's two adorable children. Not only does she need to put down roots—fast—but she'll be sharing custody with the one man she can't stand sharing a continent with, let alone a house. Rip doesn't trust Colby to take their new responsibilities seriously, while Colby can't believe Rip thinks children will thrive under his rigid control. Yet soon Rip and Colby discover they need each other more than they hate each other. Could it be possible that following their hearts is just what their new little family needs?

My Thoughts: One of my favorite types of books is enemies to lovers, the banter was just amazing. The book is narrated by Colby and Rip, through their own perspective. The last couple of books I have read, I have struggled connecting with the characters, however, the author develops these characters so well that I was instantly connected. What was really cute was the love that Colby and Rip has for the children and the deep loss they felt from losing their friends, it just touched my heart. Even with their miscommunications, it felt genuine as we have miscommunications in life everyday. I just really enjoyed reading this book and would definitely pick up other books by this author.

Colby is living her best life. She gets to travel to exotic locations and try the most delicious food and then blog about it! She loves her best friend and their two young kids and is constantly hanging out with them. So what if her best friends brother - Rip - is a thorn in her side. He's annoying, controlling and the one date they went on ended up as a disaster. Colby tries her best to keep her distance from Rip.

Rip is orderly, likes thing done a certain way and doesn't like change. He loves his sister something fierce. Which is why he has a hard time letting in Colby - his sister's best friend. Colby is wild, unruly and drives him to distraction. They don't always see eye to eye, but are often in each others orbit.

When their worlds turn upside down and Rip and Colby end up godparents to young kids and end up living in the same house - will they find a way to make their living arrangement work without fighting all the time?

The Godparent Trap was such a sweet romance. I ended up binging this book in less than a day. While it was a bit predictable - think Life as We Know It a movie that came out ~2010 - it was still a good romance. The The Godparent Trap deals with the heavy issue of grief, but it still managed to make me laugh!

I really loved the sexual tension and banter between Rip and Colby. Right from the beginning - whenever these two characters were on the page I had a huge grin on my face. They had great chemistry and I loved how they complimented each other. Where Colby was carefree and fun, Rip was rigid and orderly - but they need both of their traits to make their precarious situation work.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Godparent Trap and highly recommend this book!

CW: death of loved ones (car accident - off page), grief