I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. I'm a HUGE rom-com fanatic, even if I haven't seen all the movies listed in this book. But for being an adult romance (with a male protagonist over the age of 30), this felt like such a YA story. I have no issue with fade-to-black sex scenes, and sometimes even prefer it, but this whole story just felt too young for me, even though I am the same age/younger than our main couple.

Leah was a pretty good character, and I liked her quite a lot. But Eli... he was so annoying. As were all the friends/siblings, who all just acted far too young for their ages. Eli is 31 and still doesn't realize that just because a woman is pretty doesn't mean you should propose to her after 4 months and then keep pining after her for 8 more while she's in Rome. He just gave me the ick, so I really didn't care if they ended up together or not in the end (which is sad, because I'm such a sucker for a good friends-to-lovers book).

Instead of reading this, just go watch an old, beloved rom-com instead.

This was a 3.5 star book for me! I enjoyed it quite a bit but there were a few things I wished were different.
One of the pieces I loved most was Leah's growth as a character and building bonds with others. Having previously worked in foster care, her story felt very real compared to some of the teens I worked with. Keeping your head down, working hard, trying to just get through until you could be on your own at such a young age.

I really loved the relationship that grew between Leah and Eli, but oh man were there about 1000 times that I wanted to punch Eli in the face. He was such an idiot and at one point I couldn't help but think "if I was Leah's friend would I let her put up with someone treating her this way?" He was using her as a stand in and refusing to acknowledge what she meant to him. He did feel like he was just genuinely confused though so I didn't hate his character perse, but he did frustrate me.

Overall, it was a really sweet story about found family and I'm super happy that it's published!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Going into this book, only based on the premise, I wasn't sure I would like it. I'm on the record at not really liking books with a ton of pop culture references so a book ostensibly built around pop culture references (romantic comedies in particular) was always going to be an uphill battle for me.

However, despite myself, I found I was exceedingly charmed by this book and found it hard to put down. Ultimately this was a really fun, lovely (closed-door) romance. My favorite part of the book was Leah and finding a family among Eli's friends and family. I think that is where the strength of this book really is - and not on the overall romantic comedy conceit which, cute, isn't where the substance of the book lies.

I liked the pining intrinsic in the book although after a while it is hard to continue to root for Eli who continues to be obtuse about his ex-girlfriend. I felt like Leah had much more depth to her than Eli, so their relationship was a little unbalanced, although I really liked them together.

I do wish what ended up happening with Eli's character had been a bit different. I feel like there was a really good opportunity for character development and growth here that was missed entirely and I'm not really sure why so that felt a little flat for me.

I'm really happy I picked this up and I'm so glad I was there for Leah's happy ending.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martins for the opportunity to review and early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited for this book - it had a really interesting premise, though slow burn, friends to lovers isn’t my normal go-to favourite trope (nor clean/closed door, as this also was). This is also my first read by Decker, and I plan to try her Welcome to Marsden series now! This one has definitely peaked my interest.

The RomCom Agenda was definitely sweet, if not a really slow build from friendship to more, as Leah accidentally witnessed Eli proposing to short-term girlfriend Victoria before she flew to Europe for a year to study, and she turned him down… Leah hiding but Eli briefly spotted her in his grief as Victoria fled.

While Eli is so certain over the months that follow he and Victoria are meant to be and she’ll return to him, his friends and family aren’t so sure, but help him and decide what he needs is a full-on body and soul make-over. One of their stops is at the clothing stores where Leah works, and she is roped into helping out with the plan. Suddenly, she finds herself a part of the entire program, including watching RomCom movies so he can learn what a true good guy does - and thus a true friendship forms between the pair, and Leah finds herself falling not just for Eli but his entire family… and dreading the day Victoria is expected to return.

The chemistry between all of the characters and the writing here is really great and the plot is unique - although of course, with any slow burn where the character doesn’t see what is right in front of him for basically the whole book you want to shake him sometimes (but that’s the whole point)! I really quite enjoyed it and definitely recommend it for everyone. With this being a clean romance, it’s good for all audiences.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, and this is my honest feedback.

The Rom-Com Agenda a great novel to end 2022 with. It was a cute and sweet rom-com. I liked all the characters (except one, of course) and loved how Eli's family and friends invited Leah into their circle. The town had a Schitt's Creek feel and the names of the stores were so clever. The descriptions really brought people and places to life. I could even feel the cold winter air.

There was a lot of humor, along with many sweet and romantic moments. I was expecting it to be predictable due to the nature of the genre, but there were some surprises too. I enjoyed all the movie references, of course. My only concern is that the ending felt anti-climactic and there wasn't much of a dramatic build-up to it either. That didn't detract from my overall enjoyment though.

This novel was fun, easygoing, and entertaining. I would love another story featuring other characters from this one, such as Delia and Gray, Jenna and Ben, or Gillian. It would even be interesting to read one about Victoria.

Movie casting suggestions:
Leah: Katie Stevens
Eli: David Corenswet
Jenna: Allison Williams
Ben: Kendrick Sampson
Gray: Dan Amboyer
Gillian: Tamsin Egerton
Delia: Olivia Luccardi
Victoria: Miranda Cosgrove

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC.

A perfectly serviceable rom-com with the focus on making over the male main character in an effort to woo the one that got a way. Enter Leah, the former foster child fresh off a year of caring for her sick foster mother who is dealing with a hard dose of unrequited love while Eli figures out that his last girlfriend was not good for him.

Not going to lie, I spent most of this book being incredibly frustrated with Eli. He put in so much effort and let his family change him to win back a woman who had, at the beginning of the book, very decidedly dumped him. And they had only been together for four months! It felt very desperate and not at all attractive. Meanwhile Leah was pining away, wishing that he would figure out that she was the one for him.

It was excruciating reading about him being dumb for 70% of the book and her just falling for it. It didn't even feel great when he finally admitted that he had feelings for her, mostly because it felt like too much emphasis was placed on this previous relationship.

Overall, an okag book. Not my favorite, but perfectly acceptable for the genre.

This was a super fun, quick read that I think you'll love if you're a fan of meddling friend groups and classic-rom com style makeovers.

This is my first time reading Jayne Denker and I was absolutely smitten. Her writing takes you on a journey that’s nuanced and layered. Her characters are perfectly imperfect and it’s a pleasure to get to know each and every one of them. Each is unique and memorable in their own way, yet not so over the top that they feel like props.

I must admit that the “will they/won’t they” did drag on a bit long for me, but I still loved the story and never stopped rooting for Leah & Eli.

As you all know, along with my love for all things fantasy and paranormal romance, I have a soft spot for rom-coms. When I came across The Rom-Com Agenda, of course, I had to try it out. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started to read this book and I am so glad I chose to read it!

This book was full of vibrant characters and I don’t mean just the main characters. The Rom-Com Agenda has a superb cast who leave you laughing like a loon and endear themselves to your heart so they become part of you. You love them more and more as you get to know them.

The plotline is a predictable one but the writing is fun and witty with equal amounts of emotional depth. Let me put it this way – if you enjoyed the movie, Love Actually, you will love this book. It’s such a feel-good story, it leaves you with a smile and a warmth long after you finish it.

Book Dragons, you’re in for a barrel of laughs and a whole world of sweetness with this one.

If you love rom coms, friends-to-lovers, and found family, then you need to pick up this book.

Leah is living by herself in a small town after she spends a year caring for her late foster mother. She is working many different jobs to save enough money to leave town and never look back.

One summer day though she sees Eli proposing to his girlfriend Victoria on a bridge, only to watch her dump him.

Leah and Eli’s paths cross when his friends decide that he needs a makeover to win back Victoria, who he thinks is the girl of his dreams. But spending all that time with Leah inevitably leads to something more.

This book was so cute and really funny. I found myself cracking up multiple times while reading! The references to classic rom com movies were fabulous, and you could see how the entire storyline of the book is based on those traditional romantic comedies. And I adored how Leah found her own version of family after not really having one, due to being a foster child.

The issues I ran into was for how long Eli was pining for Victoria, when it was obviously a relationship that was going nowhere. We could have had so much more time with Leah and Eli together instead of him wishing for someone else.

I also felt that there was too much “rom com”, if that’s possible. But the book was full of cliches and moments that led you to predict exactly what was going to happen. Some may like that, but I thought it went a little overboard.

If you’re looking for a fun and cute easy read, then definitely pick this one up!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own!

What a sweet Rom-Com! I read this book with audio and physical book and was able to binge it all in one day! The storyline is a fun one of friends to lovers + found family. Such sweet tropes.

Eli + Leah first meet when Leah accidentally eavesdrops on Eli getting denied a proposal to a girl named Victoria. That crushed him for a long time. Long enough that his friends and family made a project of him and gave him a makeover to make him more husband material. While I don’t love the whole makeover concept (because everyone should be accepted for themselves) this one was fun because it got him and Leah connected again. From the start Leah was trying to show Eli his worth and help him understand that Victoria isn’t the one for him. He was stubborn but eventually saw what was right in front of his eyes the whole time. I LOVED the “homework” of watching Rom-Coms and the VCR comeback? Classic! And also the Gilmore Girls references…perfection!

Leah finding her family within her friends was enough to make my heart swell. She finally found where she belonged. Such a strong and fierce lady!

This book was the perfect amount of sweet, dramatic, emotional, and hilarious. While at first I was overwhelmed with the amount of characters, I have to say I love them all - all the character’s developments in this book were great. I’m a fan of this author’s writing style and will be on the lookout for more by her!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I felt so conflicted with this book. I absolutely loved the writing and the idea of the makeover, but I wanted to shake Eli so many times... Since the book was almost too compelling to put it down, I am rating it with my heart.

Leah has a goal - work as many jobs as possible to fund her move out of town. She took care of her late foster mom during her illness and is now almost done cleaning out the house. Eli has a goal - win back his former girlfriend Victoria who moved to Italy for a year to study art.

Elis's sister and friends decide to give him a makeover to help win back Victoria, you know, if he really wants her.. Leah becomes drawn in to the process since she works at the local clothing store, tailor shop, and hairdresser.

Part of Eli's education is lots of rom com movies. Sometime within the marathons, Leah starts looking at Eli differently and doesn't see what needs to be changed about him. He's pretty great in her eyes...

Eli is so devoted to Victoria, he can't think of Leah as more than a friend, even after a few really great kisses....oh, and she is his go to movie partner...

The RomCom agenda was a fun and stereotypical story about a guy who chases after the wrong girl and doesn’t realize his girl BFF has feelings for him until he’s made himself look like a complete idiot in front of her.

I really enjoyed the first 80% of this book. I kept hoping that Eli would get out of his own way and realize that Leah liked him just how he was, but he couldn’t help himself. He had to be a stubborn idiot. Men. Sheesh.

Ultimately I enjoyed this book and I’m glad I read it. I would have liked the grand gesture to come from Eli since this was a novel called “the romcom agenda”. The title set the stage for this more to be based around the romance, but the end of the novel felt more like contemporary fiction rather than a feel good HEA.

Rating this 3.5 stars but rounding up because I was really captivated throughout most of this fun northeast romance.

✨Friends to Lovers
✨Found Family
✨Small Town
✨Makeover for MMC
✨Trying to Get Back with Ex
✨80s and 90s rom-com movie references

Book thoughts:

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Leah and Eli's friendly relationship right from the beginning was adorable. Leah had gone through a tough time in life and didn't feel like she was quite deserving of meaningful relationships. Enter in Eli and his friends and family who were trying to do a whole makeover of him in order for him to win back his ex.. Found family is one of my favorite tropes and this book definitely fit the bill for me.

I did find the first chapter to be a bit choppy and almost too wordy but it evened out throughout the story. I did feel like there was something missing from the story or maybe I just had different expectations when it came to the rom-com movie references and makeover. Overall it was a solid and cute story and give it 3.5 stars. I am hoping there will be other sequels featuring the friends because it did leave it open a little and would love their stories to also be told.!

3.5 rounded to 4

A fun middle-of-the-night insomnia read. I liked the small town and the found-family aspect, always tropes that will draw me. I really liked Leah, and her wistful but practical quest for a home of her own, while she took care of a grumpy old lady and avoided that lady's hilariously awful heir.

The romance was lovely when it finally happened, but it took far too long. I did enjoy all the other aspects, though: for me, this story was more about Leah finding her place, with bonus romance, rather than a romance from beginning to end.

A sweet, squeaky-clean friends-to-lovers romance set in a small town will attract lots of readers with its sparkly cast of characters and fun premise. Leaning heavily on both the tropes of rom-coms and myriad references to the rom-com movies of the 80s, 90s, and early 00s, this dual-perspective novel offers plenty for readers to delight in, from two fairly well-developed leads to the supporting cast of characters rooting for them, even if they don't realize it. This is a perfect read for folks who like contemporary romances without a hint of spice - this is a classic slow-burn that will work for readers who do not want anything on the page except a few pretty chaste kisses. While the premise requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief, it's immersive and charming enough that it can be read in a single sitting.

This story was so cute! Leah has been taking care of her sick foster mother for the past year but now that she has passed away there is nothing keeping her in Willow Cove. She takes on odd jobs around town in the hopes of making enough money to move on. One of these odd jobs involves her painting a boat shed which puts her in the perfect position to overhear a failed marriage proposal. The man that was shot down is Eli and despite this rejection, he is determined to win Victoria back when she returns from her trip abroad. The solution? Become a romantic hero. Eli's sister and friends decide that he needs a makeover which leads him to cross paths with Leah, who, very quickly gets roped in to the shenanigans. Leah doesn't think Eli needs to change a thing but helps guide him through all the rom-coms on his list. As they spend more time together Leah realizes she is falling for Eli and just maybe he might be falling for her too.

3.5 stars

Leah has been the sole caretaker for her sick foster mother for the past few years; Eli wants to win back Victoria, the girl he was dating who left him to go to Paris, who he thought was the one for him. Eli enlists Leah's help to become the man he thinks Victoria wants, but the two might get a little more than what they bargained for.

I loved all of the 80s-90s movie references in this book! It was such a cute friends-to-lovers romance, and Leah was an easy protagonist to root for. I had a harder time with Eli since he struggled to figure out what he wanted. For most of the book, he is still pining for Victoria. What made up for that was all of the loveable side characters on the island. This was the light a fun read I needed!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Rom-Com Agenda is a must-read for fans of well, literally any romantic comedy movie ever made!

After Eli has a major breakup his ragtag group of friends decide that the only way he can get out of his slump and get back the woman he loves is to undergo a major makeover. Along the way they meet Leah who joins them in makeover madness. But as the more time Leah and Eli spend together, the more sparks start to fly - even though they try hard to resist!

Though it had a slow start, I definitely ended up loving The Rom-Com Agenda. Eli’s friends had my laughing out loud while reading and the references to 80s and 90s romantic comedy movies had me reliving all of the best scenes. I’m definitely pulling out some of my DVDs to watch!

Note: this is a PG read, all steamy scenes are closed door.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Jayne Denker for an advanced copy. This is my honest review.

I wanted, so badly, to love this. But Eli's obsession with his ex completely ruined the book for me. It's not romantic to me that it takes him until the eleventh hour to figure out what the readers already know, and it just made me want better for Leah!