The Rom-Com agenda has the found family and friends to lovers tropes. I enjoyed the author’s writing, the many discussions about all the great 80s and 90s rom-coms, and the meddling side characters who stole the show.

What didn’t work for me was Eli spending the majority of the book pining over his ex-girlfriend. Leah and Eli were so clearly perfect for one another but Eli just couldn’t let his ex go and I thought that tainted their budding relationship.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I would read more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this! Read it in one sitting. Would love some spinoffs. I can't wait to see more from Denker.

I knew I would love this book and I was right. The characters felt real, the tropes were there but they felt fresh, and I am just such a sucker for the specific "I'm going to help you win back this girl who isn't right for you and oh no we fell in love in the process that was not supposed to happen". Incredible. Will absolutely recommend.

I really wanted to love it, but it just was taken out of it by Eli. Leah was too good for him. Plus I hate when closed-door books try to do a slow burn. I think slow burn should be exclusively for spicy books as you get something at the end of it!

The Rom-Com Agenda
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Rom-Com
Format: Kindle eBook and Audiobook
Date Published: 1/10/23
Author: Jayne Denker
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press and Dreamscape Media
GR: 3.49

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Dreamscape Media and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

My Thoughts: The premise was so cute in this book. This follows a friends to lovers trope, which is one of favorite type of tropes. The book opens with Eli’s break-up and he spends a good amount of time in self wallow and then his friends try to help him make self-improvements in an effort to win Victoria back. Leah just lost her foster mother, after taking care of her for a longtime, and is trying to find herself. Leah finds a family of friends, helps Eli self-improve, and along the way finds the family she has been yearning for.

This was a dual narrated story in third person POV by Leah and Eli. Leah was independent and had a good heart but lacked confidence. Leah had a lot of self growth during the story and really was able to stand in her truth, I love seeing this type of self-discovery in a story. Eli was stuck on his prior breakup and all of the self-improvement was oriented towards winning Victoria back, which I did not care for. If you want to self-improve after a break-up, then that should be the end game. The supporting character Patrick, was an idiot, and played his part well. The characters were well developed with depth, witty banter, chemistry, and were just adorable, for the most part. The author’s writing style was complex, humorous, fun, crisp, and kept me engaged.

Overall, this was a cute and fun book. This is the perfect light read for a beach day. I adored the 80’s and 90’s references and it brought up some fond memories for myself. I had the amazing pleasure of having both the ebook and audiobook. Devoured it in under 48 hours. My con for this book was too much time was spent on the ex, I wished that would have been a little less and little more on Leah and Eli’s budding relationship. However, having said that, I still believe this is a cute rom-com. I would recommend picking it up, it is worth the read/listen.

The Rom-Com Agenda is a closed door, friends to lovers romance. The found family elements and rom-com references were fun and endearing.
This was a very slow burn, and I struggled with understanding what was taking so long for Eli to realize his ex was not the one. As he spent so much time pining for her, for the majority of the book I didn’t feel any tension between Eli and Leah. It felt like nothing really happened for a long time. I know rom-coms are predictable and they feel comfortable because you know where it’s going, but with the lack of chemistry here, I just wasn’t feeling it. Considering how long Eli spent wanting his ex back, he seemed to flip the switch so easily.
Thank you St Martin’s Press for a digital copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: The Rom-Com Agenda by Jayne Denker
2023 Publication Date: January 10

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pages: 316
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sub-Genre: Makeover Romance | Friends To Lovers Romance
Time Period: Present Day
Location: Thousand Islands Area (NY | US)
Publisher: St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin

PUBLISHER BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A love letter to all things rom com, Jayne Denker's The Rom Com Agenda is a story of two people finding love right when they least expect it...

You know how the story's supposed to go...but love makes its own plans.

STEP 1: Find yourself
Leah Keegan is used to being alone, especially after taking care of her sick foster mother for the past year. But now there’s nothing keeping her in the sweet town of Willow Cove. It’s time to move on. Again.

STEP 2: Win back the one who got away
Eli Masterson thought he and Victoria were meant to be together until she decided to jet off to Rome for a year. Eli is determined to win her back. But how?

STEP 3: Become a romantic hero
Changing Eli’s physical appearance is easy, but to turn Eli into the sophisticated-yet-vulnerable ideal man, his girl pals force him to watch classic rom-coms. And take notes.

STEP 4: Fall in love?
Inadvertently drawn into the makeover scheme, Leah ends up being Eli’s guide through the wild world of meet-cutes and grand gestures. Even though she believes Eli doesn’t need to change a thing about himself. Even though she just might be falling for Eli . . . and Eli falling for her.

--------------------

All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-should-i-read

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

It took me forever to finish this book. I just didn't care about anyone in it... except maybe Delia... I'd like to hear her story (but not with Gray - he doesn't deserve her). I could just not believe a group of relatives and friends would actively help their loved one change themselves when they were already a good person. Fashion is forgivable, but if they are good and kind, which obviously Eli already was, then what the heck are we doing here? I liked the film references (Better Off Dead is one of my all-time favorite teen flicks), but even those couldn't redeem this book for me.

I enjoyed reading The Rom-Com Agenda by Jayne Denker. The characters in this story will warm your heart. Happy Reading!
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

This was a very sweet and one quick read for me. I loved the main characters and their arc but more than that I loved how their character development was so perfectly done. I definitely see it becoming my comfort read!!

thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest opinion

2.5 stars

unfortunately this book just wasnt for me. the writing was good and i really liked the concept but the execution just wasn’t working for me. i think the “trying to get my ex back” part was way too much

i liked the whole found family trope which happens to be one of my favourite trope and there were so many good references to movies so that was good but some of the characters were just too much for me

i will probably give this author another chance and just bc it wasn’t for me doesnt mean others won’t enjoy it!

This was really a great rom com book. The slow burn was fantastic and you couldn't help but root for Leah and Eli. I loved the small town, winter setting as well. It made the story feel magical. It was just a super cute and hopeful story and made me feel light and happy. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Leah is back in Willow Cove after taking care of her dying foster mom, and is working every job in town in an attempt to save money so she can get out of town. Eli had his heart broken and is willing to do whatever it takes to win back the love of his life. Eli’s sister and her friends come up with a plan to help Eli win Victoria back and Leah ends up watching lots of Rom-Coms with Eli and spending lots of time with him during his “Makeover.” - We all know what. Happens when a single man and a single woman spend a lot of time together. This was def a slow burn but I at times felt like it was a little TOO slow if that makes sense which is why I decided to give this 4 stars. This was a clean/closed door romance which I really enjoy and overall I thought this was a really cute read.

Thanks so much to St. Martins for the free ARC that I Received. This was right up my alley and I definitely can’t wait to ready more from Jayne! It was cute and quick read for me.

jayne denker's romance novel 'the rom-com agenda' is the perfect example of a book sounding good from the description and then completely missing the mark at every turn. the novel follows leah, a woman working a million part-time jobs in the hopes of leaving small town willow cove for good, now that her foster mum has passed away. we also follow eli, a local guy head-over-heels for a girl named victoria, who sets off to rome for a year and leaves him determined to win her back. when eli's friends force him to watch classic rom-coms to learn how to be the ideal man for victoria, leah is accidently dragged into the scheme, and ends up being his guide thru the world of grand gestures, despite the fact that she doesn't think he needs to change at all. all this time together can only lead to one thing...

this book DRAGGED. it felt like nothing happened, or nothing of note. i think this is largely due to the fact that leah & eli had zero chemistry, at least that i could see. it also took far too long for them to eventually get together, even though we all knew that's where it was heading. eli's penchant to fall in love too quickly was too much for me, and didn't make him a love interest i was rooting for, but he was the only option. tbh his friends really should have just told him to get over it, considering he was only with victoria for a few months. overall, i just felt like this book could have been SO much better with a little more plot and some more interesting characters.

This book starts off with Eli, a 31 year old man, acting like a man child because he misread a casual relationship that he was in. Enter is friends who act more juvenile then he does. They think if he can change everything about himself he can win the first girl back. This story became more ridiculous as it went on.

This was a great read about two people finding more about themselves and that they deserve to be happy! I loved both the main characters in this book. Leah was relatable and you just wanted her to succeed with her plan and also get her happy ending. Eli captured your heart right away with him wanting to change so that his old girlfriend would want him back, even though someone already liked him just the way he was. These two really became one another's true friend and then realized that maybe all they were looking for was right in front of them.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish this book. I gave myself 30% of it, but it got to a point where I couldn’t force myself to read any longer. I didn’t think the writing was all that great. The characters did nothing for me, and the main male character, Eli… his whole situation bothered me. He proposed to a woman after only knowing her for a short time, then spends months hung up on her, changing literally everything about himself for her, after she basically didn’t want anything to do with him. I’ve read that it gets better later on when Leah and Eli’s relationship picks up, but it’s hard for me to continue a book that I’m not interested in, when I have so many other books I want to read.

In the Rom-com Agenda, Leah is mourning her foster mother and trying to make money to move out on her own when she overhears a man proposing and the woman turning him down. Eli has rushed his relationship and scared off his girlfriend Victoria of 4 months who is going away for a year to Italy. It’s awkward and heartbreaking.

Fast forward a few weeks when Leah runs into Eli as he is getting a makeover by his sister and her friends. They are trying to make him into someone Victoria would see has husband material. They also request that he watch all kinds of romcom movies to see how he should act. Leah is working all sorts of jobs to make money so she keeps running into Eli all over town (he nails it when he compares her to Kirk from Gilmore Girls!) Eli is still really hung up on Victoria but Leah sees Eli for who he really is. Especially after they go on practice dates and watch all the best romcom movies for inspiration.

Leah was such a good character! She was independent and kind and extremely hardworking. She has been through a lot in her life and has dealt many hardships at a young age. She was in the foster care system and became very close to her foster mother. Eli was a great guy, but such a bonehead! He couldn’t see how wonderful Leah was when he was so hung up on the wrong for him (and using him!) Victoria.

I really enjoyed this book and I especially loved the author’s use of the romcom movies as inspiration. I loved Leah’s back story and I thought that Leah having a very positive foster care situation was refreshing to see. Eli and Leah have a great banter and genuine chemistry.

Thank you to @jaynedenkerauthor and @smpromance for my gifted copy. This was a really fun book for movie lovers and it’s on sale now!

OK, I really loved the main character...her love interest, not so much.

Eli got on my nerves from the get-go. He proposed to a woman barely knowing her, then spent MONTHS hung up on her and being really annoying about it. Ugh.

The second half of this book redeemed it for me, because Eli and Leah's love story was sweet. It just took a lot of being annoyed at Eli to get there.