This book was cute but I didn’t absolutely love it. It just felt like something was missing but I did enjoy it though!

The Second You're Single by Cara Tanamachi is a refreshingly funny and heartfelt look at love, independence, and the rollercoaster of romance. Sora Reid, a Valentine’s Day skeptic and self-declared February single, is determined to embrace #gosolo—until Jack Mann, a ruggedly charming baker from her past, reappears. Tanamachi perfectly balances humor with depth as Sora navigates the complexities of family pressures, self-worth, and her unexpected attraction to Jack. Filled with witty banter, relatable characters, and a sweet romance that sneaks up on you, this novel is an absolute treat for anyone who loves an unconventional take on love and self-discovery.

This was such a cute and delightful story. I enjoyed the story from beginning to end of Sora and Jack. It was heartwarming and emotional. It felt to me like one of those non holiday lifetime tv movies. I enjoyed every minute of it.

I wasn’t drawn in to this book and couldn’t figure out why I should care about the main character or her awful family

This was an okay book. I can’t think of anything that really was outstanding to me. Just a regular romance book.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

DNF @ 19%

This book probably would've made more sense if it was labelled as #1 of a standalone duology (The Takeover being #2) but, since it wasn't, I read the other book first, and this one feels like a prequel now (I should've made note of the publishing dates). This may be a "me problem," but it still doesn't feel right.

Having said that, what I didn't care for in the other book translates again to this one: The female narrator of this book's audio version is the author herself, who sounds nasally and paused at every comma splice, and the male narrator was no better. The book itself read very juvenile, like the author wanted to get her thoughts down on paper without considering the emotion behind the words. The characters were paint-by-numbers described (and not very well) with them all having a rather "ick" feel to them.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Sora just got out of a disappointing relationship, and she's had it with all the nonsense she puts up with for romance. When a deluge of Valentine's Day ads pushes her over the edge, she declares Solo February to remove herself from all the toxicity. Living in a condo in Chicago she hates and writing for an online women's magazine that fails to inspire, Sora's lacking enthusiasm about life in general. She pitches a Solo February article to her editor and feels a bit nervous when it turns into a daily project where she'll be expected to share her personal journey for the whole month.

So here's the thing. There are a few cool things about this book. For one, Sora has a one-eyed pitbull named Larry. For another, both Sora and her love interest are biracial (Sora is Japanese and Scottish American, and Jack is Chinese, Portuguese, and Irish). The author has a clear sense of humor that I wanted to enjoy. But unfortunately, this rom-com is rife with fatphobia. It's intense from the start, and I had the major ick barely 10% in. The problem with these types of situations is that I feel obligated to find out where the nonsense is going. Even if it's a rough journey, are we headed toward revelations about body image? If so, I don't want to DNF and trash a book that had something worthy to say in the end. I stuck it out, and the silver lining is I can now say with confidence this book is fatphobic and garbage about body image. If you like a good rant, strap in. There's so much material (unfortunately) that I'm mostly ignoring other annoying things about the story to really dig in on this one prevalent issue. If this is not a topic you have emotional space for (same), take my word for it and save yourself the trip.

Right off the bat, we can see that Sora's very focused on bodies, from announcing early on that she's a size fourteen to sharing her impressions of her potential love interest. And that grocery store meet-cute scene has A LOT going on. She likes that Jack, a baker giving out free samples at the grocery store, isn't too fit but also clarifies to the reader that his pudgy belly isn't "gross big." And that designation was the first major red flag. Her meet-cute is interrupted by her ex-husband, and his new girlfriend, a thin woman who leaves Sora horrified that he could "do better" than her. Sora's also annoyed to estimate that her ex has lost twenty pounds since she last saw him (because she's watching everyone's bodies closely enough to make those kinds of estimates). The two shame her for all the food in her cart, and then Jack decides to swoop in as her fake boyfriend to rescue her from the interaction. It could have been cute except he further commits to the fatphobic premise of the conversation by saying ~of course~ she's not eating all that bacon and ice cream by herself. Except she totally is, and that's no one else's business.

Ohmygod, guys, I'm not even done with this one grocery store outing. Save yourselves. Jack reveals that they knew each other in elementary school when he majorly crushed on her. And THEN, in response, Sora brings up Jack's elementary school nickname, assigned by a bully to reference his weight. He was short and fat back then (a topic that is brought up regularly in the book). Sora proceeds to lean into her rude flirting technique by acting in awe of how much he's "changed," coded to remind him of his childhood fatness. Imagine. Jack informs her that he got tall and learned to "work out more and eat healthier" in high school. Sora later consults her grade school yearbook to soak in the memories and thinks that Jack was cute back then "even though" he was fat.

We learn that Sora's struggle with her body image comes in part from a mother with a similar body type who tries to rope her into fad diets and exercise routines. On Jack's side, his parents are sure to gush over how fit he is, which makes my body neutral attempting soul die a little death. Since these scenes point to an awareness of internalized fatphobia and its sources in our characters' lives, it at first gave me hope that the author was planting the seeds for future growth. That was not the case.

Oddly, Sora finds herself self-actualized in the face of her mother's pressures because she doesn't want to diet or do exercises she hates just to get thin. Then why so fixated on everyone's bodies, Sora? Because Sora's body image insecurities color nearly every interpersonal interaction. She thinks a random woman must have nothing in common with her because she's "gorgeous" aka Sora estimates her weight at 90 lbs. Because oh, yeah, every woman she meets comes with a pants size or weight estimate for the reader. In a different scene, we observe Sora to be kind of defensively judgmental about a thin woman, making assumptions about how she sees Sora in her fatter body and mentally retaliating in kind. Sora's sister is thin, and Sora assumes an eating disorder is in play, sniping at her by saying she barely eats anything, an accusation her sister denies.

It gets worse, and this time it's the sister's doing (their family seems to have some deeply seated issues). Sora has to try on her bridesmaid dress for her sister's wedding, and it doesn't fit because she's gained weight. As if the experience wouldn't be uncomfortable or humiliating enough, her sister rails at her in front of the seamstress for being so "careless." During their ensuing fight, Sora is accused of being on track to end up like their father, who died of a heart attack. Oof.

Fatphobia even invades ostensibly romantic moments. Jack literally sweeps Sora off her feet when she has a swollen ankle, and she argues with him about how heavy she is while reflecting on all the bacon she's eaten recently. Their first intimate scene is a perfect opportunity for Sora to assess Jack's body further. She is pleased he's not so fit as to make her feel "unworthy." Cute. Fun. As a quick aside/complaint of another flavor-- for readers who care about this, I think said bedroom scene misses the mark on both closed and open-door designations. Only after we've been assured of Jack's impressive size do we get a fade to black, so... Everyone loses? And actually, it is a bit related to my overall issue with the book because, to me, the purpose of including those details is to reinforce an ideal body type.

While I'd say most of Sora's insecurities get reflected onto other people, we see her negative opinion of herself, as well. She has such low self-esteem that she avoids mirrors when she's all dressed up for an event so she doesn't have to have her bubble popped about feeling beautiful. She also has harmful views when it comes to clothes, a) keeping aspirational pieces she hopes to fit into one day and b) holding onto some to browbeat herself about a former, smaller size.

So where does the end of the book leave us? In her signoff post to her readers, Sora announces that Solo February has taught her, among other things, to make "smarter decisions" about what she eats (and what inspired that? her sister's heart attack comment). There's nothing inherently wrong with including healthy eating as a part of self-care. It's just so LOADED. Especially when we know Sora has body image issues a mile deep. Instead of working on the emotional roots of the problem, we see her eating a salad and buying grapes at the grocery store.

I wanted so badly to like this book, but the fatphobia and toxic relationship with food are hard-baked in. I just wanted to enjoy having a midsize girly as a lead in a rom-com, and instead, I got a lot of reinforced body image issues for my trouble. Because this book is remarkably unself-aware. Yes, body negativity, internalized fatphobia, and low self-esteem dog many a woman's steps. But instead of challenging any of it or showing compassion to the characters, and by extension, the readers, the book tells a tried-and-true (and tired) tale of "eating better" to combat a viciously negative body image, disguising it as something inspirational. 0/10 would not recommend.

Most Anticipated Romance by Buzzfeed

Cheerfully irreverent, bitingly funny, and filled with romantic charm, Cara Tanamachi's The Second You're Single is all about navigating the most romantic month of the year, and how love always seems to arrive when you least expect it.

Freelance writer Sora Reid believes in inertia. She’s the odd one out in a close-knit family of go-getters, including her Japanese-American mom, who hints about her need to lose weight, and her soon-to-be married, overachieving younger sister, who needs her to have a date for the wedding, since a wedding party couples' dance with their Scottish great uncle Bob simply won't do. For Sora, minimal input, minimal expectations is the way to go. She’d rather stay at home with her insufferable neighbor and her adorable pitbull.

The one thing that disrupts her inertia: an intense dislike for Valentine’s Day. What is it with the commercial love machine? Why do we pin our hopes on one romantic day, when staying home with a package of bacon and a bottle of tequila would be way better? Sora’s been betrayed and disappointed more than once and her heart is starting to feel like her Grandma Mitsuye’s antique Japanese ceramic bowl, with its many gold-filled cracks.

When her pledge to stay single in February inspires readers to #gosolo, Sora has a responsibility to empower her readers. But relationships aren’t built to last, so it shouldn’t be that hard. Right?

Enter Jack Mann. A muscle-bound baker who looks like he lifts logs on the weekends, Sora hasn’t thought of Jack since they were in elementary school together. When they see each other at the local grocery store and the attraction hits hard, Sora knows she has to shut it down, quick. She can’t #gosolo AND get the guy. She can’t let down her readers. And relationships always end, so why should Jack be any different–even though he’s confounding all her long-held expectations of love?

“Riotous, whip-smart, and original. Read this happy-making book if you love yourself.” —Jayci Lee, Author of Booked on a Feeling

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. A cute, quick and fun read. The plot moved nicely.

Sora is a single woman who isn't looking for love. She has a cynical outlook of it. She writes of her about her dislike for Valentine's Day and how it is a commercial holiday. Her readers are interested in what she is writing and the celebration of the Anti-Valentine's Day mantra. She meets up with an old schoolmate and sparks fly. But she is determined to stay her course. The story being a Rom-Com the reader knows that the plot thickens and someone one is going to throw her world upside down. The story is a cute and sweet. The characters make the reader want to root for them. I enjoy rom-c0ms and l am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Cara Tanamachi's The Second You're Single is a cheerfully irreverent and bitingly funny rom-com that captures the chaos and charm of navigating love during the most romantic month of the year. Sora Reid, a freelance writer, is content with her low-key life and has an intense dislike for Valentine's Day. Her pledge to stay single for February turns into a viral #gosolo movement, empowering her readers and herself. But when she reconnects with Jack Mann, a hunky baker from her past, Sora's commitment to singlehood is tested. Tanamachi's witty writing and relatable characters make this a delightful read about love arriving when least expected. Perfect for fans of humorous and heartfelt romances.

The main character of Sora was super relatable, and watching her journey to find self-love and actualize her dreams is a great reminder that romantic love is its fullest when your own love of yourself is stable. The writing is witty and keeps a nice pace, which is especially important in a romance.

Great book. I was able to connect with characters and the plot. I recommend this book……………………………..,,,,.

Thank you netgalley and St Martin’s Press for an arc.

I really wish I read this during the month of February because of all the Valentine’s Day or Anti Valentine’s Day if you will feels. I loved Sora and Jack. Their cute banter and childhood nostalgia. I really got the “How you lose a guy in 10 days vibes from this one because of Sora being a freelance writer and chronicling her #gosolo experiences throughout the month of February.

This was cute!

Nothing mind blowing, and I get a tad weirded out when people fall in love after a first date, but it’s sweet!

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Cute story but didn’t love the fat shaming. I liked that the author used dual point of views as it helped understand the characters more. Overall a cute rom com

Check TW: this book has mentions of pregnancy loss, childhood cancer and body image.

I have mixed feelings on this book. Overall I enjoyed it, but something was lacking for me. The story had all the elements to make a great story, but it could have used more depth into the plot.

The main fmc grew on me. She comes off very bitter in the beginning of the story (almost too much) but if you can stick with the story she gets better. I understand why she was written this way and it plays into the story. I did enjoy the other characters in the story, but some of them deserved more time throughout the story.

I did like that this is told in dual POV, but we do get more from the female perspective.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The fat shaming alone is this book would’ve turned me off but there was so many things that I didn’t enjoy reading.

This was actually my second book by this author (I read this and The Takeover in reverse order...oops). This book is stand alone, but also introduces characters that get their own story in The Takeover. The FMCs of the two books are sisters, and their storylines act as sub-plots in each book. This was overall a cute read and there are some elements that were enjoyable.

This felt a bit like a take on How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, with a free-lance writer creating #gosolo for February and essentially documenting her solo experience for the month and through the Valentine's Day holiday. There was good POC representation and I did find the banter between the two MCs to be pretty amusing at times. I was glad that the MMC wasn't tricked or lied to with respect to the FMC staying single - but I also felt like that part of the story really impacted the chemistry/relationship building between the two characters. There was a bit of a yo-yo aspect between the two that started to feel tiresome.

Also, the fatphobia/fat shaming in this book was pretty intense for the FMC. There are multiple scenes where this is highlighted and that kind of representation didn't feel as necessary to the story. And while I also enjoy bacon on occasion, the FMCs obsession with bacon in particular felt a bit over the top and distracting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.