Thank you to Netgalley for a ARC of the Second You’re Single in exchange for an honest review!

The Second You’re Single seemed to have so much potential. A female character who gives up men for “Solo February” only to have a “meet cute” with a handsome man, who just so happened to be in love with her in kindergarten. It really could have been something, but unfortunately it fell flat.

The main character, Sora, is plus sized. Instead of celebrating that and promoting body positivity, she’s shallow and constantly talks about other peoples weight and judging them for their lifestyle habits, even though she’s unnecessarily obsessed with bacon. Then, instead of participating in “Solo January” in order to find herself, she uses it as a platform to only shit on men and get money. Even though she literally meets Jack the first week and automatically starts dating him. There was incredible miscommunication throughout their whole relationship, and barely any moments where you’re rooting for them. Honestly, none of the characters were worth rooting for, other than Larry the dog and Jack’s niece Allie. For a book that’s seemingly trying to promote feminism, there’s a lot of fat shaming and women overall just judging each other.

I will say, the author does know how to write. I did feel sucked into the story, even though there were several problematic plot points. I am interested to see what her next books will bring!

2.5/5 ⭐️

Sora Reid is fed up with dating, romance and the entire month of February, so she decides to pitch the idea of solo February to her editor and creates a monthly #gosolo craze. And of course, the moment it takes off she runs into her grade school friend, Jack Mann, who has grown up since she last saw him into a huge piece of man candy. Torn between wanting to date Jack and her readers, Sora doesn’t know who to trust or what decision is best for her future.

The Second You’re Single is funny, sweet and romantic, but it started to lose my interest above 70% in. It eventually picked back up with a mediocre ending, but I still felt let down. I love character development in a book, but Sora goes almost overboard with her self searching and personal development, as it becomes whiney and redundant. Plus, Jack is just too forgiving and willing to take all the blame when she fails to trust him at all, so the ending isn’t as believable as it could be.

Let me start by saying, I love the diversity of our main characters. Minority and plus-size (or even just slightly larger)? Count me in. I do wish that there was more consistency on how plus-size women are viewed and how they’re discussed, especially by the fmc herself. It was almost like a caricature of one, needing to be obsessed with bacon and mentioning her lack of thigh gap, etc. I also really hated when she mentioned Jack’s elementary “nickname”, as if she wouldn’t know how much he would’ve hated being called something so terrible. I enjoyed the writing for the most part other than those issues. They seemed to have great chemistry together. While their disagreements seemed a bit clunky and almost unnecessary, I get that a story usually needs some conflict. I’d been looking forward to this book coming out, but was left a bit wanting. I’d definitely give her next story another go though!

DNF@7% - which is EARLY for me

My reason for not finishing was the blatant fatphobia and body shaming that I honestly can't believe is in a book in 2023. After one particular scene that really bothered me I checked out some reviews and knew this book wasn't for me. Please refer to other reviews for thoughts on the actual plot and romance - I definitely didn't get far enough for that.

Also size 14 is not plus size - it's midsize. The FMC is a size 14 and I know that in the first few chapters. So just be cautious reading this because it could definitely be triggering for some.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬💭:
I was instantly drawn to this cute cover and I knew it’d be the perfect Valentine’s read. Thank you so much to the author, SMP Romance and St Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of this book.

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛📝:
Sora is a writer and for February, she’s writing an article that’s all for going “solo”. Which means, she’s swearing off men. But she bumps into a former schoolmate and hottie Jack. But she can’t have her cake and eat it too.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫/5. I loved the witty humor on this one. I cackled a couple of times and thought the main MC was so funny. Aside from that, I enjoyed the self-love that the story promotes. However, it didn’t fully follow through on it and there were some issues on this book I couldn’t be fully on board with. I found the story a bit lacking in terms of depth and more connection between the MCs which left me wanting more. Overall, it was a fun read that’s a good one to for Valentine’s Day.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘰 𝘰𝘯 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘺

2.5 stars
Things usually happen when you least expect it. No different for Sora who's sworn off men, just as Jack, her childhood friend reappears in her life chipping away at her vow. I had high hopes for this one as the heroine seemed to be someone relatable, but as I got further into the story her character's mindset verges on the extreme and at times cringey. I know being open to someone's inner thoughts and issues don't have to match mine (take a look at what I've previously read and that should show you) but I feel the story lost it's way. An ok read, but was hoping for more.
Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read this book and give my honest opinion.

ARC REVIEW FOR THE SECOND YOU'RE SINGLE

3.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, SMPRomance and Cara Tanamachi for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

This book started out as a huge miss for me. I found Sora insufferable. Her constant attempted witty diatribe, her obsession with her weight (and everyone elses) annd her need for bacon kind of killed the vibe for me. But I powered through because I thought the concept of Solo February was interesting and I wanted to see where this went. I'm glad I did stick with it because Jack is such a heartthrob and, like most great couples, he made Sora a better person. Did he have his issues? Yes. Did they both kind of stick it to each other? 100%. But the scenes with both of them were gold, and this sparked Sora's growth which I really enjoyed.

I would recommend this book for someone who doesn't mind an overly witty character who, in my opinion, is trying too hard to be witty. If you have body image issues, or constant talk about weight and appearance is a trigger for you, I don't recommend this book. I feel this is one area the author could have improved upon. I think one mention of weight is probably fine to set the stage with Sora's body image issues, but it felt like every single sentence and had NO BEARING on Sora as an individual and was overkill.

Overall I thought this was a fairly cute Valentine's read. I liked the Go Solo challenge and taking time to be happy with yourself before jumping into another relationship. There's also some nice BIPOC representation, which I don't see enough in my romance reads.

Sora is the quirky character who says and does cringey things and talks way too much about bacon. I get that she loves it, but it became more of a personality trait and was too much. Jack is the shy kid who grew up to be a hot baker, but still needs to work on establishing boundaries and sticking up for himself. The romance wasn't super developed, it relied a lot on them knowing each other from kindergarten (which I thought was odd, considering they're so different from thirty years ago).

The "crazy ex-girlfriend" wasn't my favorite. She was undeveloped and just there to be a villain and cause drama. The drama was too easily resolved and I wish this had been fleshed out more.

The story flows well and it's a quick read. Easy to jump into and get through if you're looking for a holiday read this Valentine's.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the copy

The Second You're Single by Cara Tanamachi is a life lesson to all about taking time for yourself. I loved the trope of childhood friends to lovers. I didn't love the body shaming. Even if you're trying to show it doesn't matter stop saying it again and again in the book. The book was definitely cute but missed on some things.

This book has a good premise and message - take time off for yourself and love yourself. There was BIPOC representation too which was good to see. However, this book also had some problems. It was very focused on weight and mentions bacon a lot. The story was also instant love and while sometimes that works, I didn't think it worked too well in this case. Sora is doing #soloFebruary and I think that could have been done up really well where she had different meet cutes with different guys and found herself and realized at the end there was one guy that above all else was the one for her. Instead, it was instant chemistry and sort of lacked some charm. I still give it a solid three stars because it was a quick read and entertaining if you can just get past a few of the more problematic things.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy.

I couldn’t resist picking up this Valentine’s Day themed book by a new author - and it was so good! It was surprising with some twists that I really didn’t expect, some big emotions tackled, and the standard romance couple conflict didn’t necessarily turn out how it normally does. 4.5-stars rounded up to 5. Great debut! Hit all the right points and exceeded my expectations!

The Second You’re Single follows Sora, a single gal who writes freelance for a magazine… and decides this year to write about Solo February - staying single over Valentine’s for yourself. Her editor takes to the idea and turns it into a regular feature to run the whole month, and it gets a huge following. Cut to running into a cute baker at the local grocery who she hits it off with, and help to save her when her terrible ex husband and his awful new girlfriend appear… and it turns out he was actually a friend of hers from elementary school! One who had a crush on her. Now he’s her pretend boyfriend (thanks, ex husband for causing that), and she’s not mad about the idea - especially when suddenly his ex girlfriend shows up, too. Win-win.

As Sora and Jack become friends again after all these years, and realize they do still like each other, Sora struggles with her work story and Solo February, and no longer wanting to be solo. It’s a unique and enjoyable plot, and I really loved it! I highly recommend picking this one up to see all the twists and turns as they navigate their friendship, their exes, her work story, and a whole lot more.

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

The Second You’re Single is a typical rom-com where FMC (re-)meets MMC, they go on a date, fall into bed together, and trouble ensues because of her job and his previous girlfriend.

I wanted to like this more than I did. I liked all the Chicago references (cuz I live there) and the melting pot of characters. But the book is also slightly problematic. There is some definite body shaming in the majority of the book with references to both main characters - and not in an endearing way.

I wanted more chemistry between Sora and Jack and not such forced humor about bacon. I also felt that the book was more about insta-love and I’m not usually into that trope.

Bonus points to someone being named Malort, I guess?

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC. The Second You’re Single comes out on Jan 31, 23.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press. This was cute. Fun read and i enjoyed the banter with the couple and the family interaction. Quite realistic...well what some would call real. Haha.

Sora is a freelance writer who is repulsed by the notion of Valentine’s Day. Having just come out of a bad marriage, she wants nothing more than to eat bacon and forget about romance for February.

She pitches the idea for a series of posts and her boss is excited. For the entire month, Sora’s going to concentrate on caring for herself, eating whatever she wants and avoiding any new relationships with men. She’s truly going to #gosolo. She doesn’t count on, however, meeting up with her childhood best friend Jack. He’s as sweet as ever and is easy on the eyes.

Jack had a crush on Sora from the moment he met her in Elementary School. He learns of her #gosolo challenge and is willing to wait to date her until March 1. But fate comes into play and the two are thrown together well before that day.

The story is somewhat predictable but that was perfectly fine with me. Jack’s character is particularly likeable and I enjoyed his quest to make Sora enjoy Valentine’s Day. Past romantic relationships are thrown into the story as well as family relationships. There are some funny moments which I enjoyed including Sora trying on a bridesmaid’s dress after consuming a large amount of bacon during the month.

The Second You’re Single felt more like a romantic comedy than a true romance. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to those readers who enjoy romance or romantic comedies.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

I received this book from netgalley and St Martin’s Griffin. . This was a fun chicklit story timely for Valentine’s Day. Would you do solo February and stay away from commercial Valentine’s Day stuff? Sora is writing an online column for the month of February called Solo February. It builds a lot of traction and of course she is reacquainted with her kindergarten friend Jack. Can she stick with Solo February? Should she? Will she miss her true love?

What an absolute delightful read! This is a tale for all the women who have had the worst luck in dating and finding love. When you think you have all the answers, life and love can turn you upside down.

Sora is a freelance writer coming off several bad breakups. She pitches a #gosolo in February idea to her boss, it takes wings and garners more followers than she's ever had. But then the classmate from Kindergarten appears as a sexy baker at the local grocery store. Sora and Jack just click, but Sora has to fight against those feelings because #gosolo is potentially opening doors to more writing and money, but she will have to face the life decision of which is more important.

The two main characters are snarky and bounce one-liners off each other with ease. It is so easy to fall in love with both of them and commiserate with them in their difficulties. Supporting characters are just as easy to love and loathe. Lessons are learned on many angles, and as the reader, I actually gleaned some great advice from the self-care aspect of the story.

Funny, cute and loveable, I highly recommend The Second You're Single. You will love it!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

The following review was posted on my blog yesterday, Sunday, January 29th, two day of publication. It was shared on Instagram yesterday and today and will continue to be featured up until publication, and has already been posted on Goodreads. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.






Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 2 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Mentions miscarriages in the second trimester, childhood cancer, and cheating. Discusses fat shaming and abandonment issues after divorce and other negative romantic experiences.

“The Second You Are Single” follows Sora Reid, a freelance writer who pitches the concept of ‘Solo February’ after a series of negative dating experiences. Little did she know that it would go viral and that, in the middle of all of it, she’d run into her childhood best friend, Jack Mann. Jack, who is now a pastry chef, had the hugest crush on Sora growing up, and can’t wait to reconnect. But Sora can’t. Solo February, and all… They’ll have to wait ‘till March. Sure, that’s plausible. Unless they don’t.

Well, having been in a stable relationship for the last 7 years, I thought I wouldn’t relate that much to the Solo February challenge, but I was a tiny bit wrong there. This was still a very fun and empowering read, having Solo February branch into self cafe rather than just having it be a men-ban.

I loved all the representation in this book—from different cultures and ethnicities, to different bodies. I did feel like they went a little overboard with Sora’s love for bacon, it seemed satirical at best, but if I kind of block that out this book was near perfect. We got to see how Sora and Jack reconnect and get to know each other as adults, we see the tension and chemistry build, this wasn’t exactly some unrealistic insta-love story.

I would highly recommend this book. It feels like the perfect Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day gift, so definitely add it to your wishlists and TBRs!!

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: January 31, 2023

Another new to me author that I would definitely read again. It was cute and most definitely funny. I found myself chuckling aloud several times throughout. Sora and Jack's story reads like a second chance, and maybe it is. Sora is taking the Solo February pledge, and while she doesn't hate men, she certainly doesn't believe she is made for a relationship. There is some soul searching among the laughs and some really great advice about learning to love yourself as you are and reaching for what you want

2.25/5 stars! In this contemporary romance, Sora deals with a second chance romance when her childhood crush Jack runs into her at the grocery store. This book had a lot of potential, and I can tell the author has skill. However, I feel like there are some potentially problematic messages regarding body image in this book. I'm all for a woman being comfortable in her body, but even the MC judges other characters based on their weight and appearance, which was really offputting for me.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

There was a line near the beginning when Sora thought that Jack was the sort of person she instantly felt comfortable with, as if they'd been pals their whole lives, when I thought, oh, good, a friends to lovers romance.

Unfortunately, there turned out to be a contrived thing where they knew each other in grade school, with him crushing on her, and he was the fat kid, and... yeah. I think this book was intended to be size-friendly, but there was so very much self-conscious awareness of fat, and how hard Jack worked to get a hot body (with no fat), and it didn't help that Jack's ex was a one-dimensional witch, also skinny, while there's Sora obsessed with bacon.... the bubbly, quick pacing and the wit kind of bogged down in problems.

That worsened with the inevitable and dreaded Breakup of Doom that seems to be the de rigueur climax in romances these days. I really liked the writing when I wasn't having subversive fat-phobia thrown at me. I'd like to see more by this author, but maybe lighter on the Problem Novel aspect.