What's it about (in a nutshell):
The Second You're Single by Cara Tanamachi is a cheeky romantic comedy about a writer, Sora Reid, and her decision to #gosolo for the entire month of February. It was just a creative idea for an article until the hashtag went viral, and Sora felt obligated to see it through. This wouldn't be a problem, except Jack Mann walks back into her life and all she wants to do is call the whole thing off. With her job and followers on the line, how will Sora navigate this path she has placed herself on?
Actual Reading Experience:
I always love a story about writers and anyone in the literary world. Sora is a writer for an online magazine, not really by choice, but still, she tries to make the best of it. Her inner and outer voices are so sarcastic and funny, and I adored that about her. She also has almost made a sport of being unlucky in the love department.

I also enjoyed the average size woman representation. She is not stick-thin like her sister, and her mom always makes a veiled reference to her weight, but she is a normal-sized woman in this world and she makes no excuses for it or allows herself to be shamed of it. And that is always a refreshing attitude to read about. She does, however, refer to bacon a tad too much. We all love bacon. On that, I think we can agree.

I also loved the diversity represented in this story. Sora is half Asian and has friends representing BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. It's always realistic and relatable to have diversity in the story, so I think this added an element that is much needed.
Characters:
I just loved Sora's voice in this story. She is downright cheeky and, oh, so funny. She is also a well-developed character who has many complexities and nuances. She's a puzzle just waiting to be solved. Sora hasn't had an easy time with well anything. Dating, family, and career have all been thorns in her side as she waits for the right man and job, as well as for her family's understanding and acceptance.
Narration & Pacing:
Narration is where I had more concerning issues with the story and the reason for my three-star rating. Though Sora's first-person narration is a bitingly funny look at dating, family, and career, Jack's narration is awkward and hard to read. I couldn't find a clear voice for Jack in his chapters, and I didn't enjoy them or even him as a character. He felt too shallow, and if he was going to be the leading man, he needed depth for me to enjoy him and his story.
Setting:
The setting is Chicago, but it does not play a big part in the story. The only thing uniquely Chicago was Sora's home, and everything else could have been anywhere.

Read if you like:
Guy Falls First trope.
Sarcastic main characters
Friends to Lovers romances

I stumbled upon this one on Netgalley and it sounded really cute! I don’t read a lot of Valentine’s books, so I was really excited to get into this one. I did hear some not so great reviews though, so I went in a little hesitant.

Thankfully, I ended up enjoying this one, despite those reviews! I have to say, Cara Tanamachi can write! She has such a sassy and humorous style of writing that I got really into. It made it easier to overlook some stuff I wasn’t crazy about.

Sora was a likable character, especially with such a cute rescue pup like Larry, but I felt like she got even better in the last 1/3rd of the book when she gets her life together. It felt like she understood what she was writing about and that it was time to start being an adult. The ending was also so sweet and fitting for a Valentines Day romance.

Now, for what I didn’t like… I HATE fat shaming in any kind of book. There was enough of this sprinkled throughout that left a sour taste in my mouth. There were also way too many jokes about bacon. It was funny the first few times, but then it just got old fast. My other hold up was Jack’s Ex. Maybe I’m just hanging around better people, but no one is that overbearing and crazy with their Ex. She could have toned that down a bit so it felt believable.

All in all, this one was cute and definitely worth the read when it comes out on January 30th! I give this one 3/5 ⭐️s!

This book was super cute and fun to read. The perfect book to read around Valentines day!! I cant wait to read more by this author.

•••b o o k r e v i e w•••
Title: The Second You’re Single
Author: Cara Tanamachi
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶🌶️

Freelance writer Sora Reid is tired of men, so for February she vowed on going solo. No dates, no s*x, and no Valentine. #GoSoloFebruary was going well until she runs into a childhood classmate. Baker Jack Mann had a glow-up since childhood. When he meets his childhood crush again, he decided to shoot his shot.

I haven’t read many romcoms centered around the Valentine’s holiday, especially one that has an anti- Valentine’s Day storyline so I thought that was something new. Sora was determined to #gosolofebruary but Cupid had other plans and so her internal struggle begins. As for Jack, well, who doesn’t appreciate a man who can bake and is willing to wait?

This read had bits and pieces on the topic of men and relationships as well as expectations on women.

What I liked:
✨ Childhood classmates to lovers
✨ He falls for her first
✨ “Kintsugi”- repairing breakage with gold

What I didn’t like:
❌ Too much bacon
❌ Weight shaming
❌ Miscommunication trope

*Arc provided by Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.*

The Second You're Single is about Sora is a freelance magazine writer and baker Jack. The premise is that Sora starts a February column about going single for the month of February. Something that is entirely self motivated as she hates the consumerism that is Valentine's Day. The only thing in her life she feels as strongly about is a love of bacon. Something her mother and sister dislike due to her weight. Jack is a baker who had a crush on Sora in kindergarten and happens to see her at the grocery store he's currently working at and has all his feelings brought right back up. He wants to date her. Bad. Things standing in their way though are her newly vowed singledom (and her job resting on it,) and Jack's stalker ex-girlfriend. How much can happen in 28 days? Apparently a whole lot.

Firstly, to address the dieting/health issues brought up in this book. I've seen a lot of reviews saying people had to stop reading early in because the constant mentioning of bacon and how much emphasis is placed on Sora's weight wasn't something they could get behind. That's an entirely fair and valid thing if it is triggering for you, but I will say if you do finish it there is more backstory to why Sora's family wants her to exercise and cut down on the bacon that isn't as superficial as it may seem. While there is discussion of diets at no point does Sora ever decide she needs to diet or starve herself for love.

The second thing I've seen people bring up is the cancer component regarding Jack's niece. It feels entirely like something just to bolster Jack and give the impression he's a live everyday like it's your last guy. Something that was entirely do-able with creating a child in remission. Every scene with her could have been fine without her ever having been sick, So if that's something that will instantly make this book a no for you then this is skippable.

Now, the actual review. I love a good friends to lovers, but this was entirely different. Sora and Jack haven't seen each other since elementary school and his long standing crush on her is kind of weird. They don't even know each other as adults and he's ready to date her the moment they bump into each other. Sora is a lot more relatable because she's purely lust driven. Here's a nice guy, he bakes, and he's super hot. I feel like there wasn't a lot of them actually spending time to get to know each other at the place they are now in life. The book legitimately takes place over the course of a month and even some of the more serious conversations they have should not be one and done conversations. Sora also has a very cynical way of talking and viewing everyone and everything that can be off putting, but genuinely should be to someone as happy go lucky as Jack. It has it's cute points and it reminded me a lot of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days as I was reading. That might just be the superficial part about her writing a column, but wanting to be a serious writer and the relationship component of that.

Trigger warnings: negative body talk and fatphobia.

It is obvious from the very beginning of the book that the FMC has deeply seeded issues stemming from childhood that she has to work on and has no desire to do so, the reader can tell this plays a huge part of the book. The catalyst is her hating Valentine's Day and running into an old classmate the MMC. They embark on an adorable friendship while she is determined to stay single for the month of February all the while accidentally learning more about herself than she ever thought possible.

I enjoy books where the characters learn insight about themselves, leaving the readers to see themselves in the characters. This book was adorable and had a lot of substance. I loved the banter of the relationship and the side characters. I also loved the overall final message of the story of the FMC.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, as always, all words are my own.

Can Sora go solo for February?

Writer Sora Reid had the knack for picking the wrong person to marry and date so she pitched an article to Slick Magazine to go solo for the month of February as a challenge never thinking that it would inspire the readers to put themselves first instead of dating jerks. But running into Jack Mann from elementary school might be changing her plans to be single.

Pastry chef Jack Mann’s only plans were to open his own bakery when he ran into Sora Reid from elementary school with an immediate attraction. But how can you date someone who’s planning on going solo for the month of February?

I love books about how people reconnect but Sora and Jack have so many missed opportunities to actually talk to each other but that is what makes a book interesting.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Second You're Single is a predictable RomCom. The meet cute, featuring delectable Tortes, reunites elementary friends, and a boy who pined for the girl since kindergarten.

The story references her size 14 midriff. Is she plus size? I got the impression she was but I'm not seeing that represented on the cover. Then let's talk about the use of bacon throughout the story, it got annoying.

This love story lacked chemistry, and the insta-love was unbelievable. Overall, it's a cute read but just ok romance.

Thank you St. Martins Press for the complimentary copy.

This book was filled with lots of laugh out loud moments. Easy to read and full of great conversation and banter. Sora and Jack were childhood friends who happened to run into each other after Sora's last breakup. She's sworn off men and using it as the topic of her #SoloFebruary articles. Sora didn't expect her articles to gain traction and trend. She also didn't expect her words to resonate with so many people. So spending time with Jack makes her feel all kinds of guilt. When she decides to sacrifice the notoriety she's gained, everything explodes in her face. While I liked Sora's character for most of the story, I really wished she listened to Jack and truly believed him when he denied any current interactions with his ex. The title, The Second You're Single, was perfect for this story where you publicly announce your singleness and then finding someone you could spend forever with. Goes with the saying about what happens when you make plans...God laughs.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

The Second You’re Single by Cara Tanamachi
Rating: 3.5 stars
Steam: Closed Door
Pub Date: 1/31

This was a super sweet childhood-friends-to-lovers, fade-to-black, dual POV rom-com perfect for Valentine’s Day. Childhood friends to lovers is one of my all-time favorite tropes because it brings the “it’s always been you” vibes I love.

The book starts with freelance journalist Sora needing an idea for a new story. She’s sick of relationships and love in general, and with Valentine’s Day coming up, she decides to take a break from men for the month of February. Thus #solofebruary is born. She will stay single for the entire month and blog about her experience. This is, of course, when she runs into Jack, her chubby childhood friend turned smokin’ hot baker who works at the grocery store near her condo. She swore off men for 28 days but can she stay away when Jack is clearly into her?

This was a fun and light-hearted debut rom-com. Sora is hysterical, and I found myself laughing out loud at times. And Jack is a great MMC. He was picked on as a kid because he was overweight, and while that seems to have stuck with him, he’s well-adjusted and a great love interest for Sora.

A few things about this one were problematic for me, though. For one thing, Sora’s obsession with bacon was a little over the top. For another, this book was SO focused on weight. Everyone’s eating habits, diets, and weight loss hacks were fair game, and it felt pretty toxic. And let’s talk about the fact that Jack one hundred percent led his ex-girlfriend on. I won’t spoil anything, but a big piece of the third-act conflict had to do with Jack’s ex acting like a stage-five clinger who couldn’t take a hint. But Jack had a lot to do with that, and I think it could have been handled better. I dislike when women are pitted against each other and tear each other down like that.

The best part of this book was that everyone seemed to realize they needed to change their ways if they were ever going to be happy. We saw some great character growth by the end, and I’m glad I stuck with it to find out. Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copy! The Second You’re Single is out on 1/31.

This book just wasn’t my cup of tea but here is what I did like about the book:
-a super cute cover. To me it has a very vintage feel
-the focus around Valentines Day. I love holiday reads.
-second chance romance
-quick read

What didn’t work for me:
Sora wasn’t a very likable character. She was immature and judgmental.
The humor in this book was forced and felt way too over the top at times.
The constant focus on weight was very off putting to me.
.
Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a quirky and chaotic (in a good way) love story. It was a little hard to see how hard the family was on Sora, especially in regards to her weight (she does love bacon overall). A classic story of "love will find you when you least expect it". The only difference here, is the whole world is watching! Cute story.

3.5 Stars

This book started out with a re-meeting of a man and woman who went to grade school together. Jack has ALWAYS had a crush on Sora. That part was really cute. However, her being a total mess from losing her last relationship and drowning her sorrows in bacon didn't set quite so well with me. It made me a little uneasy and then the body shaming through the whole book added to it.

Both Sora and Jack had lots of issues going on with exes. Their lack of communication sometimes really added to the complications. I did love that Jack backed Sora, no matter what. You could never doubt his love for her.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

The Second You're Single is a debut rom-com by Cara Tanamachi which, after reading a series of heavy emotional reads, gave me the sugar rush (or maybe I should say bacon rush) that I needed. Sora Reid is a free-lance writer stuck in the fashion/beauty/chick industry when she wishes she was writing about more important topics. She also has a long line of relationships gone wrong (cheated on, kept as a side piece without her knowledge, etc). And she absolutely HATES Valentine's Day. Sora takes a vow to #gosolo the month of February and writes a daily blog about it for her chick media gig.... which of course goes viral. A week into her self-imposed challenge, she reconnects with childhood pal Jack who is the hunky baker at her local grocery store who has been crushing on her since the age of 5. Spark (and torts and bacon) fly!

Things I liked: diverse cast of characters, mid-sized heroine, childhood pals to lovers trope, find yourself and go for your dreams trope, character banter, bacon, one-eyed rescue dog Larry, hysterical aerial aerobics class experience

Things I didn't like so much: too much focus on body weight/size (both highlighting Jack's weight loss and recurrent comparisons between Sora's size 14 and all the other skinny minny characters), the fact that she couldn't follow through on 28 days of date/sex-free single life. She was up front to Jack about her #gosolo month but she dismissed it almost immediately after meeting him... come on, if I can go more than a decade without a relationship, Sora can surely make it 28 days!

The book's overall storyline was cute. Sora grows as a person and gets her happy ending, and even the unlikeable villain-ish characters grow and evolve. Reading some previous reviews, I think the size-shaming content is probably going to polarize some readers.... but it probably more accurately reflects the conversations we have with our moms, sisters, friends, and within ourselves more realistically. I'm all for body-positive messages (and I think Sora was pretty comfortable with her body), but ignoring the body negativity that we all encounter isn't realistic either. I just wish it was a bit less of a story point. But, back to the criticism... it's a rom-com, not Pullitzer Prize-winning literary critique on the feminine experience. It's a story that is meant to make you laugh, make you blush, and give you a few hours of brain candy escapism. And on that note, it delivered a fun read, and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

3.5 stars rounded up because bacon makes everything better!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

When I saw this book cover, I imagined a cute romcom book! Sora is a writer and she's done with trash men. She wants to do a Solo February because why should she keep looking for a new guy? Then walks in Jack the baker, a crush from elementary school who's just the biggest teddy bear.
I really had hopes for this book but it left me wanting more.. and not in a good way. I really struggled to get into it. Sora seems to rag on most of the women she comes in contact with and there's a ton of body shaming, even on herself which gets pretty harsh? I have no problems with inclusive books, but this one really makes weight one of the main factors, and not in a good way.
The jokes fell flat for me and it just seemed immature. Bacon was mentioned.. a lot. And really, the obsession with Jack and constant thoughts to when they were in grade school and she had this big crush etc just seemed so over the top. I mean he takes her to their grade school in the epilogue.. how is that not weird?!
Wasn't my cup of tea but I'm sure someone will still enjoy this. Just a little too cheesy romance for my tastes.

& thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

If you’re looking for that awww romantic story that will ale you lovey dovey, this is it.
I related with Sora and how she despised Valentine’s Day. She has been unlucky in love so she declares solo February and men are off limits. Of course fate throes big brawny baker Jack in her path and she’s in a quandary.
They both have trust issues and things get hairy for awhile.
The ending is super sappy and so fitting for their story.
Jack Is a sweetie and he doesn’t even need to bake anything.

I enjoyed the sweet love story between Sora and Jack and I think this is the first valentines day romance I've read! I also enjoyed the quotes from Sora's articles appearing at the beginning of each chapter. I will say that the side characters- especially Sora's sister could be infuriating! I mean the sister was so rude/mean/judgemental to Sora and a total bridezilla for someone who was marrying the worst guy ever

Freelancer Sora hates Valentine's Day. She's writing a series of articles about staying single for the month of February. What happens when she reconnects with an old friend, and attraction hits?

Sora and Jack are adorable together. He's exactly what she needs to restore her faith in men. Staying apart for the sake of her article is difficult for them though, given how much chemistry they have. They both have to learn to be more honest and trust one another. I enjoyed the story and the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Sora runs in to old school friend Jack just after she has sworn off men for the whole of February and the plan to avoid Valentine's day completely. He had a crush on her years ago, so will be get his chance now or will his ex ruin everything?

This book had potential but needed finessing. I grew frustrated with the heroine pretty quickly. Sora could be immature and judgmental. On the other hand, Jack was a sweetheart. I never really felt chemistry between these two characters. The epilogue was by far the best part of the book, but many readers will not remain invested in waiting for their HEA ending.

What I liked and what I didn't like:
✅ Lovable, cinnamon role hero
✅ Epilogue
❌ Over the top, immature humor - enough about the bacon
❌ Over focused on weight
❌ Unlikable, judgmental heroine
❌ Lack of chemistry

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press Griffin and NetGalley for an ARC.