I read the description before I started reading this book and it sounded like it would be something I thought I would enjoy but I was so wrong. I made it to 32% before I put it down and never picked it back up again. The story was so boring. I couldn’t keep myself interested. I was disappointed because I wanted to read this one really bad.

3/5 ❤️

I love a seasonal read so this anti-valentines day read seemed timely the month before Valentine’s Day.

Sora is a freelance columnist for a women’s magazine who has sworn off men after another bad breakup and swears herself to bacon and #solofebruary where she won’t date men for the month of February and will write a column about it throughout the month. Enter Jack Mann, the boy who had a crush on her in elementary school who she runs into at a grocery store and he is all grown up and gorgeous. And still in love with Sora. But she can’t see him in February. Or can she?

I really wanted to like this more. There was so much there in the bones of it that could be super fun, but there were some challenges. Sora is a size 14 and her hate for her body (and the bodies of others) was exhausting. I don’t think a size 14 is all that big? Or even plus size? Also, Sora would not stop talking about bacon. Every page was all about her obsession with bacon. Like, we get it? Come on! Jack seemed absolutely lovely, though I didn’t get his chemistry with Sora because she seemed really angry and mean and, as before mentioned, only talked about bacon.

I liked the POC representation and I liked the Chicago backdrop.

Spice: 1/5 🌶️
More: closed door, m/f romance, contemporary romance, Valentine’s Day romance, bipoc rep
Tropes: guy falls first, friends to lovers, childhood crush

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fat phobia was way too much for me to enjoy this! The characters were likeable enough but the entire premise and game were a miss for me. Plus the characters got together way too quickly!

This is a cute story. I think it's going to be best for a certain niche of people but overall I enjoyed the story. I think it covers some relevant topics and if you enjoy romcoms then you will probably enjoy this one as well. I will more than likely be picking up the next book that the author writes!

Wanna be a romantic comedy type of story but somehow it didn’t really hit the mark for me. The weight topics really bother me and while I’m always rooting for anyone and everyone to find love and be happy, I found the characters lacking in so many places. I understand that it’s hard to be confident and it takes time but none of them made me side up with and their romance felt really forced in the end for me.
Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

The Second You’re Single sounded like it was be so cute but I barely made it to 25% before I gave up… I was so bored 😬

Jack and Sora are adorable! I think that they should have spent a bit more time together but I enjoyed it. I did not enjoy the way that weight was talked about in this book, it made me uncomfortable.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I decided to call it quits with this book at 29%. I didn't like the writing and found Sora to be very irritating. I guess her narration is supposed to read as ~quirky, but I really couldn't get through it anymore. I also didn't know this was a dual-POV book, which I don't typically like but isn't necessarily a deal breaker. However, if I didn't like Sora's chapters, I'm not going to like bouncing between her and Jack's chapters. Not for me, may be better for you, etc.!

This is a wonderful romantic comedy. Sora has had enough of failed relationships. Jack finally gets to talk to his elementary school crush as an adult. It is a scenic meet cute when Sora and Jack reunite. The characters are all wonderfully adorable including the one eyed dog. You will feel all gooey inside when you read of Jack’s interactions with his niece. It’s a wonderful love story which will be perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Was never quite sure what this romance was trying to do. I think it went a bit long and meandered a bit as it tried to find its way.

There was a lot of weight stuff in this story that I have truly mixed feelings about. Some of it felt progressive and refreshing - the main character is fat and she's ok with it, even though her family is fat-phobic. But then other parts were terrible and awkward. And in the end, one piece of evidence that she's had character growth is that she's eating more vegetables? I'd be curious about how a fat person would react to this representation. (I'm not fat.)

I did mildly enjoy it though! Lots of drama and a hero who bakes is always a treat.

Awww this is a cute and entertaining romance, Sora and Jack were perfect for each other, sparks fly between them since they meet again after years of not seeing each other, and I love the way the author narrates their relationship and how little by little they fall for each other, the banter between them is great, I really liked the family and their interactions.

This is an original story full of hilarious and sweet moments that will make you swoon so hard.

I DNF'd this at eight chapters in - it just wasn't the right book for me.

Sora is a writer who's sworn to a solo February without men after she "kinda" decided that continuing to sleep with Dan, a married man with children, isn't cool. It’s a bit like saying, “Hmmm … maybe I SHOULDN’T have lit that house on fire.” Ugh. There's problem number one with this book.

Then there's problem number two: the sometimes forced and repetitive humor. Sora references bacon 65 times in the book - half of those in the first eight chapters alone. Yes, bacon surely is a little gift from heaven, but you can only milk one joke for so long, and this milk has gone sour!

This brings me to problem number three: Food and body size are frequently mentioned and Sora's mom fat-shames and pressures Sora to diet constantly, though she's an average size, then commends Sora's irritating size double 0 sister, Nami. So much for body positivity!

That leads me into problem number four: For a book that seems to be highlighting the idea of women embracing their worth - particularly apart from a man, there's not one single likable female character so far. As yet, I've gotten a buffet of sarcastic, shallow, vapid, pushy, entitled, and whiny females. I can't root for the ladies here when these are my only options!

The potential love interest - pastry chef Jack - seems OK, but it's hard to understand what he finds so appealing about Sora, so ... problem number five ... I'm not invested in waiting for their HEA ending. Run for the hills, Jack, and take those oft-mentioned tasty mini tortes with you!

To seal the deal for me is problem number six: in a major tonal whiplash move, the author brings in a child with leukemia. She's the only character I'd be pulling for, but she feels so out of place in a book that’s built itself around mostly light, sarcastic and sometimes sexual humor thus far.

There is one bright spot for me in all this: Cara Tanamachi can write. I can see her talent in the words and structure, even if this particular story is missing the mark for me. It’s not a bad book - it’s just not the type of story and humor I gravitate towards. Check out other reviews to see if it’s a better fit for you!

Since a rating is required, I will rate the first eight chapters 2 stars.

Thisone sadly did not work for me and I did have to DNF it so I will not be reviewing on my channels but thank you again SMP and I do believe this will be the perfect book for some for valentines day.

I read about half and really wanted this to work for me, but it just didn't. The themes and tropes (secrets, lies, fat shaming, etc) all added up to be a little to much to allow me to enjoy the book. I think a reader who can just read and enjoy what's in front of them will love it. But suspending a connection to reality and the sense of humor in this book just didn't line up for me.

DNF: As seems to be the general consensus about this book, it sounded cute, but didn't live up to the promise. I liked the concept and the cover, but this lost me in the details. The OW drama was unnecessary, and the discussions about weight and appearance were extremely off-putting. The lack of communication was troublesome. It just wasn't working for me, and I ended up setting it aside.

Cute story, but the book felt kind of messy. Like, it wanted to promote body-positivity but had an equal amount of body-shaming. And the insta-love felt a little too instant. The inner monologues were mostly about how hot they thought the other was - pretty shallow. I’m interested to see if the author can write a story with a little more depth.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The book was just not for me. There was fun banter and the concept caught my eye but execution did not deliver. The storyline felt a bit unhinged at times with how quickly directions changed issues were solved and the timeline was confusing to follow. Thank you for the ARC and I hope this book finds its way to someone who will enjoy it more!

I appreciate all the representation of POCs in this book and I really wanted to like it… but I wasn’t really a fan. Although there were a lot of details given about characters, it still felt like they lacked depth. There was so much cheesiness and cliches that it felt like AI could have written it. There was a hot guy that had always crushed on the mildly (but totally average) heavier woman who is so kind but really has issues to work through. His size 🍆 is just so large compared to the other awful men the FMC has been with. Throw in an adorable dog and a love of baking and a grand gesture at the end. Overall, it had a decent idea and plot, but lacked authenticity and character development. Quick and easy read, but as forgettable as any Hallmark movie. 3⭐️, 1.5🌶

First thoughts.. I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast past adorable rom com I didn't want to put down.
However, looking back there were scenes that were unnecessary and then those characters were just footnotes (Ian and his wife). There was way too much emphasis on weight and 'fat'.
Overall a solid 3, I did enjoy it. I also kinda hope Nami and Marc end up together... so if we could get that story I'd be happy lol.

I really kinda dislike the main character. She's self-absorbed and lazy, and after impulsively swearing off men after a breakup, she goes all horny and panting after a new guy THAT SAME DAY.

It does at least get a little better as you get into the story, but she is still self-centered and oblivious to the needs or feelings of those around. Not to mention, abandons the whole solo February pretense the minute there's a hot available guy around to kiss. "I break away, gulping in air. I shouldn’t do this. I’ve been encouraging people all around the world to take a break from love for this month, and here I am, breaking my own rules." YES, LITERALLY THAT, WOMAN.

The writing style is pretty good and the storyline moves along well, but I just can't get over the massively hypocritical main character. 3 stars from me.