<i>Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>


2.5⭐

I was really excited about this book, as the blurb and the cover really drew me in. But — I'm sorry to say — I was a bit disappointed with it.

I'll start by saying that the romance was pretty okay. I disliked both characters immensely at first, but I think they grew throughout the book and brought out the best in each other. Their chemistry was also quite good, especially in the second half.

However, the rest of the characters were a big miss for me. I realize that the author wanted to tackle some important and heavy topics, but I don't think the execution was at all good. The side characters were incredibly flat and bordering on caricatures, and their stories often had no resolutions at all. So I found my myself wondering, more than once, what is the point of including them? At times, it felt like I was reading two separate books, and that shows the author is still inexperienced and that the editing team didn't do its job that well.

I also found the third-act conflict both unnecessary and badly done. I'm living for the day when including one won't be the norm for romance books, because I'm really getting tired of it. It feels like authors are forced to write a breakup at the 80% mark, and most of the time the story simply doesn't allow for it to make sense or be necessary.

All in all, this is a sold debut that shows Doherty has talent and a lot of room to improve. I wish I liked it more, but it is what it is.

This was a fun, easy flowing and page-turning romance … I could not put it down!

QUOTE “Lee, nobody knows more about love than you.”
Ironic, considering I was one set of granny panties away from becoming Bridget Jones.

One day ‘Love, Liana’ receives a message on her blog from ‘Sincerely, Kade’. Struggling to answer his question and in dire need of help to develop a new section for her blog, Liana messages Kade to meet up.
Reason? To propose a partnership where she helps him with her expertise in love, and he helps her give sex advice for the new portion of her blog. Starting of their story…

QUOTE I’d never met Casper the Smoldering Ghost, but the thought of jumping his bones in a café full of people was as strange and appealing to me as he was.

A story that can be compared in parts with the romcoms Liana loves, but also doesn’t shy away from their more grim backgrounds (do check the TW before reading). This does lead however to a self-discovery next to the romance which I liked. But it also involved a lot of drama with side characters, which I personally found less relevant and quite distracting at times.

QUOTE “Are you having fun, Wendy?”
I couldn’t help but giggle. “I am. And you, Casper?”
“I always do when I’m around you”

Overall Liana and Kade made me laugh with their wit and fun banter. I enjoyed their emotional and romantic journey, as well as Allie’s references to Doctor Who, The Grinch, The Notebook and many more.
Even though I sometimes cursed them under my breath, I could not help but keep rooting for Liana & Kade’s happy ever after.

Would recommend to people who love
- Slow burn
- Instant chemistry
- Witty banter
- Dual POV

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read a free advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, thank you so much to Xpresso Book Tours for the chance to read this book in advance!!

I don't know what I expected from "Love, Liana... Sincerely Kade". I thought it could be a light and entertaining reading, the perfect one I needed at the time I've started it. And it was, don't misread me, but I've found even more in it.
Allie Doherty presents a story that open itself to different directions, many of which are difficult to predict from the very beginning! This is a rom-com, yes, but at the same time it talks about different kind of domestic abuse, plus violent and toxic relationships, themes that are always something delicate to deal with. The author portraited them in a clear manner, without being pretentious, placing them in a love story about two people that seem to be impossible they even can get along. Instead, Liana and Kade are absolutely perfect together. I rooted for them with all my heart (and the tension, readers, is unberable in certain moments!) and it was amazing to see how they can be themselves around each other without feeling obliged to do so. I've loved so much how Kade grows during the whole story and open himself to the chance of love, and how Liana is able to give him his space when he needs it.
They're two strong characters that have scars that still need to be healed, thing that is possible together but also, and at first, individually. It was so good to see how they realize it and what they do after that to change and be better.
This book talks also about family (biological and not) and frienship, and I've really appreciated the one between Steph and Kade. On the contrary, I would have liked to see more confrontation between Liana and Kit about all has appened between them. I could say the same for Liana and the rest of her "family", but I imagine that certain person can't change.
I don't want to spoil too much so I won't say more, but for me this is an author to take into consideration!

Liana and Kade are full of sexual tension, very entertaining quips and a desire to learn more about sex and relationships.

The plot drew me in straight away, and I really enjoyed this slow burn romance. I was expecting it to be slightly more light-hearted and fun, purely based on the description and the cover, however I got a bit more than I bargained for. One of the side characters experiences quite severe domestic abuse, and there are descriptions of drug abuse as well.

Kade, the main character, deals with a lot, and questions his ability to love. Liana struggles with her past, and has difficulty with her family. The two of them both go through hell and back, and I love the growth they experience throughout this book.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of Love, Liana... Sincerely Kade by Allie Doherty. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Country Press & Review for providing an ARC to review.

Liana and Kade were such an interesting pairing. They were a super steamy couple but had so many crazy layers. I was equally invested in their development as individuals and as a couple. So many things were toxic, but for once, the writer put in the time to write good mental health story arcs. I give this book 4.5/5 stars.

Thank you Lake Country Press & Review, Xpresso Book Tours
and Netgalley for providing this ARC for an unbiased review.

The book has a good mix Rom-com LOL moments and lead characters dealing with dark serious themes with rollercoaster emotion feels.

A cute and entertaining read over-all.

I really enjoyed this story - it was a little heavier than I'd anticipated from the synopsis, but the content warnings at the beginning were a great help, as was the humour along the way (the first date between the protagonists is incredible and so funny).

I loved seeing Kade and Liana each grow through their issues and come out of the other side - there were times when this could have come across as "s/he fixed me" and I was relieved when this was addressed.

First of all thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this!
Loved that the book was from the perspective of both main characters. They are complete opposites that fit each other so well and as the story and their "deal" was happening, I kept more and more invested and ended up reading it all yesterday.
Great and fun read. Totally recommend it!

Thanks. to NetGalley and the publisher. This was more of a family story with a touch of rom-com...i guess. It was quite different but I kept reading. It was quite slow almost none existing but I kept reading. The relationship was okay and just okay.

DNFd at 40%. I tried to like this book I really did but it just wasnt for me. I found the writing overly descriptive in a way that didnt enhance the story but just made it drag on. Kade is quite possibly the most painfully narcissistic character Ive read and I just couldnt stomach anymore of his internal monologue about how great he is. I thought possibly he was going to redeem his character as "Casper" but unfortunately that plot point ended almost as soon as it began. Also I felt there were way too many "subplots" for a romance novel, having entire chapters dedicated to side characters and their drama when you should be concentrating on developing the main characters lack of chemistry.

Not for me at all. Liana was full of problems, not the least her family and not being able to pay rent. Kade/Casper was so full of himself as this sexy playboy who…shops at Walmart. Ok sure. The characters just didn’t work for me and I found the story weak.

Received a copy for review

The blurb sounded so good. I love a slow burn. This book took a long time to really begin. There is so much focus on her family initially that the romance seems secondary.
There is great potential here but it just took too long to get to the couple.

3.5 stars

I saw this book and it had my name in the title, so naturally it's part of the reason why I wanted to read it. Being classed on Netgalley as general fiction with humour and romance, I thought it'd be an easy read.

There were many times I thought Liana was ridiculous and annoying. Maybe that's the character she needed to be in order to grow. I couldn't see her as a responsible adult - relying on her sister, not paying rent in New York and having a rich dad as back up. For someone in her early twenties, I'm not sure it's overly realistic that someone of this age could be an expert in love, when it was also stated she only had one serious relationship. Sometimes I felt her reactions were immature and it was like she acted like a high schooler, but maybe that was the point. She's young, believes she's an expert (in love) and has everything taken care for her. The writing was that good, enough for me to dislike Liana in most part until she came to her senses.

It made sense that Kade would have some trauma that shaped how incapable of love he was. I believe the reason why they worked so well together is because they both shared trauma surrounding their mothers and that's how they could both grow. The story was definitely a slow burn with a lot of yoyo-ing back and forth as both characters struggled with what they truly wanted. Kade is your typical asshole, has baggage and rotates women as often as he changes underwear. You're supposed to hate him, but I honestly loved the complexity that came with him as a character. His relationship with his best friend/sister Stephanie did show that he cared more about someone than himself. He just didn't know what he has with Stephanie was love, and once realised, needed development into loving someone as a partner.

There are some serious heavy subject matter in this book including domestic violence, drug use & addiction and loss of a parent (not in a natural way). Besides that you have your sexual explicit scenes, lots of swearing and heavy drinking nights. Check your trigger warnings.

I liked the read more towards the end of the book. I have seen some others DNF and I can see why as some parts dragged, but I'm always for seeing something through to it's end. If the characters were a bit older, it would have made Liana's job more believable as she would have more life experiences to comment on love. Some parts were funny, some parts heavy, some relatable and there were times when I reacted with a "Hot damn". Think this is a decent debut from the author and would check out her other work when released.

I really enjoyed this one, it was a great romance.

Liana and Kade were both complex, intriguing characters so I loved getting both of their POV. I am here for their snark and banter, I absolutely ate it up!

This was a little slower burn with strangers to friends to lovers. With slow burns it’s hard to toe that line between dragging on and gradual build but I thought this nailed that.

Although I am not a fan of the third act break up trope, the way it was done fit the storyline and the characters. So after reflection I was ok with it because of how it was done and handled within the story.

P.S. The author has a lovely note in the beginning of the book with TW so make sure to check those out.

Liana started a column to help people understand their relationships. Love, Liana helped some people understand it was time to step back from something that brought them happiness and others she helped see that they needed to be brave and not let nerves get in their way. Despite being only 23, Liana is really good at what she does so why can’t she find the words to respond to Kade? When something hits too close to home, it’s always harder to face…even as a professional.

Love, Liana Sincerely, Kade is a must read! Just be prepared for the spice! Still fanning myself…


Posted to Goodreads 9/22/2022

The premise of this book is such an interesting one. Both of the leads had such strong personalities, especially Kade. The beginning half was a little bit too slow for my liking, but once it got going it did not disappoint! I think that it was a cute and romantic story that I would probably pick up again.

Liana is a love blogger known for giving advice through her blog. Until the day her fans want a section on sexuality advice, which takes her off guard because her thing is love. Liana asks Kade for advice, who wrote to her some time earlier because it turns out that « the ass » is trying to understand love.
She wants them to exchange their knowledge while putting the courses into practice :)
The characters are proud of who they are and are not afraid to show it. Just as they know that they have progress to make if they want to meet someone.
They are funny and endearing, and even if their meeting is quite catastrophic it is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Not to mention the tension between them that grows with each page. In short, a pretty Rom-com :)
So rather Latte & or whiskey?

I picked up this book expecting it to be a lighthearted read, but I was pleasantly surprised and completely taken aback by its depth and rawness. I hadn't expected to become so emotionally invested in the two main characters.

The angst, the heart ache, the serious topics, which were handled brilliantly by the way, all caught me off guard. This was a romance, but there was more to this book; we have a lot of side characters dealing with their own relationships and serious issues, as well as a lot of family drama.

Kade's growth throughout the book was beautifully executed, and watching him and Liana fall in love was a real pleasure.

The only reason I didn't give this book a five star rating was because I felt like the side character drama took over from the main couple a few times throughout the novel. But, overall, I really enjoyed this story. I'm excited to read more from this author.

Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours, Lake County Press and the author for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ / 5

This was a DNF for me. I recognize that my opinion may be the minority, but the writing style was extremely distracting to me, so much so that I couldn't finish the book. I was excited to read a romance that others had described as dealing with heavy issues, because sometimes rom-coms can be too fluffy. But there was so much exaggeration and over-description in the writing and the characters were fairly unlikable, so I never got to the payoff others enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

great read and enjoyed all that i had read. This was good from beginning to end. Yeah!!

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