Member Reviews

Too cliched for me and couldn’t get into the romance even though I thought I would love all the romcom references.

Was this review helpful?

'Nobody Puts Romcoms In The Corner' was a quick and fun read, stacked with delightful romcom references. Kathryn Freeman's new novel is about Harry and Sally (reference number one: check). Harry moves in with Sally as her lodger, finding he clashes with his perky new romcom obsessed flatmate. Despite their interests being at odds, one evening, they recreate the iconic lift from Dirty Dancing on TikTok and find themselves going viral. Soon, they are recreating a range of romcom moments for their gripped TikTok audience who are waiting for a real romance to bloom. Will it happen? Well of course, but read on to enjoy the ride.

There was a lot to like about Harry and Sally, particularly their searing chemistry as they recreate a range of romcom moments with a twist. Whether this involves clay, shopping or questionable activities in a cafe, romcom fans will absolutely love making the connections between the references and their favourite movies. My favourite scene was definitely recreating Ghost, the tension reaching unbearable levels. In the latter parts of the book, it is unfortunate that the plot felt a little repetitive and like the same issues were throwing up roadblocks for the couple. I got quite frustrated particularly with Harry's view on love, however much Freeman tried to explain away his motivations using childhood trauma.

Overall, this is a fun read and will particularly appeal to anyone who has seen a decent number of classic romcoms. Come for the references and stay for the tension between our central couple. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Nobody Puts Romcoms In The Corner by Kathryn Freeman was a sweet, fun and entertaining rom-com.

The main characters are so relatable.
Light, engaging, and so cute.
A feel good rom-com that completely swept me away.
I was drawn into the story from the beginning and was hooked until the end.
The characters were well-developed and interesting.
I thought the story was well paced and engrossing throughout the entire read.
Freeman honestly write a captivating page turner and I absolutely enjoyed it.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This was the sweetest cover and title and I was hooked from the start! I would definitely recommend you to pick this up if you love rom com movies or books. This will be right up your alley!

Was this review helpful?

Yes to Freeman! This is my 3rd book by this author and she has pleased me each time.
New trope to me: romance loving woman meets sarcastic , love allergic man. They determine it’s only meant to be a fling or just for their newfound TikTok followers so they can both make some extra cash.
Perfect book to root for love!

Was this review helpful?

The title alone had me because I am total Dirty Dancing fan. This book had it all and was not disappointed. Loved it all. I love me some Romcoms and this was it for me.

Was this review helpful?

Do you love romcom movies? Do you love romcom books? If you answered yes to either one of those questions then this is the book for you! I am an unabashed fan of both and this book, while predictable as most romcoms are, was still a fun read.

I didn't get the Harry & Sally name references right off the bat (as the movie "When Harry Met Sally" isn't one of my faves) but it made me giggle when I "got it." I truly enjoyed Harry and his story. His life wasn't filled with love and he didn't know how to reconcile that with this new woman he met and ultimately falls in love with. Sally, on the other hand, is all about romcoms all the time, like ALL THE TIME!!!!!!! It is a wee bit immature in my opinion but what she lacks in realism she makes up for in spunkiness.

I enjoyed Kitty & Vince immensely. As side characters they did a wonderful job being there for their girl, Sally.

I would recommend this book if you want to smile and laugh and ultimately have a good time.

Was this review helpful?

'Nobody Puts Romcoms in the The Corner' is a perfect book for fans of romance books and romcom movies. It was such a fun journey through classic romcom scenes. Harry is getting out of a relationship, and he needs a temporary place to live. He moves in with Sally, who is a friend of a friend. Harry and Sally are complete opposites, which leads into a favorite trope of mine: grumpy/sunshine.

At first, it appears that Harry and Sally have nothing in common. She loves romcoms, and he doesn't have any interest in romcoms. She loves the idea of falling in love and having a great romance while Harry doesn't really believe in love or know what it's like to be loved or love someone else.

After a night of drinking, Harry and Sally attempt to recreate the lift from Dirty Dancing. Sally records the video and puts in on TikTok. They get so many views on their video, and they decide to recreate more romcom moments. Through these videos, their fans start to see that Harry and Sally might have a flirtation going on, but they are hiding their feelings for each other. The more time that they spend together leads them to worry that the pretending to have feelings for each other might be becoming real feelings.

This was such a fun, nostalgic trip through famous romcom movie scenes, and I loved how Harry and Sally creatively recreated them. Their connection was so sweet to read, and I loved that the romance took time to develop. Both characters really had time to develop their feelings.

I loved that it was a dual point of view book too. If you love romcoms, romance, and happily ever afters, this book is for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for an ARC of this book.

Was this review helpful?

Nobody Puts Roncoms in the Corner is a cute romance story where his landlady, Sally, persuades her tenant builder Harry to reenact some of the more iconic scenes from movies such as Dirty Dancing and When Harry Met Sally. The promising premise is executed well with humor and insight as these two become internet sensations as each reenactment is posted. Along the way they also become friends and maybe something more. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Highly recommend.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved this book! As soon as I saw that romcom was in the title and read the synopsis I was hooked. Nobody puts romcoms in the corner is about Sally & Harry who are roommates and Sally loves romcoms and Harry does not care for them. So after a few too many drinks one night they decide to reenact the lift from dirty dancing and post it to TikTok. I am a sucker for any romcom, good or bad and this one is great, 5/5 stars! Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Was this review helpful?

This is the first Kathryn Freeman book I’ve read, but it won’t be the last. The cover and the title grabbed my attention, the blurb made me want to read, and the book itself delivered.

I love a good romcom and it was fun to read the nods to some of my favorites throughout Harry and Sally’s relationship. I really enjoyed how things developed and progressed between the two of them. It felt natural and believable. I also felt like the motivations behind their character’s feelings and attitudes on love, particularly Harry’s, made complete sense given the examples they were shown by their parents.

I’m not always crazy about social media playing a big role in the plot of the books I read, but I knew going in that TikTok would be a part of this one and, for the most part, it worked. It wasn’t too heavily featured, and considering there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to how or why things go viral, I could buy it that a drunken attempt at recreating an iconic film moment would. I think some scenes worked better than others and some seemed more unlikely than others, but overall I’d probably tune in if I saw something like this unfolding in real time.

The pacing slowed down a little bit for me in the middle, but the later chapters brought it back. I could feel the love and pain and yearning coming from both Harry and Sally. I was rooting for them all the way.

This was a fun read with real emotion combined with glimpses of many classic romcoms, and I think anyone who enjoys those will also enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This book is everything I want in a romance book. I am extremely happy this was my second Kathryn Freeman because what a high point. And I hope it only goes up from here. Now, I love a romcom. And I love a book that has references to romcoms even more. I loved everything about them recreated iconic romcom moments for TikTok. It's such a good idea. I loved the slow build of their romance as well. This is really my formula for a perfect romance book.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!!

It's been a tough couple weeks and this book was just what I needed. It was light-hearted and cute and I devoured it in one morning. It kept my attention (obviously!!) and I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet story.
As with other books I've read written by Kathryn Freeman, the dialog was realistic and had numerous moments that made me laugh.

If you're looking for an easy, quick, sweet read, GET THIS BOOK.

Was this review helpful?

This was so cute! I love the HEA trope, and Harry and Sally were adorable. The slice-of-life element was fun, and I think readers will enjoy all the Tiktok and romcom bits as well. The "cheesy" trope definitely worked well here, and I think there is a great balance between humor and pull-at-the-heartstrings energy. The adventures and challenges the FMC and MMC take on together are interesting enough to keep the reader engaged, and I am so glad they found their heaven in the end. Nobody Puts Romcoms in the Corner was sweet, cozy, and comforting, which is exactly what I want in a romance. I felt like I curled up with my favorite feel-good movie and a cup of tea while reading it. Now I have to go read everything else Kathryn Freeman has written because I want to experience it all over again!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own.

I received this arc yesterday and completely devoured it in less than 24 hours! That says something!!!

Ok - first of all, can we talk about the title? I have never read this author before and didn't even read the description. I knew I HAD to read this based on the title and cover alone! I mean - HELLO - Dirty Dancing vibes!!!

And I am happy to say the title is not a red herring. The Dirty Dancing lift is a big focus of this delightful little rom-com.

The characters are adorable & easy to relate to. The pacing is wonderful and it's just all-around a cuteness overload!

I highly recommend giving this one a go!

Was this review helpful?

This was a cute romcom that I found enjoyable, but overall nothing exciting or new. It was definitely a comfortable read during a trying time.

Was this review helpful?

When Harry met Sally, he needed somewhere to stay and she had a room to rent. I love romance books, I love romantic comedies, and I love forced proximity. I knew I would love it from the get-go. Opposites attract, forced proximity, grumpy sunshine, the only thing I needed was a touch of enemies turned lovers and I would be set. This is not to say that the book misses that, because it doesn't.

Nobody Puts Romcoms in The Corner caught my eye immediately. The title, the cover (THE lift, as Sally would say), the names of the characters, the premise...everything. This is romcom lover's dream come true, and when I recognized the author as the same one that wrote The Italian Job, I knew I would love it. It's about two people learning how to love, I think, and how to grow together.

I love, love, LOVE romantic comedies (my favourite one is 27 Dresses and I'll defend it until the day I die), and I always have. You could say I'm a mix of both of the main characters - I'm a romance writer and I love watching romcoms, but I'm also not sure the love depicted even exists. I hope it does, because it's beautiful and strong, but I'm just not sure it's exactly like that. Despite that, I love them and I love watching and writing people falling in love.

So here's why I didn't give the book of my romcom lover's heart 5 stars. I read books quickly and it helps me stay consistent in my opinions. I know writers have a lot of work for it to be talked about after a few hours of reading, but it is what it is. And what it is, is this: Sally has almost no character development. She starts as a romantic and ends that way as well - and I'm not saying she should have turned into a cynic, but I found myself wishing she would....compromise. Because, even after learning Harry's (very fair!!) reasons for not believing love is real, or even possible, you're telling me she should just stay exactly on the same path as she was before, not adapting even a little? I found that sad and I was disappointed in her, because her character was written in all the right ways, in a way it made me think she should have acted differently.

Yes, she eventually understood that Harry could love in a different way, but did she show it? Did she even learn it? Because, from what I read, she has that kind of epiphany but STILL depends on a grand gesture from HIM. And let me tell you, there's nothing I hate more in the romance genre than a male character that does a grand gesture when he's not in the wrong in the least. Sally still waited for Harry to grand-gesture her, still waited for him to say the words she wanted to hear, even if not in the same exact way she dreamed.

I loved Harry and I'll protect him with everything I have. And I hated that he was constantly bound by her believing him incapable of love. No, he could love - and he showed it throughout the entire book! But it was never recognized and I feel like Sally treated him with less empathy than he deserved. I felt like the book relied too much on the whole "this is gonna end" sense of doom where it didn't have to. They could have been happy. Sally could have taken her head out of her ass, as it were, and see what was right in front of her: Harry, loving her.

This is not to say that she was a terrible person, because she isn't. And I understand her motivations, but I still believe that she could have achieved more. For one: she could have been the one making the grand gesture. She SHOULD have, in fact. And it should have happened on New Year's, right after her epiphany, because that would have been nice to read - in a reverse When Harry Met Sally type of way.

In conclusion: I really loved this book and I plan on recommending it to my romcom lover friends, but I leave these words as food for thought. Sally, my baby, do better. Harry shouldn't have to do everything in the relationship and he shouldn't deal with your commitment issues disguised as bells-wishing.

Was this review helpful?

I always enjoy reading one of Kathryn Freemans books! This one was no exception.

With this one I like that the author is letting the main characters take their time to fall in love. I also like that Harry is pretty oblivious to the fact that he clearly loves Sally. The ending was good and not to sappy. I hate sappy endings! The story was easy to get in to and kept me as a reader engage through the whole book. I find that when you read a 140+ books a year you sometimes don’t care enough to want to read the whole thing, this was not one of them. I also find that if a book doesn’t catch me in the first few chapters I probably won’t read it. This had led interested from the beginning.

I thought the plot with the TikTok videos was a bit much at times. But the plot overall was very good. And even though it wasn’t totally my thing I still think the author succeeds to make it a good plot and it too cheesy with the TikTok video theme.

I always love to read a book from an British author!

Was this review helpful?