This is my first Jessica Hatch and this is a complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is stated to be a rom-com but this wasn't as fluffy and light hearted . But this book focuses on Lina and her husband Brown who are separating and have to spend 10 days pretending to be still married. Loved the premise of the book, the character development and how the author tried to navigate making it humorous as well as addressing marriage.

Gosh, this is very different for me
I usually love romcoms, I hope you agree,
However, for me this one really didn't fit that category
Being more drama, acting and protest as readers soon see.
Good job folks have different tastes I have to say
This wasn't one I enjoyed so didn't finish today.
Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book
Don't let me put you off giving it a look!

A housing complex, a community of friends, and the burden of pretending to be something you are not. It's a dilemma for Lina, as she and her soon-to-be ex-husband, Brown act like the ever-loving couple everyone thinks they are. but ultimately, are they deceiving their friends or themselves?

Set in Jacksonville, Florida, the author makes the reader aware of the setting and culture of the area, as we become acquainted with the protagonists and the many secondary characters. The timeline jumped back and forth, from the past and present, delving into the relationships the characters have with the protagonists and how their reunion is taking shape. As Lina and Brown constantly try to fool their friends, the narrative is therefore littered with their mishaps, as they fake their togetherness, all in the name of a worthy cause.

Additionally, there's a strong sense of community spirit and how a group of people living in the same budget apartment building forged believable friendships. This aspect surprised me, as I expected to read a rom-com focusing mostly on Lina and Brown. Yes, there is a satisfying, happy ending despite the narrative not panning out how I expected.

Overall, I love the idea of this novel. The author has written a pleasant, enjoyable, and solid book. Yet somehow, it lacks a certain, je ne sais quoi for me.

3.5 stars

***arc generously received courtesy of Bookouture via NetGalley***

The Blurb gave me extreme high hopes to read the book. I didn't get a complete satisfaction with the book, as to my expectations could be too high. But yeah! It wasn't that bad either.

The plotline is good. Not all love Stories are like fairy tales. The reality was beautifully explained.

After the honey phase it's mostly said that the communication between the couple would lag. This book reflects on that, stating how much a regular communication impacts a relationship.

The main characters are awesome, the author even gave importance to the supporting characters.

Lina and Brown are a fantastic couple, who made me completely believe in second chance.

In the end, I felt this book realistic and on a polite note I would tell I expected more humour as this book is a ROM-COM

Pretending to be married to the man you are married to...makes for interesting reading in all the right ways.

This was a charming second chance romance for me. Yes, it is categorized as a Rom-Com, but I loved the second chance romance in this one. I enjoyed the characters along with their quest to save the old apartment building that meant so much to them. Plus, there is the issue of trying to look like a happily married couple when they are getting divorced which pushed things to a new level and added some intriguing situations.

When Lima's friend informed her that they are coming for a visit, Lima feels a little panicked. She has not told anyone that they are divorcing. She convinces her soon to be ex-husband, Brown to play along. What occurs next is uncomfortable situations, buried emotions and feelings. Plus, I appreciated how the book looks at communication in a relationship. This felt very real and happens all the time in real life.


#HowtoKeepaHusbandforTenDays #NetGalley #JessicaHatch #Bookouture

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my first read from this author so was unsure what to expect writing style-wise. The premise was good and there was a great diverse cast of characters.

I must admit I'm not a fan of flip-flopping through time to explain a backstory. It got a bit confusing at times. The PDP dinner parties seemed good in theory but came across as filler - I could have done with less about them.

I did feel that Lina and Brown were a bit mis-matched. Lina was super quick to decide that things were over which seemed to go against her logical, lawyer brain. If anything I wondered how she and Brown lasted as long as they did as she was real quick to blame him for everything she could and I felt that they lacked chemistry, except for the last part of the story. I didn't get hilarious comedy vibes from it but it was fun in parts.

This was just not what I was expecting. I love seeing good representation of diversity in all forms in a book but sometimes it felt that it was there just to be there and was sometimes clumsily referred to.

I wouldn't be dissuaded from reading more by this author.

Though I enjoyed this book, it was erroneously advertised. Based on the cover and description, I was expecting a knee-slapping rom-com. That’s just not what this was. I absolutely would not classify this as a comedy.

That being said, I still really enjoyed this book for the contemporary romance that it was. I don’t typically go for books that are set so modern we see post-pandemic life. It was refreshing. The main non-romantic plot was a nod to affordable housing in neighborhoods undergoing gentrification. The crew’s mission to stop the demolition of their old apartment building made for an eye-opening read. And I definitely wasn’t expecting the plot twist! I do feel this storyline took away from the main characters’ relationship. I just don’t believe we saw enough of Brown and Lina to reassure me their relationship will last.

I read and received and advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Bookouture, Jessica Hatch, and NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a novel I'm very excited to share, and I couldn't be happier to be part of the blog tour. Jessica writes characters that are real, have faults and are relatable, I have seen aspects of myself in both her novels and seeing neurodivergent, type A characters be accepted and represented make my heart sing.

Synopsis:
Lina and Brown are heading for divorce, and when a long-time friend comes to visit Lina convinces Brown to fake being still happily married.Then they hear that their beloved old apartment block where they all met is being torn down!

Will they manage to save the apartment or will saving their old apartment block make them rediscover what they love/d about each other and rekindle their spark.

My thoughts:

I could totally sympathise with Lina being tired of mothering a grown man and feel her frustration at her marriage as it is now compared to when she was younger when she used to be fun and spontaneous. I could relate to her sadness and attachment to her apartment and how revisiting it brought up so many mixed emotions.

Her letter to the new tenant that she had hidden and the messages that were added on to her letter seriously had me crying into my pasta.
And just as I was moved to tears with some parts, I laughed out loud at the one-liners. Freddie had me rolling and also wanting to be their friend for their unjudgemental and supportive wisdom. Everyone needs a Freddie in their lives!

Lina's hopelessness at the end of her marriage, the fact that it's so hard to admit she failed at something (and admitting failure or defeat is so damn hard! )Which led to some miscommunication.
The miscommunication from their pasts and keeping everything bottled up until it comes pouring out is a lesson. We really shouldn't leave things unsaid and built up.

Lina clinging onto her old apartment block, where she was happiest, where it all began, a simpler time was hard hitting to me. Saving the apartment is a filler, fixing something when everything else feels completely unfixable (which for her type A personality is a must)

And 80's pop culture references like Ghostbusters and Scooby doo were everything to this 80's baby!

Thank you to netgalley, bookouture and Jessica for this arc copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

I always hate when I have to DNF a book but unfortunately I had to with this one. I just couldn't get into it. Maybe it's just a fluke and I'll go back and try it again. This is my opinion so if it sounds interesting to you try it and see if it suites you.

Thanks NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this ARC in advance. I'm grateful to you for allowing me to give my honest opinion.

This was a fun, heartwarming read. The main character, Lina, was a little overwhelming in parts as she was an overthinker about everything. I loved the banter between her and her husband, Brown. I liked how the story went from past to present to show how they had grown apart and the miscommunication they had. Overall, I thought this was a good read, but I felt it was a bit long as well.

I picked up this book because I liked the premise and the publisher billed it as an "absolutely hilarious and totally addictive romcom perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood’s The Love Hypothesis, Christina Lauren’s The Unhoneymooners, and Emily Henry."
I love Ali Hazelwood and everyone raves about Christina Lauren and Emily Henry so I thought, cool!

Needless to say, the book did not live up to expectations in any way shape or form.

First of all, it wasn't funny! Second of all, romance was thin on the ground. Call me picky but both are key ingredients of a romcom. If I personally had to characterise this book I'd class it as women's fiction - and you know what? Women's fiction is fine! I enjoy women's fiction! But don't hand me women's fiction when I'm expecting a romcom. That's a massive no-no.

However, the miscategorisation/misselling of the book was not my biggest problem.

My main issue with the book was Lina whose pov the story is told from.
The woman was a neurotic nightmare!
She's a lawyer - a divorce lawyer - yet she is incapable of speaking to her husband about the niggles that are upsetting her and which gradually build into an intolerable situation - in her head. Rather than act like a rational human being and speak to her husband she issues him divorce papers and changes the locks. The fuck? Less than a week from separation to filing for divorce.
And to make it worse? As the book unfolds you find out that the husband - Brown - doesn't even know what the break-up was over! He assumed it was over whether or not to have a baby!!!

Seriously... Lina needs more therapy than she is already getting in this book. Brown... Is a bloody sweetheart whose only crime was being oblivious to his wife counting the days that the bed went unmade or other such minor offences! If she'd spoken to him about all her niggles it was obvious he would have broken himself to fix them and make her happy.
The woman brought on absolutely everything herself and therefore I found myself completely unsympathetic towards her and actively disliked her more than once.

Another issue the book had was that the sub-plot of saving their old apartment building (owned by a close friend) overrode the saving the marriage plot. Saving the building may as well have been the focus of the story!

The writer's style is quite... I dunno. Unengaging? There is no charm, wit or warmth in the writing. It's beige. Basic. And there is a complete overuse of the word "musk" when describing people's smell.

Final gripe - the cover doesn't match the characters! It's an illustrated cover - so you think they could have at least got the physical basics correct - but no. We have a redhead (when Lina is a brunette) and a brunette dude (when Brown is a curly-haired blonde). Granted this annoyance doesn't reflect on the story but it was the cherry on top of a craptastic cake, for me.

Okay... I'm conscious that this review has been a negative rant so I want to finish with some positive points.
I appreciated the realistic depiction of a long-term relationship. It doesn't matter how much two people love each other things will - at least on occasion - drive you crazy and test you. Relationships are not always effortless, they require work, and the author hit the nail on the head of what happens when you fail to appreciate things from each other's pov and actively communicate.
The author's depiction of friendships and how they change and evolve over time was also well done.
Finally, I appreciated that although things worked out for Lina and Brown there was no perfect fix and they had to work for it, and I was happily surprised with the outcome of the "save the building" campaign as it was also realistic.

All in all... I think this is likely the only, and final, Jessica Hatch book for me.

Lawyer Lina and bartender Brown married in the courtyard of their apartment building during the pandemic. Now, two years later, their friend Freddie can’t afford to keep the building as affordable housing and is selling up to a developer. And Lina and Brown’s marriage is over.
But with Lina’s best friend, Mara, visiting from out of town, Lina convinces Brown to keep their breakup a secret just for her overnight stay. However, due to their gang getting involved in a campaign to challenge the developer’s plans, Lina and Brown have to pretend they are still together for much longer than that.
If you are planning to pick up this book because its title brings back good memories of the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, then I have to tell you this has none of the humour, sass or romance of that rom-com. Freddie was the only shining light in this pointless story. But I will give it an extra point for the cutesy cover and for the fact it wasn’t as terrible as the author’s debut.

The cover’s tagline states “A totally hilarious and heartwarming romantic comedy,” so the reader comes into this heartbreak of a downer, marriage in crisis, drama-filled tome, not properly knowing what to expect.

First-off, I really dislike the marriage in crisis trope, so thinking I’m picking up a fun-loving rom-com about a quicky wedding where a couple needs to stay married (for whatever reason), for 10 days only… sorely not the right book - though that is the premise of another book coming out right away and I requested them both (either married or roommates and studied by a therapist or psychologist, or something like that, for 10 or 30 days, or something that sounded really similar).

Second, the secondary characters in this book stole the show, like Freddie. They were much more interesting and I would really like their story. The side-plot of saving the building the five friends lived in (and Freddie managed)… held little interest, and going on and on (and on and on and on and on) about the progressive dinner parties they all once had, once upon a pre-covid time… everyone grows up and moves on and loses touch. That’s life. Harping on it as a storyline? Too much. The one influencer friend? Awful. To force a divorcing couple to pretend to still be together because a former (out of touch) friend is coming into town? No thanks.

I had a slow time getting through this one (much like My Big Fake Wedding, though comparing the two now, I liked that one a lot more), so I could recommend it only to those who really love the marriage in crisis trope… otherwise, it’s probably a tough read. I give it 3.5-stars, rounded to 4 only because I managed to work my way through and I really liked Freddie’s character.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Bookouture, and this is my honest feedback.

How do you hold on to a building you love and a marriage when both are destined to fall apart? That is what Lina is up against. When she first moved to the city Lina, a lawyer, found an apartment where she could live and save money to pay off her student loans. This was thanks to Freddie who provided rent control housing to those starting out. However Lena did not only find a place to live but also a family of friends and a man to love. Unfortunately, a few years later, the building is to be torn down to make way for luxury apartments and her marriage to Brown is coming to an end. How to Keep a Husband for Ten Days is about how Lina, Brown, and their friends, band together to save both.

This is a sweet story. It is about love, friendship and family. It is about taking chances and working hard to support each other and taking the time to listen to what they want. It is also about believing in something and fighting to keep it. Jessica Hatch has created characters who are unique, fun and loveable. The story gets off to a slow start but then picks up keeping the reader interested. I personally would have liked more dialogue between the characters and more insight into the relationships rather than so much detail on saving the building. Still it was enjoyable and I think people will like it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

I feel the marketing on this is all wrong - I felt it was advertised to be humorous rom com type thing.
There wasn't an ounce of humour at all
The main character is very unlikeable and just kept making the absolute worst decisions possible
The plot feels unfinished and its maybe the only time I've not enjoyed cute fake dating as it wasn't cute.
An absolute miss for me

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the review copy!

It was a fast-paced book with great potential.
It has a nice story. You find out a lot about the struggles that are faced during marriage and the importance of relationships. However, I didn't like the characters at some points of the story and I don't really think it could be characterized as comedy.
It wasn't one of my favourites, but I could easily read it again as I might have missed some details of the storyline. I would recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the review copy!

“How to Keep a Husband for Ten Days” by Jessica Hatch is a fun romance story.

Lina’s friend is coming to visit, but nobody knows that Lina and her husband Brown are breaking up. Therefore, she makes him act like they are not. They just need to pretend for ten days. Although, it is harder than first expected.

This is a sweet story. A story about finding your inner peace and finding out, what life is really about. A story that makes sure to teach us just how important relationships are.

I did not like the way Lina and Brown forced their relationship. It seems way too unnecessary.

The tempo in this book is fast. A lot of things happen, and the characters get to do a lot of things in this book. However, the characters seem stuck in their lives. Some of them learn through the book. Some of them do not. Maybe, this book is supposed to be a very honest book close to real life - in that case, this book has succeeded.

The idea and the plot is well though out.

“How to Keep a Husband for Ten Days” by Jessica Hatch is a realistic book about relationships combined with a sweet and somewhat fun story.

2.5 - I was appreciative for this ARC, and I definitely thought this was a cute little book. Much faster paced than I was expecting, and it had its moments. However, I definitely felt like this did not live up to the "rom-com" advertising.
There were bits and pieces that were makings of a rom-com, but honestly - I felt like I was missing the comedy. Brown and Lina were just constantly frustrated with and nitpicking each other (which just made me frustrated with them; was definitely not giving off the comedy vibes that I think they were going for), and instead of picking one of the best book tropes to work off of, HTKAHFTD picked one of the worst - miscommunication. I really struggled seeing the chemistry through most of the book, especially where Lina was talking about how "funny and supportive" Brown was when we didn't see that through the rest of the book; she spends most of the book talking about "this is why we got divorced" with like...two examples of why they shouldn't.
Also, I feel like the cover doesn't look like the way the characters are described - I thought Lina had dark hair? I thought Brown was blond and curly-haired? Just kind of confusing.
TL;DR, a little frustrating, and I didn't really understand Lina's perspective until pretty much the end, and even THEN I still felt confused. I did definitely enjoy the romantic bits, but if you're looking for a romantic/comedy book, this is not the book for you.

So I ended up DNF’ing very early on, from what I read on the blurb I thought this was going to be a Ron-com and this just did not live up to this at all.

Thank you to netgallery and bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book:

I am thankful for this ARC in exchange for an honest review..

Unfortunately I did not finish the book.
The cover and blurb gave me the impression that it would be a light hearted and fun romcom. The story just did not feel like a romcom up to the point I read it. I think the idea is nice but it just wasn't what I expected and the writing style did not manage to get me excited to read it despite the differences between my expectations and reality of the genre.

So sadly this wasn't for me but I am still thankful for the opportunity to read into it and hope someone else will love it.