This was so much fun! The epitome of grumpy/sunshine and with great character build. No shallow personalities; the grump is exhausted and exasperated and has earned his grump/ the sunshine has to work for her happy and positive outlook despite careless circumstances. And they’re both likable within an appropriate number of pages. It’s delightful… plus fake dating! Swoon.

I’ve had a few of these storylines lately, in which the male lead is a committed relationship only guy (even if he’s not currently looking for one) and the leading lady is no strings, only flings, and it’s really hitting with me. Love the dynamic so much. Which leads here too, both have baggage but even when the physical attraction is easily acknowledged, the slow-burn of emotional intimacy and barrier breakthroughs is everything. There is sneaky depth to what can otherwise easily be described as pure rom-com. Great layers.

There were a couple moments when I got a little frustrated with the family dynamics and wanted a small tweak but overall, Star and Rafe’s story was everything I was hoping for in a summer read. It’s definitely one I’ll reread and recommend.

* I received a free copy from the publisher

DNF @ 18% // I wasn’t a fan of the sickly sweet and always positive FMC or her inner monologue, nor did I care for the rude, brash, and grumpy MMC. I absolutely love grumpy sunshine but each character was on the clear opposite side of the spectrum.

Thank you to Valentine PR, Net Galley, and the author for the advanced e-reader copy, all of my opinions are my own.

“What it is about bad boys that turns intelligent people into hormone-driven fools?”
If you haven’t read a Samatha Young romance yet then I have just one question for you: how is that possible in 2023? The Love Plot is Samatha Young’s latest release and will immediately charm you from the very first page. This grumpy sunshine, fake dating, romantic comedy is a perfect blend of swoony romance and hilarious fun.

Let’s start off with the fact that Samantha Young has given us the human embodiment of literal sunshine in our female main character, Star Shine Meadows. Not only is she straight out of a Disney movie, but Star is also a character actor for parties and gatherings, as well as a professional line sitter. She’s carved out her own life and family in New York in a way that’s pretty respectable for a woman who was raised as a bohemian tumbleweed.

I was not East Coast society chic. I was Star Shine Meadows and I enjoyed dressing like I was a half-fae princess.
Rafe Whitman is the epitome of East Coast Elite. Even his name a level of cool that I’ll never achieve with my Midwestern roots. He’s ultra-professional. He’s partner in his own veterinary business. He and his business partner could have one of those hotties of the month calendars with puppies and kitties where none of his clientele would bat an eye because it would obviously be for charity and all photos would be taken by a photographer that socialites could name drop at mixers. Unfortunately for Rafe, being single with a good job obviously means that he needs a wife, so his family has taken it upon themselves to play matchmaker.

Which, obviously, circles us back to Star. Rafe meets Star at his niece’s birthday party. She’s slaying it with her rendition of Merida (complete with accent and bright red wig), and Rafe’s sourpuss attitude encounters Star’s happy go-lucky lifestyle. As fate would have it, days later, Star runs into Rafe again. Instead of another battle of wits, Rafe propositions her for a 6 month job of pretending to be his girlfriend.

He met my gaze. “Oh, it’s definitely working out better than I’d hoped.”
Friends, this is your classic case of the fake relationship definitely feels too good to be fake kind of a situation and it is every bit as delicious as all of that insinuates. Star and Rafe decide to make their fake into the real thing, but Star’s luster begins to dull thanks to that East Coast Blue Blood pressure. The Love Plot is a case of West Coast Bohemia ideals meets East Coast Elite snobbery. The only question is who will survive the mingling of these very different lifestyles?

I’m going to leave you all here for now, but let’s just say that Rafe is a book boyfriend that would give any swarthy romance hero a run for his money. Even I was ready to insert myself into his life by the end of The Love Plot. Star’s emotional journey hit all the right notes for me, and I adored her transformation. I honestly love how every plot hole was wrapped up, and this HEA is fantastic. Samantha Young is a go-to author for a reason.

gotta love samantha young, and i love a good fake dating trope. star and rafe's dynamic was so incredibly heartwarming. he loved her for who she was!! one of the parts i loved the most about this was that the "third act breakup" didnt feel as formulaic as some others in the romance genre.

Another winner from Samantha Young!!!

A grumpy vet meets sunshiny women for an adorable fake dating story. These two couldn't be more different as Star enjoys a bohemian lifestyle and Rafe enjoys structure. A meet cute dressed as a Disney princess finds Star being offered the job of fake girlfriend. Rafe's family won't let up with constantly sending single women to his clinic with mysterious illnesses with their pets.

The Love Plot is adorable, funny and sexy. Star's positive attitude is just what Rafe needs to shift his perspective to being open to a relationship. Their chemistry is palpable, and devoured this read. And, who doesn't love a romance set in NYC!!!

Thank you Berkley Publishing for the complimentary copy.

4.5 stars rounded up! Ok, so this is my first book by this author, and it definitely will not be my last!! Star and Rafe have a rough first meeting when she is performing at his niece’s birthday. He’s a wealthy grump, she’s pure boho sunshine, and their lifestyles could not be more opposite. His mother and sister-in-law will not leave him alone about finding a wife, so he decides to pay Star very well to fake date him. To her, this is her ticket to more freedom and travel. I really enjoyed this one a whole lot. I have to admit that at first I was not loving Star nearly as much as Rafe. Her sunshine, boho, need to be completely free from anything personality was a little over the top and immature for me. When I learned her history though and why she was the way she was, my heart broke for her. She grew on me a lot.

Oh, this man Rafe. I don’t think he could get more perfect!! A hot veterinarian who communicates really well, loves his family, is incredibly swoony with Star, and is fantastic in the bedroom?! Definitely a top tier book boyfriend for me. I loved him so much. The found family element that Star has with her three friends was really cool, I loved the representation that the three friends were in this happy, super healthy polyamorous relationship.

The way it all ended had me squealing, I loved how everything was resolved. This was such a fantastic romance of two people from completely different worlds falling madly in love, and finding their common ground.

Summary
Star works as a professional character actor and line sitter. With hippie parents, she was raised to appreciate no attachments and no set schedules. When she engages her opposite, Rafe, the grumpy uncle at a child's birthday party, and then runs into him again, he gives her a proposition... pretend to be his fake girlfriend and he will pay her so she can take on less of her random jobs. Rafe's family won't stop hounding him to settle down and he wants them off his back. Despite being total opposites, the chemistry between Star and Rafe is off the charts. Can Rafe the rich, stable veterinarian and the free-spirited, hippie vibes of Star turn this arrangement into something real? Will their differences ultimately complement each other or drive them apart?

Review
I've been clear, this is a Samantha Young stan account. Whether it be her tradition romances or her romantic suspense, I have loved everything she's written. The Love Plot is an absolute joy of a story. It's funny and light-hearted, with the differences between Star and Rafe, but also has a deeper story of Star learning about connection and relationships and how her past as affected her beliefs, and Rafe learning how to be vulnerable.

The characters have great banter and chemistry. It has opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine and fake dating tropes and still slips in some spice. I don't know if it's a complaint, because I loved the book, but there were points when I would have loved Rafe's point of view. I think with Dual POV being so prominent in a lot of romances these days, sometimes I feel like I'm missing out when I don't see the perspective of both characters. This felt like a 'he fell first' story, but we don't have confirmation of that. And some of his decisions, while later we learn why he did them, I would have loved to have known that information from him earlier.

Well everyone I think Samantha Young just won the grump sunshine trope. Star and Rafe are so different and yet they work! Star is so interesting! I loved reading about her jobs and thought the book did a great job of exploring the pros and cons of her lifestyle. Love Plot also plays with family stereotypes in an interesting way. Rafe’s family is wealthy and cares about society and appearance whereas Stars family is non traditional and all about flaunting expectations. However, Rafe’s family is the much more loving as supportive. I also thought it was interesting that Star began experimenting with her identity when she and Rafe got serious. It feels adolescent in a way but it also works because I don’t think Star has ever cared about anyone enough to want their approval before. She cares about her friends but she went out of her way to find friends who accept her as she is. This book is incredibly funny, emotionally complex and incredibly romantic. It’s a must read for everyone but if you are a fan of grumpy sunshine it’s a drop whatever you are doing and read this immediately kind of book!

The Love Plot has several of my favorite tropes, and I was excited to get a chance to read the ARC!

Star is a free spirited woman working random jobs and believing we shouldn’t be tied down by careers or marriages when she meets Rafe, a handsome vet who needs a fake girlfriend to get his family off his back. Star agrees to fake a relationship with Rafe, attending family dinners and events by his side. Her bohemian style and laidback attitude are distinctly different from Rafe’s family, a conservative bunch with family money. Yet, the opposites attract and Star and Rafe find themselves in a real relationship, trying to make their opposite lives work.

I adored Star’s attitude and her glass half full optimism. She knows who she is, and knows her main goal in life is to be happy. Her background is delved into, and it was an uncommon upbringing to say the least. Her parents were never there for her, leading her afraid of real commitment. Her background went a long way towards explaining who she is in the present day, and her character develops beautifully over the course of the story.

Rafe is a fantastic love interest. He is the grumpy to her sunshine, the clouds to her rainbow, and apparently the peanut butter to her jelly. Their chemistry is off the charts, the spicy scenes are definitely open door and hot, and I loved the way he consistently defends Star and wants her to be who she wants to be. Leading man material for sure!

Fake dating is a favorite of mine for that moment when the couple realizes the feelings are real, and Young gave us plenty of tension and build up to that moment. I loved this couple and greatly enjoyed the read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Read if you like:
⛅️ Grumpy x Sunshine
💕 Opposites Attract
💰 Stark Economic Differences
☮️ Quirky/Bohemian FMC
🐾 Uptight Vet MMC
💋 Fake Dating
🔥 Spice
🤣 Banter

This one was so fun!!! I absolutely loved the banter between Star and Rafe! I loved how the banter worked so well with Star being more free spirited from being raised by hippie ‘don’t let the man tell you what to do’ parents versus Rafe who grew up with an abundance of wealth and social connections. They definitely didn’t have a great meeting but their second meeting made me laugh and I loved that Rafe initiated the fake dating to get his family off his back with trying to throw women his way constantly trying to get him married off.

I loved the fake dating as it was clear to see they definitely had chemistry brewing but there was the push and pull of their very different upbringings and Star’s commitment phobia paired with Rafe’s serial monogamous background that definitely made the tension ohhhh so good!

I really enjoyed the messaging of staying true to yourself throughout the book and how pressure to be someone else for someone you love will never last and work long term and even if it does how painful it can be to make yourself into something you aren’t for others approval and that those that love you will love you for you, without conditions or changes.

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for my ARC of this one! I highly recommend it to others!

This was a cute, enjoyable romance, that contained some of my favorite themes/tropes!! I love when a romance book that has a cutesy cover and packs a spicy punch also has hidden depth, and this book definitely had that.

Star Meadows is a young woman with a free spirit and a joyful heart, who doesn’t let any of the ugly parts of life bring her down. when she meets the handsome, and well-to-do Rafe Whittman, she thinks he’s a brooding douchebag who only cares about himself. but one day, Rafe offers star a business opportunity she can’t seem to refuse- and he asks her to be his fake girlfriend for $10k a MONTH. as they get to know each other, they realize just how different they actually are, but sometimes the most unlikely pairs create the best connections, and star is equal parts terrified and elated to see if that is in fact true.

I love that this book touched on things like fitting in/belonging, how the way we are raised can shape our beliefs and experiences, that family doesn’t always have to blood and how sometimes opposites really do attract. the characters in this book were great, and I enjoyed the story! This book comes out in a few weeks, on august 29th, so be sure to check it out! 💗🦄

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley Romance, and the author for proving this ARC for me to read/review! All opinions are my own, as always!!

This read wasn't really a hit for me. I didn't really like either of the main characters. This also wasn't my favorite trope and maybe I should have paid more attention to that before requesting it. It definitely was spicy. Overall, it was fine.

Short synopsis: Star a character actor and professional line sitter decides to fake date the handsome (and grumpy) vet Rafe to get his mom off his back about settling down.

My thoughts: Classic grumpy/sunshine trope, with fake dating. When I say grumpy, I mean almost unbearably rude and overbearing. Honestly I’m surprised Star even considered fake dating Rafe because their first interaction was so awful. It just goes to show what kind of person Star is that she looked past his comments and gave him a shot. That being said, I did grow to like Rafe as the book progressed. We got a better sense into why he was the way he was.

I loved Star, she was unique and special despite her terrible childhood and neglectful parents. And her friends were honest and true and always there, such great side characters.

This was a bit spicier than I usually read for those that prefer a more closed door romance.

Thank you to @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for early copies of this book.

Read if you love:
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Fake dating
- Lifestyles of the rich
- Parent issues
- Great side characters

The Love Plot is a delightful blend of charm, humor, and swoon. It is the perfect grumpy/sunshine book that I never knew I needed! Young's writing truly shines in this trope-heavy romantic comedy, leaving me yearning for more even after reaching the end.

One of my favorite reads of the year! From the first page I was so immersed in the lives of Star and Rafe and didn’t want to leave. This grumpy and sunshine/fake dating romance had me laughing and crying. I adored Star’s positivity and quirkiness and I saw parts of myself in her. I will read Andy thing Samantha Young writes. Five stars

Samantha Young ticked a lot of boxes that had me eager to start her upcoming release The Love Plot.

✅ Grumpy meets Sunshine
✅ Opposite sides of the track
✅ Opposites attract
✅ Fake dating

But the biggest tick of all….Rafe Whitman (meet Grumpy) is a VET! Sign me up straight away because there is just something appealing about a man who loves and connects with animals better than he does people.

I really enjoyed our FMC Star (that’s her name btw). How someone can live such a sunny life given the way she was ‘raised’ by her hippie (awful) parents is truly a gift and says a lot about her strength of character.

"...My ambition is to live a life that makes me truly happy. And I reckon that's probably the most ambitious anyone can be in this world."


Rafe and Star do not get off on the right foot when they first cross paths and the difference in basically every aspect of their life could not be more glaringly obvious. I appreciated that Rafe can admit when he’s wrong, apologise and make things right, which he has to do more than once!

“Did you just come here to be adorably grumpy?”
Rafe rolled his eyes. “I am not adorable.”
“But you are grumpy?”


Why yes Rafe Whitman, you are indeed grumpy…but also quite adorable.

Add to the story Rafe’s supportive and generous parents, his a-hole of a brother, Star’s besties who live a polyamorous lifestyle and you have a recipe for a real page turner of a story.

I highly recommend you pick up a copy of The Love Plot on your preferred platform on release day.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read and review an ARC for The Love Plot.

The Love Plot by Samantha Young

This grumpy sunshine story was adorable and funny.

Star is all sunshiny, lovely, genuine and optimistic. She is a costume character artist and line sitter (I had no idea this was a job). She believes in freedom and was raised by hippie parents.

Rafe is a veterinarian and hot and grumpy with an uptight and stick-up attitude. He is a good person though (you know you love your heroes when they are like this), but at start was rude.

They meet at his niece's birthday party and, what a disaster, which results in Star embarrassing him when she sees him next (it was hilarious), which results in him offering her a huge amount to fake date. What was this, right? This is where the fun begins.

"I’d learned long ago there was no point trying to make someone like you when they’d already decided that they didn’t."

Rafe and Star both have baggage and are working on it which I like. Rafe has trust issues since his last breakup and Star has commitment and abandonment issues due to her upbringing. My heart was sad after finding out her story.

“It’ll never work if you don’t trust it to work.”

Their attraction and banter was amazing. It was fun and I liked the found family that Star had. The comeback dialogue from Star was lit and the spice was good too. I wish we had Rafe's POV too. This book also has a good message to send out. I liked and enjoyed the plot, characters and setting.

This slow burn, opposites attract, one bed trope-contemporary romcom is one I would recommend.

Rating ~ 4✨

I loved this book so so much! It’s no shock that I love the grumpy/sunshine dynamic and this definitely had the best of it. i loved rafe and star so much. the way rafe openly accepted star and didn’t want to change anything about her was so heartwarming. rafe took some time to grow on me but he was such a softie. this book has such great heart and humor and great drama, I loved that although there was no 3rd act breakup, there was still a great conflict to be overcome. i definitely recommend for those who love opposites attract & grumpy sunshine romance. the only complaint was I wish it was dual pov but I enjoyed it so much that it didn’t matter. I will definitely read more of Samantha’s books.
Thank you Valentine PR and Netgalley for the ARC.

Star and Rafe, two complete opposites, make an arrangement to fake date, so Rafe can get his meddling family off his back. Along the way, Rafe starts to fall hard for Star, but can he convince the girl who only does casual to commit to something more. 

While this book is not original, I could not stop reading! Star and Rafe define the grumpy/ sunshine trope (with him as the grump), and I loved her unconventional upbringing and how she was 100% her authentic self. The fake dating allowed for great forced proximity and family fun shenanigans. Plus, the humor, banter and steam were well written. Also, be prepared to fall for Rafe as he was not only a vet but a strong communicator.

Read if you like:
-Grumpy/sunshine
-Forced proximity
-Fake dating
-NYC setting
-Unconventional jobs
-Animals

Absolutely loved these two “opposites attract” people. You can’t get more opposite than Rafe and Star. Just from his name you can tell he comes from money, he doesn’t let it rule his life but there are people in his orbit that are bothered with his girl and what she represents. Star comes from a different kind of family, one that leaves their child alone and never really treats her like a daughter. Money is not the end all for Star, she works a couple of untraditional jobs because they make her happy. Their relationship starts off unconventional but ends up where it is supposed to, happy and in love. This is a standalone novel; obviously I saw signs it could have a sequel for a certain character but it’s a wonderful book either way. I got to enjoy an early copy and wrote my review to reflect my honest opinion.