Love love love! I have enjoyed all of Samantha Young's books, but The Love Plot will hold a special place for me. Star is such a beautiful character. Her desire to be herself in life and do what makes her happy is how we all want to live. She works hard, makes ends meet, and lives a vibrant life. This is definitely a sunshine meets grumpy trope through and through and I am here for it!

Star and Rafe are oil and water, but dang it they are so endearing from the start. Mainly, I loved Star so I wanted her to find her forever happiness. Their path is not easy in this one. Fake dating is never tidy, but man do these two find ways to truly muck things up. I actually thought to myself around the 6 hour mark that I was confused what could happen next, but Samantha Young managed to throw me some extra curveballs that were absolutely essential for me to fully buy the love between Star and Rafe.

Highly recommend the use of your headphones for this one or to decrease the font size on your kindle. There are lots of steamy bits interspersed in the pages of The Love Plot. Much Ado About You is still my favorite of Young's novels, but The Love Plot I think is number 2!

A huge thank you to @BerkleyRomance, @BerkleyPub, and @PRHAudio for granting me access to this title! I am so excited to add The Love Plot to my home library!!

Star is a free spirit who marches to the beat of her own drum. She loves not knowing what each day will bring and enjoys her job as a costume character actor and line sitter. She’s never thought twice about the choices she’s made or the direction her life was going in until a chance encounter with a grumpy vet named Rafe. Nothing makes Rafe happier than his life as a vet. However, the one thing he is tired of is his well-meaning family who desperately want him to settle down. So when fate brings Star across his path, not once, but twice, Rafe decides to take matters into his own hands and makes Star an offer she can’t possibly refuse…

I absolutely adored The Love Plot. Star is a wonderful free spirit and isn’t afraid to just be the special, unique person she is. She could bring sunshine into anyone’s day and couldn’t resist giving Rafe a run for his money. And Rafe, well, let’s just say Rafe was Star’s complete opposite. He was uptight, broody, and came from a conservative family. I’m telling you, Rafe and Star should not work at all. But you know what they say, opposites attract. And what was just supposed to be a temporary fake relationship, quickly turns into something neither one of them was prepared for.

The Love Plot is a swoon-worthy and spicy grumpy sunshine romance that will instantly capture readers’ hearts. From the moment you pick up this book, you will be sucked into an unforgettable romance that’s filled with just the right amount of angst, spice, and drama. If you’re a fan of fake relationships and opposites attract romances, you won’t want to miss The Love Plot.

This was an enjoyable book about a gig worker who fakes dates a rich man but there’re sparks between them they can’t deny. I love Samantha Young’s books because she writes the most cutest romance and never disappoints. I enjoyed the story of this book and was only bored in the beginning but once the story got interesting, I couldn’t stop reading. It’s also a fairly quick read so I finished it quick. I enjoyed the New York setting and getting inside info of the character’s careers. I do wish that we got Rafe’s perspective of the story as he’s such an amazing guy and wanted to know his feelings towards Star.

Star is the FMC and I really enjoyed her character. She’s fun, quirky, and an adult who truly doesn’t know what her future is. I loved seeing her develop herself and find answers that she wasn’t expecting. Then our main side character is Rafe and I absolutely loved him. He’s so caring for Star and wants her to be happy. I loved seeing his love for Star grow but wish we got his pov. There are multiple side characters in this book and my least favorite was Pippa for ruining Star’s feelings half the time. The romance is fake dating, grumpy x sunshine, and social class differences with some steamy scenes and the cutest romance. There are side characters in this book with polyamorous relationships and honesty who want Young to write their story.

The ending was cute and I really enjoyed this book. It was very fun and also a learning experience of how it’s never too late to know what you are looking for in life. I totally recommend checking this book out as many readers will love it.

*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review return*

ARC received in exchange for an honest review!

I loved all the teasers we got so I was hyped up!
It kept me on my toes and I really adored grumpy Rafe, I do have a soft spot for the grumpy sunshine tropes.
And a grumpy vet? That's just asking for it, you need to read this! And professional line sitter, does that really exist? I find it fascinating and kind of cool as well!

What I did feel was the need to see Star pull through and just show herself and be herself!
I had a though time reading her change and actually realizing that people in real life do that as well.
That really hurt to think about.

I thought this was super cute! THE LOVE PLOT includes your typical opposites attract, grumpy / sunshine H (Rafe) and h (Star) as well as the fake dating trope! I have a penchant for quirky characters and Star was as quirky and carefree as they get. Rafe was a little uptight due to his upbringing, but he was such a charismatic veterinarian. As an animal lover, I loved him right off the bat. I mean, a guys that saves animals? Swoon!😍

Even though Star and Rafe could not be more different from one another, they fit together surprisingly well. I love that Star made Rafe take life less seriously and that Rafe helped Star know what love and a sense of belonging really feels like.

I absolutely loved the underlying theme in the book, which is basically, BE YOU — don’t ever change yourself for someone else. I loved that Rafe accepted Star for who she was and did not try to make her conform to placate / meet his family’s high society expectations. I highly recommend this book! 4⭐️

THE LOVE PLOT is due to be released on August 29! Thank you so much, @berkleyromance and @prhaudio, for the complementary eARC and audiobook in exchange for my honest review!💕

There is something so satisfying about a grumpy/sunshine romance. I get legitimately weak in the knees seeing a man become a total marshmallow for his leading lady. Star and Rafe delivered those feelings in spades and I so thoroughly enjoyed watching these two spark, sizzle, and light up my Kindle with their chemistry.

There were some utterly swoonworthy moments in this story. Star comes on a little strong in the end with that eternally sunshiny perspective. However as the story progressives and the characters grew, and their story deepened - it was impossible not to fall in love with her. But it was Rafe, for me. The way his heart opened so wide for Star, the way he laid it all on the table for her, and the way he loved her for exactly who she was - ungh. So. Freaking. Swoony. I adored them together. I loved the way they loved each other.

The pacing went a little off kilter for me after the first half. I felt like the "conflict" between Star and Rafe went on a smidge too long. Don't get me wrong, I appreciated that things played out the way they did. I loved how there was open, blunt communication (eventually) and no third act break-up (really) - but I would have liked to have gotten to that point just a smidge sooner. Also, I wanted some of nastier side-characters to get little bit more payback for the horrible way they acted. So there were a couple of small ways that the story missed the mark for me, but I still enjoyed the heck out of it.

In all - this was pure grumpy/sunshine deliciousness. I adored Star and Rafe, and I loved every second I got to spend inside their story.

In all - this was pure, unadulturated, grumpy/sunshine deliciousness. I adored Star and Rafe, and I loved every second I got to spend inside their story. ~ Shelly, 4 Stars

The Love Plot was such a surprising delight! I love a good old grumpy sunshine romance and paired with Samantha’s charming writing, I fell in love with this book right away.

This was such a chaotic and interesting read! I do love a good grumpy/sunshine trope and Samantha really knocked this one out of the park. Rafe was a top-notch, champion brooder and Star Shine was true to her name and an absolute sweetheart!

Their fake dating started off as quite angsty, helped along by Mr Grumpy, but in the end they were perfect for each other! Star softened out Rafe’s hard edges and pulled the stick out of his you-know-where while Rafe offered Star a soft place to land and call home. Something she didn’t have much of growing up.

The third act was a train wreck that I saw coming a mile away and yet it didn’t make it any less painful to endure. I felt so bad for Star and yet also wanted to crawl into the book and shake some sense into her. Thankfully a tiny little dog and some seawater saved the day! 😂

I’m really happy things worked out for Rafe and Star. Even the side characters got happy endings and almost everyone got their priorities sorted.

All in all, this was a fun, chaotic, and super sweet slow burn with some interesting characters, wild relationships, and several HEAs. (Part of me hopes that we get a bonus scene one day of what career Star eventually decides on though!)

When Star gets offered a job she can’t refuse, but has to fake date curmudgeon Rafe to take it, she is wary but knows she needs the money to make her travel dreams a reality. Sure, he is lovely to the pets he cares for as a vet, but when it comes to humans, he leaves much to be desired. Naturally, this fake romance leaves sparks flying between the two…

Damn I love Samantha Young! Add her writing with a fake dating plot line…I am in! I loved Star and her free spirit and quirky personality. Rafe’s family (some of them) certainly infuriated me at times, but I just adored Rafe and how he treated Star, once he stopped being a curmudgeon of course. This book was a complete delight and I enjoyed every second.

"'I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you... I tried to show you how I felt without saying it. But I should have just said it. I love you, Star. You. The you you want to be. Never doubt it. Because, baby, my love for you is f**king immeasurable.'"

One of my favorite tropes! Grumpy/sunshine, opposites-attract bundled up with fake-dating and romantic comedy humor. What more could you want?! All that fantastic witty banter, will they/won't they tension, antagonistic angst, and quirky humor shines throughout The Love Plot . Delightful and charming, steamy and swoony, and packs a heaping helping of big emotions.

I've been slowly (I'm trying to pace myself) making my way through The Adair Family and The Highlands series (contemporary/romantic suspense) so I do miss that The Love Plot doesn't offer the same dual POV from both Star and Rafe's perspectives.


I read and advance copy of The Love Plot from the author via NetGalley

This was such a fun opposites attract fake dating romcom!

Rafe needs a fake girlfriend to get his family off his back about settling down, so he makes a deal with Star, the character actor hired to dress up at his niece’s birthday party. She’ll pretend to be his girlfriend, while he’ll pay her a large sum to be at his beck and call for the next six months.

The two are opposites in almost all ways, Rafe is grumpy and reserved, from a rich traditional family while Star is the easygoing daughter of two hippies, content to live her life flying by the seat of her pants.


Rafe is a new favorite of mine, he came across as Darcy-like at the beginning, so reserved and standoffish but I really really loved him as we got to know him. Star was so sunshiney and I loved how she didn’t take anything too seriously. I can’t say she didn’t frustrate me at times, but that’s all part of the character arc, right? Sometimes they have to make mistakes in order to learn from them and grow.

Overall this was a very funny and charming romance about two polar opposites finding their way together with a good amount of steam and emotional moments for balance.

5 Stars Samantha Young is an auto-read/auto-buy author for me, so I was thrilled to get her newest rom com, The Love Plot, through her ARC review team! The Love Plot is not only a fantastic grumpy/sunshine, opposites-attract romance, but it also examines how we consider and keep our own distinct identities when we enter relationships, especially with someone who comes from a completely different social class and background.

Star Shine Meadows is perfectly happy working jobs that make her and others happy, such as being a costume character actor and professional line sitter. The daughter of hippie parents, Star is all about freedom and no serious commitments. While working at a little girl's birthday party, Star can't help but needle and butt heads with the girl's uptight uncle, Rafferty "Rafe" Whitman. When Rafe and Star run into each other again, the grumpy veterinarian has a proposal for her: pretend to be his girlfriend to get his mother and sister-in-law to stop setting him up and he'll pay Star more than she makes at her other jobs. At first, the arraignment seems fraught with tension between Star and Rafe, but soon he has her rethinking her upbringing and personal philosophy for how she lives her life, and Star keeps humbling Rafe and his assumptions. Can the girl who doesn't do commitments commit to something that is suddenly becoming very real?

Star is one of the most interesting characters that Samantha Young has written and it was heartbreaking to watch her compromise her identity and start to lose herself in Rafe's world to appease his family and keep him. The ending was perfect, though I wish we had seen some more of Star figuring out what was next for herself. If you love grumpy/sunshine, opposites-attract, and fake dating, this one is for you!

This was a really fun grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, fake dating in NYC, STEAMY romance. I loved that the FMC was unapologetically bohemian and unconventional. She falls hard for a straight-laced Veterinarian from a boujey Upper East family. He enlists her to help him stave off their matchmaking attempts but ends up falling for her hard. Full of sex-positive, found family goodness and all the spice you could want. GREAT on audio narrated by Savannah Peachwood too. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy. Samantha Young is an autobuy author for me and this latest did NOT disappoint!!!

This was another sweet and emotional love story by this author. I enjoyed the journey that both characters went on to get to their HEA together. I recommend this book and this author.

I absolutely loved reading The Love Plot. Hooked from the very first chapter, I have been unable to put my Kindle down!

I absolutely fell in love with both Rafe and Star, in fact so much that I became so invested in their story and I couldn’t help but feel every emotion they were experiencing. If my husband asked me once what I was smiling at, he asked me a thousand times. I loved the fun side of this story just as much as those hurting heart moments – which I obviously didn’t want Star and Rafe experiencing but they definitely added to the storyline.

I wasn’t so sure about Rafe at first. However, as the story unfolded, I couldn’t stop myself from handing over my heart to him. I found Star’s outlook on life to be refreshing. I hated that she felt she had to change, equally as much as I hate those who thought they could be rude and unkind to her. Life hasn’t always treated her kindly and I feel sorry for those who have missed out on being a part of this fabulous woman’s close circle.

I was not ready to leave Rafe and Star and I hope that this isn’t the end of our time with the couple. I for one would love to see which path Star chooses and if she becomes happy in her career – if she goes there at all that is. Although I do believe her outlook and determination will make it happen. I would also love to have her best friends’ story told as their relationship intrigues me, plus, I would like to get to know them better individually too.

The Love Plot is such a fun and entertaining read. One that I highly recommend.

Oh how I adored this! Fake dating and grumpy/sunshine are two of my favorite tropes and so it’s not surprise why I loves this! The story between Star and Rafe was so well done! I loved how joyful and full of life, Star was. She was so fun and she definitely brought out a softer side of Rafe. I loved how obviously into her he was once they started their agreement. Fake dating quickly became more than that for both of them. The banter, especially from Star, was delightful. I enjoyed learning about Star’s past and how it shaped her. I also really enjoyed seeing her stand up for herself.

I loved the end of the yacht scene and the epilogue! I listened to the audiobook thanks to PRH audio, and as always Savannah Peachwood’s narration was fantastic!

A fake dating, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine romance?? Yes please! I really enjoyed The Love Plot. It was fun and super sweet. I definitely need to read more from Samantha Young. Her writing keeps me invested from start to finish!

I loved Star so much! She is a free spirit who isn’t afraid to be herself. She had a big heart and oh my gosh she was funny. She always had a book with her which was relatable. We love a bookworm MC! Then there’s the love interest, Rafe! He (and his family) annoyed me from time to time but overall I did like him. He was a bit of a grump but definitely a cute one. He works as a vet and was amazing at it. When he brought the dog home to watch him overnight…my heart melted!

The romance between these two was a special one! They come from completely different worlds. Star grew up with hippie parents who were absent a lot. Rafe comes from a very wealthy family. It was interesting to see how well they fit together despite their differences. This book did a wonderful job discussing how you should and shouldn’t change during a relationship. I really loved how they helped each other grow. Star was there to encourage Rafe to look at things from a new perspective & Rafe made sure Star knew he would always be there for her.

I truly loved this book! I cannot wait to have a copy for my shelves!

Star Shine Meadows, her name alone tells you she is going to be the sunshine in this grumpy sunshine romance, and she does not disappoint! She is carefree, fun-loving and happy to go where the wind takes her. Her sunny disposition made for a great read because you never knew what she was going to do next. And then you add in Rafe, who is pretty straight-laced and grumpy, and you know she just has to mess with him. Their banter is highly entertaining and then when they end up in a fake dating situation you just know good times are ahead. This was a fantastic romance that had me rooting for Star the entire time! The Love Plot comes out August 29th, so make a note to read it now, because this is one you won’t want to miss! ☀️

Thank you Samantha Young, Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy. 🥰

3.5 STARS

I found myself hooked and enjoyed the majority of the book. The hero is a swoon worthy vet and the heroine is quirky and living life. I did struggle towards the end. So it left me with mixed feelings. I did have fun most of the ride, but walked away not as satisfied, probably a me thing.


I voluntarily read an early copy.

Star Shine Meadows is the definition of a free spirit: she's 28 and works two uber flexible jobs - character actor (e.g. Disney princess stand-in at kids birthday parties) and line sitter. Basically, she has the freedom to "inhale" books while at work (line sitting) or bring joy to the hearts of children every day. IOW: She's the sunshine.

Rafferty (Rafe) Whitman is a hot vet who's also the scion of a wealthy family. He's currently being harassed by his mother and SIL to date their friends. When he meets Star, he's dismissive and mean - but he's also really hot. So when he tells her he'll pay her $10k per month for six whole months to pretend to be his committed girlfriend, she agrees. IOW: he's the grumpy.

Maybe we just weren't in the right mood for this one. Look, we love our tropes, so we can't really complain when a book leans in. That said, we don't unconditionally love a setup - we have to love the way the author pulls it off. And something about this one didn't work for us. We think it has to do with Rafe's whole schtick. He's romance hero material because he's rich and has a trust fund, but he works hard at a passion project. He's a little fuddy duddy but he loves that Star calls him on his BS. He apologizes when he does something wrong. These are all good things, but they didn't add up to a person - they added up to a romance hero. It doesn't help that the book is written first person from Star's POV entirely, so all we see are Rafe's actions. Since we don't see his inner conflict (or any of his inner motivation at all), he's just this kind of perfect guy.

YMMV - we're primarily historical romance readers and prefer 3rd person dual POV whenever possible, so we were starting from a disadvantage. Sadly, The Love Plot never managed to get past our defenses. If you love contemporary, especially a first person single POV, then this might work for you, but even cute dogs, Dua Lipa, and the Eagles couldn't save this one for us.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.