4.5 stars
this was the perfect blend of character development, unique main character, funny best friend, and slow burn romance. I really really loved it 🤧 Jake was an absolute darling character and every interaction between them was so cute.

I loved the friendship between Amy and Jake at first and then the slow burn romance that they tried to ignore but just couldn’t hehe. I also liked how the book was REALISTICALLY focused on their careers and family drama. i TOTALLY recommend this one! it felt so real but still with that cheesy rom-com aspect 🙂

This was a cute story, and the characters were witty and funny. Perfect for a vacation beach read!

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC!

This book was sweet for sure. In fact, it might have been one of the sweetest I've read in awhile. There was something magical about this story. From the first chapter I was hooked. Amy is a spitfire character who I can find a lot of myself in and for most of the book she had me laughing out loud. Perhaps that's why I enjoyed it so much was because I could see myself making the same decisions she made. Although the story is very easy to predict, there wasn't a moment that I found myself wishing something else had happened or that it'd all taken a different turn.

From the beginning, I enjoyed the humor of the story. It was what kept me gripped, if I'm being honest. A lot of times you get a romance novel labeled as a rom-com but it's very light on the comedy. This one? It's wonderful. It's also incredibly sweet and those sweet moments land even better after the comedy has distracted you for a moment. I found that the main love interest was also just as enjoyable as our lead heroine. Jake was the sweet guy we all want to have living next door. I enjoyed that he was in a similar situation as Amy when she first moved to London because it brought this level of connection between them that I firmly believed in. I also just really enjoyed that not all of the characters were out to get Amy. She was a normal human who was well respected and liked by her colleagues but also she wasn't on some very high pedestal which you sometimes see with characters like her. Her interactions and relationships felt so genuine and realistic.

The romance itself was perfect in my eyes. It gave me all the butterflies I could have ever asked for. I liked that both of them grew confident and brave because of one another and I actually didn't mind that they waited so long to really act on their feelings. I think it was important to both of their character arcs. I also just really really really rooted for them to be together and I'm so happy with how the story ended up. This was such a sweet romance novel that I can't wait to reread.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I was attracted to the cover and also the synposis. But wow 😲 the language is absolutely disgusting. You know when you are just a few pages in and they have dropped the F bomb about 20 times it is just going to get worse. I absolutely could not stand the main character. I feel like this was just written by a teenage tomboy with no feminine manners. I feel like these female authors thinks it is funny for women to be unladylike and vulgar.

It was a DNF for me. So disappointing.

This book started out really good, really caught your attention. Then it got really slow and i just couldn't finish it. I tried skimming some thinking maybe I could get back into it but I just couldn't do it.

This is such a cute read! First and foremost, the banter is top-notch. It's missing in most books, but not this one. Second, the relationships and people were realistic - the supportive best friend, the nagging mom, the supportive dad, the hurt-but-forgiving cousin. Even the MMC's mom and best friend are flawed people, but it's embraced and it's real. I love that Amy owned in the end what happened. It made me love her even more. And Jake was the consummate MMC. Finally, my favorite part about this book is the development of the MC's relationship through creating a TV show. It's unique and made me so much more invested in the book. We actually get to go through the creative process with them & I'm honestly left wanting to know what happens on the show!

I felt like it was a little light on background with Amy and Chris. He needed to wrong her in more ways than just not approving her TV show before the break-up, but we didn't get to see that. I also wanted more bonding between Amy and Jake. Their relationship developed really quickly over very little and felt a little insta-love-ish, which I'm not a huge fan of.

Overall, great read. Perfect summer read that I'll be recommending to friends. Can't wait to read more from Lizzy Dent in the future! Big thank you to Netgalley, Putnam, and Lizzy Dent for providing a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Sweetest Revenge by Lizzy Dent is a delightful romantic comedy that will have readers laughing out loud and rooting for the relatable protagonist, Amy Duffy. This book is a perfect blend of humor, romance, and self-discovery that keeps the reader engaged from the first page to the last.

Amy's character is charming, quirky, and flawed, making her feel like a real person rather than a fictional character. Her journey towards self-acceptance and redemption is heartwarming and relatable, and her interactions with the other characters are both hilarious and endearing.

The author's writing style is engaging and witty, and the pacing of the story is just right, keeping the reader hooked and invested in the outcome. The romantic subplot between Amy and Jake is sweet and swoon-worthy, and the tension between Amy and her ex adds an extra layer of drama and humor to the story.

Overall, The Sweetest Revenge is a charming and entertaining read that will leave readers with a smile on their face. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good romantic comedy with relatable characters and a satisfying ending. It's a definite five-star read!

Witty and charming, just like I've come to expect from Lizzy Dent. A perfect romance for the summer.

I did have to dnf. I could not get past her peeing on the car. I ended up skimming through the rest. The writing is relaxing and the story has promise just not for me. I will be recommending this to specific customers and for all readers who like a wild and strong reacting main character

The Sweetest Revenge crossed the line of tastefulness for me. It's really hard to support a main character that pees on the roof her once beloved's car. I know it was meant to be funny and absurd, but it was received as taking pity of the stability of the main character.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Rounding up but probably a solid 2.5 stars imo. I ended up walking away w the thought of wanting more. More romance, more explanation on why/what Chris did (it felt a little convoluted). But I do think the banter was strong and I liked the message of this ultimate embarrassment not letting you get back out there and control the narrative. It was solid read but didn’t over the top shine for me.

What if we were only known by what we were on "the worst day of our lives"? How would we feel if our actions were the "sum of all of our parts"?! How would you go on? How would you EVER show your face again? Would we run, hide...enter witness protection?! Is Amy Duffy the sum of the parts of her WORST DAY EVER? Will she ever redeem herself? "The Sweetest Revenge" follows Amy Duffy, a TV executive, as she tries to make her comeback. From NYC to London, the cast of characters are fun, quirky, and conniving (you know who you are, Chris!). This is a quick, easy read. Perfect for a sunny beach day!

I love anythung and everything Lizzy dent writes - she can do no wrong! This was such a cute novel and I was rooting for the love interests the entire time. Just wish it was a bit spicier!

Finally a rom com that’s actually funny! I’m a huge fan of rom coms and I’ve personally felt a huge hole in that genre for the past few years, but this novel made me remember why I love them so much. This was the perfect mixture of uplifting, funny and empowering. ❤️

The majority of the characters in this novel are established 30 somethings with a good idea of where they want their career to go. On that note, it was so refreshing to read about whole ass adults that are still having trouble getting their shit together. I constantly feel like I’m not succeeding as quickly as I’d like to, so it’s nice to read a realistic take about a woman who’s just trying to make it with a few set-backs here and there (mostly due to a man…shocker).

I loved both of the main characters and I felt like they were easy to relate to and I was invested in their story. I felt like the FMC had something missing? It’s hard to say why, but I guess it goes to show a big part of her story is growing and trying to find that part that’s missing. She was as shiny and quirky as most rom com FMC, but I think that’s what made her character unique. The MMC was a dreamboat of course and I don’t think he could do any wrong even if he tried. That being said, I was a little underwhelmed by the climax of the story. This is a common issue with rom coms and their predictability, but I would’ve liked more drama and conflict…and maybe a little tear jerking. 🤔

Overall, this is a great rom com with a heartwarming story. It’s also a quick and easy read if you’re looking for a good palette cleanser. This is a part of a series, but it’s more of a standalone.

This was a fun to read romcom with great wit and embarrassment. I found the FMC hard to relate to: often over drinking and making poor decisions, but that’s a popular trope in the genre. I loved the dynamic relationships with MMC, friends, coworkers, and family. I loved her boss lady work ethic.

Spoiler alert: I wish she didn’t have to bring anyone down in order to enact her revenge. I wish she could have overcome what happened and gone on to be successful without outing his character, even if he deserved it. I wish his true character would have come to light by his own doing.

I love how Dent writes deeply human, relatable female characters who are navigating transitional periods of life, rediscovering themselves, and reclaiming their narratives. I was so excited to dive into The Sweetest Revenge - who hasn’t overreacted and made poor choices after a bad breakup?? I was really rooting for Amy (and Jake!) and waiting for her big moment of getting even, but 75% of the book was her internal monologue on repeat about a poor decision (that happened to be caught on film and went viral) she made after a breakup two years prior.

While Amy takes back her power and gets revenge, the big moment happens SO late in the story that it lacked some satisfaction. Similarly, we don’t learn much about Jake until the last 75 pages of the book. I wish we had more of Jake’s POV throughout the story to help round out his character and make the attraction and connection between him and Amy believable.

The Sweetest Revenge had a great premise and started strong, but quickly fizzled. If there had been more from Jake and the pacing more centrally focused, I think the story could have been more impactful. I’m all for a chaotic, unhinged FMC seeking revenge and bringing down the one who wronged her, but for me, Amy’s character felt flat, which made her revenge not as sweet.

First off thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC!!

I don’t know how I feel about this book if I’m being honest. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t my favorite/one of those books I’ll randomly remember and go back and read. I think that while the two MCs like each other it’s kind of surface level and I would have liked their relationship a bit more developed.

I think this book will be enjoyable for others but it just wasn’t for me unfortunately cause the cover and description is what pulled me in originally.

Funny, interesting, and cute! I think this book solidified that I will be reading all Lizzy Dent books from now! You are in for a delight of a book with an interesting plot with depth and beautiful characters you will root for. Highly recommend!

This book had me interested right from the beginning! Amy has been humiliated after her boyfriend turns out to be an ass, she inadvertently causes a ruckus at her cousins wedding, and she makes some poor choices involving revenge against the ass boyfriend. After all that she runs away to London to start fresh only to have ex-ass show up two years later as her new boss. And then there's Jake, someone who also knows public humiliation all too well and just wants to lay low and be able to write. And Jake is Amy's new neighbor.
I really loved Amy and Jake's story! they are so freaking cute, and I love that Jake is so kind and supportive of her, especially willing to help Amy be her own hero despite her ex being back in the story. And Amy's friends are hilarious and so supportive, trying to get Amy to realize she doesn't have to run, she can stay and fight for herself and all will be well.
I didn't love the way Amy's family treated her, they kind of let her run away and retreat into herself, confirming how humiliating she behaved two years prior, and not really making an effort to care for Amy, just making her feel guilty for not coming home.
Overall, very sweet story between Jake and Amy, and very funny story as well as Amy gets her sweetest revenge (spoiler: its not letting the bastards get you down, stay strong, stay brave, just stay).
Thanks for the ARC!!!

Definitely something I will be recommending to all of my friends this summer. Absolutely loved Amy, she was a force to be reckoned with.