Fake dating is meant to solve problems for both Jessica and Galvin but, as you might expect, it's not that simple. Jessica is a therapist who came home to find her long time boyfriend moving out the day just as her guide to dating is published. Galvin's ex has blown him up all over social media and while he knows he needs to reform his wandering eye, he's unable to even get a date. So why not go with Jessica's publicist's suggestion- these two college acquaintances team up. Things quickly (perhaps too quickly) turn real (and steamy). There's a little angst to keep things spicy. I liked the characters, especially to my surprise, Galvin, who made the effort to evolve, Thanks to netgalley for the ARC, Trope-y but fun,

Jessica has a how to book out for single men, and wouldn't you know it, her boyfriend of 15 years walks out on her right as it releases. Apparently she isn't an expert in how to keep a man. She thought things were going along just fine, but what if fine isn't what she really needs?
Galvin Baker has been publicly shamed by his ex, to the point no one will sleep with him let alone date him. He has always been a casual dater, not wanting anyone to see deep inside and leave him because of what they find. When he sees Jessica out at a bar and she instantly recognizes him from college, he is pulled in by everything about her. He finds himself on a journey to prove that he might be everything she needs.
I don't love books about players, or reformed ones, but I really enjoyed Galvin's journey to self realization because it was not because of the heroine. She didn't change his ways, he already wanted to change and had a catastrophic event in his life that made him think that the way he was living wasn't all he thought it was.
I loved how protective Galvin was of Jessica and how he tried to be all the things she needed him to be. They both had flaws though, and in the h eat of the moment it only made sense that sometimes people stumble. As long as they prove themselves in the end that is what matters. 3.5 stars.
Thanks to Berkley, Andie and Netgalley for an early copy.

Unrealistic Expectations was an interesting take on the fake dating trope, and one I hadn’t come across in a long while. I really enjoyed Galvin and Jessica’s story and the way they are reacquainted. I also really enjoyed the way that Jessica was able to look past his reputation and get to know who he was as a person without his past.

I did find there were some inconsistencies in tone between the inner monologues and the dialogue, which took me out of the story a little bit. The inner monologue would say one thing and then the character would verbalize someone completely different and I wasn’t sure whether that was on purpose to show conflict or not.

Ultimately I thought this was an enjoyable read and would look to see what other books the author publishes in the future.

When Jessica's long term boyfriend breaks up with her out of the blue (seriously - she walks in on him moving out and he hasn't told her) on the day her dating advice book is being published, the last thing she expects is to start a PR relationship with a former college acquaintance. Galvin is smarting after his famous ex-girlfriend blasts his bedroom skills on social media. Though they both have their reasons for entering into this PR relationship, they soon find that this relationship is more real than either of them thought it ever could be.

I really liked Jessica and Galvin's relationship and I love that they both pretty quickly admitted that this relationship was no longer fake. This was also pretty spicy! I loved to see the normalization of therapy with both characters and I thought their communication throughout the book was really great to see! So often we have characters who don't have explicit conversations and have terrible communication. Both characters had some good growth throughout the book.

The third act breakup felt just a bit dramatic - for a story that had focused so much on communication it felt like it really didn't fit with the story/characters. There was also just a bit more showing than telling in certain parts of the book, which isn't always my favorite.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a really quick and steamy read. I love Andie's sharp wit and fierce characters and this book did not disappoint!

I am starting to think that all rom-coms have miscommunication thrown in.

First, Galvin was my favorite. From the start I could tell his past was a sham and he was more than that. Also yum. Let’s just get that out of the way. Yum. He was perfect for Jessica, whether she saw it as real or not.

Jessica. Relatable in the fact she was insecure, worried, wanted to help others but struggled with herself. My favorite part? When she went off on Luke. Oh man that was perfection. He was garbage anyway.

Side note, did it ever say why exactly Luke and Galvin hated each other?

I love me a good romcom - but this one was hard for me to get into. I couldn't feel the chemistry of the characters and I felt like a lot of the time it was forced. I am not crazy about the insta-love factor in books so perhaps I'm being biased.

Christopher's writing has been meticulously refined, ensuring a seamless reading experience. Her attention to detail and commitment to linguistic precision elevate the narrative, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the story's rich tapestry.

All good love stories start with a breakup. Wait, that’s not right but Unrealistic Expectations starts with our main character, Jessica being left by her boyfriend of a decade, Luke. We find out quickly that Jessica is a therapist who recently put out a dating book for men to help them be better people which is funny given what happens next.

Jessica goes out with her friends to celebrate her book release and runs into Galvin, an old friend from college. Galvin is reeling after his influencer ex bashed his bedroom abilities on Instagram and he’s not been able to get a date since. The two end up, having fun together with their clothes on and head to brunch the next day.

Of course, they run into Jessica’s editor, Abby who wants them to fake-date as some good publicity for both of them. They agree and from there, the shenanigans begin. Whether they’re going on “fake” dates or just hanging out, it’s clear the attraction is there and so are some unexpected feelings.

While this book did follow the classic formula of a third-act conflict, I enjoyed how Andie J. Christopher handled that with Jessica. Jessica was dealing with a lot, especially as a therapist who had her own emotional baggage to work through. She didn’t always make the best choices but she was relatable. I can’t say I wouldn’t do exactly what she did when it came to a certain scene at the reunion.

Additionally, I loved seeing the character growth of Galvin. He was such a sweet and lovable character from the start. He just needed to do some growing up and seeing him do that was a delight. I just couldn’t get enough of this romance and seeing these two finally get together was so satisfying.

All in all, Unrealistic Expectations was a fun one and I think it’ll bring up a lot of conversation, especially around the book inside a book.

I generally love Andie Christopher’s books, particularly her heroines and the men that love them.

The set up for Unrealistic Expectations sucked me in — on the eve of her dating self help book release, Jessica gets dumped by her ten year live in boyfriend. That evening she runs into a college acquaintance who is nursing public embarrassment after the influence he’s dating disparages his performance on her IG stories. Tequila shots and bad decisions follow and the next morning at brunch, they run into Jessica’s publicist who proposes a fake dating PR stunt to get Jessica through her book release. Jessica and Galvin catch feelings nearly instantly, complicating their PR stunt.

I loved the chemistry between Jessica and Galvin and how their friendship evolved. My biggest complaint was how abruptly the book ended. Never has a book needed an epilogue more than this one!

I voluntarily reviewed a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Jessica is a therapist with a new book to help men be more successful at dating. On the eve of its release, her long term boyfriend breaks up with her. She runs into an old friend from college, Galvin, who is also moving on from a bad relationship where his ex humiliated him publicly. At the suggestion of Jessica’s publicist, they decide to fake date to help both of their public reputations.

This book was so much fun! I loved the fake dating trope. Both main characters really seemed to want to improve upon their weaknesses and grow their character, which was a refreshing element of this book. Galvin in particular grows so much and realizes why he struggled with commitment in the past. They had a lot of chemistry as well! My only complaint is that the ending seemed a bit sudden and could have used an epilogue or more time with the two exploring their relationship further. However, the storyline was still enjoyable and overall the book is very satisfying.

Thank you to Andie J. Christopher and Berkley Romance for sending me an arc of this book!

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review. The premise sounded good but the execution was poor. The internal monologue was absurd. Thank you for the opportunity.

This was one of my most anticipated reads since I fell in love with the cover months ago, so enjoying the inside as well is the absolute best feeling.

I looove love love the reformed playboy trope. Galvin was so obsessed with Jessica since the beginning! His character development has been the biggest highlight for me. He learns how to navigate his feelings and starts to recognize toxic patterns thanks to Jessica, but she also discovers a whole new world in her relationships thanks to Galvin. This isn’t a second chance romance but I got the same vibes since they knew each other since college but it was like a right person, wrong time situation. I wanted to know why Galvin hated Luke, Jessica’s ex, so much since college because I got a sense that their animosity had something to do with Jessica. Anyway, I really loved Jessica and Galvin’s relationship and the sense of intimacy the book exudes.

The only thing that left me feeling a bit cold is that the ending feels a bit abrupt. I also don’t think Galvin was the one who needed to grovel, or at least, not the only one, because Jessica also let her insecurities control her during their break up. Overall, I wished the book had a few more chapters to see how they fixed their problems in the end. But again, I really enjoyed this book and the romance was awesome.

Rating: 4/5
Steam level: Open door, 3-4 scenes, high level of detail

ARC provided by Berkley and NetGalley. Opinion are my own!

✔️ Fake Dating
✔️ It's Just Sex
✔️ Opposites Attract

I'm mad that I am just discovering Andie J Christopher. Unrealistic Expectations blew me away. I loved the setup: a writer of a how-to-date book gets dumped by her longterm boyfriend so she fake dates a college acquaintance who wants to rehab his playboy reputation.

I loved the instant chemistry between the two characters. The spice was perfect - especially a scene in his car!

It was fun seeing them slowly become more vulnerable and open to each other. I loved how they saw each other clearer than they see themselves and had to come to terms with all the ways that they were getting in their own way. I recommend if you love fake dating with two fairly well-adjusted MCs!

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕

This was a sweet romcom, with dual third-person limited POV of the love interests. Therapist and author Jessica was left by her long-term boyfriend (she literally caught him moving out and he was going to leave without telling her in person). She watched her mom choose boyfriend after boyfriend, move houses, and be incredibly inconsistent, so she is not one to casually hook up in order to get over her ex. She feels safest with structure, routine, and her inner circle that she can depend on. She is also promoting her new book, Ten Things Not to Do If You Ever Want to See a Naked Girl Aaain: The Straight Man's Guide to Not Dying Alone in a Pile of Dirty Underwear. Her goal is to help more straight men to see women as PEOPLE, rather than commodities, trophies, maids, mothers, or sex objects. WHAT A CONCEPT! WRITE THE BOOK!

Meanwhile, interior architect Galvin was recently in the limelight since his ex, mega influencer Kennedy, claimed in her Instagram stories that Galvin is really bad in bed (also, this is disgusting behavior from an ex from any sex or gender - please stop doing this!). This has obliterated his game with dating and hooking up, and he then runs into Jessica, whom he knew in college! He also knew her ex, and makes it clear he never vibed with him hahaha.

They enter into a fake dating scenario to help with both of their PR: Jessica isn't exactly selling the concept of her book as a *single* woman which infuriates me, but alas! Obviously, Galvin wants to prove to the public that he is worthy boyfriend material. Then real feelings come, and they have to navigate that! I appreciated the individual growth from each of the characters, and I strongly agree with everything Jessica wanted to promote in her book. This just didn't end up being a favorite for me, so while enjoyable, it was just fine!

Steam: 2/5 -- explicit sex on page but it wasn't fully like *smut* if that makes sense? So I still actually feel like it could pass as nearly closed-door.

Content Warnings: toxic relationship, sexism, misogyny, gaslighting, miscommunication

I expected a bit more comedy, but did end up enjoying the more introspective and seriousness of the novel.

My biggest issue was Galvin's point of view and the maturity of the characters. Sometimes it was difficult to remember these characters were in their late 30s and not younger.

I didn’t end up enjoying this one as much I was hoping unfortunately but I do typically like books from this author so I will read next books!

Thank you NetGalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unrealistic Expectations
By Andie J. Christopher
Pub Date: 26 Sep 2023
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley
Romance
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Rating: 4/5

Andie J. Christopher's Unexpected Expectations is a fun, fast-paced read. In this spicy rom-com, a relationship counselor fakes dates to save her reputation after getting dumped right before her dating book hits the shelves. With her newfound mission of proving that her book works, she must navigate a web of misadventures, heartbreaks, and hilarious faux pas.

During Jessica Gallagher's debut book release, her long-term boyfriend Luke ended their relationship. Despite feeling devastated, Jessica stands strong in her convictions, trusting that her work will empower others regardless of her own romantic situation.

In an unexpected turn of events, Jessica reunites with Galvin Baker, who has been exposed as an unreliable boyfriend on social media. Jessica's publicist Abby sees the situation as an opportunity for good press. She encourages them to rekindle their friendship despite Galvin's shabby reputation. Abby is convinced that Jessica and Galvin will improve their public image by entering into a fake relationship. Will this plan backfire?

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this book. I was touched by the story and hope a sequel will follow.

Andie J. Christopher is one of my go to authors for contemporary romance. Her books are funny and well-written with three-dimensional, very relatable characters. Unrealistic Expectations is the story of Jessica Gallagher and Galvin Baker, former college acquaintances who reconnect years later at a bar when they're both dealing with major romantic setbacks. Jessica, a relationship therapist, has just been left by her long-term, live-in partner with no warning and no explanation. Galvin, a long-time player, recently broke up with his influencer girlfriend, who retaliated by posting a viral video about how terrible he is in bed. To make things more complicated, Jessica has just released a dating advice book, and her publicist is concerned that it won't look great for her sales if it comes out that she was just dumped unceremoniously. After Jessica and Galvin run into each other at a bar and have a drunken makeout session, they end up agreeing to the publicist's idea to give Jessica's book some PR and Galvin's reputation a makeover by starting a fake relationship. As with Andie J. Christopher's other books, this balanced humor with depth, and both Jessica and Galvin have some childhood trauma to work through. I also loved the cameos from Thank You, Next - I just find it really satisfying when authors do that kind of thing.

This was a DNF for me... if you're expecting a rom-com (like I was!) then this is not the book for you. The characters were not relatable and the chemistry was lacking. The storylines were too far fetched and too "insta-love" for my taste. I stopped reading around 30%. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.