This book gets off to a real rough start but then grows into a more charming and funny albeit clumsy story. I did like the idea of the conflict, but these characters have the most unambiguous stances on everything, so it was hard to take anything too seriously. 2.5 stars.

Dealbreakers by Lauren Forsythe is a semi enemies-to-lovers book about a developer and a marketing exec who work for the same events booking app. When Marina pitches an idea to expand the usage of the app for groups, Lucas, the up-until-then remote marketing freelancer pushes back, and has his own pitch for dating instead. The company CEOs Joe and Joey have an idea - Marina and Lucas will pair up to do all the activities the app offers, but each will approach them to see if they're better for group outings or for dates.

Marina's backstory includes her own hesitancy to date after her fifteen year relationship broke down over the idea of kids (she thought they both wanted them, he apparently did not) and she's spent the past year with a side hobby of creating an app overlay called Dealbreakers, where women can share red flags or pet peeves of men across a variety of dating apps.

The story continues as you'd expect it, more or less. There was a lot to like - I thought Marina's friends were great, they were supportive and challenging in equal measure. Lucas was mostly likable, although his insistence on calling her "darling" every three seconds really grated on me. My biggest issue was with Marina herself, who acted like a breakup at 29 was the end of the fucking world AND YET continued to let her ex Adam walk all over her. I have no problem with character growth but I found myself annoyed with Marina more often than not.

This was a solid three stars for me.. Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC.

I absolutely adored Marina and I completely fell for Lucas. This is the perfect Rom-Com for the summer to get lost in. I loved this so much.
I just reviewed Dealbreakers by Lauren Forsythe. #Dealbreakers #NetGalley
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Super cute rom com with typical outcomes. Although you can guess this book from the start it doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. Forced proximity is a great trope. Some laugh out loud moments that I really enjoyed.

Thank you to Lauren Forsythe, Penguin Group Putnam, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Dealbreakers comes out August 1, 2023.

A year ago Marina's boyfriend of 15 years broke up with her, since then she has been on bad dates after bad dates. Being a coder she decides to make an app that allows you to rate men across dating apps and list their red flags. When she gets the chance to prove herself for a promotion she excited until she finds out she needs to go on fake dates with her work nemesis, Lucas. She is especially unahppy when she finds out on her app that he has a mile long list of red flags. Over the course of their fake dates Marina might just find out that what she thought the man she though was a walking red flag might actually be the perfect man for her.

Dealbreakers was a fast paced, romantic comedy that was overall an enjoyable read. I thought that Marina and Lucas were both able to go through appropriate character development. I loved Marina's friends and coworkers. My biggest issue was the fact that they embark on a no-strings attached arrangement but the book was closed-door when it came to the spicy scenes. The reason I found this very unsatisfying was that they didnt have alot of other scenes were they were being "romantic" so I found it kind of unbelievable in the end when they were both saying they were in love with each other. Overall though if you are loking for a clean, fasted paced romance Dealbreakers is for you.

'Dealbreakers' is a delightful, fun rom com with characters that made me root for them. Marina has been with her boyfriend since they were 15 years old... until he dumps her on her 30th birthday. She had planned for a life with him, and she was ready to start a family. Now, all of her plans are ruined, and she is living with her newly married friends in their house. She is trying to put the pieces of her life back together: she wants a promotion at work, she wants to find the perfect home, and she wants to find someone to love and have a baby.

Marina's plans change when she meets Lucas. Lucas becomes her nemesis at work, as he goes against her ideas, and he is also up for a promotion. Lucas and Marina go on dates as part of their job. As they spend more time together, Marina is charmed by Lucas, but she thinks that it is all an act. What happens when you meet someone who gives you butterflies and fireworks, but he possesses all of the qualities that you think are dealbreakers?

The banter between Lucas and Marina leapt off the page. There was so much heat and tension between them. I loved how organic they went from enemies to lovers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putman Books for an ARC of 'Dealbreakers' by Lauren Forsythe. I definitely recommend it!

A slow start here for me but overall it was worth it. A quirky and fun read with an unlikely romance. Lots of activities and adventures in various dates, comic relief, supportive friends and a silly family. Everything worked well for me except for Lucas constantly calling Marina “darling”. It just read weird.

This book is just 👌🏻. It has everything you’d expect from a romcom that you get hooked right away! I binged it in a day 😍

It sounds overly-simplistic, but really this book was just good fun. It’s got all the makings of a typical rom com—men with accents, women with perfectionism, a mix of quirky hobbies and mental checklists, chemistry and forced proximity—and it’s just as delightful as promised. As an American, I enjoyed the whimsical British diction and cadence, but beyond that the tone and ambiance of the novel were consistent. The banter was light, the chemistry was palpable, and the little flashes of vulnerability underneath both our MC’s armor was a perfect tease. Overall, it was bright and snappy, and the tension felt sufficiently stretched and rewarded. I did feel like the pacing was off, as it took me a couple of chapters to decide who Marina is, and not just what she dislikes, but I think that resulted in an exploration of her character rather than exposition, which I can support. What resonated most with me was Marina’s deep longing. It doesn’t always manifest as loneliness, sometimes dissatisfaction, others discontent, and it was a soft and tangible thing. In terms of other stylistic components, I loved the juxtaposition of the reviews with the reality of Lucas’ character, and thought it was a clever foil for the way we build up our own preconceptions and predispositions towards others. It wasn’t a revolutionary story or storytelling, but it didn’t need to—an opposites attract, cliche-filled, sweet sweet story, and that was delightful.

This was super cute & had more than a few laugh-out-loud moments, and weirdly I liked (even though I really didn’t like it) that both characters exhibited some genuinely unreasonable behavior toward each other instead of it being one-sided. They both need a nap and a snack, honestly.

After a long-term relationship left her wrong-footed and lost, Marina Spicer doesn’t want to waste time dating. She’s ready to settle down, and her list of dating dealbreakers is how she plans to do so (okay, but Marina: please chill).

And so she creates Dealbreakers: a way to filter through the dating sites to avoid wasting your time on partners who don’t meet your specific standards, while also letting other women know what they’re in for (good or bad). And it works… even if it is a little nauseating.

When an attempt at a promotion at work gets Marina paired up with Walking Dealbreaker Lucas Kennedy, she is determined to prove to herself that her ideas (both at work and in her personal life) are correct. The app shows that Lucas has ALL of her dealbreakers, and he’s insufferable in real life, too. Except… he’s really not.

As the two are forced to spend more time together, Marina is forced to face the realities of her snap judgments. And the more she playfully spars with her annoyingly charming coworker, the more she realizes there may be some truth to the idea that opposites attract.

I identified so, so much with Rina! I too had a huge list of criteria for who I would consider dating in my 20s. I too ultimately abandoned that list, and ended up with a tall, curly-haired man with Irish heritage (but no accent, unfortunately 🙂). This was a great book with endearing main characters, plenty of witty banter, and a fun supporting cast. The underlying message that we shouldn’t judge people, especially based on the perceptions of others, is important and it was delivered in an interesting and enjoyable way!

I wanted to like this. It was mostly the plot I just couldn’t really get into, didn’t have me wanting to flip the pages and find out what was going to happen. But at least the writing wasn’t trash lol. So I don’t think it’s the author or anything the story just wasn’t for me.

This was a super sweet elevated beach read I’d say. One thing I just have to mention is that it did remind me (a LOT) of Just My Type by Falon Ballard (work nemeses competing for a promotion by going on date type excursions and writing about them).

The writing was great - bubbly and keeps you engaged. Their back and forth banter was excellent. I found the conclusion a little bit hard to believe though - the main character was so dead set on planning (for biological purposes) and it does not make sense to me that she’s suddenly just not care and want to throw that plan to the wind. If two people really don’t have the same goals for the future (like kids vs no kids) that’s something you have to consider! It didn’t make any sense that she’d put herself back in a situation where she’s with someone who isn’t sure about having a family, even despite the fact that she thinks he’s her “person”. You can be super in love with someone and if you have opposing views on kids, that’s just not a relationship that’s going to work. The fact that she’s just like “I’m giving up my plans for fireworks!” Is unrealistic both in real life and for this character. The book made it seem like love can just overcome all differences and that’s hella untrue. But besides that, this book was great!

3.5 rounded up to 4/5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Marnia boyfriend of 15 year has dumped and she is has been going on a series a date to hopefully find the one who checks everything off on her list of must haves. However she just keeps checking off all the dealbreakers with these men.

Logan is life is full of adventure and just around to casually date. He also checks off all the dealbreakers on Marnia list.

When Marina and Logan get paired up for a company project, will these "enemies" find love with each other.

This is a great quick romance, with no spice ( fades to black). Love watch each of the characters growth. As always with romance, I wish this was told in dual povs.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I found this second novel by Lauren Forsyth to be an absolute delight. The cover does a great job of helping the reader visualize how these characters seem like direct opposites; however, when you think about it, the two MCs are really spending much of their time acting like middle schoolers who don't know how to handle their newfound crushes.

This was a delightful HEA with some obvious, and some downright shocking, twists along the way!

A charming workplace “nemeses”-to-lovers romance. Marina is a talented developer eager for a promotion. She is also reeling from a breakup from her boyfriend of 15 years - someone she thought she would marry and start a family with. Lucas is a writer who doesn’t seem to take life too seriously. He has all the qualities Marina isn’t looking for. So why does she find herself increasingly drawn to him?

Dealbreakers has plenty of cute moments as Marina and Lucas get to know each other while jointly reviewing a series of events including an escape room and mixology competition. Marina and Lucas have good chemistry and there is plenty of back and forth banter. One minor drawback for me was Marina’s over-reliance on her list of qualities in her perfect match and her eagerness to find a man and have kids solely due to turning thirty was a bit grating. Fortunately, she was self-reflective and experienced personal growth as the novel progressed. 3.5 stars.

If you’re in the mood for a fun, light-hearted love story (set in London), give Dealbreakers a read.

Thank you to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.