This was a good rom-com about a woman creating an app where women can review men but this guy named Lucas is in the way of her project. First off I had to mention that the font size of this book through me off because why was it so big? It made the story feel YA instead of adult. Forsythe is a great writer and I enjoyed the storyline of this book. I finished this book fairly quickly as it’s a short read but also entertaining. The pacing was a but off but the story helped me still have a good experience with the book. This book is only written in Marina’s perspective and I would have LOVED to see Lucas’ perspective too so that the story would have been 5 stars.

Marina is the main character in this book who is trying to work out her app. She was a pretty annoying character and it made me wish that this book was a dual perspective so I can get rid of her. She did have a great development and towards the end, she was left annoying so that was good. Lucas is the main side character and I loved him. The cover doesn’t do him justice but he’s a fantastic man. There are other side characters in this book too who are less annoying than Marina. This is a clean enemy to lovers, slow burn and opposites attract story. I liked the romance but wish there was spice.

Then ending was well done and overall this was a great book. I enjoyed the story and had a fun time reading it. It was light, easy to read, and not that long. I did have some minor issues but of course, it’s opinionated. I recommend checking out this book especially if you love a woman who can develop apps with a bad buy man.

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

4 stars!

"Dealbreakers" by Lauren Forsythe is sooooooooooooooooo freaking good! I was addicted to this story from start to finish. It is a quick read full of laughs, banter, swooning, changing feelings, and shifting perspectives. This story is an opposites attract workplace rivals forced proximity rom-com where he falls first. What's not to love!? I adored main characters, Marina and Lucas. Marina knows exactly what she wants from her life. She has a strict plan for how her life is supposed to go and nothing will deviate her from what she wants. Enter Lucas, a tattooed goofball who wears bad t-shirts, smokes, swears, and is Marina's total opposite in every way and grates on her last nerve. When they are tasked to go on a bunch of "fun" "date night" activities together (axe throwing, dancing, mixology classes, etc) so one of them can get a promotion at their work, Marina slowly but surely starts to see her long list of strict wants crumbling down the longer she spends with Lucas. It begins to dawn on her that maybe unpredictability and entertainment mean more than adhering to or tying yourself to a specific checklist for your life. Marina and Lucas feel sort of like an "against all odds" type of pairing... maybe that's why I rooted for them so hard! I truly loved their dynamic, which is full of inside jokes, little quirks, and pointed barbs. The longer the book goes on, the more that readers get to know that it's not all that meets the eye where these two characters are concerned. There has been a lot of hurt in both of their lives and at the end of the day, they both want a partner who appreciates them for who they are.

I am very rarely left leaving a book saying, "I wish I had 100 more pages!," but that was definitely the case with "Dealbreakers." I wanted more Lucas and Marina banter! You can finish this delightful book in a day, that's how addicted you'll be to their story. Check it out now!

Thank you to NetGalley, Lauren Forsythe, PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

This book made me so happy! I usually prefer a bit more open door spice scenes.....but this was a delight even without them. Lucas and Marina had great chemistry and banter and tension. I loved the premise of their competition and had a lot of fun seeing what new activities they would do together. The friend group, the coworkers, and even the villainous exes were expertly written and added depth and nuance to the story. If you love a good enemies to lovers trope but prefer closed door....this is the perfect book for you. Thanks to the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!!

This was a mix of some classic romance tropes, where the main character discovers maybe what she thinks she wants isn’t actually what will make her happy. I really enjoyed that the woman was a software developer and the man was a copywriter—felt like a little bit of role reversal, plus I’m just always here for any words-based profession. Not only did I like the main couple, but I really enjoyed all of the side characters, as well, and getting little glimpses into their lives. The romance was there, but the door was kept mostly closed. I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future!

Another fun and cute read from Lauren Forsythe. I'm a sucker for witty banter and fake dating and this one has both! This is an easy read and enjoyable romance.

3.5 stars

Can I just say that I really missed out on life by not finding a charming, silver-tongued, handsome, roguish Irishman when I was younger? Lucas Kennedy is my favorite book boyfriend in 2023 and the way he coaxes grumpy Marina Spicer away from her rigid life’s plan is a treat to behold. Although a little slow to start, Dealbreakers built wonderful momentum to a totally satisfying ending.

The title comes from the name of an app overlay Marina creates (following a very painful break-up) that congregates reviews women have left on all the dating apps. It’s her way to weed out men who don’t fit her strict checklist for a future mate, or so she thinks.

In this enemies-to-lovers, office romance, the two have been set up to compete for a promotion by seeing which of their ideas for improving their event booking company’s online presence and bottom line will be more successful. Will it be Marina’s focus on group activities or Lucas’s belief that unusual dates can be fun? In order to test their theories, they have to be the guinea pigs and, in the process of spending time together, Marina begins to question not only her plan for her future but also why the man who has over 100 less than stellar reviews on her app and is the antithesis of her perfect life mate is making her question everything she thinks she knows. They challenge each other, not only with ax throwing and in Bacchanalian escape rooms, but also by looking at how their pasts have influenced their future life plans in unhealthy ways.

In my opinion, this clean romance would have benefitted for a bit of spice, but I’m not complaining. That it’s set in London, my favorite city, is just icing on the cake. Delightful!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Read this book in one sitting because it just kept me hooked and it was such a quick story! Last year I really enjoyed The Fixer Upper by Lauren Forsythe, so I was excited to get an approval for this ARC. I do feel like her first book just edged this one out a bit, because I had to suspend some belief for this one, but it was still just an enjoyable read. It did leave me wanting a bit more, however.

I found the banter between Marina and Lucas to be the best part of this book, and wish that there was more of that. I found the contest to be just completely silly and totally contrived, but it did lead to some good dates for Marina and Lucas. I wished that the premise was just somewhat different because it was almost a little eye-rolly to think about how an outing would be more suitable to a date versus a group of friends, especially when all situations could have clearly worked for either situation. That being said, it was still a fun new idea to get the main characters in their own element. I appreciated the character development of Marina, and I actually love how it ended, although it did leave me wanting just some more. I give it a solid 3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. I received a review copy from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam via NetGalley and I voluntarily provided an honest review. This does not affect the opinion of the book or the content of the review

Marina Spicer is done with bad dates. It wasn’t that long ago that her longtime boyfriend decided to leave, saying he had decided he didn’t want kids. They’d been together since they were teenagers. Now she was 30 and wanting to start a family, and instead, he leaves.

So she’s dating again, having to deal with the dating apps and all those small lies and annoyances that come up when you meet in person. So as a side project she started an app called Dealbreakers. As a coder, she knew just how to create is as an add-on to the dating apps, and it allows women a chance to tell others on the apps what they found to be dealbreakers with the men they went out with. Marina needs this, so she can get her life plan back on track and find someone who wants to have kids while she still can.

Also on her plan is to find the perfect apartment. But she can’t afford it until she gets a promotion at work, so her next focus is on making the two guys who run the start-up where she works takes notice of her and lets her create a team of coders to take their app to the next level.

But as soon as she makes her presentation about taking their start-up that helps people find activities and focusing on highlighting activities that would appeal to groups, there is one dissenting voice in the back that rises above the rest. Marketing copywriter Lucas Kennedy disagrees. He thinks that the app would work better if they appealed to couples, creating fun and adventurous dates. Of course he would say something, Marina thinks. He’s the same guys who’s been shooting down her emails for months, either that or responding with only a “k.” Who does that?

And when it turns out that Lucas is also hoping for a promotion. So when the bosses decide to pit the two of them together, have them try out some of the activities and see how they could be marketed for either groups or couples, Marina has no choice but to spend time with this man she thinks of as her nemesis. They will be surprised with the activities, so Marina can’t plan much ahead of time, but she’s got her game face on for whatever comes.

So when the first activity is axe-throwing, she decides to go with it. No plan, no agenda. And when the axe bounces back and comes for Lucas, she won’t complain. And while no copywriters were hurt in the completion of the activity, Marina had to admit she had fun with Lucas. But when she looks him up on Dealbreakers, she finds that he as a lot of reviews, and they are not great.

Apparently, Lucas is exactly the guy she’s been trying to avoid, the one who doesn’t want to get serious and who is willing to waste a woman’s time. She doesn’t have any time left to waste. But while Marina is having to spend this time with him as they compete for her promotion, she can’t help but find herself enjoying being around him. She realizes she’s going to be faced with a choice—does she follow her heart and spend time with Lucas, or does she stick to her plan and hold out for the guy who is ready to settle down with her and start a family?

Author Lauren Forsythe has packed Dealbreakers with fun and friendship. This rom com has a lot of playful scenes with laughs and some serious ones with friends and some tough truths to face. It’s well balanced and really engaging. Forsythe’s characters have depth and genuine motivation for what they’re looking for, and it’s easy to cheer them on and want to see good things for them.

I enjoyed this book so much. While it would make for a great pool/beach read, it would also be a spark of sunshine in colder months, curled up with hot chocolate with too many marshmallows. It’s just a great book, empowering and entertaining and really something special. Loved it!

Egalleys for Dealbreakers were provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Marina and Lucas!

Very much got Hating Games vibes in the beginning (which I loved). This book was so full of witty banter and fun. From the competition to the fun outings to realizing how they need to just live life. It was adorable and if you like to laugh and enemies to lovers this book is for you!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

🍸 ARC REVIEW 🍸
🖥️ Rival coworkers battle it out for a promotion in Dealbreakers.

📣 OUT AUGUST 1st!! 📣

🪓 MY THOUGHTS: This book had all the right tropes me but it ended up just being an ok read. At times it was a bit slow and I found myself a little uninterested in Marina and Lucas’ feud. It was predictable but I think what was really lacking was coming from the main characters.

A little over halfway through, the book got more interesting. The story got more real and relatable and I started to finally connect with Marina and Lucas. It really turned around and I actually enjoyed the ending significantly more than the second half of the book.

Read For:
❌ Enemies to Lovers
💻 Workplace Romance
⏳ Past Regrets
🔐 Forced Dating
🌎 London Setting

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5
Spice Level: 🧼

Thanks to Putnam for my copy of Dealbreakers by Lauren Forsythe.

This is a cute women's fiction -- I argue more than a romance. Marina is a coder and after being frustrated by the online dating world, creates an app called Dealbreakers where women can then review the guys they went on a date with, to help other women with the red-flags. But in her day-job she's gunning for a promotion but is paired up with the charming Lucas in a competition for who will get it. She looks at her app to see if there is any dirt on Lucas and he has over 100 comments -- many of which look like he's a red-flag for what she wants in a partner...

I was not a fan of Marina at all. She was still not over her ex and that whole still texting each other all the time was kinda weird.. And it seemed like her only dream was to get married and have kids and just fit any random guy into her dreamt perfect life. Also, the whole work premise is kind of unbelievable too...

It was a quick read but forgettable.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fun, fast-paced and held my interest. I wanted to keep reading and find out what was going to happen next. I enjoyed this book and will look for more books by this author.

After a devastating break up, Marina has no time to waste when it comes to meeting her future life partner. So she creates Dealbreakers, an app that gives women the opportunity to rate men on dating apps and share any deal breakers they may have. She uses the app to get some intel on Lucas, the man she is paired with at work to go on a series of “dates” to test out the ideas. The man she hasn’t gotten along with since they started working together. Since this series of dates is the one thing standing between Mariana and a big promotion, she wants as much information on Lucas as possible. But even she is surprised to find that Lucas is the lowest rated man on the app. What’s even more surprising is the more time she spends going on these fake dates, the more she enjoys being around Lucas and the less his deal breakers seem to matter.

This book was SO much fun to read! I loved the premise of this story and it was filled with the perfect mix of character development, romance, and laugh out loud moments. I loved the different “dates” Mariana and Lucas went on and even want to try some of them myself now! Mariana was a great main character and I loved seeing her success. I flew through this book and loved every moment of it!

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

DEALBREAKERS by Lauren Forsythe is a fun nemesis-to-lovers rom-com that takes place at a startup. A cute and clever premise with a slow burn and a competition that will have you gripped!

Marina Spicer has a life plan. A successful career, a caring husband, and a large family of her own, all future ticks on her list of life accomplishments. After a breakup with the man she assumed was her life partner, Marina wastes no time getting back on the dating horse, even creating an app that shares feedback from men’s online dating profiles. So what if she has yet to go on a successful second date? Her unicorn is out there and she is determined to find him. She simply doesn’t have time for sparks, for fireworks, yet freelance copy writer Lucas is determined to upend her carefully laid plans. A work assignment has the pair facing off, with Marina determined to prove a set of outings would be perfect for a group and Lucas insisting they would make romantic dates. Through witty banter and sizzling tension, Marina begins to realize that maybe she can prioritize her happiness over a checklist and that maybe her dealbreakers can be ignored for the right person.

Dealbreakers had delicious sexual tension and hilarious banter throughout the novel and I found myself fully invested in Marina and Lucas’s love story. The outings they went on were fun and set the atmosphere perfectly as their relationship grew. There was some serious buildup to the romance so when they finally got their sexy time, the door flew shut so fast and it honestly left me disappointed. I understand that not everyone goes into a romance wanting to experience everything, but a peek behind the door would have been perfect. Instead, I questioned what just happened. The other tiny gripe I had about this book were Marina’s friends Bec and Meera. I loved them as characters and their dynamic, but they didn’t really push Marina out of her comfort zone soon enough. It seemed like they were content with her not pursuing happiness. They did step up when the time came, but I just wish it would have been sooner. I really liked the self-growth in this book and how realistic it was. One moment I would be cheering for Marina, only for her to have a backslide, but I found that to be far more believable than if she just did a complete turnaround right away.

I really enjoyed Dealbreakers and think it is the perfect for fans of a tame, exciting romance.

*Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was a fun read. The fake dating setup was an interesting change from how fake dating would usually go. The dates they went on were cute and gave them a chance to show off their chemistry. The side characters were a nice addition and added to the story well.

I found this book a fun read once I got into it. I had a hard time with Marina because she comes across pretty harshly but as the book goes on, it makes more sense as to why she is that way. Lucas is a great counter to her perfectionism ways. He's more laid back and less serious. They get paired together at work to figure out if activities are for dates (Lucas's stance) or for group activities (Marina's stance). They have a competition going and the winner will get a promotion. This leads to some interesting interactions at some fun sounding places. Recommend reading this one if you like a good romcom.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely.

After fifteen years together with her high school sweetheart, Marina wants to start a family and her boyfriend tells her he's not interested in having kids. Now she's living in her newlywed best friend's couch and navigating the online dating world. She has a list to find the perfect guy, but she feels like she's running out of time. As a coder, she's able to create an app that pulls ratings and comments from all the dating sites to better weed out guys with dealbreakers. Then Irish freelance content writer Lucas Kennedy shows up in her office, competing for the promotion Marina was set on getting. When their bosses assign them a task of testing out dating locations, Marina plugs him into her dating app to see what she'll be working with and is shocked to see that he's the worst rated date on the app. They've always clashed even over email, but as they argue their way through the fake dates, Marina realizes that she's having more fun with a guy that seems so wrong for her than the perfect guys her app keeps setting her up with. Could Lucas actually be her Mr Right or is she just wasting her time?
This was a cute and fun enemies to lovers, fake dating office romance with a fast pace, lots of flirting and humor and moderate spice. I loved all the fun dating locations they tried out, especially the see throwing! These two were definitely an opposites attract couple.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I adore the cover and the blurb is so fun, so I was excited to jump into this one. Forsythe is a new-to-me author, and there were definitely things I liked about her writing. Unfortunately, I simply didn't connect to the heroine at all, and this is very much her story. She's so judgmental and makes so many assumptions, I just couldn't get behind some of her decisions. For that reason, the romance was tarnished for me, and I found myself skimming a lot - and it's not a particularly long book. So this was a miss for me, but I'm sure there are readers out there who are going to love it.

One of the best romances I’ve read this summer! It’s workplace nemesis-to-lovers set at an internet start-up in England. Marina Spicer is a coder, with a life-plan: work promotion, new apartment, a husband, and kids, and after wasting 15 years on her ex-boyfriend who didn’t want those things, she’s ready to enact her plan now. In an effort to cut the BS out of online dating, she created Dealbreakers - an app for women to rate their dates so that other women don’t waste their time. Enter Lucas Kennedy, an Irish writer who has been working remotely as a freelance writer for the startup, and has been trading passive-aggressive emails with Marina the whole time. When the pair are teamed up to compete on a project, the winner of which will receive a promotion, the sparks fly. Despite their intense attraction to one another, Dealbreakers reveals that Lucas is nothing Marina wants… except someone forgot to tell her heart… as they spend more and more time together, Marina begins to question of her dealbreakers are actually holding her back instead of helping her to move forward with her plan.

If you loved The Hating Game or Shipped, you will absolutely love Dealbreakers. The tension and attraction between Marina and Lucas is so thick you can practically cut it with a knife, and the push and pull between them has you screaming at Marina to just get her head out of her a$$ LOL