Dating is like navigating a minefield, so many hidden explosives that threaten to blow up.
Marina developed a little app so women could add notes to their dating experience, a novel idea.
Of course she starts hanging out with Lucas, who has received some of the worst scores.
Is she wasting time or is there really something there?
It’s a cute angle for a rom-com and the ending was good.

Dealbreaker is a fun read. It started strong for me but ended slow. but overall I enjoy reading it and will recommend to others.
Thank you Netgalley for the Advance E-readers copy.

3.5 stars

I greatly enjoyed Lauren Forsythe's debut The Fixer Upper, so it was an absolute no-brainer to pick up Dealbreakers. Her particular brand of women's fiction is definitely more grounded than most, which is such a treat as I have grown to find most books of the genre to be overly twee or underdeveloped in the romance department.

Dealbreakers, while treading familiar ground, is an immensely enjoyable read that made me long for that fireworks feeling of falling in love. It's light, it's fun, and a great reminder that love can find you in the most unexpected of places. Reading this was an absolute delightful way to spend a rainy weekend afternoon and I hope that other readers get to enjoy Marina and Lucas as much as I did!

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Marina Spicer is a coder living in London, trying to get back into the dating game to get "back on track" after her boyfriend of 15 years leaves her. She has everything all planned out about her future and is frustrated by the men she meets and is feeling stuck in her job. To get a promotion and move ahead, however, she has to work with her nemesis to prove that the fun activities the company promotes are better for friend events, not dates.

This was a really unexpected book for me. I liked the setting, the banter, the friendships, and really connected with Marina's feelings of being stuck, not good enough, and not living the life she wants to be. Marina and Lucas' relationship was cute and never felt forced or off. I also really liked Marina's support system with her friends and her dad (♥️) encouraging her to get out there and try more things. The only thing I didn't really care for was the epilogue - I thought it ended perfectly without it!

Dealbreakers was a cute, easy read. Work enemies to lovers trope with forced proximity but no spice. I enjoyed the storyline, but things seemed to progress either really slow, or really quick. It had a great cast of characters though and good banter.

Marina is a coder who has invented an app called Dealbreakers. It’s basically a rating system for people on dating apps; if the real life person matched what they have on their profile and if they are good people just not right for them. (This is a genius idea!)

At work, she’s on the road to promotion, but her email only colleague is in her way. When Lucas shows up to the office, she can’t believe this handsome (and tattooed) man is the same person she’s been corresponding with. Their boss decides to send them on some dates to test new ideas for things to do. The series of dates they go on was absolutely hilarious especially the axe throwing date. Marina can’t help but take a look at Lucas’ profile and he has one of the worst reports on the whole app. Apparently, he’s famous for making women feel like they are one in a million and then just leaving them.

Marina loves getting to know Lucas and she’s getting very close. But she can’t help be wonder if the dealbreakers comments are telling her something. Should she listen to her own instincts?

I highly recommend listening to the audiobook. Lucas’ Northern Irish accent will have you absolutely swooning. I loved that Marina made her own app! I loved that she had a real job she worked hard to get and was successful. Thank you @putnambooks, @laurenforsthye and @prhaudio for my gifted ebook. Dealbreakers is out on August 1!

4.5 stars

Fun, witty and enjoyable enemies to lovers plot. Took a few chapters to get me engaged but overall I enjoyed the story.

I’m a bit conflicted on this one. I think I liked it, I flew through it, but something about it just rubbed me the wrong way. I think it all just felt a bit judgy? Like one way of life is “right” and one is “wrong”. I don’t know, maybe I need to think on it some more cause I thought the romance was fun with them being work nemesis of sorts and then being forced to do these activities together, getting to know each other along the way.

Tropes:
💻 workplace romance
🤭 banter
❤️ "darling"
👥 forced proximity

single POV
3/5 stars ⭐️
0/5 spice level 🌶️

Ｒ Ｅ Ｖ Ｉ Ｅ Ｗ 🪓❤️

ᴅᴇᴀʟʙʀᴇᴀᴋᴇʀꜱ
ʙʏ: ʟᴀᴜʀᴇɴ ꜰᴏʀꜱʏᴛʜᴇ
ᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ: ᴀᴜɢᴜꜱᴛ 1, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

This book was overall just good fun to read. With enemies to lovers, chemistry, forced proximity, and a charming guy with an accent; it was a sweet read that you won’t want to put down.

Synopsis: Coder Marina Spicer has no time to waste when it comes to love, hence her long list of dealbreakers. Frustrated by the online dating world, she created Dealbreakers, an anonymous app where women review how men stack up to their internet profiles. Her high standards have served her well at work, so why not in love?

Enter Lucas Kennedy. A charming Irish content writer, he’s the only one standing between Marina and her long-deserved promotion. Much to Marina’s chagrin, the two are paired on a project to test out date ideas, ultimately determining which of them will run the department. Taking a peek at Dealbreakers hoping to learn some dirt about her rival, she finds he’s the worst-rated man on the entire app.

As Lucas and Marina argue their way through mixing cocktails, salsa dancing, and throwing axes, Marina finds herself having more fun than she’s had in years. So when temptation becomes too strong to resist, Marina allows herself to break some of her own rules. After all, if the Dealbreakers say he’s Mr. Wrong, he can’t possibly be Mr. Right . . . can he?

I really enjoyed watching Marina’s feelings for Lucas develop over the book. She was so stuck on her checklist of what she wanted in a relationship and life that all along in front of her stood Lucas who absolutely adored her. I would recommend this heart and humor book to anyone that loves a good romcom.

ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ @netgalley & penguin group @putnambooks ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴀᴅᴠᴀɴᴄᴇᴅ ᴄᴏᴘʏ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇꜱᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ

*4.5

This was super cute! I liked seeing her slowly fall for Lucas without knowing it. She was so stuck on what she wanted in a relationship that she didn't see what was right in front of her. He was so patient and kind of obsessed with her and I loved it.

I received an arc through netgalley.

My heart is full.
I stayed up way too late and "just one more chaptered" my way to finishing. I smirked, smiled, and laughed my way through this one - a perfect romantic comedy in my book. This is easily a top contender for favorite contemporary romance of 2023.
Marina is practical. She'll give up swooning to get what she wants: a promotion, beautiful flat, stable husband and a penguin family. Growing up an only child of soulmates made for a lonely childhood but she knows she can have it all even if a romance is lackluster. Creating Dealbreakers, an app that allows women to date and rate men from dating apps, helps her weed through the guys only looking for a hookup. With her eye on a promotion, Marina shares her vision of the future only to be thwarted (again!) by the ever-charming Lucas, her nemesis.
It's the women's fiction/romance mash-up with the perfect amount of funny I can adore. There's so many relatable and quotable moments. I loved the full cast and most especially Lucas's brand of quick wit and charm. Lauren is officially on my auto-buy list.
Thank you to Putnam and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to the author, Lauren Forsythe, Putnam Books, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on August 1, 2023.

This was a cute rom-com! The MCs had great banter and chemistry. The story had a good plot and I’m a sucker for fake dating and loved the “dates” they went on.

I liked how Marina came to terms with herself that life doesn’t always go as planned. When you lose someone, you can’t just pick back up where you left of on with your plans with a “replacement” and be happy. And Lucas was a charming and charismatic character that opened up his heart again after being done SO WRONG in the past.

I would definitely recommend this!

Marina has her life planned out—she wants the white picket fence with 2.5 kids and the perfect husband. Everything is going according to plan until her childhood sweetheart breaks up with her and tells her he doesn’t want the same things she does. She’s sick of going on bad dates and creates an app called Dealbreakers where women can give feedback on their dates. Then her bosses put her up for promotion against her work rival, Lucas, going through a series of activities together to see who gets the promotion. Not only is he her rival, but he has more dealbreakers listed on her app than anyone else. But that doesn’t stop her from enjoying their time together and wanting more with him.

I won’t lie…Marina annoyed me at first. I just wanted to jump into the book and yell at her to stop following her checklist and notice the man in front of her!! Lucas was absolutely charming. He helped Marina grow and realize that maybe going off track is the right move. I also absolutely loved the activities that they had to do for their competition. The cocktail making activity and chapter was my absolute favorite. This book was the perfect example of workplace enemies-to-lovers and opposites attract!

Marina thought she had her whole life figured out until the man she has been together with for 15 years called it quits. Now, almost a year later, she is still trying to find Mr. Right. But the tattooed, charismatic, work rival Lucas can not be it...right?

I loved this book. I really am in my British Romcom era.

Marian and Lucas: these two are literally everything. I adored so much about them. This is an enemies to lovers and I can't decide if I like them more as enemies or lovers honestly. Lucas is all charm and that comes across in every conversation. It was great seeing Marina come around to seeing beyond that charm though.

The events: Their job sends them on "outings" which are amazing. Cocktail making, escape rooms, hikes...they are all a really great vehicle to show their romance.

The underlying issues: Marina is actually struggling with a lot that it takes her time to come around to realizing. I completely broke down with her a couple of times. This book is much more than just a romcom.

All in all, I adored this book. It has heart and humor. I didn't find it slow or drawn out at all!

-enemies to lovers
-British romcom
-closed door

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. My reviews are always honest.

Cute and fun! Marina makes an app called "dealbreakers" to see if she can weed out men faster as she's in her 30's and wants to start a family ASAP. As you can imagine this doesn't work out as she planned (the moment she realized it was very well done). She's looking for steady and stable, spark is optional. Only she ends up feeling spark with her work nemesis Lucas. This was a really well done enemies to lovers, Lucas was a bit of a jerk at first, but not so much that he couldn't make up for it and win Marina over.

I could have done without the epilogue however. I’m over these over the top sugary sweet epilogues where a specific romance thing happens. They were just fine at the end of the book!!

Let me start by saying that how witty & funny this book was. The animosity between Marina & Lucas gave a hate-to-love situation, which I thrived on.

I loved how Lucas & Marina went on "test" dates. Set in the tech world, this was definitely a fresh take on that trope of romance.

Amidst all, I kinda wanted a little bit more tension, but nevertheless, it was a quick read to have expected more.
Lucas was charming as hell & I absolutely loved the banter between them. Amazing side characters for the points, too!

<>Thank you netgalley and publisher for the arc, in exchange for an honest review.<i>

Started: 07/20/23
Finished: 07/21/23
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for providing me with an eARC for this book in exchange for my honest review.

A round of applause for my new favorite read of 2023. Wow! This book y’all! This book! Please stop what you’re doing and add this book to your TBR! I was excited to read this because the blurb sounded exactly like the types of books I love. I had high hopes for it, and it did not disappoint me!

This book is perfect for fans of:
✔️ enemies to lovers
✔️ witty banter
✔️ office romance
✔️ forced proximity
✔️ He falls first

Right off the bat, Marina (our FMC) reminded me so much of the old me. It made me have an instant like for her, because I could relate and understand her issues. She set unreasonable timelines for herself, believed she was running out of time, and she stopped living in the moment. This book helped me see those issues from different perspectives, and it felt like a breath of fresh air.

As soon as we meet Lucas (our MMC), I knew I didn’t stand a chance. He won be over with his cheesy shirts, charming personality, and his way of looking at the bright side in every situation. Not to mention the fact that he called Marina “love” and “darling”. I was swooning! He said exactly what he was thinking and feeling, and as someone who really dislikes miscommunication, I LOVED THIS! He was exactly what Marina needed, even if it took her longer to realize it.

One of the biggest lessons, if you could call it that, that I took away from this book, is that life doesn’t always work out the way we planned then. Sometimes we need to deviate from our plans, especially if we’ve tried over and over again and it’s just not working. And that’s totally okay! Sometimes what we think we need or want isn’t what’s right for us. We can find love in places where we least expected it, and sometimes we don’t even stand a chance because our hearts make that chose for us.

I loved reading about the activities that Marina and Lucas would go on, because they sounded like so much fun. I found myself wanting to book those same activities, and wishing I’d meet my very own Lucas. He was so effortlessly charming, I couldn’t help but fall in love with him.

I was around the halfway mark when I knew this would be a 5 star read for me, unless something really bad happened. I went through every emotion while reading the book. Marina’s past with her ex really hit close to home because it was as if I was reading my own story. It was like I was looking at a version of myself from years ago. I love it when a book makes me feel like I’m a part of the story, and this book definitely did that for me.

This book came at a great time for me to read. It’s almost like I was getting an awakening, and validation that I made the right choices. I’m telling y’all, this book really spoke to me, and I loved every single thing about it.

Did I go preorder the physical book as soon as I was done with the ARC? You bet I did! And it will be money well spent. I can’t wait to read more books by this beautiful author!

(3.5 Stars) Dealbreakers is an enjoyable romance/women’s fiction novel. Marina Spicer is a coder working for a start up in London. Her boyfriend of 15 years broke up with her on the 30th birthday because he didn’t want to start a family. She is on a mission to not waste time only wanting to date people who are serious about wanting the same things she does. In the mean time at work she pitches an idea that invovles using the start up app to facilitate group activities. Make it easy for groups of people to organize and plan activities, split costs etc. Freelance writer Lucas Kennedy who has caused her a lot of extra work speaks up saying no they should use the same idea for dates. The bosses decided to send the pair our on some sample activities to see which is the better idea. The winner gets a big promotion.

Now the contest honestly is a silly idea because obviously anything you can do on a date can be equally fun as a group activity so the company would be lame not to embrace both ideas. But it is writing ruse to put the nemeses (Marina’s word) together. We get to learn about them, their romantic history and plans for the future. They do activities like ax throwing, drink making, dancing etc. The story is also filled out by Marina’s best friends, and parents.

This is a light and flirty closed door romance. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review.

This was a really fun workplace romance about two rivals competing for a promotion. I loved all the “dates” they went on for work and how their chemistry developed beyond just being nemesis through these adventures. Also, I liked how the main character worked in the tech industry and was a coder working on a dating app where women can write all of the red flags from the dates they went on (seemed very relevant to today’s world). Plus, her supportive group of friends added a lot of warmth and humor to the story. I will say there were two side storylines, one with her mom and one with her ex, that I wish had more development and closure. Still, this was an enjoyable rom-com and strong sophomore novel!

Read if you like:
-Woman in STEM
-Enemies to lovers
-Workplace romance
-Irish hero
-He falls first
-The Hating Game

Pub 8/1/23

Tbh, this was probably closer to 3.75⭐️ for me.

I enjoyed Marina and Lucas’ story, especially their witty banter.

The main reason issue I had with this story was how the subject of an intimate relationship was brought up by the MMC, it felt a little forced and out of place, and briefly made me dislike Lucas’ character.

Overall, I enjoyed Marina’s journey of growth and acceptance that life doesn’t have to go according to a plan you drafted when you were fifteen, and that the unexpected can be even better than the expected.