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.

Read if you like:
❤️ Romances
💘 Bad Boys
😡 You Loved The Hating Game
😆 witty writing
🔥 undeniable Chemistry

This one was such a fun read that really embodies the phrase don’t judge a book by its cover as far as the characters making judgements about each other on first impressions.

I really loved the hating game when I read it in 2021 so this was bound to be a slam dunk for me when there was that comparison made and I was right about that because the tension and banter was phenomenal.

Overall this is such a solid romance and really loved all the vibes and recommend reading it for anyone that love enemies to lovers and tension!

Thanks so much GP Putnam Sons for my ARC!

The banter in this was amazing and it really sold the chemistry between Marina and Lucas. This was an enemies to lovers, fake-dating, work competition romance that just shined. Marina created an app that assists online daters by allowing them to list the things they liked or didn't like about their dates, to essentially save from wasting time with the wrong person. Lucas has his own ideas and in order to vie for a promotion, the two are sent on various "dates" to test their theories. Lucas ticks off every box on her Dealbreakers app, but spending time with him soon has her realizing the flaws in her system. I adored Lucas as a character and although the spice in this is almost nonexistent, it works here. A fantastic read for anyone who loves a sweet, well-developed, romance with a lot of witty banter. 4 stars. Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Omg this was such a fluffy and nice read, I loved it <3 it's an enemies to lovers (sorry, work nemesis but he actually likes her but she's clueless to lovers) in office trope and it was insanely fun to read. The banter and the slow transformation from enemies to smiley friends to lovey dopey lovers was so cute <3 I also loved the emotional growth of the MCs and the eventual hea, it was so wholesome!

TWs - online hate (sort of), sudden end of a long relationship (past), cheating, continued pestering and nuisance by an ex

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

There is nothing I love more than a workplace enemies to lovers romance and Lauren Forsythe DELIVERED! Marina Spicer has a vision of where the company she works at should go and hopes there is as promotion involved. But when Lucas Kennedy a freelance copywriter hoping to score a full time gig challenges Marina the bosses set up a line up of activities to see whose idea is more compatible. The tension is high and the jabs are personal, but the more time they spend together the more they can't resist the chemistry between them. Can they keep things strictly platonic? Or will the chemistry between move things from co-workers to lovers?

Marina is this uptight woman looking for the perfect man to complete her happily ever after. Lucas is this loose cannon flying with the wind. He is there to throw her completely off guard. It was so perfect! I loved their jabs back and forth which eventually turned into inside jokes. This book was fun while addressing some deeper topics about love and life. Lucas has a bruised love life, while Marina has a dealbreakers list a mile long and is unintentionally keeping love at arms length. I totally can relate to her struggles there. I really enjoy the fact that he fell first. I feel like that isn't a trope explored enough. There is a big miscommunication trope involved here which isn't my favorite trope, but I thought it was pretty realistically handled.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 8/1!

When I saw this book had a tech developer as the FMC, I was very excited (Yay for women in STEM)! However, the first half of this book was a bit sluggish and felt whiny. I loved Marina’s friend group and how supportive they were of each other. The friends (and other supporting characters) were written really well. Seeing Marina go through various dates after checking the men in her Dealbreakers app was humorous, but really for the first few times. Lucas was obviously the MMC the second he came into the picture and started aggravating Marina. He was charming, but the opposite of everything Marina wanted. As the book moved on, I was impressed with the depth of the characters and their growth throughout their journeys. Their banter was good and they build some great tension. The book got better the more I read and the last quarter was really excellent. There was good chemistry between the characters even though spicy acts were not described (closed-door romance). Overall, this is a cute read that shows good character development and growth while having an original concept. 3.5⭐️, 1🌶

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

2.5 stars

I really struggled with this book for some reason. I think it was mostly that I just didn’t like the main character, Marina. She seemed really annoying. I also didn’t love that most chapters started with a bad review of Lucas. He really wasn’t set up to succeed. I also felt like the activities they were doing weren’t things you’d book through a website like this, except maybe the dancing. If someone wants to book an escape room they’re just going to google one. Thankfully this was a pretty quick read, because I did have to get myself to keep opening the book instead of switching to something else.

Probably wouldn’t recommend.

MARINA AND LUCAS!!! DROP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND READ THIS BOOK! Its different and funny and sexy and silly and a quick and cute read. I read this as a part of an arc and it did not disappoint.

Lauren was a mastermind when she wrote this one :)

This was a fun book about work nemesis engaging in a challenge to get a promotion , to instead find love.

I liked seeing Marina’s progression throughout the book. At first I was worried about her plans, and her desire to stick to them so intensely. I have feelings about stories that feature 30-year olds who feel like their life isn’t on track since they haven’t found a partner and aren’t on the way to a family.

It was fun to see Marina and Lucas go in the adventures together. See them fight and then open up to each other about their pasts.

I liked Marina’s friends and how they supported her through her desire to find someone who matched her list but then also pushed her to tear the list up.

Basically this one was cute, and also a pretty fast read. Would recommend.

I thought this one was not that great. The main character felt very judgmental and I didn’t like that. I am happy she got everything she wanted in the end. But ugh just didn’t like it.

this book was fast paced and enjoyable. I loved the character development of Marina and Liam throughout the book. The story also had moments that had me laughing out loud. This book shows its ok to change your life along the way from what you originally had planned.

I didn’t really like the heroine of this novel. She has not had any luck in dating so she created a dating app which is sort of a Yelp for women to comment on their dates. You can imagine how toxic that might soon become. Yet Marina still checks it out. And now she is competing for a promotion at work over a pretty stupid plot device. Marina and the sexy Irish writer, Lucas, work at a start-up app company to give fun advice about places to visit and activities in London. Marina thinks they should aim that groups while Lucas says they should aim at couples. No one seems to wonder why they can’t target marketing at both audiences because that wouldn’t give Marina and Lucas something to argue about.

So the bosses assign Marina and Lucas to go explore three different activities for…some reason. Mostly it’s a plot device so they can argue and fall for each other.

If you totally suspend disbelief, their interactions were rather cute, but of course we know that lurking in the background is Marina’s Dealbreakers app and what other women said about Lucas. I really dislike romances where there is some secret that one is hiding from the other so you know it’s all going to come out and blow up in their romance until they decide to get over it.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

This book. This book is the perfect example of why I don't judge an author by the first book that you read! I read The Fixer Upper last year, and while I enjoyed it, it wasn't my favorite book. DEALBREAKERS, on the other hand, I could not put down! I was so invested in the competition and the Dealbreakers app, and how everything would hit the fan that I could not stop reading.

rating: 4.5 STARS
genre: romance
steam: fade-to-black

I absolutely loved the various activities that Rina and Lucas did together - from ax throwing to escape rooms, you could feel the chemistry on the page and it made every moment that much more delicious. The banter was absolutely top notch and the sexual tension...I felt like I could physically feel it. Their relationship builds slowly and realistically and I really enjoyed seeing them slowly get to know each other.

I love how Forsythe builds relationships - especially female relationships! This book highlights all different personalities sand lifestyles and shows how they all work together. Rina and her best friends were one of the highlights of the book! I hope they pop up in the future, because I think it would be a lot of fun.

I think my only complaint would be that I wish the Dealbreakers app had been fleshed out more. It's referred to a lot, but you don't really know much about how it works, how Rina built it, etc.

TLDR: Banter and tension were amazing. Read for a quick, summer romance!

I wasn't expecting to get immediately hooked into this book - but I definitely did and kept finding any available moment to finish the book. Marina and Lucas have great chemistry - anytime they verbally battle with each other - it's fantastic. Their personalities balance each other out well - Marina is the perfect amount of sassy and Lucas is so damn charming, yet sincere. I would have loved for this to be a dual POV - and I definitely wanted Marina to meet Lucas's niece Millie earlier in the novel and see him more in his element as the fun uncle. This was such a quick read for me - fun and flirty. Great for for enemies-to-lovers and workplace romance fans. Thank you to Penguin Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.

This was sitting firmly at. 3 star read for me it was cute, the banter was great, the competition was fun. So where did it all go wrong?
The epilogue. The pregnancy trope ruins it every time for me, especially when thrown in, in the final 2 pages. The book itself probably could have used 30-50 more pages, some things just felt rushed and I would have liked to see more fleshed out. Like the the main character punching her ex in the face.

I’m going to be very honest I am a very big hater of the pregnancy trope and of romance stories where that is a woman’s only goal, to get married and have children as soon as possible… That is just my personal opinion!! YET…. I could see past it in this story a lot… I feel as though while having children was something our main character did want to some extent, it was more a pressure from her mother and feeling as though she lost that “dream” from her previous relationship that made her constantly come back to it in this story.

Honestly the way they approached Marina’s EX was so mature, I honestly would have reeked HAVOC. Mans straight up was the worst. A scumbag and one of those situations that made my jaw drop…

But of course Mr. Handsome himself, Lucas, really made it up for me… I know we aren’t supposed to be “charmed” by him but I just can’t help it… He is too smooth I fell too fast…. Almost as fast as he fell for Marina! *wink wink*

Overall, Marina & Lucas made for a light and easy read and lots of swooning and giggles!


Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!!

Dealbreakers was a sweet romance that reiterates not to hold tight to what you believe is imperative to happiness. It also shines a light on societal expectations for women of a certain age.
I love a “he falls first” trope and it makes you want to protect Lucas at all costs. Marina has a lot of qualities you want to strangle her with- but they are important to her arc.
This was a cute read and will be interested to see what else Lauren writes going forward.

Special thanks to Net Galley and Penguin Group Putnam for sharing this advanced digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.