This was a fun, cute, and relaxing read that read like the best screwball movie. In equal turns this felt modern like the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and classic like I Love Lucy and that dichotomy really drew me in and held me. I loved how this book used an ironic twist of using a 1950's Dating Guide as the crux of the In Joke the reader was in on. This was a good read with banter and passion, personal reflection and a discussion of gender perspectives that will resonate with readers who enjoy a Battle of Sexes vibe.

One Sentence Review: With strong banter and a fun twist on a classic theme, The Rom Com was a quest weekend read!

Three and A Half Stars rounded up to four.

In The Rom Con by Devon Daniels, Cassidy Sutton turns an outdated 1950s dating guide into an ironic experiment for her popular online publication, intending to poke fun at its old-fashioned advice. However, as she secretly tests these retro tips on her professional rival, Jack Bradford, she discovers that the tactics unexpectedly start to resonate with her own beliefs about love. This romantic comedy offers a delightful mix of humor, romance, and modern reflections on gender dynamics, reminiscent of classics like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. With engaging characters and a compelling narrative, The Rom Con is a charming exploration of love, rivalry, and the quirks of courtship.

This book was AMAZING! It's a romantic comedy about antagonists becoming lovers and how deception may lead to true love! There is a rough third act breakup, but it finished perfectly, and the epilogue was fantastic!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing this digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Rom Con by Devon Daniels had well-developed characters and a plot that was engaging. This book was a great read. I highly recommend!

**Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the e-ARC. All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own.**

I started this and it just felt very juvenile and immature. I wanted to like the concept but couldn't get into it...

I loved this book and definitely want more! I couldn't put this down and finished it in one sitting. Predictable, yet funny and charming.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

While it was as predictable as expected, it was also as delightful as I had hoped. Sweet, funny, a wee bit steamy, and full of lovely moments.

This book was adorable! Devon Daniels never misses, and I can’t wait to see what she has next! The burn was soooo slow and I was so excited when these enemies became lovers! All the stars!

How many times have you heard your grandmother give dating advice only to roll your eyes and think she is so outdated? Well, this story puts the old fashioned theories of dating to the test. The Rom Con was a quick fun read that drew me in with humor and relatable characters. I listened to the book on Spotify and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

I absolutely loved this book! I was so thankful to receive the ARC as Daniels’ debut was one of my favorite romance reads last year. The Rom Con gave me allllll the How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes and I’m here for it! Also, I loved seeing mention of the Virginia Tech Hokies being a Hokie myself. I love when I can relate to authors on a personal level like that. I will read every book you write, Devon!

First let me say this - the book overall wasn't bad. It's just it felt like something I have read before and I didn't want to read again. It didn't feel original.

That being said, the writer isn't a bad writer. They are good. But I just couldn't get hooked.

I ended up really enjoying this book and it made me miss the early stages of dating when romance ruled! Cassidy is an editor for a women’s website who decides to fake date the owner of a rival men’s website. Fueled by feminism and wrath for their “Saturdays are for the bros” mantra, she decides to employ dating tactics from the 1960s to drive him away. At first I thought it would be a How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days ripoff, but the author (and character) acknowledges the similarities, and it takes a different turn. It took a while to get into the story and the character, but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down! Fun read for those who enjoy romantic comedies!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🔥🔥

Quick Breakdown

Rivals to Lovers
Stern Brunch Daddy
NYC Setting
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Single POV
Open Door - Mild Details

Thank you to @berkleyromance for the eARC & gifted finished copy & @prhaudio for the gifted ALC #berkleypartner

After being let down by another man, Cassie is encouraged by her grandmother to turn to the dating advice from her generation with the help of an article from the 1950’s promising 125 tips to landing a husband. As an editor / editor for Siren, a female run online publication, she takes the idea of using these thought-to-be-archaic dating tips to find a man & turns it into a story. And who better to test these strategies out on than Jack, head of Brawler & Siren’s nemesis.

I’m really torn over this one & I couldn’t be more distraught over it. Let’s start with the good: I enjoyed the writing, it was worth the wait for new words written by Devon. Also, I will always be here for strong female relationships & I loved the advice & support Cassie had in her grandmother & best friend. I also was a big fan of Jack. He was the perfect mix of an alpha personality but such a cinnamon roll for her. I enjoyed watching Cassie realizing Jack wasn’t really at all the man she thought he was. I went back & forth between the reading & listening & it must be noted the narration by Brittany Pressley is sublime.

While I loved the premise from the outset, I quickly realized I didn’t do well with the intended manipulation of Jack. So much so, that I struggled to pick this one up. It took me three weeks to finish, which is like forever to me. It felt like a classic “it’s not you, it’s me” situation. Maybe it was a mood thing, maybe I shouldn’t have forced it when I wasn’t feeling it. Idk 🤷🏻‍♀️
I still encourage everyone to give this one a go. It’s got all the potential to be a winner for you!

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬💭:
I actually almost DNF-ed this book because I had to put it in the back burner when Iron Flame came out. I’m so glad I picked it right back up because my goodness, what a super cute rom-com read taking a top spot on my romance reads this year 🥹

Thank you so much Barkley Romance for my free copy of this book!

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛📝:
When Cassidy recently goes tbrough a break up, her grandmother hands her an article from the 50’s about old fashioned tips on how to hook a husband. As a writer, this stirs an idea for an article to test out and see if it’s any good. Who better to experiment on other than the man who’s the co-founder of the chauvinistic rival company of the one she works for, Jack Bradford.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Wow, I didn’t expect to love this book as much, but I am smitten! Jack Bradford was so dreamy and literally made my heart skip a beat while i read this book. I love the vulnerability the two MCs displayed despite their facade, that the author knocked it out of the park by making it feel so raw. My heart just melted as the tension started to rise. And if you like banter, this one’s got plenty. It was beautiful how the story just touched themes of the patriarchal society we live in, the trials women face in career paths and dating in this day and age. Really fascinating how she weaved this all intricately and seamlessly. If you loved the movie How To Lose A Guy in 10 days, this is a good spin to it that you’ll love just the same.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘛𝘰 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘈 𝘎𝘶𝘺 𝘐𝘯 10 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘭, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘢, 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮, 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴

The description referenced How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, but in my humble opinion this take on a similar premise is much much better. Both leads are likeable and understandable, and the plot carefully delves out piece by piece an intriguing puzzle and battle of wits.

I adored this book! How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a favorite movie of mine, and this book follows a similiar storyline. Devon Daniels can do no wrong in my book!!

I really enjoyed this flirty romance, which had great characters (especially Gran) and a fun premise. I also love that it took place in NYC and I felt like I was in the city with Cassidy and Jack as the story was being told.

The chemistry between Cassidy and Jack was sizzling, even when Cassidy originally didn't like him and wanted to make an example of him. I just loved their banter and watching them get to know each other. The steamy scenes were enhanced by their intense attraction to each other. I also like that the conflict took some time to get resolved, as it's rushed in a lot of the rom-coms I've read.

My only concern, which is totally mild given I love pop culture, is how many pop culture references are peppered through the story. I felt like Cassidy was constantly making comparisons to movies and TV shows. Sometimes it was fun and amusing, but after a while it got to be a bit extra.

Overall, an enjoyable rom-com! I definitely need to go back and read Meet You in the Middle and I look forward to whatever else Devon Daniels is cooking up next.

Movie casting suggestions:
Cassidy: Natalia Dyer
Jack: Harry Richardson
Gran: Shirley MacLaine

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙢𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡.

📍 Read if you like:
• Rivals To Lovers
• Slow Burn Romances
• One-Sided Fake Dating
• 1950’s Dating Tips

I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book going into it, but I’m so glad I did. The beginning pulled me in right away and I loved the 1950’s dating tips.

This felt like one of those nostalgic romantic comedies and I really enjoyed it. The story follows Cassidy and Jack, and I loved the rivalry in this book. I also loved the fun take on a workplace romance with these characters.

Cassidy was great in this book, but Jack was on another level. I absolutely loved the way this book wrote this character and absolutely loved the way he acted. I also really enjoyed Cassidy’s grandma!

The banter in this was exceptionally good, I couldn’t stop giggling at the banter. Also, the pop culture references scattered throughout the book were phenomenal - I know many people didn’t enjoy them, but I did. The chemistry?!? Absolutely amazing!

The only reason this isn’t a five-star is because it felt chick-lit at times, which isn’t a genre I’m a fan of. There were also some cheesy scenes I didn’t care for.

Overall, this was a fun, nostalgic romcom with enjoyable characters. I really like the way these characters had a rivalry and the chemistry was so well written. This was so entertaining and I had a great time reading this.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Berkley for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

•𝗧𝗪/𝗖𝗪: Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual Content

I was excited to check this one out based on the comparisons to "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," plus I'm always a sucker for rivails-to-lovers romances. I can definitely see where the comparisons come in, and the story mostly follows through on the premise. I will say, however, that the love interest kind of side-stepped many of the original issues that are presented regarding his publication and the problematic/sexist stuff they print. It just....never really gets dealt with? He just turns out to be a nice guy personally? I wish a bit more had been done to flesh out this aspect of the story,.

I was also a bit frustrated by the numerous references in this book. As a millennial woman, these references were definitely of the sort that were targeted to my demographic, and I even found myself enjoying a decent number of them. But man, they just kept coming and at a certain point it became distracting for my reading experience.

I did enjoy the character, overall. Cassidy was a strong female character and Jack had a good balance of confident energy while side-stepping the arrogant line fairly nicely. They also had good chemistry and I enjoyed watching their relationship build up, As this is probably the most crucial aspect of a good romance novel, I do think this one was overall fairly successful. While I had a few nit-picks here and there, I think many romance readers will very much enjoy this one!