It sounded great and was right up my alley. I absolutely love the way she writes though and think she’s a great story teller. I just sadly didn’t resonate with any of the characters. Just because I didn’t enjoy it doesn’t mean it’s a bad book.

Devon Daniels, of polarizing fame with her debut Meet You In The Middle, has returned with another similar book but instead of politics she's diving into the patriarchy. It's very How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Cassidy works for Siren, a feminist news website. Jack is the co-founder of Brawler, a misogynistic news website. When Cassidy's grandmother offers her some 1950s dating advice to overcome her most recent break up, she takes that as a pitch to Siren. She'll test out the advice on unwitting men and write a think piece on it. Okay, fine. Perfect. Let's go.

Then she meets Jack and the plan grows like it's on steroids. He can be her subject of all the 1950s advice and when he unwittingly reveals himself as the misogynistic creep Cassidy knows he must be, Siren will spring the trap on him and take down Brawler once and for all. I mean, that seems ethically shady and grounds for a potential lawsuit, but let's ignore that bit of reality, shall we?

The problem is Jack isn't interested in playing along with her 1950s advice and turns out to be a good guy who likes regular Cassidy. Cassidy is flummoxed--how to get him to be the misogynist she knows he is deep down?

The Rom Con did really hook me over and over again. I felt like Cassidy's voice was readable and fun, even though I did not understand at least half of her constant pop culture references. I felt like the plot trucked along at a quick pace and anyone could spend a couple of days reading this by a pool and be perfectly happy with their choices.

But I can't give it five stars. I felt like the book shied away from the theme and even got a little confused about what it was trying to do. Comparing Siren and Brawler, and by proxy feminists and misogynists, and taking the stance that feminism can be just as toxic as misogyny supposes that a) feminism and misogyny are two sides of the same coin (they are not) and b) that men and women are on equal footing and that one sex has not been oppressing the other since the dawn of civilization. But I'm a feminist, so what do I know?

I was also disappointed in the book's resolution. The love interest's direct connection to Brawler is never interrogated and he is repeatedly viewed through this lens as The Sane One Here, while Cassidy is forced to confront her own mindset repeatedly. Jack gets off scot-free, simply writing off his creation as a thing for 18-24 year old men, never mind that he's wildly popular with men in their 30s. He essentially says, "Not all men, Cassidy!" and Cassidy essentially agrees. Then he's too easily redeemed considering his ultimate reactions were over the top in comparison to the main character's sins, which did not nearly rise to the same level as his actions. Mostly everything felt like deal breakers to me and it was hard to impossible to get back on board with the HEA, so I imagine reactions to this with readers will vary.

A good solid rom-com! I had enjoyed the author’s previous work, Meet You in the Middle. I love books where the characters have great chemistry with witty banter. I think this is where Devon Daniels really shines. When I saw The Rom Con was available as an eARC, I knew I had to request it. Best of all, as someone who appreciates vintage fashion and movies, I knew I had to read this. I was not disappointed by all the humour, swoony moments, and witty dialogue. Jack and Cassidy made a great couple and I thought the ending was sweet. The conflicts were a little silly sometimes, but it added to the drama and kept it interesting. I didn’t always agree with the author’s take on feminism, but it didn’t detract me from enjoying the book. However, as a librarian, I might not always suggest or professionally recommend this book because of that. It would depend on the patron and their book preferences.

Three things I love about this book:
Retro/Vintage everything.
Pop Culture references like crazy
Banter. Smart, smart banter

I adored Daniels first book so much and have been anxiously waiting for her sophomore novel to appear. It was absolutely worth the wait. When Cassidy's gran gives her some books and articles of dating advice from the 50's, she laughs. And then decides to use these tools to "catch a man" for an article for her job. This story levels up when her chosen target is rival website owner, Jack.

What Cassidy doesn't expect is for the tips to actually work and for Jack to be not only a little resistant, but more than she expected. It's smart and completely swoony. It's filled with excellent family and friends. It was completely bingeable and practically perfect. I can't wait to put my hands on a paper copy and reread parts as needed.

I liked Cassidy and Jack, and they seemed to be a good couple. The book was solidly fine. I finished it two nights ago, and I don't remember much of it, other than that some of the problems felt contrived. It was standard Rom-Com fare, as expected. There were a ton of pop culture references that felt appropriate since they both worked in media, but the references really did get old. Some of them felt really dated, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

This was just what I wanted. It’s sweet, romantic, important and funny. Cassidy and Jack are such real characters and perfectly shine on the page. They are so real and flawed but work together to find their way to one another. Overall, I liked the cute story. It was unique in the offerings of romance novels that are out there.

I cannot even begin to say how much I enjoyed The Rom Com by Devon Daniels. I have a very full and long review to post but as I am recovering at the moment I just wanted to put down some quick thoughts. I’m always fond of a great book and Berkley never disappoints, but this may be one of my absolute favorites so far. How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days ha also been a huge favorite movie of mine so any book that has that type of vibe immediately grabs my attention. I feel there have been books trying to similarly capture what that movie had in book firm, but no one has quite got it like Devon Daniels. I was immediately drawn in and could picture Kate Hudson speaking the words of our book heroine. I loved her relationship with her grandmother, the relatable dialogue, and let’s not forget our love interest who was layered and interesting much Like Matthew McConaughey s character not just one dimensional. The cover was absolutely gorgeous and I know our readers are going to love this one! Definitely going to make this a book club pick and can’t wait to share my full review. Beyond thank ful Berkley I needed a great read to get me out of my reading slump and you outdid yourselves.