This was an easy and delightful read! It is perfect for all of those who love rom coms!! Truly it a treasure of easter eggs!!

I have such a hard time picking a favorite — but How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is definitely in the top 3. Devon Daniels delivers a hilarious and swoony romance inspired by the rom-com, and oh my goodness did it bring me all the giggles and flutters! I absolutely loved the characters, the story, and the balance between Cassidy & Jack’s romance, and Cassidy’s personal growth. This is a book I already can’t wait to re-read!⁣⁣
⁣⁣
The Rom Con is out now so go check it out!

Devon Daniels' "The Rom Con" is a riotous romantic comedy that delivers laughter with a side of unexpected twists. From the onset, the novel catapults readers into a whirlwind of hilarious romantic misadventures, keeping them on the edge of their seats. The characters, a lovable ensemble of quirky personalities, stumble through awkward courtship moments that will leave you grinning. What sets this rom-com apart is the unpredictable twist – a narrative acrobatics maneuver that adds an extra layer of excitement. Daniels' impeccable comedic timing turns cringe-worthy dates and awkward encounters into a comedy of errors, while the unexpected plot twist elevates the storyline. "The Rom Con" is a rollercoaster of love, laughter, and surprises, making it a must-read for those seeking a delightful escape into the unpredictability of romance.

I fun and addicting read. I enjoyed the characters.
The writing style definitely hooks you in. Recommend to those who love Rom com books

Do you ever put off reading a book without any reason? I procrastinated picking up this widget (thank you Berkley!), grabbing it the day before it was archived on NetGalley, and I procrastinated reading it, waiting until I could check out the audiobook from my library (since it was already after publication date). Why?!
I listened to the first 25% the other morning while running errands, and The Rom Con was so cute that I opened the ARC on my Kindle and settled in to read a few chapters as soon as I returned home. While I was cooking dinner I switched back to the audio, then I read the last few chapters while watching football, and just like that I was finished with the book! Someone asked recently what was the last book I binged in a day and now my answer is this one 🤓
The plot of The Rom Con is similar to How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (and references it multiple times), which is one of my favorite romcoms ever. Cassidy’s grandmother suggests some old-fashioned tips to attract a husband, and Cassidy attempts to use them, while writing an article for her boss about the effects. She also chooses her boss’s rival’s founder to use as her target, as they have just had a hilarious meet cute. As you can imagine, Cassidy falls for Jack, who turns out to be quite lovely, even though his company was brash and misogynistic. And the grandmother is a fantastic character in this one! I am going to have to read Devon’s debut, Meet Me in the Middle, after loving this book, because i have read lots of positive reviews for that one, too. All opinions are my own.

This book was phenomenal.

I’m sad I left it on my shelf for so long.

I ended up getting a loan off Libby for the audio version. Fantastic! Couldn’t have loved it more

Slow burn, enemy to lovers, friends to lovers, the drama, a third act breakup that I didn’t mind. But I have to say my favorite aspect of all of it was the continued book and movie/TV references.

This might be a top 10 for 2024 for me. I absolutely loved this book. There’s not one thing I didn’t love about this book.

This book was so much fun! The premise of this one is perfection, and effortlessly pulled off in the writing. I absolutely loved the tv show and movie references (especially the Magnum PI era Tom Selleck- loved our conversation about this Devon! And yes, I have the whole series on DVD 😂) Also, can every book please have a hilarious grandma character? She’s my fave! I can definitely see this book being made into a movie!

3 stars.

Unfortunately I wasn't as captivated by the Rom-Con as I was for DD's debut, Meet You In The Middle. I wasn't very invested in Jack and Cassidy's story. I do like Devon's writing style, however, at times, the writing felt like it was stuck in early 2000s with all of the references to millenial pop-culture, especially considering the leads are in their mid-20s in 2023. I'll still try DDs next book, however, this one overall was a miss for me.

I really enjoyed Daniels’ debut novel, but this one was even better. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is one of the most iconic romcoms and there aren’t enough retellings of it in my opinion. This book was funny and very romantic. Despite dealing with outdated dating advice, Cassidy took the intentions behind them and translated it into modern day acts of love for her partner. I really loved the reasonings she provided for why she did certain things for Jack to make him feel special and cared for, just as much as I appreciated seeing him equally give back to her (not quite the 1950s relationship). There were a few things that her Gran advised her to do that made me instantly want to say no, but overall I loved the balance of old and new.

The main reason I’m knocking off a star is (without going into detail and spoiling the ending) the whole six weeks thing. It’s way too long and was hard for me to get over, despite the HEA. Also—and I know this is expected for the story—there were some things Cassidy said that went beyond cringe when she was on the hunt for a story with Jack.

All in all, I couldn’t put this book down! I’m excited to discuss it with my book club and look forward to reading whatever Daniels comes out with next.

I found this to be quite enjoyable, laughed a lot. I think the premise is good, and the execution as well. There is one scene nearer the end where I thought the hero could have behaved a little better, and I was disappointed to not get a full apology for that scene. But overall it lived up to my expectations.

This is a fun rivals to lovers romance with some memorable characters (the grandmother especially) and an interesting plot.

Cassidy Sutton writes for a women’s magazine site called Siren, and she’s recently has given up on dating after a nasty break up. Her grandmother gives her a 1950’s dating guide and she decides to write an article about how outdated the advice is.

She decides to try out the tips on Jack Bradford, founder of Brawler, a competing magazine site written for men. Hopefully she’ll be able to
call Jack out for Brawler’s chauvinism.

Much to Cassidy’s surprise and dismay, the dating tips actually work and Jack isn’t the bad guy she thought he was.

I highly recommend this one, 4.5 stars.

A visit to her grandmother leads Cassidy to discover a 1950s dating guide, inspiring her to create an article for Siren. At an event, she meets Jack Bradford, co-founder of Brawler. Seeing him as the perfect target for her story, Cassidy blames his magazine for her recent dating troubles.

The Rom Con serves up a delightful blend of romance and comedy. It is a mix of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" and "Down with Love."

Cassidy starts a faux dating plan, armed with her grandmother's old-school tips. However, as Cassidy and Jack's undeniable attraction grows, she faces a dilemma: should she focus on her story or explore the potential of love? Especially when he turns out to be much more than what Cassidy bargained for.

It's an 'enemies-to-lovers' and 'rivals-to-lovers' trope executed beautifully. Their relationship's sweet moments, tension, attraction, and playful conversations were a delight to read.

I picked this one up because a lot of people were raving about it and calling it a modern version of the movie How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days — and I can fully see the connection.

I honestly really enjoyed this — I’ve always loved the stories where there are strong characters on both sides of the relationship, but they’re both teaching each other how to appreciate life/love in new ways.

My only real problem with this one was the MMC’s place of work. The media that was portrayed from his company is what I personally view as what’s toxic about media today. The content his company put into the world didn’t seem to connect with who he was in the slightest, which made it a bit confusing as to why he not only worked there but was actually a founder. But sometimes, this is how life works. Just something that felt a bit confusing throughout the story.

Tropes:
- Rivals to lovers
- alpha cinnamon roll MMC
- NYC setting
- Grandmother sidekick (she’s a hoot!)
- Pop culture references
- Battle of the sexes

“As a writer, there’s a really delicious tension between ‘feminine’ and ‘feminist’ that I had so much fun exploring.“

The Rom Con by Devon Daniels checked all the boxes for how to capture my heart.

✓ Classic Rom-Com Feels

✓ Throwback and modern references that feel close to my heart (Doris Day, Friends, Dirty Dancing, Aqua Di Gio, Betty White, Peloton & Orange Theory, to name a few… ok, maybe those last two aren’t close to the heart)

✓ Rich, broody, sweet & handsome bachelor

✓ Strong, independent & relatable female lead

✓ Smart & funny writing

There was also a fun & interesting layer to this story because I could relate to the struggle that’s the core premise of the plot. As a 90s kid raised in a traditional and Catholic environment, my grandma’s words of advice often conflicted with the woman I was becoming. I have wondered if my complete rejection of those old courtship values is, in part, what has landed me single in my 40s.

Can 1950s dating advice help a modern woman get the guy?
In The Rom Con, Cassidy dumps her latest man after he declares he can’t go to her grandmother’s 90s birthday party because Saturdays are for football with the boys. Her grandmother then suggests that maybe a 1950s article with tips on how to land the man might be helpful to her love life. (e.g., “Read the obituaries to find eligible widowers.“) Cassidy, a writer for a women’s magazine, doesn’t believe there are any merits to these, but she does see potential for a great article.

In a twist to How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Cassidy instead sets out to land a man using 70-year-old advice. In true Rom-Com fashion, “unexpectedly,” the lab rat of Cassidy’s experiment, Jack, turns out to be the perfect man. Cassidy quickly realizes she might want to hold on to Jack and gives herself fully to the relationship. Of course, Jack learns about her original intentions and decides to walk away dramatically. Cue to 6+ weeks of post-break-up depression, and we get *SPOILER ALERT* a happy ever after—this is a Rom-Com, after all. I don’t want to spoil anything else. This book is about the journey, not the destination. (Although I quite loved both.)

Devon Daniels writes the men of my dreams
I just fall for them. Jack Bradford or Ben Mackenzie, I politely but eagerly request the dating gods to please send me one of these. If you are a fan of “a guy with serious alpha male energy but none of the ego that typically comes with it,” The Rom Con by Devon Daniels needs to be on your TBR.

I had high hopes for the Rom Con, after hearing it compared to How to Lose a Guy in 10 days and other romantic comedy films I enjoy. While I thought the novel was a great take on feminism, I couldn't quite connect to the characters and wanted more from the story itself.

This was a fun romance that kept me entertained the whole time.

After taking advice from her grandmother to try taking an older approach to dating, Cassidy Sutton finds herself faking a 1950s personality to get herself a man. It just turns out that the man she is trying this new persona out on is Jack Bradford, the co owner of Brawler a.k.a her company the Siren’s nemesis.
While dating Jack, she goes through a series of experiments in an attempt to get him to trip up and do something misogynistic in the hopes that she can expose him in the article she’s writing for Siren. But as she gets to know him more, she realizes that Jack is much more than what she originally thought and she might just be falling for the very man she sought to destroy…

I thought this book was very entertaining and it had me laughing and swooning. Jack is a great MC and I liked how he was always kind and respectful towards Cassidy. The antics that Cassidy got herself into while perusing her “Betty” persona were very funny as well. I thought the plot was unique and I found the story engaging.
However, I took some issue with the pacing toward the end. Without giving too much away, it seemed like things got resolved too quickly and the characters lacked some vital development in the last few chapters which made it feel like something was missing.
I still enjoyed the book a lot but I wish more time was spent on Cassidy and Jack’s relationship healing after the deception.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I rated it 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.✨

A really solid, adorable rom com read! I loved this book - the premise of two writers from rival publications set in NYC? A “con” of playing the 50s housewife role for story material?

SUCH a good setup, and I really loved Cassidy’s character and could relate to her major writer’s block. I also thought Jack’s character was SO dreamy and just had a lot of fun following their romance.

I tried reading the first chapter of this one but I couldn’t get into it. I don’t like how self deprivatating the lead female character is. I found her to be annoying and the plot seems unoriginal. I couldn’t finish this booo.

This novel is a delightful romantic comedy that successfully blends humor, romance, and self-discovery. The incorporation of the 1950s dating guide adds a unique and charming twist to the narrative. If you're looking for a light-hearted and entertaining read that will leave you with a smile, this book is the perfect pick.

I can’t deny the cover of this one caught my eye! For some reason it reminded of I Dream of Jeannie??

It does have some similar vibes as far as timeline, since the main character decides to try out a collection of rules from her grandmother’s era to snag a man. Cassidy is hoping her experiment, conducted on the owner of a rival, usually sexist site, will turn into a breaking story.

What she doesn’t expect is kind, thoughtful Jack who isn’t falling into any of her traps… I adored the collection of outrageous rules mixed with some excellent advice from her grandmother. Devon did an excellent job finding the best parts of that era and applying them to modern love!