Ex-high school sweethearts Seth and Molly are seated together at their high school reunion and it couldn’t be more obvious how different they have become over the past fifteen years. Seth is a divorce lawyer on the hunt to find his one true love. Molly writes screenplays for romantic comedies and thinks soulmates don’t exist. Still, there’s a spark between them. After too many drinks and a night in bed, Seth and Molly decide to put their contrasting stances to a test - they wager which of five couples from their high school class (including the two of them) will be in a relationship in five years’ time. Seth thinks they’re fated to be together. Molly thinks he is out of his mind. They have until the next reunion to find out who is right.

This novel is set over a five-year timespan - refreshing to see in the genre that seems to rush from meet-cute to marriage in a matter of months. You get time to become acquainted with Molly and Seth, both individually and as a couple. The book is told from each character’s point of view, alternating chapters as you go.

Molly is sarcastic, prickly, and over it all. She has a distinct “cool girl” vibe. She lives in LA and spends her days networking and working on her next screenplay - using her sardonic voice to subvert romance tropes and add depth to her stories. But she’s flighty when it comes to romance, breaking things off before they have a chance to get too deep. To provide some insight on why she acts like this, you read about Molly growing up amidst a messy divorce and seeking approval from her self-centered father. You can see how she came to be cynical about love. I really liked how she starts to manage her anxiety over the course of the story. From recognizing and managing triggers, working with a therapist, using self-soothing techniques, reaching out to her support network… All of these things helped make Molly feel more real.

Seth was not as successful a protagonist for me as Molly was. In early chapters, Seth grated on my nerves with his overuse of parentheses, offering footnotes about everything from his opinion on a custom cocktail (“totally delish”) to his rationale for why he meditates every morning (“discipline is the essence of self-care”). His constant conflation of puppy love as “perfect” and “the real thing” was similarly irritating. I grant that it’s a challenge to have a male “sunshine” in the grumpy-sunshine trope. Maybe it felt disingenuous because I don’t often see men socialized as optimistic/hopeless romantic types as often as women are. Confident, self-assured? Certainly. But bubbly, life-of-the-party Elle Woods types? Not so much. While you do see Seth tone things down somewhere around the mid-point of the novel, it’s an uphill climb to build back enough goodwill to root for him. And where you get ample background about how Molly came to develop her outlook on love, you get fewer details about why Seth feels compelled to speed through every relationship he’s in and how he starts to course-correct. It’s harder to empathize with him.

That’s the tough thing about books with dual first-person perspectives, I find. The benefit of being inside a character’s mind is that you get to see the contrast between the person they portray themselves to be with the person they are at their core. You get to see the sunshine have doubts. You get to see the grump have hope. When you are privy to the internal workings of both sides of the romantic pairing, you lose a bit of the mystery. I think there’s a good chance I would have liked the book better if it was told solely from Molly’s point of view.

I feel fortunate to have received an advanced digital copy of both the e-book and the audiobook, and I think the story is equally as strong in either form. The two main characters are voiced by two actors: Christine Lakin and Tim Paige. Lakin did a great job portraying cool, sarcastic Molly. Paige was working with what he had from Seth’s chapters. I’ve heard him perform audiobooks before - my early dislike of Seth has nothing to do with Tim Paige’s acting ability. The audio flowed well and the pacing was nicely done. It probably is harder than listeners realize to coordinate multiple narrators to portray the same characters or speak in the same meter. There were no issues here.

By and large, I was not as solidly behind Seth as a character as I was for Molly, but I appreciated that the book took its time over a five-year span to build up to their reunion, and I truly enjoyed the mental health/family relationship aspects of Molly’s character. I think Katelyn Doyle has great potential as an author, and fans of Christina Lauren and Katherine Center will find a lot to like in her writing.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Katelyn Doyle, Macmillan Audio, and Flatiron Books for the e-ARCs in exchange for an honest review.**

This second chance romance debut had me giggling at the banter, falling for an amazing book boyfriend, and fanning myself after several spicy scenes.

Molly Marks is a romcom screenwriter who doesn’t believe in love. Seth Rubenstein is her high school ex, the one man she ever loved, and a total romantic who just wants to find love. When the pair are seated together at their 15 year high school reunion, they make a bet about who can accurately predict which couple will still be together at their 20 year reunion, with themselves as one of the couples. Seth is sure Molly will fall for him, while Molly is positive that’s never going to happen.

What an incredibly fun setup for a rom com! The high school moments deliver a healthy dose of nostalgia, while that first night hookup reminds us that these are two single adults today who have loved and lost in the years since high school. The banter is zingy, Seth’s inner monologue is deliciously playful, and the chemistry is smokin hot.

There are some deeper parts to the story as well, such as when we find out why Molly doesn’t believe in true love or the dark moments when she thinks she is incapable of truly falling for someone. Her character felt authentic, and her reactions made sense to me even as she frustrated me in one particular moment,

I loved checking in with the characters over the five years as they ran into one another or did a little texting. This was such a fun, entertaining read and I cannot wait to read whatever Doyle writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron for the arc. All opinions are my own,

This story will break your heart over and over again - but it is so worth the emotional trauma.

In JUST SOME STUPID LOVE STORY, we follow exes Molly and Seth. Molly, a rom-com writer who doesn't believe in love, and Seth, a divorce lawyer who most definitely believes in love, meet after 15 years for their high school reunion - 15 years after Molly ghosted Seth following graduation. At the reunion, Molly and Seth make a bet - whoever can predict the fate of five couples before the next reunion (in five years) must declare that the other is right about true love - and the fifth couple is the two of them. Over the next five years, we catch glimpses of Molly and Seth's encounters. Molly claims that they are set up for heartbreak. Seth believes they will end in love.

Like any classic rom-com (or rom-traum), this book continuously broke my heart. I loved Molly and Seth, and I repeatedly wanted to scream, "Stop being idiots!!" Their journey was emotional, difficult, and required a lot of growth (for both of them). The continuous acknowledgement of anxiety, fears, and the need to be better for themselves (and eventually, each other) felt natural and human. Molly and Seth are the definition of 'right person, wrong time.' And while their journey was at times devastating, I think they needed that time to grow.

JUST SOME STUPID LOVE STORY is filled with emotion, heart, love, and great banter. I was cackling through my tears. Katelyn Doyle gives us a love story that is worth waiting for - you definitely will want to read this.

Star Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:
🌶🌶 / 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

Thank you to Macmillan and Flatiron Books for this advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Molly and Seth were high school sweethearts and she broke up with him and ghosted him after graduation. It's 15 years later and they see each other again at their high school reunion. The rest of the book takes place over the next ten years. Snippets of them seeing each other, one's available, one isn't through the years. Such a good story.

Thanks so much to netgalley and flatiron for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me and was a DNF. I found the characters to be super annoying and I just couldn’t get into the story. I hate a cynical main character and I think she was trying to be funny but it was just more annoying than anything.

I hope others love this one but it wasn’t for me.

If you like romance novels - I bet you’ll enjoy this. I was entertained, I thought writing style/tone was elevated, and I’d recommend it to most readers.

At the beginning, I thought this would be a five-star read. I was hooked, I was impressed, and I was NOT questioning the comparisons drawn to EmHen. Things changed for me in the second half of the book, but let’s start with the positives.

The premise is original and demanded my attention: high school sweethearts who reconnect at a reunion, go their separate ways (again) but make a bet on the next five years. As a result, this is a story told over many seasons (including the pandemic)- all of which worked and added to the unique pacing and setup of the story.

The banter was SO witty, the writing was sharp. No notes.

And yet, as we move toward the HEA and second part of the book, I found I wasn’t invested in these characters. The stops and starts felt too easy, as if they were using each other and a casual hookup every time - which was the opposite of what we were supposed to believe about this second-chance couple with so much history and love between them. (They also lacked chemistry, which, for me, was evident in the open-door scenes that were hard to read - and I don't mind spice.).

Like one, long Third-Act Breakup.

Molly and Seth are both incredibly self-aware of their flaws and actively working on themselves. As a reader, we are privy to their (honestly astute) observations re: their own behavior and cycles…BUT knowing this made it all the more frustrating to see them act in a way they knew was unhealthy. Over and over.

Perhaps a bit more attention to Molly and Seth’s connection/relationship (vs. their individual stories and goals) would have resolved these issues.

Overall, a good read--a memorable debut--that I'd recommend to most. I would definitely read Doyle's next work.

I like the originality of this story, and I enjoyed the plot overall. My only thing was that I was unable to understand or connect with the FMC, she was…. Annoying? But loved the MMC, he was so cute! I enjoyed the happy ending and some of the side characters.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun beach read. I loved some of the tropes used and thought it was a nice light plot.

I'm very picky about the romance novels I read. More often than not though, I am pretty easy to please. Give me some great chemistry, some good banter, and a dual POV and I'm a happy gal. This book was no exception. The male main character was not only super nice, but he was so hilarious with his goofy nerdiness. The female main character was likable as well. I do wish the story was a bit shorter as it sometimes felt a bit long winded, but it was enjoyable nonetheless! And for those who like some spice in their romance novels, this will not disappoint you!
Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for giving me this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

📚ARC Review 📚

Just Some Stupid Love Story⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Molly Marks is a rom-com screenwriter who believes true love is a scam and soulmates don’t exist. Seth Rubenstein, her ex high school boyfriend, is a divorce lawyer who is looking for his soulmate and not having any luck. They reconnect at their 15th high school reunion, where they place a bet on whether or not true love does exist. They choose five relationships that they think will or will not last by their 20th reunion, with the 5th one being them. Seth knows that Molly is his soulmate who got away, but can he prove it to her?

This book was an easy binge read and funny! The banter between the 2 characters was so good and the character development was too. It was a rom-com but has some depth to the story. Seth is such a sweet cinnamon roll, party loving type of guy and Molly is not. Her character hates big events and is sassy and snarky. It’s a great example of the reverse grumpy/sunshine trope. FYI- this book does contain spicy scenes. It also does span over a few years and during that timeframe is the pandemic. While I didn’t personally care to read about that, it was still a good book overall. I liked the author’s writing style and how the characters communicated through texts, emails and phone calls.

This book will be available to purchase on June 4, 2024. Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced reader's copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

5 million billion trillion stars. I'm not joking when I say this needs to be on your TBR shelf immediately. This is one of the best debut romance novels I've read in a long, long time.

The story follows Molly Marks, a rom-com screenwriter who believes true love is a scam to sell naive people the farce of Happily Ever After (a scam off of which she delightfully profits), and Seth Rubenstein, her The One That Got Away high school ex-boyfriend turned divorce attorney who is certain that finding his soul mate will fix all of his problems. They reconnect at their fifteenth high school reunion wherein they place a bet on whether or not true love does, in fact, exist by choosing five relationships they think will or will not last by their twentieth reunion. The fifth and final couple chosen is none other than Molly and Seth themselves, presenting an opportunity for Seth to prove to Molly that their relationship wasn't puppy love. No, Seth Rubenstein has always known Molly Marks is The One, the Real Deal, his one true Soul Mate, despite the way she left him alone and brokenhearted fifteen years ago, and all he needs is the next five years to convince her.

When the blurb says "For fans of Emily Henry," it really means FOR FANS OF EMILY HENRY!!! Katelyn Doyle's fresh voice lends itself well to this unlikely pair and the (frankly) insane situation they've created. I'm obsessed with both main characters, both separately as individuals and as a pair. On paper, Molly and Seth do not belong together. But, when you read the book, it's so clear how well they complement one another. Beyond that, their relationships with their family and friends are so dynamic and well executed.

I've seen some criticism about Molly and Seth essentially being caricatures of the Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine trope, and I actually agree, but I think those stereotypical traits make the story better. Seth's over-the-top dramatics and Molly's disheartening nihilism create such a hilarious chemistry that I found myself unable to put this down.

Thank you so much Katelyn Doyle, Flatiron Books, and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy!!

Super cute second chance romcom! Molly Marks and Seth Rubinstein meet up at their 15 year high school reunion. The last time they saw each other was PAINFUL! After some sarcastic, witty banter and a few too many signature cocktails, they end up on the beach clawing each other. After a very steamy night together they lay wagers on which of the couples at the reunion will end up together, and they include themselves! No two characters could be more polar opposites! Molly is a romcom screenwriter who does not believe in lasting love. Seth is a family law attorney and has a goofy, sunny personality and believes every girl he dates could be his soulmate. This was a fun read watching these two opposites navigate their rekindled relationship as adults. Be aware: this book is SUPER SPICY and may cause some blushing if you’re reading it in public! Thank you Netgalley, Flatiron Books and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on June 4, 2024

I truly enjoyed this romance. It is a slow burn in the sense that this relationship spans multiple years, but it works. Everything about this book just works and makes sense. Molly’s relationship fears, and Seth longing to find a soulmate. They blend beautifully. It is so lovely to see a guy who is so relationship positive and wants to find their perfect person. So many times, I feel like the man is the one who is not quite as invested in these type of romance stories. I think this story works because it is believable, genuine, and authentic. Readers will be able to connect to the story and feel invested in Molly, and Seth's lives. I personally enjoyed going on their love journey with them.
Thank you so much to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

Okay, I am HERE for all of the romances coming out about rom-com screenwriters (and especially when those writers are cynics)! This was such a fun way to pit two opposites attract against each other. A rom-com writer who doesn't believe in happy endings and a divorce attorney who's looking for his soul mate?

I mean, COME ON. So good.

rating: 4.5 STARS
genre: romance
steam: open door, multiple scenes
release date: June 4, 2024

I think my favorite part about this book is that it so easily spread out across 5 years. A lot of the time you pick up a romance book (and I pick up a lot of them, so no judgement here) and it's like two months from the meet cute to the happy ending and you're kind of like, "What?" I mean - it's cute to read! But it's almost like you expect the epilogue to be some tragedy about how they broke up or something. So the fact that this book covered multiple years, several other relationships, and life events and still managed to bring these two people together in a satisfactory way?

Chef's kiss.

I really enjoyed the back-and-forth here. Where one of them was ready for the relationship but the other one wasn't, and then they switched sides. It kept their dynamic interesting and you really weren't sure who was going to cave when.

Read if you like:
- Really great banter
- Tastefully done spice
- Multiple POV
- High School Reunion vibes

*Trigger Warning: While this book spans several years, part of the novel does take place during the COVID pandemic. So if that's a touchy subject for you, I might set this one aside. I will tell you (SPOILER) that no one gets COVID or dies from the disease either on the page or off.

This was such a fun romcom!

Molly and Seth dated in high school. She broke up with him before leaving for college and broke his heart.

Molly is a romcom screenwriter who isn't sure she believes in love and seems to sabotage her own relationships. Seth is a divorce attorney who definitely believes in love and soulmates.

They run into each other at their fifteenth high school reunion and hook up. Seth and Molly bet about several couples and what their relationship status will be at the twentieth reunion. Seth thinks they will be together. Molly disagrees.

Both go their own way. They have other relationships. Their paths cross several times. But they can't stop thinking about each other.

Who do you think will win the bet?

Many thanks to Flatiron books for an eARC and MacMillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Just Some Stupid Love Story is dual POV, my absolute favorite. A second chance romance.

Seth is a golden retriever divorce attorney just trying to find his soulmate. In real life I think Seth would annoy me with how much he wants to settle down and have kids and how emotional he is (he cries a lot). but in this book I ate it all up. He’s a walking green flag. He’s honest with Molly and the way he feels about her and when he needs time to figure out himself he lets her know too which I love.

Molly is a screenwriter who doesn’t believe in soulmates. Seth proves her wrong on that theory. Molly is probably one of my least favorite FMC i found her annoying at times (actually a lot) but started to grow on me a little towards the end. She is the perfect example of you are the problem and you are the solution. I personally think Seth deserves better than her but I get it. The banter is fun and they have great chemistry.

The sexy time scenes were just the right amount of spice. I blushed and smiled quite a few times. 3.5 out of 5 stars for me on this one. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed and I needed her to grovel more but it’s a cute and quick read. Perfect for summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book.

Thank you, NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Katelyn Doyle, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What I loved most was that this book took place over multiple years, giving us more of Seth and Molly and how they grew over time. They grew separately, and then we watched them grow together as a pair compared to other romance books; I thought it was more unique and fun to read rather than suddenly falling in love within 1-3 weeks. I enjoyed this book. However, it was much spicier than I thought, so fair warning. Overall, I think this is a perfect beach read as it's a cute, easy read that will entertain you and laugh out loud.

This story had such a fun premise. I love books that are from both perspectives. Molly and Seth had such great banter and each had realistic issues that they needed to work out. I also enjoyed the side characters and how they affected the couple.

*No spoilers*

While this book sounds like a typical rom-com, readers should be excited to hear that it goes way deeper than surface level attraction that fizzles out after “The End.” This author did a wonderful job of creating these characters with real life emotions that an audience can relate to as it comes to love. Anxiety can be a really difficult battle but Doyle managed to create characters that faced their anxieties for love and friendship. While I didn’t love the whiplash theme, I think it was necessary for these characters and how they managed their anxiety throughout the story. Overall, deeper themes throughout but still a rom-com to be read in one sitting.

I have not devoured a book this quickly in a very long time. I have lot so throughly enjoyed reading a book like, to the point that I read and forget that I’m reading entirely, in a while.

I didn’t know what to expect going into this one, especially since it’s my first book by Katelyn Doyle by my GOODNESS am I in love.

I was hooked from the first moment. With quick witted writing, flawed characters, that second chance romance that spans years and heartache, pining and waiting and bad timing. MY GOD AM I MELANCHOLIC RIGHT NOW.

Molly and Seth and their friends and families made me laugh and tear up, they made me angry and upset and made me tug at my hair in frustration because ENOUGH! YOU LOVE EACH OTHER STOP IT!!!

I didn’t love some of the pet names and the frequency of them but you know what? I loved this book so much that I can overlook it entirely.

I cannot say enough how much I love this one. I need a hard copy to hold to my chest with adoration, and now, I will never let go.