This is the first time I have read anything from this author, but it won't be my last. It says something that I started and finished the book in one sitting. As in, I couldn't stop reading because I needed to know how (not if; this is a romance, after all!) it happened. How the undeniable generational trauma resolved itself, how 2 such clearly human humans were going to push through their issues, and how love would ultimately win the day. All of those questions were answered, and I was over the moon at the humanity on display. Such a great story, full stop.

I found the book to be a bit of a slow-starter but in the end, I was glad I stuck with it. The main characters fill out their "black cat meets golden retriever" roles nicely and the third act comes together with a proper grand gesture. This will easily join titles from Emily Henry and Annabel Monaghan poolside this coming summer.

I’m not usually the biggest fan of the second chance trope, but this is a good option for those with the same feelings. It takes place over several years with all the miscommunication one could ever need. This book was great though, nothing too heavy so quick easy pleasant read!

I think the blurb, "for fans of Emily Henry" kinda ruined this a bit for me. Or, I absolutely love Emily Henry, so saying it's for fans of Emily Henry sets my expectations really high, and this was not comparable to Emily Henry's writing/ plots and characters.

I did enjoy that this was dual POV. I really think we need this in all romance books. I need to know what both characters are thinking throughout the story. I also enjoyed both characters arcs as individuals and as a couple. I was rooting for Seth the entire time, and I absolutely adore second chance romances and high school sweethearts!

I did have to skim some sections as there were parts that I felt dragged on/ got a bit boring.

As a debut, its a solid 3 stars, but please don't compare yourself to Emily Henry with a debut novel.

In this debut novel for fans of Emily Henry, Molly Marks, a Hollywood rom-com screenwriter who's skeptical about love, reunites with her high school sweetheart, Seth Rubenstein, a Chicago divorce attorney and hopeless romantic, fifteen years after their breakup. Molly, a west coast writer with a strong disbelief in romance, had ghosted Seth on graduation night and avoided high school reunions until her friends persuaded her to attend the 15th one.

Molly, known for bolting and ghosting when relationships get "too good," considers romance a racket. Seth, still haunted by Molly's breakup, excels in his career but tends to get serious too soon in relationships, always comparing others to Molly.

Their 15th reunion sparks a change. Molly and Seth make a bet, predicting the fate of five couples before their 20th reunion to settle their differing views on love. Katelyn Doyle skillfully weaves the plot, offering an enjoyable and revealing experience through the alternating perspectives of Molly and Seth. "Just Some Stupid Love Story " isn't just another love story—it's a captivating exploration. Thanks to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for this opportunity.

Seth and Molly were high school sweethearts and she breaks up with him right before college. They don’t see or talk to each other for 15 years until, at last, they meet again at their 15-year graduation reunion. Even though she is a rom-com writer, she does not believe in happy-ever-afters, but Seth does, even though he is a divorce attorney. Their relationship develops and grows over the following 5 years, which the author tells from both Seth’s and Molly’s POV. I found the story entertaining but I felt like it dragged too much to get to the end. I also wish there had been more insight into their future together.
This was a 3-star book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron books for the ARC.

Just Some Stupid Love Story is a fairly realistic enemies to lovers rom com that sucks you in! At their 15 year high school reunion, Molly and Seth bet on the future of five couples, the last being themselves.

This is my first book from Katelyn Doyle, and I will definitely be reading more from her. The way she wrote the chemistry between Molly and Seth was r ally enjoyable to read. There's a great balance between seriousness, comedy, and witty banter. There were a few steamy scenes, but they were perfectly balanced with the rest of the story.

If you enjoy a more realistic enemies to lovers trope, this is a great pick!

I adored this book and cannot wait for Doyle to write more! I was able to read an early copy via NetGalley for which I'm extremely grateful. This book has everything a good romcom movie does & the FMC is a romcom screenwriter. I don't like rehashing the storyline in my reviews as you most likely have already read the synopsis & don't need me to retell you about it. The story takes you on the journey of 2nd chance love between 2 high school sweethearts & facing down your fears later in life. It is very much in the same tone as Emily Henry & Kate Clayborn but with spice, explicit sex scenes do happen so if you're not into that you should avoid those chapters. If you love 2nd chance romances where the guy falls first & is more emotional this book won't let you down.

This was a very cute rom-com. I loved all of Seth and Molly’s banter. Seth is the ultimate cinnamon roll guy! I thought Molly was kind of annoying at times, I just wanted to yell at her to give Seth a real chance. But I loved her big grand gesture at the end

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC of this book!

As most romances go we know the ending close to the beginning, but in this book I actually didn’t mind it so much. I enjoyed the interactions between the two characters and their interactions with the other non-primary characters. I also liked that the pacing didn’t feel rushed and that the relationship developed over the span of multiple years and tied back to their past dating in high school.

The only things I wasn’t a fan of was that we didn’t get more insight into more of the peripheral relationships (they felt fairly one dimensional and I think could have been developed more) and that the reason she originally broke up with him and didn’t talk to him for 15 years was never fully flushed out. 15 years is a long time to not reach out to someone you have strong residual feelings for.

Overall for romance I think it’s a strong 4/5.

4/5 Stars

Thank you to Net Galley & Flatiron Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

First off, Never have I flown through an arc like this; this book made me excited to read in a way I haven't felt in a very long time. The plot, the cover, the characters, and the years of history made this book what it was. Seth and Molly are perfect; the tropes are absolutely amazing in this, and I am obsessed with this book and cannot wait to rave about it once it gets published. The friendship dynamics also gave me a little fuel from my Happy Place hangover. This book had me tearing up, screaming into a pillow in frustration, kicking my feet over the chemistry, and flipping through the pages eagerly.

I recommend this book to people who love Emily Henry, Sethmer (Seth is Seth Cohen), banter, second-chance romance, and people who are scared to love. My only qualm with this book is the third-act breakup, but it is about a rom-com writer, after all... I really hope this book has a sequel because I do not want to leave this world...

This book - I cannot overstate my level of emotional involvement. Near perfect. If you’re a fan of right-person-wrong-time, second chance, slow burn romances with some depth, this is for you.

As a woman who is allergic to displays of emotion, I related so much to Molly, and the chemistry/rapport with Seth was spot on. Every time they almost got together only for something to go wrong had me on the edge of my seat. I always enjoy seeing older protagonists work through real issues, vs. cutesy rom-coms with little real-world conflict. No, there are some legitimate traumas and personal issues here that need to be worked through before our main characters get their happily ever after.

I loved the premise of the book - the cynical romance screen writer and the romantic divorce attorney making a bet on the fate of five couples. Even though some of those couples don’t get their own happy ending.

A wonderful contemporary romance debut. Can’t wait to read more from Katelyn Doyle.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book.

This had a cute premise/plot, but at times it was a bit too drawn-out for me. The MCs play a bit too much into their stereotypes at times, but I did enjoy the dual POV. The supporting characters are fairly diverse, which is always appreciated. A few scenes were a bit spicier than I expected, and a couple left me blushing…
Characters jumped between using an advanced vocabulary and swear words, which sometimes felt were thrown in just to be thrown in.
I’m always a sucker for the second-chance lovers trope, so overall I enjoyed this ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley and FlatIron books for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this novel a lot. The writing is fabulous, I adore this author's voice, the character development is excellent, the story is lovely. I'm a sucker for second chance romance stories and this didn't fail me at all.

I enjoyed this book enough I didn't want to read it too quickly because I wanted to savor it and not leave myself without a good book to look forward to each night. (I had been in a real rut for a while before I happened upon this, and now I'm back in a darned rut!).

If I had to complain at all, I'd say I got annoyed that they got so close to reuniting so many times only for external forces to kibosh it. I know, I know, this is storytelling 101, but it just got to the point where I wanted to dope-slap the heroine and tell her to go see a therapist and fix her problems with self-sabotage.

Other than that, my only regret is this author has no other contemporary romances to read, as I was at the ready to download any and all!

A classic timing-not right, opposites attract trope. I found myself really rooting for Seth throughout. Molly was likable, spunky, and funny and had awesome character growth as the book went on. You could feel the relationship deepen and develop with time. The ancillary characters were realistic and felt like real-life friendships. The writing was funny and quick-witted. I really liked this book!

Molly and Seth are high school sweethearts whose relationship was ended suddenly and heartbreakingly by Molly right after graduation. They run into each other again at their fifteen year reunion. This is a well written book but I just found it incredibly stressful. Most definitely it is a “me thing” but I did have to skim sections that made me too anxious to read closely. Overall, I’m interested in what else this author writes but this one was not for me. Received a digital copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I’m pretty undecided on this one. On the positive side, engaging rom-com story. The flip side is I didn’t like the main characters. I don’t know if I was rooting for them but they probably deserve each other. Both were a lot. Red flags on both sides. He was a stage 5 clinger who couldn’t wait to get married. Her emo woe is me curmudgeon attitude got old. I was excited when they both had breakthroughs only to have them fall back into their red flags. I just wished I liked them more.

Thank you Flatiron Books for providing this boaok for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This story made me cry, which is usually an indication that I’ve enjoyed a story.

Molly and Seth were quite the pair in all the good and bad ways couples can be. I love that their story spanned the course of 5-years with the full range of emotions and levels of friendship. I also appreciate the role reversals of the jaded and love crazy main characters.

Love love loved this. I was giggling and blushing and screaming. I already want to re-read. This was my first book from Katelyn Doyle and now I’ll be on the lookout for more of her books!

Molly is a screenwriter and Seth, her high school boyfriend, is a lawyer. They reunite at their 15 year high school reunion and the bets are on. This book made me literally laugh out loud and was so entertaining. There are some sexy scenes that made me blush. I was rooting for Molly and Seth to have true love.

This is my first book by Katelyn Doyle and I will definitely be looking for more. If you are looking for a book that will give you all the feels,
look no further!

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC of Just Some Stupid Love Story which releases in June 2024