This a second-chance, enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine story with a dual POV, alternating between Molly Marks, and Seth Rubenstein. Molly and Seth were together while in high school, until Molly broke up with Seth the night of their senior prom, for reasons that were never clear to him. They meet again at their 15-year reunion: Molly writes screenplays for rom-coms and lives in LA; Seth is a divorce attorney who lives in Chicago.

Despite their history and a rocky start to the evening, after numerous cocktails, Molly and Seth find that they are still attracted to each other. They spend the night together, which Molly assumes is a one-night stand and Seth thinks is the beginning of a second chance. Molly doesn’t believe in romance after experiencing the emotional devastating consequences created for her and her mother by her parents’ divorce; she has a habit of ending relationships before someone else can hurt her. In contrast, Seth is a cinnamon roll who falls in love quickly and enthusiastically in search of his soulmate. They end up making a bet: whoever correctly predicts that status of five couples by the next reunion (in five years), will have to admit that the other person is correct about their perception of whether soulmates actually exist. Seth insists that he and Molly be included as one of the five couples.

In the beginning, both Seth and Molly seemed too extreme and over the top. Molly was abrasive and emotionally closed off while Seth was happy about everything and very emotional. Eventually, the layers of their personalities are uncovered and they become more realistic and understandable. This is a well written story, with a narrative that flows and easy to read. It’s not exactly light-hearted but the amusing banter between Molly and Seth creates many humorous moments to help balance some of the more serious sections about issues that the couple have to work through.

The supporting cast of characters is also well developed with distinctive personalities for Seth’s and Molly’s family and friends. The story takes place from 2018-2023 so the pandemic plays a part in the narrative as well. All in all, a clever concept that is well executed and does a good job of delivering on its promise.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Flatironbooks for the ARC.

This book?! This book right here?! This book has everything, and it made me feel all the feels. It has all the witty banter that will make you laugh out loud, the dirty talk and the sexy scenes will have you sweating and blushing, the pining and the heartache will have you swooning and crying. This book is top notch rom-com material and I loved every second of it. Seth is an emotionally mature king and Molly eventually gets there but the journey we get to go on with them is worth the pain and pleasure.

This was my first time reading Katelyn Doyle's work and to say I am delighted is an understatement. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

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

NetGalley ARC -
This was a very quick read - I enjoyed the banter between the two main characters, the dual POV and the gender swap for the grumpy/sunshine trope. A smart, fun rom-com

I thought the beginning of the book was promising: Katelyn Doyle is a very funny writer—I laughed out loud several times—and the two leading characters were annoying but in an entertaining, idiosyncratic way. But as the story went on, the characters didn't really grow past immature caricatures, and their respective internal conflicts felt forced and under-written. For these reasons, I did not finish the book.

Yay, Molly and Seth!! These are the characters that I love to root for. They have just enough banter to be believable and their love shines through the inevitable problems they encounter. Their friends are funny and supportive and their families are eccentric in the best way (except for dear ol' dad). I just loved this book and will shout it's praises to anyone that asks!! Fantastic job, Katelyn!

**Thank you NetGalley for offering this as a Read Now option!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the eARC.

3 Stars
Cover 3 Stars

WWTQ: What is the human male version of a my little pony like?
Answer: Manic serial killer

I gave up at the 85% mark. This just wasn't for me.

This is a grumpy/sunshine second chance romance, but the sunshine, the guy, Seth is plain manic. He's terrifying. No one that jolly isn't on tons of cocaine and pixie sticks. He gave me serial killer who plays with organs vibes. The grumpy woman, Molls is not OK. She needs her meds upped by kilos and probably enter an in patient program. There is no doubt in my mind that these two people are terrible for each other and the rest of humanity.

Outside of the cringey personalities of these characters the book also explores childhood trauma of two percenters in Florida. I'm not sure how relatable that is. I couldn't empathize with a whiny rich kid who couldn't live up to her parents' success.

That said it's well written and a relatively fast read, so the time spent with these people is minimal.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review this novel. I have mixed feelings about this second-chance romance. Some of the witty banter between the two protagonists made me guffaw. And I appreciated the dual POVs. That said, sometimes the female was just so, so, so darn unlikeable and toxic. I know dealing with her fears and anxieties was large part of her arc, but she could be so awful to Seth. It was hard to watch. This isn’t the spiciest of books— when the two first hook up there’s a lot of “fade to black…” — but then oddly detailed descriptions of FaceTime sex? I’m not complaining, I was just confused as to why some things were detailed and others weren’t. That said, I did enjoy this novel and all the side characters. And I didn’t put it down even though I have work in the morning. :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fun read! Molly and Seth had a lot of chemistry together and their banter was enjoyable to see. I was rooting for them the whole time. Molly's cautionary approach to love balances out Seth's optimism and hope of finding love. I found Seth to be very endearing and I love how he was committed to Molly and pined for her. While I understood Molly's view on love and how these views were shaped by the trauma of her parents' divorce, I liked seeing her character grow throughout the book and how her opinions on herself and love changed. The dual POVs really helped me understand the characters on a deeper level and I feel like it helped me connect with the characters better.

Tropes:
second-chance romance
grumpy/sunshine

The description is spot on when it says this is perfect for fans of Emily Henry. I’d say it’s perfect for rom-com fans. I found myself laughing out loud frequently reading this. I LOVED this book and the characters. Seth was definitely my favorite. Molly is funny but frustrating at times. The ending felt rushed but I felt all the feels reading this story. It’s great and I highly recommend it! Love the concept and the plot. Huge shoutout to NetGalley and thank you for allowing me to read an advanced copy! I couldn’t put it down!

Molly is a rom-com screenwriter. Her high school ex-boyfriend, Seth, is a divorce lawyer. Only one of them believes in soulmates. They reunite at their fifteen-year high school reunion and make a bet on five couples to see whose idea of love will prove true, planning to crown a winner in another five years at their twentieth-year reunion.

I flew through this and loved both Molly and Seth so much. I enjoyed Seth’s hopelessly romantic outlook on life and identified with Molly’s more cynical, albeit realistic, perspective on love. The inner monologue/breaking of the fourth wall and banter actually made me laugh aloud a few times. Despite an ironic rom-com-esque ending and some painful-to-watch self-sabotaging, the relationship arc felt completely realistic, and I was rooting for them the entire time!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Oh how i enjoyed this reading this book!!An amusing enemies-to-lovers romance with opposites attracting, this book is a delightful combination of smart banter, high chemistry, and an intriguing dating concept. It excels in character development, including the supporting cast, making it easy to connect with them. The story turns the grumpy sunshine trope on its head, with Molly playing the pessimistic role and Seth as the "golden retriever boy," bringing a refreshing twist to the usual dynamic and adding an extra layer of enjoyment.

I enjoyed this opposites attract, second chance romance. Molly and Seth dated in high school and Molly broke his heart by graduation. Where else would they end up at their 15th reunion, but sitting at the same table. Seth is a divorce lawyer, yet a hopeless romantic. Molly is a romance writer who doesn't believe in romance. Their timing is terrible, but still harbor feelings for each other. Honestly, there were times when I wanted to cry for each of them. Their friends and his brother are strong side characters, except for Rob. Rob sucks. It's a strong story and both characters are likeable and grow into who they need to be.

This one was a slow start for me, but I really enjoyed it overall! Molly and Seth had history that could be felt throughout the novel and I was rooting for them in the end. Of course I know that this is a romance novel and would lead to a HEA, but I wasn't sure if Molly would get there! Every time they would get close, Molly would back out and we'd start the whole process over again. She's lucky Seth loves her enough to go through this rollercoaster! I thought the premise was cute that they rekindle their relationship with a bet on the legitimacy of soul mates and in the end Molly is convinced that soul mates do exist and hers is Seth.

Just Some Stupid Love Story is a quippy, dual point-of-view story. You'll find:

Grumpy/Sunshine Characters
Second Chance Romance
High School Sweethearts (they meet up again at a high school reunion and make a bet)
Lots of Pining (So. Much. Pining.)
Witty Banter
Daddy Issues
Soulmates

As with Ava Wilder’s Will They or Won’t They, I found all the back-and-forth tiresome after a while. I also didn’t love the way Seth’s (MMC) voice was written. (I found it too much like Molly’s to be believable.) The secondary characters on both sides enhanced the love story though.

Thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

A rom-com writer, who doesn’t believe in love, and a divorce attorney, who does, reconnect at their High School Reunion in “Just Some Stupid Love Story.” Molly and Seth’s story is witty and romantic. The author’s voice immediately drew me into the story. I didn’t want to put this one down!

For those who love:
🌴 Grumpy/Sunshine
🌴 Second Chance Romance
🌴 High School Reunion
🌴 “Let’s make a bet”
🌴 ”When Harry Met Sally” vibes
🌴 Dual POV
🌴 The banter!!
🌴 Cinematic

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This one is totally sweet! Glad I made it my Valentine's read, because it reads breezy but it's never shallow.

Thank goodness I was so invested in the characters, because there's some stuff here close to my own experiences, and I didn't have to examine or process it because I was too busy following along with Molly and Seth as they navigate years of big feelings. I kid. Sort of.

this was really cute, except for when he kept calling her kid and making me cringe, but that's okay!

Just Some Stupid Love Story is a second chance romance book that I didn't want to put down. The book is full of pining on both sides though I found it very stressful and a bit heartbreaking to read. The story almost had too much back and forth for me to want to root for the main characters. The relationship arc did come off as genuine, though the ending was a straight up fictional romcom. Overall it was fun and full of side characters with a lot of different perspectives on love.
Thank you Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC to review!

(Thank you NetGalley for this ARC)

I love me a classy romcom with a twist. And that’s exactly what “Just Some Stupid Love Story” is.

You root for Molly and Seth from the moment they make a bet at their high school reunion. They’re loveable characters with flaws and which only makes them more loveable.

Molly is a script writer for romcoms who doesn’t believe in love. Seth is a divorce attorney who believes in soul mates. If that doesn’t intrigue you…

It’s been a while since I’ve read a high quality ARC and Katelyn writing is exactly that. Great quality with clear storyline and additional secondary plot lines that don’t overshadow the main characters and add to their own story.

A great read for any romcom fan!

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Molly Marks, writing romantic comedies for a living in Hollywood, meets up with her high school ex boyfriend, Seth Rubenstein at their Fifteenth High School Reunion, they make a bet to see who will still be together in five years.

The novel takes place over the course of several years, and the ins and outs of Molly and Mark's separate lives and kismet connections.

I loved the dialogue and banter between Molly and Mark, made for a delightful read.