This novel is about high school sweethearts who meet again at a class reunion. The characters are lively and fun, and the novel is fairly well paced. Had some steamy moments as well as laugh out loud scenes.

My goodness. This book is definitely in the top three books I’ve read in the past year. I loved it so much, and cannot recommend it enough! This is Katelyn’s debut rom-com novel, and it is absolutely PERFECT! The pace, the plot, the characters, the language: they are all truly spectacular!

In a world in which romance novel are pumped out faster than they can be read, it was truly a pleasure to read an intelligent story. And I’m not saying other books *aren’t* intelligent, but so many of them ARE simple. This story used complex vocabulary, which challenged my brain! In at least 75% of the books I read, I find mistakes, either continuity, spelling, or grammar. This is incredibly distracting to me. I found NO distractions in this story! I just don’t think I can say enough good things about this book!

I also appreciate the mental health/childhood trauma rep. I love that Molly works HARD to work through her issues, and recognizes when her past is affecting her. That recognition doesn’t keep her from making bad choices, but she *does* usually at least know her decisions aren’t great! The fact that she didn’t really believe in soul mates and didn’t want to be in love seemed contrary to the fact that more than anything, she did want her father’s love. The fact that she never had it, obviously affected all of her future relationships.

I wanted to quit reading after Part Six, because that would have been the perfect happy ending. Of course, I continued. I just knew I was going to be “treated” to some gut-wrenching sorrow if I continued. And I was right. But the way Seth and Molly come together in the end shows how much both of them grew and changed throughout their entire relationship. Of course it ends happily, but I did shed a few tears on the way to get there.

Quotes I loved:
“True love at sixteen is hardwired. To this day, I am hopelessly attracted to hostile women.”

“Seth knows exactly how to kiss me. Or perhaps he just invented the model, and now it’s the standard by which I judge all other kisses”

A rom-com screenwriter and a divorce attorney reunite at their high school reunion, ending in a one night stand. It’s so hilarious that the screenwriter is grumpy/against love, while the divorce attorney is the sunshine half. Truly iconic.

Before parting ways, they make a bet to determine who understands relationships better. Do soul mates exist or not. They have to predict the fate of 5 couples from the reunion, including themselves, and return to the next reunion in 5 years to see who wins.

Admittedly, I think this book is going to be one of those people either love or despise.

It’s dual POV, and we get to watch their relationship change over the years. The characters have very realistic flaws. Molly is still traumatized from her parents divorce, and flees every relationships. Seth is in love with the idea of being in love and having a white picket fence. He jumps from relationship to relationship and rushes them, inevitably scaring each woman.

This starts to show up more around the 66% mark. It also happens with the supporting characters as those relationships naturally change with time. I loved how lighthearted and sweet the first 60% was, then “real life” took over and it was a little less fun.

There were so many amazing quotes from Molly. So many relatable inner monologues. Molly’s mother was hilarious.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for granting me an early e-copy!

Thanks to Flatiron Books & NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

This is anything but a stupid love story. Katelyn Doyle’s debut book was a captivating and entertaining read! I’m generally not a fan of a “will they / won’t they” and “wrong time / wrong place” romance but this was done well and with an even pace that kept the story fresh and fun to follow. Seth, the ultimate cinnamon roll, really captured my heart! My heart swooned when his head over heels and my heart broke when he was left sobbing. I even found a place in my heart for Molly even with her flaws.

All in all, this was a great read. If you’re a fan of Emily Henry, you’ll likely really enjoy this!

Once I started JUST SOME STUPID LOVE STORY, I couldn't do anything else until I finished this story which I also never wanted it to end. I was so intrigued by the premise and it sure lived up to the hype! Molly, a prickly rom-com writer and Seth, a hopeless romantic divorce attorney, were high school sweethearts until Molly abruptly broke it off their graduation night, never speaking again until their fifteen-year high school reunion. Starting a bet to see who wins on guessing the fate of fellow classmates and friends love-lives when their twentieth reunion rolls around. What happens in those five years, is everything I could want in a love story.

Molly diffuses any and all intimacy with jokes and sarcasm and runs the other way when forced to be vulnerable. She has her reasons as she was abandoned by her father when he divorced her mother. Deep down she knows how much she loves Seth, which scares her knowing she could be very hurt, so she sabotages the best relationship she's ever had. While Seth is the complete opposite. He is the life of the party, eager to commit and rush into relationships, desperately wanting to find love and start a family. Meanwhile Molly hasn't even taken the time to know if she wants kids or not. Seth believes in soulmates, problem is Molly does not. Will they find out if they were meant for each other?

I absolutely adored the banter and humor in this book, along with Molly and Sam's connection and relationship. I appreciated the complexity and depth to the characters and the storyline. I was never pulled out of the story, questioning anything. I was so engrossed and invested in this book and felt every emotion when reading it. I am incredibly happy and grateful to have witnessed Molly and Seth's story and am so excited to read what ever the author decides to grants us with next!!

5 glowing stars!

Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Delightful! A romance with plenty of laughs, drama, tension, and incredible chemistry between the leads.

Molly and Seth are wonderful together and it was so enjoyable to get both of their points of view (over a period of five years) as they both figure out their feelings. I loved the conversations/texts/email exchanges between Molly and Seth as their relationship morphs and ebbs and flows. Molly stands out as a “prickly” and cynical but simultaneously vulnerable lead and Seth is earnest, open, and close to ideal (minus his use of “baby” and “babe” and “sweetheart”as pet names).

I adored this and read it in one sitting as I had to know how Molly’s and Seth’s relationship plays out. While reading, I was riveted, charmed, surprised, frustrated (by the decisions Molly and Seth make), and always rooting for Molly and Seth to be happy as individuals and as a couple.

Recommend to anyone looking for a compelling love story (with mutual pining, second chances, opposites attract, and more). 4.5 stars.

Thank you very much to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

I had this great review typed out but Goodreads crashed so here's the short version.

If you enjoy Emily Henry you will for sure like this. I was obsessed with all of the characters but I definitely wanted to scream at Molly and Seth at some points, their will they won't they literally had me in a chokehold and I am a sucker for reverse grumpy sunshine.

Overall a good read!

This book was looooooooong. I wanted to cheer for our two MCs so bad but the problem is that I didn't get to connect to either of them. I think part of it could have been all of the time jumping and five years is a lot of time to fit into one book. I feel like there was just problem after uneccesary problem for the sake of making the timeline five years long. I get trauma, and I get that it can change who you are as a person, but if you know you're in love with Seth and your long unanswered daddy issues are making hurt someone (including yourself) again and again then it is time to get some therapy. Towards year three I was honestly routing for Seth to move on and be happy with someone else.

This was such a fun read! I loved how it went back and forth. Hearing the story from each of them. It was a love story that kept you feeling the build up the whole book. I love how each of the characters you knew and you felt their emotions the whole book.

I’m a sucker for second chance romance. Really enjoyed Molly and Seth and their right person wrong time relationship. Quick read, loved the writing style.

Wow Doyle’s characterization for a debut novel is superb! I will read whatever she writes… I loved the ironic flip on gender roles and Molly and Seth were (agh!) adorable! Doyle layered in complexity and nuance with finesse which feels missing in a lot of romance novels. I love love loved it.

Such an enjoyable read! I loved Molly for the most part, we all have flaws and hers was running away from great guys. The MMC was so amazing and felt bad about his mishaps with women. Some good twists in this one. (Side note: I hate Rob 😑) It truly kept me interested and pinning for the 2 MCs the entire time! It will make you fall back into falling in love.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publishers to read/review. All of the statements are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

4 stars but wish it didn't have the smut.

Molly and Seth. High school sweethearts who break up and then continue to break each other's hearts over and over again. This book is sweet, witty, frustrating and sad all rolled into one. Told in Dual POV, the MCs both have a lot of character development throughout the chapters. One takeaway I loved: The gratitude practice of saying or writing the things you're thankful for that day. I miss the days that a book could be good without needing all the added sex, it seems like every author feels like that adds to their characters (sales), but this book did not need that as it really didn't add any value to the overall ARC. I could feel the angst and love through the writing without needing the smutty bits.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Just Some Stupid Love Story. This was an incredible story. I loved the format and the flipped script on gender roles and tropes. The character growth is so well done and the dialogue is fresh and realistic. The story is fast paced and I could not put it down. The resolution felt fast and I wished that had been covered in more depth.

I am so excited for this to release and for lovers of second chances to read it.

I loved the concept of this one. I thought the characters were well fleshed out and witty. My only critique is that the main conflict seemed to repeat itself over and over and over and over.

I love a Mutual Pining (TM) novel, so that hits the checkpoints for me in this novel. Sweet story, not unfair to comp to Emily Henry, but do agree with other reviews that the pandemic plot points are *not* doing it for me. Other than that blip, an overall
enjoyable read.

This book was so cute. I did think it was a little long, but I guess mutual pining takes a while to come to fruition. Loved Seth. Adorable. Though not so great timing in Joshua Tree, my guy. Molly was not my favorite. I understand trauma and that your past affects your thoughts on the future, but girl, get it together.

Did not love the Covid parts. I went through it, don't need to read about it. I read things like this to get AWAY from real world things. Not my favorite plot point.

Overall, I would say 3.5 stars.

When we first meet Molly Marks it is the eve of her 15th class reunion. She's an unwilling drag-along of her best friend Dezzie and her husband Rob. Molly is a grumpy rom-com screenwriter who ironically does not believe in love. While at the reunion she runs into her high school boyfriend, Seth Rubinstein. Seth is still as handsome and charming as ever. After a few cocktails and conversation he seemingly forgives Molly for breaking his heart in high school. After spending much of the night bantering and a super casual hook-up the pair make a bet to decide which of them knows more about true love and soulmates.

What follows can only be described is the perfect recipe for one of Molly's famed scripts.

To say I enjoyed this is an understatement. I was hooked from the beginning. Molly drove me crazy second guessing herself and Seth endeared me with his optimistic outlook on life and love.

I definitely didn't get anything done today because I HAD to know how it would end.

Thank you very much to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Doyle's writing reminded me a lot of Emily Henry and she is one of my favorite authors, so I was really excited to read this book. It was refreshing to see a relationship where the female protagonist is the one that's skeptical of love, while the male is the one that's all about love and romance. The overall vibe dealt with second chance romance and the opposite's attract trope. It was fun seeing the character's growth throughout the story since it takes place over the course of a few years. While there were a few points in the book where it felt a little dragged out, overall I really liked it. Congrats on your debut Katelyn!

Huge thanks to #NetGalley and Katelyn for letting me read this in advance! #justsomestupidlovestory

This was pretty fun! I am not a die hard romance reader and will give up quickly if the tone is not right, but this one had some fun characters and a classic miscommunication kind of plot.