This book was such a sweet surprise! This new to me author is a great find and I hope to read more by her in the future.

What a clever plot.....two former loves meet up at a class reunion and place a bet. These two are polar opposites. He's the hopeless romantic who happens to be a successful divorce attorney (irony for sure) and she's the cynic about love who writes rom com screen plays (I mean how?). It was truly the perfect scenario and this author executed it with skill. I was hooked from the beginning and could not stop reading/listening.

I couldn't help but pull for Seth and Molly. They both grabbed a piece of my heart while I read this book and I believe I'll be thinking of them and their story for a while. They really touched me. They were both affected by the surroundings and the way others had treated them. Molly, specifically, was scarred by her parents' divorce and the callous way her father treated her. It messed up the way she viewed love. She continually expected others to disappoint her so she often tried to beat them to the punch by leaving first.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narration was good. I loved being able to go between the ebook and audiobook and was completely immersed in the storyline. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook.

❤️ REVIEW: Just Some Stupid Love Story ❤️

SUMMARY: Molly Marks is a screenwriter who doesn’t believe in love. Seth Rubinstein is her ex-boyfriend – and a divorce attorney – who does. After reuniting at their 10-year reunion, is a second-chance romance in the cards for this pair?

I ended up REALLY liking this book!

At first I was worried, because the main characters bring very strong black cat/golden retriever energy, and I was worried I could not handle Seth’s brand of golden retriever. He was just too excited and too cheerful – it was hard to imagine even being in the same room with him!

But as the evening of the reunion wore on, and Molly and Seth reignited their old chemistry, he became less of a caricature and someone I was really rooting for!

The promo material around the book likens it to Emily Henry, and I can definitely see that! Adults with baggage and significant history have a complicated slow-burn romance. If you’re a romcom reader, it’s worth checking out. I could definitely see myself re-reading this one again down the road.

You can expect:

❤️ Grumpy/sunshine
❤️ Second-chance romance
❤️ Self-sabotaging FMC
❤️ Romance that’s years in the making

I listened to the first part via audio and was so into the story, I switched to the ebook halfway through.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

I really enjoyed this book! It was an angsty romance about two people just trying to get their lives together to make a relationship work.

Molly is a rom-com script writer who does not believe in Happily Ever After. Seth, her high school ex, is a divorce lawyer who can't wait to find his soul mate. When they reconnect at a class reunion, things get spicy quick but they know they will never see eye-to-eye on the true love issue. They part ways, but end up reconnecting by chance several times. The attraction is there but can each be what the other needs?

First, this book is set over a 5 year period. I really enjoyed this timeline, because it gave both of our characters time to grow and change. That said, it is filled with ups and downs, break-ups and make-ups. It made for an angst filled story. Molly had major trust issues after her truly awful father left her family in her early teen years. Seth was way too ready to jump head first into every relationship. They both had great character arcs that made their HEA believable. I also loved the supporting characters in this book. They played a large role and really pushed our MCs to grow.

I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did, but I flew through it in one day and really enjoyed the writing style. I will definitely be checking out more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m all for second chance romance but Just Some Stupid Love Story wasn’t for me. Seth was not my favorite character. He’s a good guy but he seemed almost unrealistic to me. Molly was frustrating then add in that this story takes place over multiple years…I got bored. Their timing either wasn’t right or they’d be together then find a reason not to be together then pine after each other. It got old before 50% mark.

3.5/5 stars. I was so into this book when it started, but it unfortunately declined for me about halfway through. I like second chance romances, but this felt like way more chances than that, to the point where I, as the reader, even felt that the characters should probably not end up together. The humor and writing style was great and really hooked me, but it was the extreme cynicism of the main female character coupled with the extreme cinnamon roll main male character that ultimately made the book drag for me a bit as I just wasn't rooting for them as a couple. The premise of high school romance reuniting at a 15 year reunion was fun, but again I think the characters were mismatched for too much time. I really wanted to love this one, but it was still a very fun vacation read. Based on the author's writing style, I will definitely look out for her other work.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for the advanced eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hollywood rom-com writer Molly Marks does not believe in love or soulmates. She broke up with her high school boyfriend, Seth Rubenstein, before he could break her heart. She’s carrying her parents’ baggage from divorce and is cynical to anything remotely romantic. Yet, somehow, she is successful in her day job writing scripts for romantic comedies.

Seth is now one of Chicago’s most successful divorce attorney’s but not in the ruthless way. He believes in love and grand gestures, and uses these things to delicately transition people through the rockiest moments of their relationship. He keeps going all in on women who are not the one, and still is holding out hope for his soulmate.

When Molly and Seth reunite at their 15th high school reunion, sparks fly and banter ensues. They make a wager to predict the outcome of five couples – themselves included – and set in motion a fun, second-chance romance full of spice and will they or won’t they drama.

Told in alternating chapters, we get Molly and Seth’s perspectives on the relationship. While I enjoyed much of the book, Molly kind of drove me crazy with how much she clings to her cynicism. I also wanted to shake Seth at times because he was like a loyal puppy that kept on coming back for more abuse. It got kind of frustrating to read at times. I kept reading to see what would happen at the 20th reunion and was satisfied with the ending. I just wish that the main characters were a little more enjoyable, but it may just be a me problem.

Thank you to Katelyn Doyle, Flatiron Books and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of the book for an honest review.

US pub date: 6/4/24
Genre: romcom (second chance, grumpy/sunshine)
Quick summary: Molly and Seth were THE couple in school - until she ghosted him. Fifteen years later, it's high school reunion time, they haven't spoken since, and they make bets about the status of five couples for their next reunion - including their opposing ideas about their own romantic status.

True confession: I haven't been to a class reunion, and I don't know if I ever will. But reading about this one sure was fun! I liked Molly and Seth's banter a lot - Molly's cynicism and Seth's sunshiny manner complemented each other really well. I also really enjoyed that we got a longer timescale of the relationships with the two reunion setup - sometimes romcoms are so condensed, so it was refreshing to see the twists and turns of life affecting the couples in question. Reader be warned: there is miscommunication (everyone's least favorite trope) and the steam goes very quickly from 0 to 100 (this prudish reader had to skim over some content). But overall, I enjoyed this unique romcom and it made me nostalgic for high school.

Thank you to Flatiron Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✨ Review ✨ Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle; Narrated by Christine Lakin & Tim Paige

Thanks to Flatiron Books, Macmillan Audio and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

I loved the premise of this Molly writes romcom movie scripts but doesn't believe in love, and Seth is a divorce lawyer that believes fiercely in love (and amicable mediation when possible). High school sweethearts that broke up hard at the end of HS when Molly ghosted him, they encounter each other again at their 15th HS reunion. They make a bet on whether 5 couples will be together or not in 5 years, at which time the loser has to acknowledge the other one's knowledge of love and relationships.

The book precedes to jump in increments of 6 months to a year (ish) as Molly and Seth again hit life milestones or encounter each other again. They flirt and fight and wonder if they're meant to be or not. Second chance romances are my least favorite romance trope but this one mostly worked for me, and I enjoyed it. I think it dragged on a little long at the end, and wish it would have been about 10-20% shorter, but overall enjoyed this.

🎧 I didn't always love the MMC narrator, and I'm not sure if it was in the narration or the writing that sometimes made Seth feel confusing as a character...like sunshiny nice character but sometimes not quite that? I don't know. Definitely the audio is great for getting lost in on a summer day!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
Genre: f/m romance
Setting: Florida, Chicago, NYC, Los Angeles, etc.
Length: 10 hours 31 minutes
Reminds me of: rom-commers mixed with one-star romance
Pub Date: Jun 04 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ second chance romance
⭕️ big rom com vibes
⭕️ high school reunions/friendships
⭕️ characters who like each other but can't quite find the right moment to get together
⭕️ all kinds of relationships

I wanna say it's more like 2.5 stars.

Pretty much like most of the books I read this year, this started out great. The humor was top notch, the romance was swoony, the pacing was perfect. But after a whole it went downhill.

From the very beginning I loved Seth's tone, POV, banter, personality and everything. Molly was okay too but I liked Seth way more. But as went on Molly became insufferable. Her constant ways of sabotaging this on-going thing with Seth was exhausting to witness, especially at the end.

I don't know "what" chance romance this ended up becoming because it was certainly not second chance.

Thank you Netgalley & Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

From the start, the banter between the characters is funny, with a combo of deadpan humor. This makes the story an easy read and could be read in an afternoon easily.

Our story starts with Molly and her friends attending their 15-year high school reunion. This puts our characters in their mid-30's for an age range and this book does have some spiciness to it. I wouldn't call it smutty by any means, but there are definitely sexual scenes and banter.

Molly and Seth end up seated at the same table (some crazy person decided to do assigned seats!), and then we learn that Molly and Seth dated in high school until Molly abruptly left him, disconnected any messengers she had, and disappeared at the end of high school.

The chemistry between Molly and Seth is some of the best I've had the chance to read. They flow effortlessly together, and they manage to push and pull each other only as those who know each other very well can do.

One thing I didn't enjoy about this book was Molly's attitude towards love. I didn't mind that she didn't believe in soul mates, but for me, I'm over characters who are harboring some trauma from their younger years and refuse to work on it. Maybe I have seen too much of that in my own life to be as tolerant of it. Having said that, I still liked Molly's character and was actively rooting for her to open her eyes to what was in front of her.

Seth's character is funny and charming, but there was something that felt a bit disingenuous for me. He's this very romantic, somewhat serially monogamous guy who desperately wants to be in love, but manages to be sort of cocky and arrogant in some situations. It felt like an odd juxtaposition for me, only because he seemed to be an extreme of both. That said, his character is still likable and I think that's a testament to the author developing his character fully, showing both sides of him.

This story spans five years, as Molly and Seth make a bet on what couples will last and which won't by their 20-year high school reunion. With the timeframe spanning this long, the author does a nice job breaking the story up, and we don't have a lot of bouncing back and forth on timelines, nor does any one particular take up tons of the story. Again, this is a fast-paced read.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to other readers. Some of the things I didn't like are my own reading quirks and are not a reflection of the writing or story quality. I think many readers will enjoy this one and I'm excited to see what Katelyn Doyle comes up with next.

Second chance romance? Yes please. Slow burn? I’ll take that too! This book satisfies both of my favorite tropes. I loved the rekindling of thier relationship that spans five more years. I loved the banter and I loved how they slowly fall in love again. This was a great read.

I enjoyed this one a lot!
Molly and Seth reconnect at their high school reunion and have a lively debate over the idea of soulmates and place a wager for the next reunion. This second chance story takes place over a span of five years, so a lot happens with these two and their friends. This book covers a few different tropes, one of my favorites being grumpy/sunshine. This book also has a dose of spice and some fun banter. Definitely recommend.

Former high school sweethearts Seth and Molly reconnect at their high school reunion. Their one night stand turned into making a bet about soulmates and true love, picking 5 couples and seeing whether they’d end up together in 5 years. When Molly realizes she still has feelings for Seth, she discovers he’s already with someone else. How could the timing be so awful? Will Seth and Molly find their way back to each other at a different time?

Told in dual POV, I enjoyed this second chance romance between two high school exes who prove to each other that soulmates do exist. Molly was the romance screenwriter but she didn’t believe in soulmates or true love. And Seth was a divorce lawyer who did. The ups, downs, push, pull were in a span of time, including the pandemic. There were friendships, divorce, parental influence that affected Molly. And loved the screenplay that Molly wrote based on her and Seth’s story.

I’m on vacation right now and I’m in a serious rom-com binge. Not only is this the third rom-com I’ve read in three days, it’s also the second one I’ve read in a row where the female protagonist was a rom-com screenwriter (the other was “The Rom-Commers). I was a little wary when I started this one because I was worried they’d be similar, but they were totally different and I loved them each in their own way.

This book was SUPER spicy. I loved the relationship between Seth and Molly. They had true Golden Retriever/Black Cat energy. They both grew throughout the book and acted in believable ways. The ending was a little cheesy and rushed, but it didn’t feel inauthentic. This was the first book I’ve read from this author, but I look forward to more.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Seth and Molly were high school sweethearts, until Molly, the child of divorced parents, bolts. By all appearances, they were the perfect couple, but because of her father’s actions surrounding her parents’ divorce, Molly has major trust issues.

Fast forward to their fifteenth high school reunion. She’s a script writer for Rom-Coms and a consummate cynic. He’s a divorce lawyer who believes in soulmates. Seated at the same table, Seth and Molly remember their friendship, and … no spoilers here. The book goes on to document their adorable relationship and painful break ups. They are delightful, funny, and so messed up we don’t have any idea how it’s going to end. All I’ll tell you is that I hated to see the book end!.

Just Some Stupid Love Story is a great read for summer, and for everyone who’s ever rekindled an old love. It’s available now, published on June 4, 2024. Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the review copy. I’m looking forward to more from this author!

This was a very solid four star romcom for me. I appreciated the meta take on the romcom and loved following the story over several years. Interestingly, this is also the first book I've read (or show I've watched) that handled the pandemic in a way that didn't feel gratuitous. The reverse grumpy x sunshine and 2nd chance tropes were big hits for me. I will say Seth's cinnamon roll persona maybe got to be a bit too much as the book went on, but I still was very invested in their happy ending.

✌️Dual POV
👩‍❤️‍👨2nd Chance Romance (x3, x4)
🌦️Grumpy/Sunshine
🌶️Open door
❤️High school sweethearts
💔3rd Act Breakup

Thanks to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the eARC!

Molly Marks, a rom-com writer, does not believe in love or soulmates. Her life growing up left her with the flight response to strong feelings which led her to break up with her high school boyfriend, Seth. They meet again at their 15 year high school reunion, and sparks fly again. They make a bet and keep in contact with goals to meet again at the 20 year reunion. You follow their story across 5 years and it was cute, but it was just lacking. The goofy love interest would throw me off, and some of the modern terms felt like they were forced in there to try and be relatable to younger audiences? I don't know, they threw me off when I read them.
I did enjoy the book, and it was a fun storyline and concept. I usually like a story that takes place over a long time period, and seeing the changes of their life and the characters around them.

What a fun fast indulgent summer romance read! I was quickly drawn in by Molly and Seth’s hookup at their class reunion despite having broken up 15 years prior. Their chemistry is visible by their family and friends. Molly is her worst enemy in following her heart.

Thank you Netgalley for this enjoyable second romance ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I will define recommending this one!

The blurb gave me such hope for the potential of this book, but it missed the mark for me.

Stars: 2/5
Spice: 2/5

Seth and Molly were high school sweethearts who haven’t seen each other since the night of graduation. At their 15-year class reunion, they make a bet on whether or not 5 couples will be together at the 20-year reunion. The catch is that they are the 5th couple.

I haven’t read anything by this author before and when I read the blurb for this book, it had such great potential. But it just fell flat for me. My biggest issue was I did not connect to the characters. Molly seemed more cruel than grumpy. I felt bad for Seth because he was so in love with her (or the idea of her?) that he seemed to just brush things under the rug (even if it wasn’t right away) when she’d treat him poorly. There were multiple times when I thought to myself that the dialogue didn’t make sense, as in no one talks like this or unnecessary synonyms were used that made a sentence much more complicated than it needed to be. The book was marketed as funny with witty banter. The humor didn’t land for me, but I know it has for other readers. I love a second chance story. It is one of my favorite things. But this wasn’t just a second chance. I lost count of how many chances this couple had, which ultimately just left me frustrated and pulled me out of the story.

If you enjoy second chance, reverse grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, reluctant to love – give this book a try. It may have missed the mark with me, but a lot of other readers have loved it.

Solid rom com story that follows Molly and Seth who were high school sweethearts. Molly and Seth find themselves at their 15 year reunion sitting at the same table -- all the emotions returning. This was a very entertaining read - with a level 2-3 spice. You get second (multi) chance romance, high school sweethearts in this one. This one was a 4 star experience for me.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and FlatIron Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.