Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc.
I think that this had a lot of potential but the execution wasn't done well for me. I didn't feel the connection, perhaps it was too insta-love for me. The writing isn't all that charming either. I do think that Ben and Chloe are nice people but I didn't feel the connection between them, they seemed more like friends than lovers to me. I also wish that the story was more compelling, it got a bit underwhelming for me.

It seems to me that it was a story that had a lot of potential, but it was not developed in its depth, so I did not end up engaging with the book. Also, there were some moments that were too much drama for me. Although the setting of the story in NY was very good, I did not end up very convinced of the chemistry of the MCs.

This was a lot of fun. You know going in that Chloe and the guy she meets are going to have a great first date and then Chloe won’t be able to find him again. And then, since it’s a romance, they’ll find each other. I’m not sure that New York City is as small a universe as the book implies for people seeing each other again and again, but I’ll go along with it.

The book even refers to the standard trope of the couple getting together and then breaking up over some misunderstanding or stupid reason and then getting back together again for their HEA. And then it happens, mostly because Chloe is a bit stupid about her relationships. And she makes a typical mistake in sending out an email with the wrong attachment that any reader would have seen coming right away. For someone whose job it is to read romances, I’m surprised Chloe didn’t see that coming.

But I still enjoyed the book. It was also a love note for NYC without worrying about the crime or other problems plaguing the city. It is the NYC that appears in all the best rom-coms, not the one in real life.

I also enjoyed the passion her co-worker had for shipping the Bridgerton romance and that community. That was funny.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I loved this book! This has to have one of the most interesting premises I’ve ever read. Chloe is pretty new to New York and has zero dating life. Her friend, Kit, set her up on a date with Jack. She waits for him at a restaurant one morning for breakfast, but he’s late. Finally, after 20+ minutes, he shows. They have breakfast, go to the museum, and go to central park. The wonderful day is ended with a kiss. When she goes to text Jack, he responds and Chloe learns that it wasn’t Jack she was out with that day. But who was she with? She works at a company who creates book boxes, and with one of the books, she sends out a flyer looking for this mystery man. Can the subscribers help her find him?

First – Chloe works for a book box company!!! I absolutely LOVED that. And she uses it to help her find her mysterious guy – even better!! I had no idea that Chloe was on a date with the wrong guy (I read the synopsis a long time ago and didn’t refresh my memory). The whole date with the mystery guy made me smile.

I felt the chemistry between them. Chloe did eventually go out with the real Jack, but I didn’t feel anything between them. He was a nice guy though. I am from New York, so having the characters explore the city was like being back home.

Chloe has this amazing best friend – Kit. While it was Kit that originally set her up with Jack, Kit wants nothing more than for Chloe to be happy. She’s her ride or die, she’s Chloe’s conscience, and she is brutally honest. Kit was the ultimate best friend, and the type of friend that everyone needs.

Chloe did annoy me a little bit. She was so wishy washy. It’s normal for a FMC not to want to admit feelings at first, but man, she was one of the worst! Also, she was annoyed when mystery man needed to go see his dying mother instead of being with her. BIG RED FLAGS!!!

Regardless, I still loved the book and would definitely recommend it.

This was an enjoyable read, that I finished in less than a day. The plot was interesting and not something I have come across before in a romance book, so that was refreshing.

The MFC, Chloe is waiting for her blind date, who finally turns up after 30 minutes, and they spend an amazing day together. Later, when she texts him, she realises that the man she spent the day with, was not her blind date after all. Chloe then starts coming up with plans on how to find this mystery guy.

The New York City back drop was great, but the MMC, I’ll admit was not the best book boyfriend. Although he had charm and you could tell he really liked Chloe, he told a lot of half-truths and came across as untrustworthy. There is a 3rd act break up, but I was rooting for it. Chloe needed the time to reassess. I am glad the two, got back together in the end, but I wish the MMC fought a bit harder for her. I needed a bit more grovelling, especially after all the effort she did to find him.

There is spice, but nothing explicit.

Overall, I feel I’ve been on an emotional rollercoaster as there is a lot going on in this book. Yes, there are flaws eg: the phone number thing I thought was ridiculous, but the story kept me engaged and had my heart pumping. I say when a book does that it needs to be rated high.
Thank you @netgalley and @wbywattpadbooks and @wattpadbooks for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Another really cute and sweet novel from Canadian author Katie Wicks - I enjoyed both Hazel Fine and now Chloe Baker. If you haven’t read both of these, you really need to check them both out! She’s a new hidden great Canadian author gem!

Chloe Baker is quite the unique storyline - without giving everything away (because you really need to read and enjoy without being spoilered), she shows up for a blind date with her bestie’s coworker, who is very late. She’s about to leave when… there’s Jack! They sit and chat over a long brunch, then after she heads through Central Park and ends up at the Met where they cross paths again, and wind up strolling the museum where his mom once worked so he knows what he is talking about. Afterwards, he gets an alarming call that his mom isn’t well, so he takes off. When she texts him later to thank him for a good day and ask after his mom, Jack is very confused because he texted earlier to cancel on her (his building blocked it from sending, unfortunately) … so who did she just spend the day with?

The lost date is the gentleman who appeared and was the perfect guy… the guy Chloe is now searching NYC for, while spending time with Jack, the guy her bestie insists she still has to get to know and give a chance - because how will she ever find the unknown guy in this city again? She might as well get to dating, since she was out of the dating game for years before this.

I really loved this story and everything about it - Wicks writes very well and the nod to her writing platform (Wattpad) through Chloe’s coworker is an absolute hoot! I highly recommend it! I know it may sound like a love triangle, but it is not - that’s a trope I avoid, so you shouldn’t be turned off this book if you’re the same as me.

(There were a few annoyances and why only 4, not 5 star… but I easily got beyond them, like bridgerton stuff from a side character (I’m not a fan of it, books or show, so i breezed past these blech parts), all the terrible diet/calorie and over/excessive drinking which really is truly problematic, and the fact Chloe Baker was a whiney and needy person - most of the time she’s a great character)


I received an advance copy from NetGalley and W by Wattpad Books, and this is my honest feedback.

“Chloe Baker's Lost Date” by Katie Wicks is a delightful rom-com that captures the magic of serendipitous encounters and the rollercoaster of emotions that come with new beginnings. Wicks weaves a heartwarming tale set against the vibrant backdrop of New York City.

Meet Chloe Baker. She has it all, a great job, a fresh start in the Big Apple, but her dating life is nonexistent. When she reluctantly agrees to a blind date, she's both nervous and excited. But then Jack, her date, is late. Very late. Just when she's about to give up hope, he appears, and they embark on a magical day together—an afternoon at the Met, a walk in Central Park, and an unforgettable kiss. Chloe is on cloud nine, eager to see Jack again. But when her text goes unanswered, she becomes determined to unravel the mystery of his disappearance. Is true love worth disrupting her carefully crafted life?

The concept of a lost date and the subsequent search for love is both charming and relatable. Wicks skillfully draws readers into Chloe's world, making us root for her from the very beginning. The chemistry between Chloe and Jack is palpable. Their banter, shared interests, and that perfect kiss make their connection feel genuine. New York City comes alive in Wicks' prose. The Met, Central Park, and the bustling streets create an enchanting backdrop for Chloe's romantic escapades.

Some readers might find the frequent references to diet culture distracting. Chloe's thoughts on calories and body image may detract from the main plot for some readers, but this reader appreciates the viewpoint. Chloe's excessive drinking is concerning. While it adds tension to the story, it remains unaddressed, and may leave some readers wondering about the consequences.

“Chloe Baker's Lost Date” is a sweet, feel-good read that will leave you smiling. If you're a fan of romantic comedies with a dash of mystery, this book is a must-read. Wicks has crafted a story that reminds us that sometimes love finds us when we least expect it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. Spoilers may be ahead, so read with caution.

This book has potential. I really enjoyed the premise and the general storyline. There were some aspects that felt awkward to me and I will review those at the end, but first, I want to talk about the great things about this book!

I LOVE the idea of “losing a date” and needing to find him. But she found him SO FAST in the book….I was hoping for more of a chase, to be honest. I do love that she enlisted the help of so many others, and thought it was so sweet that her friend and coworkers were in on the action. I loved the humor, I loved the banter and while it was pretty much spice free, the slow burn of this is so satisfying when they finally do get together.

Now….for the things that felt awkward to me:

-The love “triangle” between Jack and Ben, after the lost date has been found. I just did not find this realistic and honestly, it was kind of insulting that she kept wavering back and forth between the two guys. If I were in their shoes, I would have been so upset.
-I was kind of shocked at the amount of toxicity in discussing caloric intake, exercise and weight, in 2024. I did not love this and it never really seems to be resolved, which makes me wonder why this was a subplot line to begin with.
-Her coworkers are kind of toxic and while it is addressed briefly, they still continue their toxic behavior later in the book and that is annoying. They learned NOTHING from their argument(s).

I wanted to love this book more than I actually did.

The concept is fun and the book starts out great. I loved the meet cute, the characters and the punny puns and movie titles! But then the story kept repeating itself, they hook up, they break up, they hook up, they break up and it got to the point I didn't care if they stayed together or not. The storyline just felt a little flat and forced.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

i had to dnf this book at 50% in and i rarely dnf books. i did not connect with any character, especially not chloe, who's very self-centered and goes way too far to find this mystery guy. her friends were not better and were annoying. the constant diet culture comments were there for no reason and i think that, in 2024, we know better than to push this toxic mentality, especially when it's not related to the story. the pacing was off, it dragged often and the dialogues were too long. i did not really feel the chemistry between chloe and "jack" so i had a hard time rooting for them. overall, the idea was good but the execution was not great.

I slept with this review on my mind overnight - I wanted to let it stew to make sure I wasn't reacting emotionally, and that I was giving it my best thought. Unfortunately, that meant the book dropped in rating for me from a three star book to a one star book.

TW: mention of the death of a sibling; death of a sibling while boating; parent dying from MS.

There are many things that I just didn't understand or didn't like about the book. First, there definitely should have been trigger warnings - and with those, I probably wouldn't have read this book. The FMC loses her sister when she's 8 due to a boating accident; nothing specific is mentioned, but the impact the loss had is mentioned numerous times throughout the book, although I'm not sure how it's relevant to the storyline. As a result of this loss, the FMC is also mostly estranged from her parents. I don't really understand the estrangement either, but here we are. Having also lost a sibling, although not that young, I definitely understand the impact it can have...but again, I'm not sure how it's relevant to the storyline.

The whole thing about not giving each other their correct numbers was weird...it felt like the MMC at times wasn't serious about the relationship, but then was? And then the FMC does a 180 when she decides she can't handle a relationship right now after having JUST given the MMC grief when he had said the same thing. Like...what? I also wasn't impressed when the FMC leaves her BEST FRIEND'S ENGAGEMENT PARTY because the MMC isn't there and then suddenly shows up. Yea, no.

What really decided this book wasn't great for me was the fact that at any point the FMC would be frustrated or annoyed that the MMC was at the hospital with his mom...who is dying and on palliative care. How dare you! Especially from someone who has lost someone close to them...that is just inexcusable behavior.

Not a single character in this book was redeemable except for the MMC's nephew, Mom...and maybe his sister/SIL. That's literally it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest - if maybe a little too honest - review.

Ermmm……points for trying? The concept is just so good. Thinking you’re meeting a blind date who’s late, but it turning out to someone else?! Adorable meet cute. Sadly, the execution wasn’t great. While the MCs’ first day was charming, and eventful, I didn’t really feel a connection. Aside from relief that her date showed, and a little smitten behavior on the MMC’s side, there wasn’t enough chemistry imo to propel the story forward. I needed an “aha moment”.

The next part of the book is a series of frankly overkill antics to find her (FMC) mystery man, and conversations with her besties/coworkers. As I got to know more about the female characters in the book, the more I was irritated with them. I think each was made to have a flaw or quirk that was relatable, but maybe more exaggerated than realistic? Sometimes the writing felt like the equivalent of someone doing “jazz hands”, if that makes sense. Just a little too busy.
After the first half of the book, I pushed through just to finish. And it was just ok. It’s a cheesy, quick romcom that I would recommend reading in a pinch, maybe on a long flight or if you really love this style of romance. 2.75 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc, in exchange for my unbiased review.

I really loved the premise of this book, and really wanted to like it, but unfortunately the farther into it I got, it really just didn’t work for me.

The beginning was great. The big twist really got me and I wanted to keep reading every time I put it down to see what happened. Unfortunately, it just went downhill from there. The main issue for me is that the FMC, Chloe, was just infuriatingly dumb. She made awful choice after awful choice, took no accountability until it was almost too late and then made het another abysmal choice to over correct the issue.
The whole drama with Ben’s ex was just not it for me either. Gave me a big ick. The other supporting characters were not great. Chloe’s coworkers sucked, especially Addison. Jameela was decent but her Bridgerton obsession was strange. The only characters I actually liked were Kit and Theo, and we didn’t get enough of them. Ben was also okay. I was on his side most of the time, although he also made poor choices.

Overall, I feel like this book had great potential but just was too poorly executed, which was a shame because it could have been great.

Thank you to NetGalley, Wattpad Webtoon Book Group, and the author for this ARC.
Publication date 5/7/24

DNF

I'm not a fan of writing where there's a lot of dialogue stacked one life after another without any detail. There was little description of tone or facial expression during these sections. While there's nothing wrong from a grammar standpoint I can't get into this style of writing.

Whoa! This book was stressful! 🤣 Not in a bad way? In an on-the-edge-of-my-seat kind of way.

I loved Chloe and Ben, their chemistry from their first scene together was magnetic, and I loved it. There is a lot of miscommunication that keeps them apart for a while that was uncomfortable… but it does drive the story. You see Chloe make a lot of decisions you would question but it ultimately comes down to her intense emotions driving her feelings. It was a realistic portrayal of the sometimes dumb decisions people make when they have very real, very intense feelings, and are a little scared of getting hurt.

CW: sick parent, death of sibling (past), sex on page

I received an advance review copy from Webtoon Book Group on NetGalley for my honest review. A rom-com about finding love in the right place – even if it’s the exact wrong time? Sign me up! As usual, the adorable cover caught my attention, but the well-written story by Katie Wick certainly KEPT my attention.

Chloe Baker’s Lost Date is a 5-star gem that captures the essence of serendipitous romance. A blind date that almost doesn’t happen turns into a dreamy date filled with enchanting moments throughout NYC. But when said date mysteriously disappears, Chloe's determination to unravel the truth adds an intriguing twist to the narrative. With witty prose and heartwarming characters, this rom-com by the author of "Hazel Fine Sings Along" is a must-read for anyone seeking a perfect blend of humor, mystery, and romance.

Read if you like:
📔 Blind Date
📔 Missed Connections
📔 Bookish Setting
📔 Bridgerton (iykyk)

This is cute, but ended up a bit of a miss for me in the end.

Pros-
Great characters
Great chemistry

Cons -
Chloe's choices and actions get annoying toward the end
The ending felt rush and a bit unstatisfying

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

2 -⭐⭐

Chloe Baker's Lost Date is a quick and easy adult romantic comedy following our titular character after she finds herself in a whirlwind date...with a guy who was not, in fact her date. Now said stranger left no trace behind and Chloe is determined to find out who this Cinderella man. What didn't expect was the drama to unfold when she gets her work involved to find this man...and the lengths she would have to go to keep him.

I'm gonna honestly say this book was a pretty much a DNF for me. By pretty much I mean I skimmed most of the book after the initial date. I felt the premise was cute but I truly didn't feel any chemistry between the characters. I also struggled with the long dialogues without any action truly happening.

I wanted to enjoy this but I feel the style of writing was not for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Wattpad Webtoon for this arc.

Loved this book! Super cute and I really enjoyed the character development and how the plots pace. Crust me, I know what I'm doing XD. I loaf-ed reading this book.

Thank you to Webtoon Book Group and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

OMG YALL! It has been a while since I’ve binged a book in one single day, but I could not put this down! I kept telling myself one more chapter, but I couldn’t stop reading. Each chapter felt like an episode of a show that was airing in my brain and I had to continue to see how it was all going to end!

The story gripped me right from the first chapter, and kept me reading like a mad woman! The NYC setting was just chefs kiss, everything was described so vividly and perfectly I felt like I was there. The premise of this book was so interesting and was unlike any other romance story I’d read before. But I also really enjoyed the classic elements of a good rom com, full of lots of laughs and jokes! It was also so fun to read about a FMC who has a job in a bookish setting, it was like a behind the scenes look!

Overall, I couldn’t recommend this book more if you’re looking for a raw, real, and funny romance read! And I’d like to also officially petition for this book to become a show because I would watch the HECK out of it!!

Chloe finally agrees to go on a blind date after her best friend Kit sets her up. But it’s already off to a less than stellar start because Jack is 30 minutes late. Just as she’s about to leave he walks through the door and she decides to give him a chance. They go on to spend the entire day together (which I would like to mention is like a dream NYC date day), and all the sparks are flying. They part ways and later on when Chloe sends a follow up text thanking him for the date, Jack responds… apologizing for missing their date. So if it wasn’t Jack who went on the date with her, then who was this guy??? Chloe spends all her time trying to find the mystery man while also navigating her job and friendships. She thinks the universe is trying to tell her this man might be her person. But will she ever find him? And if she can find him, will he want to be found?

Just go ahead and READ IT! You will love it!