Let's Pretend This Will Work by Maddie Dawson is a heartwarming, humorous, and thoughtful novel about love, self-discovery, and navigating life’s unexpected challenges. Mimi Perkins, a thirtysomething woman struggling to find love, is thrilled when Ren Yardley, a charming drama teacher and single father, proposes to her. Just as things seem to be falling into place, Ren’s life takes a dramatic turn when his ex-wife is in a car accident, forcing him to move back into his former home to care for her and his daughters.

Mimi, ever loyal, follows Ren to New Haven, where she begins a new chapter in her life. However, as Ren’s past begins to resurface, Mimi is forced to confront what she truly wants and what she’s willing to fight for. Through quirky characters, an unexpected job at a local daycare, and a supportive new community, Mimi finds herself at a crossroads, learning that happiness doesn’t always come in the way we expect.

With its blend of humor, heart, and real-life complexities, Let's Pretend This Will Work is a delightful and relatable read. Maddie Dawson’s ability to capture the messiness of relationships, the importance of self-acceptance, and the possibility of second chances makes this novel a charming and uplifting story about finding love—both with others and within ourselves.

For me this was a sweet read but it wasn't as strong of a book for me as the last one I read by this author. The characters were nice and the storyline was ok but I found myself almost annoyed with the main characters a few times. I loved the growth and the funny, romantic moments but the middle of the book dragged a bit for me. Overall, I enjoyed the story and I look forward to more books by Dawson.

Endearingly bingeable, Maddie Dawson hit it out of the park! I adored Mimi’s character so much… I wish i could say the same for Ren. The kids at the daycare stile the show for me at times! The pacing of this was perfect and the ending had my head spinning a bit. Overall a fun read that I would recommend! I will definitely buy a trophy copy for my library.

I always enjoy Maddie Dawson's rom coms, but Let's Pretend This Will Work is one of my top picks of 2024! I LOVED this novel soooooo much.

The story was perfect in every way, ironic since so many imperfect things kept happening to get in the way of Mimi's amazing life. Setting it during a simpler time (1982) only enhanced its charm even more. I was totally invested from the very beginning and the story did not let go. I still think about it! I loved how Mimi got involved with the co-op day care and tried to help when they ran into difficulties. There was a lot going on in the story between Mimi's situation with Ren and his family, and her budding friendship with Jamie and his adorable daughter Alice. I don't want to say too much as to not spoil anything.

Anyone who loves a sweet story needs to pick this one up immediately! You will fall in love with the characters as much as I did. Happy reading!

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting suggestions:
Mimi: Dominique Provost-Chalkley
Ren: Brandon Routh
Jamie: Michael Angarano
Judith: Rosamund Pike
Mandy: Elizabeth Gillies
La Starla: Kathy Najimy
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TW: Death of spouse, death of parent (both are off page but mentioned a lot)

Let's Pretend This Will Work by Maddie Dawson was such a fun read.
As soon as I began reading it I loved the writing style and flow.
This was one of those books I could just tell from the very beginning I was going to love.
The characters are deep and compelling throughout the story. 
The storyline was very well thought out and executed.
An entertaining story written by Dawson!

3.5 stars rounded up. This book had a slow start. I liked Mimi’s free spirit and her belief in magic, but some of her decisions were so frustrating. Her relationship with Ren was annoying and went on too long. The second half was better and the ending was great. Alice stole the show!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sublime perfection - that’s all I can say about this book. Mimi needs a family and she thinks she’s found one. However, families don’t just pop up right when you need one - they take some time and effort, but it’s definitely worth it in the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Let’s Pretend This Will Work is a light hearted and quirky story of a woman who relocates in support of her fiancé who needs to help care for his ex wife after an accident. I didn’t care for the main relationship in the story but did enjoy seeing Mimi find her way and connect with things she really enjoyed for herself.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced digital copy! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Excellent book! I was able to connect with the characters and follow the story very well. I highly recommend reading this book.

Mimi’s life is just fine, but when Ron mentions wanting to marry her, she is thrilled. Unfortunately before he can give her the ring, his ex wife has an accident and he needs to go to CT to help with her care. After a few days, he invites Mimi to move to New Haven to be nearby after she loses her job. Not in with him of course, but close enough for him to stop over when he can. Over time, Mimi begins to fall in love with the daycare below her apartment, and specifically with one little girl, and maybe her father?

Oh man did I want to drop kick several of the men in this book! I mean, mainly one, but there was period where another was deserving as well. I just loved Mimi Mommy and that the book took place pre cell phones! This book made me happy, and so angry at the same time, which I love when I read! In the end, my heart was just so happy and fulfilled! Mimi certainly took a ride from start to the finish, and I loved following along as she figured herself out!

Thank you to @brilliancepublishing for my gifted copy of this book!

Dawson has done it again with her delightful and quirky stories about finding love and the people you want to be your family, perhaps with a bit of magic thrown in.

Mimi believes Red is the man of her dreams, and is elated when he proposes to her. She thought this would be her happily ever after. But plans go awry when Ren's ex-wife is seriously injured, and he moves from NYC to New Haven to be there for her and his two adult daughters. It goes from bad to worse when Mimi is fired from her teaching job, but with her newfound freedom it allows her to move to New Haven to be closer to Ren. She ends up living above a less than conventional daycare center, and her life becomes entwined with the families who run the center after she starts working there.

Through her encounters with the different day care families Mimi comes to find fulfillment in her new life and discovers that there may be a different path that is right for her. She is figuring out who she is and what it means to love and be loved.

I love Dawson's writing style, which is full of joy - it makes me feel happy reading her books - even if she's addressing a more serious topic like grief. The characters are feel real, and I appreciate them faults and all.

I can't wait to see what comes next from Maddie Dawson!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

This is another lovely Maddie Dawson romance filled with quirky characters, real life moments, and a few surprises along the way to the HEA. Mimi is an interesting character that makes a few questionable choices and finds herself in an uncomfortable relationship. After leaving that relationship behind there is another relationship that develops, but not without it's flaws too. Who will bring her happiness in the end? It's definitely worth the read to find out. I listened to the audiobook and Helen Laser does a fantastic job of making this story feel so real with all the angst and confusion that goes along with a real life romance.

A story of love and family and taking the unexpected path. At times I found the story to be slow, and had trouble staying invested. Overall this has lovely writing and fun characters with a satisfying conclusion that will leave a smile on your face.
I first found Maddie Dawson with her book Matchmaking for Beginners which remains my favorite.
3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely bawled during some parts of this novel, Mimi was honestly the cutest FMC and I was just rooting for her happy ending the entire time. I ADORE the way this novel ended, it had so many twists and turns that I didn't know where we'd end up, but I sure did enjoy getting there! This romance will leave you smiling long after you've finished reading, I highly recommend it!

This quirky heartwarming romance set in the 1980s is my first by the author but will certainly not be the last. A gem!

I can't pretend to have enjoyed a single moment of reading this book. There were so many things I didn't like about it, to say the least:
1) why was it set in 1982? This really had no bearing on the story other than the fact that there were no cell phones, therefore communication was limited to landlines and answering machines, which played a strong part of the relationship between Ren and Mimi;
2) was it set in 1982 because day care regulations were much looser?;
and most importantly, 3) I did not like one. single. character. Despite the many, many, many characters that come and go thanks to the daycare setting. I honestly could not keep track of which parent had which child, or which parent was having an affair with another parent.
Seriously.
Honestly, this book is not worth your time or effort.

I loved this book. Mimi Perkins has a magic skirt that she insists got her a job, a man, and all the good things that are happening in her life. But when she cuts off the bottom hem to share the luck with her drama students everything starts to go wrong. She's fired and her engagement gets put on hold when her handsome fiancé Ren has to help his grown daughters care for their ailing mother- Ren's first wife. Mimi follows Ren to New Haven from NYC and finds herself very much on her own. She slowly begins to get involved in the neighborhood babysitting coop and meets fascinating characters. When little Alice begins calling her Mommy Mimi, Mimi's heart is forever lost. Alice's dad Jamie is pretty interesting too. Hmmmm...
Let's Pretend This Will Work is a great title for this book. It really is Mimi's motto for life! This may sound cliche but I truly was guessing until the very end about how it would turn out. I enjoyed the characters and crazy situations and was cheering for Mimi all the way through.

This was a great book. I connected with the characters. I felt engrossed with the plot. I would read another book by this author.

I loved the 1980’s setting and the premise of the story. In the middle it got a little boring with the daycare stuff but I truly liked and equally disliked some of the characters. Thank you for the ARC of this story!

Loved it!! Mimi definitely brought the magic. She was fun and quirky, but always missed the red flags waving in front of her. I couldn't believe Mimi actually cut her magic skirt!! No matter how much she wanted the play to go off without a hitch, you can't damage your precious skirt. Then Mimi completely forgets about it. That skirt brought her so much luck. There were so many double standards at Piedmont Academy. Mimi got all the blame, even though Ren was right next to her in the janitor's closet. Ren and Mimi acted more like students with all the making out in school, instead of actual teachers. I'm not sure what Mimi saw in Ren. How could she not see his true nature? Everything was always about him. Ren ignored her unless he wanted to stop by for some attention and then promptly left. Why is it his job to take care of an ex-wife? The have been divorced for twelve years. Ren wants to keep Mimi hidden away in the apartment and not have any contact with Judith or his grown daughters. Mimi was more like his mistress than his fiancée. Loved the relationship between Jamie and Mimi, it was so effortless compared to the one with Ren. There was so much laughing and joking. They made a simple McDonald's run the best time ever. Who knew KMart could bring so much joy to someone? It's hard to believe Mimi never been to one in her whole life. Loved Judith and Hortense (her improperly working brain). Judith had no filter and told it like it was. I kept hoping Mimi might move in with Judith and kick Ren to the curb. La Starla and her spirit guides knew what was going on. She was the best psychic and even offered fresh cinnamon buns when Mimi showed up out of the blue. Enjoyed all the daycare parents. They were made up of an eclectic mix of people. Not sure they made the best decisions all the time. Dropping off raw clams so the children can make clam chowder, really isn't the best decision. Without Mimi the daycare would have been shut down.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a fun read. Loved the characters, story and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.