Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced e-copy of The Pick Up in exchange of an honest review.

In Sophie's journey of navigating the complexities of parenting, "The Pick Up" presents a relatable tale. Single motherhood and the longing to connect with other parents are explored in this heartwarming story. Joe's presence, a charming single father, sets off a playful dance of a faux romance, a trope that adds a delightful layer to the narrative. The novel's strength lies in its authentic portrayal of parental experiences. Moments of self-doubt, the challenges of early mornings, and the relentless search for a support system resonate deeply with readers. Sophie's struggles invite empathy, making her a relatable protagonist. The romance between Sophie and Joe is a delightful blend of sweetness and humor. Their banter sparks laughter, and the evolution of their relationship from a ruse to a genuine connection is a captivating aspect of the story. For those seeking a captivating read featuring a relatable parental journey, a dash of fake romance, and witty exchanges, "The Pick Up" is highly recommended. With a well-developed storyline and engaging characters, it earns a solid 4.0-star rating.

I liked it. Two single parents. Fake dating. Cheerful, cute children. Everything was very interesting, unworn and fun to read. And people were even talking! It's just that the female main character, was stubbornly and for a long time, did not want to admit her feelings. But everything turned out beautifully. Maybe I just missed some kind of epilogue. But overall it was a good story.

I absolutely love a good single parent, love, fun and banter filled story and this was definitely that for me, I think I’m most definitely obsessed I absolutely loved the instant chemistry and the love they have for their kids and themselves was just so refreshing to see😍😍

i was not drawn into this book at all. i just kept putting it down and not wanting to pick it back up

A cute clean slow burn romance. I enjoyed how they both interacted with their children and were mindful of their feelings when introducing another partner into the mix. Well written.

This book is great, especially if you love fake dating and banter. Sophie and Joe’s dynamic was so fun, but it was definitely a slow burn. The cast of characters were unique and brought something fresh to the story. The only thing that fell flat for me was the miscommunication. While the hesitancy seemed realistic, it is alway so painful to read because the solution seems so obvious.

I am excited to read more from this author in the future & I will definitely recommend The Pick Up to friends! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for the ARC!

This was such a sweet, slow burn romance about two single parents joining forces to manage and survive the other PTA parents at their kids’ school by faking a relationship. It was full of chemistry and humor between Sophie and Joe alongside a cast of truly entertaining secondary characters.

Sophie is a single mom existing on the outside of the other parents at her daughter’s school, and she worries that her daughter is being left out of activities with her classmates as a result. Joe is the widowed single dad the rest of the moms regularly thirst over. Sophie wants an in to the crowd and Joe wants a deterrent to all the unwelcome attention. They settle on a mutually beneficial fake dating arrangement that before long begins to feel all too real.

I felt the connection between Sophie and Joe immediately, even in the face of Sophie’s snap judgment of Joe during their first interaction. They had an electric chemistry that I could feel buzzing on the page. Their banter flowed and the dry humor they shared was like hanging out with my own friends. When I say this was a slow burn, I do mean slow, but the payoff delivered even as there are only kisses shared on page. I did want to shake Sophie out of her stubbornness long before she managed to do it herself. Despite using her words to be honest with Joe, her actions were still conflicting, and I understood where Joe was coming from with some of his own actions. That said, he could have also used lessons of his own when it came to communicating. I understood it though, as frustrating as the pair of them could be.

The other parents in the group were a mixed bag of chaos, challenging, and endearing. I also really like Joe and Sophie’s family members. I thought all the secondary characters added some fun moments and good insight for the main characters throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good! Perfect fake dating trope, a widower and divorcee with 5 year olds in the same class start a fauxmance and this book makes you laugh and loud and fall in love with Joe & Sophie, great side characters too!

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC of this book 4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bookthreads @netgalley

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review. 🤍

unfortunately this just fell really flat for me. it had so much potential but just felt really bland and lacklustre. i’m really disappointed because i wanted to love it.

I was ready for a cute, quick read, quirky romance and this was just the ticket.

Sophie is your classic FMC masquerading as super-mom... Doing everything in her power to do right by her daughter while absolutely killing it at work... That doesn't stop her sister Poppy from seeing a gap in Sophie's life and trying to fill it with a man-shaped-fix. How else do you get your sister to lay-off than by engaging in a spontaneous fauxmance?!

Enter Joe... the perfect single dad who has the looks and an adorable kiddo who just so happens to be friends with Sophie's daughter... I'm sure you can see where this is going. The two partner up to put a stop to their various annoyances (Sophie's sister and the ravenous mom's at school pick-up in Joe's case!) with one of the more believable fake relationships I've read about!

I enjoyed reading through their experience and watching their friendship and possibly more build. This is one of those books where you're pretty sure you know exactly what you're getting into, but I still enjoyed it more than most of those with similar plots I've read. I would give a 4.5 on this if I were able!

The only detractor for me was how reluctant and frankly, unrelenting Sophie was in her steadfastness to her reason for not wanting a real relationship... I get that there has to be a foil and a reason something isn't happening, but this lacked a bit of depth for me and only in the end did Sophie tie it back to thinking she was doing the best thing for her daughter by avoiding a relationship... I honestly think the last mention of it was in the very end... otherwise to that point we just saw Sophie saying she didn't need it.. she was focusing on work... she didn't want a relationship... etc. None of that was enough for me to want to drop a full star, however...

A fun, light read with two main characters that you rooted for throughout.

A charming yet humorous read, The Pick Up checked all the boxes!

Single parents Joe and Sophie decide to fake-date: her to get an in with the mom's group at her child's school and get her sister off her back about dating, and him to be free of the fawning and pity of the moms.

The fake-dating trope was classic with a unique twist- which made it hilarious. The antics and dynamics within the mom's group was a constant source of laughter. The romance between the two characters was done so well. It's also clean, which is a nice departure from other novels and allows you a chance to focus more on the story. While the story borrowed from classic tropes, it was truly a unique idea, and I loved the moms group part of their fake-relationship (not just family pressure).

Will definitely be looking out for more from this author in the future! If you want a sweet but funny read, this is for you!

Thank you NetGalley and HQ for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The best rom com i read this year, I recommend it to all of my friends. Can’t wait to yap about it. I rated it 4 stars

First of all, this book was fun. Well, actually Sophie was all of the fun. Her internal monologues deserve an award for simply existing and it's been a while since I've been so immersed in a character's thought process.

"The pick-up" is a small town fake dating book, involving two single parents. Joe (will never get over this terrible name choice) and Sophie are the epitome of opposites attract- him being a chill literature professor, and her a self employed tornado of a business consultant- which made their interactions extremely entertaining.

Now.. if you know me- you know I had to erase a star because of the third act break-up/ misunderstanding. Was it necessary? No. Was it predictable? Yes. Was Joe an idiot and Sophie even a bigger one? Yes and yes.

(It's 2024, can we please stop with these third-act breakups now??)

Read if you like:
- Single parent MCs
- Fake Dating
- Slow Burn
- Rom-coms

As a mom with a kid around the same age as Lila and Sid, this book was very relatable. I loved seeing Sophie’s POV of motherhood and all of the 4yr old anecdotes of little Lila. This book was really funny and I loved the banter between Sophie and Joe (also a single parent). I did find that it was a bit slow at times and I would’ve enjoyed seeing Joe’s POV, but overall it was a fun and light read.

I just want to note that the description mentioned that it’s for fans of Elena Armas and Tessa Bailey who are known for a lot of spice. This book had no spice, which I didn’t mind but just wanted to flag. I actually preferred this over books that I’ve read from those authors.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A laugh-out-loud romcom in 2024 perfect for fans of Catherine Walsh and Elena Armas

Committing to a fake romance is easy. It’s keeping it fake that’s the problem …

Sophie Rogers finds it easy to focus on the important things in life. Like her daughter, her job and her family.

So when Joe, another single parent at school suggests they fake a romance to help them both out of a fix, she throws herself in.

But then Sophie starts to look forward to seeing Joe. In fact, she’s thinking about his floppy hair, Irish accent and the way his lips felt when they grazed hers (her commitment to this is exceptional) more than their synced calendars and staged socials. And there is a reason the yummy mummies called him Hot Single Dad.

Sophie Rogers isn't silly enough to fall in love with her fake boyfriend.

Is she?
Tropes
Fake dating
Thanks so much for Netgallery for allowing me to read this book as it was so cute and was so good

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC copy.

A twist on a fake relationship that is so much fun! Divorcee Sophie and widower Joe need to figure out a way to better navigate the pick up spot at their kids school. Sophie needs to fit in with the other moms and Joe needs to figure out a way to cease being the “sad widower” that the moms flirt with and bring endless casseroles to.

But, their perfect plan goes awry when they both seem to catch feelings. Enter Sophie's ex: misunderstandings ensue, feelIngs are hurt, and decisions are made that could tear the couple apart before they even get started.

The banter in this book is immaculate! Add in a hilarious group of imperfect secondary characters and two adorable kids; this book is a delight to read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

🚨 Release date: May 9, 2024

I enjoyed this book so much! I didn’t knew this author before and I’m so happy I do now. Love her writing style.

We’re set in Bristol, United Kingdom. Great start because I love the UK so much (never been there tho 🤣). Okay so.. We have two parents, one divorced and one widowed. The friendship between them felt so effortless, they just fitted so well. They’re so funny I literally couldn’t stop laughing sometimes! The development of their relationship was so sweet and you can also see the personal development of each. I was not a fan of the miscommunication but anyways.

I really loved both main characters, and those behind too! Joe’s mom is my absolute favorite! And don’t even get me started with the kids! Lila is such a sweet funny little girl. Sophie’s sister is one of the best! I reaaaally need to see how her life and relationship (wink wink 😉) goes!!

The fake dating was so funny because of the moms! Honestly loved the moms, each one was very different and funny too. It really is a rom-com on full mode 😂 I really wish we had an Epilogue..

It’s mostly fast paced, good fit for readers looking for a lighthearted funny story, you’ll love it! 💖

Things I liked: There's nothing I love more than a fake dating trope. This book was laugh out loud funny. Sophie's internal monologue is what dreams are made of.

Things I didn't like: Miscommunication, it's an ick for me. Single POV - I've become quite the fan of dual POV because it really gives you the ability to connect with the main characters.

Overall: I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to friends.

I absolutely ADORED this book! Such a delightful read that had me laughing out loud, kicking my feet and continuing to admire the characters. This was such a fun take on a friends to lovers story - full of joy and hope for the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for the ARC!

Don’t really want to rate this book as I did find it hard to get into but that could be as I’m in a reading slump. I do want to give this book another chance but atm I can’t and that’s nothing to do with the book or author I just think it was the wrong time for me to try and read this book