The Pick Up by Hannah Doyle
I love a good Romance, and this one checked all the boxes - interesting \ believable characters, unique setup, not too predictable, not too "trashy", and just fun! And sometimes you just need a light, happy read.
Yep, it started with a " fake relationship" between two single parents, but their reasons made for a fun, funny and heartwarming story. A quick read ... because I couldn't put it down. I was invested in what would happen at each turn, and how things would turn out.
This was my first read by Hannah Doyle, but I will be looking for more from this author.

this was a very cute single parent romcom! a super easy and fun read with lots of banter and fake dating. i’m not typically a fade-to-black/closed door reader - but i honestly didn’t even mind it with this book. this was overall a very fun read!

This was such a fun story with a unique plot. The chemistry was immediate between Sophie and Joe. There were plenty of fun side characters (we love women supporting women!) and their family relationships were very sweet and well written. I think the book could’ve done with a little more polishing potentially. Some things felt a bit clunky to me.

This was absolutely adorable, fake dating done right! Sophie and Joe had real chemistry from the beginning and the ending was perfect.

NetGalley Arc: The Pick Up was an adorable premise and light hearted read. The relationship between Sophie and Joe was cute, but the ending felt a little rushed and the side characters’ development seemed surface level. While the character development and pacing weren’t my favorite it was still an enjoyable read

Joe is a hot single dad and all the mom’s at his son’s school are vying for his attention, very unwanted attention. Sophie is a single mom desperate to help her daughter make friends and she knows getting in with the Barnaby Babes clique is the way to do it. So what’s the most logic plan? Fake dating! The moms will back off of Joe and he will lead them right to Sophie. But then things start to feel a little too real and Sophie needs to reinforce those walls she has put up to avoid history from repeating itself?
This book sounded great. A fake dating, single parent romance. Add an hot Irishman who is a literary professor and you have officially found my kryptonite. Only problem… I didn’t feel any chemistry between Joe and Sophie. Sophie was irritating to me. The book was from her POV and I did not feel like she had any feelings for him until the very end. By that point I was not invested in them as a couple. I wish I would have gotten a little of the unrequited love from Joe’s POV.
The secondary characters were very entertaining to read about. I actually was more invested in Sophie’s sister’s side romance than the main characters. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book unless you are looking for a very clean slow burn romance. I was in the latter half of the book before anything even happened. And when I say happened I mean an almost kiss. Which brings me to clean… This is not a smutty book. There are no bases being rounded. They barely get to first base and then at the end of the book it’s just mentioned that they got to home plate.

Thank you Net Galley & the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Pick Up is story about the two single parents at the school gates having a ‘fauxmance’ to get the other mums off his back and on her side.

For a fake romance, this one had chemistry from the start and I’m really surprised sophie & joe didn’t feel their dates were just like real ones sooner! They bounced off each other with ease and was a lovely read of them falling for each other.

It actually reminded me of how I got with my now fiancé 11years ago, we didn’t have a fake romance but he became my best friend before he wormed his way into my heart and I had those same feelings of doubt about taking it further and the possibility of ruining our friendship as I didn’t want to lose my best friend, just like Sophie felt about Joe.

The miscommunication was for once very believable on both sides, Sophie because of the above and Joe the family man, not wanting to get in the way of her family’s potential future.

Overall, a lovely book, great characters, funny inner-thoughts, good chemistry, realistic storytelling! What’s not to love!
I also read it in one sitting and may have gone to bed at 3am… 4 stars!
Would have loved an epilogue of the future to tie it all up nicely!

This was such a cute romance! I enjoyed the story immensely and I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute romance

Really enjoyed this one. Funny and heartwarming. Sophie wants to join the Mum's circle at school pick up but is finding it tricky to find a way in., until she puts a brave face on and plunges in. Enter Joe...the single Dad heart throb. Joe & Sophie are both single parents finding it hard to fit in..they hit on a plan to start a "fauxmance" & voila they become part of the clan.. Hilarious characters, romance, fun and drama make this a great read, a slightly predictable ending but I'd enjoyed the read so much I didn't mind. The second book by Hannah Doyle that I've thoroughly enjoyed. A great holiday read. Highly recommend.

I really appreciated the writing but I wished we had at least one or two chapters written in Joe’s POV. It was a really sweet book but for a fake dating trope I didn’t feel like there were many fake dating haha, it was more of a stranger to friends to lovers kind of book. I loved Sophie and Joe’s dynamic and chemistry + their children being so close was cute as hell. I can’t wait to read more book from this author.

Single parents Sophie and Joe embark on a fake dating scheme to navigate schoolyard politics. Sophie, independent and organized, clashes charmingly with Joe's easygoing nature. Their banter and chemistry make for a delightful read, with Joe emerging as the perfect romantic hero who slowly melts Sophie's defenses. While Sophie's stubbornness can be frustrating, her journey towards embracing the unexpected is heartwarming. Doyle skillfully blends humor, charm, and realistic portrayals of single parenthood, creating a comforting and enjoyable read. The exploration of fake dating for single parents adds depth, and the ensemble cast enriches the story. By the end, I was fully invested in Sophie and Joe's journey and left wanting more.

The Pick Up by Hannah Doyle is a lighthearted story about two single parents and how they navigate life and the school yard. It is a fun and quick read, that everyone would enjoy!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of The Pick Up by Hannah Doyle

The Pick Up is an emotional and sweet romance about two single parents. Sophie is a not so freshly divorced mother to a 4 year old and a successful independent business consultant. And she is a very good mum who cares for her daughter and makes her her first priority, always. Joe is a not so recently widowed dad to Sophie’s daughter’s classmate and an English professor. He also doesn’t do too bad of a job at parenting. The both of them have some minor hiccups of course - Joe is bothered by the intrusive mothers and Sophie wants to befriend those mothers to get an in for her kid and she also wants her sister to stop bothering her about dating. Naturally, the two strike a deal to fake date and we go from there.

Quite a lot of this book does revolve around the kids - and I loved it. In lots of ways this book is not totally novel, but the execution is brilliant. The experience of parenting is described in truly beautiful ways and the relationship of Sophie and her daughter “and Sophie’s family is heart warming. I got super emotionally invested in our characters and might have shed a tear or two at some point. The book is an incredibly angsty yearning slow burn and I loved that because it felt super authentic for the characters who prioritise their kids. If you’re into some heartfelt, easy to read romance, do check this one out!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free copy provided in exchange for an honest review!

Ohmygod so freaking cute!!!!!
I had so much fun with this book, so fluffy, cute and funny, not too fast or slow and lovable characters everywhere.
We follow Sophie, single mum, as she attempts to take on the dangerous world of school mums, to help single dad Joe offers a deal that can help them both.
Aside from fake dating being my favorite romance trope, this book actually made me love tropes I usually avoid, that being single parent trope. It was written so well! The srtuggles and the joys articulated beautifully, as well as the fears of fitting in with the other parents.
Even though this book was not dual POV I still felt like we got to know love interest, Joe, thoroughly. We also got some good side characters, as well as a little side romance from Sophie's sister and her best friend which I found so cute. My only frustration was the miscommunication in this book between the characters, sometimes I felt like screaming at Sophie and Joe through my kindle oh my god ! But all ended well so smiles from me :))))))))
Really was a fun, light book would genuinely recommended to anyone, even if you're not a big romance reader.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!
This book was the definition of adorable. The banter in this book was so refreshing, there's nothing more entertaining to me then dry banter and flirty quips. I really enjoyed the journey both characters went on throughout this book. I really was smitten with Lila and her goofy little personality. I particular love of mine is reading romance novels that are set in England and this was a perfect edition to my collection! I would 100% recommend this to a friend when the book is published!

If you love slow burn closed door romance, this is the book for you! The characters are very relatable! I found myself not being able to put the book down!

Fantastic novel, enjoyed every minute of it! Absolutely nothing not to like about it. Such a cute story and great characters. Highly recommend this!

Thank you to @netgalley for this eARC for review.

This is my first Hannah Doyle book and im sure it will not be my last. Aside from the format of the ARC that made it difficult to thoroughly enjoy like a book experience. This was SO refreshing. Light, funny, and wholesome. A single parent love story on both ends that we dont see enough of. I loved the chemistry and didnt find it forced at all. I did feel like their conflicts felt a little dragged on until they resolved it but I still found that the story moved so well. Most of all, this story was FUN. just enjoyable and warm. I cant wait for more.

I freakin LOVED this adorable rom com. It was my first book by this author and it won’t be my last. I loved the banter between Joe and Sophie and the sweetness of them coming together after their tough backgrounds. And I think all moms can relate to those “school yard” moms. What a fun read!

I loved this romcom! In this sweet romance, two single parents, Sophie and Joe pretend to date so the other school moms will stop bothering Joe and Sophie can meet new mom friends. However, Sophie's insecurity was irritating at times, causing her to hurt Joe unnecessarily. However the witty banter and romance made up for that.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.