I .hate givinga a books a little stars rating, but what can I say I just didn't feel this one.
I didn't connect to the MCs, to the storyline.
It was cute, but not for me.
3 stars

It's definitely going on my re-read list. Sophie's internal monologue resonated with me, reflecting the random, silly thoughts that cross my mind every day. This book was heartwarming, sweet, clever, and absolutely fantastic.

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the author for providing me with the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This novel incorporates some of my preferred themes, such as single parents and fake dating. Nonetheless, I found it challenging to detect any spark between Sophie and Joe. I had high hopes for Joe as a golden retriever, MMC. However, Sophie was icy, distant, and guarded, hindering the potential for character development. The romance was an extreme slow burn, prolonging the moment when Sophie finally acknowledged their genuine connection. By the time she does, the story is basically over, depriving me of witnessing their relationship blossom into a solid partnership. Although there were fleeting instances where Sophie revealed vulnerability, she swiftly retreated behind her emotional walls, thwarting any progress. Frankly, her behaviour became exasperating and fostered a sense of dislike for her character.

Stars:2.75
Spice: o/5 (closed door)

This book was so much fun to read. I truly loved the relationships between the parents and their kids and the way each and every character was so fully fledged out, even the side characters. It made me connect with the characters in a way that not many books can accomplish, and though the book had a bit of a slow start, once it pulled me in, I was fully into it and couldn't put it down. It was the perfect romantic read.

I loved this book so much.

It took me a bit of time to commit to the story, but when I did, I finished the book in no time at all.

The story follows Sophie and Joe. Both single parents who both could do with a break from people mingling in their love lives. So, of course, they set up a fauxmance.

What I love most about these two characters is that they both have baggage from their previous relationships. Joe is a widower whereas Sophie a divorcee. So, while their history is different, their lives are pretty similar as they're both managing the struggles of loving single parent life.

I loved the banter between them as both lovers and friends. As well as the dynamic with all the other parents from the clique. I love how both of their children bloom because of the new connections made.

I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for a wholesome read with lovely kids, this book is for you.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a lot of fun to read!

This romcom had me laughing so much! I will read this again. Sophie's internal monologue reminds me of myself and the random things that pass through my silly brain on the daily. This was heartwarming and sweet and clever and just amazing

This is a really fun slow burn, fake. dating, (fr)enemies to. lovers book! Honestly I had a hard time getting through the first third of the book, but. once. I made it. past that I. couldn't put. down the book! There are so many characters that I loved besides Sophie and Joe. I love how Sophie is such a strong and smart character, and that Joe is the perfect match to support her. I definitely recommend this fun read!

Thank you to the publisher, author, & NetGalley for sending me this e-ARC. All thoughts are my own, and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

An excellent romcom to read in the sun and auch a fun and kind book to relax the soul. If it wasn’t for life getting in the way, I wouldn’t have put it down!

Tropes: single mom/single dad, fake dating, meddling sister, clean romance, PTA Moms, reverse grumpy/sunshine

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC of this book. I was excited to get it.

Single Mom Sophie is struggling to keep her bussiness running, her daughter taken care of and getting the other mom’s at school to like her. On top of all that, Sophie’s sister Poppy is setting her up on terrible dates and signing her up for dating sites. Joe is a single dad who wishes the school mom’s (minus Sophie) would leave him alone. The two hatch a plan to fake date and solve both their problems.

The British terms in this book took me a few chapters to get use to being an American. I still have no idea what “‘Phwoar,’ means. However I really enjoyed this book. The title is witty as the MMC/FMC meet at their kid’s school pick up. Another character actually makes a joke about this fact. This is a clean romance meaning there’s no spicy and I liked that as I value romance over sex in books. The MMC has an Irish accent, the sexiest of the accents. He was a textbook amazing book boyfriend. The banter was good minus when Sophie was just being flat out rude.

Sophie’s character was the only part of this I didn’t love. She was so immature. She was rude to Joe when they met.Then she would just say to him whatever she was thinking with no regard to him. I enjoyed it when Sophie was calling 4 years a douche in her mind or thinking Joe was a tosser because he brought candy to pick up. But the outright rude, I didn’t like.

For fans of fake dating, enemies to lovers, and slow burn romance! Pick this up for a quick and fun read that will have you falling in love with these characters as they fall in love with each other.

The Pick Up by Hannah Doyle

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this budding romance with two single parents; it was a refreshingly clean romcom and a nice change of pace. Since the main characters are a bit older, it made this read feel distinct, endearing and heartfelt. Overall it will give you all the happy vibes while putting a smile on your face throughout. Definitely recommend for a weekend Pick me Up.

In The Pick Up, the reader finds themselves in the hilarious point of view of Sophie, a single parent who is trying desperately to get in with the fellow moms at her young daughters school. In a turn of events, she enlists the help of fellow single parent Joe in a fake dating scenario because all the school moms seem to love him. As they spend more time together, they become friends and suddenly might become something more.

I enjoyed this book! I found the single parent dating to be a fun new troupe for me, and I enjoyed the side characters of this book so much. Sophie was truly quite hilarious, and there were times I definitely laughed out loud while reading it. I enjoyed the growth that Sophie went through, and her daughter Lila seemed like such a cutie. Overall, a fun new take on fake dating troupe with people who were age appropriate and already had kids. I recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Thank you to HQ Digital and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. This was a quick read with a different premise than I usually see for romance novels in focusing on parents. This is not to say that non-parents will not enjoy it but you can feel the reality of parenthood being displayed with no filter. It hit a lot of the tropes I would expect but did so in a sweet manner. Sophie and Joe are very sweet and it was actually nice to see it not have an epilogue that occurs after the resolution but instead a last chapter that still is in the smaller timeframe. 3 stars.

I generally don’t love a miscommunication trope but it was impossible not to like Sophie and Joe. The author did a good job allowing the characters to be parents while also people who fall in love who have strong support systems and clear careers/goals. There were a few too many gaps in communication between the characters for my preferences (they went weeks without speaking a few times) but it was clear they built a solid friendship first.

This was a fun story! I enjoyed the fake dating to avoid problems with the other parents. It was fun to see Sophie and Joe bond over being single parents.

I really enjoyed the set up for the book and the first half but I got annoyed with Sophie later on. I wished she had been clearer on her own feelings and I felt like she ended up seeming indecisive and flip-floppy.

I think this one will be good for fans of a closed-door single-parent romcom!

This book was okay, it was an overall easy read. Sophie and Joe didn't actually seem to have much chemistry or even particularly like each other, so the romance fell flat. The entire fake dating premise was far-fetched and sort of unnecessary to me. The kiddos were super cute and added much levity. Unfortunately, this ended up being a sort of forgettable story and nothing stayed with me at the end. If you like a British romance with parents with kids, you might give this a try. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

This book gave me so many warm and fuzzy feelings. Joe and Sophie are single parents who meet at school pick up. The decide to fake date so the other parents will stop making Joe casseroles and start inviting Sophie to things. The story is funny and heartwarming. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to reading this in exchange for an honest review.
Highly recommend

I received this book from NetGalley as an ALC. This is the first book I have read from this author, and I really enjoyed her writing style. The main characters were likable, and the side characters added to the fullness of the story. There were a couple of moments that made me laugh out loud. I found myself invested in their relationship and outcome. I do think the lead to the ending could have been shorter, it felt like it was longer just to create more drama. However, it felt like how someone would handle that. I really enjoyed the banter between the characters. For anyone looking for spice, this is very closed door. It is still a super cute romance read, and I highly recommend.

*4.5

This was adorable. The fact that Joe and Sophie thought that fake dating would work is so funny. There is no reason that they couldn't have dated but I loved it. Sophie was so focused on herself and Lila that she didn't even think about dating. Her and Joe became best friends and just spent their days with each other. She was so stubborn and I just wanted her to admit that she loved Joe.

I received an arc through netgalley.