The plot of the book had enough to seduce any reader seaking for a light romance. Unfortunately, it does not deliver. The romance is profoundly lacking in this story, so much so that you actually question how and why the two protagonists are getting together.

When Lucy loses her job to Ross, she comes up with the idea of a column to provide men with love and life advice. Problem is, she has no clue about it herself and actually needs the help of both her sister and AI to deliver.

The book mostly goes around two main topics: Lucy's issues writing her column and figuring men out and Lucy's sister, who recently got married and whose love life does not seem half as happy as it should be.

Thank you to NetGalley and StormPublishing for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

ARC‼️
It was a fun concept and the story itself was entertaining but it constantly felt like it was written in x2 speed.

The moment a scene would begin it was over within moments, the characters dialogue was instant answers for problems and never any filler or leaving any potential mystery to what may happen next.

For example it was like ‘oh no she really needs to find a job!’ *Next page* ‘she’s found a job and now we’ve already been here for a few weeks’ ??? Slow down please or just skip the scene if you are just going to race through them.

Don’t bother even mentioning Ross. The whole fly to NYC the day after being dumbed just to now start a new relationship, again just constantly sprinting through the story line. He was as bland a blank piece of paper & even Luce said he was overall just an average boring person.

I could overlook the warp speed of the story but I could not get past the flash backs. They were so random and you never knew when they would cut back to reality it was incredibly confusing. I was constantly flipping back pages thinking I’d skipped something.

Overall if it was slowed down and you got to enjoy learning about the characters and their backgrounds it’d be more enjoyable.

Rating: 2.5 stars

Where should I start??

The cover of this book is cute, which is what initially drew me in when looking for ARCs. The blurb had me expecting a forbidden, steamy office romance with some laughs thrown in.

However, it didn’t live up to expectations. The plot is all over the place. It spends too much time in the past, with Lucy (FMC) dwelling on her past relationship. It’s taken a lot away from the present-day story and could have been summarised quickly and effectively in a few pages.

So, Lucy and Ross's (MMC) slow burn was only a simmer. There were some small sparks in the book between them, but there was no tension or buildup that I crave in a romance.

The side characters and subplot added some much-needed depth, but even with them, the whole story still felt disjointed.

Listen, I liked it enough to finish it; there were parts I truly enjoyed. However, I was left wanting more and feeling unfulfilled.

I want to thank Storm Publishing and Netgallery for sending me this ARC. All opinions are honest and my own, of course!

This quiet book has a “slice of life” feel rather than a strong, directed plot. Lucy has no business giving dating advice, since it’s a subject she’s clueless about. The book is more women’s fiction than romance, since the love story is not the central plot.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I loved the cover of this book so much that I requested it. But I kind of wish I hadn't?

The FMC, Lucy, frustrated me for the majority of the book. Her cynicism was overwhelming and way too dramatic. It was nothing but her complaining and being so entirely delusional that it made me want to DNF. But I stuck it out.

I'm shocked this is a romance because the romance felt almost nonexistent. And when it did show up towards the end, it was rushed.

I'm sorry to say that I just didn't really care for this book.

Thank you Storm Publishing and NetGallery for this ARC.
Lucy lands herself a new job writing an "Ask Adam" column for an online newspaper/magazine. The trouble is, her own love life is found to be lacking. She has been hurt in the past and has trouble wanting to trust another man in the future. She enlists the help of her sister who will be getting married very soon to write the column. Once she gets the hang of the column, she really starts to enjoy her new job, especially getting to know her coworker, Ross. After her sister is married and moves away, she quickly realizes something is not right with her new life. She rushes to help her and maybe goes on an adventure of her own.

I did not enjoy this book. I felt like the plot was all over the place. I had trouble figuring out which storyline I was supposed to follow: the new column, her crush on Ross, her sister's new marriage, etc. This had the potential of being a great book if it was kept to one of these issues and added some excitement or comedy throughout. I did enjoy following her sister's storyline and I think that has the potential of being a book all on it's own.

I did not enjoy The Love Hack. I thought it was boring and contradictory. The biggest problem I had with this book was the FMC, Lucy. I found her immature and frustrating. Like other reviewers, I had an issue with her relationship with Ross at the beginning of the book. I didn't understand why she was so upset about the Bryony thing when her and Ross had barely interacted at that point! It was hard to root for Lucy when she changed her mind every other chapter about office relationships. I wish her past relationship with Kieran wasn't so drawn out. I also didn't care for the AI storyline and its resolution. Lucy definitely should not have been giving out relationship advice to readers. Although Lucy's co-workers didn't add much to the story, they weren't bad! I didn't care for Lucy's sister. She was pretty horrible to Lucy when she talked to her in NY. This was a disappointing romance. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the audio of The Love Hack in exchange for an honest review.

Lucy, also known as "Ask Adam," is an online advice column offering relationship advice to men, When she meets Ross, a co-worker who makes her laugh, Lucy faces a dilemma as she vowed never to date someone from the office again after a painful breakup. As her advice column gains popularity, Lucy suspects a new email is from Ross, who may not be single, and her inbox floods with questions, leading her to rely on her AI assistant for help. Lucy's biggest challenge arises when she receives a message she suspects was sent by her sister's husband, prompting her to investigate the situation herself.
The story is engaging and humorous, offering a sweet romance with quirky anecdotes that make it a fun and easy read.

Expected publication June 7, 2024

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. The premise is funny, and I like the idea. But, I just didn't enjoy it. It was a pass for me, but I can see other people enjoying it.

Thank you Storm Publishing and NetGallery for this ARC. I think this book started as a great idea, but it fell short. I had really great expectations and as I continued reading, I couldn’t connect with this book or with any of the characters and certainly I didn’t fell in love with Ross. I felt Lucy and Ross did not have chemistry. I also did not like at all how chill everyone was with Lucy using AI to perform her job!!! I do not think this is acceptable.

Firstly I appreciate how much time and effort goes into writing a book then getting that book published.

However not every book written should be.
This is one of those books, I’m having a hard time to find anything positive about this book other than the cover,

There is the whole co dependent relationships she has with everyone she meets, and overly involved in her sisters relationship (which is a toxic mess) to the unstable relationship she has at work. To the whole using a chatbot to actually get her work done for her

I enjoyed this book and read it really quickly. The main characters are all very likeable and you are fully rooting for them through the book. I found Lucy relatable, and enjoyed her story arc. I do think more time could have been spent on the second half, going to NY etc, instead of having a longer build up but it was still a super enjoyable book!

The Love Hack by Sophie Ranald had an intriguing premise but ultimately fell short of my expectations. The concept of a rookie advice columnist navigating her own romantic entanglements while managing a viral advice column was compelling. However, the execution left much to be desired.

The story spent too much time on Lucy reminiscing about her ex, which slowed down the plot and detracted from her current experiences. This focus on the past made it difficult to invest in her budding relationship with Ross. There was a lack of buildup between Lucy and Ross; their transition from coworkers to romantic interests felt abrupt and lacked the tension and development that typically makes a romance engaging.

One of the highlights of the book was the team away day. This part showcased the connection between Lucy and Ross, providing a deeper look into their dynamics and offering some of the most engaging moments in the story. It was during this away day that their chemistry felt most natural and convincing.

The subplot involving Lucy's sister added depth to Amelie's character, providing insight into her motivations and challenges. Amelie emerged as a relatable and likable character with emotional depth, contrasting with Lucy's immaturity.

Character-wise, Amelie stood out as the best character in the book. She had emotional depth and came across as both relatable and likable. In contrast, Lucy's immaturity made it hard for me to connect with her or root for her. Ross, despite his mistakes and flaws, came across as more likable. His character had potential, but the rushed romance undermined his development.

Overall, while the book was readable, I can't say I truly enjoyed it. The overemphasis on Lucy's past relationship detracted from the romantic tension I usually look for in such stories, and the pacing felt off. I was very disappointed, as the book initially sounded like one I would enjoy.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of The Love Hack in exchange for an honest and independent review. Despite my disappointment, I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a cute book
Lucy takes the job as agony uncle 'Ask Adam', in the hope of not loosing her job, dishing out advice to men.
The new office is where she meets Ross, who makes her heart flutter and gives her butterflies.
The fun begins, the column takes off and Lucy is out of her depth
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy

Lucy lands a new job as an online agony aunt under the alias “Ask Adam,” offering relationship advice to men. Despite her new role, Lucy prefers spending her Friday nights alone with Netflix and her cat, Astro. This changes when she meets Ross, a co-worker who makes her laugh and gives her butterflies. However, after a painful breakup with a former work boyfriend, Lucy vows never to date someone from the office again.

Two major complications arise. First, Lucy suspects that a new email in the "Ask Adam" inbox is from Ross, and he’s not single. Second, as her advice column gains popularity, her inbox floods with questions. Lucy sometimes relies on her AI assistant to help decode these romantic dilemmas, including her own. And her biggest problem arises when she receives a message that she suspects was sent by her sister's husband. The AI chat wasn’t much help, so she decided to investigate the situation herself.

Lucy is a very interesting character. Despite having problems primarily at work, she managed to make the best of it, thanks to her sister's suggestion. Initially, it didn't seem promising that "Ask Adam" would do well, but her answers to the questions are funny and engaging—I would definitely respond similarly to some of them. For a while, Lucy annoyed me with how much she was still hung up on her past "relationship" after several years—it felt unnecessary. I wish there were more parts in the book where the relationship between Ross and Lucy improved and we could see what was actually happening between them. Also, I'm curious about Amelie and her intriguing marriage; there's a lot of talk about her, but nothing really happens, and you don't learn anything. The book doesn't have any spicy scenes; it's actually a sweet romance and a cute start to a relationship, from an office crush to a relationship. The book is simple and easy to read, with interesting and funny parts. I like that it includes quirky anecdotes, perfectly fitting for the times we live in.

The book was not what I was expecting from the cover. I wouldn’t really call Lucy a love guru as she really doesn’t know anything about love (or men). The story wasn’t bad, but I wouldn’t really call it a rom com. The “rom com” part of the book was small and felt like it had to be jammed in there to call it a rom com. As I said earlier, it wasn’t a bad book but maybe mislabeled and the cover is misleading which could definitely disappoint readers. I give it 2.5 stars but round it down due to being disappointed from the cover/description.

was offered an early copy of this book on Netgalley and thought the cover looked cute, and I was ready for an easy read rom com.

After losing her job following a restructure, Lucy is offered an alternative role as an agony uncle, writing The Ask Adam column.

Having had one failed office relationship she is surprised to find herself drawn to colleague, Ross.

Sounds like a typical office romance novel, and I was looking forward to it, but for some reason it missed the mark. Easy read it was, and it was ok, but I didn’t love and I didn’t hate it, so not one I’d rush to recommend.

The blurb
She’s a rookie advice columnist. He’s her office crush. It’s about to get complete …

Landing a new job as online agony uncle “Ask Adam” Lucy dishes out relationship tips to men. But when it comes to her own love life, she’d rather spend Friday nights curled up on her sofa with Netflix and her cat, Astro.

That is, until she meets Ross, her new co-worker who makes her snort with laughter at his silly jokes and sets off butterflies in her stomach when his hazel eyes meet hers over his laptop.

After her last work boyfriend broke her heart, Lucy swore she’d never fall for someone in the office again. And she’s just about to have two more good reasons not to.
1. An email has just landed in the “Ask Adam” inbox and Lucy is convinced it’s from Ross.
2. He’s most definitely not single.

As her advice column goes viral and her inbox overflows with problems, Lucy turns to her AI assistant for help decoding romantic troubles, including her own. Can her state-of-the-art cupid really help her navigate her feelings for Ross? Or will the truth behind “Ask Adam” turn her non-existent love life into a hot mess?

This book was a really slow, slow, slow burn. The real romance part only starts in the last 15-20% of the book but then it is developing really fast. So I don't know if this is the right book for everyone who is looking for a real work colleagues romance book. But if you are open to also reading romance book in which the romance isn't the main factor then this is a book a you.

I mostly liked the character (not the sister or the ex's but the rest). Especially the female main lead. I actually loved that she has flaws and insecuritys like everyone of us has. That made the main character more human and for me it made the book more enjoyable.

Lucy lands a job as a columnist at a men’s magazine. It’s all men asking “Adam” questions. Lucy is struggling and gets her sister to help. She’s a bit naive to the male gender.

It’s an ok read, the letters were sometimes a bit unrealistic, but the reply’s were quite funny. Lucy annoyed me a little bit, she was a tad childish and really didn’t know men at all. I think the author wanted this though. The romance was a side story I thought and would have liked it to be more in the book.

Not a bad read, but a bit slow going for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

I’m not sure how to even start this.

I guess, Storm Publishing, why would you ever publish something when a writer uses AI to write???

At first, I just thought it was a slow book. But more I got into it, the worst it got.

- Why Lucy agreed to write a column as a men when she doesn’t really understand men???
- She relationship of Lucy’s sister and her husband? Just awful and had so many red flags, you couldn’t see through them. And don’t tell me someone who’s not the husband (obviously) would write to “Adam” with the exact story. Just ridiculous
- Relationship between Lucy & Ross? Honestly, none existent. I don’t even understand the whole sub plot of Ross dating one Lucy’s sister’s friend. There was few blushes at work and suddenly they are In love???

I could have overlooked all of it. If it wasn’t for the AI writing. Honestly, it should be illegal. Second, making it okay for Lucy using AI for her article was like saying that all the hard work and time writes and authors put in their work is completely pointless and unnecessary. I can’t believe ANY publisher would okay something like that. Just for that I would give it no starts if I could.