when lucy gets fired from her old job at fab she decides to start up a agony aunt column for men, by pretending she’s a man herself

i did like the idea of a woman going into a all man environment, i found the premise really interesting.

however, at times lucy was quite dislike-able in the things she’d say to people. i couldn’t really get into the plot or characters and they fell really flat to me…so i had to DNF

hopefully this book will work for someone else because it just didn’t quite click for me!

A cute and sweet romcom! The Love Hack is definitely the perfect summer read. I loved the concept of ask Adam column and the fact that Lucy (FMC) uses a generative AI to help her understand men, it made it seem more realistic than her just knowing exactly what to say in her answers. The only thing i didn’t enjoy was Ross’s (MMC) kind of other woman business, I felt like it could have been avoided. However, overall this book is really great and I would highly recommend for a sunny day read!

Summary: Lucy, an online agony aunt, navigates love advice while avoiding office romance. But when Ross appears, sparks fly, complicating her resolve.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an ARC of this book, all thoughts are my own.

It's a story about Lucy. Lucy is not like other girls - she doesn't like make-up, always wear Converse and Docs, lives alone with her cat and works in a VERY-MANLY environment (like for real, they are only men there) as online "Agony Uncle". Well, it DOES sound like a lot of rom-coms.
But i liked it. Actually it was a very nice book to read.

Luce felt like very delulu person at first and i was thinking to myself for like 60% of the book "please do not be a shy mouse in a romantic movie who won't even talk to a man she likes (and it didn't seem like he even liked-liked her, like she was THAT delulu).
But i think i grew up on her. She came out of her "all men are the same" shell and actually became a very likeable person!

That one working opportunity changed her whole point of view in life and i loved it.
Because not all men are d*cks (but Zack and her ex are). Like there are some guys out there who really WOULD be a good husband material. And men have FEELINGS. like a lot of them. and all the bits and pieces of people who wrote to Adam and asked him for help - i loved that.


I also liked that the love interest wasn't a broody, bossy guy who shows only his soft side to her (even tho i will eat up every book with that "trope") - instead we got a really shy guy who was "just" a nice person to everyone. AND HE WAS BLUSHING.
We need more men in books like this!




"Keep the faith. If it's meant to be, it will be. If it's not, it'll hurt and you'll get over it, same as Amelie will, same as every woman does who's found a good man and lost him. And at least now you know men can be good."

When I saw the cover, and then the title, it was a no-brainer for me. Instant gratification for my romance addiction. I devoured this story, enjoying every second of the experience, sighing with satisfaction as I turned the final page.

this is the perfect summertime pool/beach read. i absolutely fell in love with the main characters and smiled the entire story!!!!

Awww this book was so sweet!
No third act breakup, no communication issues- just a shy yet confident and sweet boy and a girl who actually accepted her feelings <3
i confess- before i started this, i thought this was also going to be like all the rom-coms i've read. (The cover did look a bit like "The Hating game" though.) I expected this to be the same workplace romance, where the guy and the girl hate each other but- wait for it- they don't actually hate each other! dummy! Now, don't get me wrong, i did like The hating game and god knows how many times i have read The Spanish love deception. But, really it gets boring to see the same thing repeated again and again. if they are not colleagues, they would still be rivals of some sort and etc etc etc.
So, i was pleasantly surprised when i read this book. The word 'bloke' did appear quite few times but i think we can let that slide. I am not much of a critic anyway (unless there is something that really annoys me). Lucy gradually catching feelings for Ross, the stages of having a crush, being bummed out when said crush has a girlfriend, and trying (read: failing miserably) to get over that crush. Ah. it seemed genuine.
AND LUCY WEARS GLASSES!!! idk dude, we need more FMC with glasses 😭😭
I loved the fact that they didn't straight become a couple- they were friends first. ngl nowadays, books skip the friendship stage like i skip my workouts 🤚🏻😭
And them blushing when they looked at each other was so cuteee!!!
I liked that Ross didn't have any emotional scar like Lucy imagined hahaha
“An intelligent, thoughtful, serious man, possibly with deep emotional scars that only I could heal.”
Ah Lucy, don't we all want that theoretically?
But really, emotional intelligence is so hot and so underrated!!!

Nowwww, idk if that was just me but initially, lucy sometimes sounded like "i-m-not-like-other-girls" but that got okay gradually. The sisters' bond was good but the reaction of her sister when she told her 'you-know-what' was kinda weird? like, she was just helping her right?
I enjoyed the 'Ask Adam' section even though it seemed obvious that Ross had sent that ask!! I tried to guess how this book would turn out but Miss Sophie Ronald, you can be proud because i didn't expect anything that happened in the book (except for one thing) so its a big achievement!

hence it was a good 3-3.5 stars read for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’m going to do 3 ⭐️ my expectations was for a very romantic relationship with a coworker same age young adult an fluffy flirtatious. Not at all I enjoy love but as a natural anxious person, it gave me anxiety and not enjoyment.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to provide an honest review.

I had so much fun with this rom-com!
Lucy is our main character who has real depth and I found her to be very relatable. She is writing an advice columnist for men, even though she has limited knowledge in this department. Through the column she definitely grows more confident in this department, but more importantly she grows more confident in herself and her self-esteem definitely improves. I found the banter between the female lead and male lead to be so good and there were a lot of moments I found myself blushing.

Her sister on the other-hand, Amelie was not my vibe at all. Her husband cheats and she blames the other woman.. not the vibes I am here for. Your husband is the one who you should really take issue with. He's the one who owes you his loyalty. Place the blame where it belongs, and do not slut-shame others in the process.

There were so many different plot points and I thought they were all well executed.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

"The Love Hack" is a charming romantic comedy that effortlessly weaving together humor, heart, and relatable dilemmas.

The dynamic between Lucy and Ross is endearing and entertaining as they navigate the complexities of office romance amidst Lucy's burgeoning popularity as an advice columnist.

The pacing is fast, keeping readers engaged from start to finish, while the witty dialogue and playful banter between characters add an extra layer of enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.


The Love Hack is a cute little romcom that takes place in the UK. The FMC is a writer for a magazine that is going online, and she's about to lose her job if she cannot think of another position for herself at her magazine's online counterpart that the company will allow her to handle. She ends up pitching writing an "Ask Alice" column, but for men instead of women. She will pose as this "Adam" and dish out advice to the men who write into the magazine. She ends up having two issues: #1. She ends up with a major crush on the man seated at the desk across from her, but he's already dating one of her sister's friends. #2. She doesn't actually know how to answer most of these men, and decides to ask an online AI bot for help.


This book moves along as expected, and is pretty surface level as far as the characters go. Since it's a romcom, there aren't any earth shattering revelations for these characters, but it's well written from beginning to end and is entertaining enough to have held my attention throughout. If you enjoy romcoms with the teeniest, tiniest bit of open door scenery, then this will be worth picking up.

I recently finished reading "The Love Hack," and I must say, it's a rom-com with a refreshing twist. The main character, Lucy, is incredibly relatable, with her complexities mirroring those of real-life individuals. Her depth added a layer of authenticity to the story that I found captivating.

One aspect I particularly enjoyed was the Ask Adam column. Lucy's approach to understanding the male perspective through this column provided an interesting angle to the narrative. It offered insights into relationships that felt both genuine and enlightening.

However, there were elements of the book that left me feeling unsettled. The inclusion of the other woman drama, particularly the scene where the male main character (MMC) kisses another woman in front of the female main character (FMC), was distressing. It detracted from the otherwise enjoyable storyline and left me feeling disappointed.

Additionally, Lucy's sister, Amelie, was a character I struggled to connect with. Her tendency to slut-shame another woman instead of holding her cheating husband accountable and then lashing out at her sister for trying to help was unexpected behavior, especially from someone so close to the FMC. I believe her character could benefit from some development to make her more relatable and likable.

Despite these drawbacks, "The Love Hack" remains a complex and engaging read. The characters feel like real human beings rather than stereotypical side characters, which added depth to the story. While the other woman drama prevented me from giving it a full four-star rating, I still found it to be a worthwhile and thought-provoking read.

The Love Hack

What started as a story about losing your job and doing the next best thing; being an agony aunt, in this case uncle, turned out to be much more than that. When I started this book, I wasn't really convinced whether the subject of the book was going to be enough to fill up to 300 pages. What was I wrong.

The book revolves around Lucy, who started a new job at a men's magazine and, you guessed it, has a thing for her new colleague. While this is the main storyline, the book has a few side stories that in my opinion make it more than worth your time reading. It is multilayered and focuses on standing up for yourself, accepting yourself and others, but also coming to terms with the past. Another major theme was sisterhood, which was really hearth warming.

“Denial’s not just a river in Egypt, right?”

In my opinion, the book does start out a bit slow, but it picks up really fast. It is well written, and especially the references to ChatGPT make it really fun and easy to read. However, the ending did feel a bit rushed to me which contributes to it not being a five star read for me. Another plus is that most of the chapters start out with a 'ask Adam' submission and it is really nice to see how Lucy not only tries to answer these in each chapter but also learns from them.

A major thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a delightful read, filled with sweetness and fun. I enjoyed the writing, the storyline, and the characters. Lucy and Amelie were portrayed brilliantly, although I was surprised by the direction Amelie's story took—it caught me off guard in a good way.

The romance between Lucy and Ross was adorable, and I appreciated having a genuinely funny and down-to-earth male lead instead of the typical alpha male. Sophie's writing style is something I really admire; it's gentle, expressive, and calming. After reading this book, I felt uplifted and in a great mood. I also loved how the story celebrated sisterhood and sibling love.

Cute, fast-paced, rom-com that just keeps going. Multiple plots intertwining, love lost, buried but not forgotten, new love blooming in the dark. Insecurities, self doubt and painful memories to be faced head on with a bit of self aweness growing. Who will end up with whom, and boy there are some surprises. An entertaining read.

4* A fluffy romantic comedy.

Due to a drop in sales, the magazine where Lucy works as Technology Editor, will be combined with online magazine Max, leaving Lucy facing redundancy. With no possibility of job sharing, rent to pay and a cat to feed, she needs to find a reason for the magazine to continue to employ her. Lucy comes up with the idea of being an Agony Aunt, or rather Agony Uncle, to offer relationship advice for the male readers. Ask Adam is born, even though Lucy’s understanding of men is limited.

I particularly loved the idea of a woman, in the guise of a man, giving advice to men, who would actually take notice thinking they were corresponding with another man.

eARC generously supplied by Storm Publishing and NetGalley, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.

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

Lucy has found herself in over her head as the new online advice columnist, "Ask Adam," for men who have various sorts of relationship questions or personal problems. Her first hurdle, she happens to know absolutely nothing about men. Her second hurdle, her overly handsome coworker named Ross who cannot stop making her blush with his subtle gazes over his computer screen. Lucy hasn't found herself interested in a relationship in years, ever since her last coworker turned boyfriend betrayed her and she stands resolute that she has absolutely no intention of pursing a relationship anytime soon.

On top of the new job and her hunky coworker, her sister and best friend is getting married to a man that Lucy finds a tad pretentious and very controlling. No matter the vibes she's getting from their relationship, Lucy works hard to be there for her sister and support her during all the pre-wedding festivities. It was during the late night bachelorette party when Lucy see's Ross out at a club, making out with one of her fellow bridesmaids. Was she reading Ross's vibes all wrong this entire time? She must have been, otherwise why would he hook up with a random girl at the bar?

At this, Lucy decides to try to keep her distance from Ross in order to protect her heart from devastation, yet again. However, being that he works directly across from her makes this more difficult than originally anticipated. As the weeks pass, Lucy grows into her role as Ask Adam and progressively starts to better understand the male species and how they processes various emotions and situations. In doing so, her relationship/friendship with Ross also starts to deepen. Unfortunately, he is still casually seeing the bridesmaid from the party, which puts a serious damper on Lucy's romantic life.

How will Lucy navigate her relationship with Ross when she wants it to be so much more than friendship? Can she really be successful in her new Ask Adam role? Will people find out she's a fraud? Will she be able to save her sister from her own potentially disastrous relationship?

There were so many entertaining components to this book that make it so enjoyable. I loved how clueless Lucy was when it came to men and even her own self esteem. Over time, Ask Adam helped her grow into a positive and self confident person who was slowly learning what it took to be a good partner and be supportive, all the while standing up for and maintaining your own boundaries. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Ross and Lucy and the chemistry they very clearly had as well as Lucy's relationship with her younger sister. The Love Hack is an adorably wholesome book that actually has some pretty great relationship take away's built in. Perfect weekend read for this summer!

Firstly I love the cover it drew me in and I instantly wanted to read it it gave me hating game vibes. On reading this I feel like I have read this story so many times it has vibes from every popular romcom but almost doesn't always seamlessly transition throughout. It was definitely a cute curl up on the sofa story that I can slowly read overtime but I was hoping for a little more.

I recieved the love hack as an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

This easy-to-read novel is perfect if you are looking for a quick, cute story that will hold your interest. While this book does have the typical rom-com elements, there are also the family dynamics and sibling relationships issues thrown in. The characters are likable and the story line was good enough to keep me engaged and wanting to read - so much so that I finished the book in 2 days. This story is not deep or complicated but if you are looking for a light, fun, happy read — this is for you. I will read other novels from
Sophie Ranald after reading Love Hack.

4/5⭐️

A very fun Rom-com!

This book was short, sweet and fun. I loved the writing, the plot and the characters. Lucy and Amelie were written well although I did not expect Amelie’s story to take the arc it did. That caught me off guard.
Lucy and Ross were definitely cute together and it was refreshing to see a real, funny, goofy man in the romantic role as opposed to the usual alpha types. I have to say that I am a big fan of Sophie’s writing style. It seemed very gentle, expressive and calming. This book put me in a very good mood after. It was also an ode to sisterhood and sibling love which I loved as well.

I did think that Lucy was a bit too naive for her age. Same reflected in her equation with Kieran, especially towards the end. Even so, her character growth was very promising.

Overall, a really fast, fun rom-com with minimal to no spice, a guaranteed good time. I will be definitely picking up other books by the author.

I received an ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story could have been cute but I sadly didn’t like the main character Lucy - I was more interested in her sister’s story. I felt like there could have been more details on the interactions between Lucy and Ross instead of blushing, their relationship didn’t make any sense to me and I wasn’t rooting for them.