There were moments when reading this book when I considered not finishing it. the characters are two-dimensional and Lucy's work doesn't feel very realistic. I did continue to the end and it was OK. This is light reading, not a literary masterpiece and as such is predictable and follows the chick-lit formula. I wouldn't want to read too many of these books, it's OK occasionally .
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

The romance was lacking. I wanted less about Lucy's cat and her sister and more on Lucy and Ross! Sorry to share I didn't love this book so much.

2/5

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book
But it's DNF for me, I could read more. I couldn't focus on the story and to be honest I couldn't point what was lacking for me to read more about this book.

This story was cute but it ultimately felt like there was a lack of romance for a book that was supposed to be a romcom and instead focused heavily on the main character and her relationship with her sister.

Lucy works for a magazine and when her job becomes at risk at FAB she invents the ask Adam column for a mens magazine.

This was a cute romance which was a nice little palette cleanser after all the dark romance I’ve recently been reading. Lucy was a little awkward and I enjoyed watching her grow in confidence.
A fun, quick read 💕

I really wanted to love this one. I saw satire and humor and was excited, but it honestly fell a bit flat for me. I didn’t feel strong romance vibes between the main characters, and there wasn’t much of a comedic vibe either, so I don’t think I could classify this as a romcom.

Workplace romances are also not my favorite, and either hit or miss. I would be interested in trying another book from this author, but unfortunately this one just didn’t do it for me.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Lucy is a journalist who is going to be made redundant to save her job she decide to pick the idea of writing a relationship column. Lucy also happens to know nothing about men and relationships. Ross is a tech writer who Lucy has lost her job to. This is a super slow burn office romance with a dual timeline.
The book was easy to read and enjoyable. Thank you to the author and Net Galley for allowing me to read this.

I tried a few times to connect with this book, but it just didn't come. I didn't really care for the leading lady. she was so hung up on hating men and her ex that it didn't have a light hearted feel like a rom-com is expected to have. I just could not get past it sadly. Ultimately it just did not live up to the hype I expected from the blurb.

I chose not to leave negative feedback on socials since I did DNF it. Perhaps it got better, but by the time I decided to dnf I was over it and ready to move on.

Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review early. Best of luck to the author and publisher on this book and future writings.

Lucy is a tech journalist on the brink of risking her job. With the help of her sister she presents a new job opportunity to the brother magazine upstairs. She will become a agony uncle answering problems sent men from a male prespective. Does she know enough about the male species to pull this off or will she become lost in the male world searching for the answers?

I really enjoyed the story, main character Lucy is not the regular girl main character. She's different and introverted. As the story progresses the reader gets to experience the changes Lucy goes through to keep her job whilst also falling for her romantic interest.

It gave me some insight of the technical world as it is today. The use of AI and how this will impact on our lives regularly in the future. Lucy uses a AI program to answer some of the questions sent in by readers and the more she argues with it, the more the AI changes it's answers which was interesting.

The story delved into a strong sister relationship as well as a romantic one simultaneously. Eventually the two story lines collided and captivates the reader to see what happens next.

Sophie Ranald is a talented author is able to keep the reader engaged with her stories. She presents great character development to enable the reader to follow the plot easily.

The Love Hack by Sophie Ranald is a cute and enjoyable read. Lucy lands a new job as "Ask Adam," an online agony uncle giving 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. The story is filled with humor and relatable moments, making it a delightful pick for a lighthearted romance. I liked it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

The Love Hack is the story of dating advice columnist, Lucy, her newly married sister, Amelie, and Lucy's office crush, Ross. Lucy takes on a position giving dating/life advice to men through a column in an online men's magazine called "Ask Adam." Unfortunately, she not only doesn't know how to respond to incoming queries. In fact, she needs advice of her own as she tries to navigate her secret office crush and help her sister out of an unhealthy relationship. With the help of generative AI, about 95% of her advice is purely plagiarized from a chatbot and the other 5% comes from her sister. (What happened to AI taking our jobs? And why do so many people in this book claim the protagonist is a talented writer? On what grounds??)

For starters, this is not a romance. If I had to classify it, it would be somewhere between women's fiction and literary fiction. Romance doesn't just mean a book where a couple ends up together. It means an escape from the world of Real Men™ into the fantasy world of Book Boyfriends™. Unlike in the real world, Book Boyfriends™ aren't "objectively middling" and they don't date your friend for three-fourths of the book. Their brave heroism extends beyond not asking women to get coffee for them. (I was going to give another example, but the love interest is so absent from this book, that about sums it up.) Bottom line: this book brings misogyny to the forefront through *almost* every male character and our hero is literally only better by comparison to creeps, adulterers, and commitment-phobic d*cks (to use Lucy/Adam's favorite word).

Fortunately, I'm not a romance reader. I only require a unique plot, interesting writing, or strong characters (preferably all three). Read like that, I thought this was okay. I thought the FMC was a little pathetic and the MMC was passable. I liked the sister relationship for the most part. And I thought it was somewhat heartwarming re:life/dating advice.

This was a really cute, easy, romcom read. I enjoyed how she was the "ask Adam" guy giving advice that all of us women want to give men.

The Love Hack by Sophie Ranald is a slow-burn romance but picks up halfway into the book and ends quite well. I liked the lessons on discovering yourself and not settling for less. Thank you, Netgalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In this fun modern romance novel, readers follow Lucy, who has just landed a new job as an agony uncle for a men’s magazine, in the midst of a romantic situation. With her sister marrying soon and her own romantic prospects deteriorating, Lucy has no time for a crush on coworker Ross -- especially when he sends an email to “Ask Adam”’s inbox. As “Ask Adam” takes off and the romantic relationships in her life go all over the place, Lucy must juggle all these romantic troubles on her own and with her AI assistant, and this time, “Ask Adam” might not have the answers she needs for her own happily-ever-after. Lucy is an awkward, endearing, and charming heroine whose realistic real-world problems are just realistic enough for readers to feel a kinship with her situation. The minor characters in this novel, from her last work boyfriend to Ross and her sister and brother-in-law, are hilarious and human with complicated personalities and problems that need the “Ask Adam” input. A nice and fun escapist romance, readers of the genre are sure to find comfort in Lucy’s chaotic romantic life and enjoy discovering whether or not she receives her own happy ending.

Such a great premise on this one but I just wanted more from the chemistry between the two main characters. I will admit, workplace rom-coms are a little hit or miss for me, so if you're a hardcore fan of them, this might be a great pick for you!

3.5 Stars "The Love Hack" by Sophie Ranald is a nice read that takes some time to get interesting. The story follows a main character with relatable problems, but she tends to complain more than take action, which can be a bit annoying at times.

One great thing about the book is how the author makes you feel strong emotions. The miscommunications between characters can be frustrating, but it adds to the story's depth, making you feel the awkward moments and misunderstandings just like the characters do. This shows how well Ranald writes these scenes.

However, some conflicts in the story feel incomplete. There are times when the main character's issues aren’t fully resolved, leaving you wanting more action instead of just thoughts. The romance is mild, so don’t expect any intense scenes, but rather a sweet and gentle love story.

The book doesn’t quite fit as a rom-com since it didn’t make me laugh much. Still, the story has a charm that makes it easy to imagine as a cute, feel-good movie. The characters are likable, but they could use more development to really draw you in.

In summary, "The Love Hack" is a pleasant read with emotional moments and relatable frustrations. It’s perfect for those who enjoy gentle romances and don’t mind a slower start. While it might not be as funny as some expect, it still offers a sweet escape into a world of love and misunderstandings. I would recommend it to friends looking for a nice, emotional read.

I so badly wanted to love this book, but it just didn't do it for me. The concept was great but it just fell flat in the end, sadly.

Thank you Storm Publishing and Netgalley for this eARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Love Hack was frustrating for me. I wanted to like it, the premise is great, the writing is good, but it's not a romance novel. Ross and Lucy have the chemistry of a wet box of matches and this was just an incredibly frustrating novel.

Ahhh this was a miss for me unfortunately

I wish I was short into it but I wasn’t, I had high hopes going in but sadly it just wasn’t it

Lucy is such a relatable character. She is clueless when it comes to men, lacks confidence and is really hyper-focused.

There is a bit of a workplace romance , but that doesn’t feel like the actual theme of the book. There is more to this book such as sisterhood and self-acceptance.

Overall, it id a wholesome book with adorable main characters. It is a perfect beach or weekend read.

Thank you so much Sophie Ranald, Storm Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC copy!