In this novel, we have some fun tropes, grumpy sunshine where we have the FMC as the grumpy one, and a second chance romance. It is a nice change of pace from the grumpy sunshine trope where we follow Molly Marks, a rom-com writer who hates love, is a known pessimist, and sabotages any romantic relationship, lest she end up like her mother when her dad left, sad, alone, and humiliated. She spends her adolescent and adult life seeking the approval of her father while running from any other male who may love her. THEN we have our MMC, Seth Rubinstein, an overly optimistic divorce lawyer who is Molly's mirror copy. He loves love he jumps into things so hard and fast that women leave him because he wants too much too quickly. These two reunite at their 15-year high school reunion and place a bet on who knows more about love, the cynical rom-com writer or the optimistic divorce lawyer. They bet on the future of 5 couples, including themselves, and plan to reconvene at the 20-year reunion.
I was expecting a happy-go-lucky romp through the romance world, but this one is a little sad, with a lot of self-sabotage on everyone's part, and a few surprising spicy scenes. Though the story takes place over five years and sees the ebb and flow of the world of our two MCs it seems like the growth of the characters is a bit one-sided. Yes, we know that Seth is the one who's gungho on love, but he is the one who does most of the growth and changing, even taking time for himself to reflect. Molly doesn't really reflect on her insecurities and why she is the way she is. Everyone just says what's up to Molly and she's like ok let me change course randomly all of a sudden.
At the end of the day, the story is fun, the romance is still sweet and heartbreaking. The narrators did an amazing job bringing the story to life and this is well worth the read.

Unfortunately, I didn't connect with the characters in this one. While I hate not finishing a book, I DNF at 30%.

This title is accurate...

It wasn't bad - it wasn't great. It was just kind of a silly (I won't say stupid) love story. I listened to the audio last week and already forgot what it was about.

Again, not horrible - but there are so many romcoms out there that I would check those out instead of this one!

Thank you to Netgalley & Penguin Random House Audio Influencer Program for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion (sorry!)

Just Some Stupid Love Story is the debut romcom by Katelyn Doyle. Due to the childhood trauma of her father leaving the family when she was 13, Molly Marks has sworn off romantic relationships while being a screen writer for romcoms. As her best friend/boyfriend throughout middle and high school, Seth Rubinstein became a family law attorney hoping to be able to protect others from the trauma suffered by Molly and her mother.

Having stood up Seth for their planned rendezvous after prom, Molly hasn’t had contact with him since. That is until their 15th reunion where they enter into a bet as to who knew more about relationships and who could predict the status at their 20th reunion of five different couples, including themselves.

Following Molly and Seth through this five year span is a very interesting journey into personal relationships, overcoming trauma, and answering the question as to whether or not people can actually have soul mates. This is a well plotted story that isn’t afraid to address difficult topics. Told with humor and heart, Ms.Doyle’s tale is touching and refreshingly original. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it

Molly and Seth were sweethearts in high school but went their own ways after a surprising and brutal break up. Now meeting at their 15th class reunion, Molly, who is very jaded by love yet is a rom-com screenwriter, re meets Seth, who still believes in love and romance though working as a prominent divorce lawyer. They make a bet about their classmates' love lives that will continue to have them crossing paths in the funniest and heartbreaking, goofy and coincidental ways.

#arc
#netgalley
#justsomestupidlovestory

"Just Some Stupid Love Story" by Katelyn Doyle was a mixed bag for me. The premise—an unlikely romance blossoming between two very different individuals—had promise, but the execution left me wanting more. The characters felt a bit flat and predictable, and I struggled to connect with their journey. While there were moments of charm and humor that made me smile, the story often relied on clichés and lacked the depth I crave in a good love story.

The plot progressed at a decent pace, but it was marred by a series of contrived conflicts and overly convenient resolutions. It felt like I had read this story many times before, just with different names and settings. I appreciated the lighthearted tone and the occasional witty dialogue, but overall, it felt more like a quick, forgettable read rather than a captivating romance. It's an okay book if you're in the mood for something breezy, but don't expect to be blown away.

Thanks, Flatiron Books, for the early review copy via NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook. #MacAudio24 (Available now)

Molly, a Rom-Com screenwriter, is a bitter cynic who doesn’t believe in lasting love. Her high school ex-boyfriend, Seth, is a successful divorce lawyer who all but sings about soulmates while twirling around in the Swiss Alps. They meet up (and hook up) at a high school reunion and bet on the 5-year success rate of five couples from their class, one of whom is Molly and Seth.

I thought to myself, “This book is five years long? I hope it doesn’t feel like it.” Actually, it felt longer. This was a rocky but promising premise for me, bogged down by uneven pacing and emotion after 30%. (Even the steamy scenes were uneven. Two were “fade to black,” and one included explicit details we didn’t need for the story.) Not only was I not invested in the characters, I didn’t think they were right for each other!

The audiobook narrators were excellent. I like having two narrators who each take a POV, and each delivers a masterful performance. The writing was okay, and as a debut, I’d be willing to pick up the author’s next book.

I throughly enjoyed Just Some Stupid Love Story. It was a light, fun, read (listen), and I look forward to more novels by Katelyn Doyle in the future! Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook.

I really wanted to like this, but listening to this book was painful. I had to force myself to finish it.
He is a hopeless romantic, to the point of being delusional.
She is emotionally distant and self sabotaging.
The whole premise of betting on couples relationships seems crass and tactless, I kept waiting for their friends to find out that they were bet on and get hurt and angry.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and MacMillan Audio for the gifted audiobook ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this if you like: Second chances, enemies to lovers, bets, spicy

I loved this. The narration was perfect. This was sweet, swoony, and sexy. Enemies to lovers is my favorite. In this they are exes. Their banter is to die for. The story and pacing are done so well. I highly recommend this! I couldn't stop listening to it.

This story delves deeply into the complexities of love and relationships through our main characters - Molly and Seth. Molly doesn’t believe in love; but Seth is a full blown romantic. We get to see how both of these characters deal with their feelings, past experiences, and the challenges that life throws their way. The characters were well developed, and I found myself rooting for Molly and Seth as people - as well as rooting for them as a couple. This story stands out to me because of its realistic portrayal of romance. Doyle didn’t shy away from the hardships that life can bring, and this novel doesn’t feel unrealistic. The story is compelling from start to finish.

The audio narrator was very good for this novel, and it was a pleasure to listen to the whole way through.

If you appreciate realistic, character-driven love stories; then this book is for you. Its exploration of love and relationships, combined with its well-crafted narrative and memorable characters, makes it a standout in the realm of contemporary fiction. Whether you're a fan of romance, drama, or simply well-told stories, this book is sure to delight.

This was a 4 star book for me, and I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Katelyn Doyle for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

ARC REVIEW
Already out!
Pub date: June 4th
Book: Just Some Stupid Love Story
Author: Katelyn Doyle
Format: audio book 🎧
My rating: 4 ⭐️


Trope: 2nd chance, Rom-Com, Dual POV, Romcom, adult romance.

🌶️: chapter 7, 8 only parts. 22-end 28-end

TW: Covid talk

I really enjoyed this book even though I had to skip some spicy parts. The banter was so fun and the story was so good. There’s definitely more plot than spice. I recommend this book if you enjoy romcoms.🩷

The narrator for this MMC was different than most because he was SO enthusiastic and sunshiney, at first it was a bit off putting but then I really started to enjoy it and it added a lot more to the listening experience. Very fun read!

Molly Marks and Seth Rubinstein are high school sweethearts who rekindle at their 15th school reunion. Molly broke Seth's heart in high school and he never quite got over her. Molly, a pessimist, now writes rom-com screenplays while Seth, a romantic, is a divorce lawyer. Molly and Seth make a bet on who will still be together at their next high school reunion in 5 years. After their one night fling at the reunion both Molly and Seth can't stop thinking about each other. Over the next few years they reconnect. 

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Molly is very witty and sarcastic while Seth is funny in a romantic way. I couldn't help but smile while reading their dialogue. There were definitely some cringe worthy moments between them but there were more sweet moments. I also enjoyed the friendships in this story and the relationships with their family. 

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. The only part of the audiobook I didn't like was when there were email and text exchanges. It was tedious to listen to the dates, times and subject lines.

I felt like this book was excessively long, it didn't need to be that long. About half way through I was getting tired of the will they won't they. I also thought the third act break up was unnecessary. They have already broken up multiple times and it was hard to keep rooting for them after that. 

I’m surprised that Katelyn Doyle is a debut author. I’ll definitely be reading her future books and am excited to see how she grows as a writer.

Just Some Stupid Love Story grabbed my attention because of the words “for fans of Emily Henry”
My first thought was, wow I really hate the male main character. But I gave it a shot and ended up loving him. He comes off really annoying at the beginning, just give it time. This was my first book by Katelyn Doyle and I really enjoyed it, no scratch that, I loved it. I ended up loving both main characters and really all the side characters too. 100% recommend.

It was my first audiobook by both Christine Lakin and Tim Paige, I feel they both did a great job and brought the story to life

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Flatiron books for the opportunity to listen to this as an audiobook. This adorable story is of Molly and Seth. Its a proven trope of high-school sweethearts who reunite along with enemies to lovers. Seth is the romantic, looking for his soul mate. Molly is the pragmatic type does not believe in soul mates. She has trust issues from her parents relationship/divorce.. As he is a divorce lawyer, this causes issue with Molly and Seth. The story does stretch out over several years including the pandemic, which I usually don't like, but it works here. The banter is quickly and lively, the story does lag a bit in the middle, but overall it was an entertaining listen. I would recommend it! It's not going to set the world on fire, but it certainly entertained me during a few long morning walks.

This book was much longer than it needed to be, so while I liked it, it just wasn't the right pacing for my taste.

Seth and Molly were high school sweethearts until Molly broke his heart. Since then, commitment-phobe and love-weary Molly has become a rom com screenwriter in Hollywood and Seth is a love-hopeful divorce attorney in Chicago. They reunite at their high school reunion, drunkenly hook-up, and decide to make a bet on the fate of five couples to determine who is right about true love. The book follows Seth and Molly, their many ups and downs as they navigate whether they want to give their own relationship a shot, and, yes, the fates of the couples they made bets on at their reunion. The book -- and the five year timeline -- was too long to keep a cohesive story in my opinion, By the end, the bet was not the focal point but the story was still one that kept me engaged. While I appreciate the reverse grumpy/sunshine tropes, I have to say that I really didn't like Molly or Seth. Seth was too soft (except during the intimate scenes, which was honestly just confusing and off putting) and Molly was indecisive to the point where I almost stopped reading her chapters but I love Christine Lakin's narration so I stayed the course.

Overall I liked the story, but found myself liking the supporting characters stories a bit more. I would pick up a book by this author again, especially if a have a long road trip. :)

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I'm not the kind of person that needs to be attracted to any of the main characters to enjoy a romance, but Seth really tested me on this one. The book and the romance were enjoyable enough to get through.

I really wanted to like this book and thought it started out strong. The premise was creative and not one I'd encountered before. I liked the idea of the main couple bumping into one another over the years, and the on-again, off-again. But I felt like this story was very bogged down by external storylines, and character relationships that were not fully fleshed out. I also became very uninvested in the future of this couple when they continued to self-sabotage.

I really enjoyed listening to this book. While audio books are not typically my medium of choice, I found the narrators engaging and made me want to listen. The story line was engaging and I kept wondering when things would finally settle for them. I also really enjoyed the dual narrators.... Its nice to hear from the men's perspective as well.