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.

This story follows high school friends and specifically Molly and Seth, old high school sweet hearts. The group comes together at their 15 year class reunion and then follows what happens after Molly and Seth make a bet about 5 couples.
So much angst for 30 year olds. Thought this would be a fun, cute beach read, and it is but has more teen type drama than I prefer.

There was a lot that just didn’t land for me in Katelyn Doyle’s <i>Just Some Stupid Love Story</i>. I think most of it boils down to the fact that the main characters are both awful and devoid of any genuine growth through the entire course of the novel. Sure, they finally end up together, but none of it actually feels earned considering the only thing they really overcame was this nonsense of being on and off again.

And I don’t know…the whole premise of their relationship was hinged on a cavalierly rude bet about whether or not five couples would stay together. What an incredibly lovely origin story to tell the children…

With novels like this, I often feel as though the only thing keeping it just above one star is the fact that it wasn’t inherently problematic—though, my word, Molly’s maltreatment of Seth did come very close—and the writing wasn’t so terrible I wanted to tear my eyes out. But that doesn’t make it a good story and that doesn’t make the characters likable. Even worse, this was a slog to get through and I had to restart numerous chapters because I just couldn’t stay focused on the book.

This book is not the worst thing in the universe, but it is a waste of time and not a read I would recommend.

I think the narrators were fine, though. They didn’t stand out or anything, but I could easily see them narrating other romantic comedy books and doing well.

Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle
4/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

•••Spoiler free review below•••

A tale of right person, wrong time that spans five years. This story starts with a bet and ends with a happily ever after. The perfect mix of humor and heartfelt interaction between a sunshine divorce lawyer and a grumpy rom-com screenwriter — you’ll be rooting for them from the beginning and loving them more with every turn. I highly recommend the audio — our narrators were captivating and will leave you wanting to listen in one sitting.

Read this book if you like:
-reverse grumpy x sunshine
-second chances
-time jumps
-self discovery

Just Some Stupid Love Story is OUT NOW and if it’s not already on your tbr, it should be! Special thanks to Macmillan Audio for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

DNF 52%

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for sending me an ALC to read and review.

I gave this book way to long to be honest. I normally if I am not vibing with a book will dnf within the first 25% but I wanted to like this one so badly. I did enjoy the spice but I hate the two main characters and I don't believe they would have a good relationship. They had made no progress in character development to even give me hope that this would change before the end of the book. It just didn't work for me or feel realistic in how little progression we have seen as it felt like they would take one step forward and then ten backwards every few pages.

I tried really hard to enjoy this one but I just didn't love it. I liked the fmc, but the mmc was not for me. I actually found him quite cringy and immature - like a teenager who just wants to get married and have babies. Was a weird combo. I also kept forgetting they dated for YEARS in high school - alot of the time they felt like they didn't know each other at all.

Overall it was fine, just never won me over.

YES! YES! YES!
There is a reason this book is on the most anticipated romance list. Everything about this is just pure perfection. I loved it from begining to end.

Just Some Stupid Love Story- Katelyn Doyle
Narrated by Tim Paige and Christine Lakin

I’ll be honest…I did not connect with the FMC, Molly, like at all. I don’t know what it is. I’ve read other grumpy/sunshine books where the FMC is a perpetual grump and she did have childhood trauma but it was getting to the point in the books where I just wanted to skip the Molly’s pov and only read the MMC, Seth’s pov. I don’t know, there were funny parts here and there but I wasn’t blown away.

I want to make it clear that me wanting to skip Molly’s pov has nothing to do with Christine’s performance. I think both Christine and Tim both did great doing this narration. I was just not feeling this book.

I loved this book so much that I decided to try the audiobook, and it didn’t fail me. It took me a bit to warm up to the male narrator, but I instantly loved the female narrator's voice. The audiobook added an extra something to the experience, and I absolutely loved it.

In this debut novel, perfect for fans of Emily Henry, we meet Molly Marks, a Hollywood rom-com screenwriter who's skeptical about love. She reunites with her high school sweetheart, Seth Rubenstein, a Chicago divorce attorney and hopeless romantic, fifteen years after their breakup. Molly, a West Coast writer with a strong disbelief in romance, had ghosted Seth on graduation night and avoided high school reunions until her friends persuaded her to attend their 15th.

Molly, known for bolting and ghosting when relationships get "too good," considers romance a racket. Seth, still haunted by Molly's breakup, excels in his career but tends to get serious too soon in relationships, always comparing others to Molly.

Their 15th reunion sparks a change. Molly and Seth make a bet, predicting the fate of five couples before their 20th reunion to settle their differing views on love. Katelyn Doyle skillfully weaves the plot, offering an enjoyable and revealing experience through the alternating perspectives of Molly and Seth. "Just Some Stupid Love Story" isn't just another love story—it's a captivating exploration. Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this opportunity.

I tried very hard to get into this book. The description of this book was more interesting than the book itself. Unfortunately, I could not root for either of the characters. Molly was mean to the point of it being questionable. Seth was too sunshine where he became an airhead. The narrator for Seth did not help matters. He seemed to inflect in weird places. I did really enjoy the narrator for Molly. She made me much more engaged with her story, even though she was still dislikable. I didn't feel satisfied with the ending and actually ended up thinking that Molly and Seth wouldn't last more than a year. Might be right for some people, but not for me.

3.5 stars

Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle is a fun summer read! Seth and Molly were high school sweethearts who experienced a challenging break up. After reconnecting at their 15th high school reunion, the two make a bet about the existence of soulmates, with the winner cashing in on the bet at their 20-year reunion.

I really did enjoy the book and connected to both of the main characters. Personally, I thought Seth was the perfect boyfriend and, at times, I wanted to shake Molly and tell her to open her eyes. The banter between the two was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the story line. My only complaint was the book dragged on a bit in the last half as Seth and Molly dealt with one complication after the next.

The audiobook narrators really brought the characters to life.

What an interesting Romance novel. I love that it flipped back and forth between the past and present and the love story actually took place over several years as opposed to a short amount of time. The reference to the pandemic was well done. Not too heavy or dark, but enough to remind the reader of how tense and potentially lonely it was for so many people. I loved both of the main characters and am glad that they played off of each other so well. I understand never wanting to go back to your high school reunion LOL

High school sweethearts Molly, a cynical rom-com screenwriter, and Seth, a hopeless romantic divorce attorney, reunite at their 15-year high school reunion and make a bet over whether soulmates exist. From there, it's anyone's guess whether they will end up back together -- for good this time.

This was a spicy, entertaining, heartfelt story that spans three states and a global pandemic as Molly and Seth and their friends ride the emotional rollercoaster that is love. It was wildly frustrating for me to listen to at times as Molly has some severe trauma that has left her emotionally stunted. *Alexa, play "The Bolter" by Taylor Swift*

While this book plays on many tried and true tropes, it does so in ways that are unique and somehow unpredictable. It dragged a bit at times and I think some of the banter was unnecessary, but it's a sweet tale. The audiobook narrators have an engaging and witty style.

3.5 stars.

I finished this in one day. It was a light, funny, romantic breeze of a story that I would highly recommend. The narrator was perfect and really made you feel like you weren’t between pages but rather traveling to Florida and Chicago and LA then back to Florida. 😂

Molly is a rom-com writer, yet she has commitment issues and anxiety due to an absentee parent and failed relationships. She tends to bail on people before they can reject her.

When her friends drag her to their fifteenth high school reunion, she runs into Seth, her high school boyfriend—the one she dumped: Seth, the guy of grand gestures and a big heart. But after a few too many drinks, Molly and Seth find themselves reminiscing about high school in more ways than one.

The two debate whether true love exists. To further this notion, they bet on the people in their high school friend group: Name the fate of five couples - who will be together at the next reunion (including us).

Told in dual POV, it was great to see how Molly and Seth felt about each other, even though they wouldn’t tell each other. They both had separate lives in separate cities, but they kept crossing paths. This romance went through the drudgery of life: work got in the way, Covid shut things down, and personal fears pushed them apart.

This is a funny and super sexy second-chance romance that had me rooting for Seth and Molly the whole time. Some deep-seated issues get fleshed out as Molly and Seth work out their love story.

🎧 I loved having the audiobook to pair my reading with because the dual narration was perfect.

Thank you @booksparks and @greatlyn for a gifted copy. #SRC2024

Thank you @macmillan.audio for the gifted audiobook.

I am always more critical on romance novels - i did not connect with this story like I have some of the others. The characters fell flat for me. It is spicy but for me does not have that feel good feel that draws me into a rom com.

This was really cute. Usually it seems like it is the woman who is pining after the guy, and the woman who wants to get married and have her happily ever after. This book turns the tables though, and it is the guy who wants to be married with kids.

I knew from the beginning that the two would get together, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the ride. The characters were very human and relatable. Sometimes the guy was a little over the top, but overall, I rooted for him.

I absolutely HATE second chance, miscommunication & large time jumps.
But I enjoyed this book! Super cute (even if extremely irritating) couple that break each others hearts over and over again.
I'm with her friends CALL HIM! 😂

Publisher's summary
For fans of Emily Henry, a debut about a rom-com screenwriter who doesn't believe in love and a divorce attorney who does, forced together at their high school reunion fifteen years after their breakup
Molly Marks writes Hollywood rom-coms for a living—which is how she knows “romance” is a racket. The one and only time she was naive enough to fall in love was with her high school boyfriend, Seth—who she ghosted on the eve of graduation and hasn’t seen in fifteen years.
Seth Rubinstein believes in love, the grand, fated kind, despite his job as, well…one of Chicago’s most successful divorce attorneys. Over the last decade, he’s sought “the one” in countless bad dates and rushed relationships. He knows his soulmate is out there. But so far, no one can compare to Molly Marks, the first girl who broke his heart.
When Molly’s friends drag her to Florida for their fifteenth high school reunion, it is poetic justice that she’s forced to sit with Seth. Too many martinis and a drunken hookup later, they decide to make a bet: whoever can predict the fate of five couples before the next reunion must declare that the other is right about true love. The catch? The fifth couple is the two of them.
Molly assures Seth they are a tale of timeless heartbreak. Seth promises she’ll end up hopelessly in love with him. She thinks he’s delusional. He has five years to prove her wrong.

Thanks to NeGalley & Macmillan Audio for this ALC of this book!

Just Some Stupid Love Story
A Novel
By: Katelyn Doyle
Narrated by: Christine Lakin, Tim Paige
Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

When you don't believe in love, you make regrettable decisions. Molly doesn't want to go to her 15 year class reunion and she especially doesn't want to see the love of her life whose heart she broke. The story follows Molly and Seth as they keep winding up in the same places and continue to try to get their relationship right. Likeable characters and a fun storyline.

I absolutely love a good grumpy/sunshine, especially when the grump is completely turned off of love. I loved Seth and Molly. Seth felt a bit whiny at times but he came through in the end. Definitely recommend this one! As far as the narration, the narrators did an excellent job bringing this to life. I had never listened to anything narrated by them before. I listened comfortably at 2.0x