I am not a reality dating show watcher, unless you count the one summer as a teen that I watched every episode of Next, Parental Control, and Rock of Love. However, this was still such a fun read for me!

We meet Molly, who was abandoned and then adopted at 7 years old, who felt blindsided when Ben left her without warning the first time they dated. She is someone who wants a marriage because she needs stability and commitment, someone legally required to stay with her. And then we meet Ben, who was married once before to someone who expected him to save her and he felt he ultimately failed because he wasn’t enough. Ben arguably has stronger feelings for Molly than he ever did for his ex-wife, but feels he will fail her as well, especially given he already did once and believes her to be way too good for him. Add on top of this Duncan, body obsessed workout guru who may be a total asshat but he was the one to get Molly out of her Ben funk the last time they dated and is willing to give her the marriage she wants, and you have the perfect recipe for love triangle drama!

I actually liked the reality dating show backdrop, as I felt that not only was it a super cute way to get our MCs together in a place where they couldn’t leave, but it also allowed for cute day dates and tons of drama between the love triangle participants. I loved how many outings they went on and the tasks they had to participate in as a couple, from the aquarium to the upcycling project that was once Molly’s career interest. It all just felt really cute and had a natural flow for accomplishing all of this mini-connections between the MCs and the other participants in the show, as well as spurring along the storyline.

I also loved that the show, in its own way, really helped our characters to develop and get past each of their own holdups. After being shown what a relationship with someone who wasn’t obsessed with themselves and was now in the right headspace could offer, Molly grew to learn that she didn’t need a wedding to feel confident and settled with someone. Ben made her feel special, loved, and committed without the promise of a ring on her finger, and she was ultimately fine with that. Ben learned that not everyone went into a marriage with the goal of being saved by someone else, Molly especially, and that in order to succeed you need to communicate with each other. As much as he hated the show and its lack of privacy, it did make him go outside his comfort area and actually talk with Molly. In this talking, he was able to see that a marriage to Molly would be the ultimate HEA.

I also cannot express enough how much I loved that Ben supported Molly’s dream career, going so far as to make her a website, business plan, etc. that she could use if/when she wanted without her knowing about them until they were complete. Also, his reassurances about her body after what she went through with Duncan were EVERYTHING!

The person we probably got the most insight into, outside of our three love triangle inhabitants, was Rachel, a producer for the show and Ben’s sister. I definitely thought she gave him the kick in the butt he needed at several different points in the show and she was ultimately the reason for their second chance at love. She seemed like a very cool (older?) sister, and I wish we knew more about her. Other than Rachel, we didn’t get a whole lot of insight into other people in the book. It would have been nice if perhaps Maya and Marcus, a couple on the show who looked like they had potential, could have played more of a role as side characters, given Molly and Ben liked them respectively. If we could have had more one-on-one conversations between these two women and two men and also seen the ceremony for Maya and Marcus before Molly and Ben, it would have been a nice touch in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter, and Kathryn Freeman for the opportunity to read this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.

It was cute but I didn't find much depth in the romance!

Kathryn Freeman books have always been either a 5-star or 3-star reads for me & I guess these falls in the latter category.


Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Rounded up from 3.5

I loved the premise for this book. A reality dating show where you followed your boyfriend on to, only to find yourself matched with the man who broke your heart. It checked all the boxes for me.

The chemistry between Molly and Ben was great throughout the book. Molly is naïve yet sweet but has a lot of insecurities. Ben is a bit of a grump who finds it hard to communicate because of issues in his past. Initially, they don't seem to get along, but by the end, they seem to bring the best out in each other, which was sweet to read.

Although it's a light-hearted book, the author skillfully addressed the heavy topics of suicide of a loved one and adoption, which enhanced the depth of the characters.

The only problem I had was the growth of the characters took a little too long, which meant some of the internal conflict got rehashed over and over, making it a slightly repetitive.

If you're looking for a romance with some reality TV style shenanigans, drama and some steaminess thrown in there for good measure, then I'd highly recommend Thank You, Next to you.

Thank You, Next by Kathryn Freeman 📺
Overall Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐
Release Date: June 30, 2024

I thought this book was so fun! I am such a fan of trash TV and this was a fun mix of those kinds of shows and reading.

I think the first half really hooked me but I did find it got a bit less interesting and a bit more cringey as it went on.

I adore the premise and think this is a great book to add to your summer TBR! Overall, a quick easy read!

Thank You, Next by Kathryn Freeman was highly entertaining and I enjoyed it.
I found the whole read to be well paced and expertly written.

Thank You NetGalley and One More Chapter for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

I have to admit, I really enjoyed this story when I first started reading it. I thought Molly and Ben were really cute together and deserved a second shot at romance. I also enjoyed the reality dating TV show aspect of it. It was fun without feeling forced or too cliche. The reason that this story is a three though instead of a 4 star review like I originally planned is because I didn't like how, even when Ben first revealed to Molly that his previous girlfriend had died and that's part of the reason he broke things off with her, Molly gave him ZERO grace time. She told him she was sorry but then it immediately started saying "But what does that have to do with me?" Which I thought was also valid at the time but only slightly. The death of someone very close to you would rock anyone and you'd think she'd know this since Molly's own mom disappeared (though she presumes she's alive). She kept telling Ben that he needed to communicate better and throughout the course of the novel I could see that he was trying, not only in his own POV's but hers too. He was actively trying to open up to her and explain why they'd broken up years ago. When Ben finally decided to sit down with her and explain everything Molly more or less said "You know I want you to talk to me, I've been vocal about that but I only want you to tell me what happened if you're ready". Here she'd been PUSHING Ben for weeks now to open up and then finally says "only if you're ready" it didn't make sense to me that she'd suddenly say this. It would make more sense if she'd told him this way before they finally sat down to talk about it and then ask him again "are you ready to tell me". I don't doubt that hey cared for each other but I'd wished Molly had given Ben the benefit of the doubt. I understand why she didn't at first but after that first revelation about Ben's ex I'd thought she'd have some sense to realize that this was a big thing in Ben's life that wasn't easy for him to talk about, just like how none of the people around her knew her mom had abandoned her. What I also hated was that even after she opened up to Ben, she hated when he couldn't perform for the film cameras. I don't think many people would be comfortable being filmed that way and the fact that she was and he clearly wasn't and didn't respect that felt off to me.

It was a seriously cute novel but I couldn't get past this element of it. I hope it was changed in the final version.

“Yet another reason she and Duncan were a perfect match - like her, he was always on time. ”
Here are reasons to read the Contemporary book:

Reality Dating - Molly and her fitness influencer boyfriend Duncan are a big fan of reality dating shows
Break up- So when Duncan gets the opportunity to go on their favorite one, he decides to breakup with Molly to do it
Another Ex - but Molly soon finds herself on the show as well, but she finds she is also there with her other Ex, Ben.

Lately I have been on a real kick to read books about reality dating shows. Stay tuned because I will have a roundup of all of them I have read this year. This one was cute, and the characters were fine. I wouldn’t say it’s the most entertaining one I have read this year, but it did have some really special moments in it that made it worth reading.

Molly is a romantic looking for a husband. When her current boyfriend, Duncan, gets a chance to go on their favorite reality dating show they break up for him to get his TV break. Surprisingly, Molly is also asked to go on the dating show and hopes to be paired with her perfect match, Duncan. But surprise, Molly gets paired with her ex boyfriend who broke her heart 3 years ago.

This book is a romantic, second-chance book. I went in to this book knowing that it was going to be a little cheesy but this was a little too much for my liking. I got frustrated with Duncan and how he kept coming up even after Molly made her choice. I did enjoy learning more about Ben and Molly's past which helps define their characters and values but I wish there was just more to them and their backgrounds and overall story. If you love reality dating shows, this book is for you.

I'm really starting to become a fan of reality dating shows. I am finding myself completely immersed in the drama, but my excitement peaks when my preferred couple gets together! If you share this sentiment, then I highly recommend this book. The love triangle storyline, centered around Molly, is expertly crafted and truly captivated me.

Thank you NetGalley & HC UK- one more chapter (for the auto approval!!)
I LOVE SECOND CHANCE romance. Its my roman Empire. This was very nicely done and i enjoyed it!! the idea was creative and i loved it! :)

I really enjoyed this one, maybe more than I should’ve. It was like one of those reality shows you can’t get enough off and others don’t understand why. It was a cute, wholesome story about second chance romance.

After Molly's boyfriend breaks up with her for a reality dating show, she decides to join the show as well in an effort to win him back. However, she finds another one of her exes is a contestant as well and it brings back all kinds of feelings. The premise of the show is to date other singles for four weeks before ending up at the altar. While Molly came to the show to win back her recent boyfriend, will someone from her last capture her heart?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me this arc! I did enjoy this book which is why I gave it 3.75 stars, but it did start off slow and I was slightly bored for the first 30% to 35% but it did pick up after that! I loved how it was set in the UK as most books happen in the US. I do want to reread this book once it is published, and I do recommend this book if you like reality shows!

Tropes:
- Reality TV
- Second Chance

I just loved this book so much that I read it in one sitting! The characters in this book are just so good, first of Molly who is an absolute sweetheart but people leave her. There is Ben who just so happens to be one of those people but who happens to have his reasons. The other girls included in the dating show and some of the other men as well are absolute hoots, apart from Duncan who also left Molly and Jasmine who is partnered with Duncan they are well suited to each other as neither of them are very nice. The production team are absolute hoots as well as they keep popping up here and there. One of them is Rachel who is actually Ben’s sister she is trying to help Ben find love and get over his ex who died but also try and make Ben see that he did everything he could to help his ex.

This book is so heartwarming and feel good you won’t be able to help yourself laughing as they have different tasks to do with their partners which are to help them get to know each other and to help them to learn to trust their partners and to work together.

I would highly recommend this book as it’s just so heartwarming and there are ups and downs in life but it’s how you deal with them together with each other.

I would also like to thank One More Chapter and NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to read and review this book early.

I really wanted to love this novel and whilst the premise was good, it just wasn’t for me. I found it overly long and quite slow going in places. Parts were very predictable and I didn’t really gel with any of the characters. I know others loved it, but I would only rate it 2.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and the author for the chance to review.

Loved the storyline! Such a warming, cute romance!

The plot kept me guessing!

Can't wait to read more.from this author.

Thank You, Next by Kathryn Freeman is the reality show love story I never knew I needed! When Molly’s boyfriend breaks up with her to go on their favourite dating show, The One, she certainly doesn’t expect to follow him into the show and come face-to-face with another ex who broke her heart. This is a heartfelt novel exploring when the right person, who you had previously met at the wrong time, comes back into your life in the most unexpected way! I really loved this, Molly and Ben were such interesting characters and I loved seeing them fall in love again. Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for the ARC!

I've never read a book with the characters in a reality dating show and I enjoyed that aspect a lot. I think the characters were relatable and funny and would recommend this to anyone that likes reality dating shows because it reads like a reality dating show which I loved. This book releases June 30th!
I also enjoyed the author's writing and would definitely read her other books in the future.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Kathryn Freeman for this ARC!

This book had everything in it to make it a five star read. It had a well developed plot and an intriguing set up. But the characters fell flat for me. A lot of them read young and immature, it really took away from everything else that was better about this book.

I am a huge fan of reality tv books, dating show books, game show books, etc, so I was excited when I got approved for this ARC. Unfortunately, this book was far from what I expected. I expected a fun read, but this book was far from fun. It was very long and drawn out, and pretty boring. The entire read felt flat and lacking, with much of it feeling irrelevant. I did not enjoy the characters, I did not enjoy the uneventful plot, and the steamy moments were more of a cringe than hot. 2 stars.
Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Kathryn Freeman for this ARC.