Reality TV dating show. I'm not a huge reality tv girlie but this book was cute. Dual POV. Ex lovers. Found family. Troubled past. Ben and Molly have so many obstacles to face but will they make it work? It ended tragically the first time around now add in 2 ex lovers and a reality show.

Book was a little too slow paced for my liking but over was a cute fun read

Thank you NetGalley for the arc

This is my first time reading a book by Kathryn Freeman and what drew me about this book was the description of a dating show. As a fan of reality dating shows such as Love is Blind, The Bachelor/The Bachelorette I was super interested in requesting this book. It’s a great book concept, I liked the interaction between the characters, but certain parts/storylines got a bit repetitive. Overall it was a solid 4 stars, I would definitely read another book by Kathryn Freeman. Thank You NetGalley, Harper Collins UK for this early copy in exchange for my honest review. Publishing date of June 30, 2024.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Net Galley for the ARC of Thank You, Next by Kathryn Freeman. This story follows Molly, and young woman who finds herself dumped by her boyfriend Duncan, an up and coming fitness social media influencer, when he has the chance to be on a reality dating show called The One. Things get interesting when the shows’ producers approach Molly and ask if she wants to also join the show (unbeknownst to Duncan) to add the drama of having an ex-girlfriend around. Molly sees it as an opportunity to prove to Duncan that she is “the one” for him, it when she gets there, her world is turned upside down when she realizes Ben, a man who broke her heart three years prior, is also a contestant. Now, as she spends time with Ben again and learns the truth about why he broke up with her all those years ago, she realizes that maybe her one true love isn’t as clear cut as she thought.

Overall, I really enjoyed the premise of this book. A dating reality show where a woman comes face-to-face with two exes seems like a great opportunity for lots of tensions and drama. Unfortunately, the execution of the story was not as strong as I wanted it to be. Molly is supposed to be a young woman struggling with abandonment issues as a result of her biological mother abandoning her when she was just a child, but her character never quite hit the emotional depth it needed to. Throughout the story, Molly complains about Ben’s lack of communication and it feels like they just have the same conversation over and over again. Additionally, I absolutely reviled Molly’s ex-boyfriend Duncan. This jerk simultaneously “dates” a girl he is matched with and tries to string Molly along, called her “Babe” throughout the story. Even though Molly can see his deception, she mentions several times that Duncan “loved” her in a time when she felt she was unlovable. I know the story needed her to be conflicted for the drama, but I don’t know how she could have even imagined getting back together after the way he behaves on the show. This is a two star book for me because of the lack of character depth and the dialogue that felt inauthentic at times.

2.5☆
Loved the idea of this book. I love watching cringey dating reality TV, so when I saw this one, I knew I had to read it.

Unfortunately, I did not vibe with the characters at all. They were all childish and irritating. About halfway through, i didn't really care what the outcome would be. Which was very anticlimactic.

I couldn't wait for this to end.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I think there are plenty of people out there who will enjoy this book, but the relationships felt very forced and strenuous to me and I just couldn't get into the story.
Firstly. I still don't understand why Duncan was given a free pass for breaking up with Molly to go on a dating show while they were at the point of their relationship to be discussing marriage, while Ben was made to be the villain for being open with Molly and explaining that he was not at a point where he could be emotionally involved in a serious relationship. Ben tried to be upfront so that he would not end up hurting Molly and she completely iced him out. Even after explaining that he had lost his ex-wife and did not feel comfortable pursing a relationship, Molly was still very standoffish. It really bothered me that she still considered Duncan in everything that she did, even while actively dating and falling for Ben. I know that it was supposed to come across as a jealousy inducing "fake dating" situation, but it really didn't read that way. I'm also incredibly surprised that Jasmine put up with as much as she did from Duncan because that would have been a dealbreaker for me.
Secondly, the flow of writing seemed very choppy to me and much of the dialogue between characters was kind of cringy. When Molly was asked what she was looking for in a match on a dating show to get MARRIED, her response was something to the effect of "bulging muscles and blonde hair and blue eyes." Really? You're wanting a husband and those are the only qualities that you're looking for? I know she had Duncan in mind, but can you say shallow? The fact that she hurt Ben with her responses and didn't give a second thought really bothered me. Also, Molly and Bens inability communicate or compromise on their desire to be married at the end did not read well either and felt like an extremely unhealthy pairing.
The ending was okay, but it came across as being extremely awkward at the altar. I will never know for sure if Ben truly wanted to marry Molly or if his fear and insecurity made him agree to prevent her from going after Duncan.

For someone who does not ever watch any kind of dating reality TV shows (EVER!), this is the third reality-series-based novels I've read in a relatively short period of time. This book was just okay for me. I didn't love it, and I didn't hate it. It was fairly predictable but I had a hard time liking any of the characters (even Molly), and parts of it felt very repetitive (this could be a function of me reading way too much reality-TV-based fiction lately, though). Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK One More Chapter for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

📚 This book took me wayyyy too long to read. There were several instances where I debated DNF’ing but had to force myself to keep going. 😩📖

What I struggled with most in the book was the 3rd person narrative, the one-dimensional characters, the repetitive dialogue and conflict, and the main characters' supposed chemistry, which truly felt nonexistent. 🤷‍♀️💔

"Thank You, Next" delivered on its interesting premise with a funny and cute romance taking place during a reality show. 🌟📺 Molly and Ben, who have dated before, end things badly, only to be surprised when they’re matched up on a dating show where couples meet at the end of an aisle after four weeks to say ‘I Do’… or not. 💍📆 Molly actually comes on the show to match up with her ex, Duncan, so I was looking forward to what would happen amongst all the couples. 👀💞 Luckily (or unluckily, depending on your tastes), this story has everyone acting mostly as their best selves, allowing readers to focus on the romance and our main characters working through past trauma that could challenge their journey to finding love. 💖✨

I would like to express my appreciation to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of "Thank You, Next" by Kathryn Freeman.

The story revolves around Molly, whose boyfriend Duncan, a personal trainer, decides to participate in a dating reality show and temporarily breaks up with her. Unbeknownst to him, Molly is invited to the show where she comes face to face with two of her exes, including Ben, who broke her heart during their 6-week relationship. To her dismay, Molly is paired with Ben on the show, and we witness how their forced proximity affects their behaviour. While the book was entertaining, there were moments when the pacing felt slow, and it was challenging to maintain interest due to . The story explores the impact of reality TV on relationships and emotions, shedding light on the difficulties of navigating love within a highly orchestrated setting.

I don't watch reality TV shows, so I don't know if this is how it goes.

#RomanceNovel #RealityTV #SecondChances #RelationshipDynamics #LoveStory #CharacterDevelopment #EmotionalJourney #DatingShowDrama #UnexpectedTwists #BookReview

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this cute rom-com.

I requested this arc because I LOVE a good reality show and even better if it's a reality show based on finding love. The concept really drew me in and while the story line was cute, the overall execution fell a bit flat for me.

I'm not a huge fan of third person but I really don't mind it if the story is a good one and like I said, it was a cute story, but I just wanted more. I didn't feel like any of the characters were truly likeable and there really was no growth throughout the story. Every character was the same as when you initially meet them. I wanted a little more depth out of the story but it did make for a cute summer read.

3.5 stars, rounded to 4. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Right off the bat; I'm confused by the title and I really dislike when the character on the cover doesn't match the character in the book.

To the meat of it: Molly and Duncan are on what Molly thinks to be the calm and steady path to marriage when he drops a bombshell - he wants to put their relationship on hold so he can go on a dating show and boost his social media following. When she gets the call to also be on the dating show, she quickly agrees to prove that they're meant to be. During the meet and greet however, The One that Got Away is also there and the one producers intend to pair her with.

I really loved Molly and Ben's growth as a couple. I think the setting maybe isn't for me, and I was often frustrated by how easily Molly was swayed to Duncan. As a reader, I had a hard time covincing myself that she was fine with the security Duncan would've provided when we're seeing him as an objectively awful human. Molly's fear of being alone and desire of security was there and strong, but I just couldn't understand why Duncan was the solution. He was a ultimately a very weak foil for Ben and I found myself more annoyed with Molly than anything.

I thought Ben's turmoil was beautifully done and executed. As someone who'd been married too young and for the wrong reasons, all of his hang ups made sense and he did work to communicate that to Molly. Honestly, Ben was best character in this book and his growth from realizing his steadfast views made no room for a different person to someone willing to change that view was emotional and well done by Freeman.

SPOILER ALERT FOR THE ENDING
SPOILER ALERT FOR THE ENDING
SPOILER ALERT FOR THE ENDING

I really, really wish they wouldn't have gotten married during the show finale - I wish they would've given an epilogue on how Ben proposed privately. I think the ending that would've been better for the characters would've been for Molly's realization that she didn't need marriage to be so clear that they chose to keep it a commitment ceremony and not proceed with the marriage right away. I felt like Molly to quickly realize "oh I don't need marriage I just want it" didn't matter, since the outcome was the same and the burden of the growth was on Ben regardless.

Reality TV & Romance. I thought this was going to be perfection. Unfortunately it fell a little short for me. The story itself was good, I enjoyed the ease of reading and the plot in general.

But there were somethings missing. Mostly in the writing itself and the character development. I think the whole 3rd person thing for me is rough. Maybe it is a me problem!

I really got into this book and the whole reality dating show vibe, a little similar to love is blind/married at first sight if they were blended together. The added variety of her having 2 exes in the house definitely Spiced it up a bit and made it more interesting than just being an ex trying to get back together with her.

Freeman's style of writing was sophisticated and easy to read, making it a nice little romcom to breeze through.

Thank you to netgalley for the E-ARC.

A fun novel combining the old fashioned way of finding the one with modern techniques. Molly is a true romantic, and despite a tricky start in life which leads her to fall in love too easily, she follows her boyfriend onto a reality show (think Love Island crossed with MAFS) where one of the other contestants is a previous boyfriend & definitely the one that got away.
Some of the characters are great and you can relate to them, other characters such as Duncan is just bland. But I did enjoy it and was routing for Molly and Ben throughout. Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy

Molly and Duncan have been together for a year. Duncan helped Molly repair her broken heart when she was left devastated by her ex Ben. Duncan is caring, kind, thoughtful and everything she wants in her future. Her Future is Duncan until he drops a bombshell that he’s breaking up with her to go on her favourite dating show… to boost his personal training business.

However, he has a plan, he wants to finish the show and come back to Molly and their life afterwards. Except, the aim of the show is to work towards marrying your perfect match.

Little does he know that the show have also reached out to Molly as the scorned ex and well it soon becomes interesting.

Ben just gave me all the vibes and while the story was full of romance it was also full of honest heart break that made me want to wrap him and Molly up and give them a cuddle!!

I honestly adored this from start to finish, the romance was 100% there for me! I adored Molly and loved the way they built her character and the relationships she had with other characters. It was quite a slow burn story but I think it built well and I didn’t want to put it down.

I was really excited to read this. I loved the idea of the reality TV show, and the premise of the second chance romance. I feel like it was a book that I read the first chapter and was immediately invested, really had a hard time putting this one down. It was a really quick and fun read. I think at some points the arguments became a bit repetitive, however I really liked the story.

It was a quick read, really cute, with a fun storyline. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This is an incredibly addictive read. I could not put this book down and loved returning to the characters every time I picked up the book. Ex lovers find themselves together on a reality dating show where they must decide at the end of the month whether to get married. Due to past trauma, they both have trepidations about the show and relationships and must work through their own ghosts in order to get through the process. The author's portrayal of their emotional journeys is both heartfelt and realistic, making their struggles relatable. The plot twists kept me reading, and the romance was spicy. The secondary characters aren't as well fleshed out but serve to better understand the leads. The writing is clear and engaging, pulling you into the story from the very first page. Overall, this book is a must-read for fans of contemporary romance and reality dating shows.






4o

When Molly's boyfriend Duncan decides he wants to go onto a reality tv show, he decides that having a girlfriend back home might not look good, especially since said show will have him paired up with another woman, with the potential of a wedding at the end of the season. Molly can't believe her luck when the show contacts her asking if she would like to appear on the show too. Maybe this is the way her union with Duncan will blossom! But when Molly gets there, she finds another of her exes, Ben, is in the competition too.

I always enjoy Kathryn Freeman's books. Everytime I see her name and new book on Netgalley, I snap it up without even bothering to read what it's about. As with all her books, this one left me smiling at the end with the perfect happy ever after. The journey to love had its twists on the way but it was such an enjoyable ride. If you like sweet and funny romcoms, I highly recommend giving her books a go.

Thank You, Next was a light-hearted second chance romance. Molly finds herself dumped (in what she thinks is a nice way!) And on a reality dating show. She hopes to be paired with said ex, but ends up with a her Ex Ben from 3 years ago. A love triangle ensues. There is a lot of past baggage and trauma to unpack, but things get lightly touched on, but never unpacked properly. There is a lot of the same internal dialogue and conversations repeated over and over, but no progression until the end.
I would have loved more depth.
All in all, a good light fluffy read with a lovely HEA.
Thank you to Netgalley Kathryn Freeman and Harper Collins UK for the ARC.

I was intrigued by the premise, but the book fell flat for me. This was a second chance romance where Molly and Ben got paired up on a dating show to both their surprise, where the end of the show will be a wedding where they decide if they want to get married. She was left heartbroken from their previous breakup and doesn’t know if she can trust him again, but she really wants to get married. He is doing the show begrudgingly to help his sister, but is hopeful to regain Molly’s trust, although he absolutely doesn’t want to get married.

My main issues were the repetitiveness - it felt like I was reading the same conversation and same internal struggles over and over again. Which made it feel like nothing really happened.

I also wasn’t a fan of the MMC, Ben. His personality seemed to be hating everything and getting boners at the drop of a hat. Other than their sexual chemistry, I truly didn’t see why they were a good match.

ALL of the relationships in this book just seemed…not fun. Molly had her most recent ex, Duncan, on the show, along with her ex, Ben, and there was a constant pissing contest between the two men. Molly and Duncan’s show partner were pitted against each other. There was no camaraderie or uplifting relationships shown.

And the fact that she was pondering marrying another man throughout the whole book just felt…very unromantic to me.

Lastly, I don’t get how the title relates to the book. They never say it. It’s not a part of the show. It’s a fun title, but I ended the book wondering why that. And the cover shows a blonde man for the MMC but I’m pretty darn positive he’s described as brunette so…?

This was more like a 2.75 ⭐️

I'm sorry to say this but--

I will be DNFing this book fairly early.

When Duncan, seconds after telling Molly that marriage was definitely in their future, says he needs a little break to go on a DATING SHOW that usually ends in a PROPOSAL but that he'll be back with her after that and Molly doesn't question that line of thinking AT ALL (!!!) I had to put this down.

How can I possibly go along with this premise!? And even when discussing Duncan with her friends no one tells Molly, "Wake up, he's just not that into you?"

I was so excited by the cover and synopsis but if this is the lazy way of getting Molly and Duncan on a reality show together I simply cannot abide. I'm all for unlikable characters but if I can't respect Molly's decision making then I don't think I can read her journey.