I really enjoyed this book! The audiobook narrator was so pleasant to listen to. I loved the different ways Lucy cared about the people and cat around her and the ways she discovered herself. There was conflict, but it was believable and relatable. Fun story.

Audiobook feedback: this was a well done production with excellent narration by Harrie Dobby. She does bring life to the writing.

The Love Hack is a contemporary romance focusing on Lucy, a rookie advice columnist, struggles with the remnants of a past relationship while developing a crush on a new co-worker. When her column goes viral and her inbox overflows, Lucy turns to an AI bot to help decoding romantic troubles, including her own. Can AI really give sound relationship advice or will it all end in disaster?

It is a cute and relevant concept but for this reader, the pacing was off. It took a bit too long for the story to get where is was going. I also did not care for the secondary characters or their development or resolutions.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a cute Rom-Com, even though the romance aspect was not at the forefront of the book! The audio on this book was fantastic and I felt as though the voices fit the characters well.

While it was not my favorite book of the year for this genre, I did enjoy it, although I wish that it was just a little bit shorter, as it started to kind of drag on a little bit around the 40% mark. It did eventually pick back up again, however and led to a pretty solid rest of the story.

This was okay. The story was good but the narrator was a little disappointing. For example, it took me ages to realise Ross was American and not Irish. The accent was not good. So I was a little confused with the storyline for a while. The spice was also a little confusing as it was not open door and explicit but not closed door either. It relied on you sort of getting the idea about what was going on. The way the storyline was revealed and past trauma that was impacting characters in the present was really interesting. If I had read instead of listened to this book, maybe I would have liked it more.

Big thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape media and Sophie Ranald for this early release copy in exchange for my honest review.

The writing was easy and simple, plus the narration was so smooth that i literally finished this book in two sittings 🤌 well had to sacrifice my night sleep but it was definitely worth it.
The characters were amazing and wonderful. The plot was interesting as well. Overall, it was a good read.

The Love Hack by Sophie Ranald and narrated by Harrie Dobby was such a cute listen! Harrie Dobby did a great job narrating. I enjoyed listening to her narrate Lucy and was awed by her American English accent when she narrated the character of Ross.

Lucy has a men's advice column in an on-line publication. The problem (or let's say, one of the many problems) - Lucy is a woman, pretending to be a man. Additionally, Lucy is pretty clueless when it comes to men, and she has not dated in a very long time (since a failed "relationship" with an ex-co-worker (which led to a whole lot of problems)).

Lucy works with Ross, who she finds attractive and funny. Unfortunately, Ross hooks up with a sort-of friend of Lucy's, making him unavailable.

Lucy's sister, who has always "had it all" gets married and moves to NYC with her new husband for his job. Lucy's sister goes rouge and stops communicating with friends and family in England.

Lucy must maintain "Ask Adam", save her sister, and figure out what she wants out of life, including if she is happy with her job and if she can find her happily-ever-after.

This is a cute listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for the advance listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I didn't mind the narrator. I found her voice easy to listen to, and would have continued till the end of the book, had Ross and Lucy been a bit more proactive in their romance. But no, by 30%, he had slept with someone else, so I was disappointed. I might come back to this book later, but my list is very long, so it might be a while before that happens.

Forever telling you how much I love books about writers. It’s so fun to read about them and see them work through the story. I loved the premise of this one but the romance was a tad disappointing. It felt kind of clobbered together and there are other ways it could have been done that would have been much clearer. I liked the tip to remembrance of 9/11 but it felt like a forced plot line too.

🌀Synopsis
Lucy’s job is letting her go. Magazines just don’t have the traction anymore so they can’t keep her on staff. She comes up with an idea, though, and convinces them to keep her as a writer for their sister magazine- a male focused business. Ask Adam is born from desperation and turns into a huge success. Lucy is constantly getting emails and she’s starting to realize how clueless men are- only she’s clueless too. Her sister helps her formulate answers but when her sister gets married her help moves away and Lucy is on her own.
Now she’s trying to figure out her column amidst her heavy attraction to her colleague, Ross, and none of it is going well. When she gets a letter she’s sure is from her sister’s new husband, Lucy takes action. She’s using AI to help her formulate responses and she’s on a mission to save her sister from heartbreak.
When Ross lands himself in NY with her, they finally talk about the true feelings they have for each other. The situation with her sister is bad but it ends up being a good outcome for both sisters after all.

*3.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"Don't be a dick."

If you take anything away from the often hilarious, sometimes infuriating, a bit sad and quite sweet The Love Hack, by satirical romance author Sophie Ranald, especially for men, it's please don't be a dick!

In order to stay employed Lucy, with her sister's help, creates the advice column for an online men's magazine, "Ask Adam." Her identity is secret since it's supposed to be a man giving advice to other men. Being part of the all male staff isn't easy especially when she starts crushing on the sweet quick to blush Ross.

Besides the bad optics of an office romance, her first time with a man was with a misogynistic coworker who owned the power dynamic. But Ross is a kind person and slowly her barriers fall.

The thing is this is very much Lucy's coming into her own story more than a romance. She's self-deprecating to the point that her inner comments become more sad than funny.

There's drama in her sister's new marriage that leads her to NYC from London and a hysterical reenactment of the famous scene from When Harry Met Sally in Katz Deli. But the real turmoil is how she struggles with the advice she gives in her column, often asking others' opinions and even using an AI program.

Voice actress Harrie Dobby was funny but her tone also shows how insecure, anxious and awkward Lucy feels most of the time. It's partly through the men that ask for advice that she starts to realize most men are good, feeling humans and not all of them are dicks.

I wish we had a few POV chapters from Ross. We don't really know him until the last chapters. I think the title Ask Adam is more accurate than The Love Hack because Lucy's not a hack at love; just ask Adam...better yet ask Ross!

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I did not connect with this book. The writing was very repetitive, and it was difficult to read about a protagonist who makes one baffling decision after another. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the audiobook.

I was really trying to like this book but it was very hard between the self-centered main character and the blatant juvenile gender stereotypes this was a hard listen (though i really liked the narrator)...it was really hard to belive that these characters are the ages they are since they act like teenagers rather than grown adults with full-time jobs.

It's nothing against the author but I don't think I will read any of her other books in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

What a good book! It did take me a few chapter to get in to it but I am glad I stuck it out because it ended up being a really good book. I recommend.

"The Love Hack" by Sophie Ranald, narrated by Harrie Dobby, is a clever and relatable exploration of relationships and human nature story.
Lucy, the protagonist, is a rookie advice columnist who's struggling to navigate her own love life after a past heartbreak. She's convinced that she'll never fall for someone in the office again, but then she meets Ross, her charming and hilarious new co-worker. As she gets to know him better, she finds herself drawn to his quirky humour and kind heart.
But things take a complicated turn when Lucy discovers that Ross is most definitely not single. And to make matters worse, she's convinced that an email in her inbox is from him, which throws her whole world into chaos. As she tries to decode the romantic troubles plaguing her life, she turns to her trusty AI assistant for help.
I admit that I was a bit sceptical about the whole AI assistant thing at first, but it ended up being a clever and insightful addition to the story. It added a layer of depth and realism to the characters' experiences and helped to illustrate the complexities of modern relationships.
One of the things that stood out to me about this book was its portrayal of women as strong, capable individuals who are worthy of love and respect. Lucy is a fantastic protagonist - she's smart, funny, and relatable, and she's not afraid to speak her mind. I loved watching her grow and evolve throughout the story, and I found myself cheering her on as she navigated the ups and downs of her love life.
Of course, no review would be complete without mentioning the narration. Harrie Dobby did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life, and her voice was perfect for this story. She captured Lucy's wit and sassiness perfectly, and her narration added to the overall charm of the book.
"The Love Hack" is a great choice for anyone who loves romance novels with a twist. It's a fun, relatable read that will keep you laughing and crying in equal measure. Just be prepared for a little bit of cringe - some of the moments can be a bit awkward, but hey, that's just part of the charm!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This is about a girl who is working behind a question column. She isn’t just answering any questions.. she is giving men advice about women. This book is really cute and hilarious! I laughed so much during this book. I loved all the characters. I was really entertained.

The Love Hack
Sophie Ranald
Lucy starts an advice column for men, “Ask Adam.” She answers relationship questions asked by men. When she begins the column, she realizes she knows very little about men. How ironic, Lucy writing an advice column; her weekends are spent watching TV with her cat, Astro. When she meets Ross, a co-worker, things begin to change. Ross makes her laugh; he is attractive, and she likes him a lot. Her last boyfriend broke her heart and used her. She has vowed never to allow that to happen again.
The emails for “Ask Adam” are coming in fast, her column is a success. There are times when Lucy doesn’t know how to answer a question, so she turns to AI.
What I didn’t like about this book:
1. Lucy is obsessed with her former boyfriend, whom used her.
2. Lucy lacks self-esteem.
3. Seemed too long.
4. I didn’t like the use of AI.
What I liked about this book:
1. I liked Ross.
2. I liked the romance between Ross and Lucy.
3. I liked the column Ask Adam.
4. I liked Lucy’s sister.
5. I liked the relationship between Lucy and her sister.
6. Nice cover.
This book has great potential but needs work.
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

The narrator was lovely, however this book just wasn't for me.

I feel like nothing really happened until about halfway through, and by that point I was a little bit checked out to care at all. Some of the different events that occurred seemed to be far reaching, and while in the end it was love story for Ross and Lucy, there wasn't enough time actually spent on the development of their relationship for it to mean anything.

Also all of the issues could've been solved with some good old fashioned direct communication.

A super cute office romance between an online advice columnist for men and her new coworker who she's determined not to date especially after she receives an advice request from a man she's sure is him and who is definitely NOT single. Funny and light-hearted this is perfect for fans of authors like Sophie Kinsella and good on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I struggled with some aspects of The Love Hack. Most notably was how Lucy could even consider doing a men’s advice column when she doesn’t like men. I also felt like her relationship with her sister was slightly codependent. I did like Lucy’s relationship with Ross and wish there had been more of it. Thank you Net Galley and Dreamscape Select/Storm Publishing for the advance copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback.

I had to DNF this one half way through. I was disappointed in the fact that it said fans of Beth O’Leary and Emily Henry fans would like this book. I didn’t feel emotionally anything that I feel when I read those authors. This one just wasn’t for me. I didn’t really like Lucy very much. The narrator did a great job! Huge thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape for allowing me to listen and review this book.

Like a lot of the other reviewers, I found The Love Hack to be an interesting premise, but eventually gave up on trying to be sympathetic to the main character's struggles. She was just too immature. This was a DNF at 38%. Sometimes a MC will make one or two decisions that seem immature and it's annoying but easily forgiven when the majority of the book is solid, but I really felt bad for the FMC here because she acted like she'd never interacted with any of her peers before, ever..

I don't see myself picking up any more books by Sophie Ranald, but I would definitely listen to more audiobooks narrated by Harrie Dobby.

Thanks to Dreamscape Select/Storm Publishing, and Netgalley for this ALC. and the opportunity to review The Love Hack in audiobook format.