Perfect RomCom for those who love the game Wordle

Super cute RomCom that is great for a palate cleanser. It’s not too much substance but it kept my attention the entire book. I did not realize that I was speeding through this book since it’s so easy to read.

Most of the side characters are lovable and really add to the storyline. There are some tug on your heart string parts.

I did not like the ending though. I do not want to spoil it but I want a rewrite 🤣

Also this book was a daily reminder for me to play my Wordle map everyday.

🔺Coworkers
🔺Grumpy / Sunshine
🔺Small Town
🔺 3rd Act Break Up

Genre: RomCom
APK: Ebook
Pages: 364
Audio Length:
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone

The idea behind this book and the cover are very cute, and that’s why I requested it from NetGalley. Unfortunately, that’s the only positive things I have to say about it. I don’t usually rate DNFs, but this was so bad that I really want to warn people. So many things are completely unbelievable. That in a group of 27 year old college-educated women, 3/4 of them are settled in marriage/career, never mind one of them having 3 (THREE!!) kids. A woman with a chemistry degree taking a job as a garage receptionist and being able to afford a house on whatever that pays.

Beyond that, the only obvious choice for the MMC was not interesting and the conceit of the wordle streak was overplayed within the first two chapters of the book. But what really sealed the deal for me was when the FMC goes on a date and supposedly has no idea what a chemical engineer does. I was a chemistry major for two years and then switched to biochemistry. There is no way that she would not have any idea what a chemical engineer does.

I feel badly because authors work hard on their craft and it is hard to put things out into the world, but this needs some intense editing, if not rewrites. It feels like a money grab based on the cute wordle cover.

As a lover of romance and someone who is very, very proud of her Wordle streak, I was immediately enticed by the blurb of this book. While it was ultimately a little too juvenile and shallow for me, I can absolutely see this author’s potential.

”Then, in the morning, I’m going to dismantle this beautiful dream.”

as someone who adores all the nyt games, especially wordle, i found this to be so adorkable.

Emily is idealist who is desperately trying to find the "perfect" career and build the "perfect" life for herself. But when she and her coworker John bond over their love of Wordle, she starts second guessing if the "perfect" life is truly out their somewhere, or if it's right here in this small tourist town.

Emily and John were incredibly relatable characters; daydreaming, considering career options, and thinking of all of the "what its?" you might miss out on in life. They had quirks and flaws that made them so charming. I wish it had been dual pov though, because i got annoyed with some of Emily's internal dialogue. That girl is a bit delulu at times (but we love it).

TROPES:
opposites attract
small town
forced proximity
workplace romance

Out 12/3/24

I absolutely LOVED this book. First off, I've actually recently become obsessed with Wordle, so reading a romance centered around it was SO fun. Our FMC, Emily, is trying to find her way in life after graduating with a "safe" degree that doesn't quite fulfill her dreams. She envisions herself living in the big city doing big things, but for now, she's a receptionist at an auto shop, working with coworkers like John, quiet/attractive/car obsessed. Emily's also on a Wordle streak of over 300 days. One day, she and John bond over their shared love of the game, and that's where their friendship starts to bloom.

I LOVED Emily, I thought she was so funny and relatable. She was a ball of sunshine and I think John, being more calm and shy, was the perfect match for her.

One of the aspects I loved most of this book was Emily's interactions with the elderly characters in this story. The intergenerational friendships were so heartwarming and added a sweet touch. The side characters were so SWEET especially Jim.

The reason this is 4 stars instead of a 5 is because I wish there were a deeper exploration of Emily's relationships with her college friends and into John's character. I think he could've been fleshed out a bit more. Overall, though, this was sweet, fast-paced, and satisfying.

This was such a cute read!! I wasn’t sure what this book was going to be about but I found that I really connected to Emily feeling a bit lost in her life. She’s graduated and looking for her purpose but in the meantime, working a job to keep busy and make some money. I found her very relatable especially when it came to her silly daydreams about what it would be like to do certain things. I also loved her obsession with Wordle! Her streak was something very important to her and something that was within her control which was important to her. I also loved John! I knew from the very first description of their interactions that she was going to fall for him! He’s the perfect calm to her high energy. I also love that he never tried to change her. If anything he allowed her to be her silly weird self and loved that about her. The bond they have over wordle just proves that you can’t judge a book by its cover! This was such a cute silly little romance and I would definitely recommend

I was initially drawn to this book because before there was Wordle, there was Words with Friends and my husband and I actually exchanged phone numbers through that app as we played it in college. Now, we play Wordle, so I just thought it would be something I’d enjoy.

It was a sweet story line and I liked the idea of the book, but overall it fell a little flat for me. I loved the grumpy x sunshine trope, but honestly, the FMC felt like that friend that continues to talk and really doesn’t say much and you just shake your head politely. The MMC was a little dull, but I thought eventually he came around.

It’s not a book that I would re read and I definitely felt my mind drift off while reading it, but it was a cute/easy read.

I know this is the debut for this author and feel it is great in that aspect. If you like slow burn, small-town romance, and grumpy x sunshine, then I would think it’s worth checking out!

I would like to thank NetGalley, Harper Collins, and Avon Books for the eARC they gave me in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 ⭐️ I was pretty excited to read this as the premise of a romance book surrounded by Wordle was really fun. But I would hesitate to call a romance. This book is much more about a young woman finding herself. there is a subplot of romance, but the MMC feels like a cardboard cutout- just there lol. By the end of the book all I feel like I know about him is that his job is cars. also as a wordle player myself, her word choices were quite interesting and sometimes inaccurate. considered DNFing through the entire midsection, didn’t have the dreamy element that I like from romance books felt like I was living my own life- going to work, playing Wordle, going home, etc..

This was a cute, light-hearted, low-angst, small town, single POV romance set in PEI that has a young woman struggling to figure out what she wants to do in life and bonding with a mechanic over a shared enjoyment of the game, Wordle. I thought this was a fun premise and enjoyed the Canadian setting and (many) Anne of Green Gables references but the romance itself didn't grab me or have me fully invested. I wanted a touch more emotional depth, growth and heat from this if I'm totally honest. Still a solid debut and I look forward to reading what the author writes next. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I thought this was a charming contemporary romance novel! A delightful cast of characters, I really liked Emily as the main character, and all the people she encounters in her new home. I would definitely recommend checking this book out!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

"A heartwarming and humorous romance in which an unlikely couple fall in love over Wordle.

Twenty-seven-year-old Emily doesn't have a lot going well in her life right now. She dreams of a creative career but works as a receptionist in an auto shop. She longs for big city life but lives in a small town on Prince Edward Island. She craves a close group of friends but is stuck with irritating, car-obsessed coworkers.

What Emily does have is a 300+ day streak on the New York Times Wordle. But one day, with only one guess left and no clue what the answer is, she's forced to turn to one of her irritating, car-obsessed coworkers, John, for help - and in doing so, realizes that he might not be so irritating after all.

As they make their way, word by word, toward a 365-day streak, Emily is drawn into a surprising romance that will take her outside of her comfort zone - and challenge everything she thought she knew about happiness, success, and love."

I love the cover design, I just wish somehow that they could have found a five letter word to use instead of "Letter..." Also I feel Emily's pain, I lost a 438 day streak because I forgot to play one day.

I would say 2.5-3 stars. Unfortunately, the book just wasn’t for me. The concept is super cute and the cover is adorable. As a big Wordle fan, it drew me in. I just felt like I couldn’t connect to the characters and after 50% in, I still had no love for the characters. I felt like the relationship between John and Emily was flat and pretty much non-existent and then all of a sudden they are kissing in a parking lot. I did thoroughly enjoy the scenes where Emily was helping the various elderly couples and getting life advice from them. That content felt on point. The rest of the book just fell flat for me. Thank you Amy James and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I've never played wordle but that didn't stop me from loving this romance. I love enemies to lovers and this was a great one!

I’m dnf’ing this book at 12%, unfortunately. I wasn’t really vibing with the narration style. It felt very strange and constantly broke the fourth wall with the main character talking directly to the reader. That type of storytelling may work for others, but I was not a fan. The MMC’s name was John Smith, which was a WILD CHOICE to make.

The premise is fun, and the cover is cute. But it’s not for me.

3.5⭐️ Not gonna lie, I went in with pretty low expectations thanks to early reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! Emily was a little insufferable at the start (and John could be frustrating too), but they totally grew on me. Emily’s anxieties about what she’s doing with her life hit close to home, and for once, I actually appreciated the third-act breakup—it made sense and was needed for their character development! I just didn’t love how they made each other feel or the things they said to get to that point. Everything obviously works out in the end (lol), and I loved that it all comes full circle with Wordle. The writing wasn’t my favorite, but I still flew through it and enjoyed myself! This would be perfect if you’re looking for a fast and easy read.

Okay. This book started off on a quirky, fun note! The FMC made me laugh with her inner monologue and the use of Wordle was creative. (didn’t think it was possible to fill pages with strategy for Wordle) But ugh it just didn’t hit the way I needed. Emily’s constant 2nd person narrative and her usage of parentheses to talk to the reader became SO ANNOYING. First, it was endearing…then it was exhausting. John was so bland. No chemistry what so ever. It was just hard to root for two people equivalent to cardboard. I think my biggest complaint was how rushed everything was. Emily went through so many side quests in the span of a couple chapters that I couldn’t get attached to a single plot-line because it would be over on the next page.

I’m kind of bummed because I ATE UP THE BEGINNING…but then it just became hard to root for anyone or anything.

I don't know what upset me more...

1. Her strategy for Wordle being the most outrageous thing I've ever read about or
2. The fact that quite literally nothing happened in the first 20% of this book.

This was a DNF for me. I wish I could say that the story was interesting enough for me to continue on, but her "quirky" character can only carry the story so far before you need literally anything else to go on in the story. I'd go as far as to say this made me want to delete the NY Times app from my phone just so I never play Wordle ever again. Never have I ever had Wordle at the front of my mind like Emily does.

I want to be able to pick this one back up because I know I haven't gotten to the good stuff yet.

i loved everything about this book. at first i thought, “oh this would be a cute book for a wordle-themed christmas gift!” but the more i got into the storyline, the more i realized the depth of this book. the characters were all so lovable and i found myself getting overly attached. the storyline was incredible. i couldn’t see a way for it to end with a HEA that i was okay with but i didn’t want the emily and john to be apart either, and let’s just say the ending was unexpected and perfect. as someone around emily’s age, i enjoyed seeing someone else with the same struggles and thoughts as me and i loved that this romance book had so much more depth to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (rounded up to 4)
This book was a pleasant surprise!! I went in with expectation of getting a fluffy little fun romance, but I got much more. Our fmc Emily lives in small town Waldon but has big dreams about one day moving to a big, bustling city and having a creative dream job that she knows she is eventually destined for. She works at an auto shop with grumpy and non-talkative John (ugh the guys here are so simple, right?) and can’t wait for what’s next. But as she continues to dream, she roots herself into the small town daily life, its elderly residents, and ends up finding out the grumpy mechanic might be different from her assumptions.
This was so cute and fun. The romance does end up taking a back seat to Emily’s personal growth and development, which was surprising but very welcomed. I saw myself in a lot of Emily’s traits and loved watching her grow into herself. There is, unsurprisingly, a lot of Wordle included, which is pretty fun for me as I also play daily, but that and a few other aspects did get a bit repetitive. Part of this book also caught me so off guard and absolutely made me sob at midnight. I really enjoyed myself for the most part and thought it was a lovely read!

I enjoyed this. It was a feel good romance, full of romantic comedy vibes that you sometimes just need to read. The characters in the book were lovable, and they were also just perfectly matched for one another. I found that it was the perfect book to read, curled up at the end of the day in bed, or with a cup of hot tea. The author really struck home with how the characters found family and each other and I really just enjoy the progression of almost a Year not quite enemies, but not quite friends tension to lovers and this is my person at the end.