The only reason I finished this was because it's an advance copy, and there wasn't something so offensive about it that I could DNF it and still in good faith write a review. That being said – I'm so sad at the let down that this was. Genuinely, a rom-com with divorced, older people was really speaking to me until I actually got about a third of the way in and then it was like... is this story taking a turn? The third POV was unnecessary and really pulled me out of the story every time they occurred.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟 3/5 stars

Two single parents clash and then find themselves trapped together on a private island in this enemies to lovers romance. The humor and banter was excellent and I enjoyed the quirkiness of the writing. However, the extra POV threw me off throughout the book and confused the tone a bit for me. Overall, a fun and hilarious romcom.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Pick-Up was a delightful rom-com with two compelling leads. When single parents Sasha and Ethan cross paths at their children's school, they don't see eye to eye. This enemies-to-lovers romance raises the stakes with some friendly competition.

Dahlia structured the book in an engaging, clever way. Her writing flows easily. Sasha and Ethan had strong, believable chemistry. Their witty banter, especially Sasha's one-liners, was fun to follow. Pick Up is a fun, heartwarming, entertaining read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advance copy!

I enjoyed the flow and style of this book - it felt natural as a style of writing for parents who are so busy they can't think straight, which seems to be the deal for the FMC and MMC. I found their relationship really interesting at first, and enjoyed watching them work out their issues.

I loved that Ethan clearly fell first, because...who doesn't like that?

But. I really didn't enjoy Kaitlin or find her insertion into the story worthwhile. If this were a thriller, maybe, but...it's not, so it disrupted the plot for me.

I would recommend this for anyone in need of an airport read or a beach read.

This was such a fun swoonworthy rom com!

Quirky take on pick up parents! The banter is cute and the characters perfect! Caught myself having some LOL moments!!

My only issue was Kaitlin’s POV. This really threw me for a loop since I really don’t think this was needed. She was just so obsessed with Sasha and it added a bad taste in my mouth considering I was reading a romance? A character maybe meant for a thriller? Not sure it just turned me off a tad.

3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my copy

"I realize that one enormous barrier is the way that I see myself. As a worker bee or a vessel before a woman. I have stopped viewing myself as autonomous."

I enjoyed this book on a lot of different levels - it had a lot of the romcom tropes and banter I adore, but also spoke so well to the reality of losing yourself in parenthood, marriage, and just generally trying to be a responsible adult - and the guilt that comes with trying to be your own person and be everything for everyone else. Initially, I thought this book would start to drag on, but it just got better and better.

3️⃣ Triple POV
👩‍❤️‍👨Enemies to Lovers
🏝️Forced Proximity 
❤️He Falls First
💔3rd Act Breakup
📚Debut romance novel

"Oh well! You can lead a horse to water, but...you can't make him bone."

Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the eARC!

*Pick-Up* by Nora Dahlia is an engaging, refreshingly playful romance that takes readers on a delightful ride of unexpected connections and heartwarming chemistry. Dahlia’s writing shines with wit, humor, and a sharp insight into modern dating, making it a fun and captivating read from beginning to end.

The story centers around Harper, who's grown a little tired of the typical dating scene and finds herself drawn into a chance encounter with Evan, a man who turns out to be much more than just a casual fling. What begins as a lighthearted, almost accidental connection quickly evolves into something deeper as Harper and Evan navigate the complexities of modern relationships. Dahlia does an excellent job of capturing the quirky, sometimes awkward, but often endearing nature of the “meet-cute” and the journey that follows.

What I loved most about *Pick-Up* is the chemistry between the two leads. Their interactions are charming and packed with genuine, relatable moments that made me smile throughout the book. It’s the kind of romance where you can’t help but root for the couple, even as they face moments of doubt and hesitation. Their banter is witty and quick, and Dahlia’s ability to write snappy dialogue brings their connection to life in a way that feels both authentic and engaging. The romance develops naturally, and the pacing is perfect, never rushing or dragging.

Beyond the romance, *Pick-Up* also shines in its portrayal of friendships, personal growth, and the messy yet beautiful nature of relationships. Harper’s journey is one of self-discovery and learning to let go of preconceived notions about love and connection. She evolves over the course of the book, becoming more confident in herself and in her relationships, which adds a lovely layer of depth to the story. The supporting characters—friends and family—also add warmth and humor to the narrative, making the world Dahlia creates feel rich and alive.

Nora Dahlia balances the sweet and the spicy effortlessly in *Pick-Up*. It’s lighthearted and romantic without feeling overly simplistic, and while it has its fair share of steamy moments, it’s the emotional depth of the characters that makes the story truly stand out.

If you're looking for a fun, witty, and heartwarming romance that leaves you smiling, *Pick-Up* is a must-read. It’s perfect for those who love a little spark in their romance, combined with characters who are easy to root for and a story that is as satisfying as it is entertaining. A wonderful escape into a world of love, laughter, and the thrilling possibilities of a chance encounter!

Not for me. The layout was messy and made reading this feel like a slog and a chore. Just too many perspectives going on and I couldn’t keep track of all these characters and their kids. Felt like work.

Honestly, it was about two thirds of the way through this book that I really saw what people loved about it. The main characters were funny and had chemistry for sure, but it wasn’t as romantic as I thought it was going to be. I think it was hard at first because there was SO MUCH real life: the drudgery of parenting, divorce woes, trying to do it all as a mom, etc. And the main heroine, Sasha, really kept getting her own way. BUT this book grows on you as do the characters. I began to realize that maybe I was being too hard on Sasha, just like she was on herself. Nora Dahlia does a great job of showing complexity in characters. I don’t spoil the big surprise near the end of the book, but that’s really when I saw the main characters come into themselves—watching them handle their crises. There were definitely RomCom moments in this book, but it had a lot more substance to it than many RomComs. I wouldn’t necessarily say this was a light read, but a worthwhile one for sure.

Nora's first book was so much fun, I couldn't wait to read this 0ne! I love how emotional her books are and how she infuses humor to offset the dramatic moments!

I love the single parent trope and even more so when it's with a single mom (I firmly believe single moms deserve more love in romance books) so I really enjoyed this! Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced copy!

Sasha is a single mom who seems to somehow always miss what's happening at school. She keeps running into Ethan, a single dad, at their children’s school and they seem to always get what Sasha wants for her kids. But when she gets a job offer that takes her on location to a remote island, she never expects to find Ethan there as her boss for the project.
I loved how this story was told through multiple points of view. I spent the first part of the book curious to see how these POVs were related and why these characters were chosen to share their perspectives. The slight plot twist that revealed this was unexpected and a fun discovery! This book had me laughing out loud and was so entertaining! This was a fun and unique read and I’m excited to read more from Nora Dahlia.
Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advance copy.

I loved this book so much. Sasha is divorced, still learning how to manage everything, make ends meet, and trying to figure out her mom's sudden lapse in memory. Enter Demon Dad, he seems to be getting everything on step ahead of Sasha, though Demon Dad is pretty cute. When Sasha suddenly has a job opportunity producing marketing for a new hotel on behalf of a magazine, she jumps at the opportunity. On the middle of nowhere island, she runs into, you guessed Demon Dad.

Quick Thoughts time!

❄️ House of Sky & Breath by Sarah J Maas. I am super behind (obvs) but this is a great second installment in the Crescent City series. It’s action-packed, & as always, I have a clear sense that Sarah J Maas has a *master plan* that I am not privy to. She’s going to make these characters go places. With that being said, this is probably my least fave series of hers, or maybe I am just not as fully & completely enamored with her type of lead anymore? It remains to be seen! I’m rounding this to 5 ⭐️ though, because it is dang good fantasy.

❄️ Pick-Up by Nora Dahlia. This romance features two over-40 leads who have a not-so-cute meet cute at their kids’ school & then start working together on a project. Things I enjoyed: the vignette-like chapters, the FMC’s thoughts on the imbalanced workload of moms, how the MMC is willing to apologize. What I didn’t love: the back & forth & the focus on another character, which made the book lose focus from the romance between our two leads. This one didn’t quite meet my romance-loving expectations but perhaps if you go in more knowledgeable, you might enjoy it more. 3.75 ⭐️, out now. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

❄️ Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel. This is a retelling of Ganga’s story, which I was not familiar with before beginning. It’s very difficult to read at moments—please check out the author’s note about TWs—but it was a strikingly written fantasy with a moving ending. 4 ⭐️, out now. (Thanks to the publisher the complimentary copy. All opinions provided are my own.)

📖 have you read any of these or are any on your radar?

It took me 12 days to finish this. Yes, I'm busy with the holidays, but seriously, this was a slog for me.

I liked the set up. Single divorced mom, trying the best she can to do right by her kids when this "demon dad" keeps seemingly side swiping her at every step. Hence, enemies.

She gets a job offer, quite possibly her dream job, and guess who's attached to that job? You got it. Workplace romance can be iffy, especially if someone is the boss of the other, but this romance was almost encouraged by her coworkers, which was a tad weird. Hence, lovers.

Sasha was hard for me to like and be interested in. Her personality was wall up, don't interact, because she had been dragged through the mud by her ex and didn't want her personal life scrutinized anymore than it already had been. Ethan should have been perfect on paper, but he was such a know it all, always critiquing, coming off overly argumentative and it was maddening to me. Their "banter" was meant to be witty, but it felt forced. They spend a few days together on a magazine shoot and boom, in love.

Then there is a 3rd POV, which at first I was confused about because it's this mom who seems to be obsessed with Sasha because they were friends back in high school and she seemed to feel Sasha had slighted her back then. It's like having the POV of a stalker, and it took me a minute to figure out how she fit in but once I did, I just didn't like it.

Overall, I liked the idea with the slightly older characters, battling life and kids and aging parents and romance, but I didn't like the execution. Would have DNF if it wasn't a Netgalley read.

Sasha is divorced with two kids, she definitely has not her life put together at all but she's trying her best for her kids. Ethan is a recently divorced dad, whose wife cheated on him and incidentally she was was also Sasha's schoolmate back in high school, even though they weren't around each other much.

This is a novel about balancing your life in a new reality you had no idea you were going to live, having an ex-husband who moved across country and didn't care about his own kids. Trying to find a job that allows you to spend time and care for your children at the best of your ability and maybe, stumbling upon love.

The banter between these two is incredibly funny. The first few times Saha and Ethan met was hilarious.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

#arc #arcreader #arcreviewer #arcreview #pickup #noradahlia #sashaandethan #closeproximity #readingchallenge2024 #goodreadschallenge2024 #contemporaryromance #doublepov #enemiestolovers #fiction #hefallsfirstandharder #netgalley #netgalley2024 #newadult #romance #romcom #secretlove #slowburn #thirdactbreakup

This was a quick and semi-easy read. I felt the multiple POVs were a lot and sometimes very frequent where it was a lot to keep up with. especially kaitlin's pov, i feel like it wasn't really needed at all. this is categorized as a romance, but the romance part didn't really fit me in my feels or feel like these were two people who should truly be together. overall, this book was okay.

Want to pick up a book you just can’t put down??
Nora Dahlia’s Pick-Up will do the trick.

Sasha is a recently divorced mom just trying to keep it together at school pick-up when the also recently divorced Demon Dad, Ethan, seemingly begins laying all of her well made plans to waste. When the two find themselves working together on a private island, it’s unknown if the excursion will be paradise found, paradise lost, or maybe a bit of both.

This rom-com was so witty and relatable. I laughed out loud and felt it to my core on more than one occassion. It was like being stuck in the car rider line at school and daydreaming about vacationing on a tropical island BUT instead of the PE coach blowing a whistle at you because you didnt pull your car up far enough (rude!) you actually get to hop on the plane and GO! Highly recommend this one for an excellent rom-com read!

Thank you to Gallery Books for the ARC opportunity.

3/5

An interesting storyline. It took awhile to figure out Kaitlyn’s POV but it became clear about halfway through. That added twist is what made this a 3 star book for me.

A romping ride, laughs and swoons guaranteed! The leads, Sasha and Ethan, have great banter and chemistry. I finished this in one sitting and enjoyed myself thoroughly. Also, the other woman storyline is handled really well.