I had a really delightful time reading Pick-Up by Nora Dahlia.

Our leads, Sasha and Ethan, are so charming. Especially Sasha! I love how relatable is and tangible she feels. From her snarky bites, to her flustered runaway moments, to her fierce protectiveness over her loves one-- I adored and admired her.
Then there's Ethan with his hilarious to-do lists, I looked forward to them each and every time him POV showed up!

Individually they are fire crackers, and together? Total fireworks!

While Sasha and Ethan led this book gorgeously, there’s something else the narrative does with POVs that is quite intriguing. It’s not advertised in the blurb so I won’t mention it, but when it first happens I was a bit thrown back. I wondered: is this going to turn into a romance suspense?
No, it doesn’t— but what the POVs do is very, very clever. In fact, when a certain reveal is done, it feels so natural that I went ”of course!” rather than scratching my head in confusion. Because it made such perfect sense. I didn’t catch it as it was happened, but once it did— all the clues were so clearly and carefully placed throughout the story.

These are always my favorite type of reveals— even if it’s not in your face, if you turn around, you’ll find the breadcrumb path that led to it.

Overall, I loved this book for both showcasing personal journeys and building up a lovely romance.
I would have liked moments shared that included Sasha and Ethan’s respective children, but at the same time I appreciated how the narrative brought them forth not just as parents, but as people who their own evolving likes, dislikes, dream, and goals. This is their love story.

I also love how this book is led by characters close or over 40. How just because they're nearing what’s considered “middle age” doesn’t mean their personal lives are done. That they aren’t still learning lessons, finding love, embracing a new self, and so on. It doesn’t mean that just because you’re getting older, you’re done with life. There’s plenty left to learn— and so much left to live. We see that from each POV— there’s a life to be had, and it's one that still has growing pains, along with all the joy, excitement, thrills, and peace. If we so choose to claim it.

That message is one of such poignancy, and it’s what I walked away from after the last page was turned.

There is still life waiting for us, every year that comes and goes, there’s still personal happiness to be grab, hold on to, to cherish.

If you love romances and great personal journeys— and older leads! — be to sure pick up Pick Up (hehe)!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book completely surprised me—in the best way! It was so much more than what the synopsis suggested.

Sasha Rubinstein is balancing single motherhood post-divorce (thanks to a divorce from a man who would rather chase his dreams in Hollywood than spend time with his children in Brooklyn), as well as worrying about her aging parents. As a freelancer, Sasha is always looking for stability, so when a job opportunity with the potential for a full-time position (and benefits!) pops up, she takes it. But when she arrives on an island near Turks and Caicos, she discovers she’ll be working with Ethan Jones—the man she absolutely can’t stand.

Sasha’s hatred for Ethan began when she literally bumped into him at school drop-off one morning. Drop-offs are already a tense time for Sasha because lately she's hasn't been receiving school correspondence, causing her children to miss out on events like spirit days. Things only got worse when Ethan buys the last school sweatshirt in Sasha's daughter’s size and later secured his daughter a spot in the after-school drama club, which only become available after Sasha’s daughter was removed from it in error.

Ethan, meanwhile, is just trying to be a good dad and manage the chaos of co-parenting with his ex-wife. He’s confused about why Sasha hates him, especially when they had a connection the first time they met.

The story is told from three POVs: Sasha, Ethan, and Kaitlin—another mom who’s active at the school who knew Sasha when they were children. While the inclusion of Kaitlin’s POV initially threw me off, it becomes clear she plays a crucial role in the plot. Utilizing multiple POVs is refreshing way to show that things aren't as they seem and how even the most "put-together" moms are struggling behind the scenes.

I couldn’t put this book down! The banter between Sasha and Ethan is sharp and witty, making this an excellent enemies-to-lovers romance. Sasha is a complex, layered character, and their chemistry is undeniable. It’s fast-paced, clever, and seamlessly blends the enemies-to-lovers trope with the relatable struggles of parenting. As a mom, I often found myself saying ‘same, girl’ throughout the entire read.

In alignment with the title, they meet in the pick-up line at school. Could two people be any more different? Sasha Rubinstein didn't think so. She has had several encounters with Ethan Jones - none good. He seems to show up where she needs to be and manage to sabotage her reason for being there. She decides that he is the most irritating man on earth when he shows up on the same running track and criticizes her direction/stance/and distance.

Ethan Jones has his own side of the story. He is absolutely fascinated with Sasha, but can't understand why she holds so much animosity against him. He remembers meeting her in the park when their daughters were really small and having a wonderful conversation. He would like to have the opportunity to repeat that experience.

The story goes back and forth between Sasha and Ethan, but there is a third voice as well. Kaitlin grew up with Sasha and feels that she was slighted as Sasha was never as invested in their brief friendship as Kaitlin. And did Sasha steal her boyfriend? Obviously, Kaitlin still holds a grudge.

Nora Dahlia takes us from New York City to the Caribbean on a thrill ride that never lets up. Get ready to hang on and stay up late! Pick-Up is impossible to put down. I will definitely be looking for her next book!

Meet Sasha Rubinstein: A divorced mother in Brooklyn juggling single parenthood with a checked out ex and a school pick up situation that is fraught with petty conflict. Enter Ethan Jones: A fellow parent at this school who somehow manages to make Sasha’s days inevitably worse, while also inexplicably turning her on. Through a series of quirky situations, they end up together on an island, obsensibly to work, but also to get down to the business of falling in love.

Pick-Up is an unusual read. Admittedly, first person, present tense point of view is not my preference, but I do think it fits some types of stories. What is unique here is there are three different first person points of view: Sasha, Ethan, and the antagonist Kaitlyn, another parent at the school who is making Sasha’s life hell.

I like a good head hop, especially when it’s with secondary characters that can provide much needed perspective. Hopping around in three characters heads in first person, when someone is prickly (like Sasha) or downright shady (like Kaitlyn), was a bit too close at times. Some narrative distance would have let the reader be able to get to know the characters more objectively as well, and not just the way they thought about each other (sexually attracted, confused/frustrated, abject hatred)

Sometimes I wanted to grab Sasha by the shoulders and tell her to stop being so spoiled. Maybe appreciate the backbends secondary characters were willing to do in order to help her take opportunities. Her privilege remained mostly unacknowledged and I’m not sure her character grew as a person as much as she got everything she wanted in the end. Perhaps that works though, for this sort of happily ever after.

Ethan is a bit of a cinnamon roll, except when it comes to annoying Sasha at the start. He quickly turns a corner, attraction winning out, and becomes another person willing to wield an ice pick to chip away at Sasha’s frosty exterior. Oddly, he’s a character who is allowed to keep secrets from the reader even though that’s rather impossible since we are in his head and present with his thoughts. Occasionally I wondered why Ethan, quintessential nice guy, didn’t get tired of Sasha’s indecision for arbitrary reasons and cynicism. But then I also assumed she was just really hot, as Kaitlyn told us, and he hand waved away all of that.

Kaitlyn, the antagonist, is the only point of view character who makes a major growth change in this story. That’s an unusual choice in a classic romance, but I like to see writers taking risks, especially when it comes to conflict.

Nora Dahlia's writing has the kind of wit and humor that kept me turning pages. I invested enough into Sasha and Ethan during their banter and flirting scenes that I wanted to find out where the relationship would lead. Also, taking the tale out of Brooklyn and their comfort space, into a forced proximity situation on the island, introduced a fresh cast of characters that reinvigorated the story midstream.

Overall, “Pick-Up" is a witty take on the classic single parent contemporary romance with wry humor, complex characters, and a dash of tropical adventure.
_____
Thank you to NetGalley & Gallery Books for the Advanced Reader Copy. Expected publication date: Dec 3, 2024

Definitivamente no soy el público meta de este libro, sin embargo, me gustó. El principio me costó por el estilo de escritura, pero a la mitad lo sentí más ameno.


La historia trata sobre cómo los padres van perdiendo su identidad hasta convertirse en la madre de o el padre de, como su vida gira en torno a los necesidades y sentimientos de sus hijos, en como todos esperan la perfección y que se van olvidando que también tienen sueños y metas propias.




Me siento tonta por no darme cuenta quien era la esposa, o sea todo el tiempo estuvo presente, incluso llegó un momento que me pregunté la razón de darle tanto protagonismo a dicho personaje ya que no senti que aportara algo. Era tan obvio, todo estaba a la vista.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Sasha Rubenstein has been struggling to adult lately. Whether it’s forgetting it’s funny sock day at her kids’ school or losing out on the last medium sized hoodie for her daughter, she can’t help but feel like she’s floundering. Being a single mom to two precocious children is rough, especially when your douchey ex is nonexistent and on the other side of the country. To top it all off she keeps having run ins with (HOT) Demon Dad, who seems to catch her at her worst. So when an exciting work opportunity comes around that has the potential to be a permanent position, she jumps on the chance to leave the freelancer lifestyle behind in the hopes of more stability for her family.

Ethan Jones aka (HOT) Demon Dad, doesn’t mean to cause trouble in his run ins with Sasha. In fact, the opposite is true. If anything, he’d like to get to know her better. Ever since they first met years prior, he has felt some sort of connection with her. Despite being just acquaintances, he recommends Sasha for a video producer position on his latest editorial project. Now the two are off to the Caribbean for 4 days and 3 nights, but can they keep the burgeoning attraction at bay and keep things professional?

The banter between the two is a delight. The witty dialogue is fun and intelligently written. I especially appreciated their bonding moment over the cotton candy stand from hell. Each encounter between them prior to the trip peels more layers off the exterior they each present to the world. They get to know each other better and there was a fun “us against the world” feel in the scene where Ethan comes to Sasha’s rescue at their kids’ school Halloween party.

Once on the island, things shift into a different gear. We’re treated to tender moments intermixed with a bit of mayhem, which adds levity to the story. It was really fun watching them try to deny their attraction, and Ms. Dahlia does a great job of building the tension.

There’s also a third point of view sprinkled throughout the story. We have Kaitlin, one of those mom types that goes above and beyond at her kids’ school and then resents other parents for not doing the same thing. She and Sasha were friends in middle school, who grew apart as they got older. At first, I was annoyed because why should we have this random woman’s POV, but as the story went on, I became more and more intrigued as to what this woman’s deal was. While her role in the story took a predictable turn, it didn’t detract from it. She could’ve very easily have been written as a caricature, but Ms. Dahlia did give her some depth.

Ms. Dahlia deftly navigates the tricky topic of roles men and women play within the family structure and the unfair expectations set on mothers/stay at home caregivers, without being preachy. She handles it in a very nuanced way, bringing to light the complexities of what it means to maintain a sense of autonomy while also taking on the multitude of roles we play to get through the day. Definitely thought provoking.

I wouldn’t necessarily call this is a rom com, more women’s fiction with elements of romance, but YMMV. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.

Unfortunately this book didn't work for me, which is really sad as I was looking forward to it based on the great cover and premise - more rom-com type books centred around people at different stages in their lives please! I found the chapters too choppy, and three perspectives, including one who wasn't really the main focus, made it hard to remember where you were in the story as the POVs felt very similar. This wasn't the rom-com I wanted it to be, and that makes me sad. I'm sure it will work for others though!

Um okay I LOVED this!! I was giggling & kicking my feet for almost the entirety of the book. I do think the beginning was a tiny bit slow and confusing to keep track of the characters but once I was 15% of the way I couldn’t stop reading. I need to read more by this author!!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced reader copy.

This was a fun, unexpected romantic comedy that did a good job of having the obstacles feel realistic and characters who were messy, in the best ways.

Such a great read! Highly recommend this one.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A refreshing voice and a story that takes the reader from New York to Turks and Caicos, from divorced to losing it, and all the way back to a HEA.

YES, yes, yes! I enjoyed reading this book so much and I feel like it is the perfect crossover of a romance and a gen fic book. It was fascinating to read as the story is told from three different povs, Sasha, the single mother whose ex-husband left her, Ethan, a single father ;), and Kaitlin, another single mother who is active in the school communities. My favorite about reading this novel is that the chemistry, banter, and TENSION between Sasha and Ethan were finger-licking good. I will recommend this book during the cozy weather nonstop! I also enjoyed how the author can balance fun topics while tackling the more serious themes of struggling to be a single parent and juggling various priorities.

What an interesting read from Nora Dahlia. Each chapter is told from a character's POV, with the first three from Sasha, Ethan, and Kaitlin. If you read the blurb of the book, you are like me and wondering "who is Kaitlin?" A great question, and one that plays a key role in the book.

There were parts of this book that made me laugh and there were parts that made me roll my eyes. As a non-divorced, non-parent, it was hard for me to truly feel some of the things that Sasha was expressing in her chapters, but part of me thinks it's because her character was honestly a bit annoying.

I probably won't recommend this read to my friends, but I can see a lot of readers, both male and female, being able to relate to the characters' situations in this story.

Thanks to NetGalley & Gallery Books for the digital advanced copy.

Stop what you are doing right now and add this book to your TBR list for December! Nora Dahlia's debut romance is filled with sexual tension, insane chemistry, and the cutest banter. It's one of those books that will have you smiling and curling your toes the whole time reading it.

It is told mostly from the point of view of Sasha, Brooklyn single mom who is trying to navigate the struggles of solo-parenting and her free-lance career.
She lands an amazing opportunity that would bring financial stability back into her life, but the only problem is him... Ethan aka Demon Dad, another single parent at the same school as her kids who seems to keep causing trouble for Sasha. The job takes place at a new and exclusive private island resort. And lets just say, there are outdoor showers involved.

If you like Christina Lauren or Abby Jimenez, you will love this book.

P.S. The author even created a Spotify playlist to listen to while reading: https://tinylink.net/V4XFd

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for early copy of Pick-Up enemies to love nut maybe just one side. A witty and swoon-worthy rom-coms reader who love Christina Lauren and Kate Clayborn whisking us from the stress of city life to luch Caribbean beaches. Are main character Sasha is a single mother of 2 kids with a ex husband who only care more about his next movie then his own kids. We also have Ethan who is very good look and have a awkward side to him when he's nervous and males TO DO LIST. Now here where the book didn’t do it for me and I wanted to DNF at time we also have a perspective Kaitlin who was a childhood friend of Sasha until Sasha find some new friends. I honest didn't see a reason to have Kaitlin pov ( she was a little obsessed with Sasha) in story she slow the book down for me and on top of that her chapter was much long then the love interest Ethan. But i did enjoy the single parent aspect so realistic on both side Ethan and Sasha and there love story bloss on a Caribbean island.


Goodread review: tatireader
Honest review

Thank you to NetGalley, Nora Dahlia and Gallery book for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nora Dahlia’s Pick-Up is a delightful enemies-to-lovers romance set on a lush Caribbean island. Sasha Rubinstein, a single mother, and Ethan Jones, a fellow divorced parent, initially clash over school pick-up spots and merchandise. Their friction turns into undeniable chemistry when they are forced to collaborate on a work trip.

The story is told from three perspectives: Sasha, Ethan, and Kaitlin, a mutual acquaintance who adds depth to the narrative. Despite some initial confusion with the multiple viewpoints, the story’s charm and humor shine through.

Dahlia’s writing is witty and engaging, capturing both the comedic and emotional aspects of the characters’ journey. Pick-Up successfully blends romance with real-life challenges, making it a fun and relatable read for fans of contemporary romance.

Wow. Wowowow. This was probably one of the top rom-coms I’ve read this year.

I was originally drawn to the cover of Pick-Up and, being a sucker for enemies-to-lovers, I was also intrigued by the plot. Romance between divorced parents? Childcare? Parenthood? I’ve never read anything of the sorts.

Pick-Up is told from three perspectives: Sasha, a single mother whose ex-husband (douchey ex) left to become a big director in Hollywood (and really just cared for appearances & success, rather than be there for his family); Ethan, a single father who ends up being the male love interest; and Kaitlin, another single mother who is active in the school’s committee and a childhood friend of Sasha.

Sasha lands a huge job opportunity on an exclusive private island with Ethan. From their bantering to working together, they slowly grow closer.

(Will leave it at that to avoid any spoilers!)

What I loved
UGH. THE CHEMISTRY. THE TENSION. THE BANTER. So good. I loved Sasha’s character; she was witty and funny without being cringe-y. I adored the interactions and romantic journey between Sasha and Ethan, but I also appreciated the more serious parts of the story about the struggles of parenthood, especially as a single parent - juggling the priorities of your children but also making sure to take care of yourself.

What I didn’t like
Honestly… nothing. I had so much fun reading this.

This was such a charming rom-com that took me by surprise! I was entertained and have a newfound appreciation for parents.


Huge thanks to NetGalley & the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This story of Sasha and Ethan is the perfect midlife, divorced parents romance that we all need. So many times I find that late 20's-early 30's rom-com's don't fully "get" what a romance will feel like in "everyday life". The author, Nora Dahlia writes a fully fleshed out single mom who has all of the responsibilities of parenting on her shoulders and feels like she is failing every minute of it. There is a third "narrator" in this story; Kaitlyn and as the story unfolds we might want to consider her voice an observer of school "pick-up" as the title suggests. She has a pivotal role in the story and I'm glad that I read one person's review that mentions that we learn what makes her important later in the story because as I read her part of the story, I was becoming frustrated with her lack of "action" in the story.
Back to our rom-com; these two characters cracked me up and the chemistry sizzled. I deeply loved Ethan's chapters with his t0-do lists. Sasha is awkward in all the best ways. The crew of Escapade is full of interesting and nuanced characters that don't come off as "typecast" (especially Stephanie... what a hoot).
The story weaves in and out of a romance but at the heart is really about a woman who is in the middle of trying to figure out her life and how she can put her kids needs first and then realizing that in order to give her kids happiness she needs to consider what she "needs" too! Loved this book to pieces!

I didn't like the unclear perspectives in the beginnning. I found a lot of real humor in it, but I didn't connect well with the writing style.

Thanks to Gallery Book and Netgalley for this Advanced Reader's copy. Pick up is a play on words - referencing both a romantic pick up and the pick up time after school. These divorced parents are initially enemies, especially in main character Sasha's view as they fight over afterschool program spots and school merchandise for their kids. Ethan is secretly intrigued by her after speaking with her in the past at a playground with their kids. They go from enemies to lovers when they end up on a tropical island together. I liked the banter of these two characters and this was overall a fun read. For me, the chemistry wasn't strong so I gave it three stars. I enjoyed the book overall.