Based on the preview I was really expecting some over the stop snarky banter between the two MCs. They have a wonderful falling in love story but this book just fell short for me. I was bored for a while and really had to force myself to keep reading. This book is LONG!! The last quarter of the story was better but the end was a bit off.
Overall, it was just ok.

Annabelle Slator’s *The Launch Date* is a sharp, witty rom-com that takes workplace rivalry, the chaos of dating apps, and the ever-relatable struggle for career validation and turns it into a laugh-out-loud and deeply satisfying story. With its irresistible enemies-to-lovers dynamic and a fresh take on modern romance, this debut is perfect for fans of *The Hating Game* and anyone who has ever wondered if love might be better off-screen than online.

The story centers on Grace Hastings, a talented but disillusioned employee at the wildly successful dating app Fate. Between a manipulative boss, a stagnant career, and a crushing breakup, Grace is questioning everything—especially the very idea of true love. When she’s offered the chance to lead the launch of a groundbreaking IRL dating app, it feels like a dream opportunity to turn things around. But there’s a catch: she has to team up with her infuriatingly charming, socialite work rival, Eric Bancroft, and test the app themselves.

What follows is a hilariously awkward series of “dates” that forces Grace and Eric to step outside their comfort zones and, more importantly, confront their assumptions about each other. From disastrous hiking trips to dangerously competitive cooking classes and steamy yoga sessions, their chemistry crackles with every interaction. Slator nails the banter, delivering rapid-fire dialogue that feels effortless and electric, making their transition from rivals to reluctant allies to something more feel both inevitable and deeply satisfying.

Grace is a relatable and engaging protagonist, her mix of ambition, self-doubt, and dry humor making her easy to root for. Eric, with his playboy reputation and surprisingly thoughtful demeanor, is the perfect foil, challenging Grace’s views on love and connection while revealing unexpected depth of his own. Their slow-burn romance unfolds with just the right balance of tension and tenderness, ensuring readers are hooked from start to finish.

What makes *The Launch Date* stand out is its insightful commentary on modern dating culture. Through Grace and Eric’s journey, Slator explores the disconnect between curated online personas and genuine connection, reminding readers that love often blooms in the most unexpected places—like yoga mats or work rivalries. The narrative also touches on themes of self-worth and rediscovering one’s confidence, giving the story an emotional depth that complements its humor.

The pacing is perfect, with each chapter offering a blend of laugh-out-loud moments, heartfelt revelations, and romantic tension. Slator’s writing is fresh and vibrant, filled with clever observations and vivid descriptions that bring Grace and Eric’s world to life. The quirky, high-stakes workplace setting adds a unique flavor to the story, keeping the stakes high and the drama entertaining.

*The Launch Date* is a rom-com with heart, humor, and heat—a delightful debut that will leave readers smiling and swooning. Annabelle Slator has crafted a love story that feels both timely and timeless, celebrating the messy, unexpected, and wonderful ways people find each other. Whether you’re here for the witty banter, the slow-burn romance, or the insightful take on modern dating, this is a five-star read that you won’t want to swipe left on.

For this being a debut novel…bravo and encore! I can’t wait to see what else she puts out there!

Eric and Grace have the most satisfying back and forth between friends to enemies to friends to lovers back to friends and back to lovers and then some! I loved loved loved reading every minute of this book.

Spice level at. 2/5 but the scenes were super yummy and very well written. I love when I can feel my heart rate kick up just from reading a book.

The ending was so good too!!! Thought it was so cool that the author got her inspo from working at Bumble!! Get this book when it comes out!!!

Alas!!! I wanted to love this so much. I understand it was marketed specifically to fans of The Hating Game, and for good reason––The Launch Date is essentially The Hating Game but in a different font, and with far less romantic tension. For all The Hating Game's issues, that book can feel *electric,* which is what makes it work. I think Slator is a promising novelist, and I hope her next book feels more ~fresh.~

I absolutely adored this London based rom com full of enemies to lovers vibes, incredible tension and chemistry between the MCs and so much heart it had me smiling the entire time. Grace is so relatable and I loved spending time in her head - from her struggles to assert herself at work to figuring out who she is both in and out of a relationship, I loved it all. Eric is so funny and dreamy, and I really enjoyed the narrative style of flipping between the current timeline to trying to figure out what went wrong between them. I read this in one sitting and genuinely enjoyed every second - perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Beth O’Leary and Abby Jimenez.

This book had me feeling giddy and invested in the characters lives. I loved it, couldn't put it down, five stars. Amazing dialogue, well written and the type of story that I search for, the ones that suck you in and make you forget everything else.

The book is about two rival coworkers that have to work toguether on a project that could land one of them a much needed promotion.
They work for a firm that owns several dating app and are about to launch a new one and people are matched based on the date they want to experience. Ofcourse our main characters have to test some of the dates and report back. But these two have a recent history that was the catalyst for their mutual dislike.

To tell you that they have chemistry is not enough, I felt chemistry and tension with the book itself. Can't rave enough about it. I want more.

I love enemies to lovers and workplace romance, however I didn't feel this book had a ton of depth to it. Not my favorite, but certainly not the worst. I enjoyed the little bit of banter and the spice was spicy. But didn't feel there was much more to it.

This was a cute workplace romance debut. It’s not so much enemies/rivals to lovers though, and it’s better described as a miscommunication to lovers. I liked both of the characters but just wanted them to talk to resolve the issue they were both beating around the bush at. I wish there would’ve also been a little more rivalry when it came to the actual fight for the job they are both up for, and felt the lead up to it was a little lackluster. Overall, I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Workplace rivals, Grace and Eric, must work together to launch a new dating app, but only one of the will end up as Head of Marketing. The other catch? They have to trial all the dates for their presentations.

This book very much gave me The Hating Game vibes. The banter between Eric and Grace was playful and witty.

I wasn't a huge fan of how self-depricating Grace was. I wanted to give the girl so many pep talks, but at a point it was hard to root for her. I was a bigger fan of her by the end when she found her spunk.

This book is for those who enjoy workplace romance, enemies to lovers, and a bit of spice.

Thanks to NetGalley, as well as Avon Books and Harper Voyager for this ARC. All views and opinions are my own.

This debut novel took me by surprise in the best way possible! I really loved this one!
The workplace rivals to lovers / slow burn that I needed. The chemistry between Grace and Eric leapt off the page. The tension was high!!
I loved all the various dates and the hilariously funny mishaps during them.
The slow burn was definitely burning slow, but it definitely was worth the wait. Can we say "one bed"!
Overall, this was such a fun, quick read. I look forward to more from this author in the future.
***Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyage for the opportunity to read this e-ARC for my honest review.***

What a dazzling debut!! THE LAUNCH DATE is one of those tastefully written rivals-to-lovers story filled with witty banter and delicious tension that made me never want to put the book down. Grace and Eric quickly became work friends and so close to becoming a thing before becoming enemies. And if being enemies wasn't enough, they then also become rivals as they are both being considered for the same promotion, Only problem is that to help develop the dating app their company is launching, Grace and Eric have to learn how to work together... and that work involves going to "dates" to test out for their future users.

I really loved and admired Grace and Eric's senses of humor and the emotional depth to them. Even though in the press Eric is known to be a playboy, I liked how we went along with it, so Grace wouldn't realize just so much of a sweet softie he is. It was so enjoyable to see their relationship evolve and I found myself deeply invested and caring for the two of them from the very beginning. I'm so happy for the privilege to have read their story and witness their love. Looking forward to reading (more like devouring) whatever the author decides to grant us with next!!

Many thanks to Avon Harper and Voyager and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Grace Hastings thought landing a job at Fate, the popular dating app, would be her happily-ever-after. Instead, her boss is a nightmare, her career is stuck in neutral, and her fiancé just dumped her in the worst way possible.

The CEO offers her a shot at a huge promotion. The catch? She has to design a new app focused on real-life dating and test it out by going on first dates. The bigger catch? She’s paired with her work nemesis, Eric Bancroft.

I loved this book!

Grace and Eric’s relationship had all the tension and sparks I could’ve asked for.

The banter was sharp, the chemistry was amazing, and the workplace rivals-to-lovers trope was done so well. I flew through it.

Such an amazing debut!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for this free ARC!

4.25 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this! The tension was top tier and the conflict was realistic. Often times romance books will throw something big and a bit too dramatic to bump up the third act “break up” but this was so real and didn’t make me wanna pull my hair out from frustration :’) My only real “complaint” is that I wish the book were a little bit longer! I wanted some more time with them - showing their happy moments in their friendship from before + showing more time with their current tension before the inevitable ending.

I’m really impressed with this being a debut! Will definitely be purchasing this when it officially releases. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC <3

I had high expectations for this one after reading the synopsis, but unfortunately it fell a little short for me. I love a good enemies to lovers trope, and banter, but i don’t know.. I felt something was lacking with this one. Possibly the chemistry between the characters? The beginning was very slow making it hard for me to connect with the characters. Although I didn’t love this one, I’ll for sure check out more of the authors work.

Grace, true-love daydreamer and marketing manager at "Fate" is up against Eric, her polished and frustratingly confident counterpart at their company's rival hook-up app "Ignite" as they battle it out for a career-defining opportunity. Which, for ~plot reasons~, requires them to go on multiple "test dates" around London. Beneath their biting banter and professional facades lies a tangled history neither is ready to confront—until they’re forced to face their unresolved feelings.

I went into this book expecting a basic knockoff of The Hating Game, but it completely blew me away. This story nailed the workplace rivals-to-lovers trope with so much depth, which is rare since most books struggle to make the hatred logical. The gradual reveal of Grace and Eric’s backstory was so well done and gave their dynamic real substance.

The tone was spot-on: British, clever, funny, and still totally accessible for American readers. I laughed, I swooned, and I had the urge to call my therapist.

Grace was super relatable, and Eric wasn’t just another cookie-cutter wealthy male lead—he had a rich backstory that made him feel real. The chemistry between these two was off the charts, and I was practically begging for them to just get together already.

I adored Eric’s sister, who added a great layer of charm to the story. That said, I wasn’t a huge fan of how Susie treated Grace—the dialogue felt a bit over-the-top and unbelievable at times. But really, the work that Grace and Eric were doing on Ditto wasn't really marketing at all, so I'm willing to suspend some disbelief around their job functions because of how much I loved Slator's writing.

The central conflict in their relationship was believable and compelling, and the mix of humor, heartfelt moments, and slow-burn tension had me sneakily reading this on my Kindle app on my phone at work. If you’re into contemporary romance with sharp banter, real stakes, and a lot of heart, this one is for you. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this and thought it was well written, especially for a debut author! It kinda has The Hating Game vibes with the workplace rivals/enemies to lovers trope, but it’s a trope that I always love. I loved the chemistry between Grace and Eric, and my only wish was that we could have seen more of their happily ever after!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this earc

This book was soooo much fun. I love me a good office romance when to kind of enemies need to work together. *heart eyes*

But seriously, I read this in one sitting. It’s cute, it’s full of heart, have great friendships and main character standing up for herself and finding her voice.

There is also some AMAZING chemistry (reminded me of Tangled. If you know, you know).

Eric also has quite a few fantastic lines that made me go “awwwww”

My point. Listen to me and for read this.

If you took everything I love about The Hating Game and tossed in a boss reminiscent of The Devil Wears Prada, you would only slightly scratch the surface of how much I adored this amazing debut novel! Enemies/rivals-to-lovers and workplace romance are two of my favorite tropes, and Annabelle Slator managed to take both of them and make an entirely fresh and exciting story. I was drawn in right from the start, and fell in love with both main characters.

Grace and Eric need to work together on a project, and their performances will determine which of them is given a promotion. It would be a lot easier if these ex-friends turned enemies could stand to be in the same room together, especially because they work for a dating app and their project entails going on dates together to test run a new version. It doesn't help that Grace is still reeling from a break up 6 months ago and Eric is a known play-boy, out with different woman every night of the week. Somehow they have to work together if they have any chance of success.

I think Eric Bancroft may be my new favorite MMC. He had so much depth, and Annabelle did an amazing job peeling back his layers and letting us see the man he really is and why he puts on the persona that defines him. Grace is delightfully messy and she allows people to walk all over her, but the extent of her growth during the course of the book was inspiring, and I felt such an overwhelming sense of protectiveness for her. The timeline of this book jumped around just enough to slowly reveal Eric and Grace's initial friendship and everything that caused it to derail. I was so invested in these characters, and the way their story wrapped up had me in tears. Trust me, you won't want to miss this delightful, fun and heart-felt rom-com, full of witty banter and off-the-charts chemistry!

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. This was SO FUN. My favorite tropes, and very happy to report she pulled them off brilliantly. I was invested right away. Super cute.

I am not always the biggest fan of the friends to enemies to lovers trope, but this book was so amazing! Just checked all the right boxes. It even had the one bed trope, which is normally so cheesy, and yet made it seem totally plausible? I don't think I have ever seen an author take the one bed scenario and make me believe it could actually happen in real life before. Maybe not the actual outcome, obviously. . .

Grace and Eric used to be good (just lol) friends before having a major falling out a little over a year ago. Two pages in, and I already hated Eric, although everything I knew was skewed based on Grace's internal monologuing. I think the only thing that would have made the book better is if it some of the chapters were written from Eric's point of view. I would have loved reading about it from his perspective.

I have absolutely no criticisms of the book. So many authors write horrible love interests; men who are the worst. Eric is amazing. They are a great couple who compliment each other. Especially love the contrast shown with her previous relationship with William.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free kindle book! My opinions are my own and are freely given.