Such a cute, fun rom com. This had me kicking my feet and giggling and for once was an “enemies to lovers” that wasn’t cringy. So sweet and looking forward to more from this author!

The Launch Date was such a cute and quick read, I loved it! This book is about Grace who works on a dating app called Fate and Eric who works on a dating app called Ignite. Both of these co-workers are working for the same company called Catch Group. A promotion is up for grabs and in order to share their own presentation they have to go on dates together and share their experience for a new dating app called Ditto. Even though they are enemies they put aside their differences to work together and in the process maybe hopefully admit they have feelings for each other and fall in love? Very cute enemies to lovers novel and definitely a 5 star review! Thank You NetGalley, Avon Books, and Harper Voyager for this early copy of The Launce Date by Annabelle Slator! Publishing date of February 11, 2025.

What a fantastic debut! Heartwarming and driven by a strong plot, this novel seamlessly blends favorite tropes with the electric chemistry between Eric and Grace. I loved the author's writing style and how she portrayed the workplace environment and Grace's personal growth. Perfect for fans of The Spanish Love Deception and The Hating Game. There are a few parts where I wish we could have spent more time or had more context as events unfolded, but overall, I really enjoyed it! I’d love a bonus chapter from Eric's POV. Can't wait for everyone to fall in love with Eric and Grace in 2025. Huge thanks to Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC via NetGalley.

I loved it!!!! Love how Grace was still a badass even though she was working through some things. And Eric was a great MMC. Love the enemies to lovers workplace situation and how they opened up to each other complemented each other so well. Super cute and fun!

I completely devoured this book OMG. Enemies to lovers, workplace romance, oooooozing sexual tension, giddy humor, banter, sarcastic quips, grand romance — this had everything! It’s also sort of fake dating/forced proximity.

Eric and Grace have so much chemistry right from the start, even as rivals, and the tension is palpable. It’s definitely a slow burn but man it was so fantastic to read. There’s background and intrigue, lovable and well placed side characters like Iris, serious moments, swoony moments, smiley sweet giggling moments, sexy badass girlboss moments. I just couldn’t put it down!

Two points of weakness on my end:

— Grace’s was a little insufferable but even she realized it and amended that.

— I feel like there’s one plot thread in the book that was kind of weak and very ‘C’-tier that it seems throwaway since it was brought up so late in the game. It made it intriguing but fizzled out very quickly into nothing.



All in all though, it gives off Hating Game vibes but in my opinion this is written way better. This is Annabelle Slator’s debut romcom and she hit it out of the freaking park 😍 I truly couldn’t stop reading and binged it in less than a day today. 10/10!

Thanks for the early copy to this sweet story. I enjoyed the dynamic between the love interests and thought this was overall a cute story.

Fans of The Hating Game will like this. I don't think Grace and Eric have the chemistry and banter that Josh and Lucy had, but there was definitely heart! I giggled a little and shed a few tears along the way.

**Thanks to Avon & Harper Voyager via NetGalley for the e-arc!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was an enjoyable read. I couldn’t stop reading. The end was cute.

Who doesn't love the enemies to lovers trope? Mixed in with a cute little workplace romance, this is an incredible debut

Woooo!

This book had it all. A couple of tropes that I'm a big fan of - enemies to lovers and workplace romance, some witty back and forth banter and miscommunication, and allllll the spice! You can't help but root for Grace and Eric separately and together, because it becomes so clear that they really are perfect for each other.

Will preface this with - this is a SLOW burn. If that's not your thing this could make you mad, but I think it was all worth the wait! If you're a big dan of 'The Hating Game' I don't think there's anyway you won't devour it. Thank you to Netgalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of this novel!

Annabelle Slator, you are a QUEEN 💖

I absolutely loved this book and am SO happy I was approved for an ARC. I read this book in two days, I could not put it down.

If you love friends to rivals to lovers and workplace romance, this book is perfect for you. The banter and tension between the characters was written so incredibly well. I absolutely loved the slow burn and I should emphasize it is a “Slow, slow burn” but in the BEST way.

I cannot wait to read any other books Annabelle releases. I have already mentioned this book to my Romance book club! 🩷

SPOILER
*******************
He’s obsessed with her and she doesn’t even realize it!! 🥰

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book, this is my objective review. I was drawn in by the premise and the promise of witty banter and a romantic pairing. Ultimately, though, I don't think I was the right audience for this book. Although I am willing to try reading it again after publication as I think I partly wasn't in the right frame of mind to enjoy it. I also think that in general, I'm not the right person for workplace rom-coms as the anxiety of the potential HR issues almost always gets in my way. That said, I enjoyed the overall snark and wit, even though the mmc was difficult to buy into at first and the book was a bit of a slow start for me. Giving it 3 stars for now (closer to 3.5), although that rating may change on a re-read. I am impressed this was a debut novel for the author, and I look forward to reading other books from her.

Grace Hastings’ The Love Project is a lighthearted romance that offers a fun, flirty read. The premise of two rivals forced to work together on a dating app is a classic setup, and it’s executed with a decent amount of charm.

While the characters are likable enough, they could have been developed further. The romantic tension between Grace and Eric is enjoyable, but it lacks the depth to truly captivate the reader.

If you're looking for a quick, easy read that doesn't require too much thought, The Love Project is a solid choice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was super cute, and I absolutely loved it! I haven't finished a book that quickly, and I still wish there had been more in a while until this book. The writing was magical, and I can't believe this is Slator's debut novel. This book has me squealing and laughing continuously. It felt a lot like The Hating Game, and no complaints here! The pull between the characters is magnetic and drags you in willingly. The banter and chemistry between Grace and Eric were *chef's kiss*. This is a writer I will be reading in the future, and I highly recommend it.

Read if you like:
- Enemies to lovers
- Workplace romance
- Forced proximity
- Slow burn

Over all I liked it! There were moments that made me actually laugh out loud. The plot was pretty predictable and the resolution seemed a bit rushed at the end. I was expecting to get more out of the epilogue but it was lacking. This is probably a weird observation but I feel like the last two paragraphs should have been switched. It seemed like there was big news on top of the big news with her ring.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for a digital ACR of The Launch Date.

Did I just find a new favorite debut author? I think so! I enjoyed every moment of this story. I've read plenty of workplace enemies-to-lovers/workplace romances and this one tops the cake. The characters were fleshed out and not one-dimensional. The pacing was perfect. Not once did I skim through or wish there was more action. It kept me invested and I just adore Eric. Excellent debut and I will be looking forward to her next release!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the advanced reader copy.

The premise--of creating a dating app that requires meeting IRL first--sounded interesting, but I can't hang with a female boss being so dismissive and cruel to her female subordinate within the first five pages of a rom-com, when there are so many books in this genre to choose from.

A fabulous debut!

I really liked how the author used these classic tropes: enemies to lovers and workplace romance. This combo just simply works every time. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Grace and Eric. They had great banter and tension between them. This is a slow burn and the build up to the relationship is done so wonderfully. I couldn't wait to see these two combust!

I thought the writing was great too. I thought the dialogue was witty and the plot was well developed. I may have been lost a bit with the technical jargon but this didn't effect my enjoyment of the story.

A great read. Can't wait to see more from this author.

Absolutely ADDICTIVE friends to rivals to lovers workplace romance! Sexy, emotional, and hilarious with believable characters and excellent character development. Highly recommend starting during the weekend because you will not be able to put this down and unless you don't need to sleep before going to your office job, weeknights are not it.

Loved.

The Launch Date reminded me of a reinterpretation of the Hating Game, in the best way possible. I loved the interactions between the two characters, though I felt that the reason for their feud was a little flimsy and not fully addressed in my mind. There were several really great and well-written scenes, but some of the non-romance stuff fell a little flat for me. The FMC’s boss, for example, was sort of a two dimensional villain whose story arc was explored either not enough or too much. I kept wanting to fast forward to the parts with Eric. That being said, I think this is a good debut novel and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.