I appreciated the starting over to learn to come together aspect of this book. It definitely kept me wanting to know what would come next. Thanks for the opportunity to read it.

The Ripple Effect had me in a chokehold with the tropes alone—grumpy x sunshine? fake engagement?? workplace shenanigans at a relationship therapy camp??? Absolutely yes. Stellar is a whole mood with her dry sarcasm and burnout vibes, and McHuge (I cannot with that name) is a golden retriever in therapist form. Their banter? Impeccable. The chemistry? Simmering. It gave me all the warm fuzzy rom-com feelings but still tackled deeper stuff like burnout and vulnerability in such a thoughtful way. I was smiling, swooning, and maybe even tearing up a little by the end. Total comfort read—I adored it.

I liked the writing and found myself highlighting certain sections but some of the slang/terminology used by the MMC was cringey. It turned me off.

"Everyone likes him and wants to be around him except ME, because I'm thorny and difficult and emo as hell" *eye roll* Sure girl, that's why you are fake engaged to the dude you had a one night stand with and then swore off sex because he was so nice to you 😒

There are the usual tropes of fake dating (engagement!), grumpy x sunshine, and only one tent. So, if you want a little camping time filled with cringe millenial narration and those tropes then maybe you will find some enjoyment in this.

Stellar (yup, that's her name) sees relationships as transactional, everything must be perfectly balanced. And by balanced I mean she can't accept any kind of kindness at all because well that's just unfair! It's really painful to read because even just her thoughts and narration are short and snippy and give a tone of "everyone sucks, I hate everything". It's not fun to read, and in general I want my romance to be at least partially fun.

"He feels so warm against the cold illustrated metal of my tattoos." I'm so sorry but pLEASE stop being the cringiest FMC ever. Also, I think this might be the most sterotypically liberal type of couple the author could have managed to make while also keeping them white and heteronormative in appearance. Short, angry, tattooed bisexual (pansexual?) woman with an undercut + big, braided-beard pansexual polyamorous man that is perhaps too nice.

The narration just wasn't my style and I really couldn't care about Stellar at all. Lyle was somehow bland and endearing, but unfortunately we don't get his POV at all. I would've DNF'd this if I wasn't stuck at home with a broken collarbone and nothing better to do than catch up on ARCs.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing an eARC of The Ripple Effect in exchange for this review!

This one had a really great premise that hooked me from a summary standpoint and kept me reading to see how it was going to turn out. It did have a few missteps for me though. I don't know that it was entirely necessary for the FMC to be a doctor - the author kind of sprinkled in some random anatomy to remind you that yes, in fact, she is a doctor - but it didn't really add to the story much in my opinion. Also, while I do like representation, the bisexuality etc felt forced her which actually kind of takes away from positivity in my opinion

I would probably label this YA - though the characters are older, it felt a little juvenile to me.

A lovely romance! I was expecting to not like it (I mean...with a character who unironically goes by McHuge and who speaks so hippie-dippie, the vibes were not great), but this one really grew on me. I appreciated the emphasis on realistic growth, the way the fake engagement was NOT the focus of the story, and the journey to find where and to whom you belong. North has a clear love of the outdoors, and the way the Canadian wilderness is written is lush and beautiful.

Fans of Hannah Bonam-Young will certainly enjoy this one, and I'm not just saying that because it's Canadian :)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Having seen firsthand how whitewater canoeing highlights the strengths and weaknesses in people's relationships, I was intrigued by the setting of this book. It didn't disappoint, nor did the characters and plot.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Ripple Effect and will be recommending it widely. While I wait for Maggie North's next book, I'll also be sure to check out her first one, Rules for Second Chances.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in advance of publication.

I read and enjoyed this author's prior novel, her debut, Rules for Second Chances. This novel follows the best friend of the main character from the first book, Stellar, and her relationship with another one of the side characters, Lyle "McHuge" McHugh. He's a psychologist trying to get his Canadian wilderness survival relationship training course the Love Boat off the ground. He needs to have a doctor on staff after a reporter publishes criticism from his former PhD mentor and a potential celebrity endorsement decides to drop out putting the business at significant risk of failing in its first year. Stellar was a doctor at the local hospital in a wealthier neighborhood but she resigned and had her reputation ruined after she raised concerns about the disparate treatment between men and women staff at the hospital and made an impulsive decision when the hospital shut down her criticisms. She's in a lot of debt and desperately needs the pay, desperate enough to join Lyle in his business despite the awkward tension between them after their one night stand a year prior.

But the hits just keep coming. When the reporter points out that Lyle himself has never been married and isn't in a serious relationship of his own, undermining his ability to run a relationship therapy course, Stellar and Lyle agree to pose as an engaged couple during the camp sessions. What could possibly go wrong???

Stellar has a pretty dark past with her father being a con man and her parents abandoning her, then again with the hospital staff gaslighting her. So she has anger issues and she finds it impossible to open up, not to keep score in the few relationships she does manage to have. Lyle is the opposite. Too trusting, positive, laid back, and sunshine despite his huge stature. I love the way this author writes about the setting and the way she describes Stellar's feelings about things. Despite Stellar being a very difficult character to like, you kind of have to like her. She's been through so much and you just want to root for her. My big issue with this is that I never felt like Lyle and Stellar truly developed that trust between them. When Stellar starts to suspect that someone is truly trying to sabotage their business, sure, she doesn't have like "solid" evidence (other than the fact that Lyle's former mentor has his own business, the same business, and keeps showing up in the same places that Lyle takes his course members???? like hello?) Lyle doesn't believe her. He doesn't trust that she has the instinct about these things given her past. And he's just way too trusting and kind of naive about his business? I don't think it played out in a way that felt like it fully resolved these issues between Lyle and Stellar and how it would undermine their relationship.

This book was SO incredibly refreshing and engaging - it was entertaining beyond belief and I just absolutely loved the writing. Come to find out - I am just truly such a Maggie North fan! The way she writes is beautiful, and how she writes the characters with this intense depth and realness. I can already say I need the paperback of this one for a shelf trophy! There's tons that I want to annotate and I just feel like I need this book, and it needs to be adorned with sticky notes and tabs.

The post-pandemic world was probably my least favorite part of this book - only because I also am an incredibly burned out healthcare worker! So Stellar's struggles and her pain is far too relatable to me (especially how I also was an ER junkie!). She's tense and she's afraid of the pain she feels and just the way that she has to work on healing and recovery is a beautiful story that I really understand. McHuge is a giant of a man and a complete offset for Stellar - he's soft and emotional but his size makes him misunderstood. Together they have a beautiful soft, and tender romance that they both work on and truly want to be better partners for each other.

The ending was incredibly well done and unlike any other ending I've ever read in a romance - the third party review on their relationship is truly one of the sweetest and most romantic things I've ever read. I let out SUCH a huge and content sigh when I finished the last page and just found myself hugging my kindle to my chest.

Thank you so much to both NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review! Can't wait to have this book on my shelf!!

Boy did I try and try again with this book. I loved the blurb but the book was choppy and the characters were cardboard.
I don’t know why they wanted to be together because I have no idea who either is.

3.5 Stars rounded to 4!
I am shocked to see only two books under this author. The writing was fantastic and read as a seasoned romance author. The only reason it was only 3.5 stars for me is purely because the MMC and FMC didn't connect with me in an earth shattering way. HOWEVER, if you connect with queer/pan/mention of poly and a slight role reversal (large zen man, small chick with an undercut) then you really will love this book. Again, writing is wonderful and while it didn't connect with ME specifically, I love that this is a great romance that many others will really connect with and see themselves in.

The Ripple Effect is a spicy second chance outdoorsy romance between an ex-ER physician and a pansexual polyamorous PHD psychologist. Reunited one year after a one nights stand our not so great named MC’s Stellar J Byrd and Lyle “McHuge” McHugh pair up on a venture to provide couples therapy, camping and canoeing while navigating their own tenuous relationship topped off with a fake engagement.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 3⭐️.
This book was at times cute, but also heavy handed. Its characters were occasionally likable, but I would never want to spend time with anyone like them in real life at all.
The spice was limited to one scene so if you are in this book for the spice then give it a pass. It was ok but not something I would recommend, I would not feel compelled to reread this book and feel no desire to read the previous book published by this author. In general this was an average love story.

I loved Rules for Second Chances, but The Ripple Effect just wasn’t for me. There were some beautifully written lines, but overall I couldn’t connect with the characters or the plot. I felt like the first half of the book dragged on and was repetitive. Stellar is rough around the edges, broken, and won’t let anyone get close to her. I found her difficult to empathize with and I wish her getting counseling or therapy would have been part of the story. I did feel the book picked up once the whitewater adventures started, but I still felt like the plot was predictable. I’m sure there are readers who will love Maggie’s writing and this story, but it wasn’t a hit for me.

⭐ 3.75. I liked this story, an adult summer camp type getaway for couples looking to improve their relationships, based on McHuge's psychological studies, while also white water canoeing. We follow the two leaders, Stellar and Lyle "McHuge", but we also get to know the members of their first group, including Stellar's half-sister.

This romance has quite the psychological aspect to it concerning relationships and I found it was a bit hard to wrap my head around all the characters' issues at the start. They all seemed so complex, but eventually I was able to understand them. We took a pretty deep dive into relationships (through McHuge's psych background knowledge) and the two MCs also.

Stellar's parents and her former employers at the hospital messed her up quite a bit, to the point where she's consistently keeping a mental tally of whether the scales are balanced in her relationships, and add in some heavy anxious attachment issues. "You think a lot about give and take." And poor McHuge, a gentle giant, can be seen as scary just because of his large-ness, so he's always needing to be aware of how others perceive him, even if his intentions are pure. "I make a space for them to be as weird as they want to be in a world where it's safer to be ordinary." Bless his heart!

I really appreciated the different kinds of relationships that we saw blossom in this story, be it the platonic one with her bff who just entered a new life chapter, the familial one with Sloane, her half-sister, or the romantic one that develops with McHuge.

I liked Maggie's writing style. She uses really great descripting words to set a scene. "The fingers of wind running through the trees meet the burn of breath whistling into my lungs."

I absolutely loved that singing "I Want it That Way" by the Backstreet Boys was a punishment for the losing team in one of their games. Yes!!

- only one tent
- found family
- gentle giant
- she's a black cat, he's a golden retriever
- he falls first

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

I loved The Ripple Effect! I originally was excited to read it because there was a psychologist as a character. I really enjoyed McHuge's character and thought he was really well rounded. I also liked the main character Stellar when she was having her periods of growth!

I loved this book! I found the story was amazing and I loved the unique characters! I’ve ready Maggie North before and I think this one might be my new favorite!

I would like to thank Net Galley for giving me an ARC to this book.

I enjoyed this book overall. I liked the emotional maturity of the MMC. I enjoyed the FMC’s character development. I loved the fake dating element and also really loved that there was no third act breakup.

The thing I liked less was that I cringed a bit at the MMC’s nickname and at first I thought that the FMC was a bit insufferable.

It was still a very enjoyable read and I would recommend it to the people who like the fake dating trope.

I love female rage, I love when that female rage is loud and outspoken and the love interest encourages, never shies away from it, but instead tries to harness it in a way that promotes self love in the same breath as wholesome love that reciprocates from a partner who loves them all the same!

[3.5 stars rounded up]

This romance takes place in British Columbia, Canada. As a Canadian, I loved that. The MC is a gentle giant, also known as McHuge (his last name is actually McHugh). I thought it was weird that the FMC called him that though. While he was patient, kind, and considerate (basically all the good things), she was frustrating- aggravating, really. She was so fixated on tit for tat for everything, which mostly pushed people away. And her obsession with her size was annoying as hell (she's petite & does not ever want to be cute or perceived as weak). She can never let anyone do anything for her without immediately giving back; otherwise, she feels she owes them something & it weighs on her. The MC was so wonderful in contrast that the FMC seemed that much more flawed. I couldn't wait for her emotional growth to kick in. But she does have redeeming qualities too: she's loyal & fights for what she believes in. She doesn't take crap from anyone. She's a good person to have in your corner.

In short, the beautiful Canadian wilderness paired with the above main characters made for a good story. The side characters also contributed greatly to what kept me interested. They were all so rich in character; they could stand on their own.

Maggie North does complex, “difficult” FMCs like no other. I loved Stellar. A burnt out healthcare worker? Felt, girl. Felt. She’s trying to find herself again after crashing out as an ER physician and I adored her in all her complicated, big feels that she doesn’t know quite what to do with. The slow burn was fantastic and made so much sense for these characters!