This was a good read! I really enjoyed the plot and the characters. The story was well written and engaging. I would definitely recommend!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Kejana Ayala from St. Martin's Publishing Group, and Maggie North for the early access copy of The Ripple Effect.

The Ripple Effect tells the story of Stellar, who was an ER doctor, but after burnout and bureaucracy she found herself out of work. Needing financial security, Stellar agrees to be the camp physician at The Love Boat. Stellar believes in you give what you get and is often seen as closed-off. In comes Lyle "McHuge" McHugh, the golden retriever creator of The Love Boat, and the polar opposite of Stellar. McHuge is generous, kind, and trusting. He is also the last person Stellar wants to see after a disastrous hookup the year before. When a fake engagement situation is the only way to save The Love Boat from potential closure, the two need to figure out how to work together. But, what happens when real feelings blur lines?

The Ripple Effect is a fake dating, one tent, grumpy sunshine romance. There is queer representation and mild spice. Please note, there is a scene with a pet in danger.

Another absolute delight from Maggie North! I fell in love with her debut book and this was another solid adventure in relationships! Stellar, an under-employed burned out ER doctor is recovering from a hostile work environment that crept up on her. Lyle (McHuge from Maggie's first book!), a psychologist and relationship guru, is trying to launch his Love Boat relationship therapy whitewater canoe camp. These two have history and it was a joy to watch them navigate their work together as feelings start to grow as well. One person trusts no one and nothing, and the other wants to offer the world to as many people as possible. Fascinating! I adore a golden retriever/black cat dynamic and these two were so well-drawn and complex it was a treat to read. I'm here for whatever subgenre of contemporary romance this is, and I'm eager to read more from this author.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for a copy of this ARC.

Maggie North has the incredible ability to write such descriptive and in depth characters. This book is the second in an interconnected standalone series where we meet Stellar and Lyle "Mchuge." Lyle is a pyschologist who believes in free love and helped Stellar's best friend save her marriage in the first book. Stellar is an ER doctor who quit her job at the hospital a year ago. She has been stuck and is having difficulty figuring out what is next. They end up working together at a relationship camp and many adventures ensue. This book features the grumpy sunshine trop with Lyle giving big golden retriever energy and Stellar while she has grumpy moments is giving more burnt out energy. Lyle is an absolute gem of a book boyfriend and even at times I felt was too emotionally mature like unrealistically so. This book is a fun journey while also giving the reader a beautiful and healing romantic relationship.

This book got off to a very slow start, which made it hard to stay invested in the story. I liked the idea and thought the end was sweet, but the romance felt a bit rushed given the slow beginning. I thought the Love Boat was a cute concept. Overall, this was a fine read, and I think people who like stories involving the wilderness and healing journeys would like it. I just didn’t connect with the characters, so it fell a little flat for me.

This book is a delightful blend of grumpy/sunshine dynamics that had me laughing out loud while also rooting for a romance that feels both inevitable and refreshingly real. I loved how their fake engagement starts as a simple business arrangement but quickly evolves into something deeper, forcing them both to confront their past mistakes and embrace their true feelings. The setting in the wilderness adds a beautiful backdrop to their journey, making me feel like I was right there with them, navigating whitewater rapids and the ups and downs of love. Maggie North’s writing sparkles with wit and warmth, making this a must-read for anyone who enjoys stories about love, growth, and the messiness of relationships.

Fake Dating, Forest Shenanigans, & All the Feels! 🌲💍

What do you get when you throw a grumpy, burnt-out ER doctor and a sunshiny psychologist into a fake engagement at a relationship therapy camp? Pure romantic comedy gold! The Ripple Effect is everything you want in a rom-com: witty banter, forced proximity, and a wilderness setting that’s as healing as it is hilarious.

✨ Meet Stellar & McHuge: Dr. Stellar J Byrd is brilliant but so over it—until she finds herself reluctantly fake-engaged to Lyle "McHuge" McHugh, the human ray of sunshine who also happens to be her boss and the guy she had a very regrettable hookup with last year. Stellar wants out of camp life yesterday, but Lyle’s got her staying for “business” reasons (cue all the swoony tension). And oh, the slow burn between these two? Next. Level.

🤣 Maggie North nails the grump-sunshine dynamic with a touch of sarcasm, laugh-out-loud moments, and the most awkward camp activities—because the last thing a serious doctor needs is a therapy camp filled with sing-alongs and trust falls.

💖 As they struggle to save The Love Boat from a PR disaster, Stellar’s hard edges and McHuge’s big heart start to make the perfect match. Each page brings them closer, and you’re just there dying for them to realize it, too. Their chemistry is that perfect mix of opposites attracting and healing together.

For those who love fake dating, the wilderness, and watching two people rebuild their lives (and fall in love in the process), The Ripple Effect is a must-read!

THE RIPPLE EFFECT is a great romance that somehow makes therapy and psychology talk sexy. The paths of grumpy, closed-off doctor Stellar and the forever-giving, always positive psychologist Lyle cross again after an unforgettable one-night stand a year ago, in which Stellar ghosted Lyle for she didn't not want to open herself up to starting a relationship. After a breakup, seeing her parents' relationships, and all the loss she's already experienced including her beloved career, she will not set her up to lose a relationship or job she loves anymore. With her financial situation in doom, she might even have to leave her beloved town and her best friend Liz. Until she agrees to be the on-site doctor to help Lyle with his relationship therapy retreat program, The Love Boat. As desperate as she is, she can't afford to say no, no matter how much her body wants to run the other way whenever she sees Lyle. But to save Lyle's reputation and prove his credentials to in order to make his therapy programs successful (which will also keep Stellar employed), Stellar proposes the idea of a fake engagement to Lyle. Can they pull it off when so much is depending on it even though they struggle to have a conversation without it getting awkward?

Lyle on the other hand is a bigger, stronger guy that makes it very easy for people to fear him (especially due to his past), so he's very conscious about never letting himself feel any anger for fear of his own strength and Stellar is afraid to feel anything but her anger which protects her. By not forgiving people, it keeps herself distant from people ever hurting her further. I found Stellar's character to be very relatable in how she denies herself nice things and prevents herself from opening up to what life can offer her. What I love most about Stellar and Lyle's relationship is how they have so much they have to learn from each other... Lyle allowing himself to feel into his anger and Stellar allowing herself to look into the positive of things.

4.5 stars rounded to 5.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Great characters and a rich plot keep this romcom moving and gets you into the thick of things from the getgo. Some important subplots on gender discrimination, academia abuse of power and huge ego, even a touch on neurodiversity and early dementia. All woven into a story of finding yourself, learning to trust, and doing the right thing. A fun and engaging read, more than the usual romcom.

I thought I loved Liz and Tobin. I was wrong..... after reading Maggie North's sophmore novel The Ripple Effect, I realized I just had a very strong and lasting crush on them. I LOVE McHuge and Stellar. I could probably swoon forever but I was hooked from the first chapter and with this amazing follow-up to Rules for Second Changes Maggie has solidified herself as one of my all-time favorite writers.

Stellar is a burnt-out fight for what's right former ER doc who has been making ends meet with gig work for the last year. Having always relied on herself, she's the type of person who finds it hard to open up to others, needs to fix her problems and finds ways to make sure she's useful in
other people's lives to earn a spot in their friendship. McHuge is a larger-than-life, gentle earth-mother type of giant whose kumbaya attitude gets under Stellars skin. After a disastrously fantastic hookup the prior year Stellar has been avoiding McHuge as much as possible. But when her best friend goes into labor and begs her to fill the open rescue paddler/field doctor spot in their new white water canoeing business venture she can't say no to the only family she thinks she has.

Stars: 5/5
Steam: 1/5

What to expect: opposites attract, fake engagement, only one tent, a gentle ginger giant, grumpy x sunshine, with lots of water metaphors.

Rep: bi, pan, poly reps (note the book is a MF romance but past queer relationships are discussed).

TW/CW: there's a dog, she's put in danger, she ends up being perfectly fine. corporate espionage, parental abandonment (physical and emotional), estranged family.

Also, can we take a moment to talk about the amazing Chapter 27 that would be the perfect epilogue, if it were an epilogue but it isn't one?! I have yet to confirm this but there seems to be a chance that Maggie North and I feel similarly about the staple epilogue that is at the end of every romance book. Like can we just call it the last chapter already? We can... she did and it's perfection. I now want to leave my life and head out into a tent life in the wilderness helping facilitate Love Boat retreats with Stellar and McHuge (he's poly... I'm sure she can be flexible... we'd make for an awesome thrupple. <wink>).

Thank you to Maggie North, Netgalley and SMP for an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

PS: Instagram post will go up about 2 weeks before pub date.

3.5 stars - maybe 4

I really enjoyed Maggie North's previous book, Rules for Second Chances, so I jumped on the chance to read this one. Unfortunately, I found it harder to get into As much as I love McHuge, some of his hippie dippie speak can be hard to follow. Also, as a certified couch potato, the descriptions of the outdoor activities went over my head. Nonetheless, by the end I was rooting for a happy ending, and might have even teared up a time or two. I'll happily read more by Maggie North. I like how diverse her cast of characters can be - ethnically, neurodivergent, sexual preferences, etc.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

The Ripple Effect is a follow up to the debut book Rules for Second Chances from Maggie North. Ripple Effect follows Stellar J, a grumpy burnt out physician who is a bit of a hot mess when it comes to any relationship (romantic or platonic). Lyle Mchugh (McHuge) is a gentle giant hippie dippy PhD in psyc who wrote the second chances playbook and is kicking off a whitewater relationship camp. Stellar agrees to work as the camp doc even though her and Lyle had a one night fling. The story is pretty interesting following the camp kicking off and all the characters and trials. There was a lot going on, especially following Stellar’s thoughts and feelings and grumpiness. I wish we got more of Lyle’s perspective as the story felt a little too one-sided. Given that this is an ARC, I think it will be better after a little clean up. As is, 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Stellar is a former ER doctor, suffering from burn-out and still unable to manage her own life. Struggling with finances, she takes a job as a doctor at The Love Boat, a company seeking to combine mental health and whitewater canoeing. While this is not her "scene", she needs the job. The founder of this idea is Lyle, who is not only a psychologist, but a failed hookup of Stellar's from the year prior. Stellar is more grumpy, while Lyle looks at the bright side of things. Stellar cannot avoid him, however, and winds up pretending to be engaged to him in order to save his business and it's image. Now forced into close proximity, Stellar eventually sees Lyle in a new light.

This is a slower paced romance, and while I could have used a bit more here, it was still a good romance. I did really enjoy the overall storyline, and absolutely loved the camp idea and setting. It allowed for secondary characters to have a strong role, and provided a good opportunity for the journalist storyline to blend seamlessly.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book and the outdoorsy elements! This was such a fun romance and I loved seeing the growth and character development on our main characters!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love the grumpy/sunshine trope, and this one delivered! I really liked the premise of white water canoeing, as that's not often used in books. Fun read!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!!

The Ripple Effect by M. North, published by St. Martin's Press is a contemporary, adult fiction romance. A great read.
A slow burn that sometimes I wanted to speed up. All in all, I enjoyed treading this book, 4 beautiful stars.
Blurb: Burned-out former ER doc Stellar J Byrd can solve any crisis except her own life. But with her financial prospects dwindling, she’d do anything to stay in her beloved, pricey wilderness town—even take a job as a camp physician at The Love Boat, an unspeakably touchy-feely relationship therapy startup. If there are sing-alongs, she’s calling in sick.
What’s worse? Her boss is Lyle “McHuge” McHugh, the sunshiny psychologist she’s masterfully avoided since their disastrous hookup last year. Hardheaded relationship scorekeeper Stellar plans to dodge his pathological generosity from now until September, but after a scathing article puts McHuge's romantic credibility into question, a fake engagement is the only way to salvage the camp’s crumbling public image.
It’s strictly business . . . but the more closely they work together, the more Stellar realizes her feelings for McHuge are anything but professional. With competitors hard on their heels and trade secrets at stake, they must find a way to marry his softness with her steel to build a business–and a love–that will last past summer’s end .

Maggie ’s writing is captivating. This book was emotional and beautiful. There were so many sweet moments, the longing was just amazing. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it!

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review coming soon!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Opinions are mine.