Deeply Personal by Suzanne Collier is a delightful rom-com. Jessica Chandler, a 32-year-old interior designer, faints at a Turkey Trot and is rescued by Paul Brady, a charming personal trainer.

Jessica, who has neglected her health due to work, is drawn to Paul. As they exchange skills—Jessica helps Paul with design, and Paul helps Jessica with her health—they grow closer.

Their fun banter and fake date to impress a client blur the lines between professional and personal, leading to unexpected love.

Overall, it's a charming, uplifting read about personal growth and love. Perfect for a light, feel-good romance!

Deeply Personal is a fake dating story, with both main characters being likeable enough.
The story did move quite fast in parts, the chemistry didn't always feel like it was fully fleshed out, then suddenly you realised something had happened to move the relationship forward.

The family storyline felt oddly forced, particularly in the final chapter. The two characters seem to have a different relationship to the one I read.

I did finish so would rate a 3.5 if I could, however not something I would reach for again. I see potential in Suzanne Collier reads as well so would be willing to read more from her if it came up.

I really tried to love this one but I unfortunately had to DNF it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

Y'all. This was not great, lol! It reminded me of a Tessa Bailey book. No real plot. Characters were blah. The romance part of this story fell flat for me. 2 stars. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review. I was originally drawn to this book based on the cover as it looks like a cute romance focusing on fitness and healthy lifestyles. There is a slow burn between Jessica and Paul, but it was kind of boring and underwhelming. Paul is a personal trainer and Jessica has some health issues and have a meet-cute when Paul rescues Jessica mid race at the Turkey Trot. I was kind of expecting Paul to be her personal trainer and focus on that aspect, but that was not the case.

The synapsis of the book and what the book actually was about were two different things. It was in no way a comedy. There was never a swap of skill sets between Paul and Jessica, he hired her for his reno and he didn't train her as a personal trainer. It was kind of hard to like Jessica because she was very negative about everything. Overall, I'd say it's 3 stars. It had a happy ending but not sure I'd recommend it.

DEEPLY PERSONAL by Suzanne Collier is a contemporary rom-com that leans heavily into feel-good tropes, with a slow-burn romance that’s as much about personal growth as it is about swoon-worthy chemistry. While the story delivers lighthearted charm and laugh-out-loud moments, it also grapples with deeper themes of health, vulnerability, and fear of commitment. However, some of the execution feels uneven, leaving the characters’ journeys somewhat underwhelming despite their promising arcs.

Jessica Chandler is a likable but flawed protagonist—a perfectionist who’s built her interior design career at the expense of her health and personal happiness. Her collapse at the Turkey Trot is an amusing meet-cute (albeit with serious undertones), and her rescue by the dashing Paul Brady sets the tone for a sweet, if predictable, romance. Jessica’s struggle with heart issues serves as both a physical and emotional metaphor for her need to slow down and embrace life beyond her work, a relatable dilemma for many readers.

Paul Brady, the "knight in running shoes," is an intriguing mix of swoon-worthy and endearing. His commitment issues don’t stem from arrogance or a tragic backstory, but rather a fear of permanence and getting it "wrong." His clutter-free, man-cave existence contrasts perfectly with Jessica’s desire to create beauty and order. Their barter of expertise—Jessica revamping Paul’s condo in exchange for his help in rebuilding her lifestyle—creates some fun and flirty moments as their friendship evolves into something more.

The skill-swap dynamic leads to plenty of witty banter, awkward mishaps, and romantic tension. However, the “fake date” subplot, while charming in its premise, feels like a late addition meant to artificially accelerate their romance. Their emotional hesitations and internal monologues around commitment feel drawn out at times, which makes the pacing drag slightly in the middle. Additionally, while the novel is pitched as laugh-out-loud funny, some of the humor feels more situational and subdued rather than consistently sharp or fresh.

The supporting cast adds texture but doesn’t stand out as memorably as it could. Jessica’s friends and Paul’s gym clients serve their narrative purposes but feel somewhat interchangeable. A stronger focus on their backgrounds and motivations could have enriched the story, especially in a small-town setting brimming with potential for quirky side characters.

Where DEEPLY PERSONAL shines is in its exploration of how our professional identities can bleed into our personal lives, sometimes leaving us unsure how to live outside of our work. Both Jessica and Paul are "projects" in their own right—works in progress who slowly realize they can’t control everything and that sometimes, imperfection is where happiness lives.

The novel’s ending is satisfying, albeit predictable, with a heartwarming message about balance, self-care, and finding someone who makes you feel seen. There’s no dramatic blow-up or overly contrived obstacle; instead, the characters’ growth feels natural, though perhaps more subdued than the rom-com marketing suggests.

For readers who love soft, slow-burn romances with relatable protagonists navigating life’s curveballs, DEEPLY PERSONAL will be a cozy and enjoyable read. It might not reinvent the genre, but it offers enough warmth and charm to leave readers rooting for love, healing, and beautifully redecorated condos.

This book is a quick read romance novel. I breezed through this and generally enjoyed the meeting and general premise behind how the characters come together to begin their relationship. Overall though, after finishing and thinking about the book, I found that I felt this book missed the mark in terms of concept development and missed some opportunities for a stronger story with stronger characters. Ultimately, these missed opportunities led to a book that was just ok, if not a bit unsatisfying to me and would keep this book from being a top contender as a "must read" romance. If you are just looking for a quick read and won't be too bothered with gaps in the execution of the story, this will be a great read for you!

Deeply Personal by Suzanne Collier was a really sweet dual POV, contemporary romance that will get you in your warm and fuzzies!

3.5☆

Jessica Chandler, an interior designer, is focused on rebuilding her career after a tough breakup. Enter Paul Brady, a personal trainer with a guarded heart and a deep love for his family.

When Jessica collapses at a Turkey Trot walk (thank you for enlightening this Brit about Turkey Trots!), our hero Paul rushes to help. Later that day, after a chance meeting, they exchange phone numbers which sets everything in motion. They decide to exchange their professional skills too!

Professional proximity quickly turns into something more. A series of fake dates starts as a clever business move but turns into a heartfelt journey as they realize they’re both ready to take risks again—especially with each other.

I really liked this story, it felt light and gentle. I much prefer MC's in their 30's, their established careers make sense and really boosted the authenticity!
My only critique would be that I would have loved more depth to their romance, and a couple of personal training sessions could have really deepened their intimacy.

Overall, Deeply Personal is a lighthearted and uplifting read that left me smiling, but not squealing and kicking my feet, hence the 3.5☆

Thanks to NetGalley, Splitrail Publishing, and Suzanne Collier for eARC of this delightful story, in exchange for my honest review!

Fun and very light story about beautiful people falling in love, more about people flirting and talking and hanging out than much of any action, which makes for a relaxing and easy read. Good book to read when you aren't in the mood for anything dramatic or stressful. Fun read.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I think this book could best be described as amateur. It sounds awful but I think it needs to be polished.

A great fast-paced rom-com. The little fake dating that the characters had to do had me giggling and kicking my feet. Their relationship was so pure and they were so made for each other.
Paul was so thoughtful and caring in regards to everyone close to him. He felt emotions so deeply. Jessica’s struggle in her career life gave her a really good character arc. Her internal struggles about wanting to just be successful in the interior design world but also being slightly burned out just were so realistically written. Paul and Jessica had such good banter. They back and forth had me cracking up.

Oof, was hoping for something like Amy Lea-esque with body positivity and a loving MMC who sees the FMC as beautiful no matter what her body looks like... but definitely didn't find that here. Both main characters deal with their own issues separately, some of which are undercover so to speak. I also think the story could have gone with the self worth and self improvement, but this story just skimmed that on top and was just superficial overall. I also really disliked the romance scenes... they just didn't feel romantic to me, moreso forced or just like the characters were there but not involved. I was disappointed with this story overall, especially with how it was written sadly. THanks for the opportunity to read otherwise.

I left this romance, I love both characters personal growth. I loved the epilogue at the end, just overall it was a really wonderful romance. Five stars!

A great read, the story of Jessica and Paul. They are not looking to meet anyone, but will they give each other a chance anyway? I liked how it was told from both points of view. Would love there to be a book for Tony next.

It isn’t often that you read a book without a full blown 3rd act breakup and it actually be good! Paul and Jessica were characters I felt I could relate too. They had struggles that they learned to overcome and work around. And the way Suzanne brought us full circle with the epilogue? Are you kidding me?! Loved it!! Now while the romance wasn’t really the driving force in this book, I still loved the growth that these characters showed and the way they came together at the end.

This was such a beautifully written, fun read! I laughed so hard, while also experiencing many heartfelt moments. I really wanted to root for Jessica and her relationship with Paul. The characters were relatable and well-defined, it had a great balance of romance and comedy, and it tackles modern issues along with themes of health, personal growth and vulnerability. Would definitely recommend and would read more from this author.

Okay, this book had me at Turkey Trot disaster! Jessica literally faceplants into the cutest meet-cute ever when she passes out mid-race and gets rescued by Paul, the sweet and charming personal trainer. From there, it’s a slow-burn delight filled with fake dating shenanigans, emotional growth, and plenty of swoon-worthy moments.

Jessica’s journey to open herself up to love again while navigating her new heart condition and running her business was so heartfelt. And Paul? Not only is he building his personal training business, but he’s also trying to set boundaries and convince his adorable grandparents to move into assisted living. The dual perspective really let us see their struggles and growth on both sides.

Now, while I loved the tension-filled build-up and fake dating trope, I do wish we got more of Jessica and Paul as a couple once the sparks really flew. That said, the ending was beyond adorable and left me with the biggest grin.

Thank you to Splitrail Publishing and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for my honest review!

I don't know how to feel towards this book, it was good at some moments but it was very underwhelming and some times things were happening way too fast in it. I also don't know how to feel towards the characters, they were good but i didn't particularely liked them or felt any attachment toward them.