Last night *was* fun because I spent a good portion of it reading the first half of this book. Finishing it up tonight with a baseball game on in the background felt right. I loved this. I’m such a fan of Holly Michelle (Holly James) and each book she puts out becomes my new favorite of hers. This one is a sports-adjacent romance set in the world of my favorite sport: baseball. Add in some “You’ve Got Mail” vibes and I’m so beyond sold.

Emmy is my kind of girl. Working in a male-dominated field but routinely crushing it. She is smart and doesn’t sell herself short. She knows she’s just as good of a statistician as the men she works with, if not even better most of the time. She’s proud of her work and the dedication she’s put in to get where she is. She’s also not afraid to aim even higher. If that means facing off against the department golden boy, Gabe, for a promotion, so be it.

The dynamic between Emmy and Gabe sparks from the first time he is even a thought in Emmy’s mind. Even more so when they interact on page. The book is single POV, so we don’t have access to Gabe’s thoughts and feelings but he’s pretty easy to read. He’s cocky but he enjoys challenging Emmy because he admires and respects her skill. It’s the communicating part that is a struggle. Enter a mysterious wrong number text and the two nemeses have a chance to truly get to know each other without their preconceived office opinions.

There’s so much more to go into here with the forced proximity, fake dating, only one bed delight that is Emmy’s sister’s destination wedding, but this review is already so long. The whole weekend reinforces the chemistry between Emmy and Gabe while also giving them a chance to let their emotional guards down. Things get complicated when they have to return to their real world and they definitely commit some errors, but it’s a walk-off win in the end. (I had to get some baseball terms in before I finished.)

Big thank you to Avon for the print galley and the eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Look, was this book new and refreshing? No. Was it delightful nonetheless? Hell yes.

I’m such a sucker for a You’ve Got Mail-style romance, and Last Night Was Fun totally delivered.

It’s packed with romance book tropes—rival coworkers up for the same promotion, fake dating, one bed—but still felt fresh. The baseball setting added depth, blending Gabe’s past as an ex-player with Emmy’s struggle to be taken seriously as a stats analyst. My one gripe? Gabe played a big role in the misogyny Emmy faced at work, and while he does redeem himself, it didn’t all have to come from him. Not cool, dude.

I looooved the texting, and the banter, and the spice was excellent. I definitely recommend this one. A great summer read.

I loved this rom-com so much! The description that it is perfect for fans of You've Got Mail and The Hating Game is spot-on. Last Night Was Fun is such a cute, fast read that I'm tempted to start it over again even though I just finished it a few days ago. It definitely helped bring me out of the reading slump I've been in all month.

Last Night Was Fun by Holly Michelle was so cute! Enemies to lovers, workplace rivalry, mistaken identity, it’s all there. I started this book not knowing what to expect but I must say it was so fun! I finished this in less than 24 hours. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC

📚 BookTok Review: Last Night Was Fun by Holly Michelle ​

Calling all romance lovers! If you're a fan of enemies-to-lovers, workplace rivalry, and mistaken identity tropes, Last Night Was Fun is your next must-read. Set against the backdrop of professional baseball, this novel delivers witty banter, sizzling chemistry, and heartfelt moments that will keep you hooked from start to finish.​

Plot Overview:
Meet Emmy Jameson, the only female data analyst for a professional baseball team, constantly striving to prove herself in a male-dominated field. Her biggest competition? The infuriatingly charming Gabe Olson, a former college baseball star and her rival for a coveted senior analyst promotion. Emmy's life takes an unexpected turn when a misdirected text leads to a flirtatious exchange with a mystery man—who, unbeknownst to her, is actually Gabe. As their anonymous connection deepens, so does their real-life rivalry, culminating in a destination wedding where they're forced to confront their true feelings.​

What to Expect:
-Tropes Galore: This book masterfully combines beloved romance tropes like enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, only one bed, and he falls first, creating a narrative that's both familiar and fresh. ​
-Engaging Characters: Emmy and Gabe's dynamic is electric. Their competitive banter and undeniable chemistry make their journey from rivals to lovers incredibly satisfying.
-Authentic Representation: The novel delves into the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated industry, offering a realistic portrayal of Emmy's struggles and triumphs.

Final Thoughts:
Last Night Was Fun is a delightful blend of humor, romance, and self-discovery. Whether you're a baseball enthusiast or just love a well-crafted romance, this book is sure to hit a home run!

Release Date: June 10, 2025​
#LastNightWasFun #HollyMichelle #EnemiesToLovers #WorkplaceRomance #BookTokRecs #RomanceReads

My husband works in the front office for an MLB team so I had to read this book as soon as I saw the blurb. I was really excited about “Last Night Was Fun” but I wasn’t able to connect with the characters or the storyline from the start. There were multiple instances when Emmy was texting that it sounded glaringly like my 76-year-old mother instead. At the same time, some of her thoughts sounded like a teenager who had zero experience with dating. She was brilliant and sacrificed for years for the job yet took off FIVE DAYS at the trade deadline and didn’t work remotely once?! It didn’t feel like she could possibly be a real person.
I also felt like nothing happened between Emmy and Gabe to create a bridge between the frenemies dynamic and jumping into bed. Their connection felt forced, and their decision to pursue that connection seemed like it was based on nothing. I did appreciate the grand gesture at the end of the book. I was pleased with the woman in baseball aspect but the romance let me down.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

Very cute story! I loved the chemistry between the main characters. Perfect amount of spice! It was a nice, easy read. I definitely will recommend this to my friends!

I just...am speechless. I don't read romance with my eyes! But this one I did and it was PERFECT. Likeable characters. It was a unique premise. I started reading it when I was in Cancun and they were in Cancun and I finished reading it on MLB Opening Day. Everything I love!

This book just made me HAPPY. My jaw dropped, I smiled, I laughed. I can't even be coherent. This was amazing.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books for this masterpiece

As someone who works in professional baseball, I was so excited to get an e-arc of this book! Two inter-office rivals gunning for a promotion in analytics with a you got mail twist sounded right up my alley, but I’m afraid this book didn’t live up to my expectations. I have a few thoughts so I’m going to try to break things down to characters and what I liked and disliked.
Characters:
First we have Emmy who works in professional baseball to feel close to her deceased brother. She’s extremely jaded and emotionally wounded from her ex making her choose between him and her job. I love her representation of her experiences of being a woman in a man’s world. She gets talked over a lot, especially from our MMC, and feels excluded from her peers. I did feel for her in these aspects as a woman who works in baseball, but I also want to point out that she erected her own barriers between herself and everyone around her due to her ex, which I think is a bit of a dramatic stretch (but who am I to say that it is, never have experienced that myself). It was good to see her figure that out in the end and have some self awareness personal growth! It was a beautiful journey to see her open up to love, grief and moving on, and accepting that she deserves good things. But other than these things, all we know about her is that she likes spicy food and reality tv. I didn’t feel there was a lot of personal depth to her outside of her brother and her career.
Our MMC is Gabe Olsen, Emmy’s coworker and enemy who Emmy connects with via wrong phone number. An ex baseball player himself, he was nice enough until he talked over Emmy in an office meeting. He had just of much of a hand in excluding her in the office as her fellow co-workers but later confessed to her that he’s liked her the whole time. If you like her, why not treat her nicer in the office? He plays it off as tension and liking being challenged but I didn’t think that was much redeemed there. Other than him being a baseball player, the reader doesn’t get a lot of personal depth to him either. He was nice and that’s about it. He fell flat to me as a character.
The big issue that I have is do I believe these characters were actually in love? No. I think they were very sexually attracted to each other and thought that was love. Do I believe they really fell in love over texting about bird puns and band names? No to possibly? Despite screwing each other’s brains out, I felt no chemistry or true connection.
Then…there’s the third act breakup with our favorite miscommunication trope!!!
Emmy finds herself in a pickle when HR doesn’t approve and she has to choose between Gabe or her job. She overhears a snippet of conversation and thinks Gabe stole her job and lashes out at him after knowing he had a dream of switching careers and he would never pull that stunt on her, but she obviously forgets and treats him like crap when he tries to clearly communicate that wasn’t the case. YOU ARE 30 PLEASE COMMUNICATE!!!! But the grand gesture she did for him was fun.
I did like some parts where the obviousness of texting each other was right in front of their faces and how happy they both were to connect with someone. It made it fun as the reader to be in on the secret and not the characters and watch them figure it out. I did also love how Emmy’s boss was also a woman, and always be in Emmy’s corner and open up doors for her to advance in her career.
I really wanted to love this book more than I did :/
2.5/5

This might be one of my favorite books I’ve read from Netgalley ! I loved Emmy and Gabe’s story I will say some of it did remind me of the hating game but not to much 10/10 recommend !

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I adored this sweet romance. The author wrote single POV and slow burn so perfectly in this workplace romance. The characters are lovable and endearing. It was a fluffy book without being overly cheesy. I definitely recommend for romance lovers.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4

This was a fun, quintessential beach read. This is one for the girlies with a fantasy baseball team and who are excited that spring training is here.

What you can expect:
-Baseball, but the moneyball kind
-Enemies to lovers
-He falls first
-Workplace romance
-Witty banter
-Hidden identities
-2/5 spice
-TW: addiction and death (off page)

So many tropes I absolutely love, and they’re pulled off fantastically in Last Night Was Fun.

I loved the text banter between Emmy and Axe Murderer/Gabe, and when their flirtation moved to in-person I found myself missing some of that spark. But the wittiness between two very smart, sharp, talented characters made for a great read.

This would have been a four star for me but the open door scenes left something to be desired for me. This may be personal preference above everything else but they were like…door slightly ajar scenes so they didn’t deliver in an impactful way and I found them to be a little yada-yada-yada by the end. They’re important for the character development and plot so I definitely wouldn’t consider them gratuitous but I found that they leaned heavily on cliches without delivering in a satisfying way.

Despite that. I had a lot of fun reading this book. It was a quick and easy read that touches on sexism in male dominated spaces, grief, and how we communicate with the people we love in the wake of loss.

This book gave me very strong The Hating Game vibes! Emmy and Gabe were so fun to watch their relationship grow and friendship as well. I loved the banter and just general vibe of the plot!

This book was a absolutely a 5 star read for me. While the story may seem too good to be true and leave the reader thinking "this would never happen"... I ate that up! From the first chapter I was captured by the fast-paced ease of this story and was hooked by the idea of being wrong-numbered leading to this unexpected connection. I am always more likely to love a book when their is strong character development and this book hit that mark as well! I was truly rooting for the main characters, both individually and for their Happily Ever After. This book is marketed for fans of You've Got Mail and The Hating Game, which I agree with as a lover of both!
Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the early copy of this book!

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. This book was funny and very entertaining. This was a whole wrong number exchange gone wrong. Emmy doesn't realize the one she's flirting through text is the one she fighting over a promotion with, Gabe. I loved the banter in this one.

I absolutely loved this book, I am a huge fan of enemies to lovers and forced proximity.

The writing is good the characters are fun and well hashed out with solid character development and backgrounds .

I cannot recommend this book enough I highly recommend picking up a copy and giving it a read .

Thank you NetGalley Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for the arc

This was an adorable office rivals-to-lovers rom com in the vein of You’ve Got Mail.

Although the plot was predictable and there were many well worn tropes, it kept me up all night. Mostly because the rivals didn’t become lovers until 2 AM 😂

I absolutely loved the text banter between Bird Girl and Axe Murderer and I just about died when Gabe threw out the Pretty Woman line at Emmy’s ex. I ate up the kiss in the rain and the big win him back gesture at the end. Sometimes those well worn elements just hit.

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a light hearted rom com.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC!

This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review may contain spoilers

This was a 4.25 -star read for me.

I seriously LOVED this book so much! I could not put it down! Emmy and Gabe had such great banter and chemistry, and I enjoyed both sides of their relationships that were happening simultaneously.

Can we talk about all my favorite tropes...work rivals, forced proximity, one bed, he falls first?! Yes please! Gabe was absolutely amazing as a MMC and I just loved the patience and care and love that he had for Emmy. We love a hot misunderstood jock/nerd with a big heart!

I enjoyed that we got some depth with the storyline. Both Emmy and Gabe were data analysts for a pro baseball team, however, Emmy was dealing with the misogyny of being one of the few women working at a male-dominated job. It was great to see both the MMC and the FMC struggle with their insecurities and grow throughout the book. Emmy was such a smart hard working badass and I loved that she did not back down. I was entertained by the levity of the drama Emmy's sister's wedding brought to the story. But really my favorite part of the whole book was Gabe and the way he cared for Emmy while he waited for her to realize she had feelings for him, it was just so swoon-worthy!

There were some open-door romance scenes in this book, but in my opinion, they really added to the plot and were not overdone at all.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a book with The Hating Game vibes. I was kicking my feet and giggling through this whole book, seriously please just read this! I'm excited to read everything I can by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. #LastNightWasFun #NetGalley

OH, I loved this book, I was a little hesitant at the beginning because it seemed very, very similar to The Hating Game (even the spanx scene IYKYK) but it was different enough in total that I can forgive the similarities. And let’s be honest, we all freaking loved The Hating Game.

It all starts with a mistaken text, “Last night was fun” for Emmy Jameson to start to feel a spark of something with a complete stranger. The interactions between them become the bright spot in the midst of her workplace issues with her nemesis, Gabe, who she just happens to be competing with for a promotion. This has to be the coolest workplace I’ve read in a book — Gabe and Emmy are baseball analysts and literally work in a baseball stadium. When it turns out that Gabe is the secret stranger she’s become enamored with, we are left to join them as they figure out whether sparks will fly or their “relationship” will go up in flames.

The chemistry was perfect in this book. I loved both characters so much. Five stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was simply a good time all around. Workplace rivals to lovers always hits. While not exactly a sports romance, it’s definitely sports adjacent. Was this kinda predictable? Yes. Did I still have a great time? Yes! I devoured this book in 2 sittings, which isn’t very common for me.

Definitely worth a read!