This book was everything. The way she barged into his office was everything! Bear is everything you want in a main character. She loves hard and is unapologetic. She will stand toe to toe with anyone to protect her friends. Nate had to know he was in for the most from day one. They were simply perfect for each other.

How Freaking Romantic turns the classic enemies to lovers trope on its head by pitting third year NYU law student Bea against Nathan Asher, divorce attorney. Well, Bea’s best friend’s husband’s divorce attorney. This isn’t grumpy x sunshine. HFR is grumpy x grumpy—and we are all here for it.

Both the MMC and FMC are terminally lonely and begin the sweetest of unlikely friendships. This one has great chemistry, banter and chronicles the changing nature of found family in your twenties.

I have adored all of Emily Harding’s novels! This one didn’t disappoint. How Freaking Romantic debuts July 1, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced copy.

I absolutely devoured this book in a single sitting!
This book was perfectly FREAKING romantic!
What I loved...
- flawed and relatable MCs
- TENSION A+++++++++++++
- no really - this author should teach a class on writing tension!
- slow-burn
- FMC that is extra relatable for the girlies who've been told they are "too much"
- forbidden pairing - he's the divorce lawyer for her best friends ex-husband!
- side characters that were well developed but didn't steal the show
- trauma - I love my romance with a side of trauma and we get just the right amount in this one!
- Will have you itching to get on a plane to NYC

I feel like this book was so undersold by its title and cover! It totally snuck up on me. With the premise and the firet few chapters, I thought i was in for a Camila Isley "If the Ring Fits" type of book (which i liked btw) and I was dead wrong. This novel had so much more substance. It was really about how we can grow into our adult selves if we can let go of the past even when clinging to the past seems like a life preserver.

Bea and Nathan were both layered characters with obvious flaws. She plays all her emotions up front and out loud, while he keeps his locked tight (are all my favorite book boyfriends stoic modern updates of Mr. Darcy? Hmmm). They both fight passionately for what they want.

Loved:
She has curly hair!
Redefining romance- it's not doting or buying things, its making life easier for people in small ways.
The substance abuse storyline hit hard.
Women looking out for each other
All the supporting characters
That weekend!

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Emily Henry (esp Book People). I look forward to Harding's next book! 4.25 stars Thanks to Net Galley and Gallery Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

I wanted to like this book. I found the FMC exhausting. I get it- she’s angry. She has a lot of baggage and trauma in her life, valid. However, being a ‘love story’ the way she treats the MMC, I don’t see how he is interested in her. It was hard to read quite honestly. I felt like a small bit of plot with a lot of just arguing on loop.

Not going to lie the premise for this one shouldn't have been a rom com. If your friends are going through a divorce if they are both your friends you stay out of. You don't interfere you don't give the lawyer a piece of your mind and you also don't fall for him. I can't help help it I prefer my rom com's to be a little bit more on the realistic side. As this isn't something that should happen in real life.

This was so freaking cute!

I adored Bea. She's brave, smart and came off as genuine. She embodies female rage which was refreshing to see in a contemporary romance. She felt very real. Nate and Bea were a great pairing. They have animosity but it's mostly one sided. Nate is a man obsessed with his woman and I love seeing that in books. These two had great banter and chemistry. The tension between them was good too. I liked them a lot.

I thought the plot was unique and, as someone who works in a law office, I found it interesting.

Would recommend!

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its emotional depth. The characters are not just thrown into a romance—they evolve, face personal struggles, and learn from each other. The slow-burn tension, witty banter, and tender moments make their connection feel organic and compelling.

This was an amazing debut from Harding. You instantly fall in love with Bea and question Nathan. Their banter is reminiscent of a real relationship and makes you root for them. Definitely recommend for romance lovers!

I adored this book! Beatrice loves her friends & is fiercely loyal to them. When Bea gets mixed up in the details of her best friends’ messy divorce, she ends up in their divorce lawyer’s office. She is yelling & upset, he is utterly charmed. The story unfolds from there as we see Nate (the divorce lawyer) and Bea (newly out of law school) thrown together in a variety of different professional settings. It is such a great read! Enemies to lovers, but they’re never *truly* enemies, he falls first, NYC setting. Highly recommended to all romance fans!

I love a good enemies to lovers romance and this was exactly what I was hoping for. Great banter, so many feelings and the perfect book to cozy and up read in one sitting.

I received an ARC of ‘How Freaking Romantic’ from NetGalley. This was such a fun read with some deep subplots mixed in. The main character, Bea, was such a real character; do I know her in real life? I had high expectations for this one as I’ve read several that this author co-authored— and loved each one. Add this to your must read for 2025!

*****I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion.******

This book will grab your attention from the opening scene all the way through the end. This was a solid 3.75 star read. Ever since her mother second wedding she has discovered a deep rooted anger towards love after all how would you react to your parent getting married six times? When One of your closest friends goes through the divorce process. It’s only fair for you to confront your friends ex-husband‘s lawyer…

How Freaking Romantic by Emily Harding is a cute romance story told through the female lead character Bea. Struggling through law school & trying desperately to hold her friend group together, Bea meets Nate, a fellow lawyer & opposing counsel in her best friend's divorce case. A bit of drama, a little passion, some laugh out loud one-liners, & a good dose of romantic swoon in this story.
Emily Harding is a very talented writer, but How Freaking Romantic involved enough characters that makes the story a bit challenging to follow sometimes, however overall a lovely story for the hopeless romantic at heart. Thank you, #NetGalley & #GalleryBooks! I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book with all thoughts and opinions being my own. If you enjoy romance, a little drama, & plenty of self reflection, then you'll enjoy How Freaking Romantic by Emily Harding.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Beatrice, a law student and teacher's assistant, upset with her best friend's divorce proceedings, makes her way into the office of the attorney =, Nathan, handling the divorce to give him a piece of her mind.

Soon after the embarrassing ordeal, Beatrice runs into Nathan....everywhere. Soon the enemies become something more.

I enjoyed the story did not focus just on the main romantic plot, but opened up to Bea's friends and their ordeals. Made for a more well rounded read.

4 ⭐️

Thank you to Net Galley & Gallery Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How Freaking Romantic releases July 1, 2025.

This was a really cute rom com! Our FMC is a law student who has a lot of emotions (anger/cynicism primarily) around a lot of things, but very much so around love and romance. With her best friends’ divorce and the stress of law school looming heavily in her life, she storms into Nathan Asher’s office and rages at the divorce attorney who she blames for it all falling apart. When he shows up again and again, she realizes he may not be as much of an asshole as she initially thought.

This book had a lot of very sweet elements that made it an easy and fun read, while also hitting some emotional high points. I thoroughly enjoyed the emotional and funny journey of Bea’s anger transforming into connection and growth with another person as she learns to let him in. It also captured the anxiety and stress of law school very accurately. I definitely can’t wait to follow this author’s future releases!

I really enjoyed Emma of 83rd Street and Elizabeth of East Hampton, so I was really excited for this one! I love the voices Emily Harding creates, and this one was no different.
How Freaking Romantic might be totally different than what I’m used to from Harding, but it’s just as great. It’s angsty and angry and relatable. I’ll never turn away from the enemies to lovers trope and this one is *chef’s kiss*.

Unfortunately I didn't like this book solely because of Bea. You can only get in your own way, and totally overreact so many times before people would drop you for being toxic and exhausting. Nathan had zero reason to like her, why besides she was cute and stood up to him? Nothing. No chemistry. Thank you for the e-arc Netgalley and Gallery Books.

As a big fan of the For the Love of Austen series, I was very excited to read this. And may I just say it blew my expectations out of the water. I loved every second of it other than the fact that it ended. How dare! The characters are all complex and even though the protagonist can make things difficult for herself, you’re always rooting for her. This was the type of book that reminds me why I love reading. 10/10 would get you out of a reading slump. This book quite literally cured my depression.

Bea está estudiando su segunda carrera para convertirse en abogada y, a menudo, se siente atrasada en comparación con sus compañeros, que son más jóvenes y algunos ya tienen trabajo. Mientras tanto, ella ha enviado su currículum, pero no ha recibido respuesta. Además, sus mejores amigos, a quienes ella misma presentó, están a punto de divorciarse. Pero eso no es todo: Josh ha contratado a un abogado con la intención de arrebatarle todo lo que pueda a Jillian. Siente que su vida está fuera de control, lo que la lleva a explotar contra Nathan, el abogado, y expresarle su baja opinión sobre él.

Cuando cree que su vida no podría empeorar, Nathan se convierte en su profesor durante algunas semanas. Ahora, tendrá que convivir con alguien a quien desprecia, pero pronto se dará cuenta de que no es el monstruo que pensaba, sino inteligente, buena persona y atractivo.

~

La historia es entretenida, pero fue demasiado la actitud de Bea.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review