3.5 stars. I'm always a fan of enemies to lovers. Then throw in a workplace romance, and I am sold. When Eric first started working at Grace's company, they were quick friends. They would work together late at night, ordering take-out, and assisting each other when needed. They had falling out which made them workplace enemies.

Grace and Eric now must go on pretend dates to test out for their pitch for a new dating app. Whoever puts together a better pitch at the end of these dates, gets the promotion. The first few dates end terribly. Grace sprains her ankle on their hike. Erik gets stabbed (or slightly grazed with Grace's knife) at a cooking class. They find out after arriving at the yoga class that it is a COUPLE's yoga class. Overall, this audiobook had me giggling and cringing in awkwardness in the best way.

Grace is a little of a doormat at work. She can't stand up to her boss. Slowly she is learning how to know her worth and stand up for herself.

Annabelle Slator’s The Launch Date has been compared to The Hating Game, and I agree, it's an apt comparison. I actually liked Launch Date better because Slator does a better job with character development. This debut serves witty banter with side of slow-burn tension to keep things interesting.

Grace Hastings and Eric Bancroft are two marketing managers at The Catch Group, a company that owns two dating apps and, apparently, thrives on pitting its employees against each other. Grace is recovering from a breakup and stuck with a boss who sees her as little more than a personal assistant. Eric, on the other hand, has everything working in his favor—money, charm, and an easy confidence that makes him all the more irritating. Once friends, their relationship has since curdled into a competitive standoff.

When the company launches a new experiential dating app, both are forced to collaborate while competing for a promotion. Cue a series of meticulously planned dates—hiking, cooking classes, yoga—all designed to test their chemistry and, inadvertently, make them rethink their assumptions about each other.

I tend to have a low tolerance for the miscommunication trope, but the execution here didn’t make me want to roll my eyes into another dimension. The dialogue is sharp, the chemistry works, and the audiobook narrator does an excellent job bringing it all to life. For a debut, this was incredibly well-written, and I’ll be keeping an eye on Slator’s future books.

This is a cozy slow burn one sided enemies to lovers romance. Two coworkers at a dating app are put together to create a new fresh way to revamp online dating and one of them will at the end will present their findings and one of them will get a marketing promotion. They go on several dates and slowly fall back into friendship and then fall in love.

3.5 rounded to 4 A charming workplace enemies-to-lovers romcom, this debut novel follows Grace Hastings, a marketing manager stuck in a job with a terrible boss and fresh off a breakup. When she’s offered a shot at a promotion—if she test-drives a new dating app with her office rival, Eric Bancroft—she’s forced to put their animosity aside. As they embark on a series of curated dates, their competitive tension slowly transforms into something more. With witty British banter, a well-paced mix of past and present, and a relatable slow-burn romance, this book delivers humor, heart, and the perfect Valentine’s season read. The audiobook, narrated by Sara Novak, adds an extra layer of charm, making it an even more enjoyable experience for fans of The Hating Game and Beth O’Leary’s novels.

Thank you to @netgalley @harperaudio and @penguinrandomhouse for this ARC and ALC

Annabelle Slator delivers a sharp, witty, and irresistibly fun enemies-to-lovers romance set against the backdrop of London’s tech scene. I don’t typically love book comparisons, but since it was highlighted in the selling points, I’ll say that if you’re a fan of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, The Launch Date is definitely one to check out.

The setup alone promises tension, banter, and sizzling chemistry— Rival coworkers forced to collaborate on a new dating app. The clever writing and engaging dialogue make for an addictive read, and the character development throughout is satisfying.

Having both read the physical copy and listened to the audiobook, I can confidently say that the audiobook does the story justice. The narrator brings the characters to life with energy and charm, making the experience even more enjoyable.

If you love workplace romances that are equal parts sexy and entertaining, The Launch Date is definitely worth your time. Thank you to Harper Audio for the ARC.

There isn’t a lot of buzz around this book and I’m not sure why. It’s an enemies to lovers workplace romance set in London. The audiobook narrator was great and it was overall a very cute story.

Thanks to #HarperAudio and #Netgalley for a free advance listening copy of this book. Super cute workplace rivals romance. Four stars.

The Launch Date is a super cute friends to rivals to lovers office romance. Grace and Eric both want the promotion but must work together to impress their higher ups.

I enjoyed this enemies to lovers workplace romance. The London setting was entertaining. The characters slow burn dance was what kept the story tense and hard to put down. Fun story cute characters.

I hate comparing books to The Hating Game because that one was so popular it just sets the other book up to disappoint, but if you’re looking for something in that vein, The Launch Date by Annabelle Slator might be your perfect next read. I’m enormously grateful to HarperAudio (@harpercollins) for the free audiobook. This one comes out next Tuesday, February 11, so you can still get it for 25% off in the Barnes and Noble preorder sale.

This book felt like a mash-up of a number of things I’ve loved: The Hating Game, Is She Really Going Out With Him, and The Devil Wears Prada. Grace Hastings’ job at a dating app has become something of a nightmare. The girl boss she used to idolize is treating her terribly, she’s at war with co-worker and socialite Eric Bancroft who used to be her best friend at work, and, worst of all, after a bad breakup, she’s no longer sure she believes in love. Then her company announces a new app that will involve a promotion for someone internally. The only catch? She’ll be vying for the spot with Eric and they’ll have to go on sample dates together to develop a pitch.

I found this book entirely delightful. I loved the characters, I loved the hijinks, I loved the dates. The backstory was woven in throughout the book so there’s a bit of a mystery as to how the characters ended up where they are now, which kept me turning pages. Or rather listening. I would highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a light, fun love story with a pretty dreamy book boyfriend, and I think that’s what a lot of us are looking for right now.

I would also highly recommend the audiobook which is delightfully narrated by Sara Novak. I love listening to books set outside of the U.S., and this one was just so much fun. I felt like I was in England with Grace.

This was a fun enemies to lovers co-worker slow burn romance that sees two British dating app designers going on fake dates and competing for the same job. Good on audio and perfect for fans of books like Sally Thorne's The hating game. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

There's lots to love about this story. What I loved most was Grace's growth. She overcame some bad choices and character flaws and learned to see things as they are rather than how she was told they are. I wouldn't say this growth was because of Eric, but confidence in their friendship gave her confidence in other areas of her life as well. This slow burn, friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance is a feel good story. Eric is pretty great but Grace really shines in this book. The narrator did an excellent job except for the voice of Iris--not at all sure what that was about. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced audio edition.