while i was reading this book i was feeling all of the emotions! the romance had me hooked and their banter was playful and such a push and a pull. the tension was so delicious and the flashbacks really helped provide background for the relationship that logan and nicole had! their relationship at work was friendly, toeing the line towards flirty which made the stakes so much higher bc she was married! i think through the entire book we can see how much logan loved nicole. he was patient, kind, compassionate, a shoulder to cry on and continuously there for her when she needed it. he was one of the highlights of this book for me. he was so quippy and sarcastic and had this energy that had me loving him immediately!

nicole was really going through it and even though this is told in third person it’s so easy to empathize with her. her thoughts about how her body let her down and feeling like she lost everything in her life just to end up alone was devastating. when she finally stood up to gabe i CHEERED! gabe is truly one of the most despicable husbands i’ve ever read. even thought there’s reconciliation towards the end i simply couldn’t forgive him.

i think this book discussion topics of infertility and pregnancy and will touch so many people! the characters are messy and complex and this is a perfect imperfect story.

although a lot of of aspects worked for me there are a couple of things i can’t overlook. while nicole can’t get a divorce bc it could mess up her ability to get custody of her child and she is for all intents and purposes separated from her husband she is still married while with logan and he doesn’t know this for a majority of the book. i feel like she was unfair to him and a bit selfish. he constantly showed he was understanding and i wish she would have told him. additionally, i feel like we jump into her friendship with logan. yes they were coworkers but they weren’t even really friends. their initial friendship felt unrealistic and i just kept thinking about that. although i adored their relationship i can’t stop thinking about how the beginning felt so strange.

overall i did enjoy my reading experience but as i look back there are some issues i just can’t overlook. i do think so many people will like this and i will definitely read what lauren okie writes next!

3.75 ⭐️

read this at the recommendation of miss jessica joyce (read: stalking her goodreads reviews) and stumbled upon one of the most painfully brutal yet uplifting stories of infertility, infidelity, self-growth, and letting others support you.

from the get-go, i was crying my heart out 20% in. this handles some delicate topics with absolute finesse but if cheating or infertility are a trigger, id be so cautious. as someone with no experience of these things, i was an absolute mess and feel for every person who thinks their body is somehow letting them down or “required” to perform a certain way.

this is also in no way an utter doom and gloom sob fest, as as multiple points this had me putting the book down and cackling. her blooming romance truly had me giddy from the start and their banter is unrivaled. bullying is in fact a love language and i will subscribe to that belief until i die!

the only thing holding it back from a higher rating is how very tell-not-show it was. it was mostly the opposite which could be chalked up this being her debut, which i can overlook somewhat. i do feel though, that with the story she’s trying to tell here specifically, that we would’ve benefited from being SHOWN her previous love, her budding romance, her relationships with others, etc. it just seems like so much was explained to us as if we were friends catching up at brunch and i wanted to truly immerse myself in these moments!

thank you to netgalley and avon for the arc 💫

1 like

I absolutely ate this book up and couldn't put it down! It was a beautiful representation of infertility and miscarriage (Trigger Warning), yet somehow became a perfect love story. Logan is the real MVP and shows love to Nicole like you've never seen. The characters were so realistic and beautifully written. My heart ached, I laughed, I cried..and cried and cried. This book was perfect.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

The yearning in this book should be studied. I’m convinced Logan might be the most perfect fictional man of all time. She made him a list of books to read and he read every single one even when they were not together? Swoon. I found Nicole to be so relatable and her struggles incredibly raw/honest (much of that based on the author’s own fertility journey). I adored all of the book references and banter between Nicole and Logan. Their journey together throughout this book was heart-rending. This is a second chance romance done so flawlessly. This book will be out October 14th and I suggest you mark your calendars!

When Nicole separates from her husband after finding out about his infidelity during many disheartening and exhausting experience trying to get pregnant via a surrogate, she reconnects with a past colleague, Logan, and begins to feel that spark of peace, love, and joy in her life again. But then she finds out her last embryo transfer with her husband was successful and the surrogate is now pregnant with their child after lots of trying.

As she tries to process this news, wrestle with her feelings about Logan, and learn to accept that her body was not fit to carry her own child, readers are invited into every feeling and emotion alongside her because of Lauren Okie's immersive writing. Full of heart and humor, this book will really strike a chord with those that can relate to Nicole's story!

My dna is altered after reading this book. My o my complaint is that this is a debut and I can’t go read the authors backlist - it was THAT good. Five stars to this heart wrenching yet hopeful story about finding love again when you least expect it - or when you think you don’t deserve it. Literally, inject this book into my veins so I never stop feeling the high from reading it. This one of the girlies who love it when he falls first and hard!

I wasn't quite sure what to think at the beginning of this book, as I've never found much of an interest in pregnancy related journey's however I was quickly pulled into Nicole's story and found myself wanting to read "just one more page" far too late into the night, again. Throughout this book, I found myself in all the stages of emotions. Things made me angry. Things made me smile and laugh and even cry.

We've all found or known a Logan, and if you haven't, I sure hope you do. His character was so much fun, and the banter had me smiling each time.
The fact that he had and read the books she mentioned??? Perfection.

I truly enjoyed this book and I'll definitely be adding it to my "re-reads" in the future!

Thank you net galley for providing this ARC.

I did not want to get to the end of this book! It was soooo good! It was not predictable and I constantly was trying to guess what was going to happen. This book had so much spunk and it really tugged on my heartstrings…. I must have been in my feels since I shed some tears multiple times!

The story is a love story not just about romance but also about loving yourself and I was all for it.

Although it didn’t end how I thought it would I enjoyed the outcome.

The Best Worst Thing by Lauren Okie is an upcoming romance novel set to be released on October 14, 2025. It tells the story of Nicole Speyer, whose seemingly perfect life unravels after discovering her husband's infidelity. As she navigates the challenges of starting over, Nicole reconnects with Logan Milgram, a former colleague, and begins to rediscover herself and her capacity for love. The novel explores themes of second chances, self-discovery, and resilience, offering a heartfelt and intimate narrative.

This is THE best Persuasion retelling I have ever read. Logan is everything. He is so emotionally available, communicative, and understanding. Nerdy but sexy as hell. This book had me GIGGLING.

i think i would technically put this at 3.5 rating. the first time i actually felt something was when gabe and nicole talked about that the first year was real. speaking of gabe, he was absolutely shitty. that’s all. the romance between nicole and logan was cute but ultimately i didn’t feel much :(

thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this arc.

This book was such a fun and heavy read simultaneously. I picked it up because of the surrogacy mention (as I am planning to be a carrier later this year or early 2026) and enjoyed that representation in a novel. The way that the main character , Nicole, is painted as such a human and imperfect person, while also wanting to grow and find happiness in her life, was so emotional to read.

There was a lot in this story that made me want to yell at her, while also just hugging her. Nicole is just trying to find love, support, and hope for a life that has tested all of those things for her by her 30s.

I highly recommend this novel for a heartwarming, yet witty banter filled read. The characters that surround Nicole and even those that the reader was made to hate, hold such a unique and interesting spot in this story.

Wooooooow this book was everything. Instantly a new favorite. I need to immediately reread this and then read it again after that. This is the kind of romance I’ve been yearning for!!!!

I DEVOURED this book! What a debut novel! He read every single book she recommended?! Loved her for years?? Say less.

Lauren gave the right amount of laugh out loud with witty banter and rip your heart out in her writing (with the right amount of spice). From Nicole’s infertility, complicated past and feelings for Logan… I felt like I had to know what was going to happen. I couldn’t be stopped.

I can not recommend this book enough. I can’t wait to read more future novels by Lauren!

I adored this story!! This was my first book by this author and I will be reading more. This man adored her so much he was actively working through a list of recommended books she gave him!! That alone is enough to make me swoon! As someone who has struggled with infidelity and finding love after divorce, the author did a fantastic job covering all the emotions that can come with this experience.

What is there to say about this book besides how much i loved it.

-witty flirty banter
-imperfect MFC: i loved her for it. It was so realistic. she makes mistakes and she doubts herself along the way and yes you wanna yell at her along the way but you just want the best for her.
-antsy! It about the anticipation. Slow burn book but executed very well.
-work hubby vs jerk husband (get your pitch forks ready).
-besties we all need in a times of crisis 🥰
-short chapters!!!! 🥰

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for my E-ARC on NetGalley for my honest review!

5/5

Nicole and her husband Gabe have been trying for a baby for a long time, so long that Nicole launched a semi-successful podcast documenting her experiences with infertility. On the cusp of their final try with a gestational carrier, Nicole discovers her husband’s infidelity. To top it off, the pregnancy she has been wishing for for so long is viable, and their surrogate, Valerie, is now pregnant. Nicole’s entire world has been upended in mere minutes and in a fugue state, Nicole finds herself on the doorstep of a former colleague and friend, Logan Milgram. They haven't seen each other in years but in seconds their immense history comes roaring back to life. The Best Worst Thing is a timely friends to lovers romance about the merits of Jane Austen’s, Persuasion, reading the books someone recommended as a love language, and all the messy and complicated bits of stirring up the past. Shifting between the past and the present, Okie documents the rise and fall of this relationship and just how much Logan and Nicole stand to gain from loving one another right now. A golden retriever protagonist so sickeningly in love and a messy second chance romance is the essence of Lauren Okie’s, The Best Worst Thing. This story is heartfelt, compelling, and extremely hot—exactly what you’d expect from a slow burn friends to lovers romance, but somehow nothing like anything you’ve ever read before.

This review is featured on my blog!

The Best Worst Thing is an emotionally raw and deeply personal novel that feels more like a lived experience (which it was, according to the acknowledgements) than just a story on paper. By chapter 6, I was practically begging for this book to turn into a romcom - immediately. But instead, what I got was something even more powerful: a journey of self-discovery, heartbreak, and resilience that every woman should read.

One of the book's strongest elements is its structure. I love how it references a past moment and then seamlessly transitions into that very scene. Short and sweet flashbacks add depth to the narrative without feeling like an interruption. It's a technique that keeps the story flowing effortlessly and makes each revelation hit even harder. Another strong element was the characters. For a moment, I was terrified that Logan wouldn't be in the story anymore. The thought alone made me hesitate, but thankfully, that wasn't the case - and I was immediately reinvested. I think that shows just how well a character is written, if a reader can get that attached quickly and miss their presence in the book. The pure love in this book is nothing short of gorgeous, and Logan's silliness yet maturity as the male main character is breathtaking.

Beyond the romance, The Best Worst Thing beautifully explores feminism and the societal expectation that a woman's femininity is intrinsically tied to motherhood. The protagonist's journey to realizing her worth outside of being a wife and mother is a message that resonated deeply. It's a necessary story for women who have ever questioned their identity beyond the roles of society expects them to fill. What makes this book truly special is how real it feels. This isn't just a novel - it's someone's life on the page. The way the Nicole's world crumbles just as she gets everything she ever wanted is heartbreakingly authentic. Her mistakes, her choices, the moments where she almost loses everything - they aren't just plot points; they are the experiences of a real, flawed, beautifully human woman. At times I wanted to be critical of some of Nicole's decisions, but then I remembered: this isn't a character behaving in a way that serves a neat storyline. This is a person making real, messy, human choices. She chose the wrong guy. She signed a prenup even after doubting her relationship. She pushed her body to the brink. She nearly lost out on the love of her life, twice. And through it all, she remained relatable and raw in a way that made me want to reach through the pages and hug her.

Lauren Okie has crafted a story that doesn't just tell you something - it makes you feel it, live it, breathe it. The Best Worst Thing is a stunning exploration of love, loss and self-worth that lingers long after the last page. I wanted a romcom, but what I got was something far more profound. And honestly? I wouldn't change a thing.

I devoured this book. LOVED it. The plot felt fresh and not overdone; the book was able to focus on emotional topics like infertility and surrogacy while also weaving those topics into a plot that kept me hooked and reading, with characters who felt fleshed out and real. Made it even more emotionally compelling to know that the author drew on her own experiences with infertility and surrogacy to write this book.

The witty, well-written banter and the chemistry between Nicole and Logan was just so well done! So often, good romances end up falling into tropes and I eventually get bored with a book — and I didn’t get that feeling with this book, at all. My only criticism was I was frustrated when Nicole went back on her promise to work through things with Logan and they had a second breakup of sorts. It felt a bit repetitive.

Loved this debut and this author will be on my radar for future books!

Lauren Okie’s debut novel 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 is the rare romance that tackles heavy real-life issues while also sweeping you off your feet with an engaging plot and hot chemistry. On the surface, protagonist Nicole Speyer seems to have a charmed life: she has a podcast and is her own boss; she is married to charming and handsome finance executive Gabe; and they have an adorable dog and a beautiful home in coastal Los Angeles. But for several years, Nicole has struggled with infertility and gone through miscarriages, failed IVF treatments, and unsuccessful surgeries, all of which she has documented on her program. And now—after making one final attempt with an embryo transfer to a gestational surrogate—she has discovered Gabe’s infidelity. The embryo transfer is successful and motherhood finally seems possible, yet almost everything else in her life is in question.

It’s under these complicated circumstances that Nicole becomes reacquainted with former colleague Logan. Logan is sweet, friendly, slightly dorky, and very, very cute, and their teasing banter from years before quickly transitions into fun and playful flirtation. Okie excels at characterization and dialogue so Nicole, Logan, and the bevy of supporting characters rarely feel like archetypes spouting the usual trope-driven lines. They are instead well-developed, flawed yet likeable personalities that draw you into their world with smart and seemingly effortless quips and comments.

I recommend 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 to those who enjoy reading romantic novels with some substance, slow-burn plots, second chance stories, and workplace romances. I did feel like the book dragged a bit towards the last quarter and found the stop-and-start nature of Nicole and Logan’s relationship frustrating at times, but the obstacles they faced did seem plausible given her and husband’s separation and her impending motherhood. Overall, this is a well-written, engrossing romance that explores the pain of infertility and divorce, the warmth of new love and long-lasting friendship, and the importance of learning to respect and trust yourself—flaws and all.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.