I truly wanted to enjoy this book. It was difficult for me to get on board with the main character. I wanted to feel for her when her husband cheated on her but I didn’t feel many emotions. It didn’t sit well that the same night she found out she went to see another man.

This was a beautiful read. Lauren Okie tells the story of Nicole, a woman who has struggled with infertility, pregnancy loss, and a cheating spouse, as she rebuilds her life. After her marriage falls apart, Nicole quickly reconnects with a former collegue with whom she has always felt a strong connection. The characters were so well-developed in this book, and I found myself really identifying with Nicole. The author explore the themes of making (or not making) choices and how they can shape the life you live. I especially loved the ending because, even though it wasn't a typical 'happily ever after,' it was the perfect conclusion for Nicole, highlighting that everyone's "happily ever after' looks a bit different.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for this ARC.

Thank you Avon/Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC!

The Best Worst Thing was a stellar read. Steady pacing and great writing. Nicole was such a raw and real character. She and this story are very multi-layered and I think Lauren did a great job at helping the reader understand everything. I felt like I was feeling all of Nicole’s emotions with her. And I loved how much of a slow burn but not a slow burn this book was. By the end I genuinely enjoyed seeing how everything played out for Nicole, Logan and even Gabe lol. There are a few things I would have liked to see more of (more details on how exactly Logan fell in love with Nicole or Nicole in counseling/therapy) or less of (the back and forth between Nicole and Logan was kind of lot) but overall this was a heartfelt story that was an enjoyable read!

Wow. I just loved this book so much.

We meet Nicole who has a podcast that very openly discusses infertility. She’s not shy about it and hopes her experience will help others. Until she learns her husband is a cheating jerk. Her sister and her best friend step in to help her realize she deserves better and more. Oh and if that wasn’t enough, her surrogate is finally pregnant. (If that isn’t a testament to how life actually works, I don’t know what is…just when you’re down, it kicks you harder.)

I absolutely LOVE Nicole and her friends. They are so real. You feel like they are your friends too. And Logan? Good golly, we all need someone like him in our lives. He is just fabulous. Their banter and chemistry is awesome. It basically leaps right off the page.

This book is absolutely beautiful. It takes real talent to write such a sensitive topic well and Ms. Okie does just that. Highly recommend!

FIVE STINKIN STARS FOR THE BEST WORST THING. I am in love. This book was perfection for me. Every time I read a book I gain a new book boyfriend and Logan just topped them all. The banter? Yeah, it had me blushing and grinning and kicking my feet like a schoolgirl in love. The tension? THE TENSION!? I can’t even talk about the tension. All jokes aside, this book has it all. It covers some very sensitive topics that might be hard for some people to read, but if they can ride it out the story is well worth it. I laughed and cried, my heart broke and was put back together again seamlessly. Lauren Okie, you’re an absolute rockstar and thank you for telling Nicole’s story. It was absolutely beautiful and absolutely chaotic, I loved every moment of it.

This was a great book! We see the main character struggle with fertility issues and then going through a divorce. Despite that she also reconnects with an old coworker who she falls in love with. Thank you Netgalley for the arc, I appreciate it.

I very much enjoyed this book but will admit it is not what I expected when I read the description. I thought it would be a book focused on the struggles of reaching for motherhood with a twist of romance. It took me a minute to pivot and embrace that this was a romance with a side of fertility struggles. I liked the characters a lot, appreciated the rich friendship with Mari and sisterhood with Paige.

There were times that storylines felt underdeveloped (eg mother in law showing up for one drop in) or chapters ended somewhat abruptly.- if it was to keep the book under 400 pages, I would have happily kept reading.

I would highly recommend to others!

I. Am. Obsessed. This book completely took over my heart, and I loved every single second of it. Logan? Literal perfection. I know men like him aren’t supposed to exist, but after reading this, I’m convinced he might just be real. He’s kind, generous, loving—everything you could ever want in a hero. From the very beginning, he was there for Nicole, standing by her side no matter what. His love for her was unwavering, and honestly, I’m still swooning.

Nicole’s journey was emotional, and while I adored her, I won’t lie—I was so frustrated when she went back on her promise to work through things with Logan. I get it, but my heart still hurt for him. That being said, the way their story unfolded was absolutely beautiful, and I wish I could experience it all over again for the first time.

This book just cemented this author as a must-read for me. I could talk about it for days, but instead, I’ll just say: read this book. You won’t regret it.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the e-ARC! <3

I really enjoyed Logan as a character. He was really sweet, meaningful, and mature. Him still reading a list of books she recommended him even when they weren’t in contact anymore was adorable and so was the reveal of what he wrote on the slip of paper. He is definitely what carried the story for me.

I wasn’t a big fan of having essentially two third-act conflicts. I think the second sort of break-up and big argument could have been the proper amount needed rather than it feeling a bit frustrating with the extra back and forth :/

The first 30% of the book felt very fast and a bit of a whirlwind. I needed things to be slowed down a bit to understand Nicole’s feelings and to not feel like she was just needing him to heal her. I wish we had more of an inside look of how they were with each other when they worked together, how exactly Logan came to fall in love with her, and how Nicole wrestled with her growing feelings towards him during those times rather than just small snippets of lingering glances, touches, and kind gestures. I feel there was an opportunity to show MORE of what Logan did for Nicole during that time period and why that tug/ache (as described by Nicole) was there between them. Essentially more showing > telling.

Over all this was a real and sweet story, I just need *more* of things!

Nicole has spent the last few years in the depths of IVF, only to find out their hail mary works but when she returns from her surrogates transfer her life changes forever.

The Best Worst Thing by Lauren Okie is a romance that feels real, there’s no sugar coating the complexities of IVF or ADHD, the pain of a cheating spouse, becoming a single mom and trying to find loving again.

In the first half of the book some of the chapters felt incomplete and like they needed more depth, but the second half of the book has you on the edge of your seat, wanting and needing more and has you feeling so many different emotions. From sorrow, to joy to even anger with Nicole, this book truly takes you on a rollercoaster.

If you’re looking for something real, and not your typical hollywood romance this book is for you!

This was a good read about a woman who struggles to have her own children. Her and her husband decide to have a surrogate to have a baby . When the woman comes home she figure out her husband has been cheating on her for a while. She rekindles a friendship with a friend that throughout the summer she falls in love with, but is hurt and not able to trust her feelings so there is a lot of on and off with them. Until her surrogate makes her realize that she is ok to love someone and she should not be ashamed. With the help of her podcast she gets him to come back to her , where they have a happy and loving relationship with her kid . With a small twist at the end.

It was definitely a good book just at times hard to keep up with when it flips back and forth from present to past.

Heartfelt, voicey, commercial. The main character is grappling with a pregnancy after years of infertility and a shocking discovery of infidelity. Her big mess of emotions is further complicated by legal advice pertaining to the surrogate and impending divorce, as well as a budding romance with a goofy previous coworker.
The romantic premise is certainly unique but I found myself missing romance tropes. The B Story seemed to swallow the romance and dim the otherwise witty chemistry between the MC and love interest. The pregnancy, cheating, and flashbacks didn't create a harmonious or compelling storyline for me personally. I think memoir readers and those with similar lived experiences will love this novel.

3.75! The Best Worst Thing is Laurie Okie’s debut novel, and it takes readers on quite a ride. Nicole Speyer is going through it—and that's putting it lightly. Just after completing an embryo transfer to her surrogate, she discovers her husband, Gabe, has been cheating on her. Somehow, following the advice of a friend, she ends up outside the house of Logan, a former colleague. From there, everything unravels, and Nicole can no longer recognize her life.

From the very beginning, my heart hurt for Nicole. Everything was falling apart, yet at the same time, she learned her surrogate was pregnant—news that should have been a joyful milestone. But given the circumstances, she couldn’t fully embrace the moment. And Gabe? Absolutely awful. The more I learned about him, the more I hated him. One thing is for sure, men have the audacity. So when Nicole showed up at Logan’s door, I was fully in support because she deserved something good.

As for Logan and Nicole’s relationship, I have mixed feelings. Nicole needed Logan more than he needed her, and while I loved their connection and the moments they shared, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Nicole took advantage of him. She was going through so much, and unfortunately, Logan got caught up in it. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if Nicole had communicated better, though I understand why she didn’t. While I appreciated the story and the themes it explored, I don’t feel that Nicole experienced much growth by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW. This has been my first 5 start romance of the year and I can already tell that it will be very hard to beat! As someone who went through infertility and IVF myself, this book perfectly captured that heartache and self loathing that can take place and the affects that it has on a marriage. I loved the dynamic between Nicole and Logan and the intimacy scenes between them have been the most realistic that I've read. I cried both happy and very sad tears and I cannot wait to ready more from this author!

A+ banter, A+ characters.

When Nicole reconnects with a former colleague after discovering that her husband has been cheating on her, they become buddies who don't want their meandering days together to end, and neither does the reader. Their relationship evolves as she tries to compartmentalize her life, solitarily dealing with her groveling ex, his mother, and her own parents, with the added complication of the fertility journey they had embarked on years prior.

Maybe one too many instances of self-sabotage, but I gobbled this up in one weekend.

Thank you to Avon and HarperCollins for the ARC!

This book was stunning. So much yearning without being cheesy. Like is Pam and Jim from the office had much more complicated lives, jobs, and relationships. Normally I'd be turned off with the pregnancy aspect of the romance but I couldn't put it down! The fertility journey was moving and helped the love story be more honest and raw.

This is the best book I have read all year and one of my favorite romance books ever read . The way this book breaks everything and everything is pieced back together is such a lovely portrayal of life itself. This book is not a fairytale romance, but better. It shows us that our most imperfect parts or what we see as our own personal failures can be overcome and that we can be loved despite them. Nicole's journey to motherhood is heartbreaking and beautiful. The relationships in this book- all of them(her sister, best friend, parents, Logan, Gabe) are all written so well. I would pre order this book or run to your bookstore on October 14th to buy it. I am very thankful that Lauren Okie wrote this story and to HarperCollins and Avon for this ARC!

I loved The Worst Best Thing by Lauren Okie, stay up until 4 am to finish it type of love. This novel is a beautifully written, creative masterpiece that follows the infertility journey and new found romance of Nicole.

Nicole’s character arc and growth was so well done. At first, I couldn’t tell if her banter and snarky comments to Logan were real or putting on a show to impress him. But by the end of the story, it was evident that Nicole was so stifled in her marriage, that her behavior around Logan was her true self.

Nicole and Logan’s flashback and early relationship were so full of yearning that I haven’t felt since Jim and Pam in the Office season 2.

I love a grand gesture and this book had the biggest one yet. The epilogue put a perfect bow on the story.

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this early copy. I will not stop recommending this book to everyone.

This book was not your typical warm & fuzzy romance. It was complex & also sad in parts. You watch Nicole go through so many horrible things, but then you get to see her experience falling in love again. She begins a process of healing from her trauma. Nicole was a wonderful heroine to root for… You only want the best for her. I especially loved the ending. This was a debut, & I am excited to read more from this author.
4.25/5

Thank you, NetGalley, and Avon and Harper Voyager for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

Nicole Speyer has a podcast where she logs her journey with infertility and the struggles that go along with it. She is making one more attempt at having a child with a surrogate mother across the country. She learns that her husband has been having an affair. Nicole is now without a job, child, or husband. She meets up with an old friend while she’s starting her new life which brings much joy back to her world. Her life ends up nowhere close to what she expected.

This was a well-written story that had some sensitive topics that the author handled delicately. The characters have lots of depth and it’s easy to become attached to them. Logan has golden retriever vibes, which is my personal favorite.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance with a lot more depth and heart. I like that they marketed this more of a literary fiction with a subplot of romance which helps the reader understand the pacing of the story.