Category: RomCom

The Rom-Com Agenda — Jayne Denker
St. Martin’s Griffin
Dreamscape Media — Erika Schindele
Rom-Com
January 10, 2023
320 pages — 10 hrs 54 min
4.4 ⭐️

Thank you to @smpromance and @netgalley for the #gifted book.

Summary: Leah accidentally eavesdrops on Eli’s failed marriage proposal to Victoria. When Eli decides he needs to win Victoria back, his friends come up with a romantic makeover scheme that involves a makeover and watching all the rom-com movies he can find to learn what women want. As the town “Kirk” (think Gilmore Girls), Leah is somehow everywhere the friend group is and she’s drawn into the makeover scheme. With Leah constantly in Eli’s orbit, it seems impossible for them not to fall for each other.

💭Just like every corny and sweet rom-com, this book was fun if not predictable. I really enjoyed the friend group and would love to hang out with them in real life. It was a little far-fetched that Leah had every single job that was open in the town, but the comparison to Kirk made me chuckle. I also liked all the references to popular rom-coms and pop culture. 

Just when I thought there was going to be little more than surface development for the characters, we got a peek into Leah’s family life. It gave her more depth and actually made me feel even more protective of her heart. Eli was a little clueless but honestly a nice guy that deserved more than Victoria could offer him. 

The narration was well done and the ending was what one would expect in a feel-good rom-com. This is the perfect read for a snowy day.

How far would you go to save your relationship?

Thank you to Penguin Random House Audio for the complimentary audiobook for review.

Lawyer Georgina walks in on her husband, Nathan, in a compromising position with a junior associate in their law firm thus puncturing the perfect image Georgina had of her life. In order to try and save her marriage, she suggests that she and Nathan become swingers. She drags along her friends Felix, Norah, and their partners so they don’t have to do it alone. Makes perfect sense, right?

I was both intrigued and dismayed by the swinger aspect of this novel. Not knowing much about how the “Lifestyle” works, I wasn’t sure what I was getting into. While there was some interesting and silly parts in relation to the sex clubs, most of the novel was about exploring friendships and learning about themselves in relationships. It was funny at times, and serious at times. A great blend of both. I enjoyed following Georgina’s journey to find what she deserves and to ultimately do what is best for herself.