Master of the Meet Cute

Love in New York City #.5

by Cassie Mae

He knows everything about love…

Or not.

I know damn well nothing about love, and guess who just drew romantic comedy for his directorial assignment? Well, he’s got two thumbs and they are pointing waaaay down.

But this final is the last before I earn that coveted degree and set myself in a real director’s seat. With my grant money burning a hole in my pocket, I’m determined to get the highest of praises from my professor… even if I have to write and direct a damn romantic comedy.

Getting love right is going to kill me, especially while testing out my research on the cute new freshman who stumbled her way into the class. Not sure if I’m hitting all the beats, eliciting all the… uh… feels? But with Liz, I’m starting to wonder what’s research and what’s me falling absolutely flat on my face in real, Titanic-style love.

Genres: Romance, Ebooks, Contemporary, Rom Com

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 24, 2024

About the author

CASSIE MAE is the author of a few hundred—okay, maybe not that many—books, some of which became popular for their quirky titles, characters, and stories. She likes writing about nerds, geeks, the awkward, the fluffy, the short, the shy, the loud, the fun.

Since publishing her bestselling debut, Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend, she’s signed several Romance titles with Random House Loveswept, and founded CookieLynn Publishing Services. She is represented by Sharon Pelletier at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

Along with writing, Cassie likes to binge-watch Once Upon a Time and The Flash. She can quote Harry Potter lines quick as a whip. And she likes kissing her hubby, but only if his facial hair is trimmed. She also likes cheesecake to a very obsessive degree.

You can stalk, talk, or send pictures of Luke Bryan to her on her Facebook page.

cassiemaeauthor.com
Facebook.com/cassiemaeauthor

Reviews

[suus⋆୨୧˚]

dnf @ 38%

[Christine Rains · Rating 4 out of 5]

Landon has big dreams of becoming a famous director. Nothing is standing in his way except the final college film assignment where he has to make a rom com. He knows nothing about romance, but when he meets Liz, his formula for love shatters. She's his new inspiration, but the problem is she's too perfect. Or does he just not understand romance at all?

This is a wonderfully cute prequel NA romance novella. You don't need to have read the original novel to enjoy this wonderful start to a great love. It's funny and awkward and has a ton of film references. Fortunately I'm very familiar with the movies mentioned and was entertained by Landon's reviews. I might say cute a lot in this review, but this novella was exactly that. How Liz and Landon meet is cute, their dates are cute, and even their intimate moments are cute. I read this all in one sitting, giggling and smiling. It's a feel-good story, and if you enjoy cute romance, you'll love this.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so honored to have received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved this novella so hard and it was so amazing reading things from Landon’s point of view. I love Landon and Liz together and I also thought the intertwining of the movies that Landon enjoys all enhanced the story so much.

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and cute!

This book made me laugh like crazy. Landon and Liz not only had an unforgettable first meeting, but an unforgettable first kiss. Landon was so sweet and awkward, it was hard not to love him. I really liked how Liz supported him. Landon and Liz were adorable together. This was the perfect Prequel Novella!

[Annika · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay book with little to no spice. It didn’t end on a cliffhanger, but there are more books to read to continue their story. I struggled to keep my interest in this book and to finish, so I will not be reading any more.

[Lena Duke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute story of a filmmaker, Landon, who's tasked with making a film outside of his regular genre for a film class. He wants to win the grant so that he can get the film script he's been working on made into a film so he knows he has to do great on this assignment.

I loved the mention of movies and his thoughts, experiences, etc while watching those movies. This was a storyline I haven't read before and I enjoyed seeing something different.

I will be reading the series because I want to know what comes next. I have to.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this Prequal Novella! I really, really wanted to. There were parts I did love, like diving into Landon's favorite movies, where we are transported back in time to when he first saw it. You get a brief picture of what was happing in his life when he saw it and what about it made put it on his list.

To the right person, this book is probably hilarious. For sure, I found myself chuckling here and there! My problem is I hate the feeling of awkwardness and this book presets awkward on a silver platter. I don't know if it was the first person writing, how incredibly awkward Landon is, or living moment by moment in a fairly boring life that made me fight to keep reading. It was probably all three combined.

Landon is a theater buff, who has dedicated most of his life to learning how to write a script and work a show. This left very little time for an actual life. Naturally when he meets Lily, and figures out he likes her, that's when the stomach-turning awkwardness begins. Again, there is an audience for this... I unfortunately was not one of them.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute (in an open door romance way) story. I enjoyed the creative format the author used. It was framed with the male main character’s top ten movies and how the narrative moved forward in ways related to each film. It also provided a more unique and engaging way to include flashbacks and give a stronger understanding of his past. Aspiring film director Landon had a slightly embarrassing meet-cute with Liz, another student in his film-making class. When sparks flew they fumbled awkwardly forward into a relationship, but ran into challenges as Landon struggled with his group’s film project. The characters were fun and likeable. The romance was sweet and then built increasing intensity. The friend interactions were fun too. This is a detailed open door romance with moderate innuendo and moderate harsh language throughout.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[tia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before I begin my review, thank you to the author for sending me an early review copy. Much appreciated.

So I got through this book pretty quickly and unfortunately it all felt very very underwhelming. I felt like Liz and Landon fell flat as characters and their story was just… meh. I felt like we didn’t know them at all, they were just there and it was all insta-love and underdeveloped characters and storyline. Like I literally forgot both Liz and Landon’s names as I was writing this… that’s… not something you want from your readers. But everything was just kinda *there*.

[Candace Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute one. Aside from a couple typos and the excessive use of the word “ass”, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Of course, that’s just my opinion. I’m not usually one for sex scenes either, but I feel like Cassie Mae handled the scene with class. I also love how Landon loved everything about Liz. Like at first I was thinking Liz was too perfect, but it was actually just Landon admiring all her quirks, which is adorable. Definitely a fun little read!

[M.T. Knights · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. It was quick and fun. It made me want to read more in this world. The main character, Landon felt like a real guy and it was fun watching him fall in love. I will definitely be reading more in this series!

[Ashley B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first 3, I really wanted to like this book and give the author the benefit of the doubt. I feel like she could make it into a great book but there needs to be some edits and more work added into it. I will still read her next book but this book was a miss.

[Love-Leigh Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

•”Words don’t always need to be said to express how I feel.”•

This was SO cute! I loved Landon’s awkwardness and Lizzie’s bubbly personality. Also, the book being from the H’s POV only had me hooked immediately. Simple, low drama, just a fun book to read with fantastic characters.

[Claire Pacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like to get cosy with a good rom-com, I'd recommend this one. It doesn't go the same way most rom-coms usually do which I liked about it.Loveable and relatable characters. A joy to read for all.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jennifer Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with every book from this author I’ve read, I enjoyed this one. It was fun, and sweet, and cute. It had its funny moments, and awkward moments between Landon and Liz. The awkwardness made it seem more relatable. I’ll definitely read the next book about these characters.

[Tami Schafer · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute fast read

I enjoyed the story. I do believe in instant love, I married mine almost 41 years ago . Almost afraid to read the next book… if it’s only about them. Not in the mood for any break ups lol

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting book

Wow, I loved this book. I want to read the next book, if series. I can’t believe it ended this way. When I first started reading it, I thought slightly boring, but it picked up fast.

[Katryne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it! It was so good, now I'm reading their story again 😊 Funny and sweet, I really like having Landon's pov since we had Liz's pov in the first book. It was a perfect complement to the story.

[Dezirae Fisher · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. The characters felt underdeveloped but I liked the story line. Maybe if we get a full novel I will check it out. The potential was there though.

[Jennifer Sattler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply, cute.

It was a cute quick read. Loved the museum and apartment scenes. I will recommend to others to read this.

[Harleigh Freya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars ⭐️

[Christy Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best part of this book was his friend’s grandma.

[Lily Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Alexia · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf la 15%. atat pot sa zic

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect prequel to an awesome series! I laughed out loud and fell in love with Liz and Landon's origin story. If you're looking for a fun read, then add this to the top of your TBR list.

[jon · Rating 1 out of 5]

i think i lost hope in books after this…