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How Freaking Romantic
In this sharply funny solo debut, an aspiring lawyer is forced to work alongside the opposing counsel in her best friend’s divorce case, which leads to the biggest irreconcilable difference of love.
Beatrice Nilsson has a lot to be angry about. The wage gap, the pink tax, the repayment schedule on all those student loans…the list goes on. But that anger is also what makes her such a good friend—the perennial sidekick who fights for her loved ones’ happily ever after, even while conveniently neglecting her own. So when the marriage of her two best friends falls apart—and the divorce proceedings get ugly—Bea is ready to step in and help pick up the pieces.
First on her to-do list? Storm the office of Nathan Asher, her friend’s ex-husband’s lawyer, and tell him exactly what he can do with his divorce petition. But what should end with a few choice words and a slam of the door soon spirals into uncharted territory when Nathan shows up at her NYU Law office a few days later. As a newly-minted adjunct professor––and her new colleague––he proves to be annoyingly intelligent, relentlessly patient, and unfairly attractive. Bea still hates him, of course, but it’s not long before that hate begins to feel a lot like something else.
There’s just one when you’ve spent your life focusing on everyone else’s love story, it’s not easy to take the starring role in your own. And as uncomfortable truths emerge about the divorce that started it all, Bea must choose whose happily ever after to everyone else’s or her own.
Beatrice Nilsson has a lot to be angry about. The wage gap, the pink tax, the repayment schedule on all those student loans…the list goes on. But that anger is also what makes her such a good friend—the perennial sidekick who fights for her loved ones’ happily ever after, even while conveniently neglecting her own. So when the marriage of her two best friends falls apart—and the divorce proceedings get ugly—Bea is ready to step in and help pick up the pieces.
First on her to-do list? Storm the office of Nathan Asher, her friend’s ex-husband’s lawyer, and tell him exactly what he can do with his divorce petition. But what should end with a few choice words and a slam of the door soon spirals into uncharted territory when Nathan shows up at her NYU Law office a few days later. As a newly-minted adjunct professor––and her new colleague––he proves to be annoyingly intelligent, relentlessly patient, and unfairly attractive. Bea still hates him, of course, but it’s not long before that hate begins to feel a lot like something else.
There’s just one when you’ve spent your life focusing on everyone else’s love story, it’s not easy to take the starring role in your own. And as uncomfortable truths emerge about the divorce that started it all, Bea must choose whose happily ever after to everyone else’s or her own.
352 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2025
583 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,209 reviews
December 8, 2025
I absolutely devoured this book in a single sitting!
This book was perfectly FREAKING romantic!
What I loved…
- flawed and relatable MCs
- TENSION A+++++++++++++
- no really - this author should teach a class on writing tension!
- slow-burn 🔥
- FMC that is extra relatable for the girlies who’ve been told they are “too much”
- forbidden pairing - he’s the divorce lawyer for her best friends ex-husband!
- side characters that were well developed but didn’t steal the show
- trauma - I love my romance with a side of trauma and we get just the right amount in this one!
- Will have you itching to get on a plane to NYC
What I didn’t love…
- Honestly I’m having a hard time deciding why to withhold the final bit and make this 5⭐️, so f-it it’s a 5⭐️ romance
- this is single POV and I know some won’t love that, but I thought it worked perfectly fine!
🌶️ - This book has plenty of tension that gets your pulse racing but as for explicit scenes, there is only one very mild one (end of ch. 20 after “I want you to kiss me” if you prefer to skip). The rest is eluded to and closed door - I’d feel comfortable recommending this to my teenage niece.
*I will say the cover definitely threw me off - I almost didn’t request this ARC bc the cover feels like something I’d expect from a more fluffy romance. After reading I'm even more confused by the cover considering it doesn't really reflect any scene within the book - in fact the closest scene it does reflect, that umbrella would be held by the security guard...
5⭐️ | IG | TikTok |
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
This book was perfectly FREAKING romantic!
What I loved…
- flawed and relatable MCs
- TENSION A+++++++++++++
- no really - this author should teach a class on writing tension!
- slow-burn 🔥
- FMC that is extra relatable for the girlies who’ve been told they are “too much”
- forbidden pairing - he’s the divorce lawyer for her best friends ex-husband!
- side characters that were well developed but didn’t steal the show
- trauma - I love my romance with a side of trauma and we get just the right amount in this one!
- Will have you itching to get on a plane to NYC
What I didn’t love…
- Honestly I’m having a hard time deciding why to withhold the final bit and make this 5⭐️, so f-it it’s a 5⭐️ romance
- this is single POV and I know some won’t love that, but I thought it worked perfectly fine!
🌶️ - This book has plenty of tension that gets your pulse racing but as for explicit scenes, there is only one very mild one (end of ch. 20 after “I want you to kiss me” if you prefer to skip). The rest is eluded to and closed door - I’d feel comfortable recommending this to my teenage niece.
*I will say the cover definitely threw me off - I almost didn’t request this ARC bc the cover feels like something I’d expect from a more fluffy romance. After reading I'm even more confused by the cover considering it doesn't really reflect any scene within the book - in fact the closest scene it does reflect, that umbrella would be held by the security guard...
5⭐️ | IG | TikTok |
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
February 28, 2025
I can’t resist the charm of any book featuring my all-time favorite trope: enemies to lovers—and luckily, this one delivers! It’s a quick, entertaining read filled with sizzling chemistry, tension, witty banter, and the perfect dose of drama, making it a great one-sitting read.
I was close to rating this book four or even five stars, but one thing held me back—though this is purely personal, and I don’t want others to be influenced by it. The heroine’s extra bitchy and negative tone irritated me. From the very first page, the author explains why Beatrice, an NYU law student on the verge of graduating, has become so cynical about love—thanks to her mother’s endless cycle of marriages and divorces. But her relentless bickering, impulsive decisions, and refusal to listen made me roll my eyes more than once. I get it—starting life on your own while dealing with a selfish, narcissistic mother is tough—but Bea’s constant anger and pessimism, along with her never-ending inner monologues, were a bit too much for me to tolerate.
On the other hand, I truly liked Nathan Asher, despite his job as a divorce lawyer! He was patient, charming, intelligent, and incredibly understanding from the start. However, even his unwavering positivity couldn’t fully balance out Bea’s negativity, which bordered on toxic at times.
I did love their growing attraction and their fiery—not-so-cute—first meeting, where Bea storms into Nathan’s office to berate him for representing her best friend’s ex in an alimony case. That scene was explosive, but as their encounters continued to escalate into volatile arguments (thanks to Bea), I found myself thinking, Come on, let’s tone it down and be a little more civilized!
Aside from that—and a slightly unnecessary third-act misunderstanding (you know the one, since most romcoms have them)—it was still an enjoyable read. I loved the pacing, the undeniable attraction, and the blend of opposites-attract and forced-proximity tropes. I’m sure most readers will love it, even if I personally struggled with the overly aggressive heroine.
I’ve read Emily Harding before as a co-writer of Jane Austen retellings and loved each one. I’m excited to read more of her solo and collaborative works in the future!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing this intriguing romcom’s digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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I was close to rating this book four or even five stars, but one thing held me back—though this is purely personal, and I don’t want others to be influenced by it. The heroine’s extra bitchy and negative tone irritated me. From the very first page, the author explains why Beatrice, an NYU law student on the verge of graduating, has become so cynical about love—thanks to her mother’s endless cycle of marriages and divorces. But her relentless bickering, impulsive decisions, and refusal to listen made me roll my eyes more than once. I get it—starting life on your own while dealing with a selfish, narcissistic mother is tough—but Bea’s constant anger and pessimism, along with her never-ending inner monologues, were a bit too much for me to tolerate.
On the other hand, I truly liked Nathan Asher, despite his job as a divorce lawyer! He was patient, charming, intelligent, and incredibly understanding from the start. However, even his unwavering positivity couldn’t fully balance out Bea’s negativity, which bordered on toxic at times.
I did love their growing attraction and their fiery—not-so-cute—first meeting, where Bea storms into Nathan’s office to berate him for representing her best friend’s ex in an alimony case. That scene was explosive, but as their encounters continued to escalate into volatile arguments (thanks to Bea), I found myself thinking, Come on, let’s tone it down and be a little more civilized!
Aside from that—and a slightly unnecessary third-act misunderstanding (you know the one, since most romcoms have them)—it was still an enjoyable read. I loved the pacing, the undeniable attraction, and the blend of opposites-attract and forced-proximity tropes. I’m sure most readers will love it, even if I personally struggled with the overly aggressive heroine.
I’ve read Emily Harding before as a co-writer of Jane Austen retellings and loved each one. I’m excited to read more of her solo and collaborative works in the future!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing this intriguing romcom’s digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
medium blog
January 19, 2025
The FMC was exhausting, I don’t even understand what redeeming qualities the MMC found in her. It was a continuous conversation of her being the smartest person in the room and referring to the seemingly nice MMC as an “a$/h@;/“ - I mean I think I read that phrase at least 100 times throughout the book, we got it. Her friendships seemed off too and I just couldn’t root for her and her overly judgmental attitude. I only gave it two stars because Nate was absolutely a gem and I wish we got more of his backstory.
July 20, 2025
4 Stars
This was exactly what I wanted it to be: a light, thoughtful romance with some humor and some hate-to-love goodness. I also really like the academic/law atmosphere and the cast of characters in general.
Some readers will understandably find the lead character, Bea, to be a little much. A little too cantankerous, a little too [insert your chosen synonym for bitchy]. But I really liked her and I felt like her hardened outer shell rang true to her characterization and wasn't just there for the sake of it.
I loved Nathan. LOVED. And their chemistry together was awesome.
All in all a wonderful new-to-me author and I will definitely pick up her next book. Highly recommend this for those in the mood for a light romance that still has a lot of emotional depth and nuance.
This was exactly what I wanted it to be: a light, thoughtful romance with some humor and some hate-to-love goodness. I also really like the academic/law atmosphere and the cast of characters in general.
Some readers will understandably find the lead character, Bea, to be a little much. A little too cantankerous, a little too [insert your chosen synonym for bitchy]. But I really liked her and I felt like her hardened outer shell rang true to her characterization and wasn't just there for the sake of it.
I loved Nathan. LOVED. And their chemistry together was awesome.
All in all a wonderful new-to-me author and I will definitely pick up her next book. Highly recommend this for those in the mood for a light romance that still has a lot of emotional depth and nuance.
July 6, 2025
Can’t say I enjoyed reading about a grown woman (nearly 30 years old!) behaving like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum.
July 12, 2025
I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that leans so heavily—and so clumsily—on the “anger as armor” trope. Bea was insufferable. She treated Nathan like complete and total garbage, and the fact that he found any of it spunky or cute just made me furious.
There’s nothing wrong with an angry woman—every woman I know has about a hundred reasons to be angry at any given moment. But wielding that anger to intentionally and repeatedly hurt the people around you isn’t empowering. It’s cruel. And it’s definitely not endearing.
This book also taps into a deeper frustration I have with stories where characters possess a level of introspection that feels wildly unrealistic. In the middle of an argument with Nathan, Bea is literally thinking about how she needs to weaponize her anger to avoid showing vulnerability. But people don’t think like that in real time—those kinds of realizations usually come later, with hindsight. Seeing it play out in the moment makes it look like an active choice to hurt someone she claims to love, which says something about Bea’s character that’s really hard to forgive.
There’s a difference between struggling with vulnerability and knowing you’re struggling—and still choosing to lash out anyway.
I’m throwing tomatoes at this book.
There’s nothing wrong with an angry woman—every woman I know has about a hundred reasons to be angry at any given moment. But wielding that anger to intentionally and repeatedly hurt the people around you isn’t empowering. It’s cruel. And it’s definitely not endearing.
This book also taps into a deeper frustration I have with stories where characters possess a level of introspection that feels wildly unrealistic. In the middle of an argument with Nathan, Bea is literally thinking about how she needs to weaponize her anger to avoid showing vulnerability. But people don’t think like that in real time—those kinds of realizations usually come later, with hindsight. Seeing it play out in the moment makes it look like an active choice to hurt someone she claims to love, which says something about Bea’s character that’s really hard to forgive.
There’s a difference between struggling with vulnerability and knowing you’re struggling—and still choosing to lash out anyway.
I’m throwing tomatoes at this book.
June 25, 2025
Debut solo book!
Really enjoyed it! Perfect blend of enemies to lovers and friendships/found family. Perfect one to add to your summer TBR.
Limited language but a few short open door scenes.
Really enjoyed it! Perfect blend of enemies to lovers and friendships/found family. Perfect one to add to your summer TBR.
Limited language but a few short open door scenes.
October 11, 2025
Enemies turned more troupe alert ‼️ Frustrating for sure 😝
July 15, 2025
Not to be that person but why didn’t anyone who went to law school fact check this book?? In what world does a 3L TA have her own office and sleep with an adjunct professor and it be totally ok???
July 17, 2025
Alright, I've pondered long and hard about this book, and I decided it's dumb. Allow me to elaborate:
- First of all, this is a me problem, and I accept full responsibility, but I completely misunderstood the premise of the book. I thought Bea was the LAWYER for her friend. But no, she actually just decides to BUTT IN and YELL AT THE OPPOSING COUNSEL despite not being involved AT ALL. I guess when I read the summary, I assumed if she was getting involved with yelling at her ex-best friend's lawyer that she was representing her current best friend because OTHERWISE IT MAKES NO SENSE FOR HER TO DEMAND TO SEE NATHAN AND YELL AT HIM. That's literally insane behavior. Turns out insane behavior is kind of Bea's vibe.
- Second of all, Bea has a favorite word, and she has no idea what it means. Her favorite word is "a**hole," but I do not think that word means what you think it means, Bea. She likes to call the love interest, Nathan, that word anytime he does anything. Eats food? A**hole. Ties his shoes? A**hole. Sends an email to his client on time? A**hole. Pays for an Uber for her? A**hole. Confesses his love for her? A**hole. I'll have you know, this man was only an actual a**hole one time. You know who was the a**hole the entire book? BEA.
- Third of all, there is no enemies-to-lovers here. Bea just actually hates everyone in the universe for no reason, and he never disliked her at all for any reason whatsoever. That's not enemies-to-lovers. That's "this chick needs therapy asap."
- Fourth of all, there's zip, zero, zilch banter. I can tell you how every conversation goes:
Nathan *does absolutely nothing*:
Bea: You're the biggest a**hole who ever lived
Nathan: 😍
Bea: I hate you
*they kiss*
- Fifth of all, the ending miscommunication was through the roof crazy. That was the one time Nathan truly was the a**hole. Here's how it went: (spoilers abound) Bea finally learns what's going on with her friend and goes over to his house to help him enroll in a drug rehab program. She answers the door at his apartment, and Nathan is there. He immediately assumes she's cheating on him and says, "never speak to me again." She says, "I can't tell you what's going on with this guy cuz it's his thing, but when you find out, you're so gonna regret that." She's actually right for once, but too late for him because she's blocked him everywhere. He calls and leaves a message on her work phone, and she is so angry about that, she tracks him down to yell at him and say, "No, I never want to see you again." It was a whole mess.
- Sixth of all, there's absolutely no relationship development. One second they met, the next she's assaulting him with a kiss, and the next they're having a whole weekend together and declaring their love. They fall in love so quickly, my word.
- Seventh of all, Bea is just a moron the whole book, and it was hard to look past.
- Eighth of all, would NYC really condemn a building at 8pm on Friday and ban everyone from getting in? I don't buy it. Smells like "convenience."
All those complaints aside, there was one thing I liked: the sensitivity and discussions with her friend and their divorce. That was honestly rather sweet, and those parts almost convinced me to rate it 3 stars, but I decided to be a hater.
- First of all, this is a me problem, and I accept full responsibility, but I completely misunderstood the premise of the book. I thought Bea was the LAWYER for her friend. But no, she actually just decides to BUTT IN and YELL AT THE OPPOSING COUNSEL despite not being involved AT ALL. I guess when I read the summary, I assumed if she was getting involved with yelling at her ex-best friend's lawyer that she was representing her current best friend because OTHERWISE IT MAKES NO SENSE FOR HER TO DEMAND TO SEE NATHAN AND YELL AT HIM. That's literally insane behavior. Turns out insane behavior is kind of Bea's vibe.
- Second of all, Bea has a favorite word, and she has no idea what it means. Her favorite word is "a**hole," but I do not think that word means what you think it means, Bea. She likes to call the love interest, Nathan, that word anytime he does anything. Eats food? A**hole. Ties his shoes? A**hole. Sends an email to his client on time? A**hole. Pays for an Uber for her? A**hole. Confesses his love for her? A**hole. I'll have you know, this man was only an actual a**hole one time. You know who was the a**hole the entire book? BEA.
- Third of all, there is no enemies-to-lovers here. Bea just actually hates everyone in the universe for no reason, and he never disliked her at all for any reason whatsoever. That's not enemies-to-lovers. That's "this chick needs therapy asap."
- Fourth of all, there's zip, zero, zilch banter. I can tell you how every conversation goes:
Nathan *does absolutely nothing*:
Bea: You're the biggest a**hole who ever lived
Nathan: 😍
Bea: I hate you
*they kiss*
- Fifth of all, the ending miscommunication was through the roof crazy. That was the one time Nathan truly was the a**hole. Here's how it went: (spoilers abound) Bea finally learns what's going on with her friend and goes over to his house to help him enroll in a drug rehab program. She answers the door at his apartment, and Nathan is there. He immediately assumes she's cheating on him and says, "never speak to me again." She says, "I can't tell you what's going on with this guy cuz it's his thing, but when you find out, you're so gonna regret that." She's actually right for once, but too late for him because she's blocked him everywhere. He calls and leaves a message on her work phone, and she is so angry about that, she tracks him down to yell at him and say, "No, I never want to see you again." It was a whole mess.
- Sixth of all, there's absolutely no relationship development. One second they met, the next she's assaulting him with a kiss, and the next they're having a whole weekend together and declaring their love. They fall in love so quickly, my word.
- Seventh of all, Bea is just a moron the whole book, and it was hard to look past.
- Eighth of all, would NYC really condemn a building at 8pm on Friday and ban everyone from getting in? I don't buy it. Smells like "convenience."
All those complaints aside, there was one thing I liked: the sensitivity and discussions with her friend and their divorce. That was honestly rather sweet, and those parts almost convinced me to rate it 3 stars, but I decided to be a hater.
July 24, 2025
•Slow burn
•Forced proximity
•Enemies to lovers
•Workplace romance
•Solo Debut
3 ⭐️
1🌶️
•Forced proximity
•Enemies to lovers
•Workplace romance
•Solo Debut
3 ⭐️
1🌶️
July 7, 2025
How freaking boring
Yeah, I got to 50% and that was enough for me. I was not enjoying it and life is too short for that.
Yeah, I got to 50% and that was enough for me. I was not enjoying it and life is too short for that.
July 16, 2025
3.25/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️
The premise of the story is cute but I just wasn’t invested in the characters. They both felt like they had no personality and they weren’t really I to each other.
1/5 🌶️
The premise of the story is cute but I just wasn’t invested in the characters. They both felt like they had no personality and they weren’t really I to each other.
June 12, 2025
This one was so much fun! Bea and Nate’s fiery (and definitely not cute) first meeting sets the tone for a tension filled, slow burn romance full of sharp banter and undeniable chemistry. The push and pull between them? 🤌🏻💋 I especially loved the NYC setting and Bea’s amazing friend group, college friends turned chosen family always gets me. Bea might be getting some hate in early reviews, but I actually really liked her! She felt real, flawed, and totally authentic. And Nate? He’s falling first and falling hard. If you love a slow burn with sparks flying, this one’s for you. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes 💘:
🔥 Enemies to lovers
🗽 NYC setting
⏳ Slow burn
💘 He falls first
👯♀️ Found family
Tropes 💘:
🔥 Enemies to lovers
🗽 NYC setting
⏳ Slow burn
💘 He falls first
👯♀️ Found family
August 5, 2025
Ok, I was really hesitant about this one in the beginning. Beatrice was a lot to take in. She was super abrasive, stubborn, and overall just an incredibly angry person. The way she storms into Nathan’s office in chapter one to chew him out for doing his job (he's the opposing lawyer in her best friend's messy divorce) had me side-eyeing her big time.
But here’s the thing. I finished this book with a huge smile, and I regret judging Bea so harshly at the start. With her mother having been married six times, it’s no wonder Bea had such cynical views on love and marriage. She’s always been the one taking care of everyone else, never letting anyone in far enough to take care of her. The deeper you get into the story, the more you understand her emotional walls.
And Nathan was exactly the calm to her storm. Their banter was so good, and I love the comical way “asshole” morphed into a weirdly sweet pet name. I really loved the emotional ups and downs of their forbidden-like romance. Also! The divorce case wasn’t just background fluff. It played out like a story of its own, with some truly heartbreaking reveals that kept me turning pages. I was just as invested in how that would end as I was with Bea and Nathan!
(heat level: 1 open-door scene, moderate details)
But here’s the thing. I finished this book with a huge smile, and I regret judging Bea so harshly at the start. With her mother having been married six times, it’s no wonder Bea had such cynical views on love and marriage. She’s always been the one taking care of everyone else, never letting anyone in far enough to take care of her. The deeper you get into the story, the more you understand her emotional walls.
And Nathan was exactly the calm to her storm. Their banter was so good, and I love the comical way “asshole” morphed into a weirdly sweet pet name. I really loved the emotional ups and downs of their forbidden-like romance. Also! The divorce case wasn’t just background fluff. It played out like a story of its own, with some truly heartbreaking reveals that kept me turning pages. I was just as invested in how that would end as I was with Bea and Nathan!
(heat level: 1 open-door scene, moderate details)
July 8, 2025
Struggled to decide feelings on this one. Could have been a 2, could have been a 4 in my completely made up and ever changing rating system. Liked every other character other than the FMC.
FMC Bea was so so angry and mean to the MMC all the time, and we're never given a clear or decisive reason why. There is no way a real life human would put up with that kind of belittling, judgmental, and mean behavior from someone they just met. 'Hi, I just met you but I am going to constantly tell you how much of an asshole you are and demean you and your job even though I am studying to be the same thing (lawyer) and should completely understand why you do the things you do and should be able to maturely separate the two.' Her inner thoughts were so ridiculous too, constantly bringing up her rage and anger and how it was overpowering any reasoning. So you admit that you should not be getting so hot headed about this, but yet you persist and then justify it by making up stories in your head of how the MMC deserves it for simply existing?
At times I wanted to DNF, other times I had to see it through to see if the marshmallow of an MMC would grow a backbone and stick up for himself against the absolute butthead FMC. Spoiler, he does not as this is a romance and it has to be a HEA.
FMC Bea was so so angry and mean to the MMC all the time, and we're never given a clear or decisive reason why. There is no way a real life human would put up with that kind of belittling, judgmental, and mean behavior from someone they just met. 'Hi, I just met you but I am going to constantly tell you how much of an asshole you are and demean you and your job even though I am studying to be the same thing (lawyer) and should completely understand why you do the things you do and should be able to maturely separate the two.' Her inner thoughts were so ridiculous too, constantly bringing up her rage and anger and how it was overpowering any reasoning. So you admit that you should not be getting so hot headed about this, but yet you persist and then justify it by making up stories in your head of how the MMC deserves it for simply existing?
At times I wanted to DNF, other times I had to see it through to see if the marshmallow of an MMC would grow a backbone and stick up for himself against the absolute butthead FMC. Spoiler, he does not as this is a romance and it has to be a HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2025
How fucking annoying and traumatizing.
what was I thinking when I picked this book and more specifically why did I stick to the end to finish it.
let's talk about the FMC, she's always angry, taking care of her people ( like that's an actual reason to be a bitch to everyone else ).
i honestly felt pity on the MMC throughout the book I was like why do you even need to deal with this woman.
so basically she wants to be loved, but everytime someone comes near her she throws them off, or lashes out on them, even though there was no loving gesture or loving feeling mentioned by her side in the first place, it's like being a child oh my friend is getting a divorce so now I'm gonna be a bitch and lash it out on the lawyer who's helping with the divorce, in what universe does it makes sense??
idk what kind of people are even supporting such toxic character, I just want to forget that this book exist.
if I've to pick one book from this year to hate, that would be definitely this one.
and all that bullshit on friend's divorce, like the friend didn't see her husband on pills but you did wow, way to make more ridiculous.
and that fight between both main characters not just once but multiple times , i never such tropes.
I stick end to the book just in a hope that maybe she'll change but no even in the end still the same behaviour.
this one is absolutely trash for me.
I need a cleansing section after going through hell with this one.
what was I thinking when I picked this book and more specifically why did I stick to the end to finish it.
let's talk about the FMC, she's always angry, taking care of her people ( like that's an actual reason to be a bitch to everyone else ).
i honestly felt pity on the MMC throughout the book I was like why do you even need to deal with this woman.
so basically she wants to be loved, but everytime someone comes near her she throws them off, or lashes out on them, even though there was no loving gesture or loving feeling mentioned by her side in the first place, it's like being a child oh my friend is getting a divorce so now I'm gonna be a bitch and lash it out on the lawyer who's helping with the divorce, in what universe does it makes sense??
idk what kind of people are even supporting such toxic character, I just want to forget that this book exist.
if I've to pick one book from this year to hate, that would be definitely this one.
and all that bullshit on friend's divorce, like the friend didn't see her husband on pills but you did wow, way to make more ridiculous.
and that fight between both main characters not just once but multiple times , i never such tropes.
I stick end to the book just in a hope that maybe she'll change but no even in the end still the same behaviour.
this one is absolutely trash for me.
I need a cleansing section after going through hell with this one.
July 1, 2025
emily harding wrote this one for the angry girls and i'm all for it!
as someone who's read emma of 83rd street and elizabeth of east hampton and loved both, i knew harding would shine with her solo debut but DAMN i wasn't expecting these emotional punches this story gave me. and i like a sucker for emotional stories, i loved all of it!
how freaking romantic is much more than bea and nate's love story, but more like a love letter for all the love out there in life. that even in its simplicity, it's powerful. which i guess is one of the reasons this book felt so incredibly real to me. this story managed to make the mundane sound wonderful, and i loved that.
now, i have to say, i already know some people will have a tough time with beatrice, but they can take that up to ME! no bad comments towards her will be allowed on my watch. i loved her even in her bitterness and angry moments. i love her character and i saw myself in her several times. and i'm so happy that she found the love she deserves with nate.
also, i might have to get a tattoo for "not easy, just simple" because hello?!?!?!
ARC provided by the publisher through Netgalley.
as someone who's read emma of 83rd street and elizabeth of east hampton and loved both, i knew harding would shine with her solo debut but DAMN i wasn't expecting these emotional punches this story gave me. and i like a sucker for emotional stories, i loved all of it!
how freaking romantic is much more than bea and nate's love story, but more like a love letter for all the love out there in life. that even in its simplicity, it's powerful. which i guess is one of the reasons this book felt so incredibly real to me. this story managed to make the mundane sound wonderful, and i loved that.
now, i have to say, i already know some people will have a tough time with beatrice, but they can take that up to ME! no bad comments towards her will be allowed on my watch. i loved her even in her bitterness and angry moments. i love her character and i saw myself in her several times. and i'm so happy that she found the love she deserves with nate.
also, i might have to get a tattoo for "not easy, just simple" because hello?!?!?!
ARC provided by the publisher through Netgalley.
July 10, 2025
That was painful. Full rant to come.
June 30, 2025
Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
Yes, I gave this 5 stars, I loved it to pieces, but it's not on my favorites shelf because I think the handling of the addiction story-line felt a little too pat and I wanted more details than what I got on that. I just thought that it was great to keep the main storyline on the heroine (Bea) and hero (Nate) so applause for that. Give me enemies to lovers or give me death, but I think that it went too light there considering the seriousness of the storyline.
"How Freaking Romantic" follows 29 year old law student, Beatrice (Bea to her friends). Bea is angry that her two best friends are going through a divorce. Instead of thinking of things rationally (hint she never does for the most part) she goes into her one ex-friend's divorce lawyer's office and curses him out and blames him for stealing money from her friend. Of course, this is a romance novel so Bea is forced to see Nate again and then even start working with him. And though she thinks he's trash, she starts to see a different side to him while fighting the urge to go there.
There's a lot going on with Bea and her friendship group (no spoilers). But the biggest thing I will say and have sympathy for is your friends you went to college with, often things change. Bea for many reasons loathes change and doesn't seem to get they can't all be the same to each other at their stages in their lives. I think her meeting Nate and facing how she needed to loosen her grip was wonderful to read about and see.
I loved Nate. Seriously. Someone calls him Paul Newman at one point and you guys...that's my kink. Not ashamed. Loud and proud.
Ahem.
Anyway I thought that Harding did what I wish more romance authors did these days, they stay focused on the main couple and the heat going from a low boil to a full blast. I got why these two characters were drawn together and I rooted for them the whole way.
The flow in this one was pitch perfect and the main and side plots did too.
The setting is New York, but a gritter and dirtier New York than we usually get in these romance novels. I just enjoyed it. Usually everything is sparkly and rich.
The ending was perfect and I will happily read anything else that Harding puts out.
Yes, I gave this 5 stars, I loved it to pieces, but it's not on my favorites shelf because I think the handling of the addiction story-line felt a little too pat and I wanted more details than what I got on that. I just thought that it was great to keep the main storyline on the heroine (Bea) and hero (Nate) so applause for that. Give me enemies to lovers or give me death, but I think that it went too light there considering the seriousness of the storyline.
"How Freaking Romantic" follows 29 year old law student, Beatrice (Bea to her friends). Bea is angry that her two best friends are going through a divorce. Instead of thinking of things rationally (hint she never does for the most part) she goes into her one ex-friend's divorce lawyer's office and curses him out and blames him for stealing money from her friend. Of course, this is a romance novel so Bea is forced to see Nate again and then even start working with him. And though she thinks he's trash, she starts to see a different side to him while fighting the urge to go there.
There's a lot going on with Bea and her friendship group (no spoilers). But the biggest thing I will say and have sympathy for is your friends you went to college with, often things change. Bea for many reasons loathes change and doesn't seem to get they can't all be the same to each other at their stages in their lives. I think her meeting Nate and facing how she needed to loosen her grip was wonderful to read about and see.
I loved Nate. Seriously. Someone calls him Paul Newman at one point and you guys...that's my kink. Not ashamed. Loud and proud.
Ahem.
Anyway I thought that Harding did what I wish more romance authors did these days, they stay focused on the main couple and the heat going from a low boil to a full blast. I got why these two characters were drawn together and I rooted for them the whole way.
The flow in this one was pitch perfect and the main and side plots did too.
The setting is New York, but a gritter and dirtier New York than we usually get in these romance novels. I just enjoyed it. Usually everything is sparkly and rich.
The ending was perfect and I will happily read anything else that Harding puts out.
July 13, 2025
3.75 stars. I enjoyed this book for the most part. I liked the chemistry and banter between the two. I love how the MMC was obviously instantly attracted to her and I love how he continued to push her throughout the book.
But I feel like in the last 20% of the book both of their personalities shifted and it felt like I was reading a different book.
I wanted a grand gesture from the MMC I wanted him to do more after the 3rd act breakup. And she mentions something that is romantic without being basic as buying her flower and I expected him to do it, but he didn’t.
Really strong beginning of the book, but I wanted more from the end.
But I feel like in the last 20% of the book both of their personalities shifted and it felt like I was reading a different book.
I wanted a grand gesture from the MMC I wanted him to do more after the 3rd act breakup. And she mentions something that is romantic without being basic as buying her flower and I expected him to do it, but he didn’t.
Really strong beginning of the book, but I wanted more from the end.
July 7, 2025
All my complaints are very nitpicky, but by the end of the book I was spending as much time focusing on the things I didn't like as I was enjoying the story itself. As is often the case, I have so much more to say about an imperfect book than one I loved.
Like a lot of contemporary romances, especially those billed as romcoms and/or having a cartoon-y cover, the hero was kind of a big old cinnamon roll. In general, as in this story, he's a blandly perfect object against which the (frustratingly) spazzy heroine can bounce against. But in this story, where the recurring banter between the lovers is that she thinks he is and continues to call him an asshole, it's just so unearned. I wish books like this had the courage of their convictions; in this case, let the guy be a bit of an asshole? Like, have him make a full-throated case for being a divorce attorney, rather than a gentle nonprofit lawyer who got waylaid by big law accidentally, or whatever the premise is here. We see him being such a nice guy (his long-term relationship with his old law professor/mentor, for instance, or helping the heroine make a crucial career-expanding networking opportunity). Don't get me wrong, who doesn't like a nice guy, but it's never clear why this actually nice guy would fall for a woman who continually calls him an asshole and accuses him of all kinds of nefarious activity when as far as I can tell he's fairly representing his client in a divorce case (which he ethically is compelled to do). I actually liked the hero more than the heroine, but the plot would have worked better, and dear god the action and banter would have been so much more fun, if he were a bit more of a prick. I long for the days of romance novels where both the hero and the heroine have a character arc.
About that spazzy heroine: I don't know how much of this is a problem in how the character was conceived versus how she was written. For instance, I guess we're to take the idea that she's really damaged by her mother's many divorces and that's why she's so anti-divorce lawyer? But at the same time, she never took any of those relationships very seriously (i.e., it's not like she lost important father figures); her "damage" such as she has any is from having a flaky mother rather than the divorces per se, I'd say. I don't mind the idea of a hot-tempered heroine, but most of the time she just seems immature and a bit of a jerk? It's never really clear to me why the hero would stand to be called asshole (undeservedly, from what I can tell) and put up with this nonsense.
My other major nitpick: Like so many contemporary romances, the third act conflict is rushed and unearned. And there's like two or three of them in a row (1) he's her friend's opposing counsel in her divorce and she needs to tell her friend! 2) she can't tell him about his client's addiction and 3) he arrives at his client's house, where she's been enforcing his new sobriety by blocking the doorway, and assumes, after they've just spent an incredible sexytime weekend together, that she's already cheating on him. I *hated* this last one. It's unearned (he knows she's ex-friends with his client, why we he assume their relationship is sexual? Why would someone who is otherwise so level-headed jump to this conclusion at all, let alone not give her time to explain herself?). But it's also implausible: what lawyer anywhere in the world, let alone in New York City, just drops by their client's home to deliver in person the news that they're breaking off the attorney-client relationship? Good thing this is the one apartment building (in pricey west village no less) that has an exterior lock that never works so anyone can just drop by at any time! This really stuck in my craw.
I guess it's fine to wave a hand and say "for romance reasons" but I really don't think in this day and age we have to work so hard to contrive to have the heroine need to shack up with the hero for one night in order to move their physical relationship forward. First of all, an entire apartment building would not be shut down by order of the city ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, with no notice. As a former NYC resident, that's the kind of thing, if it happened at all, would be communicated for weeks in advance. And whatever level of repairs were necessary to fix a situation that's bad enough that the building was temporarily and immediately foreclosed to all residents...well those would take more than two days over the weekend to fix. Silliness! But also, two single adults who are attracted to each other can just...act on that attraction? I can't tell if this is the takeover by tropes (forced proximity, in this case) of the entire romance industry or if authors simply don't know how to write convincing chat/banter that leads two characters towards the bedroom (I suspect it's a bit of both), but I had to roll my eyes at how hard this plot had to work to get some forced proximity that led way to drinks to lowered inhibitions to sexytime.
I was hoping for more from a BOTM selection, I'm not going to lie. This wasn't appallingly bad or anything, but it was so far from perfect. Maybe this is the kind of book that 20-30 years ago, when there were more editors working in publishing houses, that would have been better. Because this book seriously needed someone to poke at and clean up some of these inconsistencies and plot contrivances. Somewhere in here is a much better book.
Like a lot of contemporary romances, especially those billed as romcoms and/or having a cartoon-y cover, the hero was kind of a big old cinnamon roll. In general, as in this story, he's a blandly perfect object against which the (frustratingly) spazzy heroine can bounce against. But in this story, where the recurring banter between the lovers is that she thinks he is and continues to call him an asshole, it's just so unearned. I wish books like this had the courage of their convictions; in this case, let the guy be a bit of an asshole? Like, have him make a full-throated case for being a divorce attorney, rather than a gentle nonprofit lawyer who got waylaid by big law accidentally, or whatever the premise is here. We see him being such a nice guy (his long-term relationship with his old law professor/mentor, for instance, or helping the heroine make a crucial career-expanding networking opportunity). Don't get me wrong, who doesn't like a nice guy, but it's never clear why this actually nice guy would fall for a woman who continually calls him an asshole and accuses him of all kinds of nefarious activity when as far as I can tell he's fairly representing his client in a divorce case (which he ethically is compelled to do). I actually liked the hero more than the heroine, but the plot would have worked better, and dear god the action and banter would have been so much more fun, if he were a bit more of a prick. I long for the days of romance novels where both the hero and the heroine have a character arc.
About that spazzy heroine: I don't know how much of this is a problem in how the character was conceived versus how she was written. For instance, I guess we're to take the idea that she's really damaged by her mother's many divorces and that's why she's so anti-divorce lawyer? But at the same time, she never took any of those relationships very seriously (i.e., it's not like she lost important father figures); her "damage" such as she has any is from having a flaky mother rather than the divorces per se, I'd say. I don't mind the idea of a hot-tempered heroine, but most of the time she just seems immature and a bit of a jerk? It's never really clear to me why the hero would stand to be called asshole (undeservedly, from what I can tell) and put up with this nonsense.
My other major nitpick: Like so many contemporary romances, the third act conflict is rushed and unearned. And there's like two or three of them in a row (1) he's her friend's opposing counsel in her divorce and she needs to tell her friend! 2) she can't tell him about his client's addiction and 3) he arrives at his client's house, where she's been enforcing his new sobriety by blocking the doorway, and assumes, after they've just spent an incredible sexytime weekend together, that she's already cheating on him. I *hated* this last one. It's unearned (he knows she's ex-friends with his client, why we he assume their relationship is sexual? Why would someone who is otherwise so level-headed jump to this conclusion at all, let alone not give her time to explain herself?). But it's also implausible: what lawyer anywhere in the world, let alone in New York City, just drops by their client's home to deliver in person the news that they're breaking off the attorney-client relationship? Good thing this is the one apartment building (in pricey west village no less) that has an exterior lock that never works so anyone can just drop by at any time! This really stuck in my craw.
I guess it's fine to wave a hand and say "for romance reasons" but I really don't think in this day and age we have to work so hard to contrive to have the heroine need to shack up with the hero for one night in order to move their physical relationship forward. First of all, an entire apartment building would not be shut down by order of the city ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, with no notice. As a former NYC resident, that's the kind of thing, if it happened at all, would be communicated for weeks in advance. And whatever level of repairs were necessary to fix a situation that's bad enough that the building was temporarily and immediately foreclosed to all residents...well those would take more than two days over the weekend to fix. Silliness! But also, two single adults who are attracted to each other can just...act on that attraction? I can't tell if this is the takeover by tropes (forced proximity, in this case) of the entire romance industry or if authors simply don't know how to write convincing chat/banter that leads two characters towards the bedroom (I suspect it's a bit of both), but I had to roll my eyes at how hard this plot had to work to get some forced proximity that led way to drinks to lowered inhibitions to sexytime.
I was hoping for more from a BOTM selection, I'm not going to lie. This wasn't appallingly bad or anything, but it was so far from perfect. Maybe this is the kind of book that 20-30 years ago, when there were more editors working in publishing houses, that would have been better. Because this book seriously needed someone to poke at and clean up some of these inconsistencies and plot contrivances. Somewhere in here is a much better book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2025
So much enjoyable! It feels like real-life romance!!!
FMC's mother had divorced and married 6 times! FMC had an immense anger growing inside of her as a result. I loved how it is described in the novel: (Pain is anger's negligent parent)
So every time she gets hurt she lets all the rage outside namely when she learns that her 2 best friends are getting divorced. She learns that MMC the lawyer of her her male best friend is asking for outrages demands of her girl best friend.
So, she barges into his office as the novel described it (wanting to nail his balls to the side of the building).
MMC was instantly intrigued by her, he meets her again as his TA in law school and they navigate a very entertaining relationship.
When opening up about love: FMC said that true romance is about gestures. Humans forget to put the effort. Instead they thought that romance could be bought via flowers and jewelry.
She explained that true romance is giving without expecting in return.
She talked about, how her grandparents met when her grandfather was a mechanic fixing her grandmother's car. While she was screaming at him about how expensive her bill was, he left the room. She screamed some more, but then saw that the mechanic was turning on the motor and heat of the car so it would be warm for her when she left.
And I meeeeeeeelted. MMC did something so close to that at the end of novel. They were fighting bad and FMC left his firm and found a man waiting for her with an umbrella telling her to get in a car because there was pouring rain. FMC got back to MMC screaming again "Why would you do that" and he simply said "I don't want you to suffer the storm" Just a s simple as that, despite their fight!
Checking the square of a Romance book set in WINTER.
25⭕ ┃37⭕┃87┃13┃68┃40⭕┃32┃59┃76┃44
10⭕┃86┃4 ┃45┃47┃98┃50⭕┃14⭕┃85┃75
88┃51┃ 9⭕┃2┃42⭕┃29⭕┃ 24┃92⭕┃ 82┃1⭕
100┃34⭕┃17┃96┃43⭕┃49┃64⭕┃70┃15┃38⭕
84┃31⭕┃ 62⭕┃7⭕┃21┃73┃28┃46⭕┃90┃77
3⭕┃12⭕┃80⭕┃ 69⭕┃52⭕┃ 65⭕┃54⭕┃ 91⭕┃23⭕┃ 72⭕
18┃95┃ 22┃99┃93┃74⭕┃41⭕┃8┃35⭕┃ 58⭕
57┃94┃ 16⭕┃56┃ 5⭕┃60┃78⭕┃ 26┃81┃ 61
97┃48⭕┃ 79⭕┃67┃ 53⭕┃30⭕┃ 6⭕┃36⭕┃89┃ 33⭕
71⭕┃19┃ 39⭕┃66┃ 55┃27┃ 20┃63┃ 11┃83
FMC's mother had divorced and married 6 times! FMC had an immense anger growing inside of her as a result. I loved how it is described in the novel: (Pain is anger's negligent parent)
So every time she gets hurt she lets all the rage outside namely when she learns that her 2 best friends are getting divorced. She learns that MMC the lawyer of her her male best friend is asking for outrages demands of her girl best friend.
So, she barges into his office as the novel described it (wanting to nail his balls to the side of the building).
MMC was instantly intrigued by her, he meets her again as his TA in law school and they navigate a very entertaining relationship.
When opening up about love: FMC said that true romance is about gestures. Humans forget to put the effort. Instead they thought that romance could be bought via flowers and jewelry.
She explained that true romance is giving without expecting in return.
She talked about, how her grandparents met when her grandfather was a mechanic fixing her grandmother's car. While she was screaming at him about how expensive her bill was, he left the room. She screamed some more, but then saw that the mechanic was turning on the motor and heat of the car so it would be warm for her when she left.
And I meeeeeeeelted. MMC did something so close to that at the end of novel. They were fighting bad and FMC left his firm and found a man waiting for her with an umbrella telling her to get in a car because there was pouring rain. FMC got back to MMC screaming again "Why would you do that" and he simply said "I don't want you to suffer the storm" Just a s simple as that, despite their fight!
Checking the square of a Romance book set in WINTER.
25⭕ ┃37⭕┃87┃13┃68┃40⭕┃32┃59┃76┃44
10⭕┃86┃4 ┃45┃47┃98┃50⭕┃14⭕┃85┃75
88┃51┃ 9⭕┃2┃42⭕┃29⭕┃ 24┃92⭕┃ 82┃1⭕
100┃34⭕┃17┃96┃43⭕┃49┃64⭕┃70┃15┃38⭕
84┃31⭕┃ 62⭕┃7⭕┃21┃73┃28┃46⭕┃90┃77
3⭕┃12⭕┃80⭕┃ 69⭕┃52⭕┃ 65⭕┃54⭕┃ 91⭕┃23⭕┃ 72⭕
18┃95┃ 22┃99┃93┃74⭕┃41⭕┃8┃35⭕┃ 58⭕
57┃94┃ 16⭕┃56┃ 5⭕┃60┃78⭕┃ 26┃81┃ 61
97┃48⭕┃ 79⭕┃67┃ 53⭕┃30⭕┃ 6⭕┃36⭕┃89┃ 33⭕
71⭕┃19┃ 39⭕┃66┃ 55┃27┃ 20┃63┃ 11┃83
June 16, 2025
FMC: Insufferable and huge chip on her shoulders.
MMC: ZERO personality.
PLOT: What plot? I was expecting some very tense back and forth, enemies to lovers trope, instead I got a lot of stereotypes, lots of convenient plot devices. For instance, Bea's bldg got shut down, and even if her attraction to Nathan is palpable, you want to convince me that she'd rather spend the weekend with this guy than any of her friends in the city ESP Jillian?!
This is not for me, clearly.
MMC: ZERO personality.
PLOT: What plot? I was expecting some very tense back and forth, enemies to lovers trope, instead I got a lot of stereotypes, lots of convenient plot devices. For instance, Bea's bldg got shut down, and even if her attraction to Nathan is palpable, you want to convince me that she'd rather spend the weekend with this guy than any of her friends in the city ESP Jillian?!
This is not for me, clearly.
August 9, 2025
This sucked so hard I can’t even explain it I’m rage baited
July 25, 2025
i should’ve known better than to pick this up but we really couldn’t google that law students are 1Ls, 2Ls, and 3Ls and not L1s, L2s, and L3s?
July 20, 2025
This book delivered those classic 2000’s RomCom vibes for me! The FMC annoyed me throughout the book but I thought she had some pretty valid reasons for her behavior regarding her distrust of love/marriage. The MMC was such a sweetheart and was the exact person Bea needed in her life. Such a sweet story that would be a perfect movie!
I really enjoyed the side characters and their core friendship! There is a side character struggling with addiction, so keep that in mind before picking this up.
I don’t know why but the narrator’s voice turned extra “breathy” in the epilogue and I was laughing yet also slightly uncomfy 😂
I really enjoyed the side characters and their core friendship! There is a side character struggling with addiction, so keep that in mind before picking this up.
I don’t know why but the narrator’s voice turned extra “breathy” in the epilogue and I was laughing yet also slightly uncomfy 😂
July 15, 2025
3.5 rounded up
July 6, 2025
4.5 stars 🌟 set in nyc ✅ lawyers but also teachers ✅ enemies to lovers slow burn ✅ all my favorites wrapped into one!!! natebea were absolutely everything to me and i love love loved this ⚖️🗽📚 their working relationship and their romantic relationship meshed together so well and i loved seeing how obsessed nate was with bea 🥹
i adored the two of them and even tho jillian and josh went thru a lot i would absolutely not complain if they found each other again and ms harding decided to give them a book 😚
i adored the two of them and even tho jillian and josh went thru a lot i would absolutely not complain if they found each other again and ms harding decided to give them a book 😚
July 6, 2025
The main character is incredibly annoying and acts like a child. And I’m meant to believe this incites Insta-love (insta-horniness??)
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