Plus One

by Kelsey Rodkey, Ann Marie Gideon (Reader)

MP3 CD Format Fans of Emma Lord and Rachel Lynn Solomon will revel in Kelsey Rodkey's latest swoon-worthy YA rom-com as self-proclaimed matchmaker Lahey finally puts her own heart on the line--to find a date in just one week. Lahey Johnson is notorious for helping her friends and classmates find love, but she's never had a reason to focus on her own love life. Until now. When her detested cousin Summer decides Lahey doesn't need a plus one to her sweet sixteen, Lahey has the ultimate revenge. Lahey will do anything to prove that she can get a date to Summer's party--anything, including juggle six prospective suitors in seven days. The only issue? Her sister's irritating friend Adler has decided to take a front-row seat to the spectacle that is Lahey's life. Lahey is determined not to let him distract her from one-upping Summer. But as the party creeps closer, the panic sets in. Can a matchmaker ever really meet her own match? Last Chance Books  author Kelsey Rodkey delivers another perfect read for all who love their romance with a side of repartee.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Audiobook, Young Adult Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

1 pages, Audio CD

First published June 27, 2023

About the author

Kelsey Rodkey is the author of the young adult novels Last Chance Books, A Disaster in Three Acts, Plus One, and Class Act. She is a banter enthusiast always in search of scary movies, delicious carbs, and her next five-star read. She once helped a British film crew make a documentary about creative dog grooming and has a terrible fear of waterslides. She lives in Pennsylvania with her partner and their cats, Cheese and Tux.

Reviews

[give me books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fajna rozrywka ale nie było to nic super odkrywczego. Wiecie, morał że trzeba być sobą jest już raczej wszystkim znany

[Shawna Finnigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW// brief mention of racism, brief sexism, fatphobia, mentions of divorce, minor car accident

Plus One is a super cute and enjoyable YA rom com. It follows a hectic week in Lahey’s life as she tries to find a date to her cousin’s birthday party. On her disastrous meet ups with potential dates, Lahey keeps bumping into Adler, her older sister’s best friend, and Adler doesn’t seem to want to leave Lahey alone.

I loved the pacing and writing style in this story. Kelsey Rodkey has a way with words that made me lose track of time while I was reading Plus One. I was sucked in from the first page and I couldn’t stop reading to find out what would happen next.

The representation in this book was wonderful. There’s a plus sized main character in Plus One and lots of the conversations surrounding Lahey’s weight were done really well. We need more young adult books with plus sized leads where teens can see themselves reprsented in the pages of the books that they’re reading. There were numerous LGBTQ+ side characters as well. The LGBTQ+ side characters were wonderful additions to the story and I loved how much time Lahey spent trying to make the LGBTQ+ relationships work out for her friends and family.

Lahey was my only problem with this book. I found her annoying at first and I couldn’t place my finger on why, but then it hit me: Lahey cares only about herself for the majority of the book and everyone in her life suffers because of it. I wish Lahey had more redeemable qualities throughout the book. With all the disasters she caused throughout the story, I wouldn’t have been suprised if no one forgave her for her actions. Luckily it’s the minor characters who carry the book. Adler is the highlight of this story. He’s a kindhearted yet funny guy who has really entertaining banter with Lahey. Poppy and Liberty were both fantastic, too, but I wish the story would’ve highlighted them more because I feel like whole books could be written about their love lives.

I really enjoyed this book despite my issues with Lahey. Plus One has the potential to be the next popular YA hit like To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before or The Kissing Booth. I can’t wait to read more of Kelsey Rodkey’s books. Hopefully her other two are just as great as this one.

I received an eArc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Natasha Leighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This was such a fun and thoroughly entertaining YA Rom-com that follows the chaotic life of plus-sized teen matchmaker, Lahey as she searches for a last minute date to her nemesis/cousin’s lavish birthday party.

Full of disastrous dates, stray cats and teen drama, Lahey’s whirlwind week sees her embark on a satisfying journey to self acceptance and a rather sweet, slow-burn romance that I really enjoyed.

This is actually the first book by Kelsey Rodney I’ve ever read but, given how much I loved her witty and heartfelt portrayal of the peaks and pitfalls of teenage life—it’s definitely not going to be the last!

I really liked Lahey, our matchmaking protagonist, who’s as flawed and complex as she is compelling. I enjoyed seeing her navigate the typical teenage struggles of self esteem and jealousy that most experience at that age, and was impressed with the amount of growth we see not just from Lahey (as she takes responsibility for her mistakes and attempts to make amends) but also from several of the characters around her.

Particularly Summer (Lahey’s Cousin) who, despite being built up as the main antagonist was a surprisingly easy character to sympathise with as we get slowly get to know her and her own personal struggles.

I do have to admit my fave character had to be Adler, best friend to Lahey’s big sister Liberty and literal cinnamon roll boy next door. His chemistry and banter with Lahey was amazing—I honestly cannot believe how long it took her to realise he was a catch!

The only thing that disappointed me was that the romance wasn’t nearly long enough and I’d love to see more of Lahey’s blossoming relationship—maybe in a sequel of some kind, as I’d love to see more of Liberty, Sophia and Lily.

Overall, Plus One is a definite must read for YA rom-com lovers, Kelsey Rodkey fans or anyone looking for coming of age, plus-size centred stories.

Also, a huge thank you Harper360ya for the proof

[lilly :) · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book sure made me feel something. it just so happened that that ‘something’ was pure, unadulterated rage.

my problems lies mainly with the protagonist, lahey. she is entitled, stuck up, selfish, and ANNOYING AS HELL!!! her world only revolves around herself, her looks, and finding a date because she’s soooooo unlovable. and a weird rivalry with her 15-16 year old cousin. so what does she decide to do?? message a bunch of guys in order to get a date for said cousin’s birthday. with zero intention of actually liking these guys. they are being used. they exist in the book for no other purpose than to be lahey’s date. of course, until three of them turn out to be assholes, because of course they do. now i’m in no way justifying their actions, because they were dicks. but at the same time my interpretation of the book was that lahey was leading them on. she has a serious issue with lying in this book too, and it’s not cute.

i don’t see any other reason (besides the book not existing because the entire plot hinges on this) she couldn’t just be upfront and honest in asking one of these guys to accompany her to her cousin’s birthday as a date. but again! lying! anyone with more than three brain cells would have caught her dead in her lies about skateboarding and ice skating nonprofits she works for. and she does this all with adler present. lying about charity and jobs??? i don’t understand why he still wanted anything to do with her.

another complaint of mine is that literally anytime lahey was around one of her sisters, or her best friend, or adler, all she could talk about was herself and the date issue. her sister, liberty is navigating the end of a relationship and all she cares about is herself. to her, it seems like a inconvenience whenever she has to do something or talk about something that isn’t related to her.

and now, the romance. adler. poor, poor adler. this man has liked lahey for A VERY LONG TIME (like a few months i think). and she, of course, is completely oblivious. so when the stars finally align and he’s able to confess, they share a few tender kisses and he becomes her date for her rival cousins birthday party. perfect, right? hahahahahhahaha. wrong. at the party, she completely ignores him. she snaps at him when he tries to serve her food or get her involved in conversation (while staring creepily at her cousin). she doesn’t understand why he’s upset when he clearly is being used as a pawn in this stupid rivalry he couldn’t care less about. so he does one good thing and steps away. but this is a romance book so of course he ends up accepting lahey’s half-assed apology and everything ends in sunshine and rainbows for them. like, i’m sorry, but if someone were to completely ignore me on our first date, and then snap at me? it’s done. it’s over. i don’t care how much i liked them before the date.

and.. summer. the evil cousin. lahey set her and her boyfriend up, okay? cute. normal. whatever. well, lahey sees said boyfriend when she’s mad at summer and guess what she does? she proceeds to tell her cousins boyfriend that she’s super fake and insulted him a bunch when they first met. like okay, was that nice of summer to do? no! obviously not! BUT IS IT OKAY FOR LAHEY TO RUIN HER COUSINS RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE SHES UPSET SHE CANT GET A DATE FOR A PARTY??? what the fuck?????? no!!!!! and the worst part of all is that she feels GOOD after doing this. she feels ACCOMPLISHED ruining this. which… i don’t even know what to say about thatZ

now, for some quotes.

“it never fails to astound me - or turn me into a slightly jealous monster-that poppy’s firsts have all come before mine. this girl who doesn’t like waitressing because it’s too much interaction with strangers, who sees a person coming a mile down the sidewalk and switches to avoid the obligatory head nod and strained smile. this girl has held hands, kissed, and had sex before i’ve found someone who has even a fraction of the same interest in me as i do them. it just doesn’t seem fair.”

i’m sorry… HUH????? WHAT???? this is so selfish??? not only is she clearly jealous of her best friend (good for poppy, by the way. avoiding people on the sidewalk doesn’t mean you’re incapable of having a relationship) but she feels the need to insult her to make herself feel better about her lack of action? lahey, it’s not a competition. you can feel happy for your best friend and also wonder why you haven’t done anything. but SAYING IT ISNT FAIR???? no wonder nobody likes you with that attitude.

“i sit up and make sure to angle my arm at her, so she can take in the injury. i give her a moment to feel bad, but she just blinks away tears.”

context: she just destroyed half of her best friends centerpieces for an important event. after promising to help and then ditching her the whole week. BUT NOOOOOOO let’s make this about poor lahey and her little elbow scrape :(((( boo fucking hoo. this is just also so manipulative?? angling your elbow to make sure your best friend sees your scrape and immediately forgives you? honestly, what was she hoping to get out of this? it’s one of the most ridiculous things i’ve ever read. she was shitty to her best friend and can’t acknowledge that enough to not think about herself. sigh. this was my true breaking point, although there’s a lot more than this.

overall, clearly, this book was not for me. i wanted it to be! i was excited to check it out and read it. but it fell extremely flat. one of my biggest issues in books in self-centered main characters and that’s why i think i didn’t enjoy this. i’m not going to lie and say this review isn’t mean, but i’m not trying to dissuade you from reading it. i just needed a place to vent after reading.

what a way to hit my yearly reading goal!

[han ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘plus one’ was wholeheartedly delightful from the very beginning to the very end. i laughed, i cried, and i swooned over adler to the point of me squealing and kicking my feet!

i loved lahey’s character. i’ve never read about a character who was so confidently insecure. she loved herself and had a lot of confidence, but at the same time, she never felt like she was good enough for anyone, let alone a possible romantic suitor. i loved being able to see her character growth and how she truly learned to love every single part of herself — especially the parts that she thought were ugly.

adler. where do i even start? i love adler. he loved lahey for who she truly was, even though, at times, she was so absorbed with proving herself she ended up neglecting those around her. he led her toward the light and allowed her to see that she doesn’t have to put on a show to be enough. she was already — and always will be — enough for him.

kelsey, this was a gem! i truly TRULY loved every single chapter and your writing is simply addictive! 5 stars! ⭐️

[Belle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is more of a 2.5 I really couldn’t stand the main character by the end of the book. RTC

[Ayushi (bookwormbullet) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to HarperTeen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was super cute! This is my first novel by Kelsey Rodkey, but I'd heard a lot about her previous YA romances before. When I heard of Plus One and realized it had the "older sibling's best friend" with a fat main character, I was super excited to read it. I definitely think the focus of the story is more about the main character's journey to prove herself in front of her family and friends than the actual romance, but it was still enjoyable. I always like reading about teen MCs who are also lowkey disaster-MCs and make mistakes, as it's a very natural part of being a teenager. I definitely could see this being turned into a cute summer teen rom-com, and I think most fans of over-the-top teen comedy + dramas will enjoy this book.

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[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so cute! Older siblings best friend isn’t typically a trope I go for in books but I really liked this one, and I love the plus size representation! The focus is definitely more on the main character proving herself to her friends and family more than the romance but I really liked seeing that journey.

I always really like reading about characters that are lowkey a disaster and make mistakes because its relatable and realistic. Lahey was so fun, she’s messy and flawed but loves hard and learns as she is growing up

I also really liked all the pop culture references!

I feel like it was a bit fast paced because it only took place during one week and I would have liked to see more of the story but I really liked spending time with the characters during that week, AND I think this could be great as a summer romcom movie for young adults

Thank you so much to the author for sending me a physical arc of this book<3

[Amy (Mimi) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. It took me a while to read it all but it’s so good and the right type of cheesy romcom.

And Omg— i love how diverse in queer community this book is, and I just love how also diverse the characters are. It’s not like every other story, it’s cute, it’s fun, it has different types of characters and ups and downs. And just enough for you to understand but also hold the main character accountable for their actions.
I recommend reading this book.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was such a cute, wholesome rom-com! I love that the main character, Lahey, is plus-sized, and that she feels completely confident in her body (which is so refreshing)! During many moments in the book, Lahey is fun and funny and you can tell that she has a big heart—but a lot of the plot is centered around a petty, blown-out-of-proportion feud that Lahey has with her cousin. I found this feud to be a bit childish, and it made me dislike Lahey sometimes (when I really wanted to absolutely adore her!) The romance is cute, if a little predictable (and somewhat rushed—I wish we'd had more time at the end of the book to see Lahey and her love interest together). Overall, this is a good option if you're just looking for a quick read and a sweet story about young love and personal growth.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

[Kelsey Rodkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m biased but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Kantorek90 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Od czasu do czasu lubię sięgnąć po książki przeznaczone dla zdecydowanie młodszych czytelników niż ja. Jedne oczywiście mi się podobają i wręcz nie mogę się od nich oderwać, natomiast drugie wypadają znacznie poniżej moich oczekiwań. Jak w tym zestawieniu wypadło „Plus One” Kelsey Rodkey? Już spieszę z wyjaśnieniem.

Książka przyciągnęła mnie do siebie głównie za sprawą faktu, że główna bohaterka ma kilka nadprogramowych kilogramów. Byłam bardzo ciekawa tego, jak autorka poradzi sobie z tym dość trudnym tematem. I muszę przyznać, że zaskakująco dobrze bawiłam się podczas lektury.

Lahey, czyli główna bohaterka historii przypominała mi trochę mnie, ponieważ będąc nastolatką, również pomagałam swoim znajomym „spiknąć się” ze sobą, wyszło z tego nawet jedno małżeństwo, ale jesteśmy tu po to, aby skupić się jednak na fabule książki. Panna Johnson, chociaż świetnie radzi sobie z kojarzeniem par, nigdy nie miała chłopaka, więc kiedy w złości zapewniła kuzynkę, że przyjdzie na jej urodzinową imprezę z osobą towarzyszącą, rozpoczęła wyścig z czasem, aby znaleźć odpowiedniego partnera. Czy jej się to udało? Przyznam, że pod tym względem książka jest bardzo przewidywalna, więc nie trudno się domyślić, jaki był finał całej akcji, ale czy mi to jakoś specjalnie przeszkadzało? Zdecydowanie nie.

Tym, co najbardziej urzekło mnie w tej historii, było zdrowe podejście do figury typu plus size. Chociaż z początku byłam nieco sceptycznie nastawiona do tego, jak autorka poradzi sobie z tą tematyką, muszę przyznać, że w tej kwestii poradziła sobie wyśmienicie. Myślę, że wielu innych pisarzy powinno wziąć sobie tę publikację za przykład tego, jak powinno się pisać o takich tematach — bez hejtu, a ze zrozumieniem, że każdy człowiek jest inny i że każdy jest na swój sposób piękny.

Myślę, że na uwagę zasługuje również fakt, że książka jest lekka i zabawna, dlatego idealnie sprawdzi się, jako lektura na tak zwane „odmóżdżenie”. I chociaż na okładce zaznaczone jest wyraźnie, iż jest to historia dla czytelników 16+, myślę, że spokojnie może ją przeczytać również ktoś młodszy, ponieważ nie ma w niej nic zdrożnego.

[Trianna/Treereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had such a fun time reading this one! Lahey was such a fun character. She is messy and flawed and is making the worst choices, but loves hard and is starting to grow up.

This was my first book by Kelsey Rodkey and her writing was so fun! I loved all the pop culture references (I feel like we have similar interests) and the humor was great.

This book releasing during summer is the best because this is the perfect summer read! It's fast paced, takes place during the summer, and features a lot of bad date.

*thanks so much to the author for a gifted copy; all thoughts are my own*

[Kristina Dowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was cute. I liked the premise and had fun reading through the various characters... but I also doubt 17 and 18yr olds have the emotional maturity presented later in the book. I know I didn't. Still a fun time.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so the writing in this has me intensely interested in reading Rodkey’s backlog - the quick wit and humor is excellent! BUT I must admit: I wasn’t a huge fan of the main character in this one and docking stars accordingly. Lahey is pretty selfish and self-centered for most of the book (like 88%) which was frustrating because I was also rooting for her to find her match (in Adler, of course!). Extra points for the acknowledgements though (iykyk, 2️⃣0️⃣)

[Dilayra Verbrugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book SO much!
It's a cute romcom (very cliché but that doesn't make it less good).

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has pretty much everything I could ever want in a young adult romance.

-Loveable protagonist who goes through lots of character growth
-Shenanigans
-A swoonworthy love interest
-A sweet and wholesome romance

I think Lahey is such a great protagonist. Not only is she confident, funny, and beautiful (which makes for great plus size rep) but she also learns a lot about herself and totally reads like a 17 year old. Adler was the perfect mix between sweet and snarky and I can't wait for you to fall in love with him too. Overall, this book was great and I think everyone should read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Gili · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reason I will keep trying to read books by this author is the same reason I find it hard to give her books more than 3 stars- her main characters are deeply flawed, they are annoying, they make a lot of mistakes and try to fix them. It's not often that a character is left with so much place to grow. In both books that I read, I didn't necessarily feel like the main character necessarily made up for previous behavior, and the thing is, its not always obvious why the love interest tolerates them.
Oh, well, maybe next time.

[Ellen O'Clover · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute joy from start to finish 💕

[Rude Kadry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Urocza, nieco infantylna historia - "Plus One" Kelsey Rodkey to młodzieżówka, przy której udało mi się zrelaksować i odmóżdzyć, a teraz z przyjemnością podsunę ją swojej córce. Książka jest oznaczona jako 16+, ale zaręczam Wam - śmiało może po nią sięgać młodsza młodzież. Autorka dała swojej bohaterce naprogramowe kilogramy, ale bardzo podobał mi się fakt, że w tej historii nikt nie robił z tego wielkiego "halo". To wielki plus i światełko w tunelu, że wow, takie książki też są i dorastające dziewczęta zobaczą zdrowe, normalizujące podejście do bycia plus size.

To historia o dziewczynie, która musi znaleźć partnera na imprezę urodzinową kuzynki. Choć sama z powodzeniem wyswatała wiele par, to jak w tym powiedzeniu - szewc bez butów chodzi i ma problemy ze znalezieniem chłopaka. Czas się kurczy... To naprawdę był szalony tydzień z życia Lahey. Nie dość, że na szali stał jej honor, to jeszcze wszystko, co mogło pójść źle, poszło. Tydzień niefortunnych zdarzeń, udowadniający, że im bardziej na czymś zależy nastolatce, to tym bardziej wszystko pójdzie kompletnie nie tak. A wszystko to na oczach przyjaciela starszej siostry, który jest wybitnie irytujący.

Fabuła powieści jest przewidywalna, od razu wiedziałam, jak to się skończy, ale nie odbierało mi to radości z lektury. Było przyjemnie, uroczo, nieco zwariowanie. Rodkey posłużyła się takimi motywami jak: fake dating, wakacje i rywalizowanie z przyjaciółmi. Umówmy się, nie jest to szczyt literatury, ale "Plus One" to książka idealna do zrelaksowania się, odpoczynku. Jej urok tkwił w tym, że była infantylna i lekka - doskonała książka jako przerywnik pomiędzy bardziej wymagającymi tytułami, ale niesie też w sobie przesłanie. Młodzież na przykładzie Lahey ma szansę dostrzec, że gonienie przysłowiowego króliczka nie jest warte utraty przyjaźni.

To, co najbardziej zapadło mi w pamięć, to humor i lekkość tej historii. Rodkey udało się stworzyć bohaterkę, która mimo swoich wad jest niezwykle autentyczna i łatwo się z nią utożsamić. "Plus One" nie odkrywa niczego nowego, ale dostarcza tego, czego czasem najbardziej potrzeba – dobrej zabawy i chwili wytchnienia. Jeśli szukacie książki, która poprawi Wam humor i pozwoli na moment oderwać się od codzienności, to zdecydowanie warto dać jej szansę. To zwariowana komedia romantyczna, idealna dla nastolatków i dorosłych, którzy szukają niewymagających powieści do zrelaksowania się.

[Las Bookowy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uwielbiam młodzieżówki, zwłaszcza te z bohaterkami, które nie mają idealnej figury. Uważam, że to świetny kierunek w literaturze, bo temat ciałopozytywności wciąż jest zbyt rzadko poruszany. W świecie, w którym fat shaming nadal istnieje, historie o bohaterach mierzących się z tym problemem mogą zwiększyć świadomość społeczeństwa. Lahey jest znana ze swojego świetnego researchu na temat związków. Potrafi umiejętnie dobierać ludzi w szczęśliwe pary, ale nigdy nie zastanawiała się nad partnerem dla siebie. Teraz jednak ma ku temu idealną okazję – chce zemścić się na kuzynce, która zaprosiła ją na imprezę bez osoby towarzyszącej. Za wszelką cenę pragnie jej udowodnić, że potrafi znaleźć sobie idealnego partnera. Postanawia więc umówić się na sześć randek w siedem dni.

Jednak nic nie idzie zgodnie z planem. Na początku Lahey podchodzi do wszystkiego spokojnie, ale z każdym kolejnym dniem wpada w coraz większą panikę. Jej działania stają się chaotyczne i nieprzemyślane. Tak bardzo skupia się na swoim celu, że przestaje dostrzegać uczucia bliskich. Zamiast zwrócić uwagę na to, co ma tuż obok, uparcie szuka czegoś dalej.

Książka przekazuje czytelnikom wartościowe przesłanie. Zemsta nigdy nie jest dobrym rozwiązaniem – daje tylko chwilową satysfakcję, ale na dłuższą metę przynosi więcej szkody niż pożytku. Historia Lahey pokazuje, jak bardzo chęć rewanżu może zaślepić człowieka i sprawić, że zrani swoich bliskich. Zakończenie jest satysfakcjonujące – wszystkie wątki zostają domknięte, a Lahey otrzymuje od życia cenną lekcję.

To była świetna, lekka historia z ważnym przesłaniem dla młodych dorosłych. Doceniam tę książkę, bo porusza istotne tematy w przystępny sposób. Jeśli lubicie wartościowe młodzieżówki, gorąco polecam Wam Plus One!

[Shawn-Joy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the BEST YA Romance I've read in a long long time!

Kelsey Rodkey really nailed this one and I'm not even holding the Gritty talk against her any more...but Iceburgh is still superior. I laughed and cried and cheered for everyone in this book.

Lahey is 17, plus sized, the middle child and a matchmaker. She's never matched herself though. Her cousin Summer is her #1 nemesis and even though she set that aside to match-make Summer with her now boyfriend the rivalry is strong as ever. In Lahey's latest quest to best Summer she launches on a week-long journey to finally find a date. Proving Summer wrong and having a date to Summer's b'day party is the ultimate EFF U in Lahey's life right now. Enter Alder, Lahey's older sister's best friend and secret crusher of Lahey for who knows how long. Alder gets to spend the whole week rescuing Lahey from all the problems she creates for herself.

This is a story of growth and understanding. I really hope there is more because I'm dying to see what happens with Liberty and Sophia.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children's books for the opportunity to read and review this story.

[Meghan Lew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc copy of this book.

I thought that this was a fun and quick read, one that wasn’t bad, but also nothing really stood out to me as great either.

There were times I wanted to yell at the main character to stop ruining her own life, but then I remembered that she was 17, and when I was that age, I was also a little self-destructive. In the end, though, I like how her character learned from all her mistakes.

Honestly, I loved the side characters and what they added to the overall story, and they all had something to teach the main character.

The main romance was fine, I just felt like it was underdevelopment. I felt like the build-up was too short, and I wanted more moments together to solidify the dynamic.

Overall I had a good time reading this one. I thought the very many dates were fun and added a nice layer of humor while also showcasing the struggles that the main character was going through. I just wanted more from the main romance.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time Reading a book from Kelsey Rodkey and I really enjoyed it.

Lahey is great at matchmaking just as long as it doesn't involve her love life, which is non-existent. Queue her cousin Summer's birthday and Lahey not getting a plus one, but her little sister getting one. As you read the book you discover that Summer and Lahey don't have the greatest relationship and they pick and prod at each other. Summer is wealthy, skinny, beautiful, and has a boyfriend that Lahey helped her get. Lahey in her own eyes is plus sized, doesn't have a lot of disposable money, and unlovable.

Throughout the story Lahey tries to find herself a date for Summer's party. A ton of hijinks ensue and one person always seems to be around. Her older sister Liberty's best friend Adler (also the boy next door). Some of the dates she goes on are funny and you just want to shake her and tell her to open her eyes. In the end, I liked how everything was handled between the main players in the book. It did seem a bit rushed, but maybe that means a second book?

[Annie Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I’m still not sure if I’m pronouncing Lahey’s name correctly in my head, I enjoyed this book. I probably rounded up on my rating but I really enjoyed the aspect of finding yourself and learning that you are deserving of love. I did not appreciate everyone ganging up on our MC in the start, though at the end, their issues with Lahey were valid. Adler was adorable and I’m always a sucker for friends to lovers. I appreciated that while Lahey being fat was a topic, it was only really so in her head. I do wish a couple of things were tied up a bit better, like what’s up with Tyson? I get it, he wasn’t interested, but his response was very abrupt and the triple date was so cringe I had to take a break. I think my favorite thing was Lahey finally realizing Summer’s issues and also forcing Summer to confront them (though I really wish someone would have done a better job of calling Summer and even Liberty out for some of the things they said to Lahey. They were a touch unfair).

It was fun and flirty and quick.

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice quick contemporary romance to jump into. It had a cute premise and I appreciated that the main character was plus size and totally owned her body and style.

Lahey starts off as a sweet girl who's well-intentioned, even if things sometimes go too far or are over the top. She wants to help her friends find love (or at least dates), yet never really focuses on her own romantic life. I actually liked her less as the book progressed, she just became obsessed with finding a date to the party and didn't care if she hurt people's feelings or treated them poorly. She is sort of redeemed at the end, but it wasn't enough to fully recover for me.

It's easy to see where the story is heading and the main romance was just kind of pushed onto us. I would have liked more time for Lahey to really learn some lessons, as well as show her actually falling for the main love interest.

This was an easy one to binge through and I liked the different dates each day and humorous parts.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to HarperTeen and NetGalley.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Argh. I really wanted to like this book, but ended up mostly wanting to yell at the main character, give her a good shake or chuck my phone in the ocean so I could be free of her selfish stupidity. Even having been a selfish and stupid 17 year old once and accounting for that, Lahey just took it to a whole new level.

As a result, the romance felt uneven and forced. The pacing was off with the major conflict and resolution happening in the blink of an eye. It felt like two different books: the date hi-jinx (my favourite part with seemingly genuine interactions between Lahey and Adler) and then the birthday party (boo hiss).

Anyway, I wouldn’t not recommend this to a friend but I also wouldn’t recommend it? It had its moments where it was a perfectly charming YA rom com. Just prepare yourself to be incredibly frustrated with Lahey.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

AD-PR Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book.

It was a light-hearted, fun read. Yes it was predictable, but I rushed through the pages to make sure it ended how I wanted it to. It was a great concept, and was written with wit and humour throughout. 

The side characters were much more likeable than the main character, and I was increasingly frustrated by just how blind and self-absorbed she was. But I get it. And it didn't stop me hoping she would snap out of it and get what she wants. 

Overall a good, fun rom-com, that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. 

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

A cute summer romcom about Lahey, a plus-size teen who's great at matchmaking for everyone else but is having the worst time finding a date to her cousin's party. What follows is a series of first date disasters when the boy of her dreams might have been right next door all along. Good on audio and perfect for fans of Julie Murphy or Lynn Painter. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Kinga · Rating 2 out of 5]

1) bardzo schematyczna historia
2) BARDZO irytująca główna bohaterka
3) mnie wynudziła
Ogólnie książka jest bardzo lekka i sięgnęłam po nią ponieważ chciałam zrobić sobie przerwę od thrillerów i ciężkich lektur a wpędziła mnie w zastój xddddd