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The Ripple Effect
A grumpy burnt out physician and a sunshine psychologist must fake an engagement to save his whitewater canoeing/ relationship therapy startup in Maggie North's sparkling second novel about starting over.
Burned-out former ER doc Stellar J Byrd can solve any crisis except her own life. But with her financial prospects dwindling, she’d do anything to stay in her beloved, pricey wilderness town—even take a job as a camp physician at The Love Boat, an unspeakably touchy-feely relationship therapy startup. If there are sing-alongs, she’s calling in sick.
What’s worse? Her boss is Lyle “McHuge” McHugh, the sunshiny psychologist she’s masterfully avoided since their disastrous hookup last year. Hardheaded relationship scorekeeper Stellar plans to dodge his pathological generosity from now until September, but after a scathing article puts McHuge's romantic credibility into question, a fake engagement is the only way to salvage the camp’s crumbling public image.
It’s strictly business . . . but the more closely they work together, the more Stellar realizes her feelings for McHuge are anything but professional. With competitors hard on their heels and trade secrets at stake, they must find a way to marry his softness with her steel to build a business–and a love–that will last past summer’s end . . .
Burned-out former ER doc Stellar J Byrd can solve any crisis except her own life. But with her financial prospects dwindling, she’d do anything to stay in her beloved, pricey wilderness town—even take a job as a camp physician at The Love Boat, an unspeakably touchy-feely relationship therapy startup. If there are sing-alongs, she’s calling in sick.
What’s worse? Her boss is Lyle “McHuge” McHugh, the sunshiny psychologist she’s masterfully avoided since their disastrous hookup last year. Hardheaded relationship scorekeeper Stellar plans to dodge his pathological generosity from now until September, but after a scathing article puts McHuge's romantic credibility into question, a fake engagement is the only way to salvage the camp’s crumbling public image.
It’s strictly business . . . but the more closely they work together, the more Stellar realizes her feelings for McHuge are anything but professional. With competitors hard on their heels and trade secrets at stake, they must find a way to marry his softness with her steel to build a business–and a love–that will last past summer’s end . . .
334 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 17, 2025
63 people are currently reading
28417 people want to read
About the author
Maggie North
2 books316 followersMaggie North writes deeply emotional, strangely hilarious novels about introverts at the end of their [expletive] ropes, STEM, Canada, and other overlooked, underrated things you'd love to discover. She enjoys being autistic a lot more since her diagnosis as an adult. She lives in Ottawa, Canada with her spouse, The Kid, and a rotating cast of hypoallergenic aquarium friends.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 525 reviews
June 6, 2025
Maggie North has quickly become a go to author for me yall! I LOVED this book. I always get nervous when the first book in a series is a 5 star for me because the bar has now been set HIGH. But this one checked all of the boxes for me as well. I was excited to see everything unfold between Stellar and McHuge. And I was absolutely NOT disappointed. These characters in this setting and the build-up were SUPERB! I have found myself reading a lot of one night stands turned more which is what this was. I loved that Stellar ghosted McHuge because she was terrified of the feelings he brought out in her. I loved how cool, calm and collected he was when she asked him for a job. And how he basically acted like he was unaffected by her presence. I loved how Stellar was so loyal and committed to a cause or person once she let you in. And even though she acted like her and McHugh's night together didn't mean a lot, he was now part of her inner circle. I loved the little added fake engagement in this, and how genuine McHugh wanted things to work for Stellar even if they didn't involve him. I loved the setting- an outdoor camp that paired as a romance retreat for couples. I loved the side characters. I loved how much Stellar FELT about everything despite acting like she couldn't give any additional cares in the world. I also loved how she got more than her love happily ever after.
Stellar is putting aside her pride to ask Lyle McHugh for a job for the summer. They had an EPIC night together last year that seriously freaked her out, and so she did what she always does when things mean to much she ran. But here she is asking that man, the man who reached out a few times to see if they could try something, for a summer job. She is in job purgatory due to a situation at work where she was standing up for the right things and it backfired. Of course Lyle being himself extends the job to her. The problem is that there are people sniffing around this love retreat wondering how the main man running it can be a guru of love if he isn't even in a relationship. Cue Stellar proposing to Lyle after they agreed to keep everything lowkey between them. And now she finds herself having to play a couple around the guests. Having to let him touch her and remind her how good it was between them. Having to set ground rules between them so the lines don't get too blurred. But how can they not when they have to share a tent which basically means sharing a bed. And how can she not acknowledge her feelings for this man who has such a big heart and just wants to help people. She can't fight it any longer when they reconnect. It is like coming home. It is so natural between them. So they are now not faking it but still kind of faking it. But then when their secret comes to light, the whole camp is in jeopardy. And Lyle does what he does best, he puts himself in the line of fire. So Stellar has to remind him what it means to be in her inner circle. She has to show him how much he means to her the same way he has been doing with her.
I really like the way Maggie writes. It is so relatable and beautiful. I felt so much reading this book. I was enraged when everything came out about Stellar's job. I felt a sense of kin when reading about the different seasons that friendships go through. I felt hope when reading about her feelings for Lyle. And Lyle was SUCH a patient man. He was just the sweetest. He treated her like a wild animal- trying to make her come to heel but also under her own terms and not to change her but so he could support her and stand by her side. These two were absolutely wonderful! I can't recommend this one or the first book enough if you haven't read them. Definitely a great summer time read :)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Stellar is putting aside her pride to ask Lyle McHugh for a job for the summer. They had an EPIC night together last year that seriously freaked her out, and so she did what she always does when things mean to much she ran. But here she is asking that man, the man who reached out a few times to see if they could try something, for a summer job. She is in job purgatory due to a situation at work where she was standing up for the right things and it backfired. Of course Lyle being himself extends the job to her. The problem is that there are people sniffing around this love retreat wondering how the main man running it can be a guru of love if he isn't even in a relationship. Cue Stellar proposing to Lyle after they agreed to keep everything lowkey between them. And now she finds herself having to play a couple around the guests. Having to let him touch her and remind her how good it was between them. Having to set ground rules between them so the lines don't get too blurred. But how can they not when they have to share a tent which basically means sharing a bed. And how can she not acknowledge her feelings for this man who has such a big heart and just wants to help people. She can't fight it any longer when they reconnect. It is like coming home. It is so natural between them. So they are now not faking it but still kind of faking it. But then when their secret comes to light, the whole camp is in jeopardy. And Lyle does what he does best, he puts himself in the line of fire. So Stellar has to remind him what it means to be in her inner circle. She has to show him how much he means to her the same way he has been doing with her.
I really like the way Maggie writes. It is so relatable and beautiful. I felt so much reading this book. I was enraged when everything came out about Stellar's job. I felt a sense of kin when reading about the different seasons that friendships go through. I felt hope when reading about her feelings for Lyle. And Lyle was SUCH a patient man. He was just the sweetest. He treated her like a wild animal- trying to make her come to heel but also under her own terms and not to change her but so he could support her and stand by her side. These two were absolutely wonderful! I can't recommend this one or the first book enough if you haven't read them. Definitely a great summer time read :)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
February 8, 2025
this was so unlike any romances that i tend to read but it was refreshing + entertaining!
first of all i realllly liked the writing. the way that maggie north wrote not just the romance, but also the characters’ thoughts and feelings, was done so well. i would buy the paperback just to underline some of the quotes tbh.
the characters were unique, not necessarily in a great way. stellar was fun but “mchuge” was so ... icky. he uses this like, slang? it gets so annoying to read and just put me so off his character.
but overall i had a good time! the little summer campy/adventure vibes + the quick pacing would make this an awesome summer read.
thank you to st martin’s press + netgalley for the arc! all opinions are my own <3
pre-read:
doing a 24 hour readathon w bestie ryleigh and i am determined to get through like 4 arcs today 👊🏼
first of all i realllly liked the writing. the way that maggie north wrote not just the romance, but also the characters’ thoughts and feelings, was done so well. i would buy the paperback just to underline some of the quotes tbh.
the characters were unique, not necessarily in a great way. stellar was fun but “mchuge” was so ... icky. he uses this like, slang? it gets so annoying to read and just put me so off his character.
but overall i had a good time! the little summer campy/adventure vibes + the quick pacing would make this an awesome summer read.
thank you to st martin’s press + netgalley for the arc! all opinions are my own <3
pre-read:
doing a 24 hour readathon w bestie ryleigh and i am determined to get through like 4 arcs today 👊🏼
June 17, 2025
This was a really fun second chance romance. The author's writing, plot, setting and characters are fantastic.
Stellar J. Byrd is a grumpy burnt out Dr who's financial prospects are dwindling. Lyle McHugh (McHuge) is a sunshine psychologist who is the founder of a relationship therapy camp. Stellar takes the job as the physician for the camp. But side note ….she has been avoiding Lyle for the last year after having a disastrous hook up with him. She plans to avoid him but after a scathing article puts Lyle's credibility on the line, they fake their engagement to save the camp from crumbling.
I found Stellars character to be complex. She doesn't trust her feelings and tries to avoid them. Lyle on the other hand was so happy and ok with letting Stellar open up on her own terms. I was really into the summery camp vibes and the side characters lives too, that it was just an overall quick, fun read.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Stellar J. Byrd is a grumpy burnt out Dr who's financial prospects are dwindling. Lyle McHugh (McHuge) is a sunshine psychologist who is the founder of a relationship therapy camp. Stellar takes the job as the physician for the camp. But side note ….she has been avoiding Lyle for the last year after having a disastrous hook up with him. She plans to avoid him but after a scathing article puts Lyle's credibility on the line, they fake their engagement to save the camp from crumbling.
I found Stellars character to be complex. She doesn't trust her feelings and tries to avoid them. Lyle on the other hand was so happy and ok with letting Stellar open up on her own terms. I was really into the summery camp vibes and the side characters lives too, that it was just an overall quick, fun read.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
January 14, 2025
I love when authors create a story with a really big guy as a main character. Like bulky, strong, muscular, and tall. I don’t know why other than maybe that’s just my type. But I love the interaction between the characters when you just have the super big guy.
Usually, they are depicted as super sweet, soft, emotional, nurturing people, and generally misunderstood.
The male main character in this particular story is exactly as I described, which is a perfect offset for the female lead who is very complex and afraid of her own feelings. She is tense, and healing, and we all feel it.
There are so many complexities about this girl that it’s difficult to explain them. But rest assured, the growing development between these two is so sweet. I love how they interact together—soft, swoony, and afraid of their feelings.
The author dives in deep with the nuances and intense descriptive areas of the story. North makes everything come alive. The ending for me is the best part as a third party explains the relationship and it is so sweet and romantic. What a clever way to detail everything we experienced firsthand.
The Ripple Effect was not what I expected in several ways. I was surprised but came away with huge emotional happiness for these two. The tension melts away and their romance blossoms. Wonderful!
~~~
* I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
* Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/the-ripple-e...
Usually, they are depicted as super sweet, soft, emotional, nurturing people, and generally misunderstood.
The male main character in this particular story is exactly as I described, which is a perfect offset for the female lead who is very complex and afraid of her own feelings. She is tense, and healing, and we all feel it.
There are so many complexities about this girl that it’s difficult to explain them. But rest assured, the growing development between these two is so sweet. I love how they interact together—soft, swoony, and afraid of their feelings.
The author dives in deep with the nuances and intense descriptive areas of the story. North makes everything come alive. The ending for me is the best part as a third party explains the relationship and it is so sweet and romantic. What a clever way to detail everything we experienced firsthand.
The Ripple Effect was not what I expected in several ways. I was surprised but came away with huge emotional happiness for these two. The tension melts away and their romance blossoms. Wonderful!
~~~
* I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
* Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/the-ripple-e...
June 29, 2025
2.5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publisher description: A grumpy burnt out physician and a sunshine psychologist must fake an engagement to save his whitewater canoeing/ relationship therapy startup in Maggie North's sparkling second novel about starting over.
Read if you like...
☑️ grumpy/sunshine( reverse)
☑️fake dating
☑️whitewater rafting
☑️one-night stands that turn into something more, a year later
☑️camping
That cover made an insta request for this title. It's incredibly gorgeous, and it depicts two characters who look like average people. Unfortunately, the story is through the eyes of Stellar, our main female character, and Stellar needs to get over herself. Not that I cannot empathize with why she is so angry and resentful, she did have some stuff happen that legitimizes those feelings, it's just I found it heavy. I would have loved to have Lyle's perspective. I don't read too many books of this genre where the male main character is the sunshine character, and I would have loved to see more into his inner thoughts.
Publication Date 17/06/25
Goodreads Review 28/06/25
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publisher description: A grumpy burnt out physician and a sunshine psychologist must fake an engagement to save his whitewater canoeing/ relationship therapy startup in Maggie North's sparkling second novel about starting over.
Read if you like...
☑️ grumpy/sunshine( reverse)
☑️fake dating
☑️whitewater rafting
☑️one-night stands that turn into something more, a year later
☑️camping
That cover made an insta request for this title. It's incredibly gorgeous, and it depicts two characters who look like average people. Unfortunately, the story is through the eyes of Stellar, our main female character, and Stellar needs to get over herself. Not that I cannot empathize with why she is so angry and resentful, she did have some stuff happen that legitimizes those feelings, it's just I found it heavy. I would have loved to have Lyle's perspective. I don't read too many books of this genre where the male main character is the sunshine character, and I would have loved to see more into his inner thoughts.
Publication Date 17/06/25
Goodreads Review 28/06/25
June 11, 2025
Stellar needs a financial lifeline, and fast. Lyle, better known as McHuge, needs the optics having a doctor on board his boat—well, boats—will bring. Never mind that Stellar more or less ghosted Lyle last year, or that their chemistry is unresolved, or that "trip doctor" quickly becomes "trip fake fiancée". They'll make it work. And nobody will be the wiser...right?
I usually rail against TikTok tropes in romance novels, but I guess they're wearing me down. The Ripple Effect features #grumpyandsunshine, #onebed, #secondchance, #fakedating, #bigmansmallwoman (I don't know what hashtag that one should be, actually, but I understand that it's a thing) and probably a bunch of other tropes that I don't remember, and yet I didn't...mind? Not sure what has happened to me, but let's run with it.
Into the woods—as a genre (or subgenre? subsubgenre?), not the musical—is right up my reading alley, so when I saw that this was an into-the-woods type of book, I was sold. Points for some intersectionality; maybe minus some points for this not being a very outdoorsy kind of trip, all things considered (think tents big enough to stand up in with real furniture and chef-cooked meals, not sleeping bags and oatmeal cooked in the bag it came in); plus points for some red herrings that did their job; minus points for the whole 'he is so big and she is so little' thing (rubs me the wrong way for reasons that do not originate with this book); and I don't feel like doing math but we're still in the black by the end of the book. I'm not entirely sold on the conflict—it occasionally felt as though there was one too many thing going on—and I'm struggling to imagine that Stellar couldn't find another job that better used her skills, even under the circumstances—even if local practices and so on had their doors closed to her, the COVID era has opened up a world of remote work, including for doctors. That said, I enjoyed the dynamics between the members of the inaugural group, and of course between Lyle and Stellar. I wouldn't be sorry if Sloane featured in a future book, either.
This was a super quick read, ideal for a day when I wanted something that was heavy only on the tropes. A mood read, but I'd return to the author for other mood reads. Into the woods it's time to go...
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
I usually rail against TikTok tropes in romance novels, but I guess they're wearing me down. The Ripple Effect features #grumpyandsunshine, #onebed, #secondchance, #fakedating, #bigmansmallwoman (I don't know what hashtag that one should be, actually, but I understand that it's a thing) and probably a bunch of other tropes that I don't remember, and yet I didn't...mind? Not sure what has happened to me, but let's run with it.
Into the woods—as a genre (or subgenre? subsubgenre?), not the musical—is right up my reading alley, so when I saw that this was an into-the-woods type of book, I was sold. Points for some intersectionality; maybe minus some points for this not being a very outdoorsy kind of trip, all things considered (think tents big enough to stand up in with real furniture and chef-cooked meals, not sleeping bags and oatmeal cooked in the bag it came in); plus points for some red herrings that did their job; minus points for the whole 'he is so big and she is so little' thing (rubs me the wrong way for reasons that do not originate with this book); and I don't feel like doing math but we're still in the black by the end of the book. I'm not entirely sold on the conflict—it occasionally felt as though there was one too many thing going on—and I'm struggling to imagine that Stellar couldn't find another job that better used her skills, even under the circumstances—even if local practices and so on had their doors closed to her, the COVID era has opened up a world of remote work, including for doctors. That said, I enjoyed the dynamics between the members of the inaugural group, and of course between Lyle and Stellar. I wouldn't be sorry if Sloane featured in a future book, either.
This was a super quick read, ideal for a day when I wanted something that was heavy only on the tropes. A mood read, but I'd return to the author for other mood reads. Into the woods it's time to go...
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
June 20, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one hit too close to home.
Burned-out, crashed out, former ER doc Stellar J. Byrd goes from triage to trauma camp wanting nothing serious, no group hugs, no sing-songs. But her boss, psychologist Lyle McHugh, says they need a fake engagement to save the startup. So they do it, and what follows is an emotional jigsaw, two broken people teaching each other how to fall in love without erasing their own edges.
Stellar J. Byrd is everything I love in a main character, angry, competent, relatable. She’s a former ER doctor who’s burned out to the point of erosion (girl, same, except the doctor part!), still carrying the weight of everyone she couldn’t save and all the pieces of herself she lost along the way. When she lands at The Love Boat, a deeply cringe-y couples therapy startup in the wilderness run by her ex-hookup turned boss, you know where it’s going, but the journey is tender, funny, and quietly brutal in all the right ways.
This book gets the soft parts of healing. It’s not just trauma-dump, heal, fall in love like a meaningless circus. It’s actually about how hard it is to let yourself be cared for by someone who sees you not as a problem to fix, but as a person worth staying for. Lyle is almost suspiciously patient, like golden-retriever-energy-in-human-form patient. He’s the kind of love interest who doesn’t need to be redeemed, he’s just there, doing the emotional labour, holding the line, waiting for Stellar to show up for herself.
There’s a fake engagement, obviously. There’s also startup drama, trade secret theft, and canoe-related metaphors that somehow don’t feel absurd. But what got me was the slow build, the way Maggie North writes recovery as nonlinear, the way love becomes something collaborative rather than earned, and it's not just romantic love, it's learning that you can depend on someone else, when you need.
This book is about being hard to love, and finding someone who isn’t scared off by that. It’s about making peace with the version of you that shut down out of survival, and maybe letting someone sit with her long enough to feel safe.
This one hit too close to home.
Burned-out, crashed out, former ER doc Stellar J. Byrd goes from triage to trauma camp wanting nothing serious, no group hugs, no sing-songs. But her boss, psychologist Lyle McHugh, says they need a fake engagement to save the startup. So they do it, and what follows is an emotional jigsaw, two broken people teaching each other how to fall in love without erasing their own edges.
Stellar J. Byrd is everything I love in a main character, angry, competent, relatable. She’s a former ER doctor who’s burned out to the point of erosion (girl, same, except the doctor part!), still carrying the weight of everyone she couldn’t save and all the pieces of herself she lost along the way. When she lands at The Love Boat, a deeply cringe-y couples therapy startup in the wilderness run by her ex-hookup turned boss, you know where it’s going, but the journey is tender, funny, and quietly brutal in all the right ways.
This book gets the soft parts of healing. It’s not just trauma-dump, heal, fall in love like a meaningless circus. It’s actually about how hard it is to let yourself be cared for by someone who sees you not as a problem to fix, but as a person worth staying for. Lyle is almost suspiciously patient, like golden-retriever-energy-in-human-form patient. He’s the kind of love interest who doesn’t need to be redeemed, he’s just there, doing the emotional labour, holding the line, waiting for Stellar to show up for herself.
There’s a fake engagement, obviously. There’s also startup drama, trade secret theft, and canoe-related metaphors that somehow don’t feel absurd. But what got me was the slow build, the way Maggie North writes recovery as nonlinear, the way love becomes something collaborative rather than earned, and it's not just romantic love, it's learning that you can depend on someone else, when you need.
This book is about being hard to love, and finding someone who isn’t scared off by that. It’s about making peace with the version of you that shut down out of survival, and maybe letting someone sit with her long enough to feel safe.
February 23, 2025
I really, REALLY, loved this Canadian author's debut last year and was nervous how their interconnected standalone/sequel would measure up. Let me reassure you that it does and while it's a bit less steamy than Rules for second chances, it still has lots of heart, emotional depth and a great cast of secondary characters.
Be prepared to get angry on Stellar's behalf as she grapples with post-pandemic burnout and an unceremonious release from her ER physician job. I love how Lyle (McHuge) is a quietly, loving presence, who patiently waits for her to come back to him in this second chance, slow burn romance. Highly recommended for fans of books like Two for the road by Chantel Guertin.
All this to say, you're going to want to pre-order and mark your calendars for this latest Canadian romance coming in June 2025!! Maggie North is definitely an author to watch and I can't wait to read what she writes next! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
Be prepared to get angry on Stellar's behalf as she grapples with post-pandemic burnout and an unceremonious release from her ER physician job. I love how Lyle (McHuge) is a quietly, loving presence, who patiently waits for her to come back to him in this second chance, slow burn romance. Highly recommended for fans of books like Two for the road by Chantel Guertin.
All this to say, you're going to want to pre-order and mark your calendars for this latest Canadian romance coming in June 2025!! Maggie North is definitely an author to watch and I can't wait to read what she writes next! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
January 5, 2025
Book Review
The Ripple Effect by Maggie North
What Its Got
✅ Grumpy vs Sunshine
✅ Self help/marriage counselling
✅ Self healing journey/ self discovery
✅ Canadian content and references- Degrassi and Timmies
✅ White white water rafting
✅ Glamping
✅ Mouth watering food descriptions
✅ Found family
✅ Sisters
✅ Dog named Babe
Characters
Lyle- aka Mc Huge- giant cinnamon bun, Psychologist, outdoorsy yogi
Stellar- aka Stellar J/Little Star- non practicing Dr, wears her ink like armour, always in control
Sloane- half sister, actress
Liz- Stellar’s BFF, new mom, neurodivergent
Tobin- new dad, Lyle’s business partner
Sharon - Aunt Sharon, lawyer, fierce force
Love Boat Guests- Brent, Willow, Lori, Mitch, Petra, Trevor, Derreck, Sloane
Thoughts
The author filled this book with words of wisdom and startling accurate insights into the human psyche - my therapist would love it! The relationship between Stellar and Lyle is nuanced and filled with the tension that comes from denying yourself love and building your personal walls to high- And while I didnt vibe with the MCs names their complex personalities and personal histories drew me in and held my attention to see where the river/story would take them. The camping bonding/therapy activities and witty banter made for easy reading and the Canadian content made this book soo much more relatable and added a little bit of home- like a literary hug
Quote
“We need a place where we can be brave, and we need that place to be with eachother”
Overall
Perfect read for the New Year New Me vibes that January ushers in, highly bingeable
Thanks to the author, @netgalley and the publisher @stmartinsgriffin for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are My own. #sponsored
The Ripple Effect by Maggie North
What Its Got
✅ Grumpy vs Sunshine
✅ Self help/marriage counselling
✅ Self healing journey/ self discovery
✅ Canadian content and references- Degrassi and Timmies
✅ White white water rafting
✅ Glamping
✅ Mouth watering food descriptions
✅ Found family
✅ Sisters
✅ Dog named Babe
Characters
Lyle- aka Mc Huge- giant cinnamon bun, Psychologist, outdoorsy yogi
Stellar- aka Stellar J/Little Star- non practicing Dr, wears her ink like armour, always in control
Sloane- half sister, actress
Liz- Stellar’s BFF, new mom, neurodivergent
Tobin- new dad, Lyle’s business partner
Sharon - Aunt Sharon, lawyer, fierce force
Love Boat Guests- Brent, Willow, Lori, Mitch, Petra, Trevor, Derreck, Sloane
Thoughts
The author filled this book with words of wisdom and startling accurate insights into the human psyche - my therapist would love it! The relationship between Stellar and Lyle is nuanced and filled with the tension that comes from denying yourself love and building your personal walls to high- And while I didnt vibe with the MCs names their complex personalities and personal histories drew me in and held my attention to see where the river/story would take them. The camping bonding/therapy activities and witty banter made for easy reading and the Canadian content made this book soo much more relatable and added a little bit of home- like a literary hug
Quote
“We need a place where we can be brave, and we need that place to be with eachother”
Overall
Perfect read for the New Year New Me vibes that January ushers in, highly bingeable
Thanks to the author, @netgalley and the publisher @stmartinsgriffin for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are My own. #sponsored
March 1, 2025
This book was not for me. The premise was great, but I had a hard time getting engaged in the story and the characters. I couldn’t connect with the characters and found myself skimming just to be finished with it. I think the story was just very slow and I never could just get pulled in, and unfortunately that made it a very tough read for me. I found myself reading a few pages and then putting it down because I was bored. I did like the diversity included in the book so props for that.
Thanks Net Galley and publisher for the advanced eARC.
Thanks Net Galley and publisher for the advanced eARC.
June 10, 2025
This was such a unique kind of romance, and I think we need more of those in the world.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
✦ tropes & stuff:
💍 fake engagement
🏕 workplace - summer marriage camp
✨ one night stand
🌦 grumpy/sunshine (her/him)
🩺 psychologist & former ER doctor
🔗 forced proximity
🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ rep
🫶🏼 found family
🇨🇦 Canadian author + setting
💖 single 1st person pov
•┈••✦ review ✦••┈•
| ebook | ⭐️: 4.75 | 🌶️: 2.5 |
If you’re looking for a fluffy romcom, this isn’t it - and I mean that in the BEST way.
This is real, and raw, and a love story between two very different, yet also very similar people, each with their own baggage.
Lyle stays soft yet strong, and is afraid to be angry, while Stellar is tough & strong, using her anger as a protective barrier from getting hurt, because she’s afraid.
💭 what I loved about this one:
- how unique and perfectly imperfect both Stellar & Lyle were as MCs, in personality and physically. We don’t often see a prickly FMC with an undercut & a hippie giant of an MMC with a soft belly, and it was refreshing for a change!
- Stellar & Lyle both learning to move past their trauma and baggage, while still being real and knowing it’ll never fully go away
- the side characters were a lot of fun, and well developed - I was invested in their stories too!
🙃 what didn’t quite work for me:
- there were some bits where I felt like I was missing something… I imagine those details were in Maggie’s first book, but I didn’t even know they were connected initially (this isn’t listed as a series)
📖 The Ripple Effect by Maggie North
💜: contemporary romance
(mf couple, though I believe both would identify as queer)
*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍
Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
✦ tropes & stuff:
💍 fake engagement
🏕 workplace - summer marriage camp
✨ one night stand
🌦 grumpy/sunshine (her/him)
🩺 psychologist & former ER doctor
🔗 forced proximity
🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ rep
🫶🏼 found family
🇨🇦 Canadian author + setting
💖 single 1st person pov
•┈••✦ review ✦••┈•
| ebook | ⭐️: 4.75 | 🌶️: 2.5 |
If you’re looking for a fluffy romcom, this isn’t it - and I mean that in the BEST way.
This is real, and raw, and a love story between two very different, yet also very similar people, each with their own baggage.
Lyle stays soft yet strong, and is afraid to be angry, while Stellar is tough & strong, using her anger as a protective barrier from getting hurt, because she’s afraid.
💭 what I loved about this one:
- how unique and perfectly imperfect both Stellar & Lyle were as MCs, in personality and physically. We don’t often see a prickly FMC with an undercut & a hippie giant of an MMC with a soft belly, and it was refreshing for a change!
- Stellar & Lyle both learning to move past their trauma and baggage, while still being real and knowing it’ll never fully go away
- the side characters were a lot of fun, and well developed - I was invested in their stories too!
🙃 what didn’t quite work for me:
- there were some bits where I felt like I was missing something… I imagine those details were in Maggie’s first book, but I didn’t even know they were connected initially (this isn’t listed as a series)
📖 The Ripple Effect by Maggie North
💜: contemporary romance
(mf couple, though I believe both would identify as queer)
*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍
October 26, 2024
This book sounded like it would be good but I simply couldn’t fully invest in it. For me it was a slow read and was drawn out. The characters and romance were fine but they did nothing for me.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2024
4 stars
I really enjoyed Maggie North's previous book, Rules for Second Chances, so I jumped on the chance to read this one. Unfortunately, I found it harder to get into As much as I love McHuge, some of his hippie dippie speak can be hard to follow. Also, as a certified couch potato, the descriptions of the outdoor activities went over my head. Nonetheless, by the end I was rooting for a happy ending, and might have even teared up a time or two. I'll happily read more by Maggie North. I like how diverse her cast of characters can be - ethnically, neurodivergent, sexual preferences, etc.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.
I really enjoyed Maggie North's previous book, Rules for Second Chances, so I jumped on the chance to read this one. Unfortunately, I found it harder to get into As much as I love McHuge, some of his hippie dippie speak can be hard to follow. Also, as a certified couch potato, the descriptions of the outdoor activities went over my head. Nonetheless, by the end I was rooting for a happy ending, and might have even teared up a time or two. I'll happily read more by Maggie North. I like how diverse her cast of characters can be - ethnically, neurodivergent, sexual preferences, etc.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.
June 2, 2025
Okay, the premise of this was very intriguing! Lyle and Stellar (with a history of a ONS situation), have to work together at this couples wilderness” therapy” retreat involving whitewater canoeing. To make it believable for publicity purposes, they also enter a fake engagement. I really loved the relationship between Lyle and Stellar because of the grumpy/sunshine dynamic. Ngl it took me some time to get used to their names.
Stellar is a complex character and I found her inner conflicts really relatable at times. Lyle was such a lovable cinnamon roll with such a protective side for everyone he loves. I just wish this book was dual POV because it was often difficult to understand Lyle. While his motives were explained, the reading experience would have been better with chapters from his perspective. The sibling relationship portrayed in this was very sweet too.
My main issue was that the plot was very slow and I didn’t feel fully engaged with it. It dragged on forever to the point where I was beginning to lose interest outside of the main romance. While Lyle and Stellar were very lovable, they needed a little more development and I wish there was a longer focus on the past. It would have added more to the second-chance aspect of the storyline. While there wasn’t a third act breakup in this, the other conflict with the antagonist was quite predictable with the foreshadowing. I also felt that the ending was very rushed and I was left with wanting more closure.
No doubt that it’s very well written, though! The author covers a lot of touching themes like burnout and mental health. There were so many lines that I loved from this too. While this is not a favorite of mine, it was still a refreshing romance and a quick read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and SMP for the eARC!
Stellar is a complex character and I found her inner conflicts really relatable at times. Lyle was such a lovable cinnamon roll with such a protective side for everyone he loves. I just wish this book was dual POV because it was often difficult to understand Lyle. While his motives were explained, the reading experience would have been better with chapters from his perspective. The sibling relationship portrayed in this was very sweet too.
My main issue was that the plot was very slow and I didn’t feel fully engaged with it. It dragged on forever to the point where I was beginning to lose interest outside of the main romance. While Lyle and Stellar were very lovable, they needed a little more development and I wish there was a longer focus on the past. It would have added more to the second-chance aspect of the storyline. While there wasn’t a third act breakup in this, the other conflict with the antagonist was quite predictable with the foreshadowing. I also felt that the ending was very rushed and I was left with wanting more closure.
No doubt that it’s very well written, though! The author covers a lot of touching themes like burnout and mental health. There were so many lines that I loved from this too. While this is not a favorite of mine, it was still a refreshing romance and a quick read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and SMP for the eARC!
December 14, 2025
dnf p 38
It feels like the author is trying too hard to make the characters feel funny and hard. I was getting the ick reading her POV and couldn't continue.
It feels like the author is trying too hard to make the characters feel funny and hard. I was getting the ick reading her POV and couldn't continue.
July 4, 2025
I just finished The Ripple Effect by Maggie North and here are my musings.
Stellar is on burnout.. Her job as an ER doc has brought her to her knees and she needs to find a new job. She didn’t expect it to come from Sunshine psychologist Lyle. A man she has been avoiding since they hooked up a year ago…
The only way she can really help his business is to help him with a fake engagement.. Her hardness to his softness might just be what the doctor ordered..
Big fan of when the girl is the grump and the man is the sunshine. I love sunshine men! This one was different. I kinda liked how Stellar was written. It was a unique and clever way of bringing the kind of FMC that writers usually avoid. Big fan.
I loved the first book in the series and this one was just as good. I like that it's not your normal trope book. The author kinda flips the trope script and goes against the grain. It's refreshing. The slow burn is even quite delicious. I am more an instalove gal but this one really built the best kind of tension and I am here all day for that.
Read if you like
Fake Engagement
Found Family
One Night Stand
Forced Proximity
Black cat/golden retriever
Joyous! 4 stars! I love books like this! Gimme more!
Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my gifted paperback and ebook!
Stellar is on burnout.. Her job as an ER doc has brought her to her knees and she needs to find a new job. She didn’t expect it to come from Sunshine psychologist Lyle. A man she has been avoiding since they hooked up a year ago…
The only way she can really help his business is to help him with a fake engagement.. Her hardness to his softness might just be what the doctor ordered..
Big fan of when the girl is the grump and the man is the sunshine. I love sunshine men! This one was different. I kinda liked how Stellar was written. It was a unique and clever way of bringing the kind of FMC that writers usually avoid. Big fan.
I loved the first book in the series and this one was just as good. I like that it's not your normal trope book. The author kinda flips the trope script and goes against the grain. It's refreshing. The slow burn is even quite delicious. I am more an instalove gal but this one really built the best kind of tension and I am here all day for that.
Read if you like
Fake Engagement
Found Family
One Night Stand
Forced Proximity
Black cat/golden retriever
Joyous! 4 stars! I love books like this! Gimme more!
Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my gifted paperback and ebook!
May 12, 2025
I enjoyed Maggie North's book last year and although I expected to like this one also, it wasn't quite as good as I anticipated. One thing I do appreciate about both of North's books that I've read so far is that they have building strong relationships as a main theme. The way this is achieved in both books is a little unconventional but it's still a positive thing to me. In this one, the two main character fake an engagement to try to ensure that a wilderness relationship retreat business is successful upon launching. The people attending the retreat are all dealing with various relationship issues; some of them seem to absorb the tools they're given better than others. I also appreciate that North's characters have realistic struggles that they grow through with each other's support. All those positives aside, I had two main problems that help me from rating this higher than 3 stars. First, even though I appreciate the idea, I don't really buy that this whole whitewater retreat thing would actually improve a relationship. The advice felt so cheesy to me. Secondly, I just never really connected with the characters or felt the chemistry build naturally. I got a little tired of Lyle McHugh's character being built so heavily on how huge he was. I swear someone had to comment on it at least every other page. And of course, Stellar is just so tiny. This seems to be a thing lately in contemporary romances: huge lumberjack men with beards with teeny tiny women. I'm over it. I'll still come back to North's books in the future because I think her writing is better than many contemporary romances and I enjoy the depth she tries to put into her characters' growth.
June 13, 2025
The Ripple Effect follows Stellar who takes a job as the camp physician at The Love Boat. The founder is McHugh a psychologist she hooked up with last year. When an article comes out questioning McHugh’s credibility the two begin a fake engagement. Soon the fake engagement starts to seem pretty real.
I didn’t like this book. I have read so many books like this and this was boring to me. We didn’t really get a whole lot of history between the two main characters. So from the very start of the book I didn’t care about them. I didn’t feel like they had much of a connection at all. I also really didn’t find the story that interesting. I didn’t read this authors first book so I might give that one a try. But this was not for me.
Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC of this book. This comes out on June 17!
I didn’t like this book. I have read so many books like this and this was boring to me. We didn’t really get a whole lot of history between the two main characters. So from the very start of the book I didn’t care about them. I didn’t feel like they had much of a connection at all. I also really didn’t find the story that interesting. I didn’t read this authors first book so I might give that one a try. But this was not for me.
Thank you St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC of this book. This comes out on June 17!
March 16, 2025
I have been dying for McHuge's story from the moment he appeared in Rules for Second Chances. Especially after it became clear he and Stellar had some sort of history together. Sparks galore! Stellar doesn't want to work for him but she's out of sorts with work and needs the money. And it turns out they make a good professional team once the therapy campers arrive. But as far as taking things further, it's one step forward, two steps back until they finally put their shared tent to good use.
While there was some inconsistent characterization, the emotional arcs were incredibly strong, as was the treatment of anger. Stellar needs to let go of her anger and trust others not to fail her, while Lyle needs to learn how to express his anger and trust people can handle it.
Really looking forward to whatever North writes next!
Characters: Lyle "McHuge" is a 34 year old tall pansexual white psychologist and whitewater canoeing-based couples therapist. He was polyamorous previously but less interested in that now. He has a dog named Babe. Stellar is a 33 year old bisexual white camp doctor, canoe instructor, and former ER doctor. This is set in Pendleton, British Columbia.
Content notes: near-drowning dog, physical assault, laceration, past workplace misconduct and discrimination, corporate espionage, MMC accidentally fractured a classmate's skull after the kid stole something from him (past), FMC is estranged from her parents after they abandoned her, FMC's father is a con artist (past imprisonment for wire fraud), early dementia (secondary character), diabetes (secondary character), secondary character's mother has chronic leukemia, MMC's brother had leukemia as a child, past infidelity (FMC's ex left her for another woman), past child emotional neglect, past unstable childhood, past parental depression, past COVID, infertility (secondary character), fishing, past divorce (secondary character), autistic secondary character, pregnant secondary character, FMC doesn't want to have kids, on page sex, alcohol, inebriation (secondary characters), ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction
Disclosure: I received a free copy from St. Martin's Griffin.
While there was some inconsistent characterization, the emotional arcs were incredibly strong, as was the treatment of anger. Stellar needs to let go of her anger and trust others not to fail her, while Lyle needs to learn how to express his anger and trust people can handle it.
Really looking forward to whatever North writes next!
Characters: Lyle "McHuge" is a 34 year old tall pansexual white psychologist and whitewater canoeing-based couples therapist. He was polyamorous previously but less interested in that now. He has a dog named Babe. Stellar is a 33 year old bisexual white camp doctor, canoe instructor, and former ER doctor. This is set in Pendleton, British Columbia.
Content notes: near-drowning dog, physical assault, laceration, past workplace misconduct and discrimination, corporate espionage, MMC accidentally fractured a classmate's skull after the kid stole something from him (past), FMC is estranged from her parents after they abandoned her, FMC's father is a con artist (past imprisonment for wire fraud), early dementia (secondary character), diabetes (secondary character), secondary character's mother has chronic leukemia, MMC's brother had leukemia as a child, past infidelity (FMC's ex left her for another woman), past child emotional neglect, past unstable childhood, past parental depression, past COVID, infertility (secondary character), fishing, past divorce (secondary character), autistic secondary character, pregnant secondary character, FMC doesn't want to have kids, on page sex, alcohol, inebriation (secondary characters), ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction
Disclosure: I received a free copy from St. Martin's Griffin.
April 3, 2025
"Everyone likes him and wants to be around him except ME, because I'm thorny and difficult and emo as hell" *eye roll* Sure girl, that's why you are fake engaged to the dude you had a one night stand with and then swore off sex because he was so nice to you 😒
There are the usual tropes of fake dating (engagement!), grumpy x sunshine, and only one tent. So, if you want a little camping time filled with cringe millenial narration and those tropes then maybe you will find some enjoyment in this.
Stellar (yup, that's her name) sees relationships as transactional, everything must be perfectly balanced. And by balanced I mean she can't accept any kind of kindness at all because well that's just unfair! It's really painful to read because even just her thoughts and narration are short and snippy and give a tone of "everyone sucks, I hate everything". It's not fun to read, and in general I want my romance to be at least partially fun.
"He feels so warm against the cold illustrated metal of my tattoos." I'm so sorry but pLEASE stop being the cringiest FMC ever. Also, I think this might be the most sterotypically liberal type of couple the author could have managed to make while also keeping them white and heteronormative in appearance. Short, angry, tattooed bisexual (pansexual?) woman with an undercut + big, braided-beard pansexual polyamorous man that is perhaps too nice.
The narration just wasn't my style and I really couldn't care about Stellar at all. Lyle was somehow bland and endearing, but unfortunately we don't get his POV at all. I would've DNF'd this if I wasn't stuck at home with a broken collarbone and nothing better to do than catch up on ARCs.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing an eARC of The Ripple Effect in exchange for this review!
There are the usual tropes of fake dating (engagement!), grumpy x sunshine, and only one tent. So, if you want a little camping time filled with cringe millenial narration and those tropes then maybe you will find some enjoyment in this.
Stellar (yup, that's her name) sees relationships as transactional, everything must be perfectly balanced. And by balanced I mean she can't accept any kind of kindness at all because well that's just unfair! It's really painful to read because even just her thoughts and narration are short and snippy and give a tone of "everyone sucks, I hate everything". It's not fun to read, and in general I want my romance to be at least partially fun.
"He feels so warm against the cold illustrated metal of my tattoos." I'm so sorry but pLEASE stop being the cringiest FMC ever. Also, I think this might be the most sterotypically liberal type of couple the author could have managed to make while also keeping them white and heteronormative in appearance. Short, angry, tattooed bisexual (pansexual?) woman with an undercut + big, braided-beard pansexual polyamorous man that is perhaps too nice.
The narration just wasn't my style and I really couldn't care about Stellar at all. Lyle was somehow bland and endearing, but unfortunately we don't get his POV at all. I would've DNF'd this if I wasn't stuck at home with a broken collarbone and nothing better to do than catch up on ARCs.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing an eARC of The Ripple Effect in exchange for this review!
June 19, 2025
The Ripple Effect was my first book my Maggie North. I really loved how she wrote Stellar and her background. She was honestly the best and most exciting part of this story. She stands up for what she believes in and hearing her background made me so angry on her behalf. I really liked her character. As for Lyle, I appreciated his calm demeanor in comparison to her spitfire, but I just did not see their chemistry at all. I wish we got to see more of his perspective, or seen more of their history, because their present was just so lackluster and felt like it came out of nowhere. Also I really hated the name McHuge and how he constantly talked about being big. I usually don’t mind that because as a tall person it truly comes up enough, but the nick name made it cringey to read about.
As for the plot, I definitely felt myself wanting to stop because of how much this dragged. Did I enjoy the end? Yes I did, and I liked once the characters started to stand up for themselves more, but majority of the story was slow and serene and I felt myself getting distracted. I also recognized the plot twist pretty early which is different because I can be a very ignorant reader, but this story made it so obvious. While that didn’t take away from the story for me, as I did feel like the last part was one of the best parts of the story, I can see why some readers may feel that way.
Overall, I really did enjoy Stellar and her character arc. I loved reading about her past and seeing how she grows from that experience. I felt most involved the last quarter as so much growth happened which was so awesome. I wish the rest of the book made me feel the way the last part did. I would still be interested in reading other books from this author.
Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Griffin for an earc. All opinions are my own.
As for the plot, I definitely felt myself wanting to stop because of how much this dragged. Did I enjoy the end? Yes I did, and I liked once the characters started to stand up for themselves more, but majority of the story was slow and serene and I felt myself getting distracted. I also recognized the plot twist pretty early which is different because I can be a very ignorant reader, but this story made it so obvious. While that didn’t take away from the story for me, as I did feel like the last part was one of the best parts of the story, I can see why some readers may feel that way.
Overall, I really did enjoy Stellar and her character arc. I loved reading about her past and seeing how she grows from that experience. I felt most involved the last quarter as so much growth happened which was so awesome. I wish the rest of the book made me feel the way the last part did. I would still be interested in reading other books from this author.
Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Griffin for an earc. All opinions are my own.
June 16, 2025
I really enjoyed the premise of this story. It’s a beautiful romance not with your typical fluff. It’s raw, it’s different, but all in a great way. I think the author executed Stellar and Lyle’s unique personalities perfectly.
I did feel like the story moved along a lot slower than I would have wished. It made it really hard for me to be engaged all the way. I also wish there would have been a dual pov. I feel like I could have connected with Lyle’s character a little more easily that way.
All in all, this was a good read with a great premise and a strong mental health representation. I would definitely recommend!
I did feel like the story moved along a lot slower than I would have wished. It made it really hard for me to be engaged all the way. I also wish there would have been a dual pov. I feel like I could have connected with Lyle’s character a little more easily that way.
All in all, this was a good read with a great premise and a strong mental health representation. I would definitely recommend!
May 31, 2025
Stellar gets a job with The Love Boat- a whitewater wilderness relationship retreat designed by McHugh. There's a lot of tension after their one night stand a year ago, but through a series of events they find themselves not just colleagues, but fake fiancés. Add in another organization determined to see the Love Boat go under, a few guests with issues, bad press and Stellar dealing with fallout after leaving the medical field and they are all in some rough waters. What will everyone get out of this retreat by the end?
I liked most aspects to this book- the setting was different, cool and interesting to read about. The characters on the retreat were also done well; I liked their storylines.
However, I wasn't feeling McHugh. He was too passive and permissive for me to enjoy as a lead. I was a bit bored by him. I think i would have struggled even if he was a female with his personality. This made the romance flop a bit for me.
Some of Stellar's medical fallout got redundant and didn't do enough for me as a reader to further the plot to make it worthwhile- although I really enjoyed her fierce stubbornness. She was an excellent main character.
Overall, it's an interesting light romance- but maybe not for me entirely. I'd like to thank both Maggie North and St. Martin's Press for my free advanced reader copy. If this sounds interesting to you, check it out when it releases on June 17!
I liked most aspects to this book- the setting was different, cool and interesting to read about. The characters on the retreat were also done well; I liked their storylines.
However, I wasn't feeling McHugh. He was too passive and permissive for me to enjoy as a lead. I was a bit bored by him. I think i would have struggled even if he was a female with his personality. This made the romance flop a bit for me.
Some of Stellar's medical fallout got redundant and didn't do enough for me as a reader to further the plot to make it worthwhile- although I really enjoyed her fierce stubbornness. She was an excellent main character.
Overall, it's an interesting light romance- but maybe not for me entirely. I'd like to thank both Maggie North and St. Martin's Press for my free advanced reader copy. If this sounds interesting to you, check it out when it releases on June 17!
February 4, 2025
“You don’t have to be perfect to deserve love.”
filled with fake dating, whitewater couples therapy, espionage, and estranged family members, The Ripple Effect is quite an adventure. the plot is enjoyable, but I did find my mind wandering more than I would have liked, and I think a second point of view would’ve enhanced my reading experience.
—
this and that:
♡ bisexual fmc
♡ canadian wilderness
♡ connecting with estranged family members
♡ doctor x psychologist
♡ dog companion
♡ entrepreneurs
♡ fake engagement
♡ found family
♡ glamping
♡ open door spice (light)
♡ opposites attract
♡ outdoors adventures
♡ pansexual mmc
♡ she’s very short, he’s very tall
♡ single pov
♡ whitewater couples therapy
triggers:
☞ gaslighting (happens in past, off page)
☞ parental neglect (happens in past, off page)
☞ toxic workplace environments (happens in past, off page)
notable quotes:
—
thank you to SMP Romance (St. Martin’s Press) for the early digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
—
♡ find me on Instagram!
filled with fake dating, whitewater couples therapy, espionage, and estranged family members, The Ripple Effect is quite an adventure. the plot is enjoyable, but I did find my mind wandering more than I would have liked, and I think a second point of view would’ve enhanced my reading experience.
—
this and that:
♡ bisexual fmc
♡ canadian wilderness
♡ connecting with estranged family members
♡ doctor x psychologist
♡ dog companion
♡ entrepreneurs
♡ fake engagement
♡ found family
♡ glamping
♡ open door spice (light)
♡ opposites attract
♡ outdoors adventures
♡ pansexual mmc
♡ she’s very short, he’s very tall
♡ single pov
♡ whitewater couples therapy
triggers:
☞ gaslighting (happens in past, off page)
☞ parental neglect (happens in past, off page)
☞ toxic workplace environments (happens in past, off page)
notable quotes:
—
thank you to SMP Romance (St. Martin’s Press) for the early digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
—
♡ find me on Instagram!
June 17, 2025
Maggie North's sophomore effort, The Ripple Effect, delivers an emotionally intelligent second-chance romance that skillfully balances workplace conflict, personal healing, and authentic character development against the stunning backdrop of Canadian whitewater—though it occasionally gets caught in the crosscurrents of its own ambitious plotting.
Setting the Stage: Where Hearts and Rapids Collide
In The Ripple Effect, North returns to her signature blend of emotional depth and outdoor adventure, crafting a story that feels both intimate and expansive. The novel follows Dr. Stellar J. Byrd, a burned-out emergency physician turned food delivery driver, who reluctantly accepts a position as camp doctor at "The Love Boat"—a whitewater canoeing relationship therapy startup founded by Lyle "McHuge" McHugh, the gentle giant psychologist she's been avoiding since their disastrous hookup the previous year.
North's decision to anchor her romance in the world of wilderness therapy proves inspired. The Canadian river setting becomes more than mere backdrop; it functions as a character in its own right, mirroring the emotional currents between Stellar and Lyle while providing the perfect metaphor for navigating the choppy waters of second chances.
Character Deep Dive: Perfectly Imperfect Protagonists
Stellar Byrd: The Wounded Healer
Stellar emerges as one of contemporary romance's most compelling protagonists—a woman whose professional competence masks deep personal wounds. North expertly captures the particular exhaustion of healthcare workers who've been chewed up by toxic systems, giving Stellar's burnout authentic weight. Her evolution from angry, defensive food delivery driver back to confident physician feels earned rather than convenient.
What makes Stellar exceptional is her complexity. She's simultaneously vulnerable and fierce, capable of performing medical miracles while unable to trust her own heart. North resists the temptation to sand down Stellar's rough edges too quickly, allowing her anger and fear to coexist with her growing feelings for Lyle.
Lyle "McHuge" McHugh: The Gentle Giant with Depth
Lyle could have easily fallen into the "cinnamon roll hero" trap, but North gives him genuine substance. His combination of physical presence and emotional intelligence feels natural rather than constructed. The revelation of his academic struggles with his manipulative PhD supervisor, Dr. Fisher, adds layers to his character that elevate him beyond the typical romance hero.
The dynamic between these two protagonists crackles with authentic tension. Their fake engagement setup provides the perfect framework for exploring trust, vulnerability, and the courage required to love again after betrayal.
The Fake Engagement Trope: Executed with Precision
North takes the well-worn fake engagement trope and breathes fresh life into it by grounding it in genuine stakes. When a scathing article threatens The Love Boat's credibility, Stellar and Lyle's pretend relationship becomes their business's lifeline. The forced proximity of wilderness camping intensifies every stolen glance and accidental touch, building sexual tension that simmers rather than boils over.
The author demonstrates particular skill in the smaller moments—the way Lyle automatically lifts Stellar onto rocks so they're eye-level, or how she unconsciously traces the scar in his eyebrow. These gestures feel organic rather than performative, suggesting a connection that runs deeper than their fake engagement requires.
Supporting Cast: A Rich Ensemble
The ensemble of Love Boat clients provides both comic relief and emotional weight. Characters like the struggling couple Brent and Willow feel like real people with genuine problems rather than plot devices. Even Stellar's half-sister Sloane Summers (the celebrity actress) avoids caricature, revealing layers of loneliness beneath her glamorous surface.
The antagonists, particularly the predatory academic Dr. Fisher and the aggressive journalist Trevor, serve their purposes without becoming cartoonish villains. North grounds their conflicts in recognizable real-world issues—academic exploitation and toxic masculinity—that give the story contemporary relevance.
Writing Style: North's Distinctive Voice
North writes with a precision that recalls her debut novel Rules for Second Chances while showing clear growth as a storyteller. Her prose has a particular rhythm that mirrors the flow of whitewater—sometimes rushing forward with momentum, other times eddying in quiet moments of character reflection.
The author's background in outdoor activities shines through in her descriptions of canoeing and wilderness survival, lending authenticity to scenes that could have felt contrived in less capable hands. Her dialogue sparkles with wit while maintaining emotional honesty, particularly in the banter between Stellar and Lyle.
Thematic Depth: More Than Just Romance
Beneath the romantic surface, The Ripple Effect grapples with serious themes: workplace trauma, the courage required for professional reinvention, and the healing power of chosen family. North's treatment of Stellar's medical career burnout feels particularly timely, acknowledging the systemic issues that drive talented professionals away from careers they love.
The book also explores the intersection of masculinity and emotional intelligence through Lyle's character, presenting a male lead who derives strength from vulnerability rather than dominance. This feels refreshing in a genre that sometimes struggles with toxic masculinity disguised as alpha behavior.
Critical Analysis: Where the Waters Get Rough
While The Ripple Effect succeeds on multiple levels, it occasionally suffers from ambitious plotting that threatens to overwhelm the central romance. The academic corruption subplot involving Dr. Fisher, while thematically relevant, sometimes feels disconnected from the core emotional journey of Stellar and Lyle.
The resolution of certain plot threads—particularly the media attention and podcast subplot—arrives somewhat abruptly, leaving some readers potentially wanting more development of these significant story elements. Additionally, some secondary characters' arcs feel underdeveloped despite promising setups.
The pacing occasionally stumbles in the middle section, where the wilderness setting, while atmospheric, sometimes slows the romantic momentum rather than enhancing it. North is at her strongest when balancing external conflict with internal character growth, but there are moments where one overshadows the other.
Final Verdict: A Satisfying Journey Worth Taking
The Ripple Effect confirms Maggie North as a romance author to watch, demonstrating growth while maintaining the emotional intelligence that distinguished her debut. While not without its rough patches, the novel succeeds in delivering a satisfying second-chance romance that treats its characters with respect and its themes with nuance.
North's ability to balance humor with genuine emotion, combined with her authentic portrayal of outdoor adventures and professional challenges, creates a reading experience that lingers long after the final page. For readers seeking romance that engages both heart and mind, The Ripple Effect delivers the emotional catharsis and satisfying resolution that defines the best of the genre.
Setting the Stage: Where Hearts and Rapids Collide
In The Ripple Effect, North returns to her signature blend of emotional depth and outdoor adventure, crafting a story that feels both intimate and expansive. The novel follows Dr. Stellar J. Byrd, a burned-out emergency physician turned food delivery driver, who reluctantly accepts a position as camp doctor at "The Love Boat"—a whitewater canoeing relationship therapy startup founded by Lyle "McHuge" McHugh, the gentle giant psychologist she's been avoiding since their disastrous hookup the previous year.
North's decision to anchor her romance in the world of wilderness therapy proves inspired. The Canadian river setting becomes more than mere backdrop; it functions as a character in its own right, mirroring the emotional currents between Stellar and Lyle while providing the perfect metaphor for navigating the choppy waters of second chances.
Character Deep Dive: Perfectly Imperfect Protagonists
Stellar Byrd: The Wounded Healer
Stellar emerges as one of contemporary romance's most compelling protagonists—a woman whose professional competence masks deep personal wounds. North expertly captures the particular exhaustion of healthcare workers who've been chewed up by toxic systems, giving Stellar's burnout authentic weight. Her evolution from angry, defensive food delivery driver back to confident physician feels earned rather than convenient.
What makes Stellar exceptional is her complexity. She's simultaneously vulnerable and fierce, capable of performing medical miracles while unable to trust her own heart. North resists the temptation to sand down Stellar's rough edges too quickly, allowing her anger and fear to coexist with her growing feelings for Lyle.
Lyle "McHuge" McHugh: The Gentle Giant with Depth
Lyle could have easily fallen into the "cinnamon roll hero" trap, but North gives him genuine substance. His combination of physical presence and emotional intelligence feels natural rather than constructed. The revelation of his academic struggles with his manipulative PhD supervisor, Dr. Fisher, adds layers to his character that elevate him beyond the typical romance hero.
The dynamic between these two protagonists crackles with authentic tension. Their fake engagement setup provides the perfect framework for exploring trust, vulnerability, and the courage required to love again after betrayal.
The Fake Engagement Trope: Executed with Precision
North takes the well-worn fake engagement trope and breathes fresh life into it by grounding it in genuine stakes. When a scathing article threatens The Love Boat's credibility, Stellar and Lyle's pretend relationship becomes their business's lifeline. The forced proximity of wilderness camping intensifies every stolen glance and accidental touch, building sexual tension that simmers rather than boils over.
The author demonstrates particular skill in the smaller moments—the way Lyle automatically lifts Stellar onto rocks so they're eye-level, or how she unconsciously traces the scar in his eyebrow. These gestures feel organic rather than performative, suggesting a connection that runs deeper than their fake engagement requires.
Supporting Cast: A Rich Ensemble
The ensemble of Love Boat clients provides both comic relief and emotional weight. Characters like the struggling couple Brent and Willow feel like real people with genuine problems rather than plot devices. Even Stellar's half-sister Sloane Summers (the celebrity actress) avoids caricature, revealing layers of loneliness beneath her glamorous surface.
The antagonists, particularly the predatory academic Dr. Fisher and the aggressive journalist Trevor, serve their purposes without becoming cartoonish villains. North grounds their conflicts in recognizable real-world issues—academic exploitation and toxic masculinity—that give the story contemporary relevance.
Writing Style: North's Distinctive Voice
North writes with a precision that recalls her debut novel Rules for Second Chances while showing clear growth as a storyteller. Her prose has a particular rhythm that mirrors the flow of whitewater—sometimes rushing forward with momentum, other times eddying in quiet moments of character reflection.
The author's background in outdoor activities shines through in her descriptions of canoeing and wilderness survival, lending authenticity to scenes that could have felt contrived in less capable hands. Her dialogue sparkles with wit while maintaining emotional honesty, particularly in the banter between Stellar and Lyle.
Thematic Depth: More Than Just Romance
Beneath the romantic surface, The Ripple Effect grapples with serious themes: workplace trauma, the courage required for professional reinvention, and the healing power of chosen family. North's treatment of Stellar's medical career burnout feels particularly timely, acknowledging the systemic issues that drive talented professionals away from careers they love.
The book also explores the intersection of masculinity and emotional intelligence through Lyle's character, presenting a male lead who derives strength from vulnerability rather than dominance. This feels refreshing in a genre that sometimes struggles with toxic masculinity disguised as alpha behavior.
Critical Analysis: Where the Waters Get Rough
While The Ripple Effect succeeds on multiple levels, it occasionally suffers from ambitious plotting that threatens to overwhelm the central romance. The academic corruption subplot involving Dr. Fisher, while thematically relevant, sometimes feels disconnected from the core emotional journey of Stellar and Lyle.
The resolution of certain plot threads—particularly the media attention and podcast subplot—arrives somewhat abruptly, leaving some readers potentially wanting more development of these significant story elements. Additionally, some secondary characters' arcs feel underdeveloped despite promising setups.
The pacing occasionally stumbles in the middle section, where the wilderness setting, while atmospheric, sometimes slows the romantic momentum rather than enhancing it. North is at her strongest when balancing external conflict with internal character growth, but there are moments where one overshadows the other.
Final Verdict: A Satisfying Journey Worth Taking
The Ripple Effect confirms Maggie North as a romance author to watch, demonstrating growth while maintaining the emotional intelligence that distinguished her debut. While not without its rough patches, the novel succeeds in delivering a satisfying second-chance romance that treats its characters with respect and its themes with nuance.
North's ability to balance humor with genuine emotion, combined with her authentic portrayal of outdoor adventures and professional challenges, creates a reading experience that lingers long after the final page. For readers seeking romance that engages both heart and mind, The Ripple Effect delivers the emotional catharsis and satisfying resolution that defines the best of the genre.
February 2, 2025
Id say 3.5 stars rounded up.
This was a light read. The forced proximity and fake engagement is fun trope to explore.
I liked that the author addressed the impact of being overworked in the medical field, especially during 2020, the burnout and the lingering trauma, and how it affects building a relationship.
This was a light read. The forced proximity and fake engagement is fun trope to explore.
I liked that the author addressed the impact of being overworked in the medical field, especially during 2020, the burnout and the lingering trauma, and how it affects building a relationship.
February 5, 2025
I’ll make this nice and short because I would love for you to not skip or skim through this one.
Y’all should read this book because Maggie’s writing is beautiful. It makes you think, it makes you feel, and it makes you reflect. Don’t you love it when after you read a book the thoughts and lessons linger with you? I love it so much.
“We need a place where we can be brave, and we need that place to be with each other.”
Thank you, Maggie and SMP for this ARC! I can’t wait til everyone gets to enjoy this, too.
Y’all should read this book because Maggie’s writing is beautiful. It makes you think, it makes you feel, and it makes you reflect. Don’t you love it when after you read a book the thoughts and lessons linger with you? I love it so much.
“We need a place where we can be brave, and we need that place to be with each other.”
Thank you, Maggie and SMP for this ARC! I can’t wait til everyone gets to enjoy this, too.
January 10, 2025
I wanted to give it a shot but the whole plot and storyline just fell really short for me. I wasn’t invested in the characters and overall didn’t enjoy the story.
June 16, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ 2 🌶️
What to expect:
- black cat emergency medicine FMC
- crunchy granola psychologist MMC
- fake dating/engagement of convenience
- forced proximity
- only one tent
- a quirky cast of supporting characters
- unique “love camp” setting centered around white water rafting
To be honest, the first 45% of this book was a bit of a slog and very hard for me to get through. I strongly contemplated dnf-ing, which is something that I very rarely do. Part of this was because I felt like nothing really significant happened in that time period and I found myself having to force myself to pick it up and keep reading, but mostly because I felt like the two main characters had absolutely no chemistry. As a result, I found it so hard to care about what was coming next because as a romance reader, I need to be at least a little bit invested in their love story to keep turning the page.
The main reason I didn’t end up dnf-ing is because despite the qualms I listed above, I actually really like the author’s voice. I felt like a lot of passages were almost lyrical and so poignant. Certain relationship concepts and the struggles the FMC was going through felt so much deeper than what I typically see in a romance novel like this.
I also relate deeply to so many of Stellar’s struggles as I too, am a healthcare provider in emergency medicine who worked through the pandemic and is still processing a lot of what happened in those dark years. The added layer of malignant misogyny in medicine was also something I am familiar with.
I loved the representation of Stellar being bisexual and Lyle being pansexual. It was honestly a pleasant surprise to learn this as I was reading the book, and I love that queer characters are worked into a story line where their queer-ness is so normalized that their sexuality is not the main focus.
While the first half of the book was rough, the 2nd half totally redeemed the book for me. The previously non-existent chemistry finally developed and revealed itself and I became very invested in their story after that. I love that we got to see Stellar evolve to feel emotions other than anger, while Lyle evolved to allow himself to feel anger and stand up for himself in a way that he couldn’t before. They were both flawed, but complemented each other in the perfect way that felt so balanced. With that being said, I did think the love confession was a bit abrupt and too early for me, which is why this was wasn’t quite a 4 ⭐️ read IMO.
Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and the author for the advanced readers copy of The Ripple Effect!
What to expect:
- black cat emergency medicine FMC
- crunchy granola psychologist MMC
- fake dating/engagement of convenience
- forced proximity
- only one tent
- a quirky cast of supporting characters
- unique “love camp” setting centered around white water rafting
To be honest, the first 45% of this book was a bit of a slog and very hard for me to get through. I strongly contemplated dnf-ing, which is something that I very rarely do. Part of this was because I felt like nothing really significant happened in that time period and I found myself having to force myself to pick it up and keep reading, but mostly because I felt like the two main characters had absolutely no chemistry. As a result, I found it so hard to care about what was coming next because as a romance reader, I need to be at least a little bit invested in their love story to keep turning the page.
The main reason I didn’t end up dnf-ing is because despite the qualms I listed above, I actually really like the author’s voice. I felt like a lot of passages were almost lyrical and so poignant. Certain relationship concepts and the struggles the FMC was going through felt so much deeper than what I typically see in a romance novel like this.
I also relate deeply to so many of Stellar’s struggles as I too, am a healthcare provider in emergency medicine who worked through the pandemic and is still processing a lot of what happened in those dark years. The added layer of malignant misogyny in medicine was also something I am familiar with.
I loved the representation of Stellar being bisexual and Lyle being pansexual. It was honestly a pleasant surprise to learn this as I was reading the book, and I love that queer characters are worked into a story line where their queer-ness is so normalized that their sexuality is not the main focus.
While the first half of the book was rough, the 2nd half totally redeemed the book for me. The previously non-existent chemistry finally developed and revealed itself and I became very invested in their story after that. I love that we got to see Stellar evolve to feel emotions other than anger, while Lyle evolved to allow himself to feel anger and stand up for himself in a way that he couldn’t before. They were both flawed, but complemented each other in the perfect way that felt so balanced. With that being said, I did think the love confession was a bit abrupt and too early for me, which is why this was wasn’t quite a 4 ⭐️ read IMO.
Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and the author for the advanced readers copy of The Ripple Effect!
June 2, 2025
🌲☀️ MUST READ MONDAY 🛶🌲
Thank you @youhadmeathea and @maggienorthauthor for the #gifted copy of "The Ripple Effect." Extra gratitude for @just_talking_to_my_shelf and @bookswithnopictures for hosting this traveling arc. [Pub Date: June 17, 2025]
I finished this yesterday & I had to come into the book world to coax you all to R E A D this!!! This is the perfect read for people who loved "Happiness for Beginners" and miss going to summer camp. You're immediately going to be transported into the Canadian wilderness smelling the pines and hearing the rush of the rapids as soon as you crack open the spine.
"...brand new respect for the people who show us life's most important lessons in some of the world's most unexpected places" is a direct quote from the book & the perfect way to describe this story.
Reading this made me deeply appreciate the love that I have for my partner and the beauty of the outdoors. The lessons I learned just from reading this book are something I am going to keep for the rest of my life. Seriously, this could be a relationship guide hidden inside a fictional story. It hits that hard.
I adored the way North's words naturally created an image in my head of all the beautiful setting. As I was reading, I had it all play out to me like a movie. She does a perfect job of dropping you right into the middle of a canoe so you can ride alongside the characters down a river.
Stellar & Lyles tiny acts of love are my favorite favorite favorite moments of this book. I could physically feel butterflies when the pair broke down their walls to celebrate the love that they had for each other. There's a moment where he asks her to dance... I wanted to throw the book from being so giddy.
Don't even get me started on the character growth. Ugh. It's all perfection.
Do yourself a favor. Pre-order this book. Mark June 17th on your calendar to go book shopping. Keep a space empty on your June tbr.
Because this book is w o r t h i t !
🌲 Black Cat Golden Retriever
☀️ One Night Stand
🛶 Opposites Attract
🧭 Slow Burn
🌲 Doctor FMC
☀️ Outdoorsy
🛶 Perfect Summer Read
Thank you @youhadmeathea and @maggienorthauthor for the #gifted copy of "The Ripple Effect." Extra gratitude for @just_talking_to_my_shelf and @bookswithnopictures for hosting this traveling arc. [Pub Date: June 17, 2025]
I finished this yesterday & I had to come into the book world to coax you all to R E A D this!!! This is the perfect read for people who loved "Happiness for Beginners" and miss going to summer camp. You're immediately going to be transported into the Canadian wilderness smelling the pines and hearing the rush of the rapids as soon as you crack open the spine.
"...brand new respect for the people who show us life's most important lessons in some of the world's most unexpected places" is a direct quote from the book & the perfect way to describe this story.
Reading this made me deeply appreciate the love that I have for my partner and the beauty of the outdoors. The lessons I learned just from reading this book are something I am going to keep for the rest of my life. Seriously, this could be a relationship guide hidden inside a fictional story. It hits that hard.
I adored the way North's words naturally created an image in my head of all the beautiful setting. As I was reading, I had it all play out to me like a movie. She does a perfect job of dropping you right into the middle of a canoe so you can ride alongside the characters down a river.
Stellar & Lyles tiny acts of love are my favorite favorite favorite moments of this book. I could physically feel butterflies when the pair broke down their walls to celebrate the love that they had for each other. There's a moment where he asks her to dance... I wanted to throw the book from being so giddy.
Don't even get me started on the character growth. Ugh. It's all perfection.
Do yourself a favor. Pre-order this book. Mark June 17th on your calendar to go book shopping. Keep a space empty on your June tbr.
Because this book is w o r t h i t !
🌲 Black Cat Golden Retriever
☀️ One Night Stand
🛶 Opposites Attract
🧭 Slow Burn
🌲 Doctor FMC
☀️ Outdoorsy
🛶 Perfect Summer Read
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