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The Denton Sisters #1
The Love Startup
Love is a bug in the system.
I'm Maddie Denton—girl boss coder, full-time trash-talker, and proud member of the "No Thanks, I'II Die Alone" club. Society says because I have a hoo-ha, I should want a man more than building my dream company. I say: eat my Wi-Fi.
My sisters think I'm stuck in arrested development, but my best friend and co-founder Zack likes me as the foul-mouthed, hoodie-wearing chaos goblin that I am. We're this close to securing that sweet investor cash for LoveScore: our startup, our baby, our shot at hitting the big time. All we have to do is add "intimate physical data" to the app... in six weeks.
Our solution? Gather that spicy data ourselves by fake-dating, proving that geeks never grow up, we just fake it better than everyone else.
I'm Zack, and today I learned I'm both desperate and stupid. I've agreed to fake-date Maddie—my business partner and the girl I've never stopped wanting. Which means… Role-playing. Fake kissing. Cosplaying with her as my fantasy girlfriend. Pretending my longtime secret crush is finally mine? Easiest acting job of my life. But every fake touch, every "just for research” act of desire, short-circuits my common sense and fries whatever's left of my self-control.
If I slip up, I don't just lose the company. I lose her.
The Love Startup is a filthy, dirty-minded, laugh-out-loud friends-to-lovers workplace romcom about two geeks fake-dating their way into real love—and real trouble. Perfect for fans of high-spice Meghan Quinn mayhem, steamy role-play, he-falls-first pining, and ambitious heroines who have zero chill.
Standalone HEA. Open door. No grown-ups allowed.
I'm Maddie Denton—girl boss coder, full-time trash-talker, and proud member of the "No Thanks, I'II Die Alone" club. Society says because I have a hoo-ha, I should want a man more than building my dream company. I say: eat my Wi-Fi.
My sisters think I'm stuck in arrested development, but my best friend and co-founder Zack likes me as the foul-mouthed, hoodie-wearing chaos goblin that I am. We're this close to securing that sweet investor cash for LoveScore: our startup, our baby, our shot at hitting the big time. All we have to do is add "intimate physical data" to the app... in six weeks.
Our solution? Gather that spicy data ourselves by fake-dating, proving that geeks never grow up, we just fake it better than everyone else.
I'm Zack, and today I learned I'm both desperate and stupid. I've agreed to fake-date Maddie—my business partner and the girl I've never stopped wanting. Which means… Role-playing. Fake kissing. Cosplaying with her as my fantasy girlfriend. Pretending my longtime secret crush is finally mine? Easiest acting job of my life. But every fake touch, every "just for research” act of desire, short-circuits my common sense and fries whatever's left of my self-control.
If I slip up, I don't just lose the company. I lose her.
The Love Startup is a filthy, dirty-minded, laugh-out-loud friends-to-lovers workplace romcom about two geeks fake-dating their way into real love—and real trouble. Perfect for fans of high-spice Meghan Quinn mayhem, steamy role-play, he-falls-first pining, and ambitious heroines who have zero chill.
Standalone HEA. Open door. No grown-ups allowed.
- GenresRomance
343 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 10, 2024
37 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
MéLisa Ryun
8 books137 followersMéLisa Ryun is our pen name, and we're a husband-wife duo who've been finishing each other's sentences (and steamy scenes) for nearly 30 years. We left the glitz of Hollywood for the glitter of Vegas. Despite calling Sin City home, we say what happens in Vegas should definitely not stay in Vegas-not when it comes to our scorching hot romcoms.We spend our days in a death match of yoga and joke-writing. It's like we're competing in a bizarre reality show where the winner gets to avoid stepping outside into Satan's armpit. We used to write for Hollywood and YouTube. Now we write books and social media posts. It's basically the same thing, except now our audience can read ¿ Maybe we'll trauma dump about our life in LA in a book someday. Or maybe we'll just keep writing about fictional people with better lives than ours.We write steamy open-door romcoms that'll make your grandma blush and your girlfriends wink knowingly. Our characters? So real you'll swear they've been eavesdropping on your life, with banter as finely honed as a cover model's abs and sparks that'll melt your e-reader. Our mission? To write sizzling chemistry, door-kicking-open steam, and enough beloved tropes to complete a Pinterest board. And the best part? Guaranteed satisfying happily ever after, every time.. Snark. Swoon. Spice!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
September 30, 2024
Maddie is a singly-focused coder who's set on aspirations of being a badass CEO and entrepreneur of the coding and app world. She's crass, stubborn, and Zack's dream girl.
Together with their team of coding bros, they try to take the app world by storm, under impossible demands, and an incredibly short timeline. They end up lacking a ton of data and decide to take matters into their own hands by fake dating as different people every night. The only problem is, when intimacy strikes, will feelings get involved?
********
This was a rough read. I powered through because I was convinced the concept had great potential, but it didn't even get remotely interesting until the 60% mark. From there, it stagnated until the big conflict and resolutions scenes, then went straight into the epilogue. Those who can't make it through the book to the epilogue will just see this as another justification why feminists are unhinged, which I'm sure is the opposite of the coauthors intent. Yet I was wholly annoyed the majority of the book, thinking the authors were dense about feminism.
As someone who is a stubborn feminist, who's worked in the corporate world and dealt with a ton of sexism and misogyny, and who also has a crude sense of humour, I was really hoping to relate to this book. Instead, I was horrified by the massive pick-me energy of the FMC and her total lack of understanding of what feminism means. Sure, they wrap it up in a neat little bow in the epilogue, but suffering through a whole entire book of a woman actively disparaging women for choosing what they want in life was painful.
Firstly, the dialogue right out of the gates was awful, and this carried on throughout the novel. It's surreal to the point of being eye rolling and comes off as pointlessly misogynistic for the sake of entertainment. Then we carry into learning more about Maddie herself, and she's a wreck.
Her inner dialogue is narcissistic and selfish. The way she talks is unendingly cringy and to desperate levels to try to be a "bro." It's like the authors decided that a hot feminist coder with big tits meant they had to be revolting and crass for balance. She's around 30? And randomly saying "cum nuggets" to herself when she drops a razor. She openly refers to her own breasts as "cannonballs", and uses "vajayjay" in conversation commonly throughout the book. The amount of talk about her boner/dick, her massive breasts, anuses/farts/anal glands, dildos and penises, etc. Was just over the top. In the first 20% all we hear, aside from childish dialogue, is about how she's slovenly, undisciplined, has disgusting eating habits (but don't worry, the MMC loves her talking with food falling out of her mouth, and slurping her drinks loudly), and lives in filth. But guys it's okay, because she's hot, and really smart, oh and she cleans up great for dates so it's all good.
We get that behaviour, juxtaposed with her very staunch thoughts on staying single forever, because obviously you can't have a career and a relationship. Followed by her obnoxious critiques of her sisters for not being "feminist enough" in her eyes. She also ridicules her mom, even though she's a well respected Feminist Studies Professor with a loving husband and 4 daughters she adores.
The entirety of the book until the conclusion scene and epilogue, the FMC has no idea that feminism is about the ability to make choices, and instead sees any woman not grinding herself to the stone to best men, as a waste. Again she should be around 30. Yet she has a warped idea that relationships are the enemy, marriage and babies is a failure, and she has to mask her femininity to be an equal. Except for of course when she's dressing up or going on fake dates.
Then we have Zack. The dude who thinks he's in love with her after one date/not date, then harbours that for a decade. If anything, his dialogue is equally as childish and cringe, but his internal monologue is just trash, and piggish. He talks about her breasts so much it's eye rolling. Every one of his thoughts is about her, and how perfect she (and her tits) are. He praises how she has "no filter" yet it constantly screws their business over. He highlights her as the best of the best "pick me" girls" and how quirky and "not like the other girls" she is and it'll be in reference to like, her wearing Llama pyjama bottoms. He also touts the "I love strong and intelligent women" line throughout the book, yet he's always focused on her body, with her brains thrown in as an afterthought. He tries to say he's against sexist treatment as well, yet refers to her sisters as a "hurricane of hormones and hair products", and talks about giving "the most alpha handshake" to men on the golf course. Then there's a random scene where in detail he tells her sisters how much he loves her "badonkadonk". He literally uses that word, and I cringed into eternity.
I kept picturing both Maddie and Zack and teenagers or college students due to how they spoke and their actions. The dialogue and flirting on their fake dates was awful. The authors idea of flirting in general is weird and aggressive. Men being openly misogynistic. Women throwing themselves at them and groping their abs. It's all just massively overt and corny. No banter and wit anywhere, which means it wasnt fun or interesting. It was Maddie acting like variations of a pinup doll who's desperate to hook up every time, with overtly sexual flirting, constant lines, and rubbing all over herself and Zack. Then we get the MMC's inner monologue just being his dick twitching or having a raging erection the entire time. He even thinks the phrase "her yummy cunt" while in the midst of railing her and I swear I almost tossed my phone at the wall in horror. If he'd have said them out loud I'd have DNF'd the book on pure cringe. Due to them being so childish and unlike actual human beings, I had zero emotional investment with the characters the entire way through.
Also the weird sex doll? That Wes openly uses, leaves in common areas, and talks to and cuddles like she's real. The fact that that carries through the whole book was just gross. I know it was meant to be a point of humour, but him enabling others to be exposed to his kinks without their consent was revolting.
In general, the entire book being Maddie emotionally constipated and a constant victim was exhausting and a setback to feminism. It made me hope Zack got over her and found someone else, to the point the repair scene was a disappointment, which clearly isn't what you want from a romcom. I didn't enjoy seeing her use him as an emotional punching bag over and over again, nor did I like seeing him set himself on fire to keep her happy. It just made for selfish and self-centered characters, who I wasn't interested in seeing win.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend the book. It was unrealistic and frustrating, and I fought to finish it.
********
Thank you NetGalley, and Create Mode Media - for the digital ARC copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Together with their team of coding bros, they try to take the app world by storm, under impossible demands, and an incredibly short timeline. They end up lacking a ton of data and decide to take matters into their own hands by fake dating as different people every night. The only problem is, when intimacy strikes, will feelings get involved?
********
This was a rough read. I powered through because I was convinced the concept had great potential, but it didn't even get remotely interesting until the 60% mark. From there, it stagnated until the big conflict and resolutions scenes, then went straight into the epilogue. Those who can't make it through the book to the epilogue will just see this as another justification why feminists are unhinged, which I'm sure is the opposite of the coauthors intent. Yet I was wholly annoyed the majority of the book, thinking the authors were dense about feminism.
As someone who is a stubborn feminist, who's worked in the corporate world and dealt with a ton of sexism and misogyny, and who also has a crude sense of humour, I was really hoping to relate to this book. Instead, I was horrified by the massive pick-me energy of the FMC and her total lack of understanding of what feminism means. Sure, they wrap it up in a neat little bow in the epilogue, but suffering through a whole entire book of a woman actively disparaging women for choosing what they want in life was painful.
Firstly, the dialogue right out of the gates was awful, and this carried on throughout the novel. It's surreal to the point of being eye rolling and comes off as pointlessly misogynistic for the sake of entertainment. Then we carry into learning more about Maddie herself, and she's a wreck.
Her inner dialogue is narcissistic and selfish. The way she talks is unendingly cringy and to desperate levels to try to be a "bro." It's like the authors decided that a hot feminist coder with big tits meant they had to be revolting and crass for balance. She's around 30? And randomly saying "cum nuggets" to herself when she drops a razor. She openly refers to her own breasts as "cannonballs", and uses "vajayjay" in conversation commonly throughout the book. The amount of talk about her boner/dick, her massive breasts, anuses/farts/anal glands, dildos and penises, etc. Was just over the top. In the first 20% all we hear, aside from childish dialogue, is about how she's slovenly, undisciplined, has disgusting eating habits (but don't worry, the MMC loves her talking with food falling out of her mouth, and slurping her drinks loudly), and lives in filth. But guys it's okay, because she's hot, and really smart, oh and she cleans up great for dates so it's all good.
We get that behaviour, juxtaposed with her very staunch thoughts on staying single forever, because obviously you can't have a career and a relationship. Followed by her obnoxious critiques of her sisters for not being "feminist enough" in her eyes. She also ridicules her mom, even though she's a well respected Feminist Studies Professor with a loving husband and 4 daughters she adores.
The entirety of the book until the conclusion scene and epilogue, the FMC has no idea that feminism is about the ability to make choices, and instead sees any woman not grinding herself to the stone to best men, as a waste. Again she should be around 30. Yet she has a warped idea that relationships are the enemy, marriage and babies is a failure, and she has to mask her femininity to be an equal. Except for of course when she's dressing up or going on fake dates.
Then we have Zack. The dude who thinks he's in love with her after one date/not date, then harbours that for a decade. If anything, his dialogue is equally as childish and cringe, but his internal monologue is just trash, and piggish. He talks about her breasts so much it's eye rolling. Every one of his thoughts is about her, and how perfect she (and her tits) are. He praises how she has "no filter" yet it constantly screws their business over. He highlights her as the best of the best "pick me" girls" and how quirky and "not like the other girls" she is and it'll be in reference to like, her wearing Llama pyjama bottoms. He also touts the "I love strong and intelligent women" line throughout the book, yet he's always focused on her body, with her brains thrown in as an afterthought. He tries to say he's against sexist treatment as well, yet refers to her sisters as a "hurricane of hormones and hair products", and talks about giving "the most alpha handshake" to men on the golf course. Then there's a random scene where in detail he tells her sisters how much he loves her "badonkadonk". He literally uses that word, and I cringed into eternity.
I kept picturing both Maddie and Zack and teenagers or college students due to how they spoke and their actions. The dialogue and flirting on their fake dates was awful. The authors idea of flirting in general is weird and aggressive. Men being openly misogynistic. Women throwing themselves at them and groping their abs. It's all just massively overt and corny. No banter and wit anywhere, which means it wasnt fun or interesting. It was Maddie acting like variations of a pinup doll who's desperate to hook up every time, with overtly sexual flirting, constant lines, and rubbing all over herself and Zack. Then we get the MMC's inner monologue just being his dick twitching or having a raging erection the entire time. He even thinks the phrase "her yummy cunt" while in the midst of railing her and I swear I almost tossed my phone at the wall in horror. If he'd have said them out loud I'd have DNF'd the book on pure cringe. Due to them being so childish and unlike actual human beings, I had zero emotional investment with the characters the entire way through.
Also the weird sex doll? That Wes openly uses, leaves in common areas, and talks to and cuddles like she's real. The fact that that carries through the whole book was just gross. I know it was meant to be a point of humour, but him enabling others to be exposed to his kinks without their consent was revolting.
In general, the entire book being Maddie emotionally constipated and a constant victim was exhausting and a setback to feminism. It made me hope Zack got over her and found someone else, to the point the repair scene was a disappointment, which clearly isn't what you want from a romcom. I didn't enjoy seeing her use him as an emotional punching bag over and over again, nor did I like seeing him set himself on fire to keep her happy. It just made for selfish and self-centered characters, who I wasn't interested in seeing win.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend the book. It was unrealistic and frustrating, and I fought to finish it.
********
Thank you NetGalley, and Create Mode Media - for the digital ARC copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2024
The concept is wonderful, the outcome was terrible.
The writing style is choppy, full of dialogue and honesty juvenile. The pacing was fast paced but the story only got good by 80%.
The characters are unlovable and not believable. The trying to be feminist was a fail and very pick me. I don't think the FMC understood feminism it's not about not shaving it's about CHOICE. Being a feminist you'd think she would have female friends and want to uplift other women but it was not the case. Living with men who have a sex doll and constantly being quite macho male is not great. I didn't feel like I could believe the MMC loved the FMC because I couldn't even feel compassion towards her.
The last chapters were okay. She become bearable but again you can't just turn your emotions on just like that. I honestly was not routing for these two.
I don't recommend.
[ARC Netgally - 10 Oct 2024 - Create Mode Media]
The writing style is choppy, full of dialogue and honesty juvenile. The pacing was fast paced but the story only got good by 80%.
The characters are unlovable and not believable. The trying to be feminist was a fail and very pick me. I don't think the FMC understood feminism it's not about not shaving it's about CHOICE. Being a feminist you'd think she would have female friends and want to uplift other women but it was not the case. Living with men who have a sex doll and constantly being quite macho male is not great. I didn't feel like I could believe the MMC loved the FMC because I couldn't even feel compassion towards her.
The last chapters were okay. She become bearable but again you can't just turn your emotions on just like that. I honestly was not routing for these two.
I don't recommend.
[ARC Netgally - 10 Oct 2024 - Create Mode Media]
December 27, 2024
4.5⭐|3🌶|11%🌶 frequency
This book is hilarious 🤣
If you know nerds, you know they never grew up. They stay mentally in their teen years 🤣 and yes, that's what we get here 😎 Maddie is the coder in this book, and that's really rare. REALLY RARE! I love that. And yes, she gets the full package of "women aren't able to know tech" from her boss and customers.
Maddie is a strong and independent woman. She is a real feminist. Sometimes maybe a bit too much 🙈 She doesn't believe in love. I don't get why. She has her parents who are so extremely in love with each other. One of her three sisters is also happily married. But still, she thinks she would have to decide between love and her job and that's a no-go for her.
And Zack? Oh, poor Zack 😞 I can't say how sorry I felt for him during the whole book. Being in love with someone for 10 years, but being friend-zoned. That's really hard. Especially if you work and LIVE with this person. He sees Maddie 24/7.
The idea to start fake dating. OMG. I don't know if I wanted to laugh (again because if I didn't feel sorry for Zack, I was laughing 🤣), or if I wanted to scream "How fûck!ng crazy are you??? Do you really want to ☠️ yourself?". And don't let me start with the next step. No no no no 🙈🤣
I'm not sure what side character I loved the most. There are the three co-workers Cosmo, Reid, and Wes with his "girlfriend" Linda 🤣
And there are Maddie's three sisters, Sissy, Nora, and Abby. All three are so completely different from Maddie.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading more about the sisters 🤩
Follow me on IG for more
https://www.instagram.com/minnie.love...
This book is hilarious 🤣
If you know nerds, you know they never grew up. They stay mentally in their teen years 🤣 and yes, that's what we get here 😎 Maddie is the coder in this book, and that's really rare. REALLY RARE! I love that. And yes, she gets the full package of "women aren't able to know tech" from her boss and customers.
Maddie is a strong and independent woman. She is a real feminist. Sometimes maybe a bit too much 🙈 She doesn't believe in love. I don't get why. She has her parents who are so extremely in love with each other. One of her three sisters is also happily married. But still, she thinks she would have to decide between love and her job and that's a no-go for her.
And Zack? Oh, poor Zack 😞 I can't say how sorry I felt for him during the whole book. Being in love with someone for 10 years, but being friend-zoned. That's really hard. Especially if you work and LIVE with this person. He sees Maddie 24/7.
The idea to start fake dating. OMG. I don't know if I wanted to laugh (again because if I didn't feel sorry for Zack, I was laughing 🤣), or if I wanted to scream "How fûck!ng crazy are you??? Do you really want to ☠️ yourself?". And don't let me start with the next step. No no no no 🙈🤣
I'm not sure what side character I loved the most. There are the three co-workers Cosmo, Reid, and Wes with his "girlfriend" Linda 🤣
And there are Maddie's three sisters, Sissy, Nora, and Abby. All three are so completely different from Maddie.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading more about the sisters 🤩
Follow me on IG for more
https://www.instagram.com/minnie.love...
September 28, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Yikes. Love me a STEM romance with a strong FMC but this... was not it (imo).
Positives:
- It's a published book which takes lots of guts and skills, something I could never do so that's admirable for this writing duo
- Fast paced so the story was quick; I read it all in about 3-4 hours
- I guess I had fun discovering my tolerance for unbearably cringey and one dimensional stories
Negatives:
- Writing and dialogue: there was no distinct POV since both main leads think and talk the same (as well as the side characters)
- The lingo used is so very much outdated, juvenile and cringe to read (they're supposed to be over 30???) some notable examples: "moolah" "cheese farts" "vag magnet" "duderinos" "crap sandwich" "reekalicious" (?!?!?) "caboose" "gotta get my vibe on" "hot ziggity" <--- and they weren't even using these terms in an ironic or sarcastic way <3
- The MMC literally describes the FMC's scent as lavender and cheese??????????
- The MMC apparently has a decade old crush on the FMC but openly lusts after another woman for a little while, and in front of the FMC too
- The FMC is just unlikable; claims to be a feminist but is just a pick me 'one of the boys' constantly shit talking literally every other female in the book
Would not read again.
Overall rating: 1/5
Yikes. Love me a STEM romance with a strong FMC but this... was not it (imo).
Positives:
- It's a published book which takes lots of guts and skills, something I could never do so that's admirable for this writing duo
- Fast paced so the story was quick; I read it all in about 3-4 hours
- I guess I had fun discovering my tolerance for unbearably cringey and one dimensional stories
Negatives:
- Writing and dialogue: there was no distinct POV since both main leads think and talk the same (as well as the side characters)
- The lingo used is so very much outdated, juvenile and cringe to read (they're supposed to be over 30???) some notable examples: "moolah" "cheese farts" "vag magnet" "duderinos" "crap sandwich" "reekalicious" (?!?!?) "caboose" "gotta get my vibe on" "hot ziggity" <--- and they weren't even using these terms in an ironic or sarcastic way <3
- The MMC literally describes the FMC's scent as lavender and cheese??????????
- The MMC apparently has a decade old crush on the FMC but openly lusts after another woman for a little while, and in front of the FMC too
- The FMC is just unlikable; claims to be a feminist but is just a pick me 'one of the boys' constantly shit talking literally every other female in the book
Would not read again.
Overall rating: 1/5
September 23, 2024
This book would appeal to girls who say things like, “Most girls want guys to get them flowers, but I’M not high maintenance like that.” If that’s you, this book is for you, and also, I think you should go to therapy.
We begin with Maddie, the most “pick me” of pick mes. Maddie has sworn off dating to focus on her career, because of course she has, and spends all of her time coding, bombing investor meetings because she’s “just quirky like that,” and being generally vulgar, constantly saying things like, “Holy shitnuggets,” and, “Oh hell no, pecker jockey! Keep your meat hooks away from my tits!”
Her business partner and best friend of ten years, Zach, is hopelessly in love with her, because of course he is, and he spends all of his time having wet dreams about her, thinking about her “cannonball tits”, and then saying, “But it’s really her brain I love! I swear!” The general plot is something-something-fake-dating for the app they’ve developed together. Because of course it is.
The girl only eats junk food, never works out, and has done nothing but sit and code for 10+ years, yet we’re supposed to believe that she has “curves that flare out perfectly” and a “slayin’ body.” The “feminism” went around so far that it was full-blown misogyny. The humor was crude, with numerous references to poop, farts, c*m, a$$, and boobs, while the dialogue reads like the “Señorita Awesome” scene from Scream Queens. She also slapped and hit and kicked the male lead in the balls for… not kissing her? When they were fake dating? Which, beyond being physically abusive, is… well, physically abusive. No beyond needed.
Overall, this book was about a woman who was obsessed with how men viewed her and a man who only viewed her as an object, all the while touting, “Feminism!!! F*** yeah!!!” This book was not for me.
We begin with Maddie, the most “pick me” of pick mes. Maddie has sworn off dating to focus on her career, because of course she has, and spends all of her time coding, bombing investor meetings because she’s “just quirky like that,” and being generally vulgar, constantly saying things like, “Holy shitnuggets,” and, “Oh hell no, pecker jockey! Keep your meat hooks away from my tits!”
Her business partner and best friend of ten years, Zach, is hopelessly in love with her, because of course he is, and he spends all of his time having wet dreams about her, thinking about her “cannonball tits”, and then saying, “But it’s really her brain I love! I swear!” The general plot is something-something-fake-dating for the app they’ve developed together. Because of course it is.
The girl only eats junk food, never works out, and has done nothing but sit and code for 10+ years, yet we’re supposed to believe that she has “curves that flare out perfectly” and a “slayin’ body.” The “feminism” went around so far that it was full-blown misogyny. The humor was crude, with numerous references to poop, farts, c*m, a$$, and boobs, while the dialogue reads like the “Señorita Awesome” scene from Scream Queens. She also slapped and hit and kicked the male lead in the balls for… not kissing her? When they were fake dating? Which, beyond being physically abusive, is… well, physically abusive. No beyond needed.
Overall, this book was about a woman who was obsessed with how men viewed her and a man who only viewed her as an object, all the while touting, “Feminism!!! F*** yeah!!!” This book was not for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2026
Chaos, code, and catastrophic feelings collide the moment The Love Startup by MéLisa Ryun throws two best friends into a fake-dating experiment that quickly spirals into emotional chaos. Huge thanks to Happily Booked PR for the gifted ALC—and honestly, this audiobook experience made the wild ride even more entertaining.
This rom-com feels like someone tossed startup stress, nerdy chaos, and a decade of unresolved feelings into a blender and hit “maximum speed.” At the center are Maddie and Zack, best friends and co-founders trying to launch their dating app, LoveScore. Maddie is a brilliant coder who’s sworn off romance in favor of building her dream company, while Zack has been quietly, painfully in love with her for ten years. Their “perfectly logical” solution to gather the intimate data their app needs? Fake-date each other under different personas for research. What could possibly go wrong?
Listening to this story unfold was genuinely fun. The female narrator did an amazing job capturing Maddie’s chaotic, foul-mouthed energy and bringing the humor to life. Her delivery made several scenes land even harder, especially the ridiculous role-play dates that spiral into full rom-com chaos. The male narration didn’t quite hit the same note for me at times, but it didn’t take away from the overall experience or the emotional beats of Zack’s long-time pining.
Emotionally, this one had me hooked because of the tension between them. Watching Zack love Maddie for years while trying to respect the boundaries she set made his perspective especially compelling in audio format. Meanwhile, Maddie is messy, stubborn, and fiercely focused on her career, and while she definitely had moments where I wanted to shake her, those reactions just meant I was fully invested in their story.
One line that perfectly captured Maddie’s chaotic mindset was:
“Society says because I have a hoo-ha, I should want a man more than building my dream company. I say: eat my Wi-Fi.”
Between the ridiculous “research” dates, the chaotic friend group, and the slow unraveling of feelings that were never really hidden, this audiobook delivered a mix of humor, steam, and emotional frustration that kept me listening way too late.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you love friends-to-lovers tension, fake dating, chaotic geek humor, and a hero who has been hopelessly in love for years, this audiobook is absolutely for you. It’s especially perfect for listeners who enjoy rom-coms where the banter is fast, the spice is open-door, and the characters are a little messy but impossible not to root for.
Now I’m curious—do you prefer reading a rom-com like this, or listening to the chaos unfold in audiobook form?
#TheLoveStartup #AudiobookReview #ALCReview #RomComReads #FriendsToLovers #FakeDatingTrope #Bookstagram #AudiobookLovers #SpicyRomCom #STEMRomance #HeFallsFirst #BookishLife 🎧📚
This rom-com feels like someone tossed startup stress, nerdy chaos, and a decade of unresolved feelings into a blender and hit “maximum speed.” At the center are Maddie and Zack, best friends and co-founders trying to launch their dating app, LoveScore. Maddie is a brilliant coder who’s sworn off romance in favor of building her dream company, while Zack has been quietly, painfully in love with her for ten years. Their “perfectly logical” solution to gather the intimate data their app needs? Fake-date each other under different personas for research. What could possibly go wrong?
Listening to this story unfold was genuinely fun. The female narrator did an amazing job capturing Maddie’s chaotic, foul-mouthed energy and bringing the humor to life. Her delivery made several scenes land even harder, especially the ridiculous role-play dates that spiral into full rom-com chaos. The male narration didn’t quite hit the same note for me at times, but it didn’t take away from the overall experience or the emotional beats of Zack’s long-time pining.
Emotionally, this one had me hooked because of the tension between them. Watching Zack love Maddie for years while trying to respect the boundaries she set made his perspective especially compelling in audio format. Meanwhile, Maddie is messy, stubborn, and fiercely focused on her career, and while she definitely had moments where I wanted to shake her, those reactions just meant I was fully invested in their story.
One line that perfectly captured Maddie’s chaotic mindset was:
“Society says because I have a hoo-ha, I should want a man more than building my dream company. I say: eat my Wi-Fi.”
Between the ridiculous “research” dates, the chaotic friend group, and the slow unraveling of feelings that were never really hidden, this audiobook delivered a mix of humor, steam, and emotional frustration that kept me listening way too late.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you love friends-to-lovers tension, fake dating, chaotic geek humor, and a hero who has been hopelessly in love for years, this audiobook is absolutely for you. It’s especially perfect for listeners who enjoy rom-coms where the banter is fast, the spice is open-door, and the characters are a little messy but impossible not to root for.
Now I’m curious—do you prefer reading a rom-com like this, or listening to the chaos unfold in audiobook form?
#TheLoveStartup #AudiobookReview #ALCReview #RomComReads #FriendsToLovers #FakeDatingTrope #Bookstagram #AudiobookLovers #SpicyRomCom #STEMRomance #HeFallsFirst #BookishLife 🎧📚
October 7, 2024
The concept here was really fun to read. Told from a dual POV of Maddie and Zack. Best friends that start their own dating app struggling to gain investors. When they finally catch a bite, it comes with a contingency of launching within 6 weeks. 6 weeks is not enough time to gather all the data they need from beta testers so Maddie and Zack dive into roleplay fake dating to add in the missing data. I liked this plot concept because it gives you the different role-play character profiles before detailing each date. Zack has always been in love with Maddie but Maddie refuses to be distracted while she puts her career first. So 10 years post friendzoning, Zack is still in love with her and with all this fake dating for their app has Maddie starting to catch feelings of her own.
Despite how fun this read was, I feel like the dialog was better suited for college/early twenties characters rather than the thirty something they’re supposed to be. I enjoyed the banter, but I definitely felt like they read much younger. The roommates who also happen to be a part of their coding team were quirky, funny and added personality to some of the slower moments. I also think the spicy portion of this kind of jumps in quick towards the middle and then it just kept coming and coming (pun intended), it would have been nice if it had been broke up a little through the dates instead of all at once. Lastly, while I appreciate reading a fmc that wants to see women thrive in the workforce, she came off a little selfish in her thought processes, when I felt like Zack did a really good job of supporting her. Overall, I had fun reading this. It definitely gave off romance/comedy and id love to see this as a movie.
Despite how fun this read was, I feel like the dialog was better suited for college/early twenties characters rather than the thirty something they’re supposed to be. I enjoyed the banter, but I definitely felt like they read much younger. The roommates who also happen to be a part of their coding team were quirky, funny and added personality to some of the slower moments. I also think the spicy portion of this kind of jumps in quick towards the middle and then it just kept coming and coming (pun intended), it would have been nice if it had been broke up a little through the dates instead of all at once. Lastly, while I appreciate reading a fmc that wants to see women thrive in the workforce, she came off a little selfish in her thought processes, when I felt like Zack did a really good job of supporting her. Overall, I had fun reading this. It definitely gave off romance/comedy and id love to see this as a movie.
March 12, 2026
I got the ALC version and the male narrators take on a female voice just had me cringing.
I really wanted to like this book. The premise, a STEM romance with a strong female lead wanting to make her mark in a male overrun market, had a lot of potential. But the execution, for me, fell short.
Unfortunately, there was a miss between her dream of more woman in tech/coding, yet surrounding herself with all men, sacrificing her love life for career and and the fake dating roleplay which had me cringing and almost dnfing the book. The conflict and resolution happened quickly and the book moved straight into the epilogue, making the ending feel rushed.
The two main characters don't seem to mature past their initial meeting, ten years previously. I kept forgetting they were in their 30s. Her home/office life was beyond chaotic and I won't even mention Linda. Chapter 1 was supposed to be a funny intro and it was just crude.
Maddie says she is a feminist, her understanding of feminism often comes across as dismissive toward other women’s choices, especially when she criticizes her sisters and mother for more traditional lifestyles. Rather than feeling empowering, her perspective frequently feels judgmental and narrow.
The male lead, Zack, is also difficult to connect with. Although the story insists he admires Maddie’s intelligence and strength, most of his thoughts focused on her massive boobs. I don't know how Maddie was able to stand.
And you know your limits, so read the author's content warnings. I received a copy of this book from HappilyHookedPR, and this is my honest review.
I really wanted to like this book. The premise, a STEM romance with a strong female lead wanting to make her mark in a male overrun market, had a lot of potential. But the execution, for me, fell short.
Unfortunately, there was a miss between her dream of more woman in tech/coding, yet surrounding herself with all men, sacrificing her love life for career and and the fake dating roleplay which had me cringing and almost dnfing the book. The conflict and resolution happened quickly and the book moved straight into the epilogue, making the ending feel rushed.
The two main characters don't seem to mature past their initial meeting, ten years previously. I kept forgetting they were in their 30s. Her home/office life was beyond chaotic and I won't even mention Linda. Chapter 1 was supposed to be a funny intro and it was just crude.
Maddie says she is a feminist, her understanding of feminism often comes across as dismissive toward other women’s choices, especially when she criticizes her sisters and mother for more traditional lifestyles. Rather than feeling empowering, her perspective frequently feels judgmental and narrow.
The male lead, Zack, is also difficult to connect with. Although the story insists he admires Maddie’s intelligence and strength, most of his thoughts focused on her massive boobs. I don't know how Maddie was able to stand.
And you know your limits, so read the author's content warnings. I received a copy of this book from HappilyHookedPR, and this is my honest review.
October 8, 2024
There was a lot of stuff I loved here. The characters were spot-on- I loved strong, intelligent Madie and her sisters- I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the other Denton sisters! I loved how supportive Zack was, and the way he tried to keep things in the friendzone that Madie wanted. Even when I wanted to shake them both, I loved them. I also loved that we gave Wes someone other than Linda ( the amount of scenes with a blow-up doll was odd; but kudos for being able to give a sex toy a bit of personality).
The story had a good flow to it, and while some of it read far more immature than I thought characters in their twenties and thirties should have been, there was actual growth and development. The roleplay game that Zack and Madie played was adorable, and I actually loved that they tried to use that to create data for the app. Was it the best book ever? Nah, but it was hilarious, sexy, and just out right fun. For me this is a three star book.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
There is a lot of sexual content here- both inuendo and actual sex scenes, and they get fairly spicy ( I would say a four on the spice scale). Other than some language I would say that’s it as far as adult content goes. It is definitely made with adults in mind, but some of the language and scenarios would make it appeal to a New Adult crowd as well.
I was lucky enough to recieve an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Create Mode Media in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed by this. My thanks!
The story had a good flow to it, and while some of it read far more immature than I thought characters in their twenties and thirties should have been, there was actual growth and development. The roleplay game that Zack and Madie played was adorable, and I actually loved that they tried to use that to create data for the app. Was it the best book ever? Nah, but it was hilarious, sexy, and just out right fun. For me this is a three star book.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
There is a lot of sexual content here- both inuendo and actual sex scenes, and they get fairly spicy ( I would say a four on the spice scale). Other than some language I would say that’s it as far as adult content goes. It is definitely made with adults in mind, but some of the language and scenarios would make it appeal to a New Adult crowd as well.
I was lucky enough to recieve an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Create Mode Media in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed by this. My thanks!
November 9, 2024
This book is a friends to lovers fake dating experience. Maddie, the coder, is trying to make it in a male dominated world and has chosen to forego love to make her dreams happen. Zack has been secretly in love with Maddie for a decade but has accepted the friend zone he's been placed in. Maddie and Zack have an app that they're creating called LoveScore. In order to get the data they need for the app to go live early and get investments they have to fake date and become different characters to add that data to the algorithm. Lines get blurred and so do feelings.
This book was entertaining for the most part. But the writing was so cringe to me. I tried to look past it to get to the plot and if I focused on that it wasn't too bad.
Maddie annoyed me so much. She literally created a mess of her own design. She wanted it her way all the time while stringing her best friend along and playing with his emotions. She deliberately played denial and knocked down her family for giving up the feminist fight in her chapters. She was hard working, I'll give her that.
Zack was a bit better. He tried to help Maddie so much. They're childish antics to get the other jealous though felt ill fitting in the story.
I did enjoy the side characters though. The code bros and the sisters. I feel like they helped make the book entertaining. Even with their cringy language.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
This book was entertaining for the most part. But the writing was so cringe to me. I tried to look past it to get to the plot and if I focused on that it wasn't too bad.
Maddie annoyed me so much. She literally created a mess of her own design. She wanted it her way all the time while stringing her best friend along and playing with his emotions. She deliberately played denial and knocked down her family for giving up the feminist fight in her chapters. She was hard working, I'll give her that.
Zack was a bit better. He tried to help Maddie so much. They're childish antics to get the other jealous though felt ill fitting in the story.
I did enjoy the side characters though. The code bros and the sisters. I feel like they helped make the book entertaining. Even with their cringy language.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
March 14, 2026
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 was the debut novel by Mélisa Ryun, featuring a super spicy friends to lovers, workplace romcom for Maddie and Zack. They’ve been best friends since college while secretly harboring feelings for each other, but Maddie is a career-focused techie, supposed feminist, determined to avoid relationships, and Zack is willing to sacrifice his own happiness to support her dreams and maintain the friendship. So here they are trying to get a dating app off the ground and recruit investors with a group of misfit geeks drenched in over-the-top raunchy humor. I tried to connect to these characters, but Maddie was just flat-out unlikeable and rude most of the time, and the constant emotional immaturity was a bit much after a while. The premise for the fake dating and role playing scenes had great potential, but it just didn’t fully materialize for me. The female narrator on the audio did a great job with the material. The male narrator was good on the male parts, but when he would attempt to act out a female voice, especially during a role play scene, it was sometimes almost painful to listen to. I hate to leave a review like this, because I’ve read other books by this author duo that I loved that had plenty of comedy, spice, and fantastic characters, but this one just missed the mark for me.
I received an ALC for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
🎙️🎙️🎙️
I received an ALC for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
🎙️🎙️🎙️
September 29, 2024
This book is not a friends to lovers. This is a friends to hook-up to almost enemies to lovers.
Madie is described as a “coding boss, feminist powerhouse, and destroyer of fragile male egos.” But she is very broken and stubborn. Zack is her best friend / business partner that has been pining over her for 10 years.
This book tries to be funny, and sometimes it is but mostly cringy.
It’s a little to stereotypical for my taste, as a woman in STEM myself I think that sometimes it was a title overboard.
Has a lot of description of the app that they are building and focus a lot on that and not on the evolution of the relationship, and with a lot of the side characters. For the app they start to go on “fake dates” as different personalities, it is entertaining but stereotypical and they don’t connect like that, it doesn’t show growth of the characters and their relationship.
There is a lot of miss communication. And for all the non-stereotypical that the FMC was trying to be portrayed as in the end she becomes very objectified and throwing the feminism out of the window.
It has a lot of spicy scenes.
I’ve read this book through NetGalley
Madie is described as a “coding boss, feminist powerhouse, and destroyer of fragile male egos.” But she is very broken and stubborn. Zack is her best friend / business partner that has been pining over her for 10 years.
This book tries to be funny, and sometimes it is but mostly cringy.
It’s a little to stereotypical for my taste, as a woman in STEM myself I think that sometimes it was a title overboard.
Has a lot of description of the app that they are building and focus a lot on that and not on the evolution of the relationship, and with a lot of the side characters. For the app they start to go on “fake dates” as different personalities, it is entertaining but stereotypical and they don’t connect like that, it doesn’t show growth of the characters and their relationship.
There is a lot of miss communication. And for all the non-stereotypical that the FMC was trying to be portrayed as in the end she becomes very objectified and throwing the feminism out of the window.
It has a lot of spicy scenes.
I’ve read this book through NetGalley
October 1, 2024
🌟Thank you to NetGalley and Melisa Ryun for the E-Arc. Here is my honest rating/review🌟
I just want to start this off by saying I'm so sorry that my review is not a positive one. I hate not enjoying a book, and Im sure that there will be many people who enjoy it, but unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.
I was so excited about this book when I read the description, but unfortunately, I ended up DNF’ing it at 15%
I tried really hard to stick it out. I really did because I loved the concept of what the plot was supposed to be, but I just couldn't get past the dialogue. It was not something I was comfortable reading to me it gave second-hand embarrassment and a cringy feel. Usually, I don't have a problem with crudeness vulgarity in books, but the way it was done came off as very immature, and I'm sorry but gross. The MMC was extremely misogynistic, and the FMC, who claimed to be a feminist came off as the exact opposite to me, and she was slightly obnoxious and very rude, so I had to call it quits.
October 7, 2024
The Love Startup centers around Maddie, a driven coder determined to launch her dating app, LoveScore. When an investor demands an impossible upgrade to the app’s algorithm, Maddie and her co-founder Zack find themselves in a fake dating situation to gather data. As they role-play intimate scenarios, their fake relationship blurs the lines between business and genuine feelings.
The story is fast-paced and easy to get through, making it a quick read. However, the characters sometimes feel immature, especially given their professional roles, and their dialogue can come off as a bit unrealistic. While there are some funny moments and witty banter, the immaturity makes it harder to connect with the characters.
The overall concept of the book is intriguing, and there are a few well-written quotes, but the execution falls short in places. Maddie, in particular, comes across as unlikeable at times, which makes it harder to fully enjoy the romance.
I gave it 3 stars because it takes guts to write a book and publish it besides everything else quoted above.
The story is fast-paced and easy to get through, making it a quick read. However, the characters sometimes feel immature, especially given their professional roles, and their dialogue can come off as a bit unrealistic. While there are some funny moments and witty banter, the immaturity makes it harder to connect with the characters.
The overall concept of the book is intriguing, and there are a few well-written quotes, but the execution falls short in places. Maddie, in particular, comes across as unlikeable at times, which makes it harder to fully enjoy the romance.
I gave it 3 stars because it takes guts to write a book and publish it besides everything else quoted above.
March 10, 2026
✨️ARC REVIEW✨️
Thank you to Happily Booked PR and Melisa Ryun for this ARC opportunity! 🫶🏻
I was so excited to get my ears on another audiobook by Melisa Ryun. I can always count on them for some truly unhinged, laugh-out-loud chaos, and this one definitely had those moments.🤭
Not going to lie there were a few parts that made me cringe a little… but that might just mean I’m not quite nerdy enough to fully appreciate everything 😅. Even so, the banter between the group had me laughing out loud more than once and gave me some proper belly laughs.🤪
I really did enjoy the overall story though. Watching how everything unfolded from where it all started to where it ended up was both fun and really sweet. The different personas they used on their dates were hilarious to listen to, especially hearing them fully act it out. What started as something totally fake on the surface slowly turned into something genuinely real underneath, and I loved that journey. 🥰
Other than the cute friends to lovers blooming moment between Maddie and Zack, I loved the dynamic between Maddie and her sisters and it makes me really excited to get more of this series in the future!🙌🏻
Thank you to Happily Booked PR and Melisa Ryun for this ARC opportunity! 🫶🏻
I was so excited to get my ears on another audiobook by Melisa Ryun. I can always count on them for some truly unhinged, laugh-out-loud chaos, and this one definitely had those moments.🤭
Not going to lie there were a few parts that made me cringe a little… but that might just mean I’m not quite nerdy enough to fully appreciate everything 😅. Even so, the banter between the group had me laughing out loud more than once and gave me some proper belly laughs.🤪
I really did enjoy the overall story though. Watching how everything unfolded from where it all started to where it ended up was both fun and really sweet. The different personas they used on their dates were hilarious to listen to, especially hearing them fully act it out. What started as something totally fake on the surface slowly turned into something genuinely real underneath, and I loved that journey. 🥰
Other than the cute friends to lovers blooming moment between Maddie and Zack, I loved the dynamic between Maddie and her sisters and it makes me really excited to get more of this series in the future!🙌🏻
March 10, 2026
"To every "difficult woman" who's been told to "smile more". Your patience is legendary, your dreams are valid, and your time is coming." 💻
I really wanted to love The Love Startup, I love MéLisa Ryun as authors and fake dating is my absolute favourite trope, but unfortunately this one didn’t hit for me. I listened the audiobook version and the side character voices were so over-the-top it constantly pulled me out of the story.
Maddie was tough to connect with and I spent most of the book wondering why Zack stuck around! The plot itself felt slow, with almost nothing happening for a big chunk of the story, which made it hard to stay invested. There were a few funny moments and sparks of chemistry, but they weren’t enough to make up for the pacing and character frustrations.
A shame, because with better timing and less exaggerated narration, this concept could have been an absolute winner.
Tropes & Themes:
🩷 Fake Dating
💞 Friends To Lovers
🏢 Workplace Romance
🌶️ Spicy Romance
🎭 Role Play
⏳Slow Burn
I really wanted to love The Love Startup, I love MéLisa Ryun as authors and fake dating is my absolute favourite trope, but unfortunately this one didn’t hit for me. I listened the audiobook version and the side character voices were so over-the-top it constantly pulled me out of the story.
Maddie was tough to connect with and I spent most of the book wondering why Zack stuck around! The plot itself felt slow, with almost nothing happening for a big chunk of the story, which made it hard to stay invested. There were a few funny moments and sparks of chemistry, but they weren’t enough to make up for the pacing and character frustrations.
A shame, because with better timing and less exaggerated narration, this concept could have been an absolute winner.
Tropes & Themes:
🩷 Fake Dating
💞 Friends To Lovers
🏢 Workplace Romance
🌶️ Spicy Romance
🎭 Role Play
⏳Slow Burn
March 12, 2026
I went into The Love Startup by Melisa Ryun expecting some humor, and this author duo definitely delivered. There were several laugh-out-loud moments that made the listening experience really fun.
I absolutely loved the female narrator—she did a fantastic job bringing the story and characters to life. The male narrator didn’t quite work for me, but it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the story overall.
The plot itself was fantastic, and I’m already looking forward to the sequels. I’m a sucker for unrequited love, friends-to-lovers, and fake dating, and this book had all three. It was such a fun mix of tropes that kept me fully invested.
There were definitely moments where I wanted to scream at the main female character, but honestly, when a book makes me react that strongly to the characters, it means I’m completely invested in the story.
I ended up finishing this audiobook in less than 24 hours, which says a lot about how engaging it was. I can’t wait to see where the series goes next.
I absolutely loved the female narrator—she did a fantastic job bringing the story and characters to life. The male narrator didn’t quite work for me, but it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the story overall.
The plot itself was fantastic, and I’m already looking forward to the sequels. I’m a sucker for unrequited love, friends-to-lovers, and fake dating, and this book had all three. It was such a fun mix of tropes that kept me fully invested.
There were definitely moments where I wanted to scream at the main female character, but honestly, when a book makes me react that strongly to the characters, it means I’m completely invested in the story.
I ended up finishing this audiobook in less than 24 hours, which says a lot about how engaging it was. I can’t wait to see where the series goes next.
March 11, 2026
The Love Startup was a laugh out loud rom-com with sharp banter, crazy fake dates, and lots of steam. The entire premise of the plot just tended itself to these crazy and outrageous scenes and I was here for it. What else can happen when best friends, Maddie and Zack, have to go on a series of fake dates - all the while Zack has been in love with Maddie for years, Maddie, self proclaimed single for life, is starting to catch feelings, and they have to role play different people during these dates to gather data for their daring app algorithm. This is one of those books you read for the laughs and steam.
What really made this book for me was the narrations by Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani. They did amazing jobs capturing the personalities of the characters and the nuances in their delivery enhanced the listening experience. The steamy scenes became smoking hot and the antics were laugh out loud.
What really made this book for me was the narrations by Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani. They did amazing jobs capturing the personalities of the characters and the nuances in their delivery enhanced the listening experience. The steamy scenes became smoking hot and the antics were laugh out loud.
March 15, 2026
ALC Review:
Dual Narration by Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani
Tropes:
Friends to Lovers
Fake Dating
He Falls First
R-Rated Workplace Romcom
This story follows Maddie, a fiercely independent coder determined to build her startup, and Zack, her best friend and co-founder who has secretly been in love with her for years. When their dating app needs real-world data to impress investors, they decide to fake-date for research purposes—leading to blurred lines between acting and real feelings.
This was a fun and chaotic workplace romcom with a nerdy twist. I liked the tech startup setting and the playful dynamic between Maddie and Zack. While some moments leaned a little over-the-top for me, the story was still entertaining and had plenty of humor and spice.
Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani delivered a solid performance. They brought great energy to the characters and handled the comedic tone nicely.
Huge thanks Happily Booked PR and to the author for this ALC.
Dual Narration by Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani
Tropes:
Friends to Lovers
Fake Dating
He Falls First
R-Rated Workplace Romcom
This story follows Maddie, a fiercely independent coder determined to build her startup, and Zack, her best friend and co-founder who has secretly been in love with her for years. When their dating app needs real-world data to impress investors, they decide to fake-date for research purposes—leading to blurred lines between acting and real feelings.
This was a fun and chaotic workplace romcom with a nerdy twist. I liked the tech startup setting and the playful dynamic between Maddie and Zack. While some moments leaned a little over-the-top for me, the story was still entertaining and had plenty of humor and spice.
Savannah Thomas and Luke Persiani delivered a solid performance. They brought great energy to the characters and handled the comedic tone nicely.
Huge thanks Happily Booked PR and to the author for this ALC.
September 30, 2024
An okay book.
The premise was good, and it had potential. I was looking forward to reading this based on the description, but it kinda disappointed me. They all seem quite immature, although they are said to be in their 30’s. She is a boss coder, and swears off relationships all together since she believed women in tech cannot have both, as men can. Fair assumption, but it just came out as being a stubborn woman. The banter and humor was good at some points, cringe at others. The outline of the fake date with all their info and such became quite tiring after a while, so I found myself skipping since it just became fillers in the book. I liked it - but just didn’t love it. 3 stars because the premise of it was promising and it had some good parts.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this book. All opinions are my own.
The premise was good, and it had potential. I was looking forward to reading this based on the description, but it kinda disappointed me. They all seem quite immature, although they are said to be in their 30’s. She is a boss coder, and swears off relationships all together since she believed women in tech cannot have both, as men can. Fair assumption, but it just came out as being a stubborn woman. The banter and humor was good at some points, cringe at others. The outline of the fake date with all their info and such became quite tiring after a while, so I found myself skipping since it just became fillers in the book. I liked it - but just didn’t love it. 3 stars because the premise of it was promising and it had some good parts.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this book. All opinions are my own.
October 3, 2024
1 star.
Maddie and Zach are best friends and are developing a dating app. Maddie has sworn that she will never fall in love, because then she will lose her career, while Zach has been secretly in love with Maddie since the first time they met.
While developing the app, they end up testing the app by going on dates with each other using invented personas. Some of these dates were described quite funny.
However, I didn't like this book. Apart from Zach, all the characters were unpleasant and immature. In particular, I thought Maddie was childish, selfish and rude. It was very hard for me to hope for a happy ending to this "love" story.
I really struggled to finish this and ended up skimming a lot. I just wanted it to end.
--
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Maddie and Zach are best friends and are developing a dating app. Maddie has sworn that she will never fall in love, because then she will lose her career, while Zach has been secretly in love with Maddie since the first time they met.
While developing the app, they end up testing the app by going on dates with each other using invented personas. Some of these dates were described quite funny.
However, I didn't like this book. Apart from Zach, all the characters were unpleasant and immature. In particular, I thought Maddie was childish, selfish and rude. It was very hard for me to hope for a happy ending to this "love" story.
I really struggled to finish this and ended up skimming a lot. I just wanted it to end.
--
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 12, 2026
First, I love that Maddie and Zack were long time friends and they both secretly were attracted to each other. I also appreciated that Maggie was a coder and made her career a priority, but I didn’t like that she stayed away from love.
The guys that made up her team at LoveScore reminded me of the show Silicon Valley.
I was so glad that Maddie and Zack came to the conclusion that they had to fake date and write reviews on their dating app. How else were they going to stop ignoring their feelings?
Zack was so steady and dependable and so good for Maddie. Maddie was the opposite of him, and I think they balanced each other out well.
If you are in the mood to read a fun friends to lovers with an FMC that stays away from love at almost all costs you will not only love this one- you will be rooting for them!
The guys that made up her team at LoveScore reminded me of the show Silicon Valley.
I was so glad that Maddie and Zack came to the conclusion that they had to fake date and write reviews on their dating app. How else were they going to stop ignoring their feelings?
Zack was so steady and dependable and so good for Maddie. Maddie was the opposite of him, and I think they balanced each other out well.
If you are in the mood to read a fun friends to lovers with an FMC that stays away from love at almost all costs you will not only love this one- you will be rooting for them!
September 27, 2024
Thank you to net galley and publishers for this ARC copy in return for an honest review
OK so the concept of this book was great and I was really looking forward to it! I must say the FMC sort of annoyed me sometimes, gave off more 'pick me' energy than a feminist! I wouldn't really say she's a feminist, more stubborn and too set in her ways with her work and doesn't want anything to possibly ruin it. The banter/humour was fairly good. I love the fake dating accept along and trying to tie it along with the development of the app. I just feel that it didn't completely hit the mark. I feel some of the la gauge used by the characters made them seem a lot you ger than what they actually are, pretty sure they are in their 30s but spoke as if they were teens majority of the time.
OK so the concept of this book was great and I was really looking forward to it! I must say the FMC sort of annoyed me sometimes, gave off more 'pick me' energy than a feminist! I wouldn't really say she's a feminist, more stubborn and too set in her ways with her work and doesn't want anything to possibly ruin it. The banter/humour was fairly good. I love the fake dating accept along and trying to tie it along with the development of the app. I just feel that it didn't completely hit the mark. I feel some of the la gauge used by the characters made them seem a lot you ger than what they actually are, pretty sure they are in their 30s but spoke as if they were teens majority of the time.
October 14, 2024
I am grateful to have received this book in order to share my view on it, unfortunately it was one of those very rare occasions where we didn't fit..
I had high hopes from the title and the cover. It's hard for me to review this book as I skimmed a lot. It felt just so .. tiring. The dialogues and the characters' traits were just too loud for me, their reactions too snappy and it felt like it was built out of cliches, the start up life and struggles, the typical girl coder, her best friend with the good looks, the apparent connection between them..
There is sensual tension here, there are emotions, and its clear the authors worked hard to make this work, but I just didn't get swept away by the world built here.
I had high hopes from the title and the cover. It's hard for me to review this book as I skimmed a lot. It felt just so .. tiring. The dialogues and the characters' traits were just too loud for me, their reactions too snappy and it felt like it was built out of cliches, the start up life and struggles, the typical girl coder, her best friend with the good looks, the apparent connection between them..
There is sensual tension here, there are emotions, and its clear the authors worked hard to make this work, but I just didn't get swept away by the world built here.
January 16, 2025
This was a cute read! Maddie and Zack they're both working on an app called LoveScore. In order for both of them to catalog correct data that makes the app work perfectly and for it to launch they both need to pretend date! Pretty good pretense! I feel as if I was watching a Netflix romcom totally adorable! 💗
The characters have their flaws, beliefs, and more that they have to either work with or forgo in order to understand each other better.📖
The flow of the writing felt like a movie script! I can see a lot of comedic actors being cast as the characters and have me fall off my chair! 😊
Friends to lovers is one of my favorite genres! When you had a bunch of fun side characters you have a winner! 👍
Bravo! 💕
THANK YOU NETGALLEY!
The characters have their flaws, beliefs, and more that they have to either work with or forgo in order to understand each other better.📖
The flow of the writing felt like a movie script! I can see a lot of comedic actors being cast as the characters and have me fall off my chair! 😊
Friends to lovers is one of my favorite genres! When you had a bunch of fun side characters you have a winner! 👍
Bravo! 💕
THANK YOU NETGALLEY!
March 13, 2026
a premise I was immediately into: two coder best friends fake-dating to collect “research” data for their startup. Add in workplace comedy, friends-to-lovers tension, and plenty of spice, and it sounded like a guaranteed good time. The fake-dating setup had some genuinely funny moments, especially when the “research” for their app forced them into increasingly ridiculous role-play scenarios. The chemistry between them was definitely there, and the open-door spice delivered on the promise of a steamy rom-com. the book leaned a little too hard into the chaotic humor for my taste. The FMC constant trash-talk and over-the-top personality sometimes overshadowed the emotional development, and parts of the story felt more like a series of raunchy skits than a cohesive romance arc. I also would have liked more depth around the startup plot and the stakes with their company.For me, it was entertaining but not quite as emotionally satisfying as I hoped.I received an advance review copy of the ALC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 12, 2026
✨ A STEM romcom that had me howling ✨
We follow Maddie and Zack, best friends and co- CEO’s of LoveScore, an innovative dating app that helps you find the ✨perfect✨ date.
They find an investor willing to invest in their app, but there’s one problem…they need date data and lots of it.
What better way to get this than for Zack and Maddie to ✨fake date✨? What could go wrong? Oh…did I mention that Zack has been in love with Maddie for ten years? 👀
This had me howling. Maddie is strong, fierce and a powerful woman navigating a male-led industry. Zack is her best friend and is funny, charming and half the brains of the app. If you need a good laugh with some spice and “omg” moments, then this one is for you!
💻 Friends to Lovers
🩵 Woman in STEM
💻 Romcom
🩵 Workplace Romance
💻 Fake Dating
🩵 He falls
⭐️ 4.75/5
🌶️ 3.5/5
We follow Maddie and Zack, best friends and co- CEO’s of LoveScore, an innovative dating app that helps you find the ✨perfect✨ date.
They find an investor willing to invest in their app, but there’s one problem…they need date data and lots of it.
What better way to get this than for Zack and Maddie to ✨fake date✨? What could go wrong? Oh…did I mention that Zack has been in love with Maddie for ten years? 👀
This had me howling. Maddie is strong, fierce and a powerful woman navigating a male-led industry. Zack is her best friend and is funny, charming and half the brains of the app. If you need a good laugh with some spice and “omg” moments, then this one is for you!
💻 Friends to Lovers
🩵 Woman in STEM
💻 Romcom
🩵 Workplace Romance
💻 Fake Dating
🩵 He falls
⭐️ 4.75/5
🌶️ 3.5/5
May 4, 2025
I absolutely loved reading this book. I love how Maddie is this strong-minded girl boss calling the shots in a male-dominated industry. My nerd brain loves the whole computer geek aspect of the book. I felt like I was watching Big Bang Theory along with New Girl and they were trying to code a new app.
My absolute favorite part of the book was the fake dating…but with a twist! This is not your normal fake-dating! Not going to spoil it! Just read it!
I ate up all the silliness and sweetness and just the whole story.
And I’ve never highlighted and annotated an Author’s Note in a book but this one…👏…had me sniffling.
My absolute favorite part of the book was the fake dating…but with a twist! This is not your normal fake-dating! Not going to spoil it! Just read it!
I ate up all the silliness and sweetness and just the whole story.
And I’ve never highlighted and annotated an Author’s Note in a book but this one…👏…had me sniffling.
March 11, 2026
There are parts I really enjoyed in this book and then some I wasn’t feeling. I felt that our FMC was immature in some aspects and sometimes it felt a little over the top with the immaturity. I loved that she was a bad ass coder and felt so much passion for her start up.
Our MMC was full of yearning, which I was here for. I also felt for him too because there were times where what Maddie did, confused me just as much as him.
I really enjoyed the quirky, found family aspect of the book. It added a fun layer to the book.
Overall, I enjoyed it and I’m thankful for being on the ALC team!
The narrators did a great job!
3.5 ⭐️
Our MMC was full of yearning, which I was here for. I also felt for him too because there were times where what Maddie did, confused me just as much as him.
I really enjoyed the quirky, found family aspect of the book. It added a fun layer to the book.
Overall, I enjoyed it and I’m thankful for being on the ALC team!
The narrators did a great job!
3.5 ⭐️
November 25, 2025
Hilarious!
Maddie is spunky and just outright badass. I have a little hero worship happening: she did what everyone dreams of in the world of retail! And Zack is hilarious, confident, and totally in love with Maddie. The push-and-pull between them was painful, and you couldn't help but scream at them to just do it! This book is freaking hilarious, has tension wound so tight you could scream, and some extremely hot and spicy moments! Hands down one of the best bff-to-lovers rom-coms I've read!
Maddie is spunky and just outright badass. I have a little hero worship happening: she did what everyone dreams of in the world of retail! And Zack is hilarious, confident, and totally in love with Maddie. The push-and-pull between them was painful, and you couldn't help but scream at them to just do it! This book is freaking hilarious, has tension wound so tight you could scream, and some extremely hot and spicy moments! Hands down one of the best bff-to-lovers rom-coms I've read!
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