The Launch Date

by Annabelle Slator

What if the secret to finding true love on a dating app was meeting them IRL first?

In this witty and fun rom-com debut from Annabelle Slator, rival coworkers become reluctant daters after they're forced to work together on a brand-new dating app in hopes of winning a promotion—perfect for fans of Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game.

Grace Hastings’s dream job at the popular “true love” dating app, Fate, has turned into a nightmare. Her boss is a leech, her career is stagnating, and her fiancé has just brutally dumped her. Her hope for finding her own love story is waning, and she feels like a fraud for promoting a concept she no longer believes in. When the company’s CEO offers her an opportunity to earn a big promotion, she resolves to fight her imposter syndrome to show she deserves a seat at the table.

The opportunity? To launch a brand-new app focusing on IRL dating and genuine connection.

The problem? She must develop and test-drive a series of “first dates” with the other person gunning for the job: notorious socialite playboy and Grace’s biggest work rival, Eric Bancroft.

During their disastrous hikes, dangerous cooking classes, and steamy yoga sessions, they begin to realize their stark differences may just be surface level and Eric might just be the perfect person to challenge Grace’s perceptions of love, dating culture, and self-worth.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Adult

400 pages, Paperback

First published February 11, 2025

About the author

Follow Annabelle on Instagram and Tiktok: @annabelleslator

Annabelle Slator grew up writing stories in the depths of the British countryside. After achieving a degree in creative writing Annabelle spent most of her late teens and early twenties writing social media and blog posts for start-ups and tech companies in London. Nowadays, if she isn't spending time writing, you can almost always find her obsessing over niche internet drama, practising her fencing parry or mooching around vintage fairs and flea markets with her husband and two mini dachshunds, Gruffalo and Gryffin. The Launch Date is Annabelle's first book, inspired by her time working in the wild world of dating apps.

Reviews

[Alexander McHale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This my wife’s book so I am contractually obliged to enjoy it. However, that being said, I f**king loved it. Especially the spicy scenes. I know there’s more of the good stuff coming from this debut author in the future because I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of reading it. Five stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy! Two tropes that work like magnets and drew me right into this book: enemies to lovers and workplace romance! I dove in without a second thought, though at first, I was a bit overwhelmed by all the technical jargon—algorithms, marketing terms about dating apps—but thankfully, it only lasted for the first two chapters. Once the main plot kicked in, with two frenemies forced to work together, attend dates reluctantly, and compete for a management position while throwing insults and shooting each other laser-eye looks, the story became an addictive, unputdownable read!

I absolutely loved the slow-burn dance between Grace and Eric, their heated push-pull dynamic, and the palpable tension between them. They started off as friends, but after Eric did something unforgivable, their relationship turned into a six-month-long war of arch-nemeses. But when the CEO of their dating company offers a promotion that requires them to attend a series of dates together—hiking, cooking, pottery, and yoga classes—they're forced to call a truce. The more time they spend together, the more their boundaries soften. Grace begins to see that Eric, the man she thought was her biggest enemy and a supposed womanizer, might not be the villain after all. Beneath his privileged, arrogant exterior, she discovers a vulnerable and caring side, causing her to reconsider her harsh judgment. But as their bond grows, so do the stakes. Grace risks losing not just the promotion she’s worked so hard for, but also her heart. What if trusting him comes with a price she’s not prepared to pay, like it did with her ex? What if this isn't a game anymore and her feelings are getting dangerously real?

Overall, I’m rounding up my 4.5 stars to 5 for sizzling chemistry, a smart and stimulating plot, and an engaging debut with witty dialogue and a satisfying conclusion! I can’t wait to see what this author does next. This is a brilliant debut that you shouldn’t leave sitting on your TBR list—just read it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this impressive debut's digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[Cindy Pham]

I typically don’t gravitate towards office romances or socialite playboys, but ugh, Annabelle succeeded in romanticizing corporate culture for me. The story was cute, charming, and endearing, and chapter 25 was a masterclass for sexual tension because I gasped out loud several times from the gaggery.

[Jackie ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sped through this thing! We love a Goodreads giveaway ❤️

Rating: 4 ⭐️

The Launch Date follows Eric and Grace, two rivals working at competing dating apps, as they go head-to-head for a promotion. The only problem? They have to go on a series of test-dates with each other to get it. 😏

At first, I was a little nervous by this concept because I am, what seems like, the only person on planet Earth who doesn't like the fake dating trope. However, I enjoyed this, especially because Eric and Grace have a bit of ~history~, so the dates were full of tension. Which was, of course, fun for me.

Honestly, this book was kinda giving me Ali Hazelwood vibes. You know? 6 ft+ MMC, miscommunication/she-thinks-he-hates-her, rivals à la Love, Theoretically. And honestly, not for everyone, but I'm a sucker for it every time.

I felt a real connection between the characters. I also saw a lot of growth, especially with Grace. She begins as a bit of a doormat, which can sometimes drive me wild but for some reason it didn't here. Overall, The Launch Date was an engaging, easy read!

tropes/what to know:
☆ Single-POV
☆ Rivals to lovers
☆ Forced proximity
☆ Workplace romance
☆ Socialite playboy ~ Workaholic
☆ Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Release date: February 11th, 2025

Thank you William Morrow for providing me an early copy of The Launch Date in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Pre-read:
Ok, so I know that I’m reading three other books rn but I won this ARC in a Goodreads Giveaway a couple weeks ago and it just came in the mail!! I’m dropping everything.

[Zoë · Rating 3 out of 5]

she like, literally stabbed him. and we … moved on from that ?

[Gigi · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a debut novel… wow, just wow! I absolutely loved every minute of this book.

Eric and Grace gave me ALL the feels with their friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers rollercoaster. The tension, the banter, the slow burn, the push and pull... it was all just so good! The spice is low, but trust me, the scenes were still chef’s kiss perfect.

Not gonna lie, Grace started off as a total doormat, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about her. But wow, did she level up! Watching her find her confidence made the story even better. The workplace romance added an extra layer of deliciousness, and the whole rivals-to-lovers vibe was everything.

The ending was perfect too! And how cool that the author got her inspiration from working at Bumble. This debut is a total winner, and I can’t wait to see what else this author has in store for us!

Tropes:
❤️‍🔥 Rivals to Lovers
❤️‍🔥 Workplace Romance
❤️‍🔥 Forced Proximity
❤️‍🔥 Slow Burn

🚨🚨 TW: Cheating (not between MCs), Gaslighting, Emotional abuse

[b.andherbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

tons of work details, not much charm or laughs. single pov, and a pretty rich boy who's secretly soft for the heroine. didn't do much for me, and the spicy parts didn't have the necessary build up to make them worth it. you can see the hating game influence with this one.

if you do enjoy work heavy based romances set in the UK, give it a go i suppose, but it was mostly a snore for me.

thank you to the publisher and library journal for the advance copy.

[Angie Miale · Rating 3 out of 5]

A co-worker/enemies to lovers/rivals to lovers British romcom. Eric and Grace work for the same parent company and different divisions. They both manage dating apps- she manages the one that is looking for true love, he manages the one that is for basically hookups. They are both up for a promotion to Director of Marketing and the big boss says they need to test out new first date app with each other. There is no direct messaging on the app, favoring face to face connection. Grace has a long term boyfriend- William, who we don't like, but we aren't sure why until about halfway through.

I liked this story, I didn't love it, I think that the beginning where Grace hated Eric to be too believable, and I didn't quite come along to love him as she grows to do. I did find the concept to be creative and the descriptives and setting to be excellent. A solid effort from a debut author.

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ Grace Hastings is down on her luck. She hates her boss, her fiancé just dumped her and she no longer believes in the true love dating app company she works for. When the head of the company offers her the chance at a promotion if she test drives a new app focusing on IRL dating alongside her competitor Eric Bancroft, she will have to put her animosity aside. But when a series of disastrous dates brings them closer together, they realize they might just be on the same side after all.

I am always up for a workplace enemies to lovers book, especially when it’s being compared to one of my faves, The Hating Game. While I have zero experience with dating apps myself, I do find myself enjoying the fun angle they bring to contemporary romance. While I think this one may have been just a bit too slow burn for me to love it, I still enjoyed getting to know these characters and watching their relationship progress. All in all, this is a cute romcom perfect to read during the month of love.

🎧 This was a lot of fun on audio narrated by Sara Novak. The feisty British banter is always better in your ear than on the page, so if you enjoy audiobooks, I would definitely recommend that format over any others.

Read if you like:
▪️enemies to lovers
▪️workplace rivals
▪️dating apps
▪️slow burn
▪️The Hating Game

Thank you Avon and Harper Audio for the advanced copies.

[Annabelle Slator · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Fun workplace, friendship-to-enemies-to-lovers romance with a bit of heart. I felt Grace could be a little immature at times but I really like Eric’s character.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[Seth (DramaKingBooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ATE THIS UP!!!!!!! This debut from Annabelle Slater is SO FUN, SO WITTY, SO FRESH, it’s everything you could want in a rom-com. I adored Grace and Eric as we watched them fumble and stumble, as they verbally sparred, throwing jabs left and right with words, all while deep down it was done with such affection. Annabelle’s voice really is the star here, bringing these characters, this world, to life in a way that felt refreshing, as we watched these characters embark on “fake” dates and mayhem ensued. I also throughly enjoyed that underneath the romp of it all there was a heart, as Grace learned how to be confident in herself and fight for what she wants and as Eric learned to do stop setting himself aside for others, and together they brought out the best in each other even if on the surface the looked like rivals. One of my favorites of the year, and most definitely one of my favorite debuts of the year, this one should not be missed. The Launch Date will make you laugh, pierce your soul, and leave you with your heart filled and smile wide. I can’t recommend this book more!

I did the audiobook and the narrator really did such a great job embodying Grace!

Taylor Swift songs: Afterglow, Guilty as Sin?, I Can See You, False God, So High School, The Alchemy, Lover, The Archer, Daylight, Sweeter Than Fiction, How You Get The Girl, Treacherous, Sparks Fly, Fearless, Jump Then Fall, Dancing With Our Hands Tied, long story short, Labyrinth, You’re On Your Own Kid

[MicheleReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Catch Group owns two thriving dating apps, Fate and Ignite. Grace Hastings and Eric Bancroft serve as the marketing managers for these brands, with the company fostering their office rivalry. Grace is recovering from a recent break-up, while her boss takes advantage of her by assigning trivial tasks that keep her working through the night. Eric seems to have it all - wealth, good looks, and a playboy lifestyle. When a new experiential dating app is developed, both Grace and Eric are in line for a big promotion to lead the marketing efforts and are tasked with collaborating on the concept. This involves creating and participating in enjoyable, curated dates such as hiking, a cooking class, and yoga. After all these dates, could these two office enemies have developed feelings for each other?

Author Annabelle Slator has drawn from her experience working at dating site Bumble to create this fun debut novel. It's an enjoyable enemies-to-lovers romance where two people discover they were initially wrong about one another. It will leave you smiling.

Review posted on MicheleReader.com.

[Zsa Zsa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bancroft what a cunty name for a love interest.
blue eyes, can you just leave me alone with the most common eye colour in serial killers?
rich boy needs a job, boo hoo. oh, I am lusting after him and have to date him, oh my god, what a terrible fate we are both having :(
narrator was also obnoxious.
the MC keeps physically hitting the guy and that's ok? so we just go around the office and kick our colleagues at the shin?
i skipped even the sex scenes.
I'll just reread the Hating Game, which this book was a poor girl's version of, to me at least.

[tinny · Rating 2 out of 5]

girl that was the most 2 star read ive ever read!

key points:

i had a good enough time that i didn’t dnf and i really enjoyed the intial musings of being a cog in the machine and grace’s thought process in the beginning felt very grounded bc of that but then it kinda quickly went off the rails

- funny enough i initially didnt feel much towards eric/bancroft but he really grew on me especially as grace began to grate on me slowly but she did redeem herself a bit in the end (that being said…he also was so distant from the plot for Reasons and it really ended up not helping this be very memorable so I get the Hating Game comparisons and allegations in the reviews)

- there was so much smirking in this…like SO much that i felt like grace’s inner monologue was straight from a 2012 wattpad fanfic

- also maybe im crazy but i really wanted her boss to get the comeuppance that william got idk

- rissy as a nickname for iris is absolutely diabolical and i dont accept that

- i will say somewhere along the lines i did feel something for the romance, especially the spice scenes were decent just not enough to give it more

- also some of grace’s thoughts were genuinely triggering as a fellow cog in the machine and i really did not wanna read that in my contemporary romance that ends with her still working at the same place like please…

[Thea’s Reading World &#x1f49b; · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dnf at 30%

[Rebecca Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC - Advanced Reader Copy - proof sent for review*
Release Date 12th February 2025

This romantic comedy (heavy on the comedy it made me laugh out loud multiple times) enemies to lovers, workplace banter debut novel is SENSATIONAL! I’m not exaggerating when I say that this book was better than all the contemporary romances I've read this year, including Abby Jimenezes and Emily Henry! The characters were so real and so deeply evolved throughout the book, the storyline was addictive and funny (lots of very British humour which as a Londoner I really enjoyed) but also emotional and completely swoon worthy. I found myself (and still do) thinking of the characters when I wasn't reading, and I read this in two sittings (both till 1.30am) This was sent to me as a proof copy which had been through one reader already with their annotations and then I've added mine and I now send it on to the next! A travelling ARC, what a great idea and so interactive. I hope the author gets to see my notes and comments as I was loving adding them as I went! ⭐️ The spice in this book was *chefs kiss* when it got to that stage, and one little side comment from me is that I find grammatical and spelling errors in EVERY book I read. Including the big ones Fourth Wing and ACOTAR, and this proof copy was IMMACULATE. Not one single error, so Annabelle and your editor - props to you!

[Angelina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is just "The Hating Game" but in a different font. Did not work for me!

[Rebecca Kern · Rating 1 out of 5]

withcindy’s reviews have never led me astray until this🫠 the characters were so bland, the plot formulaic and nonsensical, and I’ve seen enough💀

[vioreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in my 24 hour readathon ✅ Review -> https://www.tiktok.com/@vioreads/vide...

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so I am a huge fan of the Hating Game. So when a book promises to be like that I’m expecting lovely snarky banter between the two love interests. Where the lovely couple fall for each other in a beautiful way. This book though wasn’t it. The first few chapters were boring. Dating apps and fighting for a job was boring. I almost gave up. But I felt maybe it will get better. The story really picked up steam in the last 30% of the book. Which by the way was a long book. And the romance was a bit off for me from the beginning. The ending was unexpectedly odd. Overall, it was an okay romance book. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

[Poppy · Rating 1 out of 5]

i kinda can't stand when an ordinary boring mc is made to be extra special but are never shown what exactly makes her special and why the love interest is obsessed with her because there was Nothing going for Grace im sorry she was bland as hell, just another working white woman. all the convincing for me to believe she has an aura just did not work. they tried hard as hell with Eric too but him loving her threw a cold splash on all the work done on him. besides, this offered nothing new. same plot/story, just with different ~careers~ bc technology baby

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had two of my favorite romance tropes: enemies to lovers and workplace romance with plenty of angst, yearning, miscommunication, chemistry and spice! I definitely recommend this book and I was sad when it was over because I wanted even more of their relationship and their HEA. I will be eagerly awaiting this debut author’s next book(s)!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite going back and forth one time too many, I loved this workplace enemies to lovers romance.

I enjoyed the British-isms and London setting too.

It was charming and fun and sexy - the big three!

I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author!

[Chloe Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, witty and sharp workplace romcom. I ate this up. The 10/10 smut is the result of a delicious slowburn. Will recommend to everyone who will listen 🙌

[Emma (howlsmovinglibrary) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best romance novel I've read so far this year!!! It was one of those books you read compulsively in one sitting - I loved it.

The story follows two former friends turned corporate rivals - one a rich nepobaby playboy, the other an anxious people pleaser - as they go on a series of market research dates for their latest project that will end in one of them being promoted.

The premise was compelling, the characters had off the charts chemistry, and some of the authors jokes had me either laughing or screaming out loud. Her sex scene? Also stellar tbh. The vibe was very similar to a k-drama, in the sense that it romanticises the hell out of office life and convinces you that finding your soulmate at work wouldn't be the Worst Thing in the world :')

[Emmie Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down and ended up staying up till 3am to finish it. I was hooked from the very beginning, reading it in one sitting and it is one of the easiest 5 stars I've ever given.

I loved everything about this one, from the premise to the characters. It also has two of my favourite tropes, enemies to lovers and workplace romance, with the two being forced to work together and go one 'test' dates while competing for the same promotion.

Grace and Eric were fantastic and loveable characters whose character development was on point. I loved seeing the two grow, especially Grace, and open up to one another as their bond forms. They are both incredibly witty and the chemistry between them is absolute perfection.

Honestly I could talk about this book for hours but I don't want to spoil the experience. I 100% recommend this if you are a big romance fan, especially workplace romance or enemies to lovers. It's engaging, addictive and I'm still in shock that this is a debut novel! I cannot wait to read whatever Annabelle writes next.

[FrizzyGreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Workplace romance ✅
Rivals to lovers ✅
Tension ✅
I thought this books was great and an easy read! The characters could have had more development but I loved the story and I thought the premise was very well written. The plot was different than other fake dating, workplace romance books and i enjoyed that I hadn’t read anything like this before. The main characters have to work together when developing a dating app at the same time work against each other at the end to see who’s presentation is chosen.
Thanks NetGalley and Annabelle Slator for giving me and ARC of this book!

[Kristy Marquez · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DNF'ed this book.

OK, where to start.....oh yeah, the FMC should never be a dishrag.

OMG, this girl, Grace, can't stand up for herself to save her life. Her boss runs all over her, her friends run all over her, the guy she hates but loves, but hates, runs all over her, and I'm guessing the ex did too.

Let me say, when I decided to DNF at the 20% mark, I skipped ahead to read, so some of what I know is due to skimming ahead.

Her boss Susie is a sad whiny bitch who no matter what was going on in her life treats Grace like shit and does not deserve Graces loyalty. She punishes Grace for trying to get a promotion, over and over again, and is actively attempting to sabotage her getting the promotion, yet towards the end of the book, when Grace finally confronts her, Grace gets what she wants, sure, but then she forgives Susie.....BULLSHIT! A dish towel of a heroine, limp and yucky.

The guy Eric??? She hates him because of something she caught him saying, but instead of confronting him like she should have, she starts an office war with him. What? If you have enough guts to start an office war, have enough guts to confront the guy.

No, sorry, no. I don't care if you get the promotion or the guy. Grow up and gain a backbone first; it will help.

As you probably guessed by now, I prefer strong female characters. While I might be wrong and Grace might actually grow a spine somewhere in this book, the quick read of the end tells me it wasn't enough. This book is not for me.

[M · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring