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Experiments in Offline Dating
A sparkling enemies-to-lovers romance about a podcaster who embarks on a matchmaking tour of Ireland in the hopes of falling in love, only to butt heads with her broodingly handsome and grumpy driver.
Maya Davis is chronically terrible at dating. So much so that she's turned her catastrophic experiments with dating into a full-time job. As the cohost of a podcast aptly titled, A Spinster’s Guide to Offline Dating, she is no stranger to the awkward, messy, and hilarious aspects of the first date. Being in love, however... that’s something completely different. For the sake of an exciting podcast, Maya decides to embark on a trip to Ireland to meet a local matchmaker, renowned for his skills the world over. What she doesn’t anticipate is how quickly he gets to work, setting Maya up on a slew of horribly hilarious meet-ups with random Irishmen during the town’s matchmaking festival, including a terrible blind date with the handsome but incredibly surly sheep farmer, Tadhg.
Despite things getting off to a rocky start, the matchmaker convinces Maya to take a road trip across the country, going on dates and interviewing couples along the way. But when Maya turns up, she discovers there's been a last-minute switch, and instead of the jolly, older matchmaker as her guide, it's the outrageously grumpy Tadhg, and he's none too pleased about the setup either.
As Maya and Tadhg journey together across picturesque landscapes and green countryside, their constant verbal sparring feels increasingly like a cover for some serious chemistry. And the more time she spends with Tadhg, the more she realizes she may have been too quick to judge his brooding exterior.
Maya Davis is chronically terrible at dating. So much so that she's turned her catastrophic experiments with dating into a full-time job. As the cohost of a podcast aptly titled, A Spinster’s Guide to Offline Dating, she is no stranger to the awkward, messy, and hilarious aspects of the first date. Being in love, however... that’s something completely different. For the sake of an exciting podcast, Maya decides to embark on a trip to Ireland to meet a local matchmaker, renowned for his skills the world over. What she doesn’t anticipate is how quickly he gets to work, setting Maya up on a slew of horribly hilarious meet-ups with random Irishmen during the town’s matchmaking festival, including a terrible blind date with the handsome but incredibly surly sheep farmer, Tadhg.
Despite things getting off to a rocky start, the matchmaker convinces Maya to take a road trip across the country, going on dates and interviewing couples along the way. But when Maya turns up, she discovers there's been a last-minute switch, and instead of the jolly, older matchmaker as her guide, it's the outrageously grumpy Tadhg, and he's none too pleased about the setup either.
As Maya and Tadhg journey together across picturesque landscapes and green countryside, their constant verbal sparring feels increasingly like a cover for some serious chemistry. And the more time she spends with Tadhg, the more she realizes she may have been too quick to judge his brooding exterior.
384 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2026
About the author
Kat Mackenzie
2 books274 followersKat Mackenzie is an American who just happened to find herself living abroad for ten years and accidentally traveling to over forty countries in an attempt to taste all the food. She holds degrees from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Oxford but has discovered that they serve her best collecting dust on the shelf while she pens comedy-forward stories about women who travel. Work in Progress is her first novel.
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Review of advance copy received from Publisher
What I would do to grab a marg with Kat and talk about broody Irish men and her own experiments in offline dating...
▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★★.25 out of 5
▹Format: 📕 Physical book
Forehead kisses to Kat MacKenzie and Avon for the finished copy of this book and to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is OUT NOW!
Also shout out to Lina who was the yin to my yang here during our buddy read, so please check out her review as well!
─────────────────────────
○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○
– FMC: Maya Davis (aka “sweetheart” or “darlin”). Autistic podcaster who likes collecting data on dating
– MMC: Tadhg Kelly (aka “Tiger”). “A surly and curmudgeonly crocodile” who is thrown into the running for Maya’s matchmaking, much against his wishes
– Location: Ireland
– POV: Single first-person
– Spice: 2 open-door spicy scenes
– Tropes: strangers to lovers, hate/dislike to love, forced proximity, matchmaking, only one tent, grumpy x sunshine,
– Representation: autistic FMC who is later in life than most at finding love
─────────────────────────
🎯 My Thoughts:
I was such a fan of Kat’s debut “Work in Progress,” so to say I was looking forward to this one would be an understatement. And in my opinion, it fully delivered!
This fun romance was the perfect amount of humor, romance, adventure, and cringe for me. The dialogue can be a little harsh between the MMC and FMC at times, but I think it works really well for these characters (though if Tadgh Kelly said these things TO ME, I would probably shrink and cry). But he was such a grump that it made my heart happy to see that Maya was the one to soften him up.
THERE IS A CAVE SCENE that nearly took me out. It was hotttt. But what I loved the most throughout this book was the lightness it made me feel. It didn’t get too serious, but also got deep at times. And it made me want to book a ticket back to Ireland.
There were a few times that I felt the inner dialogue Maya had was incongruent with her actions. Jackie (the matchmaker) wasn’t just a shit-stirrer, he made some very toxic decisions on Maya’s behalf, which sometimes took me out, BUT then I DM’d Kat about him and she said that some of these dates were her ACTUAL experiences during her own matchmaking in Ireland and that helped me connect a bit more to the story (which she also mentions in her acknowledgments).
I’m a forever fan of Kat’s writing, so maybe that makes me biased, but I found so much to love in this book and I hope others do too!
─────────────────────────
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 1:00 ──ㅇ────── 4:12
Now Playing: In Spite of Ourselves by John Prine and Iris DeMent
─────────────────────────
★○ If You Like the Following, You Might Like This Book ○★
➼ If you loved Kat’s debut, I think you’ll really enjoy this one. This leans more into the romance than “Work in Progress”
➼ Being a Hibernophile (it was the Aisling Bea reference that made me swoon!)
➼ Nods to being a book lover, but specifically a romantasy lover (ACOTAR references)
─────────────────────────
⍟»This or That«⍟
Character Driven——✧—————————Plot Driven
Fast Burn——————✧—————Slow Burn
Sweet————✧———————Spicy
Light/Fluffy———✧————————Heavy/Emotional
•♥Consider following me on Instagram @kelseyreviewsbooks for more visual content and bookish discussions.♥•
———————————————-
HELP. I need this now.
Work in Progress (this author’s debut) was one of my favorite reads of 2025, so I am verrrrry excited for this one!!
▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★★.25 out of 5
▹Format: 📕 Physical book
Forehead kisses to Kat MacKenzie and Avon for the finished copy of this book and to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is OUT NOW!
Also shout out to Lina who was the yin to my yang here during our buddy read, so please check out her review as well!
─────────────────────────
○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○
– FMC: Maya Davis (aka “sweetheart” or “darlin”). Autistic podcaster who likes collecting data on dating
– MMC: Tadhg Kelly (aka “Tiger”). “A surly and curmudgeonly crocodile” who is thrown into the running for Maya’s matchmaking, much against his wishes
– Location: Ireland
– POV: Single first-person
– Spice: 2 open-door spicy scenes
– Tropes: strangers to lovers, hate/dislike to love, forced proximity, matchmaking, only one tent, grumpy x sunshine,
– Representation: autistic FMC who is later in life than most at finding love
─────────────────────────
🎯 My Thoughts:
I was such a fan of Kat’s debut “Work in Progress,” so to say I was looking forward to this one would be an understatement. And in my opinion, it fully delivered!
This fun romance was the perfect amount of humor, romance, adventure, and cringe for me. The dialogue can be a little harsh between the MMC and FMC at times, but I think it works really well for these characters (though if Tadgh Kelly said these things TO ME, I would probably shrink and cry). But he was such a grump that it made my heart happy to see that Maya was the one to soften him up.
THERE IS A CAVE SCENE that nearly took me out. It was hotttt. But what I loved the most throughout this book was the lightness it made me feel. It didn’t get too serious, but also got deep at times. And it made me want to book a ticket back to Ireland.
There were a few times that I felt the inner dialogue Maya had was incongruent with her actions. Jackie (the matchmaker) wasn’t just a shit-stirrer, he made some very toxic decisions on Maya’s behalf, which sometimes took me out, BUT then I DM’d Kat about him and she said that some of these dates were her ACTUAL experiences during her own matchmaking in Ireland and that helped me connect a bit more to the story (which she also mentions in her acknowledgments).
I’m a forever fan of Kat’s writing, so maybe that makes me biased, but I found so much to love in this book and I hope others do too!
─────────────────────────
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 1:00 ──ㅇ────── 4:12
Now Playing: In Spite of Ourselves by John Prine and Iris DeMent
╰┈➤ ❝He's got more balls than a big brass monkey ;He's a whacked out weirdo and a lovebug junkie; Sly as a fox and crazy as a loon; Payday comes and he's howlin' at the moon; He's my baby I don't mean maybe; Never gonna let him go❞
─────────────────────────
★○ If You Like the Following, You Might Like This Book ○★
➼ If you loved Kat’s debut, I think you’ll really enjoy this one. This leans more into the romance than “Work in Progress”
➼ Being a Hibernophile (it was the Aisling Bea reference that made me swoon!)
➼ Nods to being a book lover, but specifically a romantasy lover (ACOTAR references)
─────────────────────────
⍟»This or That«⍟
Character Driven——✧—————————Plot Driven
Fast Burn——————✧—————Slow Burn
Sweet————✧———————Spicy
Light/Fluffy———✧————————Heavy/Emotional
•♥Consider following me on Instagram @kelseyreviewsbooks for more visual content and bookish discussions.♥•
———————————————-
HELP. I need this now.
Work in Progress (this author’s debut) was one of my favorite reads of 2025, so I am verrrrry excited for this one!!
Did Not Finish
August 29, 2026DNF around 30% - This one just isn’t for me, the humor isn’t landing and I’m not connecting with the characters.
Read
July 6, 2026🍀💕 Experiments in Offline Dating 💕🍀
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
✨ What to Expect
• Enemies to Lovers
• Forced Proximity
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Travel Romance
• Irish Countryside
• Matchmaking
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: August 25, 2026
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
✨ What to Expect
• Enemies to Lovers
• Forced Proximity
• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Travel Romance
• Irish Countryside
• Matchmaking
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: August 25, 2026
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
May 11, 2026
An Irish road trip romance?! This book was made for me.
Maya travels to Ireland to their matchmaking festival in hopes of finding a husband. Except instead of finding a match she’s forced onto a road trip with a grumpy sheep farmer. Due to her inability to flirt, she starts insulting him… and just never stops.
Their banter was elite. The teasing had me squealing and kicking my feet. The string of bad dates paired with some HILARIOUS picture graphs within the text solidified this story as an all time favorite.
It has some neurodivergent representation but I almost don’t even want to write that because it’s done in a such a normative way. Everyone should read this.
Maya travels to Ireland to their matchmaking festival in hopes of finding a husband. Except instead of finding a match she’s forced onto a road trip with a grumpy sheep farmer. Due to her inability to flirt, she starts insulting him… and just never stops.
Their banter was elite. The teasing had me squealing and kicking my feet. The string of bad dates paired with some HILARIOUS picture graphs within the text solidified this story as an all time favorite.
It has some neurodivergent representation but I almost don’t even want to write that because it’s done in a such a normative way. Everyone should read this.
August 22, 2026
SO FREAKING FUNNY OH MY WORD
This was such a witty read, and I truly couldn’t stop laughing. Kat’s writing style is so fun and easy to get lost in!
The neurodivergent representation in this book is so important to me. I loved our FMC Maya she is so genuine and silly. I loved seeing her adventure out and try new things! She was just lovely!!
Our MMC Tadgh was so grumpy, so funny, and so lovable. The chemistry between him and Maya was just undeniable.
You’ll find…
✨forced proximity
💙 banter
🌻 grumpy x sunshine
🦋 takes place in Ireland
🥰 neurodivergent FMC
🪁 match making festival
This was such a witty read, and I truly couldn’t stop laughing. Kat’s writing style is so fun and easy to get lost in!
The neurodivergent representation in this book is so important to me. I loved our FMC Maya she is so genuine and silly. I loved seeing her adventure out and try new things! She was just lovely!!
Our MMC Tadgh was so grumpy, so funny, and so lovable. The chemistry between him and Maya was just undeniable.
You’ll find…
✨forced proximity
💙 banter
🌻 grumpy x sunshine
🦋 takes place in Ireland
🥰 neurodivergent FMC
🪁 match making festival
July 26, 2026
KAT FREAKING MACKENZIE, THIS IS THE FUNNIEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ IT ASAP!!!
This book follows Maya (FMC), a podcaster who labels herself as a spinster and has had no success with finding love. After going on tons of dates and reporting back on them for her first podcast season, she decides to take it to the next level for season two. She's going to go to Ireland to attend a yearly matchmaking festival, stay with a third-generation matchmaker, and talk about it on her podcast. As soon as she gets there, she's thrown into TONS of bizarre dates, but when the matchmaker makes Tadhg (MMC), drive her around all of Ireland to attend more dates, things begin to heat up. What will happen to Maya and Tadhg when they realize they may not actually think their time together is insufferable???
This book had me laughing out loud and smiling so much! I can't remember reading a book that was this fun, in a long time!
Tadhg is a big grumpy, broody man, but I loved him so much! The waterfall scene.... sheeeeeshhhh, it was chef's kiss!! Also, the air mattress in a tent scene.... SO GOOD. I truly have nothing but good things to say about this book.
Finn, the dog, was such a good girl!! Also... can we get a follow up book with Simone's story in Portugal???
Should you read this book? ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY!! I will be screaming about this book for a long time!
Thanks to Kat Mackenzie and Avon for the advanced readers copy. This book will be released on August 25, 2026!
This book follows Maya (FMC), a podcaster who labels herself as a spinster and has had no success with finding love. After going on tons of dates and reporting back on them for her first podcast season, she decides to take it to the next level for season two. She's going to go to Ireland to attend a yearly matchmaking festival, stay with a third-generation matchmaker, and talk about it on her podcast. As soon as she gets there, she's thrown into TONS of bizarre dates, but when the matchmaker makes Tadhg (MMC), drive her around all of Ireland to attend more dates, things begin to heat up. What will happen to Maya and Tadhg when they realize they may not actually think their time together is insufferable???
This book had me laughing out loud and smiling so much! I can't remember reading a book that was this fun, in a long time!
Tadhg is a big grumpy, broody man, but I loved him so much! The waterfall scene.... sheeeeeshhhh, it was chef's kiss!! Also, the air mattress in a tent scene.... SO GOOD. I truly have nothing but good things to say about this book.
Finn, the dog, was such a good girl!! Also... can we get a follow up book with Simone's story in Portugal???
Should you read this book? ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY!! I will be screaming about this book for a long time!
Thanks to Kat Mackenzie and Avon for the advanced readers copy. This book will be released on August 25, 2026!
September 2, 2026
After a lifetime of dating disasters, our FMC, Maya Davis has basically decided that if dating isn't going to bring her love, it can at least bring her content. :D
She cohosts A Spinster's Guide to Offline Dating with her best friend, where she goes on dates and then reports back to their listeners about exactly how badly, or occasionally not so badly, they went. At this point, she's really dating more for entertainment and the podcast than because she expects to find THE ONE.
So naturally, the next experiment takes her all the way to Ireland and a famous matchmaking festival.
Enter Jackie Kelly, matchmaker extraordinaire, who starts setting Maya up with potential matches. And I swear, these dates had me wondering whether this man was genuinely trying to find her a husband or just trying to provide content for the podcast.
Anyway ... Now let's talk about none other than ... (drums drums) Tadhg!
Maya's first date with the gorgeous, incredibly grumpy sheep farmer is such a spectacular disaster that the secondhand embarrassment nearly took ME out.
No. Girl. Stop talking.
PLEASE!!! (hides face)
So obviously that's the man who ends up driving her around Ireland.
Because what could possibly go wrong?
Jackie convinces Maya to extend her experiment into a road trip across the country, where she'll go on more dates and interview couples he's successfully matched over the years. Maya reluctantly agrees, believing Jackie will be accompanying her.
Except when it's time to leave, Jackie is nowhere to be found.
Her driver?
His son.
Tadhg.
Yep. THAT Tadhg!!!
And from there, what begins as a matchmaking experiment turns into something very different.
I really enjoyed watching Maya and Tadhg slowly get to know each other beyond that hilariously awful first impression. Maya is autistic, and one of my favorite parts of the romance was watching these two learn how the other person communicates, what they need, where their boundaries are, and eventually how they fit together. Their relationship isn't magically effortless just because there's attraction there, they have to understand each other, and I really appreciated that.
And yes, there are open-door scenes. (woop woop)
Thank you very much!
The Ireland road-trip setting was also a lot of fun, and Maya's increasingly questionable collection of dates kept things entertaining while the relationship between her and Tadhg developed in the background.
I did struggle a little in the beginning, though. It took me some time to connect with Maya and settle into the story, and some of the podcast exchanges between Maya and her best friend felt a little cringey to me rather than funny.
I also had... feelings... about Jackie.
He seems like a genuinely nice person and I know a lot of what he does is supposed to be mischievous matchmaking, but there were several moments when I didn't agree with the way he handled things, especially changing plans at the last minute and essentially engineering situations without everyone being completely in on the plan.
Sir.
Communication exists for ... reasons!
That said, once Maya and Tadhg were properly on the road together, I enjoyed the story much more. The forced proximity, disastrous dates, Irish setting, banter, attraction and the quieter moments where they started genuinely understanding one another made the romance work for me.
Overall, Experiments in Offline Dating was a fun and slightly chaotic road-trip romance about looking for love when you're not really expecting to find it; and perhaps finding it with the ONE person your matchmaking experiment definitely wasn't supposed to match you with.
3.75⭐
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.
https://turnthepagewithana.blogspot.c...
She cohosts A Spinster's Guide to Offline Dating with her best friend, where she goes on dates and then reports back to their listeners about exactly how badly, or occasionally not so badly, they went. At this point, she's really dating more for entertainment and the podcast than because she expects to find THE ONE.
So naturally, the next experiment takes her all the way to Ireland and a famous matchmaking festival.
Enter Jackie Kelly, matchmaker extraordinaire, who starts setting Maya up with potential matches. And I swear, these dates had me wondering whether this man was genuinely trying to find her a husband or just trying to provide content for the podcast.
Anyway ... Now let's talk about none other than ... (drums drums) Tadhg!
Maya's first date with the gorgeous, incredibly grumpy sheep farmer is such a spectacular disaster that the secondhand embarrassment nearly took ME out.
No. Girl. Stop talking.
PLEASE!!! (hides face)
So obviously that's the man who ends up driving her around Ireland.
Because what could possibly go wrong?
Jackie convinces Maya to extend her experiment into a road trip across the country, where she'll go on more dates and interview couples he's successfully matched over the years. Maya reluctantly agrees, believing Jackie will be accompanying her.
Except when it's time to leave, Jackie is nowhere to be found.
Her driver?
His son.
Tadhg.
Yep. THAT Tadhg!!!
And from there, what begins as a matchmaking experiment turns into something very different.
I really enjoyed watching Maya and Tadhg slowly get to know each other beyond that hilariously awful first impression. Maya is autistic, and one of my favorite parts of the romance was watching these two learn how the other person communicates, what they need, where their boundaries are, and eventually how they fit together. Their relationship isn't magically effortless just because there's attraction there, they have to understand each other, and I really appreciated that.
And yes, there are open-door scenes. (woop woop)
Thank you very much!
The Ireland road-trip setting was also a lot of fun, and Maya's increasingly questionable collection of dates kept things entertaining while the relationship between her and Tadhg developed in the background.
I did struggle a little in the beginning, though. It took me some time to connect with Maya and settle into the story, and some of the podcast exchanges between Maya and her best friend felt a little cringey to me rather than funny.
I also had... feelings... about Jackie.
He seems like a genuinely nice person and I know a lot of what he does is supposed to be mischievous matchmaking, but there were several moments when I didn't agree with the way he handled things, especially changing plans at the last minute and essentially engineering situations without everyone being completely in on the plan.
Sir.
Communication exists for ... reasons!
That said, once Maya and Tadhg were properly on the road together, I enjoyed the story much more. The forced proximity, disastrous dates, Irish setting, banter, attraction and the quieter moments where they started genuinely understanding one another made the romance work for me.
Overall, Experiments in Offline Dating was a fun and slightly chaotic road-trip romance about looking for love when you're not really expecting to find it; and perhaps finding it with the ONE person your matchmaking experiment definitely wasn't supposed to match you with.
3.75⭐
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.
https://turnthepagewithana.blogspot.c...
August 29, 2026
Experiments in Offline Dating by Kat Mackenzie (Aug 25, 2026) Thank you, @avonbooks and @katmackenziewrites for the gifted print copies!! #HarperBookspartner
Maya Davis has turned her catastrophe of a dating life into a popular podcast - A Spinster’s Guide to Offline Dating - documenting her experiences dating “on the apps.” For this season, she and her co-host/best friend Simone are switching things up and sending Maya to Ireland for a famous matchmaking festival, connecting with a famous matchmaker to see if her can find her a match - she’s not banking on it. The matchmaker quickly sets her up on a series of truly disastrous dates, including one with grumpy sheep farmer Tadhg. Despite a rough start, the matchmaker convinces Maya to go on a road trip through Ireland to meet potential matches. She agrees, but at the last minute the matchmaker bows out and enlists Tadhg to replace him, and neither are pleased about it. Now Maya and one of the grumpiest people she’s ever met are trapped on a three-week journey through Ireland where the dates don’t get any better. But along the way, Maya and Tadhg discover each other in surprising ways.
Kat Mackenzie writes messy characters with bold personalities better than just about anyone, and Maya is such a great FMC, transparent about how her autism makes her unique, embracing her humor and individuality, and surprised by her unexpected connection to Tadhg. Tadhg is equally great in his quiet observations and grumpiness that bring to light a lot of his family dynamics and insecurities. And underpinning it all is Kat’s stunning descriptions of the locations the characters travel to. If you finish this book and haven’t decided you need to visit Ireland, I’ll be shocked!
Audio Performance (11 hrs, 35 min): Audiobook queen Brittany Pressley and standouts Kelli Tager and Eric Nolan share the excellent narration of this one. Nolan has shined in other high-profile books, and Tager has also narrated some of my favorites.
Maya Davis has turned her catastrophe of a dating life into a popular podcast - A Spinster’s Guide to Offline Dating - documenting her experiences dating “on the apps.” For this season, she and her co-host/best friend Simone are switching things up and sending Maya to Ireland for a famous matchmaking festival, connecting with a famous matchmaker to see if her can find her a match - she’s not banking on it. The matchmaker quickly sets her up on a series of truly disastrous dates, including one with grumpy sheep farmer Tadhg. Despite a rough start, the matchmaker convinces Maya to go on a road trip through Ireland to meet potential matches. She agrees, but at the last minute the matchmaker bows out and enlists Tadhg to replace him, and neither are pleased about it. Now Maya and one of the grumpiest people she’s ever met are trapped on a three-week journey through Ireland where the dates don’t get any better. But along the way, Maya and Tadhg discover each other in surprising ways.
Kat Mackenzie writes messy characters with bold personalities better than just about anyone, and Maya is such a great FMC, transparent about how her autism makes her unique, embracing her humor and individuality, and surprised by her unexpected connection to Tadhg. Tadhg is equally great in his quiet observations and grumpiness that bring to light a lot of his family dynamics and insecurities. And underpinning it all is Kat’s stunning descriptions of the locations the characters travel to. If you finish this book and haven’t decided you need to visit Ireland, I’ll be shocked!
Audio Performance (11 hrs, 35 min): Audiobook queen Brittany Pressley and standouts Kelli Tager and Eric Nolan share the excellent narration of this one. Nolan has shined in other high-profile books, and Tager has also narrated some of my favorites.
June 5, 2026
experiments in offline dating”
The story follows 38 year old maya who has a podcast that follows her dating experiences online the her “offline” dating in Ireland via Irish matchmaker.
Loving any story that is set in Ireland I had high hopes for this book. Being someone who struggles with dating also I felt like it was synopsis hit you close to heart. This book definitely takes you on a wild ride with these dates but you have an inkling that the Irish match maker has an ulterior motive (a good one).
I kind of feel maya is a kindred spirit with her journey to date and find love (or experiment and study dating) . Anyways, good book. Slow in some parts, quipping and fun in others.
The story follows 38 year old maya who has a podcast that follows her dating experiences online the her “offline” dating in Ireland via Irish matchmaker.
Loving any story that is set in Ireland I had high hopes for this book. Being someone who struggles with dating also I felt like it was synopsis hit you close to heart. This book definitely takes you on a wild ride with these dates but you have an inkling that the Irish match maker has an ulterior motive (a good one).
I kind of feel maya is a kindred spirit with her journey to date and find love (or experiment and study dating) . Anyways, good book. Slow in some parts, quipping and fun in others.
September 15, 2026
Okay WELL I am clearly in the minority on this one so take my opinion with a grain of salt. 😂 It was cute and I definitely laughed out loud at times, but it honestly felt like it was TRYING so hard to be funny the whole time, and almost anything that was serious was brushed over. Ultimately, I just had a really hard time buying into the romance. These two barely had real conversations at all the entire book, and I waited for it. Literally their entire relationship was basically built around sex and lust, so.
I DID like the whole trip around Ireland (some of it felt nostalgic for me when they went to places I’ve been), the autism rep was great, a late 30s romance yes please, and even though she could be frustrating I still found Maya to overall be a breath of fresh air with her blunt honesty.
I DID like the whole trip around Ireland (some of it felt nostalgic for me when they went to places I’ve been), the autism rep was great, a late 30s romance yes please, and even though she could be frustrating I still found Maya to overall be a breath of fresh air with her blunt honesty.
April 23, 2026
This book was easily 5 stars. I was laughing and kicking my feet during some of the banter and when she said his handskin is touching my handskin I cackled out loud. It was so good I already want to reread it. The fmc was neurotic and hilarious in the best possible way and I was laughing out loud. I loved the pop culture references including her cats names Kingfisher and Azriel. Will definitely plan a reread.
Did Not Finish
September 4, 2026DNF at 1%.
If I wanted to listen to a podcast, I would do it.
If I wanted to listen to a podcast, I would do it.
June 5, 2026
I’m wondering if maybe this author might not be for me, so take everything with a grain of salt. Overall, this was a cute and enjoyable romcom. Grumpy/sunshine, roadtrip, Ireland, a dog, a podcast, a bunch of hilariously bad dates, great neurodivergent representation that wasn’t in your face about it all the time. Honestly, it has all the makings for a really solid romcom.
However, I think maybe my sense of humor just doesn’t quite mesh with the author’s sense of humor. The author definitely has a lot of comedic props, absolutely. But then the jokes would just be…cringey, to be honest. Let’s just say I’ve never read a book where the narrator thought the word ‘crotch’ so many times before and I cringed every time (it was eleven times, btw. And most of them were all in the first half of the book). I think I’ll keep it at that and let others decide for themselves. But it just wasn’t my kind of humor, unfortunately. For what it’s worth, I didn’t give much thought about this when I gave my 3 star rating.
The FMC was fun and relatable but also quite annoying at times - again, maybe just a me not meshing. The MMC was great and I love the growth over the roadtrip, but I wish we got a bit more backstory on him so that he had a bit more depth.
The roadtrip in Ireland was incredible. The plot about the third generation matchmaker honestly sounded so far fetched to me I was wondering how the author came up with it, only to discover in her acknowledgments that it’s one of those true quirky things in our world. There is a matchmaker festival in Ireland along with the matchmaker! Incredibly endearing and I almost wish there was an authors note at the beginning explaining the truth behind it.
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for this e-ARC.
However, I think maybe my sense of humor just doesn’t quite mesh with the author’s sense of humor. The author definitely has a lot of comedic props, absolutely. But then the jokes would just be…cringey, to be honest. Let’s just say I’ve never read a book where the narrator thought the word ‘crotch’ so many times before and I cringed every time (it was eleven times, btw. And most of them were all in the first half of the book). I think I’ll keep it at that and let others decide for themselves. But it just wasn’t my kind of humor, unfortunately. For what it’s worth, I didn’t give much thought about this when I gave my 3 star rating.
The FMC was fun and relatable but also quite annoying at times - again, maybe just a me not meshing. The MMC was great and I love the growth over the roadtrip, but I wish we got a bit more backstory on him so that he had a bit more depth.
The roadtrip in Ireland was incredible. The plot about the third generation matchmaker honestly sounded so far fetched to me I was wondering how the author came up with it, only to discover in her acknowledgments that it’s one of those true quirky things in our world. There is a matchmaker festival in Ireland along with the matchmaker! Incredibly endearing and I almost wish there was an authors note at the beginning explaining the truth behind it.
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for this e-ARC.
May 7, 2026
At times this was 5 stars and sometimes 1 star, so: 3 stars. I loved the descriptions of Ireland and the Irish people Maya met and interviewed. I especially loved the conversations between Maya and Simone. It felt corny but it was cute and fun.
August 23, 2026
I loved the first book by this author, it was and still is one of my favorite books. So when I saw this was available on Edelweiss, I immediately requested it. And I can tell you I was not disappointed, it was so good!
Once again the banter was just perfect. We definitely started with an enemies to lovers story with how Maya and Tadhg (pronounced like the first part of the word Tiger) had their first encounter turned into a reluctant date for both in a way. First of all we got a look into how Maya had a podcast where she’d been doing online dating and talking about every single one of her disastrous dates. And every single one was. She’d decided to do things a little differently and was going to Ireland to a matchmaking festival (which I now want to go to). She had connected with a matchmaker named Jackie, who was going to be her lead and set her up on dates.
I had a lot of doubt in his ability at first because every guy he seemed to set her up with was OLD! I mean OLD! Sure she was like 38, but I’m talking in their 70s and 80s. That’s crazy! She wasn’t sure why he’d decided that was what to set her up with. Of course she ended up at a surprise dating show type thing the very first day she was there, and one of the contestants was a young, hot, grump. She ends up picking him sight unseen just because she couldn’t understand one guy’s Irish accent at all, the other guy was a little bit of a pervert, and so she figured at least she knew what she was getting with the grumpy guy. Well, she and Tadhg had a very unsuccessful date, where she kind of insulted him, thinking that was the way he was flirting? Based on some comedy sketch she’d seen once, lol. Accusing him of getting it on with his sheep, and other crazy stuff.
Turns out that Maya is autistic. While I am not as far as I know, so much of the issues she had were ones that I know I have, and are the very reasons why I gave up on dating a long time ago. Also turns out that the matchmaker, Jackie, is Tadhg’s dad. We don’t realize that until Jackie has set up a big traveling tour for Maya to meet some of the people he set up so she can interview them for her podcast, as well as she can see Ireland and go on dates with men around the country. When it’s time to leave, Jackie isn’t there, and the vehicle that pulls up to escort her is driven by none other than Tadhg, helping his dad out. Well first he makes Maya sit in the back so his dog, Finn, who isn’t a fan of Maya, can sit in the front.
There are lots more set-ups with elderly gentlemen. Definitely some that are not at all compatible with Maya even when they aren’t old. So it becomes a road trip story, and soon we get a “just one bed” part when they stop at the next “Airbnb” that turns out to be a tent, all set up for a romantic evening. With one bed, one air mattress bed, lol.
Tadhg is more than grump though. He’s a bit of a softy really, helping Maya out when her fear of heights kicks in at some of the sites they visit. He’s not quite as immune to her charms either, watching her struggle to climb into the back seat of the car which puts her “assets” right in his face, lol. Maya also finds out he likes the same kind of books she likes, so they listen the audiobooks on their drive. Which leads to one that she thought wasn’t a true romantasy having a very steamy scene just start playing as they’re driving. That gives us some steamy bits with nothing even happening between Maya and Tadhg, they just are listening, and getting very turned on, lol.
There’s a lot of emotional bits to the story as well. Learning about how Jackie always meddled in his kids romantic lives, exactly why Tadhg doesn’t have a good relationship with him. But then something happens with Maya’s family at the end and she has to race back home to San Francisco. But not before one of them puts their heart out in the open and the other kind of turns it down. Which leads to a grand gesture in the end, one that of course comes with lots of laughs and great banter. The steam is a few situations where the two characters do get together, and it is on page even if not crazy detailed like other romances, it is still all out on the page.
This author is going to be a favorite of mine I think, two books in a row that just blew me away. Once again I will have to buy a physical copy of this to put on my shelf. I laughed out loud while sitting in a store reading this one, and to me, that is just how good of a story it is. Probably going to be my favorite read of August, and might be another favorite one for the year!
Once again the banter was just perfect. We definitely started with an enemies to lovers story with how Maya and Tadhg (pronounced like the first part of the word Tiger) had their first encounter turned into a reluctant date for both in a way. First of all we got a look into how Maya had a podcast where she’d been doing online dating and talking about every single one of her disastrous dates. And every single one was. She’d decided to do things a little differently and was going to Ireland to a matchmaking festival (which I now want to go to). She had connected with a matchmaker named Jackie, who was going to be her lead and set her up on dates.
I had a lot of doubt in his ability at first because every guy he seemed to set her up with was OLD! I mean OLD! Sure she was like 38, but I’m talking in their 70s and 80s. That’s crazy! She wasn’t sure why he’d decided that was what to set her up with. Of course she ended up at a surprise dating show type thing the very first day she was there, and one of the contestants was a young, hot, grump. She ends up picking him sight unseen just because she couldn’t understand one guy’s Irish accent at all, the other guy was a little bit of a pervert, and so she figured at least she knew what she was getting with the grumpy guy. Well, she and Tadhg had a very unsuccessful date, where she kind of insulted him, thinking that was the way he was flirting? Based on some comedy sketch she’d seen once, lol. Accusing him of getting it on with his sheep, and other crazy stuff.
Turns out that Maya is autistic. While I am not as far as I know, so much of the issues she had were ones that I know I have, and are the very reasons why I gave up on dating a long time ago. Also turns out that the matchmaker, Jackie, is Tadhg’s dad. We don’t realize that until Jackie has set up a big traveling tour for Maya to meet some of the people he set up so she can interview them for her podcast, as well as she can see Ireland and go on dates with men around the country. When it’s time to leave, Jackie isn’t there, and the vehicle that pulls up to escort her is driven by none other than Tadhg, helping his dad out. Well first he makes Maya sit in the back so his dog, Finn, who isn’t a fan of Maya, can sit in the front.
There are lots more set-ups with elderly gentlemen. Definitely some that are not at all compatible with Maya even when they aren’t old. So it becomes a road trip story, and soon we get a “just one bed” part when they stop at the next “Airbnb” that turns out to be a tent, all set up for a romantic evening. With one bed, one air mattress bed, lol.
Tadhg is more than grump though. He’s a bit of a softy really, helping Maya out when her fear of heights kicks in at some of the sites they visit. He’s not quite as immune to her charms either, watching her struggle to climb into the back seat of the car which puts her “assets” right in his face, lol. Maya also finds out he likes the same kind of books she likes, so they listen the audiobooks on their drive. Which leads to one that she thought wasn’t a true romantasy having a very steamy scene just start playing as they’re driving. That gives us some steamy bits with nothing even happening between Maya and Tadhg, they just are listening, and getting very turned on, lol.
There’s a lot of emotional bits to the story as well. Learning about how Jackie always meddled in his kids romantic lives, exactly why Tadhg doesn’t have a good relationship with him. But then something happens with Maya’s family at the end and she has to race back home to San Francisco. But not before one of them puts their heart out in the open and the other kind of turns it down. Which leads to a grand gesture in the end, one that of course comes with lots of laughs and great banter. The steam is a few situations where the two characters do get together, and it is on page even if not crazy detailed like other romances, it is still all out on the page.
This author is going to be a favorite of mine I think, two books in a row that just blew me away. Once again I will have to buy a physical copy of this to put on my shelf. I laughed out loud while sitting in a store reading this one, and to me, that is just how good of a story it is. Probably going to be my favorite read of August, and might be another favorite one for the year!
September 6, 2026
Experiments in Offline Dating by Kat Mackenzie
What happens when you stop swiping and let fate take over?
Experiments in Offline Dating follows Maya Davis, a podcaster whose disastrous dating experiences have become the subject of her show. Tired of online dating, she travels to Ireland to experience the famous matchmaking tradition firsthand. What she doesn't expect is to be paired with Tadhg, a grumpy sheep farmer who seems to be the absolute opposite of what she is looking for.
And that's where the fun begins.
The best part of this book is the banter between Maya and Tadhg. Their first meeting is an absolute disaster, and their constant teasing and arguments make the enemies-to-lovers dynamic genuinely entertaining.
Maya is also a refreshing protagonist. She's awkward, adventurous, unapologetically herself, and doesn't fit the stereotypical image of a rom-com heroine. Her journey isn't just about finding a romantic partner; it's also about questioning the assumptions she's made about herself and what love is supposed to look like.
The Irish setting adds so much charm to the story. The road trip gives the romance plenty of room to develop while allowing the book to explore beautiful landscapes, matchmaking traditions, quirky characters, and plenty of disastrous dates.
I especially enjoyed the combination of humor, romance, forced proximity, grumpy-versus-sunshine energy, and genuine emotional growth.
It's lighthearted without being completely shallow, and beneath all the comedic dating disasters is a sweet message about letting go of expectations and allowing yourself to experience life differently.
Funny, charming, romantic, and full of heart.
Experiments in Offline Dating is a perfect choice for anyone looking for a feel-good enemies-to-lovers romance with an Irish road trip, memorable banter, and plenty of awkward dating disasters.
What happens when you stop swiping and let fate take over?
Experiments in Offline Dating follows Maya Davis, a podcaster whose disastrous dating experiences have become the subject of her show. Tired of online dating, she travels to Ireland to experience the famous matchmaking tradition firsthand. What she doesn't expect is to be paired with Tadhg, a grumpy sheep farmer who seems to be the absolute opposite of what she is looking for.
And that's where the fun begins.
The best part of this book is the banter between Maya and Tadhg. Their first meeting is an absolute disaster, and their constant teasing and arguments make the enemies-to-lovers dynamic genuinely entertaining.
Maya is also a refreshing protagonist. She's awkward, adventurous, unapologetically herself, and doesn't fit the stereotypical image of a rom-com heroine. Her journey isn't just about finding a romantic partner; it's also about questioning the assumptions she's made about herself and what love is supposed to look like.
The Irish setting adds so much charm to the story. The road trip gives the romance plenty of room to develop while allowing the book to explore beautiful landscapes, matchmaking traditions, quirky characters, and plenty of disastrous dates.
I especially enjoyed the combination of humor, romance, forced proximity, grumpy-versus-sunshine energy, and genuine emotional growth.
It's lighthearted without being completely shallow, and beneath all the comedic dating disasters is a sweet message about letting go of expectations and allowing yourself to experience life differently.
Funny, charming, romantic, and full of heart.
Experiments in Offline Dating is a perfect choice for anyone looking for a feel-good enemies-to-lovers romance with an Irish road trip, memorable banter, and plenty of awkward dating disasters.
August 25, 2026
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, Kat Mackenzie, and NetGalley for this ARC! 💚
Release Date: August 25, 2026
This book took me right back to my trip to Ireland, and honestly? For that reason alone, this is officially my second five-star read of 2026!!!!
Kat Mackenzie has officially become an auto-buy author for me. Book one was great, but book two? Amazing.
I loved the grumpy/sunshine trope in this one. Tadhg and the way he treated his dog already had me 🥹, but the fact that he lowkey always cared about Maya even when he was busy being his grumpy self? Yeah, I ate that up.
And can we talk about his dad?! His lowkey meddling was PERFECT. Just enough to push things along without being annoying, and I loved every second of it.
As much as I loved the romance and the characters, the real heart of this book is the Irish setting. Kat KNOWS how to write a setting. I could picture everything so clearly that it genuinely felt like I was back in Ireland, and that made this book even more special for me.
If you’re looking for a book that will mentally book you a flight to Ireland without the airfare, please pick this one up. 🇮🇪💚
Release Date: August 25, 2026
This book took me right back to my trip to Ireland, and honestly? For that reason alone, this is officially my second five-star read of 2026!!!!
Kat Mackenzie has officially become an auto-buy author for me. Book one was great, but book two? Amazing.
I loved the grumpy/sunshine trope in this one. Tadhg and the way he treated his dog already had me 🥹, but the fact that he lowkey always cared about Maya even when he was busy being his grumpy self? Yeah, I ate that up.
And can we talk about his dad?! His lowkey meddling was PERFECT. Just enough to push things along without being annoying, and I loved every second of it.
As much as I loved the romance and the characters, the real heart of this book is the Irish setting. Kat KNOWS how to write a setting. I could picture everything so clearly that it genuinely felt like I was back in Ireland, and that made this book even more special for me.
If you’re looking for a book that will mentally book you a flight to Ireland without the airfare, please pick this one up. 🇮🇪💚
August 26, 2026
Firstly, THANK YOU SO MUCH to @avonbooks and @katmackenziewrites for the chance to read through @netgalley. This book has given me life with reading. I was cackling! If you love to laugh through a romance, this is absolutely your next read. No questions asked, just do it. I loved how Tadhg was the big, grumpy Irish man. But boy did he soften for Maya. The dating show moment at the festival. Lemon Tart! I adored Maya. She didn’t care about the bad dates. They fueled her. Bret the Boastful might have been my favorite but honestly how can I choose. The audiobook reading in the car and honestly just Maya’s no filter needed characteristic was the best. Tadhg didn’t know how to handle her I’m sure but that had to have done it for him. He was a goner for her chaos.
Kat will absolutely be an auto buy author for me. I need Simone’s story immediately.
Kat will absolutely be an auto buy author for me. I need Simone’s story immediately.
August 7, 2026
I absolutely loved this romcom! This book had me laughing and smiling throughout the entire story! I loved both main characters, Maya and Tadhg in this book and their grumpy sunshine relationship. I loved the awkward moments, the banter, as well as the Ireland setting and did not want to put this one down. This has easily become one of my favorite romances and I look forward to this author’s future works. If you need a book that will make you smile, this is definitely one to pick up.
Read this if you like:
📖 Enemies to lovers
📖 Grumpy/sunshine
📖 Forced proximity
📖 Autism rep
📖 Roadtrips
📖 Ireland setting
📖 Some spice
Thank you to @avonbooks for the gifted copy.
Read this if you like:
📖 Enemies to lovers
📖 Grumpy/sunshine
📖 Forced proximity
📖 Autism rep
📖 Roadtrips
📖 Ireland setting
📖 Some spice
Thank you to @avonbooks for the gifted copy.
May 25, 2026
ARC review via NetGalley
4.5* rounded up
Omg this book was so frickin’ cute! I loved the premise, the broody Irishman, the sheep and our quirky little Maya. The meddling dad was both endearing and obnoxious. I mean, who wants their dad meddling in their love life?! This was a great feel-good romance!
4.5* rounded up
Omg this book was so frickin’ cute! I loved the premise, the broody Irishman, the sheep and our quirky little Maya. The meddling dad was both endearing and obnoxious. I mean, who wants their dad meddling in their love life?! This was a great feel-good romance!
September 3, 2026
5⭐️
2.5🔥
Quick Breakdown
Set in Ireland
Irish Matchmaker
Enemies to Lovers
Grumpy x Sunshine
MCs in Their 30s/40s
Road Trip
Forced Priximity
Single POV
Open Door - Mild
Maya is terrible at dating, so much so that she’s turned it into a job. Cohost of a podcast titled A Spinster’s Guide to Offline Dating, this season she’s traveling to Ireland to work with a legendary local matchmaker. As soon as she arrives, she’s thrust into a slew of interesting meet ups & one particularly horrible blind date with a grumpy sheep farmer named Tadhg. The matchmaker convinces her to take a roadtrip across the country, going on dates & interviewing couples along the way. Only, when she shows up there’s been a switch. It’s not the friendly old matchmaker, but Tadhg tasked with taking her.
This snuck up on me & I found myself completely enchanted.
Sure, there were some cringy moments (we were warned at the beginning lol), but so many more that had me spontaneously cackling, not to mention some spice, tension & lots of gentle swoony moments. It hit on a lot of spots I love: FMC in her late 30's, grumpy hero, set in Ireland. This was a slow burn, Maya & Tadhg needed it. Watching them transition from dislike to friends to so much more felt inevitable as they both learned they’re more alike than they realized.
I snagged this on audio through Libby & was so happy I did. This is a single POV romance, primarily narrated by Brittany Pressley, but it also features snippets from Maya’s podcast performed in duet with help from Eric Nolan & Kelli Tager. It gave the audio this mixed media feel that I really enjoyed. Brittany also does a great Irish accent!
Definitely recommend!
2.5🔥
Quick Breakdown
Set in Ireland
Irish Matchmaker
Enemies to Lovers
Grumpy x Sunshine
MCs in Their 30s/40s
Road Trip
Forced Priximity
Single POV
Open Door - Mild
Maya is terrible at dating, so much so that she’s turned it into a job. Cohost of a podcast titled A Spinster’s Guide to Offline Dating, this season she’s traveling to Ireland to work with a legendary local matchmaker. As soon as she arrives, she’s thrust into a slew of interesting meet ups & one particularly horrible blind date with a grumpy sheep farmer named Tadhg. The matchmaker convinces her to take a roadtrip across the country, going on dates & interviewing couples along the way. Only, when she shows up there’s been a switch. It’s not the friendly old matchmaker, but Tadhg tasked with taking her.
This snuck up on me & I found myself completely enchanted.
Sure, there were some cringy moments (we were warned at the beginning lol), but so many more that had me spontaneously cackling, not to mention some spice, tension & lots of gentle swoony moments. It hit on a lot of spots I love: FMC in her late 30's, grumpy hero, set in Ireland. This was a slow burn, Maya & Tadhg needed it. Watching them transition from dislike to friends to so much more felt inevitable as they both learned they’re more alike than they realized.
I snagged this on audio through Libby & was so happy I did. This is a single POV romance, primarily narrated by Brittany Pressley, but it also features snippets from Maya’s podcast performed in duet with help from Eric Nolan & Kelli Tager. It gave the audio this mixed media feel that I really enjoyed. Brittany also does a great Irish accent!
Definitely recommend!
September 10, 2026
I think my days of fluffy romance novels are coming to an end. The writing on this wasn’t bad, I just couldn’t get into it and didn’t really care about the plot. Makes me sad, because it sounded so cute!
September 6, 2026
I really enjoyed it. I could tell Maya was autistic basically from the get-go, but I do love ND representation. Light read, really fun and entertaining :)
September 8, 2026
This book was so good. I cannot tell you how many times I laughed, the banter was chef's kiss and I enjoyed the spice. Oh yes and Finn (the dog) was so great. Highly recommend this rom com.
September 12, 2026
DNF @ 61%
I liked it but her inner ramblings of what not to say got to be a bit much.
I liked it but her inner ramblings of what not to say got to be a bit much.
August 29, 2026
3.5⭐️ listened to the audiobook for this one and it was very well done! I really enjoyed it, I just wanted a bit more from the story I think.
July 25, 2026
I’m a sucker for an enemies-to-lovers romance any day of the week. Throw in an accent that promises to lead me around (fictional) Ireland? Done and done. “Experiments in Offline Dating” seems to have been made especially for me with all the delicious tropes I love. Sometimes you just have to find a book that lets you lean in to everything that makes you happy, and it seems that while Kat Mackenzie was writing a book she loved, she wrote one I’d love, too.
“Experiments in Offline Dating” starts with the premise of a podcaster who has spent the last year going on dates planned from dating apps. Spoiler alert! None of them went well. Undeterred by these lackluster social experiments, Maya doubles down: rather than trying more dating apps that are leading nowhere, she’ll register to be setup by a professional matchmaker in Ireland at the annual Matchmaking Festival.
Chaos.
Maya has such an analytical, structured mind. She lives by rules specifically designed to allow her to be successful in social settings, and modifies her thought process through each interaction as if it were one long social experiment. She’s a scientist of human nature.
Tadhg (pronounced “tige” like “tiger” without the r) is a right grump. He’s kind of miserable, and just wants to be left alone with his sheep. How fortunate for him that he’s voluntold to go on a blind date with Maya! More chaos ensues and it goes probably worse than you’d expect.
There’s no way to avoid the humor that makes “Experiments in Offline Dating” a rom-com. Mackenzie layers each chapter with more and more comedic moments that are sure to add some laugh lines to your temples throughout your reading experience. Not only do Maya and Tadhg NOT hit it off on their blind date, but unfortunately they end up stuck together on the most awkward of road trips. Total nonsense.
Underneath the smiles and snark, though, are a lot of very soft and tender moments that I fear might be overlooked. Mackenzie finds a beautiful balance of casual intimacy that lives in the shadows of the dating marathon’s spotlight. The softer moments, the joy in the quiet spaces where Maya and Tadhg don’t have to be ‘on’ are the times that feel the most real, the most human.
Maya may be introduced to a great many men on the Emerald Isle, but the most tender and delicate moments are found with Tadhg, and they are what kept me turning the pages quicker and quicker.
“Sometimes love comes hard, and sometimes love comes easy….”
There are billions of people in this world, and the true beauty of humanity is that we are all different. There are no two of us alike. Everyone’s actions and reactions to situations are different. It’s difficult to put yourself in someone’s shoes, even when you’ve got all the information at your fingertips. You can assume you know how things will go, but you know what happens when you assume….
“Experiments in Offline Dating” feels like a very personal book. There are a lot of laughs, but there are also a lot of moments of introspection and personal growth.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys witty banter, strong sexual tension, and ‘we can’t do this’ vibes. I think you’ll all end up falling for Maya and Tadhg (and probably Jackie Kelly, too!) just like I did.
“Experiments in Offline Dating” starts with the premise of a podcaster who has spent the last year going on dates planned from dating apps. Spoiler alert! None of them went well. Undeterred by these lackluster social experiments, Maya doubles down: rather than trying more dating apps that are leading nowhere, she’ll register to be setup by a professional matchmaker in Ireland at the annual Matchmaking Festival.
Chaos.
Maya has such an analytical, structured mind. She lives by rules specifically designed to allow her to be successful in social settings, and modifies her thought process through each interaction as if it were one long social experiment. She’s a scientist of human nature.
Tadhg (pronounced “tige” like “tiger” without the r) is a right grump. He’s kind of miserable, and just wants to be left alone with his sheep. How fortunate for him that he’s voluntold to go on a blind date with Maya! More chaos ensues and it goes probably worse than you’d expect.
There’s no way to avoid the humor that makes “Experiments in Offline Dating” a rom-com. Mackenzie layers each chapter with more and more comedic moments that are sure to add some laugh lines to your temples throughout your reading experience. Not only do Maya and Tadhg NOT hit it off on their blind date, but unfortunately they end up stuck together on the most awkward of road trips. Total nonsense.
Underneath the smiles and snark, though, are a lot of very soft and tender moments that I fear might be overlooked. Mackenzie finds a beautiful balance of casual intimacy that lives in the shadows of the dating marathon’s spotlight. The softer moments, the joy in the quiet spaces where Maya and Tadhg don’t have to be ‘on’ are the times that feel the most real, the most human.
Maya may be introduced to a great many men on the Emerald Isle, but the most tender and delicate moments are found with Tadhg, and they are what kept me turning the pages quicker and quicker.
“Sometimes love comes hard, and sometimes love comes easy….”
There are billions of people in this world, and the true beauty of humanity is that we are all different. There are no two of us alike. Everyone’s actions and reactions to situations are different. It’s difficult to put yourself in someone’s shoes, even when you’ve got all the information at your fingertips. You can assume you know how things will go, but you know what happens when you assume….
“Experiments in Offline Dating” feels like a very personal book. There are a lot of laughs, but there are also a lot of moments of introspection and personal growth.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys witty banter, strong sexual tension, and ‘we can’t do this’ vibes. I think you’ll all end up falling for Maya and Tadhg (and probably Jackie Kelly, too!) just like I did.
August 25, 2026
Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 8/25/2026. Looks like Kat Mackenzie has a Thing and it is a very wonderful thing indeed and one that I didn’t realize I needed more of aka “Women who are well over 30 who go travelling and have adventures and fall in love ala rom-com tropes.” I loved her last book Work In Progress where we found love somewhere on the road doing a literary bus tour in the UK and now she has given me Ireland in all sorts of glowing, magical beauty. Thank you!
Maya Davis is tremendously bad at dating but it doesn’t really bother her and these two things have actually given her the chance to have what turns out to be her dream job - working with her best friend on their podcast, taking on online dating challenges, detailing the results, gathering up hilarity and sympathy and offering humor and hope, all while cheerfully making herself the butt of the joke. Now it is season two and Maya is taking on Ireland and a wee town’s matchmaking festival, squired and matched-up by the Master Matchmaker himself, the world famous Jackie Kelly. What could go wrong? Other than Maya herself, that is, which is something she is 100% accustomed to after a lifetime of dealing with her autism diagnosis, her personal quirks, and her limited social battery. It will be an adventure! It will push her out of her comfort zone! She will still have her decision trees and protocols to help!
Enter the world’s most gorgeous and grumpy sheep farmer. Cue Maya putting her foot in her mouth harder than ever before. The fun builds from there, to be honest, and there are any number of delightful romance tropes thrown into the story. You know it’s going to be an HEA but the point is getting there, right? Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, painful misunderstandings, and even one bed. You’ve got your bingo board but Mackenzie does it with her self-deprecating charm through Maya’s unique voice. Maya is a wonderful, complicated, mess. She is fully aware of her issues and doing her best to mask and function but she’s only human, after all, and we all know how anyone can get when uncomfortable and tired. This leads to some amazingly cringe moments (if you have a second hand embarrassment squick, beware - I had to put it down once or twice as I squirmed with sympathy) but it also leads to some refreshing honesty. Like two adults actually saying things like, look, I don’t WANT to have this conversation, I don’t LIKE having this conversation, but we really NEED to have it.
Gasp. Communication? In a romance novel? Wonderful! Of course, no one can communicate everything so you still have layers and gaps but it’s a start.
Maya’s counterpart is Tadgh, the aforementioned angry and alienated sheepfarmer and, honestly, he reads as a bit of an undiagnosed autistic, too. Learning more about him and seeing the layers peel back is just as much for the reader as it is for Maya. Plus he comes with a darling, doted-upon dog so win-win. As he and Maya are stuck together and forced to see each other as more than just antagonistic jerks, things become both more complicated and more fun. For one thing, the banter is sarcastic and fast and fun and slightly mean in a way that reminds me of my family because it’s mean-with-affection.
To be honest, the most poignant thing is how absolutely convinced Maya is that she cannot fall in love, that somehow her diagnosis and particular brain chemistry have left her missing the key to feeling romantic love. Yet she still believes in it and gets such a wholesome kick out of hearing the love stories of other people. Reading her occasional interviews with successful couples is both hilarious and starry-eyed. You want to hug her and shake Maya over it all.
Overall, it is a wonderful, funny read with heaps of romance and quite a bit of spice and I’m going to keep reading Mackenzie’s books until she stops (or takes us to somewhere, like, Boise ID). She’s damn good. Again I am left wanting to go road-tripping with Kat Mackenzie and it really isn’t fair. I mean, I don’t need a new partner (while mine is not quite a ruggedly handsome mass of sheep farmer, he reads and loves fantasy movies/books and holds my hand when I’m scared and is good to my cats) but her books really make me hungry for the sights and sounds and food. Oh, god, the food… Where is my plane ticket???
Maya Davis is tremendously bad at dating but it doesn’t really bother her and these two things have actually given her the chance to have what turns out to be her dream job - working with her best friend on their podcast, taking on online dating challenges, detailing the results, gathering up hilarity and sympathy and offering humor and hope, all while cheerfully making herself the butt of the joke. Now it is season two and Maya is taking on Ireland and a wee town’s matchmaking festival, squired and matched-up by the Master Matchmaker himself, the world famous Jackie Kelly. What could go wrong? Other than Maya herself, that is, which is something she is 100% accustomed to after a lifetime of dealing with her autism diagnosis, her personal quirks, and her limited social battery. It will be an adventure! It will push her out of her comfort zone! She will still have her decision trees and protocols to help!
Enter the world’s most gorgeous and grumpy sheep farmer. Cue Maya putting her foot in her mouth harder than ever before. The fun builds from there, to be honest, and there are any number of delightful romance tropes thrown into the story. You know it’s going to be an HEA but the point is getting there, right? Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, painful misunderstandings, and even one bed. You’ve got your bingo board but Mackenzie does it with her self-deprecating charm through Maya’s unique voice. Maya is a wonderful, complicated, mess. She is fully aware of her issues and doing her best to mask and function but she’s only human, after all, and we all know how anyone can get when uncomfortable and tired. This leads to some amazingly cringe moments (if you have a second hand embarrassment squick, beware - I had to put it down once or twice as I squirmed with sympathy) but it also leads to some refreshing honesty. Like two adults actually saying things like, look, I don’t WANT to have this conversation, I don’t LIKE having this conversation, but we really NEED to have it.
Gasp. Communication? In a romance novel? Wonderful! Of course, no one can communicate everything so you still have layers and gaps but it’s a start.
Maya’s counterpart is Tadgh, the aforementioned angry and alienated sheepfarmer and, honestly, he reads as a bit of an undiagnosed autistic, too. Learning more about him and seeing the layers peel back is just as much for the reader as it is for Maya. Plus he comes with a darling, doted-upon dog so win-win. As he and Maya are stuck together and forced to see each other as more than just antagonistic jerks, things become both more complicated and more fun. For one thing, the banter is sarcastic and fast and fun and slightly mean in a way that reminds me of my family because it’s mean-with-affection.
To be honest, the most poignant thing is how absolutely convinced Maya is that she cannot fall in love, that somehow her diagnosis and particular brain chemistry have left her missing the key to feeling romantic love. Yet she still believes in it and gets such a wholesome kick out of hearing the love stories of other people. Reading her occasional interviews with successful couples is both hilarious and starry-eyed. You want to hug her and shake Maya over it all.
Overall, it is a wonderful, funny read with heaps of romance and quite a bit of spice and I’m going to keep reading Mackenzie’s books until she stops (or takes us to somewhere, like, Boise ID). She’s damn good. Again I am left wanting to go road-tripping with Kat Mackenzie and it really isn’t fair. I mean, I don’t need a new partner (while mine is not quite a ruggedly handsome mass of sheep farmer, he reads and loves fantasy movies/books and holds my hand when I’m scared and is good to my cats) but her books really make me hungry for the sights and sounds and food. Oh, god, the food… Where is my plane ticket???
September 11, 2026
Well, if being autistic at the age of 38 makes you behave with the impulse control of a 16 year old boy discovering how sexual attraction works and have the social intelligence of 4 year old on their first day of preschool, then this book captures that perfectly! Or actually, let me not insult teenager boys by saying that cause I have a brother who just turned 18 and I think he had this FMC, Maya, beat in all areas of maturity; intellectual, social, and sexual, by the time he was 15. This woman has failed to gain any level of skill in any of those categories despite having had nearly 4 decades to work on it and, shockingly, 46 dang chapters of this book did nothing to help her gain any either.
Frankly, it felt like the author used that "autistic" label to make Maya a odd caricature of a creature who has no social decorum or emotional intelligence despite being almost 40. Even the dialogue mechanics are exhausting. Maya is written with a constant stream of "ums," "uhs," and "ohs" just to answer basic, repetitive questions like "What do you do for work?". You would think a 38-year-old woman, and especially an autistic one, would have that answer ready on reflex. Masking is a real thing for neurodivergent people and the lack of anything resembling that was off putting for me. Instead we got endless streams of word vomit where she repeatedly claims she "just couldn't stop herself" from acting like a total lunatic. Between that and the literal quivering of her "lower regions" at every dang word that came out of the MMC's mouth, as if she was on a continuous stream of aphrodisiacs was just too far into the realm of overused romance troupes. And if she wasn't moaning about the MMC, Tadhg, being too dreamy for even the dreamest of dreamy men, she was moaning about the dang food....and let's just be honest, I've been to Ireland and had plenty of the food, so trust me, there is absolutely nothing about basic, unseasoned meat, potatoes, and root vegetables that warrants that level of moaning. Please be so for real.
The only reason this isn’t a 1-star review is because Tadhg, despite being your standard broody and overly "big, strong masculine" MMC, was actually alright and his irritation with Maya's nonsense made perfect sense. Of course, I'm not sure what he actually LIKED about her, except for her apparently marvelous rear-end that he just couldn't take his eyes off of (I'm sure you can feel my eye roll here). Then there was the absolutely horrible men the Irish matchmaker tried to set Maya up with that provided some genuinely humorous bits. But even that made the matchmaker come off like a low-key conniving manipulator who ignored all her wishes and kept setting her up with men 20+ years her age as if to make his son, who of course was Tadhg, out to be the "only good option". And frankly, it got tiresome after that 8th frickin' horrible date she was forced to go on for her little "experiment". Honestly, I just ended up feeling bad for Tadhg who was stuck with a sex-crazed, thought-to-mouth-vomiting woman who literally tried to "insult-flirt" with him on their first date and thought apologizing was telling him it was his fault. Buddy... you can do better! None of her ridiculous behavior was cute and there was virtually zero character development to make up for it.
Overall - the book was too long with most of it just endless descriptions of landscapes, mediocre food, or Maya's endless "autistic" ramblings about why she couldn't stop insulting everyone and anyone within 5 feet of her. I expected SO much more out of Kat Mackenzie after "Work in Progress" which was so charming and well-written. But alas, this one is an overall miss for me.
Frankly, it felt like the author used that "autistic" label to make Maya a odd caricature of a creature who has no social decorum or emotional intelligence despite being almost 40. Even the dialogue mechanics are exhausting. Maya is written with a constant stream of "ums," "uhs," and "ohs" just to answer basic, repetitive questions like "What do you do for work?". You would think a 38-year-old woman, and especially an autistic one, would have that answer ready on reflex. Masking is a real thing for neurodivergent people and the lack of anything resembling that was off putting for me. Instead we got endless streams of word vomit where she repeatedly claims she "just couldn't stop herself" from acting like a total lunatic. Between that and the literal quivering of her "lower regions" at every dang word that came out of the MMC's mouth, as if she was on a continuous stream of aphrodisiacs was just too far into the realm of overused romance troupes. And if she wasn't moaning about the MMC, Tadhg, being too dreamy for even the dreamest of dreamy men, she was moaning about the dang food....and let's just be honest, I've been to Ireland and had plenty of the food, so trust me, there is absolutely nothing about basic, unseasoned meat, potatoes, and root vegetables that warrants that level of moaning. Please be so for real.
The only reason this isn’t a 1-star review is because Tadhg, despite being your standard broody and overly "big, strong masculine" MMC, was actually alright and his irritation with Maya's nonsense made perfect sense. Of course, I'm not sure what he actually LIKED about her, except for her apparently marvelous rear-end that he just couldn't take his eyes off of (I'm sure you can feel my eye roll here). Then there was the absolutely horrible men the Irish matchmaker tried to set Maya up with that provided some genuinely humorous bits. But even that made the matchmaker come off like a low-key conniving manipulator who ignored all her wishes and kept setting her up with men 20+ years her age as if to make his son, who of course was Tadhg, out to be the "only good option". And frankly, it got tiresome after that 8th frickin' horrible date she was forced to go on for her little "experiment". Honestly, I just ended up feeling bad for Tadhg who was stuck with a sex-crazed, thought-to-mouth-vomiting woman who literally tried to "insult-flirt" with him on their first date and thought apologizing was telling him it was his fault. Buddy... you can do better! None of her ridiculous behavior was cute and there was virtually zero character development to make up for it.
Overall - the book was too long with most of it just endless descriptions of landscapes, mediocre food, or Maya's endless "autistic" ramblings about why she couldn't stop insulting everyone and anyone within 5 feet of her. I expected SO much more out of Kat Mackenzie after "Work in Progress" which was so charming and well-written. But alas, this one is an overall miss for me.
August 26, 2026
It’s the last Wednesday of the month, so you know what that means. Book review time! For August, I decided to go with a straight up romance. No fantasy. No magic. No monsters. Just two people falling in love. Which is weird for me, but once in a while weird things are interesting. Experiments in Offline Dating by Kat Mackenzie was released yesterday (August 25th) by Avon Books. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do the thing!
Experiments in Offline Dating follows Maya, the cohost of a podcast where she goes on ridiculously bad dates (usually due to her own awkwardness) and tries to figure out how love works using the data she collects. She’s used everything from the apps to being set up on blind dates by random people. The fact that she’s 38 and has never been in love makes the spinster life seem inevitable. For the new season of the podcast, Maya decides to go offline and sign up for help from a real life Irish matchmaker. Can he help her find love? She doubts it, but at least she gets to explore Ireland between the absurd dates!
Plot and pacing: cute and off. The plot is cute. It’s your usual enemies-to-lovers fare. The matchmaker obviously has ulterior motives when he promises Maya a 3-week cross-country trip and immediately pawns her off on his grumpy son who she has already embarrassed herself with. It goes about how you’d expect. The only real problem with the plot is the banter. It enters bitchy territory a lot. It’s not cute or funny. It’s just rude as hell and I’m surprised no one gets punched in the face for the things they say. But that’s just me. The pacing, on the other hand, is not a me thing. It starts out super fast paced, then just kind of dies to a crawl about halfway through. There are two points around the 75% mark that are supposed to be pivotal scenes, but they both get glanced over. And the ending felt like cheating, but a lot of books pull that family emergency crap to avoid making the characters actually deal with things in a sane manner.
Characters: mostly good. I liked Maya and Tadhg a lot. I did want a little more background on Tadhg, but he fleshed out enough to be enjoyable. Simone could have used more page time. The only character I didn’t care for was Jackie. He’s supposed to be mischievous and adorable, but if you really think about what he does, he’s a manipulative dick. And dangerous. Luring people to a sea cave so they get trapped during high tide? That’s how people die. Giving out a woman’s phone number without permission? Ick at best. Setting the woman up with some “handsy” dude when you know she doesn’t like to be touched and doesn’t really know how to tell a dude to fucking stop if he wants to keep his fingers? Shame on you. But if you don’t think about it too much, Jackie’s okay too. And of course, Finn (the dog) is my favorite.
Writing: not bad. It makes for a smooth read despite the pacing issues. There was nothing bad about it. Nothing great either. It was unobtrusive, which I like. It didn’t get in the way of the story.
Ultimately, I enjoyed Experiments in Offline Dating for what it was, despite my complaints. It was basically Nobody Wants This (it’s a show on Netflix with a similar premise), but without the religious aspect. So, it’s cute and I’ll probably forget all about it by next week.
Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Actually, 3.5. If you enjoy romances with enemies-to-lovers and partially sunshine/grumpy tropes, check it out.
Experiments in Offline Dating follows Maya, the cohost of a podcast where she goes on ridiculously bad dates (usually due to her own awkwardness) and tries to figure out how love works using the data she collects. She’s used everything from the apps to being set up on blind dates by random people. The fact that she’s 38 and has never been in love makes the spinster life seem inevitable. For the new season of the podcast, Maya decides to go offline and sign up for help from a real life Irish matchmaker. Can he help her find love? She doubts it, but at least she gets to explore Ireland between the absurd dates!
Plot and pacing: cute and off. The plot is cute. It’s your usual enemies-to-lovers fare. The matchmaker obviously has ulterior motives when he promises Maya a 3-week cross-country trip and immediately pawns her off on his grumpy son who she has already embarrassed herself with. It goes about how you’d expect. The only real problem with the plot is the banter. It enters bitchy territory a lot. It’s not cute or funny. It’s just rude as hell and I’m surprised no one gets punched in the face for the things they say. But that’s just me. The pacing, on the other hand, is not a me thing. It starts out super fast paced, then just kind of dies to a crawl about halfway through. There are two points around the 75% mark that are supposed to be pivotal scenes, but they both get glanced over. And the ending felt like cheating, but a lot of books pull that family emergency crap to avoid making the characters actually deal with things in a sane manner.
Characters: mostly good. I liked Maya and Tadhg a lot. I did want a little more background on Tadhg, but he fleshed out enough to be enjoyable. Simone could have used more page time. The only character I didn’t care for was Jackie. He’s supposed to be mischievous and adorable, but if you really think about what he does, he’s a manipulative dick. And dangerous. Luring people to a sea cave so they get trapped during high tide? That’s how people die. Giving out a woman’s phone number without permission? Ick at best. Setting the woman up with some “handsy” dude when you know she doesn’t like to be touched and doesn’t really know how to tell a dude to fucking stop if he wants to keep his fingers? Shame on you. But if you don’t think about it too much, Jackie’s okay too. And of course, Finn (the dog) is my favorite.
Writing: not bad. It makes for a smooth read despite the pacing issues. There was nothing bad about it. Nothing great either. It was unobtrusive, which I like. It didn’t get in the way of the story.
Ultimately, I enjoyed Experiments in Offline Dating for what it was, despite my complaints. It was basically Nobody Wants This (it’s a show on Netflix with a similar premise), but without the religious aspect. So, it’s cute and I’ll probably forget all about it by next week.
Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Actually, 3.5. If you enjoy romances with enemies-to-lovers and partially sunshine/grumpy tropes, check it out.
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