How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle: A Novel

by Alissa DeRogatis

From Cosmopolitan's Cosmo Reads imprint and the author of the smash hit Call It What You Want comes a fresh, charming romcom about the chaos of dating in your twenties, the ache of a brutal breakup, and the hilarious lengths one romance writer will go to get her spark back—including staging her own meet-cutes. Perfect for fans of Katherine Center and Emily Henry’s Beach Read.

If you can’t write a good meet-cute, maybe you need to live one first…

Ainsley Green writes happily-ever-afters for a rabid fanbase of hopeless romantics. In real life? Her boyfriend just broke up with her, her editor wanted a new book yesterday and she’s starting to wonder if love actually exists beyond the pages of her favorite novels.

So when Lucas, Ainsley’s best friend and biggest cheerleader, insists the best cure for writer’s block is real-life inspiration, she’s ready to try anything. Enter: the meet-cute plan, a mission to take her head out of her heartbreak and force meet-cutes IRL to spark some new ideas. But as failed missions bumping into strangers at the airport and spilling coffee on men at the cafe result in nothing but embarrassment and stained clothing, Ainsley begins to wonder if maybe the romance she’s been chasing already has a leading man.

Because the truth about falling in love? It never goes according to plan.

Equal parts heartbreak, humor, and hope, How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle is a fresh, flirty send up of dating in the modern age and a reminder that love finds us when we stop performing and start living.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Chick Lit

335 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 4, 2026

About the author

Alissa DeRogatis is the author of the viral debut Call It What You Want and How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she writes stories about modern love, self- discovery, and the people who help us put ourselves back together. When she’s not reading, she’s rewatching her favorite rom- coms, curating sad-girl playlists, or hang- ing out with her dogs, Asher and Oliver.

Follow along with her on socials:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alissaderog...

TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@alissaderogatis

Reviews

[lauren · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

4.25💫

this was such a cute rom com!! perfect for the end of summer 🫶🏻 this book is OUT NOW!

it follows Ainsley, a romance author, who is currently going through a break up. she is struggling to write another love story while being in the trenches after her love ended. the idea comes up that she should put herself in meet-cute situations to try and get that spark back. her best friend Lucas was also on board to help her. he is just a walking green flag. he’s so supportive and nice, you just can’t help but love him!

i love how quickly i was able to read this book! it was so cute and fun. the characters are so relatable too, which helps you feel so much more connected to the story. it showcases how growing up can also mean growing out of friendships, and how hard it is to make friends in your 20s. it also shows how chaotic and hard dating in your 20s can be in the modern day. Ainsley sets herself up in these meet cute situations and fails to find someone time after time. her man was a lot closer than she thought. 🤭

big thank you to netgalley again for the arc! i had the best time reading this on vacation, as it was a perfect, quick palate cleanser read. highly recommend if you love rom coms and meet cutes! 🧡🥰


Read if you like:
🥣 friends to lovers
🧡slow burn
🥣meet cutes
🧡fmc is an author
🥣he falls first
🧡rom coms



°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ — preread:

omggggg been waiting for this one to be accepted and now im super excited!! can’t wait to start this today!! 🤩


thank you netgalley and cosmo reads for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Release date: August 4, 2026 (OUT NOW!)

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ainsley Green is a romance author, for the last month she has been struggling to function, get out of bed and be excited about her new book tour. Her long-time boyfriend Cole broke up with her, their college friends are ghosting Ainsley and her editor is asking for a basic outline of her next novel.

The only person who cares and tries to get her out of her slump is Lucas Rivera her best friend and biggest supporter. As she tours and answers questions about her book based on how her parents met in the cereal aisle of a supermarket, Ainsley puts on a fake smile and just holds it together.

Ainsley creates a list of where you could possibly find the love of your life and as research and inspiration she tries them out and to see how they go. From failed attempts at a luggage turn style, knocking over a pile of toilet paper, taking her dog Winston to a park, and reluctantly joining a running club she comes up nothing to write about.

Lucas is in some of her Instagram content, and her page lights up, her followers can relate to having their hearts broken, what she tries as a meet-cute and the outcomes are hilarious, and they point out she might already know who she should be dating.

I received a copy of How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle by Alissa DeRogatis from Edelweiss + and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. Ainsley has a serious case of writers block and denial, you discover her relationship with her boyfriend was on the rocks for a while, the clues and why it was easier for her to believe everything was fine.

I found myself laughing out loud at her clumsy sporting attempts, and I have terrible balance myself and who was I to judge her! A story about getting your heart broken and mending it, dating in the modern age (I’m so glad I’m not single) discovering yourself, never settling, enjoying life again and finding love.

My favourite trope is obviously friends to lovers and I highly recommend this funny romcom, I’m keen to read more by Ms DeRogatis and five stars from me.

[Zoë · Rating 3 out of 5]

realistically, I think I would HATE her content. but literatureally (sic), i loved that shit

[har.]

soft dnf, i'm not in a mood to read it anymore

⤿ 🥣 ⌗ started: september 21

pre-read 𓂃˖ ࣪⊹

i'm about 50% in and i would say i'm finding it boring, or it's just not my style but we'll see! i'm still waiting for when she realises that her best friend is for her!

──★ ˙🥖!! tropes
.ᐟ friends to lovers
.ᐟ slow burn
.ᐟ dual timelines
.ᐟ dating in the era of social media
.ᐟ a “stop the car!” moment
.ᐟ he reads her romance books

[ahmeeka · Rating 3 out of 5]

[arc review] 3.5* rounded down. this was such a fun read and I really enjoyed it!

how to find love in the cereal aisle follows ainsley after she breaks up with her long term partner but immediately has to promote her upcoming novel, a romance.

when reading this I could picture it on the big screen, and I loved how it would be the perfect 2000s romcoms—the fake dates, trying to set up a meet cute, and not realising what is stood right in front of you.

my only wish was there wasn’t so many pop culture references. I don’t mind one here and there, but I like when there’s a disconnect from real life to the book world. I found there was just too many for me that—at times—took me out of the story.

otherwise I did really enjoy this, and I can’t wait to pick up my copy when it’s published!

thank you cosmo reads for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

[megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

honestly i dont even wanna talk about it lol

[Sarah | Kerosene.Lit · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a surprise. I was not expecting this to turn into a five star. Sometimes it felt a little meandering, with Ainsley simply orchestrating meet-cutes to inspire her writing deadline. But it completely won me over in the second half. I was smittenly highlighting its insightful reflections on healing from heartbreak and finding a love that makes the everyday moments feel extraordinary.

It was the perfect balance of silly romcom theatrics and self-discovery. Always a winning combo for me! I loved the past timeline, which dug into both her friendships and her previous relationship leading up to her breakup. I felt I had a true understanding of her fear of repeating the same mistakes and her hesitation to potentially lose a friend so incredibly special to her. It's a conflict that often annoys me with friends-to-lovers, but this one felt totally valid.

And the romance was precious. I loved the sweet, comforting familiarity of it. The easy banter and ribbing, the subtle and quiet but obvious ways he cherished Ainsley through his actions alone. Someone who already knows her inside and out, always showing up in all the little ways that matter. It’s less about the big gestures and more about the happy comfort of choosing someone who reminds you of who you are. I adored it.

(spice level: 2 open-door scenes, mild details)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Heaven (HeavenIsReading) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is better than the author's first, but still not there for me. The premise is fine, not original, but had promise. The entire thing, plot and characters, fell so insanely flat for me. I was waiting for the story to get a little "umph" and it never came. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

My compliments:
- The cover is cute
- I didn't mind Lucas
- Winston, god I love dachshunds
- Maddie is a great friend

My complaints:
- Extremely juvenile writing
- Excessive hand holding with the reader. Too much telling and not showing
- I am begging the author to stop repeating the same words and phrases. Say hydrangeas again
- Why do we need a pop culture reference every other paragraph?
- Characters were not fleshed out
- There were zero good qualities about the MC's ex and old friends, so genuinely, why were we supposed to care
- This author does not know how to use a semicolon
- I feel like the author wanted to do a spicy scene but it was so awkward and flat that maybe this should've been closed door

I had similar thoughts with the first book. I will not be reading anything else by this author, I've realized she's not for me. That's not to dissuade anyone else....if you need a really simple, quick read, this may work for you.

[veerali · Rating 1 out of 5]

girl idk, don't even ask.

[cyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This was a super cute romance about finding yourself after heartbreak. The plotline was extremely predictable but entertaining nonetheless. I really liked the concept of acting out romance tropes in real life. I feel like some things with Cole could have been explored more to really set up why Ainsley was so heartbroken. Same with Lucas’ relationship with Margot. I think by expanding their past relationships it would make the ending feel more wanted and earned. I thought this was really fun and really enjoyed reading it.

[whatmarissareads · Rating 2 out of 5]

🥣 “You haven’t had enough distance to see what the story is yet. Maybe you need to write the heartbreak out of you…so you can believe in love again.”

2⭐️ 0.5🌶️

Here’s the premise from the FMC herself:
“I’ve decided to embark on a little experiment. For the next few weeks, or months, or however long it takes, I’m throwing myself into rom-com scenarios in real life and documenting what happens. I’m not doing it to find love. Honestly, I’m not ready for that yet… I’m doing it to find inspiration, because I’m a romance author with a broken heart, and maybe the best way to write a love story is to start living one.”

I really liked that the FMC is an author
I think there was some good life advice embedded between the character dialogue that made me relate to what the FMC was going through (such as heartbreaking breakups) I also love the quote I shared at the top!

I think the writing flows well but I just really struggled engaging in the storyline and the characters

The use of social media vernacular isn’t my favorite and I just kept waiting for that moment where it clicks and I’m in it but unfortunately that didn’t happen for me
I struggled to immerse myself in it

💕You will enjoy this if you are into:
+ slow burn
+ friends to lovers
+ social media vernacular
+ author FMC
+ breakup blues
+ navigating relationships
+ dual timeline
+ “In some strange poetic plot twist, the heartbreak I thought might ruin me ended up being the thing that set me free.” ❤️

[Tia Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the authors debut novel! Call It What You Want really spoke to a younger version of myself and was healing to read. So I was excited to receive an ARC of her second book and let me just say I have a new favorite book couple! Ainsley Green is a romance author struggling to find inspiration after her breakup. To get her out of her writing slump, her best friend Lucas comes up with a plan - embark on real life “meet cute” missions. This is a slow burn, friends to lovers romance that I could NOT put down! Alissa’s writing feels like a long candle lit dinner with your best friend, sharing gossip and a bottle of sauvy b wine. Her characters are relatable while also being incredibly entertaining, there were many scenes that had me laughing out loud and tear jerking moments I was reaching for tissues. Lucas and his family reminded me so much of my own family. While this book is a rom com theres also a strong emphasis on finding yourself, friendships and a reminder that you are not defined by your relationship status. Mark your calanders for August 4th!

[Larareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book sooo much! The slow-burn, friends to lovers romance was so well done!!! I actually don't really like this trope, but I adore how Alissa DeRogatis wrote about it.
This book is so much more than a romantic book, it's a book about finding love in all aspects of life, in loving yourself and recognizing every person in your life that's been there through good and bad.
I really liked Ainsley, even though she was a little annoying jn the beginning, but Lucas was the star here for me. He is the perfect book boyfriend!!!

[Dab · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the writing, and it was a pleasant read, but it was definitely NOT a romance novel.

The main theme of the book is healing after a breakup, finding your mojo, inner peace, and other common blog topics. There is a romance with a HEA, but it’s too much in the background for this book to be considered a romance novel.

I liked both main characters, and it didn’t even bother me (much) that they were “best friends” while dating other people, because the setup felt realistic. I liked the transition from friends to lovers, even though they took their sweet time getting there, and I liked the way Lucas was always there for Ainsley. Even when she had a minor freak-out toward the end because of their relationship, he remained mature, and I loved that.

I also enjoyed the author’s take on social media culture; Ainsley’s social media presence was hilarious!

I’m not giving this book five stars because Ainsley’s post-breakup despair remained the main focus for most of the story, and I got tired of it after a while. I understand that being dumped is tough, but I really didn’t need the whining to last for more than half the book. Especially with the perfect man RIGHT THERE!

Thanks to Edelweiss and Cosmo Reads for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

[Madisyn Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOW TO FIND LOVE IN THE CEREAL AISLE (ARC) | ★★★★☆ | KINDLE

ainsley green is a romance author who now is going through something she least expected. a break up. three years of her life with Cole to turn into the age old “i met someone else.” ainsley is meant to be wrapping up her book tour and getting started on her third romance novel. But how can you find yourself writing a happily ever after when your love life has become a disaster.

when ainsley’s best friend, lucas insists that in order to move past and cure her writers block she needs to put herself out there. that is when the meet-cute plan erupts and ainsley begins to throw herself into real life possible meet-cute situations. but failure after failure ainsley is starting to wonder if there was somewhere she never thought to look.

how to find love in the cereal aisle was adorable. It was slow burn, friends to lovers in the cutest ways. i became a lucas lover. his character was fun and quirky. i loved the dynamics of their friendship and the build up towards something more. though this book was filtered with a lot of pop culture references, it felt relevant to the characters and the timeline of the story. i loved getting to go back and forth from before her and cole broke up. it gave more insight to ainsley’s character and that she was letting herself be loved in a relatable way — as in not good, but she thought it was good enough.

@alissaderogatis wrote such a fun, cute, quirky novel filled with characters who felt like they were your friends and you were watching everything unfold with them.

thank you to @netgalley and @cosmoreads for the e-arc!

how to find love in the cereal aisle comes out 08/04/2026!

keep your eyes out for this adorable meet-cute, slow burn, friend to lovers. it’s truly a lucky charm.

#arcreader #arcreview #arcreviewer #netgalley #booksta

[Leanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ love a book about books! This felt like such a classic feel-good rom com movie. Slow slow slow burn friends to lovers. I really enjoyed the alternating timelines. The past leading up to her breakup that really showed how shitty her ex and their friend group was; the present slowly showing how her best friend is the one for her. There are a lot of pop culture references, but I didn't mind them (mostly because they were a lot of Taylor Swift & a John Tucker Must Die one that I loved)


Thank you to NetGalley and Cosmo Reads for this ARC

[Kristina Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

buddy read with CourtneyAlissa DeRogatis’s “How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle” is a friends-to-lovers contemporary romance about finding yourself in the aftermath of a devastating breakup and discovering that sometimes the greatest love story is the one that has been right in front of you all along.

Twenty-six-year-old Ainsley Green graduated from college with a degree in education, choosing the safe path instead of pursuing her dream of becoming a writer. At twenty-two, she meets Cole, the childhood friend of one of her best friend and roommate’s boyfriend. After helping her move into her new apartment, the two begin dating. Cole encourages Ainsley to pursue her writing dreams and complete her romance novel, though despite being her biggest cheerleader, he never actually bothers to read her manuscript.

After three years together, Cole ends their relationship after falling for someone else. To make matters worse, their entire friend group sides with him, leaving Ainsley feeling isolated and devastated. While on tour promoting her second novel, Ainsley realizes she no longer believes in soulmates or lasting love. Determined to rediscover both herself and her faith in romance, she embarks on a series of rom-com-inspired meet-cute scenarios, documenting the experience online with the hashtag #FindingLoveInTheCerealAisle. Her videos quickly go viral as viewers relate to her awkward and unsuccessful attempts at finding love: from flirting with a man while waiting in line for a Ferris wheel only to discover he is gay, to knocking over a tower of toilet paper at the grocery store only to be completely ignored by the man walking past.

Lucas has been Ainsley’s best friend for years and is currently dating Margo, a driven lawyer whose demanding career often takes priority over their relationship. When Ainsley needs both a wingman and a cameraman for her social media series, Lucas volunteers. As they spend more time together, each navigating their own healing and self-discovery, Ainsley begins to see him in a new light. But after believing Cole was "the one," only to have that relationship fall apart, she fears risking one of the most important friendships in her life on a "what if." Along the way, she must decide what she truly wants while also finding her creative spark again.

DeRogatis tells the story through alternating timelines, with one following the present day and the other counting down the final months of Ainsley and Cole’s relationship. While the dual timeline effectively builds context for Ainsley’s emotional journey, I found her characterization frustrating. At twenty-six, she often comes across as desperate, selfish, and immature. Many of her attempts to manufacture meet-cute moments felt more embarrassing than endearing, particularly the scene where she insists to a smiling waiter that she is not looking for a meet-cute. Additionally, when two people close to her become engaged, Ainsley focuses almost entirely on how their news inconveniences her own plans rather than celebrating their happiness. Unfortunately, she never fully redeems this self-centered behavior over the course of the novel.

That said, the final ten percent of the book was easily my favorite. The emotional payoff, character growth, and resolution were well executed and delivered the strongest moments of the story. While the ending ultimately landed for me, the majority of the novel felt flat, making it difficult to stay invested in Ainsley’s journey until those final chapters.

I received an ARC through Edelweiss via Cosmo Reads and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 3.5/5 not rounded

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book felt real and raw while also being entertaining and hopeful. It explored the heartbreak of ended relationships and the pain of starting over.
The main character, Ainsley Green, is a romance author who's 3 year relationship ended just as her 2nd book released. Now she's faced with the expectation of writing a 3rd sweeping romance when she no longer feels like love and happy endings are real.

With the urging of her publicist and support from her best friend since freshman year of college, Lucas, Ainsley decides to go out and try to manufacture meet-cutes in the hopes it will inspire a new love story. Documenting her hilarious fails gains the attention and adoration of the public, but isn't sparking any love story inspiration, real or fiction.

This quest for writing inspiration leads to a journey to self-discovery in which Ainsley must come to terms with her past relationships, both romantic and platonic, as well as facing the reality of her present life, and in doing so, she finds herself and the true measure of love. In the end, maybe what feels like an ending could be the beginning of your true story.

I loved this story! It hurt to go through the tough times of Ainsley's relationship with Cole, but It was so uplifting to make it through all that into a happier ending. And her friendship with Lucas was so special, I could read about them all day! And shoutout to Maddie for being a true girl's girl & baddie!

A+ tension, banter, yearning, slow burn, and friendship! I got butterflies multiple times! I am a friends to lovers stan for life, and this one was right up my alley! Gave me People We Meet on Vacation vibes (And I adore that book!)

5⭐ Maybe 1-1.5🌶️? (It's not quite closed door, but it's very mild and vague.)

I read an early copy of this story, and this is my honest review. Thank you to author Alissa DeRogatis and Cosmo Reads for this eArc via Edelweiss!

[Maya Hester · Rating 2 out of 5]

have fun calia — this book was so boring and pointless

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished reading an advanced copy of a book that was just released on August 4th called, How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle. This is about Ainsley, she is a romance writer that is feeling stuck because her boyfriend, who she thought was her forever person, just broke up with her. So now she is heartbroken and dealing with writer's block because the last thing she feels like doing is writing romance. So her best friend Lucas suggests her creating real life meet-cute situations to help get her in that romance mindset to spark a new story to write. So she decides to try this plan but every time she tries to create a meet-cute things go horribly wrong. And then slowly, she begins to notice that the person always at her side, the one who knows her best, and that she can always count on, is Lucas. Then she begins to wonder if the right person for her was by her side all along and if she expressed her feelings could their friendship turn into forever or would it go down in flames?
This was such a fun romcom about love, heartbreak, personal growth, finding yourself, loving yourself, and trusting your heart to take a chance on love again. I loved this storyline of a writer creating meet-cutes to try and get inspired to write a new book, it had me laughing out loud with these meet-cutes gone wrong and the banter between Ainsley and Lucas. The dynamic between them felt so easy and was totally adorable, this was a best friends to lovers story that felt so genuine and authentic. This was a really enjoyable romcom! 🧡📚

Thank you to Alissa DeRogatis, Cosmo Reads, and Netgalley for this ARC of How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle, in exchange for an honest review.

[Martina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Cosmo Reads for the gifted ARC!

I couldn’t resist a book about a romance author trying to recreate meet-cutes in real life to cure her writer’s block. It was such a fun premise, and it completely lived up to it.

Watching Ainsley intentionally try to create those perfect rom-com moments was both hilarious and secondhand embarrassing. I found myself laughing through so many of her failed attempts, but underneath all the humor was a story about finding yourself again after heartbreak. I really liked that this wasn’t just about finding a new relationship. It was just as much about Ainsley rediscovering her confidence and remembering who she was outside of one. I also appreciated that it explored more than just romantic relationships. It touched on outgrowing friendships, losing people you thought would always be in your life, and how hard it can be to build new friendships in your 20s. I think that’s something a lot of people can relate to.

Lucas completely stole the show for me. He was supportive, patient, and always in Ainsley’s corner, and I loved watching their friendship naturally grow into something more. It never felt rushed, and I found myself rooting for them from the very beginning.

This was such a fun mix of humor, heart, and romance, with plenty of moments that made me smile. If you love friends-to-lovers, romance books about authors, and stories that remind you love doesn’t always happen the way you expect it to, I’d definitely recommend picking this one up.

[Afton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was not prepared for how seen this book would make me feel.

[Molly Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A soulmate isn't someone who completes you—it's someone who reminds you who you are." I think a lot of us need to be reminded at times that we're the main character in our own lives, and that's what Ainsley sets out to do with her meet-cutes after a breakup. While I'm not normally a huge fan of a friends to lovers trope, I thought this was a cute, quick read!

[jensbooktok28 · Rating 4 out of 5]

How To Find Love in the Cereal Aisle ❤️‍🩹☺️📖💖✨
4/5 🌟

Since hearing about Alissa Derogatis’ new book, I have been so insanely excited about it. Call it What You Want was unbelievably relatable in so many different ways for me. I knew that happy ending or sad ending… I was going to love whatever she put out.

Obviously I don’t want to say too much, as it won’t be released until August, but I definitely want to talk about a few things. First of all, there are so many relatable parts of this book. Quotes, plot lines, her inner-dialogue. So many lines perfectly describing what love may look like, what heartbreak can look like, what friendship can look like. There so many other aspects besides romance that went into this book.

My favorite quote in this book (like literally tears starting forming IMMEDIATELY) was:

“Some friendships bend. Some friendships break. And some, if you’re lucky can even be rebuilt.”

Being a junior in high school, in a small town, with girls who aren’t the kindest can be hard, but this felt so refreshing to me. Nothing has to be permanent. Things can change in a multitude of ways and friendships are one of those things.

Of course. I will always eat up a friends to lovers. Who couldn’t? If there was one thing that could make this a 5 star read for me would be the possibility of having a couple more scenes where it feels like they were in love and were falling before they actually realized it. Just to show a little bit more yearning on Lucas’s part, but other than that, HTFLITCA got all A’s.

Lucas was precious. He was definitely hot in my imagination. I loved how he and Ainsley were always showing up for eachother (common theme throughout the novel). UGH Ainsley (love the name btw) was so funny and so personable. I could feel a personality throughout reading it. I feel like sometimes with books you don’t feel much regarding a characters personality or anything and they can feel flat, but through the dialogue and her interactions, you definitely can in this book.

Alissa. Girlllll. AMAZING. CHEFS KISS. 💋 🥹💖

Exceeded my standards. You made me cry happy tears, you made me cry sad tears, you made me smile, you made me feel bad. You made me feel everything. I feel like I was taught some MAJOR life lessons and just things to remember and keep in the back of my head. I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE the things you’ll do in the future. Like I can already see so much improvement from CIWYW. UGH IM JUST SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS BOOK.

A couple songs that I think could be related to this book that may interest you in reading it…

Labyrinth by Taylor Swift
The Only Exception by Paramore
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
Ballad Of a Homeschool Girl by Olivia Rodrigo
CLEAN by Taylor Swift (capitalized for emphasis)
Fresh Out the Slammer
….. to be continued.

(Realizing I have to make a playlist right now.)

[Kelsey Zaporowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

**thank you to NetGalley for the ARC**

This was so adorable and honestly, I would have taken even more of it.

I loved the behind-the-scenes look at an author trying to figure out her next step.

Her friends and ex were kind of awful… but in a very realistic, 20s-growing-pains kind of way.

Favorite quote:

“Maybe the happy ending isn’t always about ending up with someone. Maybe the happy ending is about finding yourself, raising your standards, and never settling.”

[aves ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5!

we follow ainsley, a romance author who has just been through a breakup and is struggling to write a new book. she decides to test meet-cutes in real life and post them to social media to try and spark inspiration, but what happens if he was right in front of her all along?

this such a cute romcom!! i always love reading about bookish people, and i really enjoyed the meet cute aspect, and thought it was such a fun idea. the dual timeline of ainsley now and during her previous relationship was interesting, and seeing how their dynamic changed and her self belief was impacted was so important to the story. i also thought the way friendships change through situations and over time was also handled really well!

i really liked ainsley’s character, but i didn’t necessarily connect with her. i think if she had been a little more developed, i definitely would have! i also loved lucas, and they definitely make so much sense together. i wish we would have gotten to know him on a deeper level as well.

i didn’t love all the social media & pop culture references, but at the same time i enjoyed seeing people’s takes on ainsleys meet cutes! i’m just not a big fan of pop culture & slang in books personally!

i had a lot of fun with this one and really enjoyed my time with it, super cute and easy to read!

“he’s not just along for the ride. he’s the reason you love pulling into the driveway at the end of a long day.”

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SUCH a fun surprise. How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle has writing that feels somewhere between Sarah Adams and Christina Lauren, with maybe a little Emily Henry thrown in?? It’s conversational and genuinely funny, and then suddenly hits you with something painfully relatable.

And the premise??? So stinking cute.

Ainsley is a romance writer fresh off a breakup who realizes she’s not even sure she believes in love anymore, which is slightly inconvenient when she needs to write her next romance novel. Her solution? Orchestrate meet-cutes in the name of “research”.

Once the meet-cutes started, I was LOLing. Poor Ainsley.

But honestly, I wouldn’t necessarily call this a romance. It feels much more like a coming-of-age story about that very specific time in your early/mid 20s when life veers off the path you planned and everyone around you seems light-years ahead.

Your friends are getting married, having babies, buying houses, moving up in their careers and suddenly their milestones start feeling like evidence that you’re behind. When really, you’re just on different paths. **cough cough** been there.

That was probably my favorite part of this book. What kept this at 4 stars was Ainsley herself. She was VERY self-involved, and at times I wanted more self-awareness from her earlier. But looking back at that stage of my own life, I also thought… yeah, I get it. It’s so easy to become consumed by where you think you should be.

The book is also very of-the-moment with social media and publishing woven throughout. I actually thought that worked because Ainsley isn’t just comparing her life to everyone else’s… she’s comparing it to the versions of their lives she can see.

Overall, this book was genuinely hilarious, surprisingly insightful, and SO fun on audio. Come for the orchestrated meet-cutes and rom-com chaos; stay for the accidental existential crisis about whether you’re actually behind in life or just on a different path.

[Kayla Darby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I didn’t expect to connect with as deeply as I did. While reading it, there were so many moments where I felt like the author somehow put into words feelings and situations that I had experienced in my own relationships. It made me realize that the things I had been struggling with weren’t necessarily things only I felt, and that was honestly comforting.

One of the biggest things I connected with was the idea of loving someone even when the relationship isn’t simple. Sometimes you can care about someone so deeply, but there can still be fear, confusion, distance, bad timing, or uncertainty standing between you. I’ve experienced what it feels like to want something with someone, to believe there could be a future together, and then to question whether I’m holding onto something that may never happen. The book reminded me that having those feelings doesn’t make me foolish or weak. It just means I cared.

-“You haven’t had enough distance to see what the story is yet. Maybe you need to write the heartbreak out of you…so you can believe in love again.”

[Dana K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Cosmo Reads for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions below are my own.

Ainsley is a romance writer who is going through a breakup with the man she expected to marry as she goes on book tour for her second novel. Her Q&As are a disaster, her confidence is shot and she can't seem to get anything on the page for her third novel. As she is going through her crisis her best friend, Lucas is at her side. They cook up a plan to force meet cute moments in the hopes of inspiring her writing but they are all hilariously disastrous. Just as she is at the end of her rope, she realizes her future may have been staring her in her face the whole time.

This was definitely more of a women's fiction story than a rom com. And more rom than com for sure. There were some funny moments but it was actually a lot more introspective and emotional hand wringing than the cartoony cover indicates. Also, the title just refers to her novel based on her parents' meet cute, it is not core to the story at all. It is a mega slow burn of a romance, which I liked as someone who takes a while to warm up to people but I can imagine that might be a struggle for people to wait for.

[Abi Meyyappan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the unfortunate experience of living out both Sloane and Ainsley’s stories in real time as I read each book and while I’m in still the depths of their heartbreak, I can say with utmost authority on the subject that no one gets it like Alissa Derogatis. Reading this book has genuinely kept me going this last week and I feel so seen by Ainsley, the fear of falling behind, the clinging to something that’s just not working, making excuses to keep something perfect, still writing pages of a story that started to end long before she was ready to admit it, the grasping at straws for hope, all of it. I especially loved that the focus was more on her finding her way back to herself than her ending with Lucas (though I loved that too). Loved all the Taylor references and Sloane being one of Ainsley’s followers!