Let's Kiss and Tell: A Novel

by Joss Richard

Fall for the brand-new sexy, sweet and heart aching romance from the bestselling author of It's Different This Time!

📝 Workplace romance
📝 Fake dating
📝 90's romcom nostalgia
📝 Spice

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Lucy Reid's about to fake it.

As a sex columnist, her views on relationships aren't exactly optimistic.

Instead, she encourages readers to embrace their sexuality and that you don't need a partner to be happy. But when her team claims that all their readers are in relationships, and that it might be time for something - or someone - new, she's got to act fast.

Enter Marshall Oakley.

Marshall is the new Senior News Writer at Lucy's company, and he's just confessed to needing a girlfriend for his ex's wedding. Faking a relationship is perfect. Marshall can finally prove he's moved on, and Lucy can write about finding 'the one' only to break up and prove to readers - and her bosses - that relationships don't solve everything.

But spending lots of time together and faking affection has lines blurring... And now the two of them must find the courage to rewrite their story with a happily ever after.

-----------------------

PRAISE FOR JOSS

'IT'S DIFFERENT THIS TIME is a witty, warm, heart-aching masterclass in romance. Richard wrote a book you'll be sad to finish.' - Autumn Woods, Sunday Times bestselling author

'The rich, decadent romance of the year we've been waiting for!' - Sarah Adams, NYT bestselling author
'Deeply emotional and layered, this second-chance romance is an instant classic!'-Naina Kumar, USA Today bestselling author of Flirting With Disaster

'A tender and atmospheric slowburn-this is a book you can't stop thinking about'-Amy Lea, international bestselling author of The Catch

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fake Dating, Summer, Rom Com, Workplace Romance

452 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 11, 2026

Reviews

[ahmeeka · Rating 2 out of 5]

[arc review] I finished this last night and felt stuck on my overall opinion of it. I struggled to get through the first ~33%, and while it did pick up, I don’t really know if this was for me. I think it’s probably a 2.5* rounded down!

let’s kiss and tell follows lucy and marsh in a dual pov. lucy is a sex writer who is trying to keep her job amid layoffs within her company, and marsh is the new senior writer looking for a date to his ex girlfriend’s wedding.

the story was fleshed out, which I did enjoy because it didn’t feel rushed and choppy. I loved the tension between lucy and marsh, and how their relationship was a slow burn.

I will, however, say that I finished not really knowing much about marsh? I do think that might be intentional, because his life revolved around writing (which became a plot point) but the only thing marsh and lucy had in common was their jobs?

I did find myself relating to lucy and how she’s anxious avoidant, and I felt connected to her in that way. I don’t really know? maybe I need to reread properly when it’s released?

I really enjoyed joss richard’s first novel, but I just don’t think this book was for me. that’s not to say it’s not good, because I know a lot of people will enjoy it and love it! I’m just probably in the minority, and I’m sad I didn’t enjoy it the way I thought I would.

at the end of the day, joss is and forever will be one of my auto buy authors, and I look forward to whatever she releases in the future!

thank you headline eternal for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ★— Move along, Carrie Bradshaw! There’s a new sex columnist in town.

For 2/3rds of this book, I was fully bespelled, as this story features one of my favorite heroine types in romance: the avoidant commitment-phobe.
I love reading about women who have to wrestle with themselves to open up and admit that they’re falling in love, and with Lucy Reid, we get a protagonist who matches that perfectly.

She and Marsh meet and embark on a How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days-esque adventure, with her needing a fake boyfriend to write more about relationship issues in her column and him needing a date for his ex-girlfriend’s wedding.

The story did a really good job of letting the two get to know each other, their chemistry really feeling off the charts as they went on dates, bantered, and had insaaane sexual tension. I can't emphasize enough how much I liked the scenes that built up their desire for each other and how well the author portrayed them as truly losing it for each other once they both gave in.

Now, let me get to the last 3rd of the book that sort of woke me from my reading euphoria. Marsh and Lucy get into an argument that I honestly thought felt rushed and… weirdly corny? There was a moment where Lucy attacked Marsh on the basis of him being a news journalist, saying that he was doing that because he couldn’t write personal stuff, and all of that felt so out of left field to me, as their different writing careers had never really been a point of contention between them before, which all contributed to this defining fight feeling contrived and hamfisted.

It felt like the book veered into a more schmaltzy direction that I hadn't really felt prior to this point and... I don't know why exactly, but the last few articles and bits of dialogue between Marsh and Lucy started to read like a cliché romance mishmash that dampened my love for their love a little.

I still really liked this as my introduction to Joss Richard (though… the name Marsh is something I never warmed up to, sorry!), and I am absolutely adding her to my short list of treasured contemporary romance writers.

___________

Thank you to Dell for the ARC.

[Dab · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, after long and difficult consideration, I decided to give this book three stars. I love this author’s writing, and I loved these characters (at least for the first ~65% of the book), so this feels fair.

(I might still change my mind, though…)

I fell in love with this book. At first sight.

But then it broke my heart.

(Or should I say, made me throw up in my mouth a little?)

Marsh was such a perfect book boyfriend, I wanted to hug him and hold him. Their chemistry was chef’s kiss, and the first half of this book gets all the stars from me. All of them!

Marsh and Lucy’s dynamic was so well crafted that I couldn’t stop reading. She was pure chaos, bursting with energy and joy. Marsh was quiet and hardworking, a little cautious, but with a heart of pure gold. He was just enjoying Lucy’s company, not trying to tame her, just admiring her and recognizing how smart and brave she was. It was magic. Their banter! Her randomly talking about sex in public and his shocked reactions made me cackle multiple times. It was so much fun to read!

But then they slept together, and she realized that he meant more to her than she was ready for, and it went downhill from there. I just couldn’t get past the fact that she had sex with Marsh, then with another guy, and then with Marsh again, all within 24 hours. It was gross. They moved on from that as if nothing had happened, but it wasn’t the same book to me after that.

Then the third-act breakup was awful too, because third-act breakups always suck, and then he hooked up with someone else too, which was also gross. I’m not overly sensitive to OW drama, but I also don’t want to read about some random chick screaming his name at 93% of the book.

So yeah, how do I rate the first half five stars and the second half two?

Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[cat (catching up slowly)]

・❥・⁀➷ pre-release

march 30th- please please PLEASE let me be accepted for this arc. Joss Richard made it into my top 3 new authors of last year and I was OBSESSED with her debut. I can’t wait for this one🤞🏼🥹

[angelinabvby ۶ৎ (semi-ia)]

ꨄ 𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 💋
ARC APPROVED FOR THIS ADORABLE BOOK WITH ITS ADORABLE COVER 💖💗🥰💞

[tanvi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴?” “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦?” “𝘔𝘩𝘮.” 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘥 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵. “𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺?” “𝘐’𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺.” “𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘒𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘭.”

Lucy, our beloved sex columnist, and Marsh, a news reporter with his slutty tortoiseshell glasses, have the most charming meet-cute at a work happy hour. What starts as a chance encounter quickly turns into a mutually beneficial arrangement: they agree to fake date since he needs a convincing plus-one for his ex’s wedding, and she needs a relationship to satisfy her editor and keep her job.

I genuinely thought this book has everything I look for in a great romance. It’s full of heart, depth, and layered, complex emotions. It is one of those books you’ll either completely fall for or not connect with at all.

Lucy and Marsh are both commitment-phobes, but for entirely different reasons, and one is clearly more afraid than the other. Because of that, mistakes are inevitable, but I really appreciated how Joss never lets their conflict feel juvenile. They’re both deeply prideful, which leads to some painful, honest conversations, but never veers into spitefulness, which is a difficult balance that’s handled so well. Even at their most complicated, as they try to make sense of what their relationship could be, you can feel how much they care for each other. I have zero notes and am so excited for everyone else to experience this story too.

Thank you Netgalley and Dell Romance for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[megan ◡̈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 ⭐️

i loved everything about lucy & marsh from start to finish, i tried to prolong my reading this for as long as possible because i never wanted it to end while simultaneously dying to see how it ended!!!

one thing about me is i LOVE a hard fought romance book, we have two traumatized for different reasons massive commitmentphobes (rightfully so) who are so perfect for each other in every way but SO damn stubborn and refuse to get out of their way the entire time they’re fake dating which is super frustrating (fun for me tho) and it just made the ending and them finding their way back to each other that much sweeter.

this book felt so sex in the city, carrie bradshaw coded but LA. i think joss hit the 90s romcom nostalgia vibe right on the head and with characters and relationships youll actually want to root for!!

the emotional depth in this book was out of this world for me, it for the most part is light and flirty but then all of a sudden joss will gut punch you and it was just so beautifully written and well done. i have become a big fan of my romcoms having this really intense deep emotional layer to them and getting to see how characters navigate them, the duality of it is just really doing something for me lately and this book was perfect in that aspect!!

lucy and marsh were mouthwateringly hot. i dont ever really make it a point to talk about spice levels or scenes in my reviews unless they leave a lasting impression on me and boy did they ever. this was one of those books where my bi panic went haywire. i truly cant even pinpoint what about these scenes felt so hot and next level for me because it truly was just two hot people with insane chemistry having sex but i think the trust and the intimacy of it all having both POVs and their inner monologues of how they view themselves, each other, sex, relationships just really elevated every single scene we get and it was H O T T T T T 😛

this was my first book of joss’ and i truly cannot wait to go listen to her debut sometime in the next week because i am just so excited for more of her words. even though i’ve only read one of her books LK&T truly cemented her as an auto buy/read author for me. i am already gnawing at the gates of my enclosure to see what is next from her and plotting how to get my grubby little paws on it asap!!

[Sarah • ia for a while]

I did NOT like the author's debut, but I want to give her books a second chance, so I was sooo happy when I was approved to read this. God, I hope I love it. 😭🤞🏼

[Sarah (bookofsari) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

About halfway through this book, I realized I wasn't rooting for the romance anymore. I was just waiting for one of the characters to change my mind.

Unfortunately, neither of them ever did.

Lucy was a tough protagonist for me to spend time with. I understand why she keeps people at arm's length, but after a while it felt like every conversation circled back to the same fears and the same conclusions. Instead of watching her grow, it felt like we were having the same argument over and over again.

Marsh didn't balance that out either. I kept waiting for there to be more beneath the surface, but by the end I still felt like I barely knew him outside of being "the nice guy." I never reached the point where I understood why these two specifically belonged together.

The fake dating setup should have been an easy sell, but I never felt that delicious "are they actually going to kiss?" tension that makes the trope so much fun. The relationship just... happened.

I'll also admit workplace romance is one of my least favorite tropes, so this was already starting at a disadvantage for me.

The hardest part is that I loved Joss Richard's debut. I went into this expecting another favorite, and instead it left me feeling pretty indifferent. I'll absolutely read whatever she writes next, but this one just wasn't my book.

[Mira · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 65%

The author's debut wasn't a favorite of mine, but I enjoyed her writing style, so I decided to give this book a chance. Unfortunately, I wish I hadn't.

This book felt way too long and boring. In my opinion, a fake dating romance has no business being 464 pages long.

The FMC is a sex columnist who's completely against relationships. I disliked Lucy from the very beginning. She's selfish and overly confident, but not in a good way. It felt like she looked down on people who are in relationships or want to be in one. Despite my dislike for her, I kept reading because I hoped she would grow as a character. But after her disgusting actions around the 60% mark, I completely lost any desire to continue. I understand that she and the MMC weren't officially together, but what she did was unacceptable to me. And then she acts as if nothing happened. How am I supposed to sympathize with her after that?

I generally liked Marshall, but he lacked confidence and personality.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine (Dell) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Sian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will write a proper critical review in a few days but for now I will say this: I am crushed that I didn’t love this.

Also, there’s a line in the epilogue where the fmc playfully rubs the mmc’s dick and it’s made me drop this from a 3.5 to a 3 star read because it’s icked me out.

---

I'm so sad to say this one didn't work for me. And not necessarily because I had a bad time reading or that I thought the book was bad but rather that I thought the message about love to be quite muddy and unclear.

Our FMC is very sure she doesn't want a relationship but rather than seeming independant she comes off as slightly hypocritical as the story progresses. Her issues which are presented originally as incredibly logical, honest and subversive. Despite the relationship seeming destined to end in flames, they fall in love and get some therapy and all of sudden love really is amazing and she was just scared. I almost found it offensive, if I'm being honest. It felt like it was being implied that anyone who isn't interested in relationships is to be pitied and must clearly be hiding some sort of deep hurt (which, for our FMC was a misunderstanding anyway).

I'm sure that wasn't the authors intention but that element hindering my enjoyment and the fact that the pacing was a little inconsistent, led me to rate this a 3.5 stars. I'm a Joss Richard lover for life and I cannot wait for the rest of her novels. However, this one just isn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballentine for this e-arc, I am extremely grateful.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If “salt air, and the rust on your door” were a romance novel.

While unintended, reading this one at the start of August (Taylor’s Version) season was spot on.

If It’s Different This Time is peak autumn in NYC, with her sophomore novel, Joss Richard serves up a gorgeous summer of fake dating in LA. Her writing here, too, feels even sharper than her great debut—the character work felt deeper and even more compelling to me.

Lucy and Marsh are two messy, hot people who are into each other more than they (think they) should be, and who figure things out along the way. Their chemistry is always excellent, and the spicy scenes in particular hit big time.

also:
🌅 forbidden romance (coworkers)
👓 Slutty little glasses (and hot, hard torso) agenda
🩵 friends who show up and support you (and one awful ex who does not)
🥊 Boxing as foreplay
☕️ Oat milk iced latte supremacy
📝 90s romcom vibes

🎧 This was great on audio. Arya Jacobs & Robert Hatchet felt well cast here. While I do wish this one had been duet, neither of their opposite-gender voices were a detractor for me.

There’s a little bit of this one that felt overly constructed at the beginning—like it was written for a trope and a setup and a little surface level (with a few too many “omg he’s so hot’s”). Somewhere around the halfway mark I felt like the character work was more genuine and I started connecting a lot more. If you’re similary not bought in at the beginning, give it time to breathe.

Thank you Dell Romance for the ARC and PRH Audio for the ALC!

[Madison (madinotmaddiereads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

All my thanks to Dell for the advanced reader copy of my MOST ANTICIPATED release of the year in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Perfection in every sense of the word! She’s done it again!

in 2025, I somehow made it my mission to make It's Different This Time my entire personality...and I do believe I successfully accomplished this, haha! Needless to say, I've been dying to get my grubby little hands on Joss's sophomore novel and God, she whisked me away yet again! I love Joss's characterization, how unafraid she is to tap into the messiness of humanity and dissect the vulnerabilities that would typically make someone feel less than but in this story, they are written to feel entirely whole despite their flaws. Equally deserving of love as someone who seems to have their life more together or mind more collected. I found so much of myself in Lucy and know so many others will as well. Also lovedddd the positive messaging around sex normalcy! Brilliantly done!

I can't think about Marsh in any appropriate way. He's so RESPECTFUL, UGH! Love a man in therapy with a high emotional EQ! A standard has been set once again. Adam and Marshall should write a guide on how to be a man...no, but like actually :')

The California setting had me feeling so nostalgic for my trip there in 2021 and had me whipping out my album to relive such a special time in my life. Also, that club scene...tattoo it on my brain immediately, I have replayed it so many times in my head it's not even funny at this point.

Books like these are why I will be a defender of miscommunication as a third act because it CAN be done well and this is the proof! Give me the grit and work it takes to talk about the hard parts of relationship! That's real life and I think it's healthy to see how this can be written and played out in a way that shows healthy communication between romantic interests.

Perfect for lovers of beloved romcom favorite How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days!

Phenomenal job, Joss! I'll read whatever words you give me 😊

[Annie K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lucy Reid is a sex writer who doesn’t do relationships. Unfortunately for her, her column is losing clicks—readers want more than hookups; they want the messy reality of love. So what’s the solution? Agree to be Marsh’s date to his ex’s wedding in exchange for fake dating him. No one’s going to catch feelings… right?

This book really ebbed and flowed for me. At times it was addictive—I couldn’t put it down. Other parts dragged, and the pacing felt uneven. I think my biggest struggle was with the core emotional arc. Lucy’s fear of love is the central conflict, but it started to feel repetitive, like the same argument playing out over and over without meaningful progression.

Marsh, unfortunately, didn’t fully work for me as a romantic lead. The book asks the reader to see him as this amazing, emotionally evolved partner, but I never quite got there. His backstory—especially the way his previous long-term relationship was handled—left me feeling like his growth wasn’t fully earned. The narrative framing felt a bit off, and I found myself questioning the emotional accountability on both sides rather than rooting for them as a couple.

The “forbidden workplace romance” element also didn’t land for me. It felt a bit outdated and overly dramatized in a way that didn’t match real-world dynamics, which pulled me out of the story.

I will say, I was really enjoying this up until about the 75% mark. After that, it started to feel repetitive and less emotionally grounded, and the romance lost some of its believability for me. The spicy scenes, while very explicit, sometimes felt out of sync with the emotional development, which made them land less effectively than intended.

And on a completely different note—lobster rolls in San Francisco? That might have been the most unrealistic part of the whole book. Cioppino, oysters, clam chowder… sure. But lobster rolls? I could practically tell the author didn’t live in California 😅

I really wanted to love this one, but in the end, it just didn’t fully come together for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[jenna 💘✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank you to Dell for the arc!! full rtc! ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS. delicious, emotional, hot, messy. Everything i wanted & more

[daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Joss Richard’s sophomore book, Let’s Kiss and Tell, is fun and empowering, and it perfectly encapsulates the feeling of an early 2000’s romcom.

Lucy is a sex and relationship columnist at a digital magazine, and with every story she writes, she highlights the fact that women do not necessarily need a partner to be happy. From the very first chapter, it’s made abundantly clear that Lucy is ambitious and hard-working, and that she will not let anything get in the way of succeeding at her job. So when she is faced with a dropping number of readers, a semi-unhappy boss, and potential layoffs in the near future, she knows she has to do something drastic to turn things around. And when you don’t have any of your own relationship experience to write about, what better way to go about it all than to find yourself a fake boyfriend? Enter Marsh; The new senior news writer who very conveniently also happens to need a date for his ex-girlfriend’s wedding. His reasons are different from hers, but he is as much of a commitment-phobe as Lucy is. So on paper, nothing could go wrong here, right?

One of my favourite things about this book is how Joss Richard has done such a wonderful job at portraying a confident, strong, and career-driven woman. There really isn’t anything I love more in a book than a well-written female main character. Lucy is fun, driven, and a bit chaotic, but as the story progresses, we see a softer and more vulnerable side of her as well. We get an insight into her thoughts and turmoil, and we are presented with the mental challenges she has faced and the choices she has made as a direct consequence of her childhood. I loved getting to witness the development of her character, and I especially loved how she changed throughout the story without losing herself in the process.

Opposite Lucy, we have Marsh. On the surface, he is seen as pretty serious and closed off, but we, as readers, and Lucy see a very different side of him. It felt really refreshing to read about a man who wasn’t afraid to word exactly what he wanted, and at the same time didn’t shy away from showing his softer and gentler side.

Because we see Lucy and Marsh slowly grow closer as friends and connect during their fake dating scheme, the progression of their relationship feels natural and realistic. And as both characters bring their own flaws, messiness, and past trauma to the situation, everything going down between them, every action and reaction, feels so rooted in reality.

This truly was a beautiful love story, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

The publisher very kindly provided this arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kaitlyn]

!!!! Another Joss book around my birthday 😭

omg release date moved up. You can bet I'll be knocking on Dell's door the second this arc is out.

I am giddy over this e-arc approval. THANK YOU DELL, ILYSM.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5⭐️

Joss Richard broke my heart then put it back together

🇬🇧🇫🇷

At first, I wasn’t sure I would fall in love with this story. The premise felt a bit too familiar. I mean, the classic “fake-dating to bring to your ex’s wedding” trope has been done so many times that I didn’t expect it to stand out. But I couldn’t have been more wrong, this book is everything.

First of all, Marsh is the ultimate green flag. I’ve read a lot of books, but I’ve never come across a boyfriend this perfect, and not in a boring, unrealistic way. Marsh is genuinely kind, with a fully developed personality. He’s insecure, he doubts himself, yet he cares so deeply for the people he loves. He feels incredibly real. Honestly, I just wanted to hug him and tell him he deserves all the happiness in the world.

I also really loved Lucy. She has a strong personality and, yes, she frustrated me at times but that’s what made her feel authentic. She’s a good person navigating complicated emotions, and I appreciated that depth. Marsh and Lucy are so different, yet they fit together perfectly, it just makes sense.

Once again, I completely fell for Joss Richard’s writing. Her banter is unmatched, seriously I was sweating and they were only touching hands ! She creates tension so effortlessly. I adore her books and already can’t wait to see what she writes next 💓

Why you should read this book:
📝 Workplace romance
📝 Fake dating
📝 90s romcom nostalgia
📝 Spice (beautifully written you’ll definitely want more)

PS: It comes out in August so don’t miss it !

——

Au début, je n’étais pas certaine d’adorer cette histoire. Le résumé me paraissait un peu trop classique et le trope du « fake-dating pour ne pas venir seul au mariage de son ex », je l’ai déjà vu tellement de fois que je pensais ne pas être particulièrement touchée. Mais je me trompais complètement : ce livre est absolument incroyable.

D’abord, parlons de Marsh. C’est le green flag ultime. J’ai lu énormément de romances, mais je n’ai jamais croisé un bookboyfriend aussi parfait, et pas dans le sens ennuyeux ou irréaliste. Marsh est profondément gentil, avec une vraie personnalité. Il est rempli de doutes et d’insécurités mais il aime sincèrement et intensément. J’avais tellement envie de le prendre dans mes bras et de lui dire qu’il mérite tout le bonheur du monde.

J’ai aussi beaucoup aimé Lucy. Elle a un caractère fort et, oui, elle m’a parfois un peu déçue mais c’est justement ce qui la rend crédible. C’est une bonne personne, pleine de contradictions et d’émotions complexes. Marsh et Lucy sont très différents, mais ils sont faits l’un pour l’autre, ça ne fait aucun doute.

Encore une fois, je suis tombée amoureuse de la plume de Joss Richard. La tension qu’elle transmet est absolument parfaite, j’étais en train de fondre alors qu’ils se frôlaient juste la main ! Elle sait créer une tension romantique comme personne. J’adore ses livres et j’ai déjà hâte de découvrir le prochain 💓

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the ARC 🫶🏼

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a hard book to review. I am positive there will be people who enjoy and maybe even rave over it… I’m just not one of them. I had high expectations going in because I truly LOVED this authors debut novel. However, this one felt vastly different. I could see the story’s potential… underlying threads of a bigger message but we never really got there. The FMC had a real chance to be something special, to show off that people’s judgements based off her profession were unfounded. Yet that’s not the direction the story went? Lucy consistently proved those assumptions right with her behaviors and actions and I found myself beyond irritated and a bit disappointed. Everything about the two main character’s relationship and emotional maturity irked me and for people who are supposedly 29 and 36 it just felt off. Another thing that didn’t work for me was the spice… personal preference but I do not in fact want to read about two people treating each other as if it’s just sex. I pick up romances for the relationships and this just felt backwards and at times extremely distasteful. Again, I think I just wasn’t the intended audience for this particular story. I still love the authors previous work … I’ll just be more cautious picking up others in the future.

Thank you to Ballantine for the advanced copy. I’m bummed it wasn’t for me in the end. 😅 All thoughts and opinions are my own and this is my voluntary review.

[Claudia G · Rating 4 out of 5]

A workplace romance, they’re both writers, and fake dating?? Sign me up!! Ok I was hooked throughout the entire book. There were many moments that had me giggling. It is very different to Joss Richard’s debut novel but still so good. She has become a new favorite author for me.

Lucy and Marsh were both characters that felt real to me. They had things they were working through in their personal lives. I really liked the cute and fun dates they went on. You could feel their chemistry. I loved their banter and found myself smiling at their interactions. The small gestures from both of them in some moments were sweet and thoughtful.

There were a couple moments where Lucy and Marsh’s actions frustrated me and had me confused but I won’t go too much into it to not spoil.

Regardless, I overall still really enjoyed this.

Thank you Dell Romance and Netgalley for the arc.

[lali ✰]

what should I do to get an ARC???? i'm dying here!!!!!

*uptade*
I GOT THE ARC!!!!!!

[The Bern Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ★★★★
ARC Review: Yes
I received an advance copy of this book from Ballantine / Dell via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: August 11, 2026

Standalone or Series: Standalone
POV: First Person, Dual
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pacing: Medium
Third-Act Breakup: Yes
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
Cliffhanger: No
Reread-worthy: Yes!

Tropes:
✵Fake Dating
✵Forbidden Romance
✵Workplace Romance
✵90s Rom Com Vibe

Synopsis: A sex columnist and a news journalist team up to fake date after realizing the mutual benefit it serves them both. Lucy needs to pivot her writing to keep up with the changing times, but she can’t write about relationships if she’s never been in one. Marshall needs a date to his ex’s wedding so that he can convince his family that he is fine. As the two team up, can they change the narrative and find their own happy ever afters?

My Thoughts: The cover of this book drew me in, and I loved it so much. Joss Richard came highly recommended from my friend, so I was excited to pick this up. Immediately after starting, I was drawn in by her writing style.

Although I loved the writing style as soon as I started reading, it took a bit for me to connect to the characters. Lucy was very firm in her decision that she did not want a relationship. She had everything she needed in the form of short-term intimacy, and she was not going to let a man change that. Until she meets Marsh. Marsh is everything she did not expect to find in a man. Immediately after meeting Marsh, I kept saying to myself “he is too old to be acting like this.” Lucy also took some growing on me, as she was making some questionable decisions in my opinion. As the two spent more time together, their chemistry solidified and I was hooked. Once the chemistry hit, it never left. I could feel the tension oozing off of them and I was eating it up. This one gave me such 90s rom com vibes, and I could see this playing out like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

This is going to be one that you want to pick up this summer!


Follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more!

[Mai H.]

ANHPI TBR

Valentine's Day TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Dell

[Sara ➽ Ink Is My Sword]

i feel like crying, omg. i got an arc!! it's different this time was one of my top books of last year. cannot wait for this AHHHHHHHHHHHH 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an ARC of this book.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

short thoughts: hot. steamy. sexy. LOVE THE DUAL POV. And, most importantly, I love how real Joss makes her characters feel. It's so easy to relate to the rawness and messiness of her characters (in a good way) that you really can't help but think about your own life in some aspects to the story. Love our strong, sex positive FMC Lucy and getting to delve deeper into her character plus everything she works through. AND A MAN WITH SLOOTY GLASSES, MARSH??? DIRTY TALK??? (DID I MENTION GLASSES????) pls the way I squealed at so many parts because of this man. But, both of these characters were complex and had to navigate a ton of different feelings that it made it more special seeing how they navigated not only with one another but other aspects with their lives as well. ANYWAY, 10/10 no notes. Stan Lucy and Marsh!

longer thoughts?? After reading Joss's debut novel, I was really excited for this one. Her writing in It's Different This Time stuck with me for a very long time, and it's a book I recommend to quite literally everyone. So, WHEN I FINALLY GOT THE CHANCE TO READ THIS ONE, I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND I WAS GOING TO EAT THIS UP! And, I did. My shorter thoughts explain it more concisely (I hope), but Joss has this way of writing characters who are messy and real, and I love everything about it. Joss takes you through the whirlwinds of everything, and I always love seeing how it all ties together in the end for the MCs. I found both Lucy and Marsh easy to love and adored them both for their authenticity, especially when with one another. With each of their character development, it was nice seeing (even through the lens of characters) how growth isn't linear and how that translates to a lot of other aspects of relationships. And, the other characters in this book?? QUINN, OLIVER, AND SADIE I LOVE YOU. Julia!!! Pls find a table and stub your toe!! Anyway, besides the heaviness of certain topics, this story was overall fun, steamy, spicy and everything you're looking for in a fake dating romance. PLEASE READ WHEN IT'S OUT IN AUGUST. OKAY THANKS !!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dell Romance, Joss and team for the e-ARC!! I loved this story so much, and if you read it when it's out, I hope to hear all your thoughts.

[angelina (letyourwiferead) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If It’s Different This Time is a warm hug then Let’s Kiss & Tell is like sitting in the sunlight…

Word’s can’t express just how amazing Joss Richard’s second book was. After hearing her talk about how many people resonated with the FMC being Filipina in IDTT, I know that this book will make all my fellow Filipina’s in the book community feel so seen! The cultural significance was so strong in this book and while I can’t reveal why due to spoilers, I personally understand Lucy the FMC’s backstory and all the baggage she was carrying while trying to heal and allow herself to love freely.

Marsh and Lucy understand eachother in ways that no one else has and when they agree to enter a Fake Relationship to both of their own advantages, readers get to see just how in tune they are not only mentally but physically as well.

This slow burn was so worth the wait and Joss didn’t hold back on executing a romantic comedy that reminded me of so many of my favorite rom/com movies growing up like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and No Strings Attached.

One of my favorite tropes is Fake Dating & LK&T combines it with a workplace romance effortlessly in a way that doesn’t feel forced, connecting Marsh & Lucy in the most natural way. I loved reading about Lucy’s strong personality & that she seemed to have no filter (like me, lol) & was just unauthentically herself. It takes a really specific & special kind of man to handle strong minded Filipina’s and Marshall was the perfect MMC to help heal Lucy’s old wounds, making her feel safe in his presence.

I have no doubt this will be THE favorite summer romance of 2026 for many of us & I’m so happy I joined the book community at just the right time, in THE RISE of Joss Richard’s who is sure to be a success in anything she writes going forward. I could see so much of her personality/career progression in Lucy’s journey and it shows through her story telling how much she cares about the characters she writes about.

♾️⭐️

I highly recommend reading IDTT before this although it isn’t necessarily but there is a little bit of crossover you’ll understand if you do read it first.

-Work place Romance x Fake Dating
-MMC with slutty glasses 👓
-Only One Bed 🛏️
-Dual POV
-He talks her through it 🥵

Trigger Warnings ⚠️
-Topics of cheating & miscarriage

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SUCH a wonderful take on the fake-dating trope. Lucy’s confidence in herself but anxiety about her job was so real and relatable in this world and then how she’s managed to own her role and choices as an experienced woman but then has to discover what intimacy actually is?! 🤌🏼 that delineation is something so often left out of romance books. Like the way these two characters so believably fell in love in the everyday minutiae of life could’ve been boring but was just enchanting. Which brings us to green flag, sexy glasses, drives a Bronco but not in a dick way, Marsh. The one thing I had to get my head around was that nickname because it just wasn’t my favorite name but I thought it was cute that he also called her Luce. A MMC who is such a supportive feminist and also vulnerable enough to finally (after some legit and real stubborn denial) recognize his own issues and overcome them while also still being a sexy man. And the scene in the car where she desensitizes him to saying dirty words 🤭 I can’t adequately explain how much this book surprised me with how much I loved it.

I can’t believe I hadn’t read Joss Richard’s first book. Just grabbed this off Edelweiss cause it was a cute title and cover! Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own. Now I’m going to go read her first book!

[Isabella Diez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed! Such a fun setting and great characters and y'all know I love fake dating. Will be adding Joss Richard to my auto read list. Love that girl!

Thanks netgalley for the arc!

[lana]

everyone in this book needs therapy from the beginning

[mimi (catching up)]

Thanks to Ballantine, Dell and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.