The Unrequited Love Department

by Kristina Forest

From USA TODAY bestselling author Kristina Forest, a whimsical workplace romance with a light speculative twist, about a hopeful romantic in the Unrequited Love Department of Cupid & Associates who’s forced to team up with a cynical coworker after she releases secret love letters into the world.

Joy works in the Unrequited Love Department of Cupid & Associates, where she catalogs secret longings and unanswered letters from people around the world. She believes in love—despite the fact that it has never chosen her back. When a moment of heartbreak leads her to make a catastrophic mistake and leak confidential unrequited love letters, Joy risks exposing the most private feelings of strangers everywhere—and losing the job she loves.

Cynical, guarded, and entirely unimpressed by Joy’s optimism, Charles from the Solutions Department has spent years fixing other people’s romantic messes while refusing to believe in love himself. Assigned to help Joy recover the leaked letters, the two are forced into close quarters—and an unexpected partnership—on a road trip to intercept secrets before they land in the wrong hands.

Along the way, as they witness love in all its messy, hopeful forms, Joy and Charles find themselves drawn to each other. But with their outlooks on love so at odds, their journey puts their fragile connection to the test.

Tender, funny, and full of heart, The Unrequited Love Department is a magical workplace romance about taking risks, letting go of the past, and believing that love—when it finally arrives—might just be worth everything.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Grumpy Sunshine, Adult, Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

Expected publication January 5, 2027

About the author

Kristina Forest is the USA Today bestselling author of romances for both teens and adults. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing at The New School and she can often be found rearranging her bookshelf.

Reviews

[Grace Quan · Rating 4 out of 5]

· ˚ 💌⊹ ⌇ 3.5 stars


This book is for the hopeless romantics *and* for the people who have lost faith in love.

I was drawn to the cover and to the age-old trope: Hopeless Romantic + Guy Who Doesn't Believe in Love. This book was Grumpy x Sunshine done right and Joy and Charles together made my heart sing.

The plot was very sweet but a bit predictable. But I found that the predicability was very comforting and almost cozy. This was a low stress book and it was easy to relax and turn off my brain while I was reading. The writing had a really distinct voice that was so endearing and matched the vibe of the book perfectly.

The romance was very sweet but parts of it were underdeveloped. Charles and Joy were supposed to be these workplace "enemies" who were always butting heads, but we really didn't get to see that. This was a case of telling us they didn't get along rather than showing us. Of course this was not detrimental to the romantic development, but it was a missed opportunity for another layer of depth. Besides that, Joy and Charles romance was so sweet and enjoyable to read about. In fact, it was so sweet and innocent that the sex scenes felt out of place. Like, the first time they confessed their feelings, they slept together. I thought this book was supposed to be about love, not sex. I understand they go hand in hand, but the way the scenes were placed in the book purposefully took away from the love and feelings and focused on the lust. In my opinion, this book would not have been hurt if the spicy scenes were omitted.

Apart from that, I really enjoyed the character development, especially Charles's. I loved his journey of losing faith in love and then learning to get it back. It was such a beautiful transformation and definitely one of the highlights of this book. Joy's character was also so incredible. She woke up every day and chose to believe in love and to trust people with her whole heart. She was such a kind soul.

Overall, this book was a really fun and sweet time. I would recommend it to a friend and if you love books about love, I recommend it to you too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the arc. All thoughts are my own.

📆 Publication Date: January 5, 2027

[madi · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋆˙⟡ — 4 stars
⌗ ┆started: july 30th ● finished: aug 1st
⤿ arc review with no spoilers

thank you so much atria books and kristina forest for the arc!!

thoughts ⋆˚࿔

this book was honestly such a fun time, and now i can't wait to read other books by this author 🤭 the concept of this book was so interesting that i never wanted to stop reading. joy was just so sweet, and i loved being able to read abt her and how she never let anyone change the way she felt abt love 🥹 while reading this, i could see that me and joy had sooo many similarities, and i loved being able to relate to her 😌 and then we have charles... this man was everything 😩 he is the complete opposite of joy bc he actually doesn't believe in love. as we got to learn more abt charles and why he doesn't believe in it, it really helped me understand him better and realize that it could be the same reason for people in real life too ☹️

characters ⋆˚࿔

⋆˚࿔ ― joy + charles

ugh these two 😩 them having to go on a road trip together to find the letters that joy had written made my heart sooo happy bc hello, forced proximity?! 🤭 being able to see these two slowly open up to each other really touched my heart the most 🥹 even tho charles had so many walls up, i loved the fact that he always softened whenever joy was around. as soon as i finished the book, i just wanted to go back and reread all their scenes bc they had me giggling and kicking my feet SO much 😭 just writing this review is making me happy thinking abt them all over again. and i swear these two had such good chemistry 😩💗

⊹ ﹒ ♡ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ♡ ﹒ ⊹﹒ ♡ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ♡ ﹒ ⊹

˒˒ ⊹⌇ pre-read ᝰ
i was literally in the middle of editing a post for insta when i got an email from atria and saw they sent me a widget for this book?! 😭 i’ve heard amazing things about this author’s other books, so now i’m really excited to read this 🤭

thank you so much atria books and kristina forest for the arc!!

[Erin (erinsreadingroom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

☆ 4 stars

The Unrequited Love Department by author Kristina Forest feels like the epitome of the warmth and security that you seek under your favourite blanket on the coldest day of the year. Like an encompassing embrace from your favourite person to seek comfort and solace from after experiencing a difficult day. This was a sweet and deeply reflective tale centring around two people who have had opposing experiences with love being forced to work together to save their careers whilst finding their ideals challenged along the way. I adore the concept of a corporate company in the business of love with ‘Cupid’ at the helm of it all. That little sprinkle of magic added so much whimsy and hope into the story without suspending in disbelief by pulling away from the reality of human life and love in all of its complexities. Love is well and truly alive in a way that can feel at times both blissful and isolating depending on the circumstances. Romantic, familial, friendship and companionship are some of the many ways that love can be present within our lives and I enjoyed getting to experience this distinction throughout The Unrequited Love Department. The letter entries being placed at the beginning of a new chapter felt like an effortless and ingenuous method to allow the reader to evaluate the writer’s plea and make up their own mind on how you think the characters should proceed. This was a wonderful story that felt rich in incorporating an immersive experience alongside the tentative budding romance between our two main characters. This was my first book by Forest and it will most definitely not be my last… and I already cannot wait to go back and experience the magic of her other works.

Joy Hart is aptly named in the way that she seeks to imbue her joy and warmth into every aspect of her life. As a true believer and hopeless romantic at heart, Joy is understandably going through the movements of everyday life whilst actively waiting for the moment that she finds her ‘person’ and meant to be lifelong partner that she believes is fated to be hers. She not only deeply believes in the magic of love for herself, but also for everybody that finds the courage to write and post a letter that she and her team inevitably end up reading. I adored being within Joy’s narrative as the care for friends and strangers alike shone through the page with her determination to help as many people as possible. Her commitment to her role was commendable and I held a huge respect for her ability to advocate for her team regardless of how intimidated she felt in asking for help. Joy is far from perfect and can sometimes be seen to let her emotions just the best of her which result in a reactive response without thinking. However there’s no denying that Joy’s intentions were pure of heart… and I just had the best time getting to follow her journey towards advocating for love whilst finding her own in the most unlikely circumstances.

Charles Hayes is the complete opposite with his cynical mentality and determination to prove that long-lasting love is not only unrealistic, but also a fantastical and naive viewpoint to carry. Charles is deeply jaded and harbouring a private hurt after circumstances within his past that are explored as his story continues to progress which helped me to understand him better. I really felt for his character and found it really interesting to follow the narrative of a man working for a company whose entire business is to do with love and the way he navigated those feelings in practice. I loved getting to explore Charles outside of his negativity as his softer side slowly began to make its appearance with time and patience. Despite some grumbling and complaining, Charles never fails to jump in assistance to his colleagues across all departments the moment they need help. His capacity for kindness and growth felt wonderfully executed and I adored getting to witness Charles begin to soften and trust in the positive attributes to being in love. Seeing him open himself up to vulnerable and difficult conversations with a person that made him feel safe felt earned in its significance and I loved how important communication becomes for both him and Joy. Charles truly undergoes an impactful and reflective journey as he comes to terms with the events of his past and accepts that he doesn’t need to let them impact his chances at a happy future. I loved getting to see his willingness to seek therapy and receive the proper tools that he needs to be the best partner that he can be… and overall it was beautiful to see his evolvement as his connection with Joy continued to grow.

The Unrequited Love Department is the perfect love story to read in any season throughout the year that I highly recommend for all lovers of the Romance genre. This was so wholesome and filled with hope to the point that my face started to hurt from how often I was smiling at my kindle. This is a story written with a lot of heart in its ability to navigate difficult topics with ease and apparent care. It was entertaining, filled with humour and relatively low-angst so definitely make sure to add it to your 2027 TBR.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞.

[Mesembryanthemum]

I will buy ANYTHING that Kristina Forest writes. Even a grocery list. I'm in a fever of impatience for this book.

[inmyreadingera321 · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, SO cute!!! It honestly felt like Good Spirits meets TATBILB, with a little of Not That Kind of Proposal thrown in for vibes, and I mean all of that in the best way possible. The premise was fun and interesting, with the Unrequited Love Department and general C&A corporate life, and I loved how we had that classic hopeless romantic x cynic love story to root for.

Joy was so romcom-coded, the kind of FMC we all see ourselves in a little bit. She believes in love for love’s sake, and something about that is so beautiful. Charles is her complete opposite — he’s seen love devolve and has chosen to distance himself from it… but he can’t quite keep his distance from this girl while they road trip across the country collecting mistakenly-sent letters and inadvertently helping people with their own love stories.

I honestly had such a fun time with this book and really only wanted more. More time with the characters, more pages to read, and more of the C&A life. I think it would have been great to get to know Joy and Charles even more, especially through more road trip shenanigans. In some ways, if there were fewer stops on their road trip, I think we could have gotten some deeper moments on each stop rather than getting through so many so speedily.

I think, in the end, the thing that pushed this from a 3/3.5 to a 3.5/4 for me was, truly, the last little glimpse of Joy and Charles we get. Seeing Charles do a full 180 and realizing he doesn’t just need love but actually wants it was so great. He deserves love and happiness, and he finally gets it — and believes it will last. :’)

———————————————

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for the ARC!

[Lauren Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks NetGalley, Atria Books, and Kristina Forest for this eARC!— Joy works in the Unrequited Love Department for Cupid & Associates sorting through the unanswered love letters of America’s lovelorn. Unlucky in love herself, and in her feelings, Joy mistakenly leaks confidential unrequited letters, putting the magic behind Cupid’s company at risk. She must team up with Charles from the Solutions Department to retrieve everyone one of the leaked letters. This proves to be a challenge for them both, as Joy believes in love with her whole heart, and Charles believes maybe love will never be in the cards for him. As they travel across the Northeast reclaim each letter one by one, their opposite outlook on love puts their already fraught relationship to the test.

I wish there were more dialogue, and I feel like the story would’ve been better served in a 1st person POV. It felt like I was being told about the characters rather than the characters showing me who they are at their core. Because of that, the relationship between the characters seemed rushed, and the subsequent spice kind of surprising. I was intrigued by the description of this ARC, and I liked the story overall. It was light, and definitely something cute to read around Valentine’s Day!

[Aamira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I will never miss an opportunity to snatch up a Kristina Forest book. Her novels are filled with earnest characters, swoony romances, and engaging plots. When I saw this come up on Netgalley, I knew I had to grab it.

Joy and Charles work for C&A, a company that sells love. Joy works in the unrequited love department where she and her staff read the love letters of those harboring feelings unknown to their love interest. After a mix up that involves 6 letters getting mailed out to their intended recipients, Joy must ask Charles for help in order to keep her job.

Charles is no stranger to fixing problems. As a member of the Solutions team, his coworkers come to him whenever there’s something that’s gone wrong. He’s vying for a promotion and sees Joy’s problem as an opportunity to highlight his skills. Together they embark on a road trip to intercept the letters before the intended recipients have a chance to read them.

I really enjoyed the imaginary world that Forest created. It was unique and whimsical. I loved the idea of collection boxes where people could send off letters asking for romantic help. The dynamic between Joy and Charles was really fun. Their meet cute gets thwarted by Charles’s cynical outlook on love and so the two become sort of enemies. Charles’s view on love makes sense. He had a tumultuous childhood and after years of arguments, his parents divorce when he’s quite young. On top of that, he grew up watching his mother jump from marriage to marriage in the hope of finding her HEA. So it’s understandable that he would have a jaded view. I sympathized with him. Despite this, he’s a kind and warm man. He goes out of his way to help others and his banter with Joy is never cruel.

Joy is a hopeless romantic who’s looking for her person. I appreciate that she doesn’t fall blindly in love and can reflect on her past relationships to see what it is she’s really looking for in a partner. I did get frustrated with her at times when she tried to force her POV onto Charles. It felt like she wasn’t hearing him. Once he lets his guard down and she gets a better understanding into him, she’s not as pushy.

I liked their romance and the slow build towards their relationship. Both are incredibly earnest and honest with each other. There’s no miscommunication here. Each is clear about their wants and their fears. It was a pleasure to watch them together as they take this roadtrip and try to fix Joy’s mistake. This is a fun, low angst novel perfect for a cozy read.

[Kailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Unrequited Love Department is an absolute KNOCKOUT. A six-star read! If I had to describe it in three words, I would say: unputdownable, charming, and tender.

Joy, the newly appointed manager of Cupid & Associates' The Unrequited Love Department, has the loaded job of going through C&A's Unrequited Love mail full of secret admirings and pent-up feelings. Feeling annoyed at the current state of love in her life, Joy accidentally mails confidential letters to their recipients (without Cupid's approval). So, begrudingly, she enlists the help of her grumpy, love-hating coworker Charles from the Solutions Department with the "serious" job. But as they go on a trek across the Northeast to retrieve the letters, using some of Cupid's magic in the process, their uneasy allyship begins to bud into something...more.

This book surprised me in every way, and Kristina Forest is a fantastic voice in romance. Her characters feel so earnest and human, and I just inhaled this book in a few hours. Our main characters, Joy and Charles, were ADORABLE. Joy was so sweet, and I loved reading about her bubbly personality. Even with her trauma, she still had such a bright and optimistic outlook on life and love. I think we all (and this is especially a note for me, most of all) need to be more like her. And while I thought Joy's outlook on life was so beautiful to read, I really found myself relating to Charles and all of the walls he has up. But most of all, I loved how being around Joy softened him, and she slowly began to knock down his walls. They gave me inescapable butterflies and left a mark on my heart I won't be able to forget for a long, long time.

Kristina Forest's writing is so inviting and lovely, and the way that she wrote about love, specifically unrequited love, in this book will make your perspective on life and love change; I guarantee it! Forest has created an absolutely delicious world with C&A, and I truly cannot wait to see where she takes it in future books (hopefully!). The Unrequited Love Department could warm even the frostiest, most love-averse heart. Preorder this book NOW so we can match!

Thank you so much to the lovely people at Atria for this eARC via NetGalley; I'm beyond honored and grateful to have read this story and fallen in love with Joy and Charles.

[Kara Sabbagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Unrequited Love Department is an absolute blast! As a first time reader of Kristina Forest, I loved every second of it. The gorgeous cover and whimsical sprayed edges really lived up to their hype!!! The speculative nature of this story makes it perfect for fans of Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. Cupid being a real life character, in a classic office environment romance, offers the same excitement of their books Seeing Other People (ghosts 👀) and Just in Time (time travel of course!). While this read is perfect TBR add for fans of those books, I really appreciated how much of a wholly unique premise this story was. Additionally, while this fun and silly idea soared, the author also really dissects the idea of love between family, friends, coworkers, and more. It explores these beautiful black relationships between romantic partners, intergenerational neighbors, old friends, and new. I really loved the authentic feel these characters had. They felt REAL. This story stands ten toes down on business rather than falling flat on redundant tropes like another romance might. Everything felt FRESH. From the excitement around the climax, to every other step of the journey. The misunderstandings between this couple were realistic and readers are offered the opportunity to grow and learn along with them. I also can’t help but love the queer rep throughout. Overall, once again… this book ROCKS and I can’t wait for readers to get their hands on it! Many more thoughts that I could discuss with other lovers all day. Charles giving lowkey neurodivergent? 🤣 That first elevator interaction? My man has a plan and is ready to share and maximize with ya girl !!!

For those whom this matters to, not a ton of sexual scenes, the focus is really more heavily geared towards the characters’ interiorities and budding trust forming between each other.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading Kristina Forest's love stories! This one is very different from her other romances, but I enjoyed it just as much with a speculative twist thrown in. In a world where Cupid is real and hides his magic behind a giant corporation that has its hands in most things having to do with love, there is a underfunded basement team called the unrequited love department. This rag-tag team is held together with tape and glue, and their job is to answer letters send to a mailbox for cupid to help them with their crushes. Joy is a true believer in love that just can seem to find it for herself. Upset about a recent breakup and more funding challenges for her department, five of the letters she's supposed to file get sent to the crushes instead. And in order to keep the magical side of Cupid and Associates a secret, she has to set off on a road trip Charles from the solutions department. Charles is not a believer in love, especially not after growing up with divorced parents. He is practical, fastidious, and also very handsome. This trip is a chance for him to show Cupid that it's time to give him the promotion he's been working so hard for. So this grumpy/sunshine pair sets off, armed with some magic forgetting dust from Cupid, to retrieve the missing love letters. Only, Joy can't help wanting to play match maker along the way. And despite being opposites and work enemies, she and Charles might have the best chemistry of all!

Thanks to Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for this honest review!

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a cute premise! It’s my first time reading Kristina Forest and I was excited to read this. I liked the pop culture references early on and that it’s in dual point of view. But the third person narration felt a little detached and...the writing of Joy and Charles falling in love is very on the nose. It started to feel trite by the halfway point and I started losing interest. The narrative didn’t stall, but the wedding chapters took up more time in the story than I preferred. Then again, if they brazenly yanked the letter back and relied on the memory dust every time, this book would become incredibly short.

I wanted to fully embrace Joy’s optimism, but instead, became irritated with her. You’re worried about your job and your team, but then take up so much extra time that isn’t related to the needed task? You really can’t give Charles more grace when he doesn't fully believe two people getting married the day of their reconciliation, after one of them purposefully abandoned and disappeared, is a great idea? Especially after he opened up and shared how his mother’s approach to marriage negatively impacted his view of love? The stream of cliches had already dulled the fun premise, and Joy's behavior in the second half of the book brought this down to a story I enjoyed for a short while and likely won't re-read again.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Kristina Forest for this ARC.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beginning to realize that ~*~magical~*~ romcoms are a thing I’m into. We already know BK Borison is the queen with the Good Spirits series (yes, I am just assuming that the second one coming next month is going to be more amazing than the first… she’s a grim reaper how can it not be?). And in this one, we have Cupid & Associates, a company that deals in romance issues.

Including the Unrequited Love Department, which handles letters from people pining for another person. You write a letter to the object of your affection, you put it in the company’s mailbox, and maybe Cupid selects it to work his magic and couple you up.

Joy works in that department and after an oopsie that sees the letters get mailed directly to the objects of affection, she has to work with Charles to fix it. And to fix it, they have to road-trip to intercept the letters. I wonder if there will ever be Only One Bed on this road trip?

This was my first book from this author. It was pretty mid. Like, it was alright and I really liked the setup. There was just so much about the couples writing the letters and not enough about the couple this was allegedly actually about. I still put the one from earlier this year on hold at the library… we’ll see if I get to it.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Loryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Joy Hart knows that her job is not the most glamorous, but it’s hard to compete with the other divisions of the company when you work for a real-life Cupid. Joy is in the business of reading love letters, unrequited love letters to be exact, ones left in a letter box in the hopes that the magic of the box will make their love wishes come true.

These days though, Joy is feeling jaded. She sees how the focus of her company went from true love to making money at any cost. After a particularly rough day, Joy takes matters into her own hands and it sets her off on a journey that she never could have imagined, expected, or hoped for.

This was such a nice read. I loved how the magic of Joy hurtled me from letter to letter and left me hoping that she’d see what was right in front of her face. A light (and slightly steamy) romance that I’d recommend for anyone wanting to dip their toes into romance.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love how Kristina Forest writes about LOVE. This story definitely is a new favorite, with Joy and Charles being the cutest characters! I absolutely love the premise of the C&A Department. Kristina’s concepts behind these type of businesses (C&A or Healing Hearts in “Lovesick” or Noelle’s bridesmaids business in “Summer Girlfriend”) are so whimsical but also feel so REAL & I honestly wish some of them really existed, haha. “Unrequited Love Department” definitely warmed my heart. I loved getting to know the main characters but also meeting all the side characters was such an endearing angle to the storyline! Kristina Forest; you the real MVP for these stories, sis! 🥰

Thank you to NetGalley once again, for providing me the opportunity & blessing to read the ARC of this beautiful and fun story!

[Mallory Anderko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I'd give it 3.25 stars.

The Unrequited Love Department is a quick, cute romance read with a hint of magical realism. The main character work for a magical company called Cupid & Associates and after six love letters that get mailed out accidentally, a reluctant cynic and a hopeless romantic go collect them. If you love grumpy/sunshine, slow burn, and lots of personal growth, then this one is for you!

For me, the magical realism felt a little loosely constructed- the "why" behind the magic never quite clicked into place. Also, the romance moved pretty slowly, but then all of a sudden there was spice that didn't seem to fit.

If you're looking for something light and feel-good with a quirky premise, pick up this book!

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Unrequited Love Department is such a sweet and heartwarming story. I enjoyed the Cupid business and thought the idea of what they are doing was really creative. Joy is a delightful character and Charles started off a bit rough but won me over with the way he cared for Joy. Joy’s mistake made me question her overall judgement but I think her heart was in the right place. I thought the views Charles had regarding relationships were a bit immature and simplistic, but they had been formed when he was younger which could explain that. I appreciated how they both showed a willingness to grow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Brittany Kitchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️'s

Thank you, Edelweiss, for sending me this ARC of The Unrequited Love Department.

As a Kristina Forest fan, my enthusiasm hasn’t waned. The Unrequited Love Department was incredibly charming. It reminded me of a grown-up version of Heartsick.

Joy, the protagonist, is a hopeless romantic who yearns for her perfect match but struggles to find it. In contrast, Charles is a cynical pessimist who relies on facts and reality. Their unexpected partnership at C&A adds an intriguing layer to the story.

Forest has a remarkable talent for creating relatable characters. Even when you don’t want to, you can’t help but connect with them. I’m thrilled to add this gem to my Kristina Forest collection.

[Hailey Kraft · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an arc of The Unrequited Love Department!

I had the most fun reading this book and watching both Charles and Joy adapt and allow their perspectives to be altered by their experiences. The collision of Charles’ pragmatism bordering on pessimism and Joy’s boundless optimism and desire to see the good was so perfectly done I loved it!

The concept of the book, too, was so original and fun! I love the idea of magic being doled out from cubicles it cracks me up every time.

Overall, this was a great read!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay I actually loved this so much! Kristina Forest is an auto-read author for me, and this is a foray into a little bit of a new genre- still romance but with a gentle speculative/magical realism element and I LOVED it!! She really executed this so successfully and I loved the characters and their arcs, the storyline, the pacing— everything! This was so cute. No complaints, no notes— just add this one to your TBR!

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

[•୨୧ brianna grace ୨୧•]

⤷⊹started: august 17th, 2026
- finished: tbh

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, Kristina Forest for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

── ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✦ :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧ ───
✦ pre-read ✦

oml im SO happy I got this arc! i've heard sooo many good things about it and we all know how much i adore romcom novels. the premise is very original and I can't wait to see how it plays out!

[Lovisa Sandström · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joy is a hopeless romantic so when Cupid is slacking on the job she takes matters into her own hands. Bad call. While trying to get them back she keeps butting into the couples love lives. I wish I believed in true love like Joy, it’s inspiring.

I like who the book is structured. One couple at a time and each letter is introduced right before you encounter them. The dual pov works incredibly well, Charles the skeptic vs Joy the believer. Slow burn was definitely the way to go, it makes the ending that much sweeter. Love them together.

I’ll read anything Kristina Forest writes and if you’re a romance reader you should too.

Read this if you like
🌸Romcoms
✨Rivals to lovers
🚙Road-trips
💘HEA

[Amber Kemp Schuman · Rating 4 out of 5]

💌 arc review: the unrequited love department by Kristina forest 💌

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 🌶️


Thank you Atria for an ARC of The Unrequited Love Department by Kristina Forest! After reading The Summer Girlfriend I was stoked to get an opportunity to read another book by her.

The Unrequited Love Department features a hopeless romantic who works alongside a cynic who fall in love. It had a great blend of magical realism featuring Cupid and unrequited love letters that he’s supposed to solve.

Our FMC, Joy, is tired of Cupid ignoring her department so decides to take matters into her own hands. This sends her and the MMC, Charles, on a roadtrip to retrieve the letters and help the intended recipients fall in love. This book is perfect for Valentine’s Day! It was filled with love and super cute moments helping others rediscover or find it.

If you love a grumpy sunshine, one bed, and workplace romance then this is definitely the book for you!

💘 magical realism
💘 he falls first
💘 grumpy sunshine
💘 workplace romance
💘 slow burn

Thank you again for the opportunity to read and review early!