The Referral Program

by Shamara Ray

From the bestselling author of Recipe for Love and You Might Just Get Burned comes an engaging novel about a group of single women who come up with a plan to try and meet Mr. Right.

Dylan and her best friends are in their mid-thirties and have never been married. Back in college, they could not have imagined being single with no prospects for husbands at this stage in their lives.

At a monthly gathering, the ladies discuss the possibilities of being alone for the rest of their lives. While the friends talk about their futures and the fears that come along with it, they hatch a plan. They resolve to start a program where each woman has to refer a good man for a friend to date.

As the friends embark upon the Referral Program, they discover things about themselves and each other they weren’t aware existed. Relationships are put to the test as Dylan and her girls come to terms with their current realities and futures that may or may not include friends or husbands.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, African American, African American Romance

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

Shamara Ray is the author of Recipe for Love, Close Quarters, You Might Just Get Burned, Rituals for Love and Cater to You. She has a penchant for the culinary arts and enjoys entertaining friends and family at home. Her new novel, The Referral Program, is now available.

Reviews

[Delaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book is three single friends who are going to set each other up on dates. A very simple idea, but these ladies make it into a rather complicated “Referral Program” rather than just calling it was it is…setting each other up. As I was reading I was annoyed with the constant “gotta stick to the Program” “committed to the Program” like it’s a whole big thing. It’s not. They were also worried about the men finding out about the “Program” which, I will reiterate, is all about setting each other up on dates. Which the men are agreeing to go on also. Like what is a big ol secret here??

The conflict towards the end is very immature and unrealistic. No one in brand new relationships is going to care about the conflict that is presented from *cough* five years prior. Everyone has relationship history, and you need to be adults about it. Overall this story was just not well thought out and I had a lot of issues. Not to even get into the cringey spicy scenes. I was legitimately laughing, and wanted to look away.

Mild spoilers for characters/date scenarios ahead:

Dylan is completely insufferable. She starts out the book saying she wants to find a man so she doesn’t have to go to any more weddings alone. But when she’s on a date with a man and he asks what she’s looking for, she is offended and gets snarky. “Why do I have to be looking for a man?” …but aren’t you? Isn’t the point of your program to find a man? So you ARE looking and trying to find a partner? Then she gets annoyed on her next date because the man assumes they’ll do something else together after going bowling.

Brooke is extremely disrespectful of Sebastian. If a woman told a man that sex was off the table, and he starts feeling her up, it would absolutely not be okay. The same applies when it’s Sebastian saying he wants to remain celibate and then she has to cop a feel LIKE AN HOUR LATER. That’s not okay. Be respectful of your partner. Brooke also jumps to insane conclusions and nearly ends her friendships over an event that is no bigger than a *blip*

Ivy is the only likable one.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, thank you to Atria for the ARC! Unfortunately, this was not for me. I am not usually a romance reader, but sometimes I like to try them out because there are romances I enjoy... this wasn't one of them. If you're a romance reader, you would probably feel differently than me.

The premise is fine - three women "referring" men they know to each other is interesting and honestly doesn't sound like a bad idea - but the execution felt flat. The writing is awkward. The author uses character names excessively (on one page I counted TEN uses of the same name. It just feels clunky). The dialogue made me think "people don't talk like this" more than once.

I'm a reader who likes to skip the "background" bits. This book had a lot scene setting background moments. Scenes like this really messed with the pacing and my enjoyment. This is definitely a me problem.

The three main women all felt very similar. Without the author name dropping them constantly I genuinely would have mixed them up. A lot of scenes are really similar and happen back-to-back. There are scenes that are repetitive - more than once a man tells one of the women "you're exactly like x described you" and I just. I don't know. I don't like a lot of repetition.

Also. Referring to a vagina as a "kitty" DURING A SMUT SCENE really bugged me?? Again, this is a me problem.

The relationships felt a little rushed and I didn't connect to any of the characters, so I really struggled with this book.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

DNF-ed at 43%. I thought this book had a lot of potential, but it fell flat for me. There are three POVs (three friends) who refer their male colleagues, friends, etc to each other so that that can find their forever partner. While I appreciate how each female protagonist addresses different things in a relationship, I couldn’t really find any distinction between the three women. Therefore, it felt like reading the same POV over and over again with slightly different context and men.

Would I recommend this book? N/A because I didn’t finish it.

[Melissa Corday · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, author Shamara Ray, and publisher Strebor Books for providing this eARC. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
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I wanted to love this book. I saw the low ratings, and thought, "How bad could it be?" and boy did I find out.

The three POV characters, Dylan, Ivy, and Brooke, were shallow at best. I sometimes got lost in who was speaking when or which POV I was reading. They way I kept them apart? Their men. Sebastian (Brooke's), Barrett (Dylan's), and Daveed (Ivy's) were more varied, complex, interesting, and compelling to read about.

While the premise was cute, the execution was not. What was the point in having a list of six men for each girl to date, if she was going to stop at Man Number One, or Man Number Two? The potential for awkward dates was through the roof, but we get one cringey date, and a second that is just kind of... pitiful. There could have been up to 15 bad dates! Or hell, add some *spice* and one of the girls could have liked three of her six picks and had to pick one! And why make a rule that the ladies couldn't talk about the program, but then never have the program accidentally get revealed? Why mention the ladies meet up monthly for brunch, and only show brunch happening twice? I'm pretty sure this book goes over the course of about six months. There's a pattern here of plot devices being added to the plot and then not being used in the plot!

All in all, I was not only disappointed, I was mad. I can fully understand why others DNF'd this, and I haven't even talked about the choppy writing style. I wanted to join their ranks, many times, but decided to stick around to see if this got any better, and if it didn't, would it get any worse? Because then at least maybe I could enjoy it ironically. One reviewer mentioned the use of the word "kitty" to refer to a woman's intimate area, which I was rather amused by rather than put off by. I'll include the REAL offenders behind spoiler tags:

1. Dylan spread her legs wide and pleaded with Barrett to stoke the fire. She wrapped one hand around his penis and grabbed his ass with the other. "I want you inside of me," she cooed as she lured him closer, stroking his tip against her dewdrop-covered flower.
2. ...with each and every move, his masculinity deep within her femininity...


I simply COULD NOT with those phrases. And they happen back to back within a paragraph of each other. When I read that, I set my Kindle down, turned to my partner, and said "I think I just read the worst sentence I've ever read," which is a truly bold statement to make.

The book ends with one of the girls getting engaged, and calling an end to the referral program officially, declaring it "a success" because, in case you forgot, if you're over 35 and single, that's (somehow?) a problem. This feels almost like an attack on feminism: she's got the job, the car, the house, but no man, and therefore, her life isn't good enough. As a woman in her early 30s, I guess I ought to start hunting for a victim I mean specimen I mean husband.

Disclaimer: I know it's just a book and it ain't that serious. Let me be salty.

[Kelsey Rhodes · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25/5 stars! The premise of this story sounded intriguing, so I wanted to give it a chance. The writing felt a bit sloppy to me and lacked depth. It toted itself to be some heavy story about growth and finding both yourself and love. The reality was that it was a few concepts that were extremely loosely held together. Not my favorite.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

fun premise, not so fun execution. there wasn’t nearly enough drama for a situation that could have produced up to 18 first dates. give me a love triangle between any of the women and their matches, give me “i’m secretly in love with one of the friends i set you up with,” give me something!

the plot left much to be desired and unfortunately, that was only exacerbated by the authors tendency to set up a plot line and do nothing with it. why place so much emphasis on how disastrous it would be for the men to find out about the program if they never do? why introduce a celibate love interest and have them in a sex scene the very next chapter? (and on the topic of open door scenes, the “flower” and “kitty” euphemisms were distracting.)

Ray lost me at the end with the miscommunication trope (not once but twice!), but I’d still pick up another one of her books. the fast pace made it a quick read & the larger themes of sisterhood and leaning into vulnerability were sweet.

thank you to NetGalley and Strebor Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. all opinions are my own.

[Mathilda Sanon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoy it 🤷🏾‍♀️

[Sonya F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for sending me this amazing Arc. I have been introduced to a new author and the description got me immediately. I loved the idea of sister friends, it reminded me of some of my favorite black friend/sister movies. I loved that the characters were older too and honest about what they look for in relationships. I think some of the extra characters got me lost; like some of their dates that didn’t go well. I kinda felt bad for Dylan’s first referral! That’s just me. I also would have loved a sentence or 2 of consent especially when they were intimate. It kinda just went which wasn’t bad but I would have appreciated a head nod or something like can we do this unprotected? In some of those moments but I kept reading regardless. I get they’re grown and clean but that’s just my preference. I think this story has something really great to take away from reading it. I loved how their friendship was the most important relationship of them all. Love love love !

[Georgiana · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Referral Program by Shamara Ray
In the olden days, people didn’t find dates on Tinder or other social media programs. They met potential mates at work, church, school, and through friends and acquaintances, sometimes on blind dates. So, I was a bit skeptical about where this book was going when the three protagonists thought their “Referral Program” was something “new” that had to be kept secret.
Sadly, my opinion went downhill from there. The three protagonists, Ivy, Brooke, and Dylan, where indistinguishable from one another. They had different jobs, yes, but they were all beautiful, shapely, ambitious black women with high expectations for relationships. But … they didn’t have anything that differentiated them from each another. Likewise, the male characters they “referred” to one another. All successful, handsome, wealthy, fit black men. Everyone was experienced in dating and relationships, and suddenly, they all had the same goals. Only one, discarded character was “less” –and that was because he was nine years older and sold cars for a living (though of course, he owned three dealerships.) Buzz words like Faith, Integrity, Loyalty are present throughout, whether through the mouths of the male characters, or the female.
First dates are painful for most people, tenuous at best, especially blind dates. I hate to say the reader struggles through no fewer than seven first dates in this novel, each painful. And when a couple finally gets to sex, these bright, educated, mid-thirties women refer to their own genitalia as “kitty” or “flower” and it was … for the reader…awful.
Finally, the author had trouble with point of view throughout the book, jumping from one woman to the other …and since they were indistinguishable in language or goals, it was difficult to follow. At one point, we even switched to one of the men’s point of view mid chapter and without warning. When anyone tried to have a conversation with a potential mate, the “dialogue” turned into preachy monologue. Three lines from one character at a time is a rule many writers have been taught. This one missed that lesson. It is not unusual to read 10-12 lines with no break, and sometimes, honestly 22-25. I have no sense of the setting and very little sense of the characters actions, habits, distinguishing features, etc.
I hate to leave a less than stellar review, as I know it takes so much to write a novel. I believe this writer has the skills to do a better job. The book is The Referral Program, and it will be released August 29, 2023. Thanks to the publisher, Atria Books and NetGalley for the review copy.

[Lynette · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️
🌶️/5

I want to thank NetGalley and Atria for this gifted ARC I’m exchange for an honest review.

The Referral Program is a multiple POV of 3 girlfriends who refer men in their lives for each other to date in order to find their forever partner. I was enjoying this book up until about 40% through and then it lost me. The spicy scenes were great, but the terminology used for a woman’s v@gina turned me off. For one woman it was called “kitty”, for the other it was “flower”, and for the last one it was “blossom”. It was just a strange way to describe it when you had no problem speaking about a man’s shaft or wetness.

Although this book was multiple POVs it was hard to tell. Outside of the use of the characters name, and the man that they were dating, it was hard differentiating between each of the three women. I believe it’s because we don’t really get to know each of them outside of what they do for a living. Their history/dating experience was only briefly described. There’s also an incident that takes place towards the end of the book. That was just a little confusing and overexaggerate it for me.

Just a reminder, just because this book wasn’t for me doesn’t mean someone else won’t like it. It’s out on 8/29/23 if you want to give it a try! It’s also still available on NetGalley if you are looking for a sneak peek 😉.

[DOMINIQUE Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

This book follows a group of friends who are all in married and are starting to think that’s how things will be forever. They decide to make up a program for which a friend will refer you a person to go on a date with. Now one would think that since you’re friends are the ones referring the guys it would equate to matches made in heaven but that was not the case. The friends find themselves going on several dates.

While I did read this book fast I did have some issues with the povs of the characters seeming all similar. I thought there would be a difference in the women’s voice as written but to me it seemed they all were the same person. That was my only real negative about the story.

Thank you Atria Books, Strebor Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC version of this book!

When I read the synopsis of this book, I was really intrigued. We live in a digital age now, so all the focus in the dating world is on apps and websites, so I thought the synopsis of having a group of friends give each other referrals was such a refreshing plot line. However, I found this one to fall flat for me. I thought there was too much seriousness put into the "program." The fact that Dylan, Brooke and Ivy were so focused on the men never finding out about the program seemed over the top for me. There is nothing scandalous about introducing a friend to a man in your life, so what would be the worst that happened if the men found out?
Additionally, I found the euphemisms during the spicy scenes to be a bit cringey. And I found the conflict towards the end of the book to be so childish and immature for a group of 30-somethings.

[Alison B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Read it in one day! I laughed out loud a couple of times, swooned a bunch, and made a mental note of several quotable moments. The plot was super cute and it had just the right amount of spice. As a women who’s single in her thirties who also has single girlfriends, this book really resonated with me. Let me ask some of my friends who they know! Lol. If you like cute, light hearted reads, don’t skip this one!

[princess jamby · Rating 2 out of 5]

my first ever ARC! i went back and forth between 2 & 3 stars, but ultimately decided on 2.

i think shamara ray writes very well, but i need /more./ i need to know the setting, what the characters look like in that scene, the feel of it all - the story was good, had a lot of potential, but honestly it fell flat. so much conversation, and so little description. all three FMC seemed to blend together, due to the lack of personality and physical descriptions. the men, really, too, but even they had distinct differences in their jobs to tell them apart.

like i said, this plot had a lot of potential. i wish there had been more dates, as they all had multiple referrals, it could've been a great way to grow the characters and get to see more sides of them.

and ms. ray, if you would describe the FEELING and EMOTIONS during their intimate scenes, then you wouldn't have to make up multiple words for sex organs like "kitty."
c'mon, we're all adults here, i am more embarrassed reading that or "flower" than vagina or pussy, lol.

i did enjoy this book, even if i was more-or-less skimming the last few pages to get it over with. i'm honored to have received this book before it's release, and i am looking forward to reading more and future books by shamara ray!

[Katie (spellboundbooks_)]

Gifted copy received! Big thanks to Shamara Ray and Goodreads! Review coming soon!

[Whitney Daniell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three friends, Dylan, Ivy and Brooke cook up a plan to inventory all the men they know -- friends and co-workers -- and create a list of six eligible bachelors to set the others up with. Each woman is responsible for finding six men; three for one and three for the other; that way in the end, each woman has a list of six guys to date. They start at the top of the list and if it doesn't seem like a match with that guy, they move on to the next. Simple enough right?

Dylan's last relationship ended badly after, what she thought, was going to be a loving proposal on Christmas Day with her entire family around. Even though that relationship went sour, Dylan did not give up her quest for companionship.

Brooke, on the other hand, has seemingly given up on this idea of Prince Charming. She has put her head down and worked her butt off and considers her professional successes all that she needs to sustain her. Brooke has her walls all the way up.

Ivy is somewhere in the middle of the two. She's not indifferent to a relationship but she's not super open either. She goes into the Referral Program with an open mind -- not too eager, but not too closed off either.

The concept of the "referral program" is cute, if there were more eligible men to date, I think women all over would do this. My only complaint is that I have a hard time coming to the reality that some of these men have never met these women before! Not to spoil it but, one "eligible man" is literally childhood friends with one of the women, how has he never been to a housewarming or birthday party? How have they never crossed paths before -- do people keep their different friend groups separate?

Another "eligible man" is one woman's neighbor. You can't pay men to believe that he would have never met any of her other friends.

This was a quick read. The dialogue and writing were not terrible. I do feel like the main characters' development was lacking: To me, the men had more personalities than the women. Two of the three men were more emotionally mature than their women counterparts. And the big 'TO DO' that comes out as the "plot twist" was boring and over-blown. At their big age and with their long-standing friendship, they all should have behaved better.

[Noreen Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of the title plan, The Referral Program, has real merit. In response to the well-worn topic of women in their thirties trying to find meaningful romantic relationships a list of men recommended by three friends for each other is created. Dylan, Brooke, and Ivy develop the list out of frustration with dating apps and the desire to replicate an earlier age when personal recommendations were a key component in finding that special someone. In reality, the Referral program is used as a means to carry the plot and vehicle for delivering conflict between the women.
The first half of the book is a stripped down account of the various matches and early dates for each woman. Without details about the women and men this part of the book is quite frankly boring. There were abundant missed opportunities to develop character depth through work and family interactions. If this had not been an advance copy I would have probably put the book down.

I plowed on, determined to reach the end. It gained interest when quite abruptly relationships became more intimate. It was unclear, with exception of one pair, why these experienced thirty somethings had stayed distant so long. The conflict, related to terms of the program were contrived and overblown. Ultimately, the Referral Program proved to be a seemingly obligatory connection to the title.

Thanks to Strebora/ATRIA at Simon & Schusterc, Inc, for the arc of this novel.

[Laura • lauralovestoread · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a story with themes of female friendship, and The Referral Program features three best friends on the search the finding true love.

WHAT TO EXPECT
-multiple POVs
-love stories

Overall, this was a cute, quick read and I enjoyed the author’s writing style and will be excited to read more by her.

*many thanks to Atria for the gifted copy for review

[Mary Lomie George · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the premise and idea of this book was great! The blurb for it had me itching to read it! Unfortunately I felt it just did not hold up to my expectations. In my opinion the three FMC’s were way to similar to the point I got confused too easily. The extremely child like nickname of the female body part threw me a fast ball. If you aren’t comfortable enough, at the very least, calling it what it is, then maybe it shouldn’t be discussed at all and the steamy scenes should have just been fade to black scenes. I would have found it much more enjoyable and entertaining than reading about her “dew-drop covered flower” or even “his masculinity deep within her femininity”. That was torture to read. Other than those issues it was a pretty fast paced book and like I said I loved the idea of it. I just don’t feel like the author captured this book quite the way I had been expecting.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy of this book. This review is honest, unbiased, and completely my own.

[quinyse ervin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. This book follows the lives of 3 women, Dylan, Brooke, and Ivy, who have been best friends since college. They are single and at the age where they feel like they will never get married. One day Dylan comes up with the referral program and their lives change. I truly love the way this book was written. It was a very quick and easy read. It was simple and cute and had deep moments. It definitely helped with some of my viewpoints on love. There was 1 part that had me upset with the whole kiss situation. I have to understand that not everyone is the same and the way I would have reacted wouldn't be how someone else reacted. I loved watching each of the girls grow individually and romantically. If you are looking for a fun and simple read definitely give this book a chance.

thank you so much to netgalley and atria books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review

[Anna J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was super excited to get this book as I liked the premise of this. Three best friends in their 30's get together and decide they want to find Mr. Right. They all have male friends who they are close to but not right for them so why not introduce them to your friends and see if they hit it off. Dylan, Ivy and Brooke must refer men who they men who they think will be a match for their friends.

You will set up the date and if the first one doesn't work move on to next on the list. Hoping that you will find your match.

Everybody managed to couple up. The three woman's point of views were all very similar and seemed to blend instead of being distinctly different. I think I would have liked it more if they were vastly different from each other. Also I figured there would be some bad date horror stories to make this a little funnier and draw it out more.

[Kelsie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very intrigued by the title of this book and couldn't wait to get into it. It ended up being just what I imagined it to be. The idea of friend group making a list of guys to set up each other with sounds like a no problem situation... not! I knew somewhere down the line that something was bound to go wrong and upset one of the girls. It just didn't happen the way I thought it would. I will also be honest, the descriptions of the sex were a little too graphic for my liking in a book. I like to use my imagination and there was nothing to imagine, it just right to the point. Overall, it was a cute book and I liked it, the steamy scenes just didn't do it for me.
I received this NetGalley copy for an honest review.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Three besties, Dylan, Brooke, and Ivy, are sick of the shape of the dating game in our modern existence. Any guys they meet in the usual ways, at bars, online, etc, seem to keep coming up duds. So Dylan comes up with the Referral Program. Each lady comes up with a list of three men they know personally who might be good matches for each of the other two. And we're off...

These characters were so hard to follow. The women all seemed so similar. Sometimes they even had similar - if not identical - conversations with the men they were dating. Their inner monologues were in almost identical voices. Their wants and needs for their relationships were pretty similar... it felt like the author couldn't be bothered figuring out three distinct voices, so everyone was the same, abs probably pretty close to her own view of the world.

The guys each woman ended up with were absolutely the epitome of clichéd ideals. One of them cooked, another one was a wealthy trust fund baby that wanted to spoil his woman. And one was so super-over-attentive.

No one felt "real."

There was a sex scene for each lady.

One was ALMOST IMMEDIATELY after the dude said to his woman "I've been celibate for a couple years, and want to stay that way." Like, they had a makeout sesh, she groped him (crossing a line!) and then she went home... She couldn't stop thinking about him. Then he appeared on her doorstep, and jumped her. So much for that. I was actually looking forward to seeing how the author would handle that, and was super disappointed. Why say it if you're going to just murder the idea in cold blood before it even takes off. (Lazy writing!)

One scene has the guy finish FAST, and then he ghosts her for almost the rest of the book. I figured it was straight embarrassment on his part, but he explains his absence as anxiety over the relationship as a whole.

And all three of them use stupid words for female parts, but go straight clinical for the dudes. "Flower" and "kitty" vs "penis" for every mention of the bits. Why??

And the major conflict in the 3rd act? It's between the besties more than the women and their dudes. Because of a misunderstanding. And the offended woman refuses to have an actual discussion about the whole thing with the women she calls her sisters. It's... stupid. The situation is contrived and the fight - or lack thereof - is useless.

The writing as a whole made me think this was a debut by a new author... But she's written 5 other books already?? And she still writes like this? Why is she still getting things published? Why aren't her editors pointing out the fact that everyone is the same and no one is believable?

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Shamara Ray, Goodreads, and Strebor Books/ Atria for the ARC!!

I loved the premise of this! Three friends setting each other up on dates with ridiculously successful men? Sounds perfect! I was so jealous of the dynamic between Dylan, Brooke, and Ivy. Can I have a standing brunch date with my friends please? And can they set me up with all the charming eligible bachelors they know? Ray has a knack for settings: brunch at an upscale restaurant, bowling with a terrible cover band playing, Brooke's idyllic garden (with bottles of wine being exchanged for fresh veggies). Don't even get me started on the pajama party. The scene of Barrett and Dylan having a pajama party in Mexico was my favorite scene in the entire novel. It's so adorable and sweet.

Ray also scattered in some funny lines, like when Brooke is setting Dylan up with a divorce attorney, Dylan quips, "I'm looking for a husband and he specializes in divorces. That's depressing." (p. 81 of the ARC).

One of the biggest criticisms, I've been seeing in the reviews is that the friends make too big of a deal about not wanting the men they're dating to know about the referral program. To that I'd say, wouldn't you feel a bit used and disposable if you found out you were one option on a list and if you don't make the cut there's someone else after you? I think it's totally valid that they wanted to keep that to themselves.

Also, the conflict at the end is maybe a little overblown, but I'm not totally unsympathetic to how the characters reacted. I'd be a little weirded out if that happened to me too.

The main reason I'm knocking a few stars off my rating is that some parts of this felt underdeveloped. The whole point of romance, as a genre, is to explore characters falling in love and it felt like some of the key parts of that were skimmed over in this novel. For example, Ivy and Daveed have an important discussion about sex and past history and it isn't actually written out! It's summarized in a long paragraph! It felt like such a wasted opportunity. Also, I couldn't handle the sex scenes.

[M. K. French · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dylan, Ivy, and Brooke are three successful yet single women in their mid-thirties. They decide that rather than wade through terrible men, each friend will refer men they know who would be perfect partners, just not for themselves. It sounds like a great idea, but will it cause problems between the three friends and the men they referred?

Dating is hard, and I don't envy these women the struggle at all. Dylan had a rough experience when an ex abruptly ended a relationship she thought was going to lead to an engagement. Fast forward five years and the friends introduce men they know who are well-adjusted and hard-working but don't tick the box "romantic partner" for them. It's inspired by their parents' generation introducing people to each other, and then letting romance develop. They do it here, and we get to see their dates. It doesn't always work out, and we see that it isn't anything necessarily wrong, just that there isn't always a romantic spark. It doesn't mean that the program doesn't work, just that people want different things, and chemistry can't be predicted.

The inevitable stumbling block in the romance novel comes, and it threatens not just romantic relationships, but the friendships as well. But true friends that they are, they don't allow it to stand. They continue to boost each other up, consider each other sisters, and provide the sounding board that they need. Everyone should have friends like these, and I love seeing that in books. The relationship struggles are realistic and range from awkward to delightful, just as they can be for the rest of us.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, so the idea behind the story is pretty simple - three single pals setting each other up on dates. I mean, why complicate it with a whole "Referral Program" vibe, right? 🤷‍♀️ It got a bit annoying how they kept going on about "sticking to the Program." Seriously, it's just about playing matchmaker for each other. And the whole secrecy thing? Totally unnecessary. The guys they're setting up are in on it too! What's the big secret here?

Now, let's talk about the drama towards the end. It felt like something out of a high school movie, not real-life relationships. I mean, who cares about stuff from five years ago when you're starting something new? We all come with a little relationship baggage, but come on, let's be adults about it. Oh, and those spicy scenes? Let's just say they were more cringey than steamy. I found myself looking away, seriously awkward.

Now, onto the characters and their dating misadventures:

First up, Dylan. She starts off saying she wants to find a man, but when a date asks about it, she gets all sassy. Like, girl, you're in the Program to find a man, right? Don't be so surprised! Then she gets annoyed when a guy wants to do something after bowling. Mixed signals, much?

And Brooke? She needs a lesson in respect. If someone says no to sex, you respect that boundary, no matter your gender. But she didn't get the memo, and that's not cool. Plus, she jumps to wild conclusions, almost wrecking friendships over nothing.

So, yeah, this book had its share of eye-rolling moments. 🙄 But hey, it was an interesting read, to say the least. Maybe give it a shot if you're in the mood for some drama and laughs.

[Hollie Robinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was very strangely executed. The idea is fine, three friends set each other up on dates with men they know are solid and fingers crossed they meet “the one”. My biggest issue with the book is how often the friends reference “the program” and want to keep it a secret from all of the men. Maybe I missed something but it’s not a fancy system warranting the proper name Referral Program, it’s just setting up friends.

In addition to the constant references to “the program”, it was painful to read introductory conversations and first/second date scenarios over and over again. Especially when the vast majority of the book is written in dialogue. The friends and their dates are constantly interrupting each other and saying little side quips that elongate conversations for multiple pages and even full chapters. The writing was choppy and felt like almost every chapter should end with a director shouting “cut!”.

Something else I found strange was that all three of the friends were extremely similar characters. They were all successful career women who had trouble with dating in the past. The small defining features between each of the FMCs were referenced so infrequently that I would forget about them completely. Other than the names of the girls and their boyfriends it’s extremely hard to tell them and their storylines apart. Especially since they are all participating in the same “program”.

The final nail in the coffin for this book (for me) was the miscommunication tropes. All three girls and their boyfriends go through second or third act breakups entirely caused by miscommunication.

[Gabi | whatsgabireading · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Referral Program is a book about 3 girlfriends setting each other up to date people they each recommend for each other.

I absolutely loved the description of this book and was very excited to read it. It was a fun group of girlfriends with great guys to be set up with, this could have been an amazing book with great stories, but overall it felt rushed and confusing between all of the women. There didn't seem to be a lot of differences in the voice of each of the female characters so they kind of blended together as I was reading it and I felt a bit lost at times.

The love stories for all three characters felt a bit rushed and not truly developed. I also feel like if the author would have put the names of the female characters as the title of each chapter it would have helped stay on top of what was going on a bit better. The only reason I was able to separate each character was because of the male counterparts and how different they were, but the female characters lacked personality to differentiate them.

The spicy scenes were a bit cringy- the author used the words flower and kitty and it was a bit hard to get past that.

I gave this book a 2.5 stars and rounded it up to 3. I enjoyed certain parts of it and the premise was good, but it really needed to be developed further and the characters need to unique in their own ways.

Thank NetGalley and Atria for my e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Referral Program is about three single women in their thirties who decide to set one another up with men in their lives - family, colleagues, friends, etc. Dylan, Ivy, and Brooke have been close friends since college and are all strong-willed, career-driven women. Although they want to find "the one", they struggle with opening up and balancing love with their careers. That is, until Dylan comes up with the idea of the Referral Program where they each come up with a list of potential mates for the others and embark on a very unique dating experience.

This was a light read and I powered through in two days because I wanted to know how each woman's story ended. I enjoyed the message of being open, honest, and communicating well both in friendships and relationships. The spicy scenes were also a nice surprise. At times, the female characters sounded a bit desperate, and I did not like that; I think the concept of the Referral Program could have been delivered in a way where they didn't sound quite so desperate. The characters and interactions also felt a bit rigid throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[January · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Referral Program by Shamara Ray
V+280-page Kindle Ebook

Genre: African-American Romance

Featuring: Christmas, Girlfriends, Long Island, New York; Pact, Blind Dates, Sex - Detailed, Friendships, Boundaries, Self-Realization, Author's Bibliography With Book Covers

Rating as a movie: NC-17 for sexual content

Songs for the soundtrack: "Diamonds And Pearls" by Prince and The New Power Generation

Books and Authors mentioned: We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📆👩🏾‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏿

My thoughts: 🔖Page 25 of 280 [Chapter] FOUR - Not what I expected, but it's better. The blurb made it seem like they were passing along their exes. I'm glad that's not the case.
🔖78 SIXTEEN - This doesn't have anything special going on but it's comfortable and highly enjoyable.
🔖159 TWENTY-SEVEN - This has turned into a regular romance story but I'm not mad at it.

The third act was the most unique part of this story. It was a hybrid between a girlfriend story and a romance story and I enjoyed every minute of it, even the chapter I wanted to slap Brooke. I'm definitely going to be reading the books listed in the back.

Recommend to others: Yes! This was a fun read.