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The 12 Step Program

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Going a month without a man or a date was probably an impossible task for serial romantic Lucy Adams. She’d made a habit of falling in and out of bad relationships that always started with her finding the man of her dreams and ended with her kicking him to the curb.After her latest breakup, her best friend and neighbor Tom Henson bets her she can’t go thirty days without a date. With a nickname like Love ’em and Leave ’em Lucy, the odds were stacked against her. Still, she’s up for the challenge, and the chance to rub Tom’s nose in it when she wins. Nothing like a friendly wager between friends to make things interesting. But when the game changes, all bets are off… Strong language

252 pages, Paperback

Published May 27, 2018

2 people are currently reading
8 people want to read

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Kay Springsteen

65 books82 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Krystal.
1,346 reviews31 followers
July 22, 2017
This was a cute, and quick read that would be perfect for a relaxing day at the beach, or poolside. I feel like Lucy is a character that a lot of people can relate to, everyone knows someone like her. Someone who is for whatever reason afraid of settling down for the long-term. I also liked the way the authors used a variation of the "12 Step Program" to introduce the chapters and to help Lucy come to terms with how her life was going and enable her to identify the changes she needed to make.

The characters are interesting, the bet itself entertaining (especially once "big blue" got involved), and the ending? Well let's just say that this story does end on a cliffhanger, and the ending perfectly sets it up for the story to continue.

Speaking about the characters, I loved the chemistry between Lucy and Tom. There was an undeniable spark and attraction there, even if they were too blind to realize it at first. I do think some elements of this story could have been handled better, especially when certain truths come to light, but even that did not take away from my enjoyment of this story.

Overall, I am sure this story will appeal to those who enjoy quick, romantic reads. The only thing that might turn some readers off is the fact that this story DOES end on a cliff-hanger. I would continue with this series, and read more from these authors.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
Profile Image for Patricia Kiyono.
Author 45 books129 followers
July 26, 2017
I've enjoyed previous collaborative efforts by Springsteen and Bowman, and hurried to add this to my electronic bookshelf. Since I had a lot of work to do, I thought I'd reward myself for completing an hour of work by reading one chapter. But one chapter led to two, and before I knew it I was at the end! Lucy is a poor, misguided soul, who gets into more trouble than anyone I've ever known and Tom is a saint for standing by her. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.
Profile Image for Felicity.
485 reviews9 followers
September 26, 2017
A quick and simple read. Light easy and nothing surprising. Well actually that is not true. It stops on a cliffhanger which wasn't to my liking. This story definitely has more in it.

I liked the characters - simple and clear and easy to relate to. I thought the style was breezy and easy and the relationship to the 12 step program was well handled.
Profile Image for Kathy - Books & Munches.
442 reviews181 followers
September 27, 2017
I admit, after reading the blurb I realized perfectly well that this was probably going to be a very typical love story. But we all know that novels like this can still be enjoyable or even surprise us.

If I have to be honest.. This one didn't do that. Yes, I loved the story in general, but I didn't like the MC at all. Lucy has her issues, obviously, but for some reason she feels very detached, rude about herself and that ruined the novel.
There were moments that I thought "Yes! This is getting better!" and then Lucy would think something and ruin it all over again. It was frustrating to say the least.

Definition of bestie: person who loves nothing more than to watch you make a complete fool of yourself and then remind you of it at every opportunity for the rest of your life what a fool you made of yourself.


Apart from that I was missing the tension between Lucy and Tom. When reading a novel like this, I want to feel like they're dancing around each other but not quite connecting completely. This? This was a case of two different songs, two different dances in the same room.

The 12 Step Program had potential, but I just didn't enjoy it like I expected to. It was okay, but nothing more than that. A fun novel to just pass the time and get me frustrated once in a while.

2 / 5!

Kathy

I received a free ecopy of this novel through LibraryThing. I am not being compensated for this in any way. All opinions are entirely my own.
Profile Image for Cayla.
1,061 reviews36 followers
September 15, 2017
Special Note: I received an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) in exchange for a review.

The synopsis is fantastic. Wow. What an idea! Using the 12 steps platform and applying it to the world of dating. It sounds both unusual and intriguing at the same time.

After reading the book, I was terribly disappointed with the amount of drinking and constant use of foul language. While l liked the chemistry and strong interaction between Lucy and the attractive neighbor, I just think it's hard to imagine someone would be THAT clueless to realize that he's head-over-heels in love with her for so long.

The potential to make this book even better is there. But I definitely will not re-read it.
Profile Image for Bibliongirl.
137 reviews
May 27, 2018
I liked the story and characters and thought it was pretty funny.
Profile Image for Carol Pennington.
387 reviews5 followers
July 27, 2019
A bet between two friends turns into quite a challenge as each tries to avoid relationships with the opposite sex. Tom has a history of casual sex and avoidance of commitment while Lucy has a history of falling fast for the wrong guys. As a method to win the bet, Lucy adapts the 12 step program to fit her needs. This book obviously is wrought with sexually explicit language but does not contain graphic details. It also contains a large amount of curse words. As such, it is appropriate for the mature audience.
Profile Image for Sandra R.
3,330 reviews47 followers
August 3, 2017
I was going to give this fabulous little book at least a 4 at the minimum, until I got to the end and it finished half way through the story. It was fun and flirty and interesting and I was enjoying it...

My pet hate is cliffhangers !! I would never have bought this book if I had realised. There's no mention of being a part one in the blurb and I purchased it on release day - so of course there was no mention of it in reviews either. So I'm mentioning it now for anyone else that wants to avoid half a book. I love these authors by the way and to my mind, there's no excuse for doing this to readers.

It is my hope that part two will be out before I forget I read part one. What a disappointment.
Profile Image for Lorraine Leatham.
246 reviews6 followers
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May 30, 2018
This a cute read. I found I laughed and had my heart strings pulled. It made me question even my own dating history. Lucy Adams is a serial dater but a true romantic at heart. She is the type who falls in and out of bad relationships. Things start out great but usually ends up with her kicking the guy to the curb. Her neighbor Tom Henson bets her she can't go thirty days without a date after her latest breakup. Nothing like a friendly wager to make things interesting. But their little game changes, all bets are off...
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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