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The Love Project
Can a long shot bring love to a couple of lonely hearts? Joni Fisher is facing economic ruin. The once successful advice column she runs with her mother is on the brink of cancellation, and it’ll take a miracle to turn things around. Joni’s last-ditch effort to save her job and preserve her mother’s legacy is The Love Project , a web series she’s developing to bring the Help Me Henrietta franchise alive for a new generation. All she needs is a willing victim…er, star. Hope Alvarez dreams of falling in love, but she’s always suspected she’s different. Physical attraction is a foreign language to her. After her only prospect for a meaningful relationship falls through, Hope has to face the fact that she’s completely hopeless when it comes to love. Can her favorite advice columnist, Henrietta, save her from a lonely future? As the series gets underway, fans swoon for the lovable yet unlucky Hope, and they’re not the only ones. Joni is smitten, too. But she’s been down that road before, vowing never again to fall for a straight woman who will keep her forever in the friend zone. Except, what if she’s been reading the situation all wrong? Helping Hope make sense of her identity might save Joni’s job, but will it also bring her love? Best-selling lesbian fiction authors TB Markinson & Miranda MacLeod have written a touching slow-burn romance about love striking when least expected. Read it today!
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First published February 17, 2021
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About the author
T.B. Markinson
70 books1,152 followersT. B. Markinson is an American writer, living in England. When she isn't writing, she’s traveling the world, watching sports on the telly, visiting pubs in England, or taking the dog for a walk. Not necessarily in that order.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
March 21, 2021
I love it when TB Markinson and Miranda MacLeod team up and create a book together.
This is the slow-burn love story of Joni and Hope, and I do mean slow-burn. It took me a moment to really get into the story, but it was worth it. The authors created two wonderful MCs. Joni Fisher is desperately trying to save the advice column «Help Me Henrietta» that her mother started years ago and needs a bright idea. She finds it in «The Love Project», a web series where she wants to help one person find the right partner. Can she achieve the turnaround?
Hope Alvarez is the chosen one for the project, she has never come close to finding love. She wonders if she is somehow broken or missing the love gene. She has never felt physical attraction, it is as if her body speaks a completely different language than the rest of the world. She has absolutely no idea when it comes to love, attraction, and flirting, it goes so far that she doesn't even notice when someone flirts with her. She is hopeless.
I fell in love with both MCs from the start. Joni sacrifices herself to save her mother's once successful column and at the same time tries to hide from her mother how bad the situation is with the column. As she and Hope get to know each other better, she turns out to be an understanding and supportive friend. But when stronger feelings come into play, some little devil makes an appearance and she nearly sabotages the success of her web series.
Hope is just wonderful in all her cluelessness and honesty, and I just wanted to wrap my arms around her and tell her everything will be okay. She brings a lot of situational comedy to the story and more than once I had to laugh out loud, though at the same time I wanted to comfort her when she was embarrassed. The longer the project goes, the more Hope (and we as readers too) learns about herself and we witness the whole evolution she goes through. No wonder Joni falls in love with her, she wasn't the only one.
What I liked most about this story was firstly the people who play a part in the story, not just the two MCs, also Joni's amazing friend Kim and also both families. Hope's family is hilarious and caring. Joni's parents also have a special bond, but it took Hope for Joni to see what a strong and loving bond the two of them have, even if they skirmish a lot. And the humor is once again a supporting element of the story. I loved how they made light of the speed dating and the dance was humorous without ridiculing the clumsy nature of Hope.
These two authors have a great way of incorporating characters who don't quite fit the norm into their stories. Thank you
A slow-burn romance that will also make you laugh
My rating 4.5 stars
Thanks to the authors for receiving an ARC for an honest review.
This is the slow-burn love story of Joni and Hope, and I do mean slow-burn. It took me a moment to really get into the story, but it was worth it. The authors created two wonderful MCs. Joni Fisher is desperately trying to save the advice column «Help Me Henrietta» that her mother started years ago and needs a bright idea. She finds it in «The Love Project», a web series where she wants to help one person find the right partner. Can she achieve the turnaround?
Hope Alvarez is the chosen one for the project, she has never come close to finding love. She wonders if she is somehow broken or missing the love gene. She has never felt physical attraction, it is as if her body speaks a completely different language than the rest of the world. She has absolutely no idea when it comes to love, attraction, and flirting, it goes so far that she doesn't even notice when someone flirts with her. She is hopeless.
I fell in love with both MCs from the start. Joni sacrifices herself to save her mother's once successful column and at the same time tries to hide from her mother how bad the situation is with the column. As she and Hope get to know each other better, she turns out to be an understanding and supportive friend. But when stronger feelings come into play, some little devil makes an appearance and she nearly sabotages the success of her web series.
Hope is just wonderful in all her cluelessness and honesty, and I just wanted to wrap my arms around her and tell her everything will be okay. She brings a lot of situational comedy to the story and more than once I had to laugh out loud, though at the same time I wanted to comfort her when she was embarrassed. The longer the project goes, the more Hope (and we as readers too) learns about herself and we witness the whole evolution she goes through. No wonder Joni falls in love with her, she wasn't the only one.
What I liked most about this story was firstly the people who play a part in the story, not just the two MCs, also Joni's amazing friend Kim and also both families. Hope's family is hilarious and caring. Joni's parents also have a special bond, but it took Hope for Joni to see what a strong and loving bond the two of them have, even if they skirmish a lot. And the humor is once again a supporting element of the story. I loved how they made light of the speed dating and the dance was humorous without ridiculing the clumsy nature of Hope.
These two authors have a great way of incorporating characters who don't quite fit the norm into their stories. Thank you
A slow-burn romance that will also make you laugh
My rating 4.5 stars
Thanks to the authors for receiving an ARC for an honest review.
June 3, 2021
Hopeless(ly) in love.
The Love Project is oddly entertaining. It revolves around one character who aside from being demisexual, is also socially inept and completely clueless when it comes to reading romantic subtext. Because of how she is, Hope has trouble finding love and reading people. And a lot of humour is derived from that when Hope puts herself out there by participating in an online web series that helps people find love. Hope is absolutely adorable and the co-authors did a fantastic job making her such an endearing character. And Lori Prince has the most perfect deadpan voice for Hope.
Joni's own awareness of how easily she falls for the wrong type of women reins her in quite a bit, making her tempo / pace perfect for Hope. No doubt she understands Hope inside out which is rare because nobody understands Hope. But I have serious doubts about the web series itself that is used to save Joni's mother's once successful but now declining love advice column. I can't help but wonder whether it would have gotten Hope any closer to finding the right partner because most times it just seems set up to make Hope look silly for the viewership.
I didn't mind it one bit that this turned out to be a slowburn. Hope needs to go slow obviously, in order to figure out her own feelings. And she's an intriguing character on her own. Besides, the co-authors more than make up for it towards the end. So there's that. And I was entertained by the different family dynamics on both sides. Joni's family is relatable, Hope's family is hilarious.
This is a really great audiobook to pick up especially if you need a good laugh.
This audiobook was given to me for free at my request and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Love Project is oddly entertaining. It revolves around one character who aside from being demisexual, is also socially inept and completely clueless when it comes to reading romantic subtext. Because of how she is, Hope has trouble finding love and reading people. And a lot of humour is derived from that when Hope puts herself out there by participating in an online web series that helps people find love. Hope is absolutely adorable and the co-authors did a fantastic job making her such an endearing character. And Lori Prince has the most perfect deadpan voice for Hope.
Joni's own awareness of how easily she falls for the wrong type of women reins her in quite a bit, making her tempo / pace perfect for Hope. No doubt she understands Hope inside out which is rare because nobody understands Hope. But I have serious doubts about the web series itself that is used to save Joni's mother's once successful but now declining love advice column. I can't help but wonder whether it would have gotten Hope any closer to finding the right partner because most times it just seems set up to make Hope look silly for the viewership.
I didn't mind it one bit that this turned out to be a slowburn. Hope needs to go slow obviously, in order to figure out her own feelings. And she's an intriguing character on her own. Besides, the co-authors more than make up for it towards the end. So there's that. And I was entertained by the different family dynamics on both sides. Joni's family is relatable, Hope's family is hilarious.
This is a really great audiobook to pick up especially if you need a good laugh.
This audiobook was given to me for free at my request and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 26, 2021
This is the third collaboration between these two seasoned authors - the previous ones the Christmas novel Holly & Ivy and the romance Heart of Ice. The Love Project is a low angst, very slow-burn romance for a light but entertaining listen.
Joni Fisher runs with her mother the newspaper advice column "Help me Henrietta" which is now increasingly losing popularity. So Joni decides to start a web series called The Love Project. Hope Alvarez is clueless in matters of the heart and volunteers for the first web series in search of love. Little did Joni and Hope know that they could find it in each other...
This is a slow-burn romance between two very endearing characters. Markinson and MacLeod have very good writing chemistry and the novel reads smoothly as expected. All characters, mains or secondary, are very well fleshed out with distinguishable traits. Joni, as a grumpy but, at the same time, sweet typical lesbian pinning for the allegedly straight woman, and Hope is absolutely adorable with her cluelessness towards dating and her naïveté:
“I used the lesbian card.”
“What’s a lesbian card?” Hope asked. “Is it like a credit card? Do you have to pay a membership fee?”
I liked that this story goes beyond the stereotypical sexual orientation portrayed in lesbian fiction to explore less common ones. I'm going to leave it vague to avoid spoilers and I'm hardly an expert in the last letters in the LGBT+ spectrum but I thought it was done with respect and authenticity. The more exposure to the different sexual orientations, the more tolerant and accepting society, in general, will be.
The audiobook was narrated by Lori Prince who did an awesome job. The overall light, funny tone of the story suits her comedic timing perfectly. As usual, her voices are distinct and the performance of the different emotions impeccable. If you are looking for a low-angst, entertaining story and don't mind very slow-burn romances, then this one is for you. 4.5 stars.
Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
Joni Fisher runs with her mother the newspaper advice column "Help me Henrietta" which is now increasingly losing popularity. So Joni decides to start a web series called The Love Project. Hope Alvarez is clueless in matters of the heart and volunteers for the first web series in search of love. Little did Joni and Hope know that they could find it in each other...
This is a slow-burn romance between two very endearing characters. Markinson and MacLeod have very good writing chemistry and the novel reads smoothly as expected. All characters, mains or secondary, are very well fleshed out with distinguishable traits. Joni, as a grumpy but, at the same time, sweet typical lesbian pinning for the allegedly straight woman, and Hope is absolutely adorable with her cluelessness towards dating and her naïveté:
“I used the lesbian card.”
“What’s a lesbian card?” Hope asked. “Is it like a credit card? Do you have to pay a membership fee?”
I liked that this story goes beyond the stereotypical sexual orientation portrayed in lesbian fiction to explore less common ones. I'm going to leave it vague to avoid spoilers and I'm hardly an expert in the last letters in the LGBT+ spectrum but I thought it was done with respect and authenticity. The more exposure to the different sexual orientations, the more tolerant and accepting society, in general, will be.
The audiobook was narrated by Lori Prince who did an awesome job. The overall light, funny tone of the story suits her comedic timing perfectly. As usual, her voices are distinct and the performance of the different emotions impeccable. If you are looking for a low-angst, entertaining story and don't mind very slow-burn romances, then this one is for you. 4.5 stars.
Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
February 26, 2021
Lovely, tender and funny romance. I had such fun reading this and was reading of read any new romance by this writing duo. Great writing and lovely warm characters all around. Recommend
unfinished
June 4, 2021I'm ditching this in the middle for reasons that are mostly personal. The secondary reason is that at this point, I already have the payoff for the relationship. In other words, it's pretty clear that they've established a great foundation for a strong relationship, but neither is in a place to realize it, yet.
The main reason has to do with Hope's demisexual status. It seems pretty well done, so it isn't that the authors didn't do it well. Indeed, her emotional landscape feels mostly authentic. Or should I say it matches up with conversations I've had with my asexual daughter? Two parts seem like a miss, though. First that Hope hadn't ever tried to figure out why she doesn't feel sexual attraction the same as others. It's not like that information is hard to find or that the current culture isn't obsessed with sexual identity. That Hope didn't even know it was a thing seems like a bit of a stretch. She's thirty, not many years older than my daughter, so I happen to know that the last decade, the decade where she'd have been dealing strongly with her differences, was full of people talking about the sexual spectrum, particularly in college. So that seemed strange and needed a reason for why she didn't at least try to find out, at a minimum.
But the second kind of put me off a bit. When Joni's friend, Kim, who is a psychiatrist, introduces the possibilities of the asexual spectrum, Hope's reaction is dismay that she's actually different than others. She already knew she is different from others. This is not a surprise or in any way new information. And my experience with those who finally figure out that they are on the ace spectrum is that their initial feeling is a deep relief—at a minimum for finding answers that actually make sense. My daughter bubbled about it for weeks. And she is not a bubbler.
At any rate, at the point I'm at, the only thing holding them back from a great relationship is Hope's ace-induced cluelessness and Joni's humongous negative motivation* that love sucks because she hates how her parents interact with each other. Or, more accurately, because she hates her dad for misunderstanding reasons. So maybe there's a bit of the personal tied up in that, too, as a dad who is hyper-concerned about being over-harsh with his kids? At any rate, the remaining conflicts seem like they'll be coming from either Joni's (un)motivation or based on Hope's demisexuality, possibly in a way I'll find odd or hard to reconcile with things I think I know.
So I'm stopping here. But without any prejudice to the story. Yeah, there are some elements that are putting me off. But a big part of those are personal responses and judgements I have no confidence in and wouldn't want to stand behind in any real way. And I'd recommend this book with only a little hedging for those interested in getting a demisexual perspective that feels more than a little authentic.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, here's a cache of the original) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
The main reason has to do with Hope's demisexual status. It seems pretty well done, so it isn't that the authors didn't do it well. Indeed, her emotional landscape feels mostly authentic. Or should I say it matches up with conversations I've had with my asexual daughter? Two parts seem like a miss, though. First that Hope hadn't ever tried to figure out why she doesn't feel sexual attraction the same as others. It's not like that information is hard to find or that the current culture isn't obsessed with sexual identity. That Hope didn't even know it was a thing seems like a bit of a stretch. She's thirty, not many years older than my daughter, so I happen to know that the last decade, the decade where she'd have been dealing strongly with her differences, was full of people talking about the sexual spectrum, particularly in college. So that seemed strange and needed a reason for why she didn't at least try to find out, at a minimum.
But the second kind of put me off a bit. When Joni's friend, Kim, who is a psychiatrist, introduces the possibilities of the asexual spectrum, Hope's reaction is dismay that she's actually different than others. She already knew she is different from others. This is not a surprise or in any way new information. And my experience with those who finally figure out that they are on the ace spectrum is that their initial feeling is a deep relief—at a minimum for finding answers that actually make sense. My daughter bubbled about it for weeks. And she is not a bubbler.
At any rate, at the point I'm at, the only thing holding them back from a great relationship is Hope's ace-induced cluelessness and Joni's humongous negative motivation* that love sucks because she hates how her parents interact with each other. Or, more accurately, because she hates her dad for misunderstanding reasons. So maybe there's a bit of the personal tied up in that, too, as a dad who is hyper-concerned about being over-harsh with his kids? At any rate, the remaining conflicts seem like they'll be coming from either Joni's (un)motivation or based on Hope's demisexuality, possibly in a way I'll find odd or hard to reconcile with things I think I know.
So I'm stopping here. But without any prejudice to the story. Yeah, there are some elements that are putting me off. But a big part of those are personal responses and judgements I have no confidence in and wouldn't want to stand behind in any real way. And I'd recommend this book with only a little hedging for those interested in getting a demisexual perspective that feels more than a little authentic.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, here's a cache of the original) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
February 19, 2021
This is another co-write by TB Markinson and Miranda MacLeod. Both authors I totally admire.
It’s a slow-burn romance that really starts a bit slow. But the longer the story goes on the funnier it gets and I was all in. All the things Joni tries to set up Hope are totally hilarious and made me laugh out loud several times. It’s when you get the feel why Hope chose to call herself Hopeless for the show. And of course for Joni it gets more and more difficult to hide her feelings and staying professional during all of this.
I personally loved both MC‘s. I was able to relate a lot to Joni‘s struggles with her father. On the other hand I just fell in love with Hope. She processes things differently, which made my heart totally go out to her. Because I am just the same and know the feeling of not belonging or feeling different than everyone else around you. But of course Hope has no idea at first why is that. So how she finds out more about herself and is able to understand herself better was wonderful to witness. And also how Joni tries to understand and see the things from her perspective was just wonderful. How they take their time with each other reminded me so much of my own relationship and that made me so happy. It’s not something we get to see a lot in lesfic these days, which made it even more special.
A side character that has a lot to do with the outcome is Joni‘s friend Kim, a side character I totally fell im love with. I believe we all could need a friend like her. A friend that speaks the truth and shows us a different perspective. That is rare these days.
So in the end after a bit of a slow start this is another book I enjoyed so much. It’s different then other romance novels but it’s exactly that that made me love it so much. The note from the authors at the beginning actually made me cry. On the one hand it was so beautiful and on the other hand I felt understood.
That brings me to a part in the book or rather two sentences I was able to relate so much. It‘s „I want to feel love and wanted. I want to be heard and understood.“ For me these are some of the most important things when it comes to relationships (be it with a partner or a friend) and I couldn’t have said it better. 🙏
So if you want to read a bit of a different love story, where getting to know and understand each other comes first, this is the book for you.
Then like Rob Bell said in a quote „It’s easy to take off your clothes and have sex. People do it all the time. But opening up your soul to someone, letting them into your spirit, thoughts, fears, future, hopes, dreams… that is being naked.“
It’s a slow-burn romance that really starts a bit slow. But the longer the story goes on the funnier it gets and I was all in. All the things Joni tries to set up Hope are totally hilarious and made me laugh out loud several times. It’s when you get the feel why Hope chose to call herself Hopeless for the show. And of course for Joni it gets more and more difficult to hide her feelings and staying professional during all of this.
I personally loved both MC‘s. I was able to relate a lot to Joni‘s struggles with her father. On the other hand I just fell in love with Hope. She processes things differently, which made my heart totally go out to her. Because I am just the same and know the feeling of not belonging or feeling different than everyone else around you. But of course Hope has no idea at first why is that. So how she finds out more about herself and is able to understand herself better was wonderful to witness. And also how Joni tries to understand and see the things from her perspective was just wonderful. How they take their time with each other reminded me so much of my own relationship and that made me so happy. It’s not something we get to see a lot in lesfic these days, which made it even more special.
A side character that has a lot to do with the outcome is Joni‘s friend Kim, a side character I totally fell im love with. I believe we all could need a friend like her. A friend that speaks the truth and shows us a different perspective. That is rare these days.
So in the end after a bit of a slow start this is another book I enjoyed so much. It’s different then other romance novels but it’s exactly that that made me love it so much. The note from the authors at the beginning actually made me cry. On the one hand it was so beautiful and on the other hand I felt understood.
That brings me to a part in the book or rather two sentences I was able to relate so much. It‘s „I want to feel love and wanted. I want to be heard and understood.“ For me these are some of the most important things when it comes to relationships (be it with a partner or a friend) and I couldn’t have said it better. 🙏
So if you want to read a bit of a different love story, where getting to know and understand each other comes first, this is the book for you.
Then like Rob Bell said in a quote „It’s easy to take off your clothes and have sex. People do it all the time. But opening up your soul to someone, letting them into your spirit, thoughts, fears, future, hopes, dreams… that is being naked.“
March 3, 2021
I was really drawn to Hope's character here. I felt for her and found her endearing and just wanted her to be happy about herself and understand that nothing about her is broken. At all. I understand the gist of being asexual or demisexual but I honestly haven't studied it indepth to completely grasp the nuances of what a person goes through. As far as this story and the scenarios that Joni and Hope go through, I thought they were hilarious, adorable and... I just really enjoyed them together.
July 3, 2023
A pleasant slowburn, nicely written, with fun and vibrant leads. Plenty of smiles to be had while reading, and you'll root for the girls to find each other 😀
Read
February 28, 2021I struggle with a few things in this. I may just be overthinking and being overly sensitive. I'm not rating it, to be fair. Because I ended up skimming a lot.
I hated the way Hope was very down about her sexuality... I don't think it's a spoiler, but I put the tags on the entire review anyway... But she ends up identifying as asexual and demisexual, although Grey-A is also mentioned. Often she talks about not being like other people, feeling like a freak, that 'something was wrong' with her for not feeling sexual attraction... and I really never thought this attitude got addressed well....
Once she becomes attached to Joni, sudden all her sexual urges awaken, after never really having them before and she is mind-blown. A flip just gets switched on, and I'm like what? It rubbed me the wrong way that it almost appears her asexuality gets "cured" by being with the RIGHT person...
This is not a healthy narrative to suggest to asexual people, and infact I think a lot of them would feel downright insulted by it, because that is constantly what they are told...that they just have to find the ;right; person, and suddenly they will be cured... So it set off major alarm bells for me.
I get it, we're talking about ONE specific character and their experiences, and I'm sure people out there have had this happen - but when you've linked that character to an already marginalized subset of sexuality, you have to treat it with sensitivity. I didn't feel like it ever did.... The tone was just right off, for me.
So with her new lust - she continues to make comments about "is this how it is for other people?" making a lot of generalizations about sexual attraction and specifically allosexual people, almost acting like they are sex fiends who cannot control themselves or keep it in their pants... Again another character in the book is very much like that, horny as a bunny in heat and constantly going on about wanting to jump anything with a pulse, and talking down to Hope about her lack of sex and attraction... Again not a good depiction of all allosexual people.
I felt it relied on a lot of flimsy cliches that didn't promote sensitivity to the cause of the very REAL people who identify as asexual.... Also again once she finds her sex drive, both her and the allosexual partner are constantly making lewd sex jokes as if they are teenagers (they are 30 and 35)... it became tedious.
That's not even taking into account the entire plot of the love project and the drama there, but I won't go on. My biggest points are what I've said above with regards to the insensitivity of the depictions of sexuality, which has left a very bad taste in my mouth.
I hated the way Hope was very down about her sexuality... I don't think it's a spoiler, but I put the tags on the entire review anyway... But she ends up identifying as asexual and demisexual, although Grey-A is also mentioned. Often she talks about not being like other people, feeling like a freak, that 'something was wrong' with her for not feeling sexual attraction... and I really never thought this attitude got addressed well....
Once she becomes attached to Joni, sudden all her sexual urges awaken, after never really having them before and she is mind-blown. A flip just gets switched on, and I'm like what? It rubbed me the wrong way that it almost appears her asexuality gets "cured" by being with the RIGHT person...
This is not a healthy narrative to suggest to asexual people, and infact I think a lot of them would feel downright insulted by it, because that is constantly what they are told...that they just have to find the ;right; person, and suddenly they will be cured... So it set off major alarm bells for me.
I get it, we're talking about ONE specific character and their experiences, and I'm sure people out there have had this happen - but when you've linked that character to an already marginalized subset of sexuality, you have to treat it with sensitivity. I didn't feel like it ever did.... The tone was just right off, for me.
So with her new lust - she continues to make comments about "is this how it is for other people?" making a lot of generalizations about sexual attraction and specifically allosexual people, almost acting like they are sex fiends who cannot control themselves or keep it in their pants... Again another character in the book is very much like that, horny as a bunny in heat and constantly going on about wanting to jump anything with a pulse, and talking down to Hope about her lack of sex and attraction... Again not a good depiction of all allosexual people.
I felt it relied on a lot of flimsy cliches that didn't promote sensitivity to the cause of the very REAL people who identify as asexual.... Also again once she finds her sex drive, both her and the allosexual partner are constantly making lewd sex jokes as if they are teenagers (they are 30 and 35)... it became tedious.
That's not even taking into account the entire plot of the love project and the drama there, but I won't go on. My biggest points are what I've said above with regards to the insensitivity of the depictions of sexuality, which has left a very bad taste in my mouth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2021
This book was laugh out loud funny in places, but it was also romantic and personal. Joni cowrites an advice column with her mother, mostly or completely about romance, not sure which. Because everything is online these days, they’re losing revenue as newspapers fold or just cancel carrying the column. Joni comes up with an idea to create a web series with a lovelorn star. This is the main plot, but there’s also a subplot with her family.
Hope is chosen to be the star. She is alone and feels like something’s broken somehow because she’s not like other people. The web series premise allowed for some ridiculous situations that were funny although mortifying for Hope, the star of the show. Joni comes up with several ideas for episodes which are scary for Hope but she gamely goes through them. I related to Hope’s cluelessness when she described dates that she didn’t realize were dates. I had a few of those myself. And the speed dating! Wow! The novel also touches on various topics of sexuality, identity and preference as Kim, Joni’s psychologist friend, explains them to Hope.
This romcom is a gem of a book. Meanwhile, Joni finds herself attracted to Hope. That leads to complications, of course, some of which are also amusing. Both Joni and Hope are wonderful characters and their friends and family are also entertaining. I need a Kim in my life. This is definitely going to be a reread for me.
Hope is chosen to be the star. She is alone and feels like something’s broken somehow because she’s not like other people. The web series premise allowed for some ridiculous situations that were funny although mortifying for Hope, the star of the show. Joni comes up with several ideas for episodes which are scary for Hope but she gamely goes through them. I related to Hope’s cluelessness when she described dates that she didn’t realize were dates. I had a few of those myself. And the speed dating! Wow! The novel also touches on various topics of sexuality, identity and preference as Kim, Joni’s psychologist friend, explains them to Hope.
This romcom is a gem of a book. Meanwhile, Joni finds herself attracted to Hope. That leads to complications, of course, some of which are also amusing. Both Joni and Hope are wonderful characters and their friends and family are also entertaining. I need a Kim in my life. This is definitely going to be a reread for me.
December 19, 2021
I really enjoyed this. Lovable characters in challenging situations. Also, enjoyed a glimpse of a long-time marriage.
February 19, 2021
Love is worth working for
I had so much fun reading this book. Joni has a jaded view of love and relationships. Hope has never felt that special something for anyone and she feels like she’s broken. Can an advice column help. Hope and Joni learn a lot about themselves. Their families are also great. You need to read this refreshing story to find out. It’s funny, sweet and yes sexy. These are two of my favorite authors and when they write a book together you know it’s going to be amazing.
I had so much fun reading this book. Joni has a jaded view of love and relationships. Hope has never felt that special something for anyone and she feels like she’s broken. Can an advice column help. Hope and Joni learn a lot about themselves. Their families are also great. You need to read this refreshing story to find out. It’s funny, sweet and yes sexy. These are two of my favorite authors and when they write a book together you know it’s going to be amazing.
February 22, 2021
4.25 stars. I am a fan of both of these authors, but this tag team romcom effort here hits gold. An advice column on the decline, because paper circulation isn't what it used to be Joni has to think outside the box to save Help Me Henrietta from becoming a relic of the past. She's tried a few things to modernize her mother's creation but helping another find love via a web series just might be the ticket to a new age. Who better to help than one of Henrietta's faithful readers? Enter Hope, a cute & clueless gal, looking for her love connection.
Toss in some dating mishaps, a dash of hijinks, a smattering of true love with a helping of great sidekicks & you have this truly delectable offering. A slow burn HEA that will have you laughing along the way searching for your blue rose.
Toss in some dating mishaps, a dash of hijinks, a smattering of true love with a helping of great sidekicks & you have this truly delectable offering. A slow burn HEA that will have you laughing along the way searching for your blue rose.
May 3, 2021
I quite liked the first and only other book I’ve read from this pairing (“Heart of Ice”). But this one was a miss for me.
First, there’s problematic Joni. Hope was wonderful and adorable, and I just wanted to wrap her in a blanket and whisk her away to a place she’d always be safe. But Joni rang my alarm bells almost from the minute she met Hope. I found her overall behavior toward Hope to be extremely inappropriate. First, she started having sexual fantasies about Hope like two seconds after they met. (Which is creepy.) Then she went on to force her into multiple activities she didn’t feel comfortable with under the guise of helping her find love (while profiting professionally from it); but the second she realized Hope might be into women, she started trying to manipulate situations to crowd out the competition, even going so far as to purposely butt in when Hope started to enjoy herself and connect with another woman. That kind of behavior is not cute and it’s not romantic; it’s controlling and territorial, and it was an abuse of Joni’s position in Hope’s life as her trusted “matchmaker.”
There were other things that didn’t entirely work for me as well. I felt the development of the web series element was weak. Producing a web series is a lot more work than what was depicted here. The way the authors wrote it, all Joni had to do was some minimal filming of Hope on her phone during her dates/matchmaking activities, do an upload, and that was it. No talk of the very time consuming editing process, no confessionals from Hope other than apparently updating the viewers on her healthy living habits (er...okay). Also, we never saw Joni capture her debriefs with Hope on camera, or any interactions with her really. And yet a segment of the fans began to ship them? Based on what content? That whole plot element was just very loose to me.
Perhaps strangest has already been mentioned in some other reviews; that is, Hope’s kind of abrupt and head-scratching turn into a confident sex kitten and girlfriend once she realizes she’s in love with Joni. I’m not saying that doesn’t happen with demisexuals. But in this case it was odd not just because of her demisexuality, but because of the trouble she has with human interaction. The way Hope was presented through most of the book, I’d say she was on the Autism spectrum when it comes to her understanding of social situations. There are several (quite endearing) conversations we see her take part in where she homes in on a completely insignificant detail of what someone has said simply because it’s illogical, missing her social cues entirely and baffling the other person. To have her have a “flipped switch” moment where she’s not only suddenly comfortable with intimacy, but adjusted to coupledom, felt inconsistent to who she is.
I don’t know. I really adore Hope, and I give the authors full props for creating such an endearing character. But overall, this book just wasn’t for for me.
First, there’s problematic Joni. Hope was wonderful and adorable, and I just wanted to wrap her in a blanket and whisk her away to a place she’d always be safe. But Joni rang my alarm bells almost from the minute she met Hope. I found her overall behavior toward Hope to be extremely inappropriate. First, she started having sexual fantasies about Hope like two seconds after they met. (Which is creepy.) Then she went on to force her into multiple activities she didn’t feel comfortable with under the guise of helping her find love (while profiting professionally from it); but the second she realized Hope might be into women, she started trying to manipulate situations to crowd out the competition, even going so far as to purposely butt in when Hope started to enjoy herself and connect with another woman. That kind of behavior is not cute and it’s not romantic; it’s controlling and territorial, and it was an abuse of Joni’s position in Hope’s life as her trusted “matchmaker.”
There were other things that didn’t entirely work for me as well. I felt the development of the web series element was weak. Producing a web series is a lot more work than what was depicted here. The way the authors wrote it, all Joni had to do was some minimal filming of Hope on her phone during her dates/matchmaking activities, do an upload, and that was it. No talk of the very time consuming editing process, no confessionals from Hope other than apparently updating the viewers on her healthy living habits (er...okay). Also, we never saw Joni capture her debriefs with Hope on camera, or any interactions with her really. And yet a segment of the fans began to ship them? Based on what content? That whole plot element was just very loose to me.
Perhaps strangest has already been mentioned in some other reviews; that is, Hope’s kind of abrupt and head-scratching turn into a confident sex kitten and girlfriend once she realizes she’s in love with Joni. I’m not saying that doesn’t happen with demisexuals. But in this case it was odd not just because of her demisexuality, but because of the trouble she has with human interaction. The way Hope was presented through most of the book, I’d say she was on the Autism spectrum when it comes to her understanding of social situations. There are several (quite endearing) conversations we see her take part in where she homes in on a completely insignificant detail of what someone has said simply because it’s illogical, missing her social cues entirely and baffling the other person. To have her have a “flipped switch” moment where she’s not only suddenly comfortable with intimacy, but adjusted to coupledom, felt inconsistent to who she is.
I don’t know. I really adore Hope, and I give the authors full props for creating such an endearing character. But overall, this book just wasn’t for for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2021
i enjoyed this one, but i didn't love it. i was wavering on a rating and almost landed on a 3 star, but i loved the character hope so much that she gets a star all on her own, so, 4 stars but a little bit more in the 3.5/3.75 range, for me.
this was a really fun, if not entirely believable, story. i thought hope and everything that surrounded her arc, her demisexuality, and her falling for joanie was really well done. i really liked kim, joanie's friend, and a therapist helping with the webseries, and honestly i wish we'd gotten to see a little bit more of her. hope's family were fun in the glimpse that we got of them, and joanie's parents made for an interesting and well apprecaited rounding out of the cast. it was joanie's character that i didn't connect with quite as much. attraction and jealousy aren't really things we can help as human beings, they're emotions that kinda just hit us and we have to deal with them, but how we deal with them, we can control, and i didn't love some of joanie's internal monologue and behavior around her feelings for hope all the time. for someone who didn't believe in love, she sure as hell got possesive real fast. some of the ways she talked/thought about hope rubbed me the wrong way a little. hope being a little oblivious and literal didn't make her a child, and joanie going all "protective" often annoyed me. (especially with all the stuff during the dance night and sam). like, again, i get it, emotions are hard and stuff, but her reaction was annoying. this is also possibly a YMMV situation and it might have rubbed me the wrong way more than it will someone else. i did think once she learned about hope's demisexuality, she was really respectful and did a great job checking in with her and stuff, and i certainly didn't hate her as a character, she just wasn't my cup of tea for the most part.
some of the narrative arc around the column and the webseries made me roll my eyes the slightest bit, though it wasn't entirely unbelievable, just a little embellished for the story, i felt. which is fine! i'm not reading romance novels for realism, believe it or not. despite reading a ton of them, and enjoying them, iiiii am kinda more in the Early In the Book Joanie's view on love and relationships, tbh. my parents own relationship mirrors joanie's in a sense, except it's not cute or sweet, it's kind of a bummer, actually. so i'm cool with the fantasy of it all. that's actually what i'm here for lol.
hope was such a delight that i'd recomend this for her alone, but i genuinely think this is a fun sweet one and i love that there is more asexuality representation happening in romance lately. i'd love to see even more. characters like hope are really needed, and really appreciated. she made this novel, for me.
this was a really fun, if not entirely believable, story. i thought hope and everything that surrounded her arc, her demisexuality, and her falling for joanie was really well done. i really liked kim, joanie's friend, and a therapist helping with the webseries, and honestly i wish we'd gotten to see a little bit more of her. hope's family were fun in the glimpse that we got of them, and joanie's parents made for an interesting and well apprecaited rounding out of the cast. it was joanie's character that i didn't connect with quite as much. attraction and jealousy aren't really things we can help as human beings, they're emotions that kinda just hit us and we have to deal with them, but how we deal with them, we can control, and i didn't love some of joanie's internal monologue and behavior around her feelings for hope all the time. for someone who didn't believe in love, she sure as hell got possesive real fast. some of the ways she talked/thought about hope rubbed me the wrong way a little. hope being a little oblivious and literal didn't make her a child, and joanie going all "protective" often annoyed me. (especially with all the stuff during the dance night and sam). like, again, i get it, emotions are hard and stuff, but her reaction was annoying. this is also possibly a YMMV situation and it might have rubbed me the wrong way more than it will someone else. i did think once she learned about hope's demisexuality, she was really respectful and did a great job checking in with her and stuff, and i certainly didn't hate her as a character, she just wasn't my cup of tea for the most part.
some of the narrative arc around the column and the webseries made me roll my eyes the slightest bit, though it wasn't entirely unbelievable, just a little embellished for the story, i felt. which is fine! i'm not reading romance novels for realism, believe it or not. despite reading a ton of them, and enjoying them, iiiii am kinda more in the Early In the Book Joanie's view on love and relationships, tbh. my parents own relationship mirrors joanie's in a sense, except it's not cute or sweet, it's kind of a bummer, actually. so i'm cool with the fantasy of it all. that's actually what i'm here for lol.
hope was such a delight that i'd recomend this for her alone, but i genuinely think this is a fun sweet one and i love that there is more asexuality representation happening in romance lately. i'd love to see even more. characters like hope are really needed, and really appreciated. she made this novel, for me.
March 24, 2021
I have never before started my review BEFORE finishing the book, but here we are. I am typing this up in a word document as I go, because this hits close to home on the sexuality/romantic orientation front, and I have so many thoughts.
This is the first time I have stumbled across a character on the ace spectrum! I was very excited. I knew she was ace in like, the second chapter. It's easy to identify when you're one yourself. I was open to the possibility of demisexual, as I came to understand her better and saw how clueless she was when it came to the idea of a relationship. But hey, we'll see, right? Now, my first problem came in just shy of the halfway mark. Joni and Hope are watching Fried Green Tomatoes, and when Joni asked how she liked it, Hope reveals that she had no idea that two of the characters were even in a relationship. That's how clueless she is to romance. Now, that would lead to the suspicion of aromanticism. Which I know well, because that's my romantic orientation. But the thing is, while I'm uninterested in love and clueless when I'M being hit on, I still know what the damn emotion looks like. I'm actually a hardcore romantic, in my fiction reading and writing. I love a good romance. Now, that's just me, but still. To be completely ignorant to what romance looks like sounds more like WTF Romantic. That orientation is pretty uncommon, and it means that one cannot distinguish between romantic and platonic feelings. I don't know if the author(s) meant to do this or not, or if she/they even knows what it is. But to be ace or even aro, let alone both, like me, does not mean that one cannot identify those feelings and relationships. So...I'm a little bothered by the writing of Hope as just being clueless. That's not what it means to be ace or demi or whatever she chooses to identify with.
Okay, so she's demisexual. Conclusion reached. She should still have an idea of what a relationship looks like on others, how to identify it. She's clearly not aromantic. But the author(s) is confusing the two, and doesn't focus quite enough on the physical aspects of things. I still say she should not be quite so focused on finding love, when supposedly she doesn't even know what it is or what it looks like or if she can feel it. Again, as an aro myself, I wondered all those things...except I KNEW I couldn't feel it. Platonic relationships are all I have ever needed or wanted. So I'm not so sure I like how that bit was represented.
I liked Hope as a character, but now I will forever wonder what happened to Mitch. If they were truly good friends, one might think they worked through that little kerfuckle. Especially once she fell in love with someone. I liked Joni, too, but not as much. Not in that I disliked anything about her, I just wasn't attached to her. But overall, I'd give this 3 stars.
This is the first time I have stumbled across a character on the ace spectrum! I was very excited. I knew she was ace in like, the second chapter. It's easy to identify when you're one yourself. I was open to the possibility of demisexual, as I came to understand her better and saw how clueless she was when it came to the idea of a relationship. But hey, we'll see, right? Now, my first problem came in just shy of the halfway mark. Joni and Hope are watching Fried Green Tomatoes, and when Joni asked how she liked it, Hope reveals that she had no idea that two of the characters were even in a relationship. That's how clueless she is to romance. Now, that would lead to the suspicion of aromanticism. Which I know well, because that's my romantic orientation. But the thing is, while I'm uninterested in love and clueless when I'M being hit on, I still know what the damn emotion looks like. I'm actually a hardcore romantic, in my fiction reading and writing. I love a good romance. Now, that's just me, but still. To be completely ignorant to what romance looks like sounds more like WTF Romantic. That orientation is pretty uncommon, and it means that one cannot distinguish between romantic and platonic feelings. I don't know if the author(s) meant to do this or not, or if she/they even knows what it is. But to be ace or even aro, let alone both, like me, does not mean that one cannot identify those feelings and relationships. So...I'm a little bothered by the writing of Hope as just being clueless. That's not what it means to be ace or demi or whatever she chooses to identify with.
Okay, so she's demisexual. Conclusion reached. She should still have an idea of what a relationship looks like on others, how to identify it. She's clearly not aromantic. But the author(s) is confusing the two, and doesn't focus quite enough on the physical aspects of things. I still say she should not be quite so focused on finding love, when supposedly she doesn't even know what it is or what it looks like or if she can feel it. Again, as an aro myself, I wondered all those things...except I KNEW I couldn't feel it. Platonic relationships are all I have ever needed or wanted. So I'm not so sure I like how that bit was represented.
I liked Hope as a character, but now I will forever wonder what happened to Mitch. If they were truly good friends, one might think they worked through that little kerfuckle. Especially once she fell in love with someone. I liked Joni, too, but not as much. Not in that I disliked anything about her, I just wasn't attached to her. But overall, I'd give this 3 stars.
March 17, 2021
I have really mixed feelings about this book... It was well-written and fun, and I don’t feel like I wasted my time reading it. I’ve read and liked a couple other books by one of the authors and would read more by both/either authors, I think this one just rubbed me the wrong way in some places.
I can’t stand reality dating shows like the one depicted when it’s real life with real people (they make me cringe 😖), but they can be fun in stories when it’s fictional characters going through utter humiliation. And boy did this book deliver on that front! The speed dating in particular was hilariously horrific lol. Joni was kind of cruel in what she subjected Hope to sometimes, so there were places where I thought it flirted a little too much with the line between funny and painful.😆 In the end I think they make a good couple, though Joni doesn’t really deserve Hope imho.😜
My real issues are around the depiction of asexuality in the story. Admittedly it is a personal and somewhat touchy area for me — I am in the process of trying to accept that I myself probably fall somewhere on the ace spectrum and am trying to figure out where/how I identify. I am doing the thing now where I try to find characters and stories that feel like they reflect me. When I saw this book had an ace/demi character I immediately wanted to read it!
I really loved Hope, she is incredibly sweet and endearing. I could really relate to her fears about never finding someone, and wondering what was wrong with herself and if she was somehow broken. I felt, though, that her TOTAL inability to pick up on social clues in anything relationship-related read less as ace spectrum and more as autism spectrum. I’m sure people like Hope — who can’t read social clues and also don’t have the sexual attraction spark to clue them in — exist, but it felt to me like the authors were conflating lack of feeling sexual attraction with lack of social awareness when those aren’t the same at all. It also felt weird to me that when she realized she liked Joni and vice versa it was like a switch suddenly flipped and turned on her sex drive full blast. Maybe that is how it works for some demisexual people when they find their person...? But what do I know? I haven’t figured this stuff out yet... It just felt kind of inauthentic and plot-convenient to me, especially with them only knowing each other for less than 8 weeks at that point.
So there are my thoughts and opinions on this book. I’d love to hear what other ace spectrum people thought after reading this. (I’d also welcome any recommendations for books with well-represented ace characters!)
I can’t stand reality dating shows like the one depicted when it’s real life with real people (they make me cringe 😖), but they can be fun in stories when it’s fictional characters going through utter humiliation. And boy did this book deliver on that front! The speed dating in particular was hilariously horrific lol. Joni was kind of cruel in what she subjected Hope to sometimes, so there were places where I thought it flirted a little too much with the line between funny and painful.😆 In the end I think they make a good couple, though Joni doesn’t really deserve Hope imho.😜
My real issues are around the depiction of asexuality in the story. Admittedly it is a personal and somewhat touchy area for me — I am in the process of trying to accept that I myself probably fall somewhere on the ace spectrum and am trying to figure out where/how I identify. I am doing the thing now where I try to find characters and stories that feel like they reflect me. When I saw this book had an ace/demi character I immediately wanted to read it!
I really loved Hope, she is incredibly sweet and endearing. I could really relate to her fears about never finding someone, and wondering what was wrong with herself and if she was somehow broken. I felt, though, that her TOTAL inability to pick up on social clues in anything relationship-related read less as ace spectrum and more as autism spectrum. I’m sure people like Hope — who can’t read social clues and also don’t have the sexual attraction spark to clue them in — exist, but it felt to me like the authors were conflating lack of feeling sexual attraction with lack of social awareness when those aren’t the same at all. It also felt weird to me that when she realized she liked Joni and vice versa it was like a switch suddenly flipped and turned on her sex drive full blast. Maybe that is how it works for some demisexual people when they find their person...? But what do I know? I haven’t figured this stuff out yet... It just felt kind of inauthentic and plot-convenient to me, especially with them only knowing each other for less than 8 weeks at that point.
So there are my thoughts and opinions on this book. I’d love to hear what other ace spectrum people thought after reading this. (I’d also welcome any recommendations for books with well-represented ace characters!)
March 9, 2021
newspaper to web series
As her beloved articles start to die out, Joni decides to create a finding love web series featuring Hope. Hope is backward and unable to pick up on cues regarding dating and feelings. However Joni is instantly attracted to Hope, unbeknownst to Hope. As Hope starts to do some soul searching and self help books, she realizes that she is attracted to Joni. This book is full of misadventures and love mishaps. Laugh out loud along with Hope and Joni as they navigate their way through. T.B. Markinson and Miranda MacLeod put together amazing characters along with a tale that is begging to be read.
As her beloved articles start to die out, Joni decides to create a finding love web series featuring Hope. Hope is backward and unable to pick up on cues regarding dating and feelings. However Joni is instantly attracted to Hope, unbeknownst to Hope. As Hope starts to do some soul searching and self help books, she realizes that she is attracted to Joni. This book is full of misadventures and love mishaps. Laugh out loud along with Hope and Joni as they navigate their way through. T.B. Markinson and Miranda MacLeod put together amazing characters along with a tale that is begging to be read.
February 25, 2021
Although I honestly despise ‘reality type’ shows (even online), I love books, even ones that use the premise of one. And stories about characters that come alive within the pages is all I can hope for when I start a new story. This wasn’t just about a ‘reality show’. Hope’s character finally comes to understand her sexuality through the Love Project experience and it is presented quite well.
I wasn’t disappointed here. Did I get frustrated with the idea that someone would let others dictate everything they did for two or three months? Oh yeah, but as a work of fiction, go with it. Even if you can’t understand the why of ‘reality shows’, the characters here are entertaining as are each of the date scenarios.
I want to give a shout-out to the authors for making me feel validated (in more ways than one). I don’t give spoilers, but Joni’s tastes when it comes to beer, made my day. Just sayin’.
I wasn’t disappointed here. Did I get frustrated with the idea that someone would let others dictate everything they did for two or three months? Oh yeah, but as a work of fiction, go with it. Even if you can’t understand the why of ‘reality shows’, the characters here are entertaining as are each of the date scenarios.
I want to give a shout-out to the authors for making me feel validated (in more ways than one). I don’t give spoilers, but Joni’s tastes when it comes to beer, made my day. Just sayin’.
November 2, 2022
Didn’t really get into this one: skip read to the end and thought “Well, there you go!” I usually like their books so disappointing.
March 10, 2025
Apparently demisexual is a synonym for utterly guileless.
April 15, 2021
The Love Project marks T.B. Markinson and Miranda MacLeod’s third book together, and it’s absolutely refreshing. These two authors form one the most popular and entertaining writing duos in lesfic today; readers can’t seem to get enough. There is an identifiable and charming chemistry that takes place between these two that fans find entertaining and engaging. Their talent and keen sense of humor shine brightly on the page in each collaboration, bringing audiences a delightfully well-written story each time.
Markinson and MacLeod have a talent for creating characters that are not only approachable, but completely irresistible; Joni and Holly are everything readers have come to expect from the duo. Readers find these two leading ladies delectably quirky, thoroughly charming and utterly endearing. In a word, they are adorable, both individually and separately. Their presence enhances the storytelling, rounding out the the writing and giving readers something they can appreciate.
Joni and Hope work wonderfully in this fun story. They each contribute something unique to the plot, making this story quite enchanting and delightful. There is much to enjoy about these leading ladies; they are well-developed and solidly written characters. Fun, fresh and highly amusing are words one can use to describe this pair. Readers come to enjoy them, as well as their romance.
The story development is nicely done, as well. The plot is animated and a bit zany at times, but that is Markinson and MacLeod’s schtick. They enjoy giving readers goofy, lighthearted rom-coms for the sole purpose of providing playful and upbeat entertainment. Their stories are always fun to read, and The Love Project is no different. It is a deliciously witty read.
Final remarks…
The Love Project earns a solid, two thumbs up, for sure. It contains diverse, well-developed characters involved in complex, interesting relationships. The storytelling is original with a well-balanced and satisfying writing style. The plot is original and well-paced. The dialogue is effective and well-scripted. The overall result is an imaginative story well-worth the investment and read. I would not hesitate to encourage lesfic readers to move this one in their TBR pile.
Strengths…
Charming characters
Balanced writing
Original storyline
Witty
Entertaining
Markinson and MacLeod have a talent for creating characters that are not only approachable, but completely irresistible; Joni and Holly are everything readers have come to expect from the duo. Readers find these two leading ladies delectably quirky, thoroughly charming and utterly endearing. In a word, they are adorable, both individually and separately. Their presence enhances the storytelling, rounding out the the writing and giving readers something they can appreciate.
Joni and Hope work wonderfully in this fun story. They each contribute something unique to the plot, making this story quite enchanting and delightful. There is much to enjoy about these leading ladies; they are well-developed and solidly written characters. Fun, fresh and highly amusing are words one can use to describe this pair. Readers come to enjoy them, as well as their romance.
The story development is nicely done, as well. The plot is animated and a bit zany at times, but that is Markinson and MacLeod’s schtick. They enjoy giving readers goofy, lighthearted rom-coms for the sole purpose of providing playful and upbeat entertainment. Their stories are always fun to read, and The Love Project is no different. It is a deliciously witty read.
Final remarks…
The Love Project earns a solid, two thumbs up, for sure. It contains diverse, well-developed characters involved in complex, interesting relationships. The storytelling is original with a well-balanced and satisfying writing style. The plot is original and well-paced. The dialogue is effective and well-scripted. The overall result is an imaginative story well-worth the investment and read. I would not hesitate to encourage lesfic readers to move this one in their TBR pile.
Strengths…
Charming characters
Balanced writing
Original storyline
Witty
Entertaining
February 25, 2021
TB Markinson and Miranda MacLeod have truly become a solid writing duo with their shared work now a seamless collaboration. "The Love Project" is a humorous, contemporary take on a timeless tale about matchmaking. I would have given it 5 stars if it'd further explored the complexities of asexuality and in particular demisexuality: However; anything that promotes acceptance of the myriad ways loving and being loved has to be a good thing. I'd like to see more of it.
March 14, 2021
This was a fun read. I liked the demisexual representation. I think Hope was likely demiromantic too.
February 19, 2021
Learning to know yourself is the best project of love.
This story started out slow but I fell in love with these characters. Joni and Hope have a very different paths on life. Both college educated women who are smart, strong and so very loveable. That love eluded them both for very different reasons has made a magical story. Hope has felt "off" not like anyone else, certainly not loveable. Joni just does not believe love is real. The advice column Joni took over from her mother 5 years ago needs revamped. Less people reading papers and writing for advicehave hurt the column. The Love Project brings Hope into Joni's world. Neither.of them could have imagined the journey they would take. In looking for love they learn more about themselves and each other. This story is full of delightful innocence which was such a breath of fresh air. There are first moments we rarely get to read anymore. It's a beautiful live story. The one spoil I will give is sex will be talked about a lot but the main characters hookup much later. The speed dating, dancing classes and well so many funny moments to enjoy. The journey to know the characters was slow but brought a deep love that helped Hope know more about herself. It is a rare gift when a book gives you both a great story and an understanding of an important aspect in life.
Kim the best (everyone needs a Kim) friend brings valuable info that helps Hope. The discussion was also so helpful for me too. I laughed, chuckled and felt so much during this love project it has changed how I see love and the intimacy it can brings. At times I thought things were going too slow but that pace brought joy th he world does not cherish. It is such a warm funny and enjoyable journey you will be glad to take. I received an ARC copy for a review but I bought it because it touched me so much. The intro the writers shared gave even more love for the story for me. Thanks T.B. Markinson and Miranda MacLeod it is a brilliant story.
This story started out slow but I fell in love with these characters. Joni and Hope have a very different paths on life. Both college educated women who are smart, strong and so very loveable. That love eluded them both for very different reasons has made a magical story. Hope has felt "off" not like anyone else, certainly not loveable. Joni just does not believe love is real. The advice column Joni took over from her mother 5 years ago needs revamped. Less people reading papers and writing for advicehave hurt the column. The Love Project brings Hope into Joni's world. Neither.of them could have imagined the journey they would take. In looking for love they learn more about themselves and each other. This story is full of delightful innocence which was such a breath of fresh air. There are first moments we rarely get to read anymore. It's a beautiful live story. The one spoil I will give is sex will be talked about a lot but the main characters hookup much later. The speed dating, dancing classes and well so many funny moments to enjoy. The journey to know the characters was slow but brought a deep love that helped Hope know more about herself. It is a rare gift when a book gives you both a great story and an understanding of an important aspect in life.
Kim the best (everyone needs a Kim) friend brings valuable info that helps Hope. The discussion was also so helpful for me too. I laughed, chuckled and felt so much during this love project it has changed how I see love and the intimacy it can brings. At times I thought things were going too slow but that pace brought joy th he world does not cherish. It is such a warm funny and enjoyable journey you will be glad to take. I received an ARC copy for a review but I bought it because it touched me so much. The intro the writers shared gave even more love for the story for me. Thanks T.B. Markinson and Miranda MacLeod it is a brilliant story.
September 23, 2022
As with every book I read by T.B. Markinson and Miranda MacLeod, whether it be co-written or separate entities, I didn't want the story to end. The MCs, Joni and Hope are so well suited but both are unaware of it (at least in the beginning). Joni's patience and understanding is prominent throughout the story as she tries to help Hope find love. Since she'd joined forces with her mother in writing an advice column that is her mother's legacy, she's faced with financial difficulties in trying to keep the column alive. Her plan of action brings Hope on the scene and together, through much angst, disappointment and even humor, they work together to turn the column around as well as find a love connection for Hope. Though there's apprehension and self-doubt on Hope's part, Joni's patience and determination balances things out for both women. This was a great story and as I previously mentioned, I didn't want it to end. Another slam-dunk for this writing duo.
July 25, 2021
The Love Project is tilt your head entertaining. It was interesting reading about a demisexual character. Hope Alvarez is a school teacher that is socially inept and completely clueless when it comes to reading romantic subtext. As a result, Hope has trouble reading people and finding love. Hope takes a chance by participating in an online web series that helps people find love. Hope is adorable and the co-authors did a fantastic job making her such an endearing character. Joni Fisher, works with her mother on an advice column called Help me Henrietta. Joni is cynical about relationships and love which helps to make the read entertaining and laugh out loud funny.
June 26, 2025
I always try and guess what part TB wrote and what part Miranda wrote before I get to thread. Such a great read and audio. Great details for the asexual character. Written with viewer humour. I loved the nod to the AM Show
June 26, 2021
I am little off the consensus I guess. The book was great ..well written as expected and a great story as well and the Characters again were great... still did n0t really work for me... 3.5 stars
February 25, 2021
Fun, funny, educational. Learning about the other letters on the spectrum of LBGT.
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