A famous boss. A secret identity. And a hilarious road trip to love.
Yes. Yes, Rosie does have a crush on Isaac, her YouTube-famous boss. Does she ever talk to him? Absolutely not. Crippling social anxiety can do that.
But Rosie is nothing if not tenacious. Ignoring her friends’ advice to just talk to him already (Nope, that’s way too hard), she instead opts to pursue a virtual relationship with Isaac using a secret identity.
The plan is genius. Online, Rosie has social skills she’d never dream of having in person. She’s possibly even cool. If Isaac can just get to know her, he’ll see how amazing she is.
But then a spontaneous road trip throws Rosie and Isaac together, and their virtual and in-person lives collide. (Eleven hundred miles in a seventy’s era VW hatchback? What could possibly go wrong?)
Much to Rosie’s surprise, she doesn’t constantly humiliate herself. Conversation is easy, and their chemistry? It’s pretty much off the charts. But every road trip is bound to hit a speed bump or two.
Will Rosie’s secret identity be the thing that brings them together? Or the thing that tears them apart?
Jenny Proctor is an award-winning author of more than fourteen romantic comedies and an Amazon bestseller. She began her career in publishing in 2013; her writing has been a constant since then, but she's also spent time as the owner and managing editor of Midnight Owl Editors and the chair of the Storymakers Conference. Wired for relationships, Jenny loves public speaking, teaching, and building lasting connections.
Jenny was born in the mountains of Western North Carolina, a place she considers one of the loveliest on earth. She loves to hike with her family and spend time outdoors, but she also adores lounging around her home, reading great books or watching great movies and, when she’s lucky, eating delicious food she doesn’t have to prepare herself.
This is second in a romance series where the characters from prior books interact. It's enough that I'd recommend reading in order. I mean, I have no idea why I didn't, but I could totally tell that there had been a romance with those other characters before and wondered what I'd missed.
This was unexpectedly good (hah! Played off the title! I am in it to win it, today!) And now that I've used up my exclamation mark quota for the week (month?), let me just say I really enjoyed this story. I engaged with Rosie right off and her struggles with anxiety felt present enough that it turned what could have been weak avoidance into something more relatable. You could see why she'd turn to a disconnected format like texting and why she'd make her oblique forays into contact with Isaac. But I liked most that Proctor does a fantastic job showing her going from appreciation for his persona to a more nuanced respect for who he is as himself.
And I liked, too, that Isaac really was the person he projected himself to be. And that it didn't make him perfect. I particularly liked the balance Rosie was able to help him recognize and achieve, but without remaking him or painting his passion for connecting with his audience into a bad thing.
So both had to learn to compromise and meet halfway (her anxiety, his establishing boundaries) and it really worked well. And the secret keeping never got tedious with each stage coming into play in its own time and that worked out wonderfully. Plus, Proctor managed it without anyone coming across as particularly stupid. And the final reveal when Isaac figures out that Ana and Rosie are the same was so well-realized tears may have been involved (mine, I mean).
So this is an easy five stars for delivering just what I thought it would and with all the right beats at the right times and with characters I liked and engaged with. I'm not entirely sure Rosie's anxiety was played straight or that internet influencer organizations actually look like this, but those concerns were so far down my priority list I only bring them up to cover my hiney if someone calls me out on them.
A note about Chaste: The story, and falling in love, happen before Isaac really knows who Ana is. And things happen fast once the reveal hits. So there's some excellent kisses making this a very chaste read.
Fun premise and characters, although not much depth. I had some issues with the content, and it took me out of the story. Since I read the previous book right before this one, it seemed formulaic for the author to have Isaac and Rosie be close friends with a homosexual couple who are adopting children. I prefer not to have homosexuality in the books I read and it makes me wary of reading books from this author and publisher in the future.
Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.
This was legitimately so bad. I don't know where to begin.
I should have known from the very beginning that I wasn't going to like it when I read the blurb. And when I read the reviews. And as soon as I opened the book.
And I didn't like it. Three chapters in, I gave up.
But I felt bad. Maybe there was something redeemable hidden in the depths of its pages?
No. No, there was not.
I fundamentally hated the premise of the book, and there was no other aspect that could save itself from its inherent terribleness. Spoilers ahead.
Rosie is a stalker. She is in love with a celebrity, quits her job, moves cities, and starts working for this celebrity she is in love with. She starts texting Isaac over IG, and somehow they magically fall in love. Well, she was already in love with him, and Isaac somehow falls in love with her too.
Their love is real! They have so much in common! Like their love for a band! And they have the same taste in movies! And books! All of their mutual friends are onboard with them because Rosie wears funky clothes! That are retro! And she doesn't wear high heels! She's so quirky like that!
Isaac and Rosie start talking in real life too. And he's attracted to her. How or why? No one knows. But he feels the tingles in his loins. But what about Ana, the girl whom he is texting with and is so perfect for him?
Aha! He will go on a road trip to Kansas to meet Ana! But Rosie, who is Ana, is at a loss. Isaac won't find Ana in Kansas.
So their friends decide that Rosie will go on this road trip with Isaac and lie to him the whole time, only revealing at the end that Rosie and Ana are the same person.
No room for error, of course.
Begin road trip.
Their chemistry is off the charts! The banter is so effortless! We are aware of this because we are told: "Talking to her was so effortless" or "He could tell that Rosie was comfortable with him" or other such similar phrasings.
Rosie and Isaac kiss. AH! So exciting, said no one ever, because once again, there is no adequate buildup and I honestly cared more about the car they were driving in than the people in it. Nevertheless, the kiss is so good! We know this because we are told!
But alas. Isaac is on his way to meet the true love of his life. Forget about Rosie. He pushes her away. Rosie isn't going to deal with this, though. How dare he not understand what's going on? She leaves the trip and goes home.
Isaac pushes through. He makes it to Rosie/Ana's childhood home where her mother lets him in and takes him to Rosie's childhood bedroom. Upon looking at it, he realizes that Rosie is Ana, and that he is in love with her. He goes home, makes a video of the two of them being cute, shows it to her, they kiss, and happily ever after.
Yeah, what this book lacked was actually romance. I've forgiven a lot of books for not actually having depth of romance if it was somewhat cute, but seeing as how Rosie was actually a stalker (she, like, memorized his YouTube videos and all of his favorite things and blah blah, you know the stalker life), I couldn't really get past it.
This book was the cutest! I loved Rosie and Isaac. The dialog was snappy and funny, and the situation was so unexpected that I couldn't stop reading. What a perfectly delightful romance.
DNF at 15%. I could not get past how utterly stalker like the whole set up to the book was. It’s weird and not romantic at all to leave a high paying job and travel across the country because you’re in love with a YouTube star. And then to sit around and talk with all of the guy’s friends about how his girlfriend is just not right for him and you’d be perfect… it’s weird. It left me feeling uncomfortable and I couldn’t keep reading.
I liked this story, this time it was about Issac ( Dani's twin brother) and Rosie. This was funny, a little awkward for poor Rosie and a bit of a wake up call for Issac.
The narrators chosen were perfect for these characters!
I like how supportive Isaac's team was for both Issac and Rosie. How Rosie was able to really get to know Issac, not just the YouTube influencer that he portraits, she's been crushing on him for years.
I really love the, “falling in love without meeting” romcom trope. However, it is fraught with peril if not done practically perfectly. First of all, the whole premise is based on a ruse if only one person knows the identity of the other. Secondly, you have to have a rock-solid motivation for keeping your identity secret. Thirdly, both love interest characters have to be extremely well written and likeable; you have to be rooting for the couple right from the beginning. Finally, the reveal has to be placed exactly perfect, so the reader doesn’t get frustrated with the secret keeping, but there is time to build the dramatic conflict.
And, Proctor nails it.
I loved both MCs right from the start and was rooting for them to land together at the end. Plus, the motivation for the ruse is rock solid; in this case, Rosie struggles with social anxiety. My wife suffers from Generalized Anxiety Disorder and trust me, if she could do everything by text she would. During our courtship, I think we talked on the phone once. All other communication was done through Facebook Messenger. So, I definitely get where Rosie is coming from.
For a bit of time, I was worried the reveal was going to land flat. Usually, the in-the-dark character figures out the other’s secret identity, and that causes a negative reaction which throws the relationship back before it magically turns around just before the end of the book. Not the case here, and it was a delightful conclusion to the romance.
This book did make me want to go on a road trip! And I just got back from AZ a week and a half ago. So, well done @jennyproctorbooks . - "I'm a lesbian who's been married for three years, and even I'm a little in love with Isaac." 😂 I laughed out loud. 👌 - I'm on chapter 7 and totally invested - for how frustrated I get with texting in real life, I sure love it in books. - witty. I appreciate that - I love her thoughts. I like how she's not just stuck on the idea that he's her ideal, she's really considering the possibilities and hardships - little car comments - I like Tyler. He's a good comedic side character - check in at the hotel was cute. I appreciate how comfortable Isaac makes her - Isaac is just a really good dude. I love books about nice guys. - their kiss 🔥 - Max is adorable - I love epilogues. So so much. I want every book to have one. - I love the licorice weaved into the entire story - it's just adorable. Sweet. Lovely. Happy. Infusing. Compelling.
Super cute contemporary romance that I gobbled up in practically one sitting. The premise is that our heroine (Rosie, a web designer working for mega-popular Youtuber Isaac) finds herself on a road trip with her boss for marketing and personal reasons. Rosie is adorable. She’s dealt with anxiety and panic attacks all her life and has zero confidence in herself in social settings—especially with guys like Isaac who are handsome, charming, and social butterflies. That’s why she refuses to put herself out there to talk to him. He’s her boss…and the man she’s been secretly in love with since she was 16 years old and started watching his Youtube episodes. Now, she is an extremely talented and beautiful woman, but she still hides and doesn’t believe Isaac would ever like a girl like her.
The story sets off on an amazing adventure when Rosie sends Isaac fanmail under a pseudonym and grabs his attention. As they begin a text relationship, she sees proof of how perfect they are for each other. Even Isaac admits his mysterious texting friend has stolen his heart. She gets him in a way no one else ever has. But when he decides to make a cross country road trip to meet his texting ��love” and film it all for his millions of subscribers, Rosie starts having second doubts about what she has set in motion. Will this new development bring them together, or doom their budding romance?
There’s nothing I didn’t like about this story. The characters and side characters were awesome. Each has flaws, but so much goodness and worth. I couldn’t help loving them all. They became my new friends and I was cheering for all of them. This features Dani and Alex from the book before, so it was fun to see them in their HEA together as side characters. Tyler is a funny character, and I loved Jade and Deidre and their boy Max (so cute). They were all such supportive, wise friends to Rosie—like a second family for her in a new place. The dialogue, the humor, the beautiful setting and intriguing life of a Youtuber set forth all combined for an incredibly fulfilling read. Bravo!
I absolutely ADORED this book. I enjoyed Love Redesigned (the first book in this series), but Love Unexpected completely blew me away. Isaac and Rosie have the best, most believable chemistry and I loved reading their road trip banter. (I'm also on team Austrialian black licorice, so that whole bit really made me smile.) I sometimes dread "the big reveal" moment in books with hidden identities or where one character is keeping a big secret from another, but this reveal could not have been more perfect. I re-read it probably five times in a row because I could not stop tearing up. Proctor completely hit this one out of the park. Even though the romance took place over a relatively short amount of time, I was completely and totally convinced about the depth of the characters' feelings and felt that they always stayed true to their core motivations. I loved that Rosie was able to be open about her Anxiety with her support system, and that they understood and supported her throughout the story, even when they didn't agree with her choices. The background characters--Greta & Vinnie, Jade & Diedre with Max and Baby Nora, Alex & Dani, Tyler, Rosie's mom--were all SO lovely. I sometimes feel like a large cast can detract from the main characters' story, but that was never the case here. Every character made the story richer and better. I also loved that although Rosie was keeping a big secret for much of the book, she wasn't afraid to stand up for herself and communicate her relationship expectations clearly to Isaac, which in turn helped him find the boundaries he had been missing.
I could go on and on, but you really should just scroll back up and buy this book right now so you, too, can bask in its awesomeness. I'll be recommending it to everyone I know and re-reading my favorite parts over and over again. Jenny Proctor just became a must-buy author for me!
I think I went into this expecting a lot more than I was given and yet I still came away disappointed. Just these characters and the way they interacted had so much potential, and while it fell short, I did enjoy the road trip trope. Always so fun.
Rosie Crenshaw has had a crush on Isaac Bishop for years as a fan of his popular YouTube show. Now she's landed a spot on his web design team and gets to be around him on a weekly basis. The only problem is her severe anxiety makes it hard to carry on a conversation in his presence, let alone express how she feels. With the help of her friends, Rosie decides to contact Isaac online where she can anonymously get to know him and show off her personality. This only leads to Isaac planning a road trip to meet this mystery girl that he believes is the one for him. Will Rosie come clean about her secret identity or will her feelings for Isaac fade under the spotlight of his success?
After reading the first book in this series, I was really excited for Isaac's story. He was all about spreading kindness via his YouTube show, and he made some really sweet gestures to heal the strained relationship with his twin sister, Dani. Needless to say, I was expecting some major swoon and grand gestures as he fell in love. Unfortunately the first half of this book got really repetitive and dragged a bit for me. Rosie was so self-conscious and nervous around Isaac, so they barely interacted other than the few online messages we got to see. It just wasn't enough to make me feel any chemistry. Luckily, the second half of the book was much more interesting. I loved the road trip and actually got to see Rosie and Isaac play off of each other and have some cute banter. The chemistry really picked up at the end and Isaac finally had a grand gesture, but I still felt myself wishing this had come earlier in the book. I did love the introduction of Tyler during the road trip and am crossing my fingers that his story will give me some swoony moments in book 3.
I loved this story! Why, why did I wait so long to read this??? Yeah, I know, I'm gushing but wow, this was SO GOOD! I loved Rosie and Isaac, I loved the supporting characters (especially Max!), I loved the snarky dialogue, the love story, and the HEA.
This book is so intriguing and swoony it's so hard to put down. I wanted to find out what will happen next….what will Rosie do next and how will Isaac react. Isaacs and Anas online chats were hilarious and fun and flirty!! So CUTE!
Things gets complicated when Isaac wants to meet Ana (his messaging buddy) what will Rosie do? Road trip! The road trip had so many hilarious flirtatious banters between Isaac and Rosie….so SWOONY!!
Many things are revealed and feelings discovered & developed during the road trip. But it was not a successful road trip...it was heartbreaking. When Isaac found out the truth he became emotional and happy. The ending is heartmelting , so sweet, swoony of course and so much more. This book will leave you all giddy inside. This is a definite must read.
"I thank Author Jenny Proctor for giving me ARC of This book in return for an honest review"
It was like those molecules of endorphins, adrenaline which cannot wait to jump out of your Stomach and yell; "FINALLY, I told you so".
The book gave me butterflies which won't settle easily, I was constantly over the edge,waiting for Rosie to make that one mistake which would tell Isaac, who she exactly is. It was too much anticipation, emotions waiting to be unleashed and be transformed into a mindblowing kiss. The banter was good and road trip felt surreal! Had a great time reading this one. It felt compassionate that Jenny Spent considerate amount of time on Rosie's anxiety and her need to avoid one on one conversation, and her need to be with Isaac at the same time. Do read it people!
This was like, sooo fun to read! I absolutely adored Rosie. I have a BF who reminds me of Rosie 💯 % Rosie was spunky, retro, funny, and everything I want to be.
I loved the modern vibe with Isaac being a famous YouTuber and being concerned with followers, ratings, etc. There were so many good scenes between Rosie and Isaac. I just. Oh my heart. 😍😍😍
Ya’ll NEED to read this one! It was so entertaining and fun to read
I just loved this book! It was the type of book where I put off doing adult things in order to read. It reminded me a lot of You've Got Mail, and the further I read I kept hoping, "please be a good, happy reaction when he finds out it's been her all along!" And it was! So satisfying. The part in the road trip where she slips up when he's taking about where he wants to honeymoon and she says, "Let's do it".... That part gave me a good laugh because my husband and I had a similar awkward moment while we were dating. It was funny in a relatable way.
This book is a great continuation from the first book in the series. Rosie's anxiety is relatable to me, and I felt like it was portrayed well. It's a sweet, clean read with some kisses with chemistry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Why the high reviews for this story of a you tube person getting sucked into a crazy person's web of deceit? Remember that old saw about paranoia. Sometimes there is a person watching you and conniving. In this story, Isaac's whole circle of friends and family are doing that. That's not at all funny.
What a delightful book! Truly a sweet and heartwarming romantic comedy. I loved it!
Rosie is now living in Charleston and working at Random I for online star Isaac, whom she has followed and loved from afar for years. Too bad her anxiety keeps her from getting to know him better in person. She decides to send him a DM on Instagram (from her own old account but with her first name (Ana) and not the name she goes by, so he doesn’t realize it’s from Rosie.) Isaac and ‘Ana’ begin messaging and he decides to take a road trip to Kansas (where Rosie grew up) to meet her - and his road trip sidekick for work purposes (and thanks to friend influences) turns out to be Rosie. The feelings are complex. How will Rosie tell him that she is also Ana? Will he be disappointed? Could Rosie handle being in the public eye if Isaac was interested in the real her?
I felt like this was such a great and fun story, and I loved the way it was told! Author Jenny Proctor does a great job with character and story development! I loved every character, every scene, and all of the fun and playful dialogue. Supporting characters that work with Rosie and Isaac, as well as their families, all provided a great backdrop and supportive environment for this story’s progression and success. I loved them all! There are lots of sweet moments interspersed that just added to the feel good vibe of the whole book.
Since this is such a sweet and pretty straightforward rom-com, it might be a bit cheesy or predictable to some - but I like a cheesy and happy story! There is great chemistry and build up without ripping my heart out or giving too many romantic details. It was just a feel good story that made me smile - a lot, and only wipe away happy tears.
It might not be a 5⭐️ literary masterpiece, but I’m giving it 5⭐️ because it’s just a great feel good story! It was such an enjoyable read! If you want a book that is just happy and makes you feel good, this is a great one!
(It’s definitely not necessary to read Proctor’s Love Rediscovered first to be able to enjoy this 2nd book.)
* Thank you to author Jenny Proctor for the privilege of reading this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Cute fluff, so long as you don’t look too deep. There was something that made me kind of uncomfortable about Rosie being in love with Isaac - the parasocial aspect is not really explored. It’s all very…young. But it’s a quick read and they are likable characters.
3⭐️ A lovely slowburn romance. It was enjoyable, but also very predictabel. The characters are well developed. I love the trope where they know each other online and in real life, but one is clueless. Rosie and Isaac are really cute!
4.5 Stars While I love all the other Jenny Proctor books I've read, initially the premise for this story made me a little nervous. Sometimes the secret pen pal trope can rub me the wrong way, especially when one party is aware and the other is not. Ms. Proctor proved she knows what she's doing yet again. I never should have doubted. Rosie is an interestingly nuanced character with many facets and I was already intrigued by the glimpses we saw of Isaac in the earlier books. It was fun to watch them interact and grow. I will be reading this one again.
I did receive a complimentary ARC; all opinions are my own.
This was so cute! I loved so much about it - the characters (I especially had a soft spot for four-year-old Max, who reminded me of my nephew of the same age), the friendships, the whole idea of going on a road trip to meet yourself - it was so fun!
Isaac is a YouTube star. Anxiety-filled Rosie is one of his employees, who has also been crushing on him since before she ever met him. A conversation with his current girlfriend prompts Rosie to impulsively send Isaac a DM on Instagram, and they end up messaging back and forth. Isaac has no idea that the cool girl he’s writing to is someone he already knows, so when he plans a road trip out to Kansas to meet her, Rosie isn’t quite sure what to do. But her friends have a plan...
This is a companion novel to Love Redesigned, but you’ll enjoy this whether of not you’ve read that one (but you totally should read that one, if you haven’t already - it’s so cute!)
Thanks Jenny for the advanced copy to read and review!
"Every relationship takes work. Sacrifice. You have to find the person who feels worth the struggle." Um, wow. This book is so good! Rosie is adorable and I love her moments of bravery. It was so good to see behind Isaac's mask and get to really know him, rather than only his Random I antics. Rosie's mom is a fountain of wisdom and kindness. And the friendships! I love books with solid, supportive, and wholesome friendships and this one is perfect. If you like fun, witty, sweet, swoony romantic comedies, you absolutely need to read this book!
Thank you to the author for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I laughed out loud on the first page. This book was so sweet and fun. I LOVED IT. Characters are so fun and engaging. Honestly, I started reading this before bed and ended up staying up until 1 am to finish it.
I was given an ARC in exhange for my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way.