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An (Un)Romantic Comedy
The course of true love never did run smooth, but with Phoebe MacLeod it always gets a chance. Perfect for fans of Jo Watson and Mhairi McFarlane.
Poppy is a therapist. You’d think her parents would be proud. But Poppy is the type of therapist that makes her mother cringe - she helps people with their, ahem , bedroom problems… Normally Poppy deals with her difficult family - two parents, one brother, a couple of sisters and an assortment of nieces and nephews - by keeping at least a County or two between them. But with her little sister about to get married there’s no avoiding the week-long family holiday in Cornwall. The trip was always going to be a catastrophe, but Poppy never imagined how much her family needed her professional skills… Nor did she expect to meet a sexy surfer on what was supposed to be the most unromantic holiday ever. Can a nightmare holiday lead to the love of a lifetime?
What readers are saying about Phoebe 'A perfect love story' ★★★★★ 'Humorous, light and romantic!' ★★★★★ 'I absolutely loved it. Heart-warming, just perfect!' ★★★★★
'I loved every minute reading this book, light hearted and fun, finished in a day!' ★★★★★ 'I smiled so much' ★★★★★ 'What a wonderful book' ★★★★★ 'Fantastic' ★★★★★
Poppy is a therapist. You’d think her parents would be proud. But Poppy is the type of therapist that makes her mother cringe - she helps people with their, ahem , bedroom problems… Normally Poppy deals with her difficult family - two parents, one brother, a couple of sisters and an assortment of nieces and nephews - by keeping at least a County or two between them. But with her little sister about to get married there’s no avoiding the week-long family holiday in Cornwall. The trip was always going to be a catastrophe, but Poppy never imagined how much her family needed her professional skills… Nor did she expect to meet a sexy surfer on what was supposed to be the most unromantic holiday ever. Can a nightmare holiday lead to the love of a lifetime?
What readers are saying about Phoebe 'A perfect love story' ★★★★★ 'Humorous, light and romantic!' ★★★★★ 'I absolutely loved it. Heart-warming, just perfect!' ★★★★★
'I loved every minute reading this book, light hearted and fun, finished in a day!' ★★★★★ 'I smiled so much' ★★★★★ 'What a wonderful book' ★★★★★ 'Fantastic' ★★★★★
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 14, 2023
1352 people are currently reading
1822 people want to read
About the author
Phoebe MacLeod
30 books408 followersPhoebe MacLeod is married and lives just outside Sevenoaks in Kent. She has two grown-up sons at university, and a disobedient dog. She enjoys reading, cooking, playing the piano and walking the dog. She’s also keen on vintage and classic cars and can often be seen behind the wheel of her own classic - a 1928 Ford Model A.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 373 reviews
March 24, 2023
An Un Romantic Comedy by Phoebe MacLeod is a smart and fun read about a woman named Poppy who is vacationing with her family for her sister’s wedding. The setting is fresh, sunny, and brings to mind summer (which I loved) and has a really good family story (even though reading about the issues was SO frustrating!!). I’d consider it to be more of a chicklit than romcom because the focus is solely on Poppy and not her love life, but I enjoyed it anyway! Is there romance? Yes! But in comparison to all the family issues Poppy is dealing with in the book, it’s very miniscule. When we get to the romance aspects, they are fade to black scenes and insta love. Not usually mt cup of tea (the fade to black scenes) but it worked for the story so I’m not even disappointed!
After reading this one I definitely want to read more from the author and plan to download another of her books soon! It was very enjoyable and I’m looking forward to meeting some of her other characters.
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
After reading this one I definitely want to read more from the author and plan to download another of her books soon! It was very enjoyable and I’m looking forward to meeting some of her other characters.
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
July 9, 2023
Such a cute and funny book! I loved the hilarity of the family dynamic, literally a mess at times but they come together when it's needed and that's so relatable. The main character reminds me of myself in her family dynamic so it really made it comical to me. I loved how everything happened and how it was sorted. Beautiful lessons of family and understanding, but also love! And the ending... okay yes! I loved it! Go snag this on Prime Reading and give it a try!
March 11, 2023
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! Receiving said copy in no way influenced my opinion of this title*
An (Un) Romantic Comedy follows the week long adventures of Poppy and her family as they travel for her baby sisters wedding. We meet a whole cast of characters: older brother Andrew with wife Zoe and teenage children Sarah and Freddie, older sister Rose with husband Steven and daughters Olivia and Evie, Mom, Dad, and of course our grooms family too, including his baby brother Stuart. Right from the start we find out that Poppy is a sex therapist, think a therapist that focuses on how our sexual relations effect our relationships, and she's quite good at her job, but Mom and family don't really want her making her job title known to the new additions of the family, and Poppy is under strict orders to not discuss her work while they are on this family trip. Of course that goes out the window within the first hour or two of Poppy being in the house. Over the next week we see Poppy interact with her nieces and nephew as they all come to her willingly (or in some cases unwilling) to talk about their problems with sex. We even see her help other members of her family and she quickly changes their minds about what her job actually is and the true benefit behind sex therapy. While these escapades are happening with her family, Poppy also runs into a hunk surfer, Sam, on the beach, who with a little convincing from his teenage daughter, Jessie, also convinces Poppy to take surf lessons with him. As Poppy gets better at surfer, her relationships with Sam and Jessie also grow, until Jessie has to leave to go back to her mom. At this point, with her sister's approval, Poppy asks Sam to come to her sisters wedding with her, which he happily accepts. Unfortunately, he never makes it to the wedding, as Jessie is in a terrible car crash and he rushes to be by her side. Poppy is very upset by this, yet still manages to have an okay time at the wedding, especially since there has been a great improvement in her familial relationships over the past week as well. Out story comes to a close at Poppy's office, with her surfer hunk waiting to ask if they can try their relationship long distance.
Wowza.
For a book that opens in a sex therapists office talking about giant light up thrusting dildos, there was a SURPRISING lack of sex in this book. You talk about vibrators and sex positions on page one but EVERY sex scene, even mild make-out sessions, are fade to black!? MASSIVELY disappointing. Sex was talked about in every single chapter of this book, from thinking about doing it, asking advice about doing, actually doing it, to literally everything in between- and yet there wasn't ONE explicit scene in the ENTIRETY of the book??? It's completely unacceptable.
Not to mention that Poppy's relationship towards sex is completely unbelievable. She finds it hard to find someone to have sex with because of her line of work, but the VERY first eligible bachelor we meet in her story she can't stop thinking about wanting to have sex with? That makes no sense. If it was the 2nd or 3rd guy, yeah I would buy it, but the FIRST? Nope.
There were also just way too many characters in this story. And I get it, they each served a purpose. But 3 siblings, each with spouses, two with two kids each, two sets of parents, a brother in law, a love interest, their daughter, AND a maid of honor? It's just too much. I think I was still struggling to keep track of whose kids were who's up to the last page. This many people was not necessary. And you would think with a cast of characters like this they would all serve a purpose or drive out story along right? Nope. Half of them just existed to say something once (or never at all), be super annoying and act as the group verbal punching bag (Amy), or tell their dad that they should date the pretty girl in front of them. It was just sort of annoying how stupidly huge this cast of characters was and how little purpose most of them served.
And at the end of the day, the story was just boring. Poppy ended up being perfect. Despite the fact that no one approved of her career choice, every single one of them, STILL benefited from her years of training and schooling by the end of our story.
I think a better title for this book would've been "Sex Therapy 101 with no Sex". Just, not a great read in my opinion.
An (Un) Romantic Comedy follows the week long adventures of Poppy and her family as they travel for her baby sisters wedding. We meet a whole cast of characters: older brother Andrew with wife Zoe and teenage children Sarah and Freddie, older sister Rose with husband Steven and daughters Olivia and Evie, Mom, Dad, and of course our grooms family too, including his baby brother Stuart. Right from the start we find out that Poppy is a sex therapist, think a therapist that focuses on how our sexual relations effect our relationships, and she's quite good at her job, but Mom and family don't really want her making her job title known to the new additions of the family, and Poppy is under strict orders to not discuss her work while they are on this family trip. Of course that goes out the window within the first hour or two of Poppy being in the house. Over the next week we see Poppy interact with her nieces and nephew as they all come to her willingly (or in some cases unwilling) to talk about their problems with sex. We even see her help other members of her family and she quickly changes their minds about what her job actually is and the true benefit behind sex therapy. While these escapades are happening with her family, Poppy also runs into a hunk surfer, Sam, on the beach, who with a little convincing from his teenage daughter, Jessie, also convinces Poppy to take surf lessons with him. As Poppy gets better at surfer, her relationships with Sam and Jessie also grow, until Jessie has to leave to go back to her mom. At this point, with her sister's approval, Poppy asks Sam to come to her sisters wedding with her, which he happily accepts. Unfortunately, he never makes it to the wedding, as Jessie is in a terrible car crash and he rushes to be by her side. Poppy is very upset by this, yet still manages to have an okay time at the wedding, especially since there has been a great improvement in her familial relationships over the past week as well. Out story comes to a close at Poppy's office, with her surfer hunk waiting to ask if they can try their relationship long distance.
Wowza.
For a book that opens in a sex therapists office talking about giant light up thrusting dildos, there was a SURPRISING lack of sex in this book. You talk about vibrators and sex positions on page one but EVERY sex scene, even mild make-out sessions, are fade to black!? MASSIVELY disappointing. Sex was talked about in every single chapter of this book, from thinking about doing it, asking advice about doing, actually doing it, to literally everything in between- and yet there wasn't ONE explicit scene in the ENTIRETY of the book??? It's completely unacceptable.
Not to mention that Poppy's relationship towards sex is completely unbelievable. She finds it hard to find someone to have sex with because of her line of work, but the VERY first eligible bachelor we meet in her story she can't stop thinking about wanting to have sex with? That makes no sense. If it was the 2nd or 3rd guy, yeah I would buy it, but the FIRST? Nope.
There were also just way too many characters in this story. And I get it, they each served a purpose. But 3 siblings, each with spouses, two with two kids each, two sets of parents, a brother in law, a love interest, their daughter, AND a maid of honor? It's just too much. I think I was still struggling to keep track of whose kids were who's up to the last page. This many people was not necessary. And you would think with a cast of characters like this they would all serve a purpose or drive out story along right? Nope. Half of them just existed to say something once (or never at all), be super annoying and act as the group verbal punching bag (Amy), or tell their dad that they should date the pretty girl in front of them. It was just sort of annoying how stupidly huge this cast of characters was and how little purpose most of them served.
And at the end of the day, the story was just boring. Poppy ended up being perfect. Despite the fact that no one approved of her career choice, every single one of them, STILL benefited from her years of training and schooling by the end of our story.
I think a better title for this book would've been "Sex Therapy 101 with no Sex". Just, not a great read in my opinion.
January 2, 2024
dnf @ 52%
Sex therapist or not, I draw the line at someone walking in on their teenage nephew watching porn and picking up the phone to watch & talk about it
Sex therapist or not, I draw the line at someone walking in on their teenage nephew watching porn and picking up the phone to watch & talk about it
February 24, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The (Un)Romantic Comedy felt like a Hallmark movie + The Family Stone all wrapped into one. It honestly reminded me how much I loved The Family Stone back in the day. I think it helped that I read the reviews ahead of time so I knew not to expect a lot of romance. Most of the story focuses on Poppy, a 33 year old sex therapist, and her relationship with her family and her perceptions about her own jobs. While they are away for a week getting ready for her youngest sister's wedding, Poppy gives advice to many of her family members related to her job.
Although I am an only child, I still felt the book was very relatable. The siblings all had their unique quirks. I have to admit that the sister in law, Zoe, was probably my favorite character. MacLeod did a fantastic job developing each character. I also think the plot was perfectly paced. My only complaint is I was hoping for a different ending given the title, which is probably an unpopular opinion.
If you are looking for a light and easy read, family drama, some romance, and unwarranted sex advice, then this is the novel for you!
The (Un)Romantic Comedy felt like a Hallmark movie + The Family Stone all wrapped into one. It honestly reminded me how much I loved The Family Stone back in the day. I think it helped that I read the reviews ahead of time so I knew not to expect a lot of romance. Most of the story focuses on Poppy, a 33 year old sex therapist, and her relationship with her family and her perceptions about her own jobs. While they are away for a week getting ready for her youngest sister's wedding, Poppy gives advice to many of her family members related to her job.
Although I am an only child, I still felt the book was very relatable. The siblings all had their unique quirks. I have to admit that the sister in law, Zoe, was probably my favorite character. MacLeod did a fantastic job developing each character. I also think the plot was perfectly paced. My only complaint is I was hoping for a different ending given the title, which is probably an unpopular opinion.
If you are looking for a light and easy read, family drama, some romance, and unwarranted sex advice, then this is the novel for you!
February 13, 2023
Poppy is a 33-year-old sexual and relationship therapist, and the black sheep of her family. When her little sister is about to get married, she has the (un)pleasurable experience of spending a week with the family at a beach house in preparation for the wedding. Poppy is dreading spending time with her sisters, nieces, nephews, and especially her mother. It quickly becomes obvious that even though no one in her family respects Poppy or her career, many of them are in need of professional help to navigate personal struggles.
I appreciated the unique storyline of the book. As the title suggests, this is not much of a romance story, but more of a story about Poppy and her family dynamics. Throughout the week, Poppy helps her family with sexual problems in marriage, a potential affair, bullying and blackmail of a high-school student, plus other controversial topics. She arrives at each conversation with an open mind and offers sound advice. Reading through the struggles often felt like attending my own therapy session.
While there is a romance storyline, it’s a side plot and not crucial to the main themes of the book. I never connected with Poppy’s love interest or felt invested in their relationship.
I completely disliked Poppy’s mother character. She would consistently slut shame her daughter and disrespect her in front of others. While I realize the mother character’s actions were key to the outcome of the book, I was heavily triggered by their interactions. At times I considered a DNF, but this is more of a reflection on me than the novel. I believe multiple characters were written with the intent of evoking emotion and helping us empathize with Poppy.
Read this if you like
🗣Therapy and talking through your problems
🏡Complex family dynamics
👸🏻Strong female main character
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I appreciated the unique storyline of the book. As the title suggests, this is not much of a romance story, but more of a story about Poppy and her family dynamics. Throughout the week, Poppy helps her family with sexual problems in marriage, a potential affair, bullying and blackmail of a high-school student, plus other controversial topics. She arrives at each conversation with an open mind and offers sound advice. Reading through the struggles often felt like attending my own therapy session.
While there is a romance storyline, it’s a side plot and not crucial to the main themes of the book. I never connected with Poppy’s love interest or felt invested in their relationship.
I completely disliked Poppy’s mother character. She would consistently slut shame her daughter and disrespect her in front of others. While I realize the mother character’s actions were key to the outcome of the book, I was heavily triggered by their interactions. At times I considered a DNF, but this is more of a reflection on me than the novel. I believe multiple characters were written with the intent of evoking emotion and helping us empathize with Poppy.
Read this if you like
🗣Therapy and talking through your problems
🏡Complex family dynamics
👸🏻Strong female main character
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 5, 2023
I didn’t like anything about this book.
The first several pages focus on the FMC, giving a counseling session to a couple about their sex life. There’s nothing wrong with that if it was done right, which I don’t think it was. It could have helped to give us an understanding of the character and what she does, but it was taken too far. We did not need an entire chapter, several pages detailing their entire counseling session. Just a couple pages or a couple paragraphs would’ve been perfect to get the content across without being too much. It just made it really cringy and turned me off at the entire book.
A book should have a good strong start, but this just lost all interest for me. I couldn’t even go in reading if this is the kind of writing the author does
The first several pages focus on the FMC, giving a counseling session to a couple about their sex life. There’s nothing wrong with that if it was done right, which I don’t think it was. It could have helped to give us an understanding of the character and what she does, but it was taken too far. We did not need an entire chapter, several pages detailing their entire counseling session. Just a couple pages or a couple paragraphs would’ve been perfect to get the content across without being too much. It just made it really cringy and turned me off at the entire book.
A book should have a good strong start, but this just lost all interest for me. I couldn’t even go in reading if this is the kind of writing the author does
May 15, 2023
Cute but nothing earth shattering. I was intrigued by the main character being a sex therapist, but her advice was shockingly basic. Like using lube. Wow— earth shattering!
January 6, 2025
4/5⭐️
I really liked this!
I loved the family dynamic so much, the drama was great, the biggest entertainment!! I loved Sarah and Freddy and the little girls were also the cutest.
The relationship between all the sisters and sisters-in-law and stuff was so suspenseful to follow, I loved everything about this !!!
And about the protagonist, Poppy is a confident queen, I love her!!! - it was the funniest thing that she’s a sex therapist, especially when the thing with Freddy happened HAHAH I love her for it, she really is the best aunt
Honestly I thought it would be weird to read about this (or hear - it was an audiobook hahah) because Poppy is about 30 years old but surprisingly this didn’t make a big difference for me. I was invested in the story, rooted for Poppy and Sam and loved the big family.
In my opinion Poppy wasn’t an annoying main character at all, she wasn’t pick-me like most of them these days😭😭 I was SO GLAD about this.
The ending was also great, at first I was worried about how it’ll end with Poppy and Sam but then they surprised me and had a happy end nevertheless. Loved it!!!
I really liked this!
I loved the family dynamic so much, the drama was great, the biggest entertainment!! I loved Sarah and Freddy and the little girls were also the cutest.
The relationship between all the sisters and sisters-in-law and stuff was so suspenseful to follow, I loved everything about this !!!
And about the protagonist, Poppy is a confident queen, I love her!!! - it was the funniest thing that she’s a sex therapist, especially when the thing with Freddy happened HAHAH I love her for it, she really is the best aunt
Honestly I thought it would be weird to read about this (or hear - it was an audiobook hahah) because Poppy is about 30 years old but surprisingly this didn’t make a big difference for me. I was invested in the story, rooted for Poppy and Sam and loved the big family.
In my opinion Poppy wasn’t an annoying main character at all, she wasn’t pick-me like most of them these days😭😭 I was SO GLAD about this.
The ending was also great, at first I was worried about how it’ll end with Poppy and Sam but then they surprised me and had a happy end nevertheless. Loved it!!!
April 10, 2024
4.5⭐️ soooo good Omg I need to read another book by her!
January 22, 2024
3.5⭐️
Fue muy tierno. No es una novela de amor sino más una comedia familiar. Para pasar el rato y reírse con el personaje principal.
Fue muy tierno. No es una novela de amor sino más una comedia familiar. Para pasar el rato y reírse con el personaje principal.
February 12, 2023
I enjoyed this book. It is lighthearted and funny. The love story was just a small part of this book and it didn’t feel like it was the main story line of the book. The main story line was more focused on Poppy’s relationship with her various family members. I enjoyed seeing the relationships blossom. I also really enjoyed Poppy being there for her nieces. It’s always something that I wish I had, someone to talk to about anything when I was a kid. Someone who didn’t pass judgment and who I felt comfortable talking to – Poppy is that for her family. However, I do wish that there was more romance in the book for Poppy. The ending was sweet, but I wanted to see Poppy with Sam more in the book, so that I could connect with their feelings for each other. I also wish that there was at least an epilogue so we can see into the future with Poppy and Sam. Overall, a good read that I would recommend.
May 19, 2023
Not bad but not good enough to warrant 4 stars.
August 26, 2024
2.5🌟 I enjoyed the plot of this more than I thought but the main character was a bit of a know it all and kind of annoying
February 11, 2025
3.5 stars
This was such a fun easy read. There are some great humour moments but beyond that it is a story about being misunderstood by your family, learning to communicate with each other, and the importance of loving yourself. It is mostly a story about family issues with some romance thrown in. The romance doesn't feel forced or just added on it all flows well together.
"If none of that, or the sheer size of the damned thing, were enough to put you off, the noise would. It's difficult to describe, but if you think of angry hornet meets asthmatic road drill, you wouldn't be far away. As modern-day object of torture, I could see it faring pretty well; I have no doubt you could disembowel someone pretty successfully with it. As a sex toy? Dear God, no."
Poppy our MC is a sex therapist. While I wish there was more time spent with her in her place of work, the bits we are shown were fun, well thought out and felt like real issues that are out there. Most of the book is her dealing with her family during the week leading up to her baby sister's wedding. We get to meet her siblings and understand were the strife comes from. There are a lot of topics thrown at us, including potential affairs, bullying, blackmail, and sexual problems in a marriage both new and old. There were probably more issues at one time than is believable but I did like how things were handled.
While sex is talked about a bunch, all the scenes are fade to black so it isn't a spicy book which worked here. If it had a lot of vivid sex scenes it could've taken away from the book and made it sex only.
Its a good book that reads quickly. I'll look out for other books by this author in the future.
This was such a fun easy read. There are some great humour moments but beyond that it is a story about being misunderstood by your family, learning to communicate with each other, and the importance of loving yourself. It is mostly a story about family issues with some romance thrown in. The romance doesn't feel forced or just added on it all flows well together.
"If none of that, or the sheer size of the damned thing, were enough to put you off, the noise would. It's difficult to describe, but if you think of angry hornet meets asthmatic road drill, you wouldn't be far away. As modern-day object of torture, I could see it faring pretty well; I have no doubt you could disembowel someone pretty successfully with it. As a sex toy? Dear God, no."
Poppy our MC is a sex therapist. While I wish there was more time spent with her in her place of work, the bits we are shown were fun, well thought out and felt like real issues that are out there. Most of the book is her dealing with her family during the week leading up to her baby sister's wedding. We get to meet her siblings and understand were the strife comes from. There are a lot of topics thrown at us, including potential affairs, bullying, blackmail, and sexual problems in a marriage both new and old. There were probably more issues at one time than is believable but I did like how things were handled.
While sex is talked about a bunch, all the scenes are fade to black so it isn't a spicy book which worked here. If it had a lot of vivid sex scenes it could've taken away from the book and made it sex only.
Its a good book that reads quickly. I'll look out for other books by this author in the future.
February 21, 2023
I'm going into this book knowing who the author is and what the cover looks like. I decided to skip reading the blurb of description in anticipation of reading and reviewing it blindly. I'm going to give thoughts WHILE reading and then overall thoughts, if you'd like to read my overall thoughts without spoilers then scroll to the bottom, if not enjoy my play-by-play thoughts.
**Thanks to NetGalley and Boldword Books for an advanced e-copy of this book in return for my review.**
Play-by-play thoughts 👇🏻
Straight off the bat talking sex toys. I think I'm going to enjoy this book 😂
Oh, I like that she's a sex/relationship therapist.
It broke after it barely being used.. albeit not in the intended purpose, but still 😂
Her and her sisters all have flower names, she's Poppy and then there's Rose and Lily. Why did the boy get a "normal" name?
"Answerphone" 😂 never heard it called that before.
Oooh I'd be the total opposite of what my mom said. She's a grown adult, she shouldn't have to hide who she is. Her mom just needs to get over it.
The amount of petty I would bring to this wedding week if my family made comments about my work..
The amount of toxicity in her family.. no thank you. As Elyse Myers says "I don't receive that"
Dan's parents clearly aren't upset about Poppy's job, why does it bother her family so much?
OMG, my eyes are going to get stuck in the back of my head with the eye rolling in doing as her family keeps talking about her job being so horrible. "Why couldn't you be an accountant or something?" 🙄
Does Lily interrupt Poppy answering questions intentionally every time or is it just conveniently?
Oooh. Rose getting feisty. I like it 😂 maybe she'll say something that will make Poppy look like a golden child.
Oh Stuart.. his introduction of Poppy is going to make her family mad.
I wonder if Rose and Steve are having marriage issues and that's why she's drinking so much??
Wow. I can't believe her mom tried to encourage Andrews wife to have an abortion because she got pregnant before marriage.
Ayyyy there's a girl with my name!! Jessie!
Ope, I called the marriage problems between Rose and Steve.
Poor Stuart thinks his ex-girlfriend orgasmed every time with just solely penetrative sex.. also, poor ex-girlfriend having to fake it every time..
Her mom seeing her vagina diagram and thinking it's an avocado had me rolling 😂😂
I always thought it'd be fun to learn to surf. But I'm terrified of falling off and getting hurt or sucked under the water.
Poppy having those fantasies about Sam is such a realistic thing, especially for a woman who has been sexually deprived for so long.
Rose and her unhealthy amount of paranoia... There could be many reasons that Steve is being distant.. like Poppy suggested, he could be going through a mid-life crisis, or he could be depressed.
Oh my! Olivia is only 10! Why is this Charlie boy in her class watching porn?
🤦🏼♀️ I'm really worried Poppy's family, mostly mom, is going to find out about her conversation with Olivia and get pissy. Even though she did handle it really well.
Poppy's anxiety about Steve being dead somewhere and Sarah popping pills is where my mind would have jumped after 20 minutes of them being gone.. it would have escalated WAY past that an hour and 20 minutes later.
🤦🏼♀️ Oh no! I'm pre-secondhand embarrassed for Freddie.. he's probably masterbating or something in the room, that's probably why he didn't answer when she knocked..
Oh no! I bet Sarah's ex sent those photos around to people..
Even worse, he's blackmailing her for videos of her probably performing sexual acts on herself since she feels disgusted just by thinking about it.
Oh my goodness, her mom being such a drama queen because her children stood up to her for Poppy. 🙄
"Downstairs insidies" ... How old is she again?? Using that kind of verbage to describe what I'm assuming is oral sex and fingering?
HER MOM THOUGHT SHE WATCHED PEOPLE HAVE SEX FOR WORK???? no wonder she was so disgusted by her job.
I'm so proud of Poppy and her mom for having that conversation. And I'm proud of Rose and Zoe for putting in the good words for her. Not that it should have been needed.
Oh no! What happened with Jessie? Car accident?
I feel like either Sam doesn't make it back for the wedding or he does and they just don't continue seeing each other once she's back home, since this is an (un) romantic comedy..
Hahaha, I really enjoyed Rose laying into Amy 😂
I agree with Rose, if Amy didn't discuss upgrading to the ugly pink limo then nobody else should have to pay for it.
Oh my goodness.. Steve's big secret definitely isn't as big and haunting as they made it seem. Yeah finding out that you're adopted at 30+ can be a big thing, but to be so secretive about it is ridiculous. Especially from your wife??
Wow. The length Steve's family went through to hide that his Aunty Kath was his mother. More so the length his grandparents went..
Okay, Amy's entitlement and thoughts on "adults are more important sometimes" than children.. baffling.. I hope for the sake of any future children, she doesn't procreate.
Even if Sam doesn't show up, I'd love to know what happened with Jessie and know that she's okay.
Awe, her mom is really trying to reconcile after being so horrible for years. It made me slightly emotional.
So cute that her mom felt the need to call her and come clean about her "friend"
I'm so thankful the author didn't leave us hanging on what happened with Jessie.
Awe, so they do end up together in the end!
*Overall thoughts*
I enjoyed following 33-year-old sex and relationship therapist Poppy while she spends her week with family celebrating her younger sisters upcoming nuptials. Poppy is a very likable character in my opinion and has been treated poorly by her family. I like the vacation fling she finds herself in, and I enjoyed her mending her relationship with her family members. 5/5 stars
**Thanks to NetGalley and Boldword Books for an advanced e-copy of this book in return for my review.**
Play-by-play thoughts 👇🏻
Straight off the bat talking sex toys. I think I'm going to enjoy this book 😂
Oh, I like that she's a sex/relationship therapist.
It broke after it barely being used.. albeit not in the intended purpose, but still 😂
Her and her sisters all have flower names, she's Poppy and then there's Rose and Lily. Why did the boy get a "normal" name?
"Answerphone" 😂 never heard it called that before.
Oooh I'd be the total opposite of what my mom said. She's a grown adult, she shouldn't have to hide who she is. Her mom just needs to get over it.
The amount of petty I would bring to this wedding week if my family made comments about my work..
The amount of toxicity in her family.. no thank you. As Elyse Myers says "I don't receive that"
Dan's parents clearly aren't upset about Poppy's job, why does it bother her family so much?
OMG, my eyes are going to get stuck in the back of my head with the eye rolling in doing as her family keeps talking about her job being so horrible. "Why couldn't you be an accountant or something?" 🙄
Does Lily interrupt Poppy answering questions intentionally every time or is it just conveniently?
Oooh. Rose getting feisty. I like it 😂 maybe she'll say something that will make Poppy look like a golden child.
Oh Stuart.. his introduction of Poppy is going to make her family mad.
I wonder if Rose and Steve are having marriage issues and that's why she's drinking so much??
Wow. I can't believe her mom tried to encourage Andrews wife to have an abortion because she got pregnant before marriage.
Ayyyy there's a girl with my name!! Jessie!
Ope, I called the marriage problems between Rose and Steve.
Poor Stuart thinks his ex-girlfriend orgasmed every time with just solely penetrative sex.. also, poor ex-girlfriend having to fake it every time..
Her mom seeing her vagina diagram and thinking it's an avocado had me rolling 😂😂
I always thought it'd be fun to learn to surf. But I'm terrified of falling off and getting hurt or sucked under the water.
Poppy having those fantasies about Sam is such a realistic thing, especially for a woman who has been sexually deprived for so long.
Rose and her unhealthy amount of paranoia... There could be many reasons that Steve is being distant.. like Poppy suggested, he could be going through a mid-life crisis, or he could be depressed.
Oh my! Olivia is only 10! Why is this Charlie boy in her class watching porn?
🤦🏼♀️ I'm really worried Poppy's family, mostly mom, is going to find out about her conversation with Olivia and get pissy. Even though she did handle it really well.
Poppy's anxiety about Steve being dead somewhere and Sarah popping pills is where my mind would have jumped after 20 minutes of them being gone.. it would have escalated WAY past that an hour and 20 minutes later.
🤦🏼♀️ Oh no! I'm pre-secondhand embarrassed for Freddie.. he's probably masterbating or something in the room, that's probably why he didn't answer when she knocked..
Oh no! I bet Sarah's ex sent those photos around to people..
Even worse, he's blackmailing her for videos of her probably performing sexual acts on herself since she feels disgusted just by thinking about it.
Oh my goodness, her mom being such a drama queen because her children stood up to her for Poppy. 🙄
"Downstairs insidies" ... How old is she again?? Using that kind of verbage to describe what I'm assuming is oral sex and fingering?
HER MOM THOUGHT SHE WATCHED PEOPLE HAVE SEX FOR WORK???? no wonder she was so disgusted by her job.
I'm so proud of Poppy and her mom for having that conversation. And I'm proud of Rose and Zoe for putting in the good words for her. Not that it should have been needed.
Oh no! What happened with Jessie? Car accident?
I feel like either Sam doesn't make it back for the wedding or he does and they just don't continue seeing each other once she's back home, since this is an (un) romantic comedy..
Hahaha, I really enjoyed Rose laying into Amy 😂
I agree with Rose, if Amy didn't discuss upgrading to the ugly pink limo then nobody else should have to pay for it.
Oh my goodness.. Steve's big secret definitely isn't as big and haunting as they made it seem. Yeah finding out that you're adopted at 30+ can be a big thing, but to be so secretive about it is ridiculous. Especially from your wife??
Wow. The length Steve's family went through to hide that his Aunty Kath was his mother. More so the length his grandparents went..
Okay, Amy's entitlement and thoughts on "adults are more important sometimes" than children.. baffling.. I hope for the sake of any future children, she doesn't procreate.
Even if Sam doesn't show up, I'd love to know what happened with Jessie and know that she's okay.
Awe, her mom is really trying to reconcile after being so horrible for years. It made me slightly emotional.
So cute that her mom felt the need to call her and come clean about her "friend"
I'm so thankful the author didn't leave us hanging on what happened with Jessie.
Awe, so they do end up together in the end!
*Overall thoughts*
I enjoyed following 33-year-old sex and relationship therapist Poppy while she spends her week with family celebrating her younger sisters upcoming nuptials. Poppy is a very likable character in my opinion and has been treated poorly by her family. I like the vacation fling she finds herself in, and I enjoyed her mending her relationship with her family members. 5/5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2023
The title really says it all. It is a comedy story based around a woman who is sort of estranged from her family which stays together for a week for the youngest daughter's wedding.
Poppy, the protagonist is not close to her family and learns a lot about them and they learn more about her during that trip while healing wounds from the past. During their stay at a beach house the family grows closer together, secrets are unveiled and Poppy meets a man and falls in love with him but the romance is not the main focus of the book.
Overall the writing style is funny, very fitting for the setting of the story informative due to Poppy's work as a sex therapist without being overly cheesy and condescending. It gave me sitcom feels while reading it and I could see it in the likes of New Girl or Gilmore Girls.
Poppy, the protagonist is not close to her family and learns a lot about them and they learn more about her during that trip while healing wounds from the past. During their stay at a beach house the family grows closer together, secrets are unveiled and Poppy meets a man and falls in love with him but the romance is not the main focus of the book.
Overall the writing style is funny, very fitting for the setting of the story informative due to Poppy's work as a sex therapist without being overly cheesy and condescending. It gave me sitcom feels while reading it and I could see it in the likes of New Girl or Gilmore Girls.
February 20, 2023
A very engaging read.
Poppy is 33 years old and a successful sex and relationship therapist. When Lily, her little sister, announces her marriage, Poppy is forced to spend a week at the beach house to prepare for the wedding. For her, spending a week with her family is a real nightmare because of her difficult relationship with her family. Poppy is often belittled because of the job she does, especially by her mother.
The living room is shaping up to be a disaster, but never would Poppy have imagined how much her family needed a professional figure to help each of them cope with their personal difficulties. Nor would she have expected to meet a terribly sexy man on the least romantic holiday ever.
I have never read anything by Phoebe MacLeod before and I must admit I was quite surprised by her writing style: smooth, funny, romantic and super appreciative.
Contrary to what you might think, the focus of this story is not the romance but the relationship dynamics about the (rather dramatic) relationship between Poppy and her family.
Romance takes a back seat.
The characters are well characterised. Poppy is my favourite character in the story. She is a very strong and genuine character and, despite the many criticisms of her career, she does not hesitate for a moment to extend a hand and help her family. Sam is another character that I enjoyed despite the fact that, in my opinion, he appears very little. He is very sweet and terribly sexy.
The relationship that develops between the two is cute. I would have preferred more scenes with Poppy and Sam and would probably have deepened the relationship between the two more. But, as already mentioned, the romance in this story is secondary.
I can only hope for a spin-off about the two.
The story has a nice ending, a tad predictable but nice.
An (Un) Romantic Comedy is the perfect book for those looking for something light, fresh, funny and engaging.
Definitely read more by this author.
Thank you to Phoebe MacLeod, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4⭐/5
Poppy is 33 years old and a successful sex and relationship therapist. When Lily, her little sister, announces her marriage, Poppy is forced to spend a week at the beach house to prepare for the wedding. For her, spending a week with her family is a real nightmare because of her difficult relationship with her family. Poppy is often belittled because of the job she does, especially by her mother.
The living room is shaping up to be a disaster, but never would Poppy have imagined how much her family needed a professional figure to help each of them cope with their personal difficulties. Nor would she have expected to meet a terribly sexy man on the least romantic holiday ever.
I have never read anything by Phoebe MacLeod before and I must admit I was quite surprised by her writing style: smooth, funny, romantic and super appreciative.
Contrary to what you might think, the focus of this story is not the romance but the relationship dynamics about the (rather dramatic) relationship between Poppy and her family.
Romance takes a back seat.
The characters are well characterised. Poppy is my favourite character in the story. She is a very strong and genuine character and, despite the many criticisms of her career, she does not hesitate for a moment to extend a hand and help her family. Sam is another character that I enjoyed despite the fact that, in my opinion, he appears very little. He is very sweet and terribly sexy.
The relationship that develops between the two is cute. I would have preferred more scenes with Poppy and Sam and would probably have deepened the relationship between the two more. But, as already mentioned, the romance in this story is secondary.
I can only hope for a spin-off about the two.
The story has a nice ending, a tad predictable but nice.
An (Un) Romantic Comedy is the perfect book for those looking for something light, fresh, funny and engaging.
Definitely read more by this author.
Thank you to Phoebe MacLeod, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4⭐/5
February 23, 2024
Pleasantly surprised by this book. I was fooled by the title- how can a romance novel not have the smut romance- it was very tasteful. Although it went from a light teasing nature to the morning after, without the details. It gave me the tv show, Parenthood, vibes with all the sideline stories meshing together into one. Lots of funny drama and real life moments families go through with a little cute romance plot in there.
August 20, 2024
i don’t know if it’s just because i’m on holiday and i’m really
loving reading in general again, or because it’s the perfect setting for a lot of summer romances, but i FLEW through this!! i did not expect poppy’s job to be so relevant throughout the book, especially as this was described as a rom-com, but after reading, i’d say it’s more women’s fiction, so it kind of worked. i wasn’t a huge fan of the actual romance part of this book but seeing as it was only a few scenes, my rating stands 😇.
loving reading in general again, or because it’s the perfect setting for a lot of summer romances, but i FLEW through this!! i did not expect poppy’s job to be so relevant throughout the book, especially as this was described as a rom-com, but after reading, i’d say it’s more women’s fiction, so it kind of worked. i wasn’t a huge fan of the actual romance part of this book but seeing as it was only a few scenes, my rating stands 😇.
March 11, 2025
3.75 - I actually enjoyed this book a lot, it was very easy to read and quite short (256 pages) Poppy killed me, she was so funny & at the beginning the relationships with her family really annoyed me but by the end I loved all of the characters. For a book about a sex therapist, there was literally no smut at all, which sometimes is refreshing (reading loads you become desensitized to it). I would totally read other books by this author because her content had me cackling out loud.
April 18, 2025
I really enjoyed this romance, it was so easy to read, I found it funny in places, sad in some and sweet in lots of it. It was just as much about the family drama and mending relationships between family as much as it was about the romance and I loved that. Set around a wedding so who wouldn’t love that!
May 2, 2024
Although there was comedy and wit, it really was an unromantic comedy! I really enjoyed the story and most of the characters. And I like the writing style of this book. I definitely will read more of Phoebe MacLeod!
July 2, 2023
Just a quick read while waiting for my library books to arrive, the story line was very predictable, it wasn't funny and I found myself cringing alot. I only gave it two stars for Rose, who had some funny(ish) comments towards the end. Very forgettable though, I wouldn't recommend.
July 7, 2023
a desperate prime read for the last day of holiday - just a bit old for me lmao
December 30, 2023
This book is lighthearted and funny to read for once.
March 28, 2024
Amusing easy read!
June 18, 2023
Easy holiday read. Nothing more, nothing less. The family dynamics were interesting. Not sure if I will read more of her books, but I might.
July 7, 2024
Cute little summer romance with a main character that has a not so common job but apart from that it was all quite trope based and predictable
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