The Rom Con
Devon Daniels
384 pages
Berkley
published November 7, 2023
This is a mash up of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and that group The Rules that wanted to follow old time dating rules. The vintage women in their place dating rules.
I liked the charm and the voice the author gave to the characters. This one is told from Cassidy’s POV which I don’t normally like as much as both sides, but it ended up working in this one. Cassidy, while a little wacky at times, was incredibly relatable. And I think only seeing Jack through Cassidy’s eyes added to his appeal.
I loved that Jack, even with his own demons, really stood his ground and showed her that men weren’t always the enemy. And some of the supporting characters stole the show, including Grandma. I wouldn’t mind hearing a little more from these characters.
I rooted for Cassidy and Jack to turn the journalism rivalry into a partnership and succeed together and professionally.
Anyone who is a fan of 1990s rom com movies is sure to get lost in this one.
About the book
A modern battle of the sexes about a journalist who hatches an elaborate plan to take down her industry adversary, from the author of Meet You in the Middle.
After a particularly brutal breakup, Cassidy Sutton has had it with dating. So when her grandmother gives her a 1950’s dating guide entitled 125 Tips to Hook a Husband, she decides to turn the retro advice into an ironic “What not to do” article for Siren, the popular online women’s publication she writes for. And who better to secretly test the old-fashioned tips on than Jack Bradford, chauvinistic creator of rival men’s site Brawler? She’ll write an article that will entertain female readers everywhere and embarrass their sexist nemesis at the same time. Two birds, one stone.
But her perfect plan soon proves to be anything but. Those vintage courtship tips Cassidy was so quick to poke fun at? They actually seem to work, calling her most closely-held beliefs into question. Even worse? Jack isn’t falling for any of her tricks—and it’s not long before their ‘fake’ relationship starts to feel like the realest one of her life. As her cat and mouse game starts to spiral out of control, Cassidy has to decide if she’s playing to win, or if she’s willing to lose it all for love.
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