The Love Study
A New Adult Romance
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3.6 • 9 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
"[A] warmly appealing romance." —BookPage
What happens when the search for the perfect date goes perfectly wrong?
Declan has commitment issues. He’s been an office temp for literally years now, and his friends delight in telling people that he left his last boyfriend at the altar.
And that’s all true. But he’s starting to think it’s time to start working on his issues. Maybe.
When Declan meets Sidney—a popular nonbinary YouTuber with an advice show—an opportunity presents itself: as part of The Love Study, Declan will go on a series of dates arranged by Sidney and report back on how the date went in the next episode.
The dates are…sort of blah. It’s not Sidney’s fault; the folks participating are (mostly) great people, but there’s no chemistry there. Maybe Declan’s just broken.
Or maybe the problem is that the only person he’s feeling chemistry with is Sidney.
Carina Adores is home to romantic love stories where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters.
The Love Study
Book 1: The Love Study
Book 2: The Hate Project
Book 3: The Life Revamp
Also by Kris Ripper:
Book Boyfriend
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A new couple navigate relationship issues in this delightful series launch from Ripper (Gun for Hire). It's been six years since 28-year-old commitment-phobe Declan Swick-Smith left his fianc at the altar, and he still shies away from dating. Then he meets Sidney, a genderqueer YouTuber with a popular advice channel who offers to set up Declan on dates and have him come on the show to discuss them. Declan agrees, leading to disappointing dates with a woman who's reluctant to share her interests; a bland, overly traditional man; and a bubbly woman who pushes Declan to consider what everyone in the show's audience already knows that Declan has a major crush on Sidney. During a livestream, Declan awkwardly expresses his feelings to Sidney (who harbors their own concerns about relationships), and the pair start casually dating, much to the delight of Declan's supportive group of queer friends. The reserved Sidney strikes a winning balance with the often rambling Declan, and Ripper sensitively handles both of their relationship issues, steering the pair toward a unique happy ending. Though some readers will long for higher stakes, the casual queerness of the cast and no-fuss treatment of Sidney's nonbinary pronouns is so refreshing that many won't mind the lack of conflict. This is a sweet treat.
Customer Reviews
Excellent Read!
I loved this book! It was so satisfying to read about a non-binary love interest, and I thought the chemistry was great. I also appreciated the portrayal of anxiety, and the idea that we get to define the parameters of our relationships ourselves based on what we want/need, rather than what is expected. A great story about love and dating.