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Romantic Comedy Series Collection #2
The Mr. Right Checklist
A free-spirited proposal planner and a grumpy professor form a hilarious and unexpected situationship that just might lead to more in this steamy romantic comedy by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster.
Dog groomer and budding marriage-proposal planner Destiny Amor believes in true love and happily ever afters. Though it’s not in the stars for her yet—honestly, who can live up to the criteria on her Mr. Right Checklist?—she wants it for others. When Destiny’s first misguided attempt at romance concierge ends in disaster, she’s ready to call it quits, until the supposed groom-to-be steps in with a proposal of his own.
Ryan “Fletch” Fletcher, a divorced-and-never-going-there-again professor, needs to get his matchmaking family off his back, and the disorganized, too-in-love-with-love proposal planner is the perfect solution. He offers to help Destiny get her business on track, if she’ll play the part of his adoring girlfriend at his brother’s wedding.
A professional situationship with her grumpy dog-grooming client? Destiny adores his pup, and she could put up with him to get her business off the ground. With any luck, she might even get that chip about love off his shoulder.
Dog groomer and budding marriage-proposal planner Destiny Amor believes in true love and happily ever afters. Though it’s not in the stars for her yet—honestly, who can live up to the criteria on her Mr. Right Checklist?—she wants it for others. When Destiny’s first misguided attempt at romance concierge ends in disaster, she’s ready to call it quits, until the supposed groom-to-be steps in with a proposal of his own.
Ryan “Fletch” Fletcher, a divorced-and-never-going-there-again professor, needs to get his matchmaking family off his back, and the disorganized, too-in-love-with-love proposal planner is the perfect solution. He offers to help Destiny get her business on track, if she’ll play the part of his adoring girlfriend at his brother’s wedding.
A professional situationship with her grumpy dog-grooming client? Destiny adores his pup, and she could put up with him to get her business off the ground. With any luck, she might even get that chip about love off his shoulder.
281 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 19, 2024
1170 people are currently reading
7955 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Foster
178 books11.8k followersNEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Never miss a release! Follow Melissa here on Amazon and sign up for her newsletter: https://MelissaFoster.com/Newsletter
Start FIVE of Melissa's series FREE in ebook format here: https://MelissaFoster.com/LIBFREE
FREE Love in Bloom Family Trees: https://MelissaFoster.com/RG
FREE Series Reading Order Checklist: https://MelissaFoster.com/SeriesCheck...
FREE Series Order Checklist by Publication Date (recommended): https://melissafoster.com/SeriesCheck...
Melissa Foster is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than 100 novels. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic, always family oriented, and feature fiercely loyal heroes, smart, sassy heroines, and complex relatable issues.
Melissa also writes sweet romance under the pen name, Addison Cole here: https://addisoncole.com
Melissa loves to hear from readers! Feel free to send her an email or chat with her on social media.
Melissa welcomes the opportunity to chat with book clubs and other reading groups.
"What sets Melissa Foster apart are her compelling characters who you care about... desperately...I dare you to read the first chapter and not be hooked." International bestseller, M.J. Rose
"Melissa Foster is a wonderful connector of readers and books, a friend of authors, and a tireless advocate for women. She is the real deal"--Author Jennie Shortridge
Never miss a release! Follow Melissa here on Amazon and sign up for her newsletter: https://MelissaFoster.com/Newsletter
Start FIVE of Melissa's series FREE in ebook format here: https://MelissaFoster.com/LIBFREE
FREE Love in Bloom Family Trees: https://MelissaFoster.com/RG
FREE Series Reading Order Checklist: https://MelissaFoster.com/SeriesCheck...
FREE Series Order Checklist by Publication Date (recommended): https://melissafoster.com/SeriesCheck...
Melissa Foster is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than 100 novels. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic, always family oriented, and feature fiercely loyal heroes, smart, sassy heroines, and complex relatable issues.
Melissa also writes sweet romance under the pen name, Addison Cole here: https://addisoncole.com
Melissa loves to hear from readers! Feel free to send her an email or chat with her on social media.
Melissa welcomes the opportunity to chat with book clubs and other reading groups.
"What sets Melissa Foster apart are her compelling characters who you care about... desperately...I dare you to read the first chapter and not be hooked." International bestseller, M.J. Rose
"Melissa Foster is a wonderful connector of readers and books, a friend of authors, and a tireless advocate for women. She is the real deal"--Author Jennie Shortridge
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 554 reviews
November 19, 2024
This book is exactly what it proclaims to be in that it's a grumpy/sunshine rom-com. This was exactly the type of book I was looking for in the moment and it fit the bill. I liked Destiny even if she did come across a bit flighty and immature. Fletch is a supportive, helpful, caring MMC even if he did spend a good portion of the book denying his feelings. I love all of the little things he did to help Destiny and just let her be herself.
The narration done by Sebastian York and Savannah Peachwood is done really well!
Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 11/19/24
The narration done by Sebastian York and Savannah Peachwood is done really well!
Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 11/19/24
March 12, 2025
Thank you Melissa Foster for sending me a couple of this book. I have finally got around to it and downloaded the audio to read along.
I absolutely loved it. This book is exactly what I needed at this time - a fun, feel-good, grumpy x sunshine, fake dating rom-com.
The characters, Destiny and Fletch, are so relatable. Their chemistry shines through.
Destiny comes across as flirty and slightly immature - but I love her! She is so outgoing and says exactly what is on her mind. Fletch is so supportive of Destiny’s proposal business, helps her achieve her goals and cares so much for her.
They both spent a majority of the book denying their feelings for each other - but those actions spoke louder. They were meant to be from the beginning.
Sebastian York and Savannah Peachwood done an excellent job at narrating. The audiobook was *chefs kiss*.
🩵 Grumpy Professor
🩵 Sunshine Proposal Planner
🩵 Fake Dating
🩵 Fur Babies
🩵 Close Proximity
I absolutely loved it. This book is exactly what I needed at this time - a fun, feel-good, grumpy x sunshine, fake dating rom-com.
The characters, Destiny and Fletch, are so relatable. Their chemistry shines through.
Destiny comes across as flirty and slightly immature - but I love her! She is so outgoing and says exactly what is on her mind. Fletch is so supportive of Destiny’s proposal business, helps her achieve her goals and cares so much for her.
They both spent a majority of the book denying their feelings for each other - but those actions spoke louder. They were meant to be from the beginning.
Sebastian York and Savannah Peachwood done an excellent job at narrating. The audiobook was *chefs kiss*.
🩵 Grumpy Professor
🩵 Sunshine Proposal Planner
🩵 Fake Dating
🩵 Fur Babies
🩵 Close Proximity
October 20, 2024
I loved it. I don't have any other words.
I've seen this book a lot recently, and when I got the chance to get my hands on it, I was not disappointed one bit. Melissa did such a great job that I want more of Destiny and Fletcher! These two characters did not fall short on their delivery, and let me just say, the meet cute? HILARIOUS
Destiny was such a strong female lead, and I loved her notebooks. She was a relatable character, and while she had her quirks, I never thought What is she thinking??? As grief stricken as she is, she truly is a ball of sunshine, but we don't forget what her real feelings are. I think that this is normally such a hard trope to do because we either get presented someone that is so overcome with their grief that it's their whole personality, or we get someone that just puts on a facade. Destiny was neither of these, thank goodness, and that is just wonderful writing imo.
Now for Fletcher, the hot professor dog daddy. I love you and your divorced thirty-year-old mentality. Honestly listening to his pov was the best part of the whole book because they way he lied to himself for 20ish chapters is crazy. He's just like me for real 🤭 I think what I loved most was that he just seemed real. He wasn't overly understanding, but he also wasn't judgmental either. He just kinda went with it and it was pure comedy.
As for the story itself? A proposal planner and a professor sounds like a disaster and terrible plot line, but it was so cute! I just wish I saw more of Fletcher's job, you know, without the crazy stalker student 🥴
Thank you so so much to NetGalley and Montlake for the eARC!
I've seen this book a lot recently, and when I got the chance to get my hands on it, I was not disappointed one bit. Melissa did such a great job that I want more of Destiny and Fletcher! These two characters did not fall short on their delivery, and let me just say, the meet cute? HILARIOUS
Destiny was such a strong female lead, and I loved her notebooks. She was a relatable character, and while she had her quirks, I never thought What is she thinking??? As grief stricken as she is, she truly is a ball of sunshine, but we don't forget what her real feelings are. I think that this is normally such a hard trope to do because we either get presented someone that is so overcome with their grief that it's their whole personality, or we get someone that just puts on a facade. Destiny was neither of these, thank goodness, and that is just wonderful writing imo.
Now for Fletcher, the hot professor dog daddy. I love you and your divorced thirty-year-old mentality. Honestly listening to his pov was the best part of the whole book because they way he lied to himself for 20ish chapters is crazy. He's just like me for real 🤭 I think what I loved most was that he just seemed real. He wasn't overly understanding, but he also wasn't judgmental either. He just kinda went with it and it was pure comedy.
As for the story itself? A proposal planner and a professor sounds like a disaster and terrible plot line, but it was so cute! I just wish I saw more of Fletcher's job, you know, without the crazy stalker student 🥴
Thank you so so much to NetGalley and Montlake for the eARC!
November 25, 2024
Loved this!
First off I love the narrators of this book!
The story was so fun. Fake dating, friends to something more, grumpy sunshine
The characters were realistic and relatable. The story drew me in from the start and I couldn't put it down.
First off I love the narrators of this book!
The story was so fun. Fake dating, friends to something more, grumpy sunshine
The characters were realistic and relatable. The story drew me in from the start and I couldn't put it down.
December 21, 2024
5 Star ReviewThe Mr Right Checklist by Melissa Foster
This was a wonderful read. Not only did I fall for our couple grumpy professor Ryan “Fletch” Fletcher and
dog groomer and budding marriage-proposal planner Destiny Amor but the story had me engaged from the first chapter.
Destiny believes in love and know she will find it one day, while Ryan has been there, done that and is now divorced. His family on the other hand are determined Ed to get him matched again and he wants to avoid it at all costs
Asking Destiny to play the role of girlfriend for his brothers wedding, neither realise what is about to unfold.
What follows is a well written, entertaining story that will have you, sighing, swooning and laughing as fake morons into more.
A little gem that I thoroughly enjoyed.
This was a wonderful read. Not only did I fall for our couple grumpy professor Ryan “Fletch” Fletcher and
dog groomer and budding marriage-proposal planner Destiny Amor but the story had me engaged from the first chapter.
Destiny believes in love and know she will find it one day, while Ryan has been there, done that and is now divorced. His family on the other hand are determined Ed to get him matched again and he wants to avoid it at all costs
Asking Destiny to play the role of girlfriend for his brothers wedding, neither realise what is about to unfold.
What follows is a well written, entertaining story that will have you, sighing, swooning and laughing as fake morons into more.
A little gem that I thoroughly enjoyed.
November 20, 2024
4 stars
The Mr. Right Checklist is a dual perspective contemporary romance. It is part of a series, but you don’t have to read in order. This book was fun, light spirited and brought just a carefree joy while reading. This book is filled with cute, adorable animals, who are silly and sweet and played a big part in the story and the romance. I just fell in love with them and wanted to open my own pet center. It sounded so fun and getting to play with the animals.
The whole checklist thing sounded silly and just there to keep love interests apart. It was redundant and kept getting mentioned so much just to keep readers and characters reminded why they can’t be together. The wedding proposal business sounds super fun and very helpful for some people, it added a fun and even more romantic element reading about additional romantic moments for other characters.
The romance was good, I liked both the main characters really well, this was a bit of grumpy sunshine trope, and a little bit of opposites attract. Overall, it was a great read, super fun, light read, and I really enjoyed it.
I received an advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.
The Mr. Right Checklist is a dual perspective contemporary romance. It is part of a series, but you don’t have to read in order. This book was fun, light spirited and brought just a carefree joy while reading. This book is filled with cute, adorable animals, who are silly and sweet and played a big part in the story and the romance. I just fell in love with them and wanted to open my own pet center. It sounded so fun and getting to play with the animals.
The whole checklist thing sounded silly and just there to keep love interests apart. It was redundant and kept getting mentioned so much just to keep readers and characters reminded why they can’t be together. The wedding proposal business sounds super fun and very helpful for some people, it added a fun and even more romantic element reading about additional romantic moments for other characters.
The romance was good, I liked both the main characters really well, this was a bit of grumpy sunshine trope, and a little bit of opposites attract. Overall, it was a great read, super fun, light read, and I really enjoyed it.
I received an advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.
October 6, 2024
2.5⭐️ ARC provided by NetGalley
I have mixed feelings about this book. While I enjoyed certain parts, there were too many moments that made me roll my eyes. The writing itself was good, but beyond that, there were several issues. For one, the beginning felt overwhelming with the introduction of so many characters and their detailed backstories. It was hard to keep track, and honestly, I’m still not sure who’s who. It felt like the side characters were written as though they had their own books, but after checking, I don’t think that’s the case. I would have preferred fewer side characters.
The first thing that threw me off was the FMC’s name. Like, I’m sorry, but what kind of name is Destiny Amor? It’s not romantic, quite the opposite actually. Her character wasn’t terrible, but the way her dialogue was written really grated on me. Also, her “dream job” was a bit absurd and hard to take seriously.
As for the MMC, he wasn’t bad either, but his stubborn refusal to commit to a relationship, especially toward the end, was frustrating. The part I disliked the most was when he “broke up” with her, only to get back together after, like, two hours ?? It was so unnecessary, and I was tempted to throw my Kindle.
Even the plot was boring. Nothing really happened. I just finished reading this book and I couldn’t tell you anything interesting about the story.
Unfortunately, I don’t think this author is for me. I won’t be reading her other books.
I have mixed feelings about this book. While I enjoyed certain parts, there were too many moments that made me roll my eyes. The writing itself was good, but beyond that, there were several issues. For one, the beginning felt overwhelming with the introduction of so many characters and their detailed backstories. It was hard to keep track, and honestly, I’m still not sure who’s who. It felt like the side characters were written as though they had their own books, but after checking, I don’t think that’s the case. I would have preferred fewer side characters.
The first thing that threw me off was the FMC’s name. Like, I’m sorry, but what kind of name is Destiny Amor? It’s not romantic, quite the opposite actually. Her character wasn’t terrible, but the way her dialogue was written really grated on me. Also, her “dream job” was a bit absurd and hard to take seriously.
As for the MMC, he wasn’t bad either, but his stubborn refusal to commit to a relationship, especially toward the end, was frustrating. The part I disliked the most was when he “broke up” with her, only to get back together after, like, two hours ?? It was so unnecessary, and I was tempted to throw my Kindle.
Even the plot was boring. Nothing really happened. I just finished reading this book and I couldn’t tell you anything interesting about the story.
Unfortunately, I don’t think this author is for me. I won’t be reading her other books.
August 13, 2025
⭐️: 3
🌶️: 4
🐾 dog groomer x dog dad
💍 proposal planning
🐾 fake dating
💍 love pessimist
🐾 grumpy/sunshine
I didn’t love nor hate this book, but simply could not connect with the characters. Destiny is a dog groomer who transplanted to a new town after some great losses in her life. She’s strong willed, determined, and most importantly a hopeless romantic with a side quest to build a marriage proposal business. Fletch is a grumpy dog dad in need of a wedding date who no longer believes in love after a failed marriage and finds himself wanting to help Destiny make her business a success.
This story had the makings of a great will-they-or-won’t-they love story, but unfortunately fell flat for me.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️= open door, multiple scenes, descriptive
♥︎ Thank you NetGalley, Montlake and Melissa Foster for the ARC of The Mr Right Checklist!
🌶️: 4
🐾 dog groomer x dog dad
💍 proposal planning
🐾 fake dating
💍 love pessimist
🐾 grumpy/sunshine
I didn’t love nor hate this book, but simply could not connect with the characters. Destiny is a dog groomer who transplanted to a new town after some great losses in her life. She’s strong willed, determined, and most importantly a hopeless romantic with a side quest to build a marriage proposal business. Fletch is a grumpy dog dad in need of a wedding date who no longer believes in love after a failed marriage and finds himself wanting to help Destiny make her business a success.
This story had the makings of a great will-they-or-won’t-they love story, but unfortunately fell flat for me.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️= open door, multiple scenes, descriptive
♥︎ Thank you NetGalley, Montlake and Melissa Foster for the ARC of The Mr Right Checklist!
February 14, 2025
2/5⭐️ 1.5/5🌶️ 2/5🎧
——• MF Small town romance 🎧
The storyline was bad, having them both look like nothing but stupid to the point of ignorance. To make matters worse he was overly obsessed his dog and she just lives in la la land, her voice/words dripping in so much sweetness that it had me believing in unicorns who fart fucking sherbet..
A little too much...
Part of Kindle Unlimited Audible
——• MF Small town romance 🎧
The storyline was bad, having them both look like nothing but stupid to the point of ignorance. To make matters worse he was overly obsessed his dog and she just lives in la la land, her voice/words dripping in so much sweetness that it had me believing in unicorns who fart fucking sherbet..
A little too much...
Part of Kindle Unlimited Audible
January 9, 2025
This was fine. It’s my first book by this author and I’m honestly interested in reading more from her. This should’ve been a five star for me. I love the whole situationship set up-I’ll help you get your business going if you be my fake date to an update coming event. Like I’ve seen in a few reviews, the weirdest part for me that pulled me slightly out of the story was our heroine. She felt a bit over the top from time to time. I respect being a lover girl but something felt a bit off. Adored the sweet little dog. The hero is a professor. I was obsessed with that.
3 star. It was fine.
3 star. It was fine.
November 24, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
This was the first book I read from Melissa Foster and I enjoyed it! Destiny was a ray of sunshine and her positive outlook was infectious. Sometimes it can definitely be a little too much though. She went through so much heartache but managed to come out on the other side. She's exactly what Fletch needed. Grumpy Gus Fletch is the sweetest man ever. His character development was great. He really opened up and his love for his dog is adorable.
Overall, The Mr. Right Checklist is a great standalone grumpy x sunshine fake dating romance. There's so much love between these two.
*Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5
This was the first book I read from Melissa Foster and I enjoyed it! Destiny was a ray of sunshine and her positive outlook was infectious. Sometimes it can definitely be a little too much though. She went through so much heartache but managed to come out on the other side. She's exactly what Fletch needed. Grumpy Gus Fletch is the sweetest man ever. His character development was great. He really opened up and his love for his dog is adorable.
Overall, The Mr. Right Checklist is a great standalone grumpy x sunshine fake dating romance. There's so much love between these two.
*Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own.
December 22, 2024
This was my first Melissa Foster book, and I absolutely devoured it!
Fletch and Destiny were funny, adorable, and all around lovable. Their chemistry was palpable and felt realistic. I love insta-lust stories, but appreciate a naturally developed relationship even more.
Fletch and Destiny were funny, adorable, and all around lovable. Their chemistry was palpable and felt realistic. I love insta-lust stories, but appreciate a naturally developed relationship even more.
December 6, 2024
The Mr. Right Checklist was a cute and funny story. Destiny has had so much heartbreak in her life but remains positive and upbeat. Fletch is a grumpy gus who doesn't believe in love. A proposal mishap forces them together, and the rest is history. Destiny shows Fletch that love is worth fighting for.
I love Melissa Foster's books, and this one is not an exception. I received this book free on netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love Melissa Foster's books, and this one is not an exception. I received this book free on netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 21, 2024
' "Fletch" and Destiny tick every box on my checklist for all the things I love in a romantic comedy. Melissa Foster flexes her writing prowess with this read that will leave your heart at its fullest by the time you turn the last page' - The British Bibliophile
Thank you to Melissa's PA, Lisa, and to Melissa for sending me an ebook Advanced Readers Copy for me to read and leave an honest review
NOTE - This review will be spoiler-free as standard, but will make reference to the book's blurb. If you wish to go into this read blind and not knowing a thing about it until you read it yourself, please scroll away from my review now :)
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⠀⠀⠀📖 A R C ⠀ R E V I E W 📖
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The Mr. Right Checklist is a standalone, romantic-comedy read by the one and only Melissa Foster. This is a standalone read with a few throwback references to one of her other book releases, Love Like Ours from her Sugar Lake series. If you come across a few familiar names, that is where you will have seen them from previously.
After A Whiskey, Wicked and a Steele, it's time to take things in a different direction with one Grumpy Gus and his Sunshine. Their pets, too. Cannot forget the mention of not one, but two adorable pets that have been included and that play a very important role in the scenes they are included in.
Destiny Amor, dog groomer by day and dreamer of becoming a marriage proposal planner, believes in the classic notion of 'true love does exist' and thus as a result, happily ever afters. Two things that despite loving them so much, aren't and don't seem to quite be on the cards for her just yet. After all, what are the chances of a man living up to every item that she has on her own Mr. Right checklist? At this moment in time, she's to help others find theirs.
Thus, the proposal planning idea blossoms further.
During her first ever go at helping someone plan their proposal, all does not go to plan. The attempt was misguided by the person who asked for her help, and the end result has Destiny wanting to call it quits on her dream career before it has even got started. Enter, Grumpy Gus. Who is he? Why, he's only the man who was about to be proposed to by the woman who hired Destiny. He, ironically, steps in to help her with a proposal of his own.
Dog groomer and budding marriage-proposal planner Destiny Amor believes in true love and happily ever afters. Though it’s not in the stars for her yet―honestly, who can live up to the criteria on her Mr. Right Checklist?―she wants it for others. When Destiny’s first misguided attempt at romance concierge ends in disaster, she’s ready to call it quits, until the supposed groom-to-be steps in with a proposal of his own.
Ryan “Fletch” Fletcher, college professor, has had his own fair share of disasters when its come to love. He's a divorcee and never plans to go down the marriage route ever again. His family missed the memo on that, as they keep attempting to set him up with someone with their matchmaking. Needing to get them off his back, the disorganized, too-in-love-with-love proposal planner that is Destiny, is just the person he needs to help him.
Offering to help get her business back on track using his knowledge and contacts, Fletch asks her if she will play the part of his date/girlfriend as he attends his brother's upcoming wedding. It's a win-win for them both. He'll get his family off his back, and she'll have the help she needs to get her dream business and career off the ground. Simple, right? Right?
Destiny and Fletch enter into the perfect 'situationship' beyond that of a dog groomer and her clients' owner. She adores his dog and is more than content to put up with his grumpy demeanour if it means that she will get her own business off the ground and up and running. If she's lucky enough, she might just about manage to get that chip off of his shoulder that he has somehow managed to glue on there, remaining steadfast.
In my review for 'Talk Wicked to Me', I said that I knew I was onto a winner of a book with that story within the first three chapters. Reading those three cemented what I knew at the end to be a solid five star read. The truth of that is somewhat echoed in this story, too. How, exactly? Well, the same reasoning applies but instead of knowing that I was onto a winner of a story within three chapters, I knew it within the first. That gut feeling was as instant as it could get and as usual, it vert rarely steers me wrong when it comes to books. Of course, final judgment had to be held out for when I'd read the entire story, but I just knew there was something special about this book from the very first page.
Fletch was a character that had so much more about him than meets the eye. He's the grumpy out of this 'grumpy x sunshine' duo, and the reason why wasn't an overly exaggerated one. Which is a good thing. Sometimes the cause behind a main character's grumpiness is a bit too far-fetched, but not with Fletch. We've not been far-Fletched, you could say. No? Okay. Fine. I just wanted to use the pun. My point however, remains true. He's a divorcee with a hang-up on love because of how things went down. Though not overly dramatic in style, he was still left jaded. Simple yet effective to build up that part of his character and backstory. I found him extremely likeable and of course, loveable, and we were all waiting for the sweetly satisfying moment when his lightbulb turned on and realised he couldn't be without Destiny. Hands down one of my top Melissa Foster men of all time.
Destiny is as she was described in the blurb and we were delivered that essence of her character throughout the story. It's nice to see a character like hers crop up once in a while, among the 'strong', 'independent' and 'no-nonsense' female heroines in romance novels. She displayed her strengths in a different way and we were able to see an actual progression with her character. She does remain with the essence of who we saw in the beginning, but by the end of the book we see who she was meant to be all along. Who doesn't love seeing a character progression? I have to give a nod to Melissa for not creating her to be a 'dumb blonde' main female character. Making destiny unorganised was perfect enough without needing to lean on a stereotype that does less for a character than it does more. I'd even go so far as to say that I saw a bit of myself in Destiny. Melissa always writes relatable characters where we can relate to them to some degree, so I was thrilled to be able to do that here. Dreamers aren't always written about in the most positive of lights in romance books, as are those who have a dream career outside of the normal ones available, or if they are harder to achieve if at a disadvantage. I can't express how much I appreciate the representation and to be able to relate to such a wonderful character in this way.
Special mention has to be made for how Melissa also handled the way Destiny dealt with her grief/prior loss before the timeline picked up with her and Fletch. Her loss happens off the page, so we didn't get to see the loss occur, but we do get to see how she deals with her grief and her reason why. As someone who has suffered loss like many others have also, I was shamed in how I dealt with a double-loss in a short space of time. I didn't know how to 'properly' grieve and deal with my loss, and was treated badly as such. Destiny's treatment was how I wish my own had been handled. I can't express how much I respect Melissa for creating Destiny's coping mechanisms and reasons for them. The support Destiny had was just right, not too much or too little, and Fletch going the extra mile is something I wish everyone who has suffered a loss could have. Small gestures like his go the biggest distance and have the biggest impact.
At the beginning of my review I said that I knew I was onto a winner of a book from the first chapter alone, but what I didn't know and am very proud to say, is just how much I would adore it by the end. Specifically, where it would rank beyond the rating we give each book. I'm very pleased to not only give this read the five stars it deserves, but to as well say that it is the latest book to join my 'top reads of 2024 list'. I will someday have a physical copy on my shelf but until then, this is where I will leave things for now. A well-earned place on a list of incredible reads.
Thank you, Melissa, for once again creating a book for us not only love but to love you even more for it.
----------------------
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📚 G E N R E S 📚
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
⠀⠀⠀↳ Romance
⠀⠀⠀↳ Romantic Comedy
⠀⠀⠀↳ Contemporary Romance
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀T R O P E S
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
⠀⠀⠀↳ Proposal mix-up
⠀⠀⠀↳ Fur babies
⠀⠀⠀↳ She has a Mr. Right Checklist
⠀⠀⠀↳ Close Proximity
⠀⠀⠀↳ Fake Dating
⠀⠀⠀↳ Grumpy x Sunshine
⠀⠀⠀↳ Professor MMC
⠀⠀⠀↳ Dog Groomer FMC
⠀⠀⠀↳ Situationship With Benefits
⠀⠀⠀↳ All The Feels
⠀⠀⠀↳ Gentleman in the streets, dirty-talker in the sheets
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
⠀ ⠀ 🌶️ S T E A M Y/S P I C Y? 🌶️
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
⠀⠀⠀↳ Hold. On. Tight!
⠀⠀⠀↳ Oh, Professor!
⠀⠀⠀↳ All. The. Surfaces!
⠀⠀⠀↳ A+ for effort!
⠀⠀⠀↳ 3.75/5 on the steam-o-meter
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀T R I G G E R S?
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
⠀⠀⠀↳ Potential trigger for parental loss/grief (spoken about, loss not shown in scenes)
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀M U S T ⠀ R E A D?
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
⠀⠀⠀↳ Yes, yes & yes again!
⠀⠀⠀↳ A book that should be on everyone's TBR
⠀⠀⠀↳ Must read
⠀⠀⠀↳ Top read of 2024
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀F O R M A T S
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
⠀⠀⠀↳ Ebook -
⠀⠀⠀↳ Paperback -
⠀⠀⠀↳ Hardcover -
⠀⠀⠀↳ Audiobook -
⠀⠀⠀↳ Melissa's Website - https://melissafoster.com
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
⠀⠀⠀F O L L O W ⠀ M E L I S S A!
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
↳ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor
⠀⠀⠀↳ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/melissafoster_author/
Thank you to Melissa's PA, Lisa, and to Melissa for sending me an ebook Advanced Readers Copy for me to read and leave an honest review
NOTE - This review will be spoiler-free as standard, but will make reference to the book's blurb. If you wish to go into this read blind and not knowing a thing about it until you read it yourself, please scroll away from my review now :)
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
⠀⠀⠀📖 A R C ⠀ R E V I E W 📖
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
The Mr. Right Checklist is a standalone, romantic-comedy read by the one and only Melissa Foster. This is a standalone read with a few throwback references to one of her other book releases, Love Like Ours from her Sugar Lake series. If you come across a few familiar names, that is where you will have seen them from previously.
After A Whiskey, Wicked and a Steele, it's time to take things in a different direction with one Grumpy Gus and his Sunshine. Their pets, too. Cannot forget the mention of not one, but two adorable pets that have been included and that play a very important role in the scenes they are included in.
Destiny Amor, dog groomer by day and dreamer of becoming a marriage proposal planner, believes in the classic notion of 'true love does exist' and thus as a result, happily ever afters. Two things that despite loving them so much, aren't and don't seem to quite be on the cards for her just yet. After all, what are the chances of a man living up to every item that she has on her own Mr. Right checklist? At this moment in time, she's to help others find theirs.
Thus, the proposal planning idea blossoms further.
During her first ever go at helping someone plan their proposal, all does not go to plan. The attempt was misguided by the person who asked for her help, and the end result has Destiny wanting to call it quits on her dream career before it has even got started. Enter, Grumpy Gus. Who is he? Why, he's only the man who was about to be proposed to by the woman who hired Destiny. He, ironically, steps in to help her with a proposal of his own.
Dog groomer and budding marriage-proposal planner Destiny Amor believes in true love and happily ever afters. Though it’s not in the stars for her yet―honestly, who can live up to the criteria on her Mr. Right Checklist?―she wants it for others. When Destiny’s first misguided attempt at romance concierge ends in disaster, she’s ready to call it quits, until the supposed groom-to-be steps in with a proposal of his own.
Ryan “Fletch” Fletcher, college professor, has had his own fair share of disasters when its come to love. He's a divorcee and never plans to go down the marriage route ever again. His family missed the memo on that, as they keep attempting to set him up with someone with their matchmaking. Needing to get them off his back, the disorganized, too-in-love-with-love proposal planner that is Destiny, is just the person he needs to help him.
Offering to help get her business back on track using his knowledge and contacts, Fletch asks her if she will play the part of his date/girlfriend as he attends his brother's upcoming wedding. It's a win-win for them both. He'll get his family off his back, and she'll have the help she needs to get her dream business and career off the ground. Simple, right? Right?
Destiny and Fletch enter into the perfect 'situationship' beyond that of a dog groomer and her clients' owner. She adores his dog and is more than content to put up with his grumpy demeanour if it means that she will get her own business off the ground and up and running. If she's lucky enough, she might just about manage to get that chip off of his shoulder that he has somehow managed to glue on there, remaining steadfast.
In my review for 'Talk Wicked to Me', I said that I knew I was onto a winner of a book with that story within the first three chapters. Reading those three cemented what I knew at the end to be a solid five star read. The truth of that is somewhat echoed in this story, too. How, exactly? Well, the same reasoning applies but instead of knowing that I was onto a winner of a story within three chapters, I knew it within the first. That gut feeling was as instant as it could get and as usual, it vert rarely steers me wrong when it comes to books. Of course, final judgment had to be held out for when I'd read the entire story, but I just knew there was something special about this book from the very first page.
Fletch was a character that had so much more about him than meets the eye. He's the grumpy out of this 'grumpy x sunshine' duo, and the reason why wasn't an overly exaggerated one. Which is a good thing. Sometimes the cause behind a main character's grumpiness is a bit too far-fetched, but not with Fletch. We've not been far-Fletched, you could say. No? Okay. Fine. I just wanted to use the pun. My point however, remains true. He's a divorcee with a hang-up on love because of how things went down. Though not overly dramatic in style, he was still left jaded. Simple yet effective to build up that part of his character and backstory. I found him extremely likeable and of course, loveable, and we were all waiting for the sweetly satisfying moment when his lightbulb turned on and realised he couldn't be without Destiny. Hands down one of my top Melissa Foster men of all time.
Destiny is as she was described in the blurb and we were delivered that essence of her character throughout the story. It's nice to see a character like hers crop up once in a while, among the 'strong', 'independent' and 'no-nonsense' female heroines in romance novels. She displayed her strengths in a different way and we were able to see an actual progression with her character. She does remain with the essence of who we saw in the beginning, but by the end of the book we see who she was meant to be all along. Who doesn't love seeing a character progression? I have to give a nod to Melissa for not creating her to be a 'dumb blonde' main female character. Making destiny unorganised was perfect enough without needing to lean on a stereotype that does less for a character than it does more. I'd even go so far as to say that I saw a bit of myself in Destiny. Melissa always writes relatable characters where we can relate to them to some degree, so I was thrilled to be able to do that here. Dreamers aren't always written about in the most positive of lights in romance books, as are those who have a dream career outside of the normal ones available, or if they are harder to achieve if at a disadvantage. I can't express how much I appreciate the representation and to be able to relate to such a wonderful character in this way.
Special mention has to be made for how Melissa also handled the way Destiny dealt with her grief/prior loss before the timeline picked up with her and Fletch. Her loss happens off the page, so we didn't get to see the loss occur, but we do get to see how she deals with her grief and her reason why. As someone who has suffered loss like many others have also, I was shamed in how I dealt with a double-loss in a short space of time. I didn't know how to 'properly' grieve and deal with my loss, and was treated badly as such. Destiny's treatment was how I wish my own had been handled. I can't express how much I respect Melissa for creating Destiny's coping mechanisms and reasons for them. The support Destiny had was just right, not too much or too little, and Fletch going the extra mile is something I wish everyone who has suffered a loss could have. Small gestures like his go the biggest distance and have the biggest impact.
At the beginning of my review I said that I knew I was onto a winner of a book from the first chapter alone, but what I didn't know and am very proud to say, is just how much I would adore it by the end. Specifically, where it would rank beyond the rating we give each book. I'm very pleased to not only give this read the five stars it deserves, but to as well say that it is the latest book to join my 'top reads of 2024 list'. I will someday have a physical copy on my shelf but until then, this is where I will leave things for now. A well-earned place on a list of incredible reads.
Thank you, Melissa, for once again creating a book for us not only love but to love you even more for it.
----------------------
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📚 G E N R E S 📚
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
⠀⠀⠀↳ Romance
⠀⠀⠀↳ Romantic Comedy
⠀⠀⠀↳ Contemporary Romance
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀T R O P E S
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
⠀⠀⠀↳ Proposal mix-up
⠀⠀⠀↳ Fur babies
⠀⠀⠀↳ She has a Mr. Right Checklist
⠀⠀⠀↳ Close Proximity
⠀⠀⠀↳ Fake Dating
⠀⠀⠀↳ Grumpy x Sunshine
⠀⠀⠀↳ Professor MMC
⠀⠀⠀↳ Dog Groomer FMC
⠀⠀⠀↳ Situationship With Benefits
⠀⠀⠀↳ All The Feels
⠀⠀⠀↳ Gentleman in the streets, dirty-talker in the sheets
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
⠀ ⠀ 🌶️ S T E A M Y/S P I C Y? 🌶️
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
⠀⠀⠀↳ Hold. On. Tight!
⠀⠀⠀↳ Oh, Professor!
⠀⠀⠀↳ All. The. Surfaces!
⠀⠀⠀↳ A+ for effort!
⠀⠀⠀↳ 3.75/5 on the steam-o-meter
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀T R I G G E R S?
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
⠀⠀⠀↳ Potential trigger for parental loss/grief (spoken about, loss not shown in scenes)
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀M U S T ⠀ R E A D?
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
⠀⠀⠀↳ Yes, yes & yes again!
⠀⠀⠀↳ A book that should be on everyone's TBR
⠀⠀⠀↳ Must read
⠀⠀⠀↳ Top read of 2024
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀F O R M A T S
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
⠀⠀⠀↳ Ebook -
⠀⠀⠀↳ Paperback -
⠀⠀⠀↳ Hardcover -
⠀⠀⠀↳ Audiobook -
⠀⠀⠀↳ Melissa's Website - https://melissafoster.com
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
⠀⠀⠀F O L L O W ⠀ M E L I S S A!
┗━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┛
↳ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor
⠀⠀⠀↳ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/melissafoster_author/
November 23, 2024
I have been a fan of Ms Foster's work for a while but with this read I have mixed feelings.
In this new story, Destiny starts her new proposal business and restarts her life after the death of her father in a new town with new friends. She meets the grumpy professor Ryan when her first client's proposal goes off the rails. In a moment of kindness, Ryan helps Destiny with getting her business organized and off the ground only more happens between the pair.
My first issue and it has been an issue in other books of Ms Foster's is that there are a lot of supporting characters that seem to be introduced all at once at the beginning of the story since after a while they are all interconnected. With this right off the bat, it can be a turn off as it does get confusing trying to keep track of all of the characters.
My next issue with this story is that I felt that Destiny was a little naive with her business. Who does not think of contracts or insurance when starting a business??? This is before we even discuss the events that happen with her first client and let's not get me started there. She put a lot of work into creating an unrealistic list of the perfect man for her but not a business that will eventually support her?? I could go on here for a while but I will not and this is before I get to all of the good deeds that she feels she must do for others - don't get me wrong good deeds are good but when they are constant they make me question if they are genuine.
Now onto the hero. Mr Grumpy was wayyyy too nice in this situation after the events of that first client of Destiny's. Even though he knows her from the dog grooming place he just steps in to help solve her problems even after having previous interactions with her with his beloved pet when she wouldn't follow client directions (making me question her customer service also). He spends a lot of time not wanting to be in a relationship but doing relationship things for her - pick a lane man!!
The chemistry between the characters was undeniable but the plot of the story was pretty dull. I had a hard time wanting to finish the story because I could not believe someone could be as naive as Destiny and still be at times considered a functioning adult.
Overall, I don't think this was the story for me.
In this new story, Destiny starts her new proposal business and restarts her life after the death of her father in a new town with new friends. She meets the grumpy professor Ryan when her first client's proposal goes off the rails. In a moment of kindness, Ryan helps Destiny with getting her business organized and off the ground only more happens between the pair.
My first issue and it has been an issue in other books of Ms Foster's is that there are a lot of supporting characters that seem to be introduced all at once at the beginning of the story since after a while they are all interconnected. With this right off the bat, it can be a turn off as it does get confusing trying to keep track of all of the characters.
My next issue with this story is that I felt that Destiny was a little naive with her business. Who does not think of contracts or insurance when starting a business??? This is before we even discuss the events that happen with her first client and let's not get me started there. She put a lot of work into creating an unrealistic list of the perfect man for her but not a business that will eventually support her?? I could go on here for a while but I will not and this is before I get to all of the good deeds that she feels she must do for others - don't get me wrong good deeds are good but when they are constant they make me question if they are genuine.
Now onto the hero. Mr Grumpy was wayyyy too nice in this situation after the events of that first client of Destiny's. Even though he knows her from the dog grooming place he just steps in to help solve her problems even after having previous interactions with her with his beloved pet when she wouldn't follow client directions (making me question her customer service also). He spends a lot of time not wanting to be in a relationship but doing relationship things for her - pick a lane man!!
The chemistry between the characters was undeniable but the plot of the story was pretty dull. I had a hard time wanting to finish the story because I could not believe someone could be as naive as Destiny and still be at times considered a functioning adult.
Overall, I don't think this was the story for me.
December 19, 2024
I have mixed feelings about this book. While the story was charming and had its cute moments, there were several parts that made me roll my eyes—especially the scene with Arjun, Destiny's first client, and the elaborate proposal setup. so Destiny could observe the proposal in real-time from a distance. That part was okay, but then he bought her a telescope. Really? As if that wasn’t enough, he surprised her by naming two stars after her parents. Seriously? And then capped it off with a necklace. It was just too much. Come onnnnn.
Destiny reminded me a lot of Georgia from Ginny and Georgia—blonde, pretty, talkative, with a Southern drawl—but without the whole manipulating and killing. Fletch was a typical misunderstood nice guy. Too nice if I'm being honest, going out of his way to involve everyone he knew in helping Destiny get her business off the ground.
Not to mention the very last part of the book, where Fletch pretty much dumped Destiny for 2 whole minutes before realizing his mistake; I felt that was unnecessary.
What I did like, though, was Destiny realizing Fletch's qualities which she had yet to include in her list. Her constant talking to her dad also added a sweet touch to the story.
Destiny reminded me a lot of Georgia from Ginny and Georgia—blonde, pretty, talkative, with a Southern drawl—but without the whole manipulating and killing. Fletch was a typical misunderstood nice guy. Too nice if I'm being honest, going out of his way to involve everyone he knew in helping Destiny get her business off the ground.
Not to mention the very last part of the book, where Fletch pretty much dumped Destiny for 2 whole minutes before realizing his mistake; I felt that was unnecessary.
What I did like, though, was Destiny realizing Fletch's qualities which she had yet to include in her list. Her constant talking to her dad also added a sweet touch to the story.
December 16, 2024
Whew. That was painful. I DNFed this one 😬 it’s too chick-lit-y with an annoyingly happy heroine that comes across as some exuberant 7 yo child. Just…no. Gave up at 30%.
February 10, 2025
The Mr. Right Checklist features the tropes of opposites attract, found family, grumpy sunshine. Foster skillfully creates a delightful, steamy romantic comedy that will have readers laughing out loud while taking them on a heartwarming journey.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Mr. Right Checklist. Whenever I read one of Melissa Foster's books, I know I am in for a treat, and this one did not disappoint. The Mr. Right Checklist highlighted the author's versatility as a writer, taking a different direction from her usual works. This time, she went the route of a romantic comedy featuring a grumpy hero and a heroine who is all sunshine.
Meet Destiny Amor and Ryan Fletcher. Destiny works as a dog groomer with her best friend. However, she aspires to become a marriage proposal planner. Despite the tragedy that befell her in the past, she remains a firm believer in the magic of true love and dreams of one day finding her Mr. Right. She even has a list of the attributes her ideal partner must possess. However, to date, she has yet to find a man who checks all the boxes on her list.
She landed her first client, and just when she thought everything was going well, it blew up in her face. Then enters Ryan, the man who will help her get business off the ground and who needs a fake girlfriend to get his family off his back. Ryan, a college professor, knows what it is to have love and lost. A divorcee who has been burned and is not interested in walking that path ever again. His family, however, had other ideas. So, helping Destiny with her business plan in exchange for being his fake girlfriend was a win-win situation After all, he didn't her criteria for Mr. Right, and there was no chance of him falling for her.
The story that developed from this scenario was entertaining and heartwarming. Seeing that they were not each other's type they had no expectations of falling in love with each other. Fate, however, had different plans. The more time they spent together, the harder they fell for each other. Their attempts at resisting the attraction between them made for some interesting and lighthearted moments.
Ryan and Destiny were wonderful characters. It was a joy getting to know them. They epitomized the quote opposite attract. Destiny with her firecracker and positive attitude complemented Ryan's grumpy and serious persona. She brought out his charming and romantic side. They bought laughter and emotional moments to the story. The secondary characters, some of whom I had the pleasure to meet in previous books added depth. Like all those of Foster's books family and friendships played a central role.
Sebastian York and Savannah Peachwood delivered an outstanding narration of the story. They immersed the listener, enabling a full experience of every emotion portrayed. Their depiction of the characters was flawless, and their voices complemented each other perfectly.
Readers in search of a sexy and hilarious story featuring a grumpy professor and the firecracker heroine who brought him to his knees, will absolutely love "The Mr. Right Checklist." This novel offers a perfect blend of humor, romance, and chemistry that will keep you hooked from start to finish. This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading
I thoroughly enjoyed The Mr. Right Checklist. Whenever I read one of Melissa Foster's books, I know I am in for a treat, and this one did not disappoint. The Mr. Right Checklist highlighted the author's versatility as a writer, taking a different direction from her usual works. This time, she went the route of a romantic comedy featuring a grumpy hero and a heroine who is all sunshine.
Meet Destiny Amor and Ryan Fletcher. Destiny works as a dog groomer with her best friend. However, she aspires to become a marriage proposal planner. Despite the tragedy that befell her in the past, she remains a firm believer in the magic of true love and dreams of one day finding her Mr. Right. She even has a list of the attributes her ideal partner must possess. However, to date, she has yet to find a man who checks all the boxes on her list.
She landed her first client, and just when she thought everything was going well, it blew up in her face. Then enters Ryan, the man who will help her get business off the ground and who needs a fake girlfriend to get his family off his back. Ryan, a college professor, knows what it is to have love and lost. A divorcee who has been burned and is not interested in walking that path ever again. His family, however, had other ideas. So, helping Destiny with her business plan in exchange for being his fake girlfriend was a win-win situation After all, he didn't her criteria for Mr. Right, and there was no chance of him falling for her.
The story that developed from this scenario was entertaining and heartwarming. Seeing that they were not each other's type they had no expectations of falling in love with each other. Fate, however, had different plans. The more time they spent together, the harder they fell for each other. Their attempts at resisting the attraction between them made for some interesting and lighthearted moments.
Ryan and Destiny were wonderful characters. It was a joy getting to know them. They epitomized the quote opposite attract. Destiny with her firecracker and positive attitude complemented Ryan's grumpy and serious persona. She brought out his charming and romantic side. They bought laughter and emotional moments to the story. The secondary characters, some of whom I had the pleasure to meet in previous books added depth. Like all those of Foster's books family and friendships played a central role.
Sebastian York and Savannah Peachwood delivered an outstanding narration of the story. They immersed the listener, enabling a full experience of every emotion portrayed. Their depiction of the characters was flawless, and their voices complemented each other perfectly.
Readers in search of a sexy and hilarious story featuring a grumpy professor and the firecracker heroine who brought him to his knees, will absolutely love "The Mr. Right Checklist." This novel offers a perfect blend of humor, romance, and chemistry that will keep you hooked from start to finish. This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading
November 9, 2024
4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Tropes:
🩶small town
🩷grumpy x sunshine
🩶 fake dating
🩷friends to lovers
🩶opportunities attract
🩷 rom-com
🩶dual First person POV
🩷meet cute .. sorta 😆
This is not my first book by Melissa Foster, but it might just be one of my favorite books by her. The Mr Right Check list was one I could not put down and just wanted to keep reading. I definitely needed the palette cleansing story of Destiny and Ryan “Fletch”.
The Fmc, Destiny Amor has just moved to town a few months ago to be close to her best friend, as she has no family left. Destiny is working with her friend as a dog groomer. This is not truly what she dreams of doing, she wants to open a marriage proposal business. Destiny, even with the loss she’s experienced in her life walks around breathing sunshine and rainbows into others lives. She adores her 4 legged friends, especially Molly, who belongs to a man she has nicknamed Grumpy Gus.
The MMC, Ryan “Fletch” Fletcher is a hot professor, who after his divorce has given up on love. He has become a rather grumpy person, thus earning the nickname of “grumpy Gus “ from Destiny. When an event she planned, ends up a disaster, he decides to help Destiny with her business and in return she'll help him by being a date to his brother's upcoming wedding.
What neither of them plan for is this fake friendship to become more real than either anticipated. But…Fletcher doesn't check off any boxes on her Mr. Right Checklist. Will they give each other a real chance at love? Will Fletch stop being so closed off to love? Will Destiny throw away her list and realize it’s the little things in love that mean the most?
I’m a fan of Melissa’s work but for me this book was so good, and I was not ready for this story to end. It was such a fun book to read with plenty of laughs, some tearing up moments, and the side characters and antics were great.
Another hit from Melissa
Tropes:
🩶small town
🩷grumpy x sunshine
🩶 fake dating
🩷friends to lovers
🩶opportunities attract
🩷 rom-com
🩶dual First person POV
🩷meet cute .. sorta 😆
This is not my first book by Melissa Foster, but it might just be one of my favorite books by her. The Mr Right Check list was one I could not put down and just wanted to keep reading. I definitely needed the palette cleansing story of Destiny and Ryan “Fletch”.
The Fmc, Destiny Amor has just moved to town a few months ago to be close to her best friend, as she has no family left. Destiny is working with her friend as a dog groomer. This is not truly what she dreams of doing, she wants to open a marriage proposal business. Destiny, even with the loss she’s experienced in her life walks around breathing sunshine and rainbows into others lives. She adores her 4 legged friends, especially Molly, who belongs to a man she has nicknamed Grumpy Gus.
The MMC, Ryan “Fletch” Fletcher is a hot professor, who after his divorce has given up on love. He has become a rather grumpy person, thus earning the nickname of “grumpy Gus “ from Destiny. When an event she planned, ends up a disaster, he decides to help Destiny with her business and in return she'll help him by being a date to his brother's upcoming wedding.
What neither of them plan for is this fake friendship to become more real than either anticipated. But…Fletcher doesn't check off any boxes on her Mr. Right Checklist. Will they give each other a real chance at love? Will Fletch stop being so closed off to love? Will Destiny throw away her list and realize it’s the little things in love that mean the most?
I’m a fan of Melissa’s work but for me this book was so good, and I was not ready for this story to end. It was such a fun book to read with plenty of laughs, some tearing up moments, and the side characters and antics were great.
Another hit from Melissa
November 8, 2024
The Mr Right Checklist, checked all my boxes. This was the book I didn't know I needed right now, it got me out of the little funk I was in. It was absolutely charming, adorable, sweet, spicy, heartfelt, emotional, romantic, it truly encompassed everything I look for in a romance book. I was absolutely hooked straight from the start, the characters were so endearing and loveable, add on some freaking adorable pets and I was an absolute goner. For me the love story and every little thing encompassed, the little attentions, all the details Melissa put into this book made for a masterpiece of a romance.
Destiny is an absolute joy, a little firecracker, I adored her with all my heart. She was so easy to love, to empathize for, she went through some hard things but she pushed through. Ryan “Fletch” is the epitome of a grumpy hero, but absolutely charming and oh so sexy, impossible not to fall for. Their chemistry was absolutely off the charts, the way Melissa created their romance and made it blossom was absolute chef's kiss. All the little subtle ways they show each other they care and love one another is the most beautiful thing. There were so many spectacular moments between these two, I even had teary eyes at some point.
There's a lot I could say, it truly just warmed my heart in the most perfect way. I just fell in love with Melissa's writing and her amazing storytelling skills. I can say this is not my last book I will be reading by her!
🎧 The narration by Sebastian York & Savannah Peachwood was phenomenal. They brought these characters to life in the best ways. I felt every emotion, every tear, every fear, every joy. I absolutely loved everything about their performance.
✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @brilliance & @melissafoster for my gifted ARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Destiny is an absolute joy, a little firecracker, I adored her with all my heart. She was so easy to love, to empathize for, she went through some hard things but she pushed through. Ryan “Fletch” is the epitome of a grumpy hero, but absolutely charming and oh so sexy, impossible not to fall for. Their chemistry was absolutely off the charts, the way Melissa created their romance and made it blossom was absolute chef's kiss. All the little subtle ways they show each other they care and love one another is the most beautiful thing. There were so many spectacular moments between these two, I even had teary eyes at some point.
There's a lot I could say, it truly just warmed my heart in the most perfect way. I just fell in love with Melissa's writing and her amazing storytelling skills. I can say this is not my last book I will be reading by her!
🎧 The narration by Sebastian York & Savannah Peachwood was phenomenal. They brought these characters to life in the best ways. I felt every emotion, every tear, every fear, every joy. I absolutely loved everything about their performance.
✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @brilliance & @melissafoster for my gifted ARC & ALC in exchange for an honest review.
December 4, 2024
🎧𝗔𝗟𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 -𝗠𝗥. 𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧
⏳𝟬𝟴𝗛 𝟭𝟬𝗠
🎙️𝗦𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸 & 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗵 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱
💕ɢʀᴜᴍᴘʏ x ꜱᴜɴꜱʜɪɴᴇ
🐶ꜰᴀᴋᴇ ᴅᴀᴛɪɴɢ
💕ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀꜱ
🐶ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ ᴡ/ ʙᴇɴᴇꜰɪᴛꜱ
💓𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲: 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 ☀️
💭Destiny Amor loves love, so it makes sense for her to start a business to help people plan their wedding proposals. But her first gig? Well, it ends with a scorching kiss and, believe it or not, a restraining order (not for her, but still), yikes!
✅This was such a fun grumpy/sunshine romance, Destiny's bright and bubbly personality is infectious, and I couldn't help but grin every time Fletch called her "Sunshine" (how adorable is that?). Fletch is such a grump, a divorcee who’s lost faith in love. Meanwhile, Destiny is on a mission to find her Mr. Right, armed with lists of what makes the perfect man. Their friendship evolves into f*ck buddy, since they have such opposite takes on relationships. But let's be real, we all know they're destined to fall head over heels.
✨We also have some fake dating thrown in, which made this so much fun. And their pets! Especially Molly, the wild Bernese Mountain Dog, she had me laughing out loud with her antics. If you're a fan of the Grumpy/Sunshine and Friends to Lovers tropes, this rom-com is definitely for you.
🎧Savannah and Sebastian just bring Destiny and Fletch’s character to life in the most endearing way. They're already two of my favorite narrators, so listening to them in this audiobook was an absolute delight!
𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: 𝟰⭐️ | 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲: 𝟯🌶️ | 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝟱🎧
🎧𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐊𝐔 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
✨ 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 NETGALLEY & BRILLIANCE AUDIO 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚒𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝙰𝙻𝙲, 𝙸'𝚖 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚢 ✨
October 14, 2024
~ When the Grumpy-Sunshine trope is done right
This book is about a girl named Destiny (a Dog groomer and marriage proposal planner) who gets into a contract relationship with a guy named Ryan (Fletch), a university professor.
I devoured this book in two days. I couldn't put it down and was hooked on the plot and characters. The main characters were lovable. The side characters Fletch's family and friends were very supportive and didn't create any unnecessary issues. There is no third act break up. They did go through some miscommunication but it was short-lived as they patched things up quickly. Molly and Clementine added happiness sprinkles to the book.
Overall this book was excellent and the writing is also fast-paced. I'll surely reread it.
I liked the Author's writing style and I'll surely check out her other books.
I will recommend this book to everyone who likes pets in a book, a fake-dating trope, and grumpy guy (not so grumpy), and a cheerful girl who never fails to make her surrounding people smile.
This is an ARC read which is exchanged with an honest review.
This book is about a girl named Destiny (a Dog groomer and marriage proposal planner) who gets into a contract relationship with a guy named Ryan (Fletch), a university professor.
I devoured this book in two days. I couldn't put it down and was hooked on the plot and characters. The main characters were lovable. The side characters Fletch's family and friends were very supportive and didn't create any unnecessary issues. There is no third act break up. They did go through some miscommunication but it was short-lived as they patched things up quickly. Molly and Clementine added happiness sprinkles to the book.
Overall this book was excellent and the writing is also fast-paced. I'll surely reread it.
I liked the Author's writing style and I'll surely check out her other books.
I will recommend this book to everyone who likes pets in a book, a fake-dating trope, and grumpy guy (not so grumpy), and a cheerful girl who never fails to make her surrounding people smile.
This is an ARC read which is exchanged with an honest review.
November 19, 2024
If you're looking for a book filled with steam and laugh-out-loud moments, look no further because Melissa Foster delivers both in her newest release, THE MR. RIGHT CHECKLIST. The title alone had me laughing. Do some women have a checklist to measure their prospective dates? We have all heard the phrase Tall, Dark, and Handsome, but what about personality and the way he treats you? Well, Destiny Amor has what she believes her perfect man should be all written down in a notebook, and the things she had listed, while they made sense, had me laughing.
𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 ➡ https://bit.ly/NBReviewTMRC
**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with Books
You can find me here: Nadine Bookaholic's Links
𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 ➡ https://bit.ly/NBReviewTMRC
**I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with BooksYou can find me here: Nadine Bookaholic's Links
November 18, 2024
I really, really enjoyed this opposites attract, grumpy sunshine, friends to lovers, fake dating romance between Ryan 'Fletch,' a hot divorced professor and his dog groomer, Destiny who is trying to start up a marriage proposal business but needs a lot of help. Fletch offers to help Destiny get her ducks in a row if she'll help him by posing as his girlfriend at his brother's wedding. The more time they spend together, the more they fall but will Fletch be willing to take another chance on love and can Destiny reconcile her perfect man checklist to match him? LOVED THIS one!! It was great on audio, had a fantastic cast of characters, fun pet sidekicks, lots of swoony moments and steamy scenes. 10/10 recommend. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
June 1, 2024
The Mr. Right Checklist, written by Melissa Foster, is a fake-dating, grumpy/sunshine, romantic comedy title.
Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Romance
Destiny (FMC)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dig groomer and proposal planner
Ryan “Fletch” (MMC)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Professor
This is my first book by this author and it is a great read! No spoilers but readers will love how Destiny handled Ryan’s “proposal” that she was hired to create!!
I love a good rom-com and this truly fit the bill! Looking forward to reading the other series from this author.
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, and the author, for the opportunity to read and review this title.
Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Romance
Destiny (FMC)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dig groomer and proposal planner
Ryan “Fletch” (MMC)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Professor
This is my first book by this author and it is a great read! No spoilers but readers will love how Destiny handled Ryan’s “proposal” that she was hired to create!!
I love a good rom-com and this truly fit the bill! Looking forward to reading the other series from this author.
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, and the author, for the opportunity to read and review this title.
August 7, 2025
4/5 ⭐️
I almost cried a dozen times, and let me tell you, they were the kind of tears that could water a small garden. This story was a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with laugh out loud moments and enough grief to make a soap opera jealous. Picture this a man reading her mom’s favorite book to her, naming stars after her deceased parents, and sending her her favorite flowers the ones her dad used to bring when he was alive. He even danced with her in the rain, just like she used to do with her mom. Ryan might have been a bit rough around the edges, but he polished up like a diamond. Destiny found her Mr. Right, and it was perfect.
I almost cried a dozen times, and let me tell you, they were the kind of tears that could water a small garden. This story was a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with laugh out loud moments and enough grief to make a soap opera jealous. Picture this a man reading her mom’s favorite book to her, naming stars after her deceased parents, and sending her her favorite flowers the ones her dad used to bring when he was alive. He even danced with her in the rain, just like she used to do with her mom. Ryan might have been a bit rough around the edges, but he polished up like a diamond. Destiny found her Mr. Right, and it was perfect.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2024
This book is the definition of “To be loved is to be seen”. I was looking for a cutesy rom-com that i could listen to and not really invest myself into. Instead i find this unexpected MASTERPIECE. I only listed to the first 30% and then i switched to reading it because i could not go to sleep without knowing how it ended!
It’s a spicy sweet, grumpy-sunshine, fake dating devourable romance that i didn’t know i needed! I’m a baby and sobbed towards the end because it was so freaking cute. If this is my last book of 2024, i will be totally okay with that!
Melissa Foster just gained a new fan!
It’s a spicy sweet, grumpy-sunshine, fake dating devourable romance that i didn’t know i needed! I’m a baby and sobbed towards the end because it was so freaking cute. If this is my last book of 2024, i will be totally okay with that!
Melissa Foster just gained a new fan!
November 12, 2024
3.5
Grumpy dog owner & professor
Sunshine dog groomer & proposal planner
Small Town
Fake Dating
Meet cute -ish
Rom com
Short third act breakup
Dual 1st pov
This was cute but had one too many things that irked me and took me out of the story. First our MMC had FOUR names he was called by. How on earth do I keep things straight when he gets called 4 different things?! Especially when we are getting backstory on multiple side characters as well.
We get TWO meet cutes... I think we could have done with one.
I appreciated the third act breakup being very short.
Audio by Sebastian York and Savannah Peachwood is done really well! My favorite part!
Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing Brilliance Audio for the ALC.
Grumpy dog owner & professor
Sunshine dog groomer & proposal planner
Small Town
Fake Dating
Meet cute -ish
Rom com
Short third act breakup
Dual 1st pov
This was cute but had one too many things that irked me and took me out of the story. First our MMC had FOUR names he was called by. How on earth do I keep things straight when he gets called 4 different things?! Especially when we are getting backstory on multiple side characters as well.
We get TWO meet cutes... I think we could have done with one.
I appreciated the third act breakup being very short.
Audio by Sebastian York and Savannah Peachwood is done really well! My favorite part!
Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing Brilliance Audio for the ALC.
November 27, 2024
Melissa Foster nous propose une romance contemporaine très drôle avec deux personnages attachants : un grumpy qui gagne à être connu et une sunshine telle qu'on se l'imagine et que vous ne pourrez qu'aimer.
Bien que one-shot, on retrouve des personnages croisés dans d'autres séries de Melissa Foster et dont on aimerait avoir les histoires pour certains. Comme toujours, elle a le don en quelques lignes de nous capter, de nous surprendre (cette fois, j'ai beaucoup ri) et nous faire nous attacher à ses personnages qu'on aimerait beaucoup avoir comme amis.
Malgré un début compliqué et un raté, Flech et Destiny vont s'aider mutuellement en prétendant être en couple mais... s'ils aspirent à des vies différentes, le fait de passer du temps ensemble pourrait bien remanier les cartes et trouver le bonheur ensemble.
Bref, à vous d'aller lire cette jolie histoire entre un homme qui ne veut plus aimer et une jeune femme qui ne vit que pour l'amour, au point d'en faire son métier. Vous rajoutez une chienne qui va jouer les cupidons canins, des frères, des amis et vous avez, comme toujours, un roman réussi.
chronique complète ici : https://solysbooks.blogspot.com/2024/...
Bien que one-shot, on retrouve des personnages croisés dans d'autres séries de Melissa Foster et dont on aimerait avoir les histoires pour certains. Comme toujours, elle a le don en quelques lignes de nous capter, de nous surprendre (cette fois, j'ai beaucoup ri) et nous faire nous attacher à ses personnages qu'on aimerait beaucoup avoir comme amis.
Malgré un début compliqué et un raté, Flech et Destiny vont s'aider mutuellement en prétendant être en couple mais... s'ils aspirent à des vies différentes, le fait de passer du temps ensemble pourrait bien remanier les cartes et trouver le bonheur ensemble.
Bref, à vous d'aller lire cette jolie histoire entre un homme qui ne veut plus aimer et une jeune femme qui ne vit que pour l'amour, au point d'en faire son métier. Vous rajoutez une chienne qui va jouer les cupidons canins, des frères, des amis et vous avez, comme toujours, un roman réussi.
chronique complète ici : https://solysbooks.blogspot.com/2024/...
December 19, 2024
Funny, loving & lovely story well worth a read
Loved this book from page one, it's all that a relationship should be, laughed & cried throughout. Great read for all romantics out there
Loved this book from page one, it's all that a relationship should be, laughed & cried throughout. Great read for all romantics out there
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