I should’ve worn underwear that day. 

I’d have far less hate mail in my I inbox. I’d also still have a job. 

But I didn’t wear underwear. And I had a wardrobe malfunction on a livestream. 

So now I’m the proud owner of the internet’s most famous… you know. 

The good news? I’ve been invited to hide from my sudden infamy at a closed winery with other women who’ve suffered their own five minutes of shame. 

The bad news? The winery has a live-in handyman. 

A competent, compassionate, patient, sexy, single dad handyman. 

Whom I met when I punched him in the face. 

Accidentally, of course. But I still get why he’s happy keeping his distance from me. 

But when we find out the winery that’s saving my life is in danger of foreclosure, he and I become accidental partners. 

No big deal, working with a guy that I’m falling harder for each day. 

I’m already the internet’s favorite punching bag. Why not add an unrequited crush to my life? 

But what if it’s not unrequited after all? 

From USA Today and Amazon #1 Bestselling Author Pippa Grant comes a funny, heartwarming, swoony romance perfect for readers who love protective book boyfriends, found sisterhoods, slow burns, epically awkward meet-cutes, and love conquering all. 

Content note: This book contains toxic family and references to bullying, suicide, abuse, and the off-page cancer death of the hero’s first wife several years before the story begins. 

My Review

This story begins in a very interesting way, nothing quite like becoming a viral sensation for all the wrong reasons. The humiliation Cricket experienced continues to affect her sense of security and self-worth. She relies on mantras to help her get through basic daily tasks, and even something as simple as taking a shower can trigger a panic attack. Once you learn what happened, it’s easy to understand why. It’s the kind of situation that would be humiliating for anyone, and it completely changes the course of her life.

Seeking refuge from the spotlight, Cricket leaves Chicago behind and heads to Sonoma County, California, where she hides away at a winery.

Enter Heath: single father, handyman, and devoted cat dad. He immediately stood out to me as a character. The fact that Cricket finds herself in yet another embarrassing situation with him watching was both awkward and amusing. Heath’s daughter, Lavender, adds a lot of charm to the story, and I enjoyed their family dynamic from the beginning.

The winery itself is part of a commune that serves as a safe haven for women recovering from unwanted viral fame and internet notoriety. It’s an unusual concept, but also an intriguing one. Heath has his own complicated past, including the loss of his wife, who was involved in social media before her death. Readers should pay attention to the content warnings, as both Cricket and Heath’s histories touch on topics that may be triggering for some.

This book features a large cast of characters. While Cricket and Heath are obviously the focus, there are many supporting characters who play important roles within the commune. The setting itself is picturesque, with grapevines, tiny houses, and a close-knit community atmosphere. Things become even more complicated when Cricket and Heath are forced into close proximity and end up sharing Heath’s cottage.

One thing I found myself wondering throughout the story was whether this was truly Cricket’s story or Heath’s. Heath’s backstory is explored extensively and is revisited frequently. While his journey is compelling, there were times when it overshadowed Cricket’s development. His perspective as the only man living within this predominantly female community was interesting, and I often found myself sympathizing with him.

Cricket’s personality was more difficult for me to connect with. At times she is shy and withdrawn, while at other moments she is loud, dramatic, and impulsive. Unfortunately, I struggled with her character for much of the book. The audiobook version, in particular, made this difficult for me. I found myself rolling my eyes at many of her reactions and internal monologues. While the story is marketed as a rom-com, the humor rarely landed for me, and I found myself far more invested in the storyline than the comedy.

I eventually switched from audio to ebook, and reading the story worked much better for me. While the audiobook was faster, I found the physical reading experience helped soften some of my frustrations with the main character.

As the story progresses, Cricket’s emotional vulnerability begins to evolve into something closer to determination and even a bit of righteous anger. While I can’t say I would have handled things the way she did, I appreciated seeing her fight back and begin reclaiming parts of herself.

The story explores many themes, including self-worth, healing, family trauma, online culture, friendship, grief, and personal growth. Sometimes there were so many emotional threads competing for attention that the romance felt buried beneath the drama. While I appreciated the realistic portrayal of insecurities and human flaws, the overall level of drama occasionally felt overwhelming.

Eventually, the romance begins to take center stage as Heath finally confronts his feelings. The chemistry between them grows stronger, and the tension that had been building finally pays off. I especially enjoyed Heath’s relationship with Lavender and the found family elements woven throughout the story.

However, just when things begin to settle, more drama arrives. Every corner of this story seems packed with emotional conflict, misunderstandings, family issues, and personal struggles. At times it felt almost soap opera level dramatic. While the healing journeys of both Heath and Cricket kept me invested, I never fully connected with either character on a deeper level.

For me, this ultimately landed as a three star read. The storyline was compelling enough to keep me reading, but I never found it completely engrossing. I appreciated the found family themes, the small-town atmosphere, the unique premise, and the cast of audiobook narrators. The internet and viral fame storyline also felt very relevant to modern culture.

That said, the humor often didn’t work for me, and there were simply too many moments where I found myself frustrated with the characters rather than rooting for them. I did enjoy the chapter titles, and Heath, Cricket, and Lavender eventually form a family unit that many readers will likely connect with.

I don’t want to spoil the story, but I highly recommend paying attention to the content warnings before diving in. I would also suggest considering which format works best for you, as my experience improved significantly when I switched from audio to ebook.

If you enjoy reality TV style drama, emotional healing journeys, found family, and stories about rebuilding your life after public humiliation, this may be a great fit for you.

At its heart, the novel carries strong messages about surrounding yourself with healthy, supportive people and learning that family is often the one you choose rather than the one you’re born into. The story concludes with a happy ending and one of the more memorable epilogues I’ve read in quite some time.

I received the arc and audiobook free from the author and I am leaving an honest review voluntarily. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this new release.

This book will be available on 6/16 and you can preorder it now on Amazon. As An Amazon Associate I earn on qualifying purchases. If you would like to read You’ve got Hate Mail by Pippa Grant I highly encourage you to give this book a chance even thought it wasn’t for me you may still enjoy it.

If you like this book you may enjoy books with these tags and categories: Grumpy/Sunshine, Forced Proximity, and Single Dad.