Joy is thirty, asexual and secretly in love with her best friend Malcolm. A weekend away introduces Fox, whose fake-dating proposal creates an unexpected alternative to waiting for Malcolm. Publisher
Alicia finds the outwardly grumpy Fox a patient listener beside flirtatious, thoughtful Joy. This is a useful grumpy sunshine choice for readers drawn to attention and emotional recognition. Alicia
Choose it for a confident ace heroine and a reserved, attentive partner; the longstanding attachment takes considerable emotional space.
Provisional Eikna score: 3.7/5. Four core dimensions cover 85% of the quality weight. Ending satisfaction and reread appeal remain unscored; heat is excluded. Researched editorial assessment; no firsthand reading claimed. Evidence confidence: moderate.
A numeric heat level has not been established. Read the review’s heat and content discussion for attributed descriptions before choosing. An unknown level is not a closed-door or no-spice promise.
The heat-level guide explains detail and frequency; the glossary entry for spice separates sexual content from quality.
The romantic outcome is not established in this summary. A romance label does not independently confirm an ending. Consult the discussion before choosing if closure is essential.
For the difference between romantic commitment and wider plot closure, compare HEA, HFN and cliffhangers.
Standalone or continuing-series status is not established in this summary. Read the existing format and series guidance for any available context; do not assume a missing series entry means the book stands alone.
The series-order guide explains what to check when a complete romance belongs to a connected world.
| Title | The Romantic Agenda |
|---|---|
| Author | Claire Kann |
| Inspected edition | Berkley |
| Publication scope | 12 April 2022 |
| ISBN-13 | 9780593336632 |
| Edition page count | 336 pages |
The author or publisher evidence identifies the work. Publication dates refer to the stated edition or release scope, not automatically the first appearance of the story. Unknown identifiers and formats are left open.
Joy joins a trip with the friend she loves and his new girlfriend. Fox offers pretend romance to make that friend jealous. Publisher
The interesting choice is whether being properly noticed can matter more than finally winning an old attachment. The premise offers that comparison directly.
Alicia values Fox’s patience and Joy’s thoughtful openness as much as their quick exchanges. Alicia
Choose this contrast if you want warmth expressed through attention. A quiet partner need not acquire a louder personality to become emotionally present.
Stevie appreciates that Joy’s asexuality is not presented as brokenness and that her enjoyment of fashion and her body has its own place. Stevie
That makes the heroine’s identity part of her perspective rather than an obstacle a lover is expected to cure. Asexuality alone does not specify scene-level sexual content.
Publishers Weekly finds Joy’s bond with Fox less intense than her devotion to Malcolm. Pw
Stevie also objects to how negatively the existing love interest comes across. Stevie
Readers wanting the eventual couple to dominate every emotional beat may need patience with the detour through longstanding loyalty.
The inspected material does not establish scene frequency or detail. Numeric heat and sexual-content classification remain unknown. Publishers Weekly. A Kernel of Nonsense / Alicia. The Good, the Bad and the Unread / Stevie.
The story includes unequal demands within a friendship and workplace relationship. Stevie Jealousy and disputed emotional priorities shape the romantic conflict; this is not an exhaustive content checklist.
For readers who want asexual representation, fake dating and a quiet partner who takes a warmer heroine seriously.
Alicia finds wit and emotional openness especially rewarding. Alicia Publishers Weekly values the ace perspective but wants more intensity in the new relationship. Pw Stevie likes Joy and Fox while resisting Malcolm’s portrayal. Stevie
The inspected primary description presents Joy and Fox’s own central romance; no required reading order is established.
A direct US product edition has not been verified. The Amazon link is a title-and-author search, with no specific format or availability promised. The paperback below matches the inspected Bookshop product. An audiobook destination remains unverified.
We may earn a commission from purchases through our links, at no extra cost to you. Search Amazon for the title and author.
Check the verified Bookshop paperback. ISBN 9780593336632 identifies this format; confirm price and availability at the retailer.
Quality scale: 1 substantial weaknesses; 2 weaknesses outweigh strengths; 3 mixed; 4 strengths outweigh limitations; 5 exceptional sustained strengths. Half points are allowed. Weights: romance 30%, characters 20%, writing 20%, emotional impact 15%, ending satisfaction 10%, reread appeal 5%. A provisional overall score divides the supported weighted sum by its supported weight and rounds once to one decimal. Heat is descriptive and excluded. These scores express the evidence-based judgment explained in this review.
An alternative to unequal devotion
Provisional dimension score: 3.5/5.
Identity and attention have room
Provisional dimension score: 4/5.
Witty exchanges, uneven emotional emphasis
Provisional dimension score: 4/5.
Being seen changes the choice
Provisional dimension score: 3.5/5.
Descriptive evidence, unscored
Outcome not independently established
No editorial rereading assessment
Alicia describes Fox as initially grumpy and disinterested but patient, while Joy is openly flirtatious, witty and thoughtful; her openness encourages his defenses to soften. Alicia
No. The label describes a contrasting way of engaging with others; it does not erase grief, boundaries, or uncertainty.
No. This assessment compares named criticism. Ending satisfaction and reread appeal remain unscored.
Compare a public-facing MM relationship where private vulnerability complicates the persona each man presents.
Compare a sapphic relationship growing from everyday familiarity when you want an established friendship rather than a new contrast.
Compare guarded behavior softening through repeated attention and a heroine learning whom to trust.
The grumpy sunshine guide includes this book among other choices. Compare those options if its premise appeals but a limitation gives you pause. The Find the contrasting personalities that suit your reading mood explains the surrounding reading route and what to check before choosing.
Choose it for a confident ace heroine and a reserved, attentive partner; the longstanding attachment takes considerable emotional space. For readers who want asexual representation, fake dating and a quiet partner who takes a warmer heroine seriously.
Search Amazon for the title and author when this balance matches what you want to read.
Checked October 6, 2026. The How this assessment was researched preserves attributions and research limits. Unknown details do not establish absence. Purchasing links use our account.
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Love Triangle Romance: Competing Attachments and the Endgame compares the surrounding relationship dynamics and explains the evidence limits for this selection.
The love-triangle romance reading collection explains the attachment evidence and relationship context for this choice and compares it with other reviewed books.