A review by lizziemorr428
Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I’m really happy I got a chance to read and review this. I had zero expectations and was pleasantly surprised. That swoon-worthy cover caught my eye, and I requested this on a whim.

Sam is a twenty-something forced home by the pandemic and never left. Her PhD program was eliminated, which left her bartending for money and stuck in a friends-with-benefits situation that’s never going to pan out. She’s literally stuck. Plagued by a lack of confidence and overwhelming perfectionism, she thinks she knows what she wants but doesn’t know how to get there.

Enter Nick, Sam’s new neighbor and single dad to Kira. He is Mr. Responsible, the opposite of Sam’s temporarily aimless youth. He radiates calm and care. I loved that he was the reliable, dorky dad with a minivan and a Star Trek obsession.

Their chance meeting and growing relationship bring about a lot of soul-searching questions and revelations for Sam. Comparing the tender, loving bond between Nick and Kira to her own one-sided relationship with her absentee father was beautifully written. It wasn’t immature, and Sam’s feelings were never unfairly projected onto Kira.

I think Sam’s journey is very relatable to most twenty-somethings who feel lost when the goals they set for themselves veer off track. She could definitely be frustrating, and you want to shake her out of her funk and help her get back on her feet. I loved that getting back on track for her didn’t mean having it all figured out. It meant remembering that it all starts with the first step forward.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy!