Title: Good Luck, Babe!
Author: Erin Baldwin
Publisher: Viking Books
Publication date: June 23, 2026
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Summary
Noelle and Yumi were unseparable until a kiss one summer after their junior year ruined everything. Now, at graduation, they’re still not talking to each other. At least, until they both get a call from The Adventureverse, their favorite reality TV show, after a contestant drops out at the last minute. It’s their chance to put all of their Adventureverse knowledge to the test. As long as they’re a couple.
To stay on the show, they decide to fake date so that Noelle can use the prize money to help her sick father. Can Noelle and Yumi juggle their fake relationship while trying to win a reality TV show?
Review: Good Luck, Babe!
Thanks to NetGalley and Viking Books for an advanced copy of Good Luck, Babe! by Erin Baldwin to review. I can guarantee that you probably won’t be able to pick this book up without getting Chappell Roan’s hit song in your head, but there are worse things. If you’re an Amazing Race fan, then this book will definitely be up your alley!
I’m always a fan of fake dating, especially when the two used to be best friends. You know there were feelings there before, and the little snippet of Yumi and Noelle’s relationship at the beginning was a great way to introduce the readers to them. It gives context for their fake relationship to come, and reads like an episode recap.
The side characters add to the story, especially as we’re pulled into the Adventureverse world. Though I never really watched The Amazing Race, seeing the characters work out the puzzles throughout the book was fun. My only complaint was that I wished we got to see a little more of Yumi and Noelle after the show was over. It would have been fun to see them get to be together without the show.
If you’re looking for a fun romance adventure to read this summer, definitely check this one out!
4/5 stars