Scan barcode
thatbooknerd__'s review against another edition
3.0
I’ve read a few books by this author and I’ve always enjoyed them but this one was completely different for me.
Starting off I really enjoyed the story, it was easy to enjoy and got my interest going. But that soon changed, it became predictable and lost the excitement I was expecting.
I didn’t feel any depth to the characters and I couldn’t feel the chemistry that they are supposed to have.
Noah wasn’t what I was expecting at all. From the title and the blurb you would expect him to have billions in the bank and be flying all over the world spending money and a women hanging off him. But that wasn’t the case, he didn’t show off his wealth (which was a nice change) he wasn’t arrogant and wasn’t a player really.
I liked Truly’a character, she was this geeky nerd we could all relate to. And I enjoyed her relationship with her sister Abigail.
I did find the storyline predictable at times which was disappointing.
I will definitely read more books by this author!
Starting off I really enjoyed the story, it was easy to enjoy and got my interest going. But that soon changed, it became predictable and lost the excitement I was expecting.
I didn’t feel any depth to the characters and I couldn’t feel the chemistry that they are supposed to have.
Noah wasn’t what I was expecting at all. From the title and the blurb you would expect him to have billions in the bank and be flying all over the world spending money and a women hanging off him. But that wasn’t the case, he didn’t show off his wealth (which was a nice change) he wasn’t arrogant and wasn’t a player really.
I liked Truly’a character, she was this geeky nerd we could all relate to. And I enjoyed her relationship with her sister Abigail.
I did find the storyline predictable at times which was disappointing.
I will definitely read more books by this author!
bookbae96's review against another edition
4.0
Louise Bay's books are always sure bets for me. I've thoroughly enjoyed them from the very beginning of her career, and I always look forward to what she might have in store. Friends to lovers, office romance, billionaires, royalty, she's done it all, and always with wit, sexiness, class, and a healthy dose of humor that draws me in and keeps me invested throughout.
INTERNATIONAL PLAYER, Louise's latest, has all of the warmth, humor, and quirk that I've come to expect and love, and is reminiscent of her earlier books in all the best ways. Reading this felt like a homecoming, of sorts, reminding me of what drew me to Louise's stories in the very first place. Friendship, humor, some downright steam, and a dash of heartbreak, all woven together to create a story that I just couldn't put down.
Truly is my absolute favorite, with her awkwardness masking an innate intelligence, warmth, humor, and sensuality that, once unleashed really allows her to come into her own. And the way that she navigates her relationship with Noah had me smiling over and over again, because he just didn't know what hit him when it came to her. There are, of course, some bumps along the way, because, well, the path to true love, and all that, but the framework of friendship and a true liking for each other overcomes in the end.
INTERNATIONAL PLAYER, in all of its friends to lovers sweetness and sizzle, will quickly become a favorite of Louise's books, and is an easy 4 stars from me.
lauraanne9's review against another edition
4.0
ARC Provided by the Author
Noah and Truly were fun. I loved their take on life, their reasons for ferling as they did and their mutual reluctance to mess up a good thing by making their relationship into one that was more than friends.
But, sometimes a connection is so strong it makes it worth it to take the chance on the relationship.
Friends to lovers adds an extra dimension to the risk of a new relationship, as no matter how many times you say it, snd how convinced you are that you will stay friends no matter what, romance changes a relationship. The navigation of this, along with the fun of the new relationship was the strongest part of the story. And it was done very well. I felt the stress of it, and I believed the passion was more than the fear of what could happen.
I enjoyed this story and I recommend it.
Noah and Truly were fun. I loved their take on life, their reasons for ferling as they did and their mutual reluctance to mess up a good thing by making their relationship into one that was more than friends.
But, sometimes a connection is so strong it makes it worth it to take the chance on the relationship.
Friends to lovers adds an extra dimension to the risk of a new relationship, as no matter how many times you say it, snd how convinced you are that you will stay friends no matter what, romance changes a relationship. The navigation of this, along with the fun of the new relationship was the strongest part of the story. And it was done very well. I felt the stress of it, and I believed the passion was more than the fear of what could happen.
I enjoyed this story and I recommend it.
vailynst's review against another edition
3.0
Mini-Review:
4 Stars for Narration by Shane East & Saskia Maarleveld
3 Stars for Story
You know how you like a narrator and then you keep an eye out for them? Shane East is on that list. I like his light accent & his cheesy female voices. He tends to work on stories where he can embody the characters in the book. That works for me!
If you don't know by now, I still laugh at the sex scenes in audio because they sound funny. I've gotten to the point where I have fun listening to romances on audio but I find it to be rare to find a narration of sex scenes that don't make me grin, laugh, snort, groan or roll my eyes like pinwheels.
This is a sweet story about two friends who reconnect in a way that sparks more than laughter and easy going teasing. It's a wholesome story about two good people and how they find a way to love each other despite all of logic stating why it won't work. Solid family circle, a sweet romance and happily ever after.
4 Stars for Narration by Shane East & Saskia Maarleveld
3 Stars for Story
You know how you like a narrator and then you keep an eye out for them? Shane East is on that list. I like his light accent & his cheesy female voices. He tends to work on stories where he can embody the characters in the book. That works for me!
If you don't know by now, I still laugh at the sex scenes in audio because they sound funny. I've gotten to the point where I have fun listening to romances on audio but I find it to be rare to find a narration of sex scenes that don't make me grin, laugh, snort, groan or roll my eyes like pinwheels.
This is a sweet story about two friends who reconnect in a way that sparks more than laughter and easy going teasing. It's a wholesome story about two good people and how they find a way to love each other despite all of logic stating why it won't work. Solid family circle, a sweet romance and happily ever after.
kimalah's review
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
astridthebookishsweettooth's review
3.0
READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG
I love me some British accent spoken in a beautiful male voice. Shane West can totally read me bedtime stories. I've listened to other audiobooks narrated by him but it doesn't get old. If there is one thing I found a little out of place (and I can't remember him doing that before) is that he actually shouted during...uh...sexy times. It sounded more like he was in pain than in the throes of pleasure. Other than that he did a wonderful job performing Noah's part.
I'm not a stranger to Saskia Maarleveld's narration either but I have never heard her British accent before. I loved it!
A couple of years ago Noah left London to pursue a career in New York, leaving behind his best friend, Truly. Now, I'm all for following your dreams but how did they just fell out of touch? If my best friend was going away I'd make damn sure to check in, talk on the phone, skype, facetime or even do smoke signals, if necessary. In a time like we live in it's never been easier to stay in touch. Right? I don't mean to make this a huge issue but it did give me pause.
When Noah returns he reconnects with Truly. She's still the same, nerdy, hardworking and still doesn't realize how beautiful she is. Throughout the story Noah tries to build up Truly's self esteem. She has never felt that she stood out, especially compared to her sister. I have to admit that her extremely low opinion of herself started to grate on me and no matter what Noah told her, she never believed that she was worthy of him which was reflected in her inner monologue. Her "woe-is-me" attitude and her opinion of his womanizing ways (which he had left behind at that point) created obstacles which should have been cleared with communication. But they didn't talk, not really.
Noah's player status is being repeated a lot throughout the book. I don't mind if the heroes are manwhores, especially if I see the change which I actually did with this man. There was one situation that made me scratch my head though. They were at a restaurant and Noah was confronted with two of his ex-hookups/girlfriends. He was completely oblivious to Truly's feelings and even had to ask his best friend. It made him look like a bit of a tool to be honest.
Despite all that I found both Truly and especially Noah likable. Noah really gave his feelings consideration. Because he'd never been in love it took him a little to recognize the feeling but when he did he was all in.
I wish I could have loved this one a little more. I was impressed with the author's writing style and while I wasn't on board with the characters' development I was still invested throughout the story and enjoyed this story. I will definitely read another book by Louise Bay.
thebookinhand_'s review
5.0
WOW! I loved this book. I originally thought of marking this book as a four but I thought to myself, what would I change about this book? My answer...nothing.
So, this genre is VERY new to me, to the point that I think this is the first real-world non-magical/paranormal romance book I have read but I have read friends to lovers before and other romances so don't discount my review just yet!
Truly and Noah's story is made a slow burn- friends to lovers story and it is so enjoyable to read I absolutely loved reading this romance from the pub quiz, geek out sessions with star wars to the A-Class charity events. They both developed and didn't fall victim to being one dimensional, these characters were elaborate and well written.
From what I have read in the reviews this book does not deviate much from all the predictable trope elements but as I said above I am a complete newb so this didn't bother me in the slightest. I LOVED IT.
So, this genre is VERY new to me, to the point that I think this is the first real-world non-magical/paranormal romance book I have read but I have read friends to lovers before and other romances so don't discount my review just yet!
Truly and Noah's story is made a slow burn- friends to lovers story and it is so enjoyable to read I absolutely loved reading this romance from the pub quiz, geek out sessions with star wars to the A-Class charity events. They both developed and didn't fall victim to being one dimensional, these characters were elaborate and well written.
From what I have read in the reviews this book does not deviate much from all the predictable trope elements but as I said above I am a complete newb so this didn't bother me in the slightest. I LOVED IT.
thebookinhand_43563's review
5.0
WOW! I loved this book. I originally thought of marking this book as a four but I thought to myself, what would I change about this book? My answer...nothing.
So, this genre is VERY new to me, to the point that I think this is the first real-world non-magical/paranormal romance book I have read but I have read friends to lovers before and other romances so don't discount my review just yet!
Truly and Noah's story is made a slow burn- friends to lovers story and it is so enjoyable to read I absolutely loved reading this romance from the pub quiz, geek out sessions with star wars to the A-Class charity events. They both developed and didn't fall victim to being one dimensional, these characters were elaborate and well written.
From what I have read in the reviews this book does not deviate much from all the predictable trope elements but as I said above I am a complete newb so this didn't bother me in the slightest. I LOVED IT.
So, this genre is VERY new to me, to the point that I think this is the first real-world non-magical/paranormal romance book I have read but I have read friends to lovers before and other romances so don't discount my review just yet!
Truly and Noah's story is made a slow burn- friends to lovers story and it is so enjoyable to read I absolutely loved reading this romance from the pub quiz, geek out sessions with star wars to the A-Class charity events. They both developed and didn't fall victim to being one dimensional, these characters were elaborate and well written.
From what I have read in the reviews this book does not deviate much from all the predictable trope elements but as I said above I am a complete newb so this didn't bother me in the slightest. I LOVED IT.
einstarkesmadchen's review
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.0