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andkellyreads's review against another edition
2.0
Woman who tells men she hates marriage and wants nothing serious doesn’t understand why men don’t marry her or want a long term thing with her so she goes and asks all her exes in person, rinse and repeat. Oh, but also add in the man she has a weird hatred for??? But it’s borderline unexplainable? Still trying to parse that all out.
I hated the heroine and I did not enjoy this book. Thank you, next.
I hated the heroine and I did not enjoy this book. Thank you, next.
mparrish17's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
scottonreads's review
5.0
Last month I was lucky enough to be at @eastcitybookshop for a fabulous event celebrating @authorandiej and had new release, Thank You Next! As I gushed to Andie when she signed my copy, her books are some of my very favorites and really for me through the pandemic.
Andie prides herself on writing complex leading ladies. I think one of the reasons I enjoy her books so much is because I identify a lot with her characters. They are complex, they prioritize themselves including their careers and they take no bullshit.
Alex Turner in Thank You, Next is no different. One night she sees her most recent ex and his very new fiancée on Say Yes to the Dress. She then goes down the rabbit hole of learning that most of her exes go on to find “the one” after they date her. So she decides to find out why it didn’t work out and begrudgingly does so with Will, who has been a bit of a nemesis (though one she has
Andie prides herself on writing complex leading ladies. I think one of the reasons I enjoy her books so much is because I identify a lot with her characters. They are complex, they prioritize themselves including their careers and they take no bullshit.
Alex Turner in Thank You, Next is no different. One night she sees her most recent ex and his very new fiancée on Say Yes to the Dress. She then goes down the rabbit hole of learning that most of her exes go on to find “the one” after they date her. So she decides to find out why it didn’t work out and begrudgingly does so with Will, who has been a bit of a nemesis (though one she has
smalltownbookmom's review
4.0
Divorce attorney Alex Turner is sick of always being the girl who doesn't get the guy so she undertakes a project to interview her exes and see what keeps going wrong. What she wasn't counting on was repeatedly running into family friend Will Harkness, an up and coming chef, and the man who turned her down when they were kids. I really enjoyed this enemies to lovers/second chance, dual perspective romance that gave me STRONG Clueless vibes. Great on audio. Much thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for my advance review copy!
maliffi's review
3.0
Thank you Edelweiss for the advanced copy!
It was cute but it wasn't great. The writing dragged a little, I wasn't really rooting for the characters to be together by the end of the book, I didn't think the characters were really well developed. It wasn't satisfying.
It was cute but it wasn't great. The writing dragged a little, I wasn't really rooting for the characters to be together by the end of the book, I didn't think the characters were really well developed. It wasn't satisfying.
estar210's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
This could have been a fun, lively story with engaging characters, but ended up getting incredibly bogged down with the most introspection I may have ever read in a romcom. It truly felt like this book was 30% plot and 70% internal reminiscing/overthinking/musing. I also don't think that the tension between the two MCs (or their mutual attraction) was ever really illustrated - it felt very "tell, not show." Will's possessive jealousy got old REAL quick, and I wanted to love Alex, but the pattern of her never remembering the terrible traits of her exes just felt kind of short-sighted for such a sharp character. The side characters were really the best part (although I can't get over how Charlee was able to have a dinner date in the few days leading up to the restaurant opening when Will barely had time to sleep or breathe - small detail, but it stuck in my brain SO hard).
Overall, well written characters could have really buoyed the plot (which, let's be honest, was always going to be a little challenging to justify), but it wasn't realized enough for me to find it enjoyable.
Overall, well written characters could have really buoyed the plot (which, let's be honest, was always going to be a little challenging to justify), but it wasn't realized enough for me to find it enjoyable.
yayas_shelf's review
2.0
I liked the premise of the main character going back and asking exes what went wrong in their relationships so that the she could learn about herself in the process. But all the answers were the same and it was what Alex already knew in the beginning of the book so there really was no point to it.
jess_vegasgirlreads's review
3.0
I want to partially blame my job for the reason this reading dragged on. I mean, I've barely had the time or energy to read. However, this book, albeit funny, did feel a bit repetitive and stale and moments, plus, some of the editing choices bothered me. When you've got two characters who share similar names- Alex and Lexi- you should ensure that you can be clear about which one is which. There were a couple times Alex was referred to as Lexi, although Lexi is her grandmother. But, overall, Andie J. Christopher is a clever writer, and I was hooked initially. It just needed a little polishing.
salimah's review
4.0
There's a lot to unpack here. I'll start with what I could have done without: Several reviewers noted how repetitive some of the information is regarding a character's feelings/motivations/details about their life, especially toward the novel's beginning. I did find myself irritated by that, but it wasn't prohibitive. The premise was compelling enough to keep me invested and Alex was a different enough rom-com/romance heroine that I wanted to see her evolution or lack thereof in context. I wasn't sure how I felt about her until halfway through the story.
There can be a fine line between a flawed heroine and an unlikeable one (just as there is for a flawed hero and an insufferable, reductive one). For a while there, Alex's flaws ran right up to that line, but the author managed to write her into relatability territory. Initially, her mission seemed to be one that was completely at odds with her character and more than a little self-absorbed. Even her tension with the hero, initially, felt incredibly petty to me. Her self-awareness about this is what ultimately redeemed her.
The love interest had equally conflicting/seemingly contradictory motivations for his reactions to finding out about her mission and some of his initial behaviors when they interacted. I don't know that I buy that his rejection of her when they were younger would be the root cause of their mutual disdain/tension in the present day. It would have been much more realistic to me if Alex had internalized that rejection and been cold or distant with him, but the almost childish getting of each other's goat when he didn't lose face from that pivotal moment? The enemies to lovers trope felt forced. I believe there would be tension, but all internal and all on Alex's side, not the mutual desire to irritate each other because of it. Luckily, the author seemed to abandon that conceit in order to move her story forward and get her principals on the same page.
Some things/elements I loved:
A hero and heroine that are each ambivalent about the idea of having children/may opt to be child-free (I have never seen this openly discussed in a romance novel and it's refreshing/about time)
A hero and heroine that are both minimalists and aren't shamed for a lack of sentimentality in their design aesthetic (you might be thinking 'What?' Trust me, it's almost always a not-so-subtle point of commentary in this genre, especially, that minimalists are emotionally stunted and not to be trusted)
The representation and discussion of different lived experiences, including sexual orientation, gender, gender non-conformity, race, biracial identity, and attachment styles. Things like this are often addressed in romance novels in a way that can feel preachy/tokenist while also not really feeling very inclusive after all is said and done. This is a romance novel for people who are progressive, have been to therapy and/or who are open to it, and know some of the framing language and ideas.
Although I think a lot of terms like "narcissist," and "avoidant attachment" get used too casually and inaccurately, I found my avoidant attachment self cheering at the author's decision to put two avoidants together and let them work out their trauma with mindful care with each other. They reached some pivotal epiphanies together because they just *get* each other.
I laughed out loud in more than a few places. There were legitimate LOLs.
There can be a fine line between a flawed heroine and an unlikeable one (just as there is for a flawed hero and an insufferable, reductive one). For a while there, Alex's flaws ran right up to that line, but the author managed to write her into relatability territory. Initially, her mission seemed to be one that was completely at odds with her character and more than a little self-absorbed. Even her tension with the hero, initially, felt incredibly petty to me. Her self-awareness about this is what ultimately redeemed her.
The love interest had equally conflicting/seemingly contradictory motivations for his reactions to finding out about her mission and some of his initial behaviors when they interacted. I don't know that I buy that his rejection of her when they were younger would be the root cause of their mutual disdain/tension in the present day. It would have been much more realistic to me if Alex had internalized that rejection and been cold or distant with him, but the almost childish getting of each other's goat when he didn't lose face from that pivotal moment? The enemies to lovers trope felt forced. I believe there would be tension, but all internal and all on Alex's side, not the mutual desire to irritate each other because of it. Luckily, the author seemed to abandon that conceit in order to move her story forward and get her principals on the same page.
Some things/elements I loved:
A hero and heroine that are each ambivalent about the idea of having children/may opt to be child-free (I have never seen this openly discussed in a romance novel and it's refreshing/about time)
A hero and heroine that are both minimalists and aren't shamed for a lack of sentimentality in their design aesthetic (you might be thinking 'What?' Trust me, it's almost always a not-so-subtle point of commentary in this genre, especially, that minimalists are emotionally stunted and not to be trusted)
The representation and discussion of different lived experiences, including sexual orientation, gender, gender non-conformity, race, biracial identity, and attachment styles. Things like this are often addressed in romance novels in a way that can feel preachy/tokenist while also not really feeling very inclusive after all is said and done. This is a romance novel for people who are progressive, have been to therapy and/or who are open to it, and know some of the framing language and ideas.
Although I think a lot of terms like "narcissist," and "avoidant attachment" get used too casually and inaccurately, I found my avoidant attachment self cheering at the author's decision to put two avoidants together and let them work out their trauma with mindful care with each other. They reached some pivotal epiphanies together because they just *get* each other.
I laughed out loud in more than a few places. There were legitimate LOLs.