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manaledi's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-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
3.5
This book started with cringe is my brand where all the meet cute moments were intentionally incredibly awkward but it grew from there and I ended up very emotionally invested by the end. There was solid character and relationship growth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Grief, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, and Drug use
lochnessvhs's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Kate Goldbeck posted a picture of my cat to her stories so realistically I should be giving this 5 stars.
I made an Ari & Josh playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0X3RSJ35Wr9wN2T7IlCEbD?si=54ac7047074f48e7
I made an Ari & Josh playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0X3RSJ35Wr9wN2T7IlCEbD?si=54ac7047074f48e7
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
kirareadssometimes's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
When I heard that this would be a great book for fans on when harry met sally I was anticipating that the book would have the same vibe as the movie and similar main characters. This book is actually a story where about 1/2 of it seems to come directly from the movie. There was clearly an attempt at making the original movie characters more diverse, which in this case meant the FMC was bisexual and open to both monogamy and polyamory. A great choice but the way it was written in felt very pointed. It felt like it came up more than it needed to; that’s just her life, doesn’t need a constant spotlight. The secondary characters were the only other diverse characters. The MMC made emotional progress but felt like we didn’t get to see him overcome his work issues in a meaningful way. I also don’t feel like we saw the FMC make any emotional progress. She was lonely, came home and realized she was in love.
This books was still quite engaging with great banter and a fun friendship aspect. Mostly feel like the recs I saw were misleading.
This books was still quite engaging with great banter and a fun friendship aspect. Mostly feel like the recs I saw were misleading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
mari1532's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I decided to read this book because it has been marketed as a modern take on When Harry Met Sally a movie that I have loved since I was a child. So, I checked this audiobook out of my library.
Summary: Ari is a commitment phobe with aspirations of making it as a stand-up comedian. Josh is a hopeless romantic trying to make a name for himself as a world-renowned chief. They meet because Josh is hoping to make Ari's roommate-with-benefits his girlfriend. After their meet-not-so-cute, they try and navigate being polar opposites the world seems determined to stick together.
Thoughts: Usually, I like to give ratings that are either a full point or half a point because that makes more sense in my brain, but I found this book hard to rate. I really enjoy the nods to the source material and the writing was captivating enough that I devoured this audiobook in a single sitting. However, when the book was over I did not leave with that warm feeling I usually get at the end of a romance novel. I think this is because I did not leave the book believing that the two characters would live happily ever after. The most annoying thing is that I cannot pinpoint exactly why I feel that way.
I really enjoyed the ways that Goldbeck modernized the story and made the repeated meetings a bit more outlandish. There were several times throughout the book I laughed really hard. However, I really found Ari hard to understand as a character. Her character arc was beautiful throughout the story and I would argue does include some growth on her part, but her relationship history was a bit difficult to understand in some ways. At the beginning of the book she is 100% against relationships, but throughout the book her opinions on this change, but it doesn't feel like these changes were because she grew as a person. I find it very hard to articulate, but it felt a bit like halfway through the book Ari had a factory reset on her relationship settings. That being said, Goldbeck's writing made it easy to empathize with Ari in certain moments and there is one particular moment when even though there were barely any words on the page I knew exactly how she was feeling.
I liked Josh less, in fact, he may have been my least favourite character in the whole book. Again, Goldbeck had a way of really making me understand him as a character on the page in some moments, but if he were a real person I don't think we would be friends.
This is not a bad book. I did not put it down. There were instances that I even enjoyed. However, I am very ambivalent about the characters and the story in this book. It is a good weekend read if you are looking for something entertaining but not requiring heavy investment.
Summary: Ari is a commitment phobe with aspirations of making it as a stand-up comedian. Josh is a hopeless romantic trying to make a name for himself as a world-renowned chief. They meet because Josh is hoping to make Ari's roommate-with-benefits his girlfriend. After their meet-not-so-cute, they try and navigate being polar opposites the world seems determined to stick together.
Thoughts: Usually, I like to give ratings that are either a full point or half a point because that makes more sense in my brain, but I found this book hard to rate. I really enjoy the nods to the source material and the writing was captivating enough that I devoured this audiobook in a single sitting. However, when the book was over I did not leave with that warm feeling I usually get at the end of a romance novel. I think this is because I did not leave the book believing that the two characters would live happily ever after. The most annoying thing is that I cannot pinpoint exactly why I feel that way.
I really enjoyed the ways that Goldbeck modernized the story and made the repeated meetings a bit more outlandish. There were several times throughout the book I laughed really hard. However, I really found Ari hard to understand as a character. Her character arc was beautiful throughout the story and I would argue does include some growth on her part, but her relationship history was a bit difficult to understand in some ways. At the beginning of the book she is 100% against relationships, but throughout the book her opinions on this change, but it doesn't feel like these changes were because she grew as a person. I find it very hard to articulate, but it felt a bit like halfway through the book Ari had a factory reset on her relationship settings. That being said, Goldbeck's writing made it easy to empathize with Ari in certain moments and there is one particular moment when even though there were barely any words on the page I knew exactly how she was feeling.
I liked Josh less, in fact, he may have been my least favourite character in the whole book. Again, Goldbeck had a way of really making me understand him as a character on the page in some moments, but if he were a real person I don't think we would be friends.
This is not a bad book. I did not put it down. There were instances that I even enjoyed. However, I am very ambivalent about the characters and the story in this book. It is a good weekend read if you are looking for something entertaining but not requiring heavy investment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Classism, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Sexual content
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“No one should marry the person who makes them happy. Marry the person you want by your side at your lowest point. Marry the person you…you never get sick of. Who you always want more from. Who makes you proud to be theirs.”
I wrote almost 4,900 words on my Notes App book journal about this book. It’s basically an essay on how invested I was in this book.
If you love When Harry Met Sally, HIMYM, Friends, romcom love confessions, friends to lovers, meet disasters, the idea of soulmates, or any combination, YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!
This book felt like a love letter to a generation who grew up loving sitcoms, romcoms, DCOMs, or really anything with “com” in the name. It’s one of the most unique romances that I think I’ll ever read. First, the bi representation was really good and refreshing. It’s actually what drew me to the book in the first place, since it led to the basic premise of both Ari and Josh meeting because they’re sleeping with the same girl. I felt so much for Ari throughout the entire book. The girl just couldn’t catch a break! The ONE time she decides to give a relationship a chance, it ends up being with a narcissistic professor who clearly had a history of dumping her partner when she got bored then making the partner seem like they were the problem. Then we get to the complexity of Josh, a grumpy jerk who is also convinced in the idea of true love, destiny, and soulmates. It was both sweet and infuriating to see his reaction to his relationship shift with Ari at the 60% point. Together, they’re like the beginning of a bizarre joke: “a cynical, hopeless romantic and a free spirited commitment-phobe walk into a bar”—or—“an adult toy store”?
My main biggest issue with the book was the third act conflict. While I think it made total sense, I think the wrong half of the couple was blamed for the mess! Yes, both halves admit some fault in the disaster, but one half ends up taking more of the blame, and if anything, the OTHER person deserved the blame for being incapable of listening…
No matter what, these two are the definition of literary soulmates. Like, they just KEPT finding each other again and again (he se the title), even if they were in the most bizarre ways. I’m so excited to see what Kate Goldbeck writes next!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Dial Press, and Kate Goldbeck for providing me access to this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Drug use, Infidelity, and Abandonment
Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Gaslighting
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