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very cute book. I really enjoyed the rivals to lovers, and Dot was such a fun mystery to unravel!
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The writing and performance were great, but the story itself was a yawn. I just didn’t care about the overarching mystery/politics.
It also doesn’t make sense that a womanrunning from the mob would change her identity and then become an extremely famous author who writes a thinly veiled fictionalized version of the reason she had to run in the first place.
And for the love of god, what’s even the POINT of closed door romance? BOO.
It also doesn’t make sense that a woman
And for the love of god, what’s even the POINT of closed door romance? BOO.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
This was such a fun and quirky story! I originally thought it would be a 5⭐️ read - solid banter, unique characters, light and easy plot…..but the actual romance fell kind of flat for me. Nadine and Wes had a solid back-and-forth, rivals to lovers thing going on that progressed really well for most of the book. That being said, I’m not a big fan of closed-door/fade-to-black in adult romance so when things started getting steamy and then suddenly cut out, I quite literally felt like someone slammed a door in my face. From that point on the sexual dynamic between them just felt cutesy and it took away from an otherwise mature adult relationship.
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought this book would help me out of a reading slump but I think this made it worse. Chu is talented at writing characters, but the plot here was just dull. The pacing was weird (too fast at times and too slow at others). This is very unlike Chu's other books and the whole thing just felt confused, like a romance trying to masquerade as a mystery. I'm typically a fan of Chu's books but this was a big miss for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Grief
Minor: Misogyny, Gaslighting
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
slow-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:
Complicated
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
At the start I liked the book. Just something fun, light and ideal to listen to while doing chores. Yet near the end it dragged on, and I found myself constantly hearing Monty Python “get on with it!” When getting annoyed with the characters. I’m a sucker for John Cho otherwise I doubt I would’ve gotten to the end.
