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wilybooklover's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
This was a fun, nerdy story featuring two bisexual protagonists! I did feel like the fake dating portion went on a bit too long; I would have liked to see them admit their feelings to each other and explore their relationship a little bit earlier. It felt a tad rushed at the end. Lovely characters and a sweet romance though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia
readsoflaura's review against another edition
lighthearted
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
4.5
littlebookterror's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
We are back in the Knockdown universe with this absolute knockout of a book! (Yes, the puns was mandatory, I am not sorry).
We finally get to meet Oliver more intimately (if you've read the previous books in the series) but no worries, you can totally read this as a standalone if needed (however, it makes you miss all the cool cameos and callbacks). After a bad experience in his past school, he is unwilling to take risk again - even if that means not correcting his coworker about the assumption that he is dating. Lucky for him, Octavia is in a similar bind and proposes they fake date for a month to help each other out.
Jokes on them though because Oliver's crush on her when they first met while he was still a barista is just getting stronger and Octavia is quickly falling for his charm as well.
This has everything you might want in a romance: cute moments, both main characters being badass, and bad people getting their comeuppance.
There is an entire subplot about Oliver's hair colour that I do not want to spoil but it gives so much both in terms of "bisexuals with dyed hair" representation I am always craving and in terms of heartfelt discussion on terms of feeling comfortable in your skin and hiding yourself. I've been dying my hair for years now and the way Oliver talks about it - it resonated with my own experience, especially as a queer person.
It's also worth mentioning that the book does not let any of the usual expectations about m/f couples just stand in the room. There are frank discussions about money and Oliver's discomfort over certain investments, Octavia takes on the more dominant role in the bedroom and the big sex scene is not about PIV sex! Those are all parts that are naturally woven into the story and fit the characters really well.
This is so goddamn good.
I received an advanced reading copy from the author with no obligation of leaving a review.
We finally get to meet Oliver more intimately (if you've read the previous books in the series) but no worries, you can totally read this as a standalone if needed (however, it makes you miss all the cool cameos and callbacks). After a bad experience in his past school, he is unwilling to take risk again - even if that means not correcting his coworker about the assumption that he is dating. Lucky for him, Octavia is in a similar bind and proposes they fake date for a month to help each other out.
Jokes on them though because Oliver's crush on her when they first met while he was still a barista is just getting stronger and Octavia is quickly falling for his charm as well.
This has everything you might want in a romance: cute moments, both main characters being badass, and bad people getting their comeuppance.
There is an entire subplot about Oliver's hair colour that I do not want to spoil but it gives so much both in terms of "bisexuals with dyed hair" representation I am always craving and in terms of heartfelt discussion on terms of feeling comfortable in your skin and hiding yourself. I've been dying my hair for years now and the way Oliver talks about it - it resonated with my own experience, especially as a queer person.
It's also worth mentioning that the book does not let any of the usual expectations about m/f couples just stand in the room. There are frank discussions about money and Oliver's discomfort over certain investments, Octavia takes on the more dominant role in the bedroom and the big sex scene is not about PIV sex! Those are all parts that are naturally woven into the story and fit the characters really well.
This is so goddamn good.
I received an advanced reading copy from the author with no obligation of leaving a review.
shector1's review
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed Oliver's and Octavia's journey into their relationship. It was sweet and almost gave me a cozy feeling. I wished the book was longer so I could have spent more time with the characters in the relationship. I will continue to look forward to more works from this author.
I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
mooswandern's review
4.75
Skye Kilaen has become one of my favourite authors and this book did not disappoint me in the least.
Check you work is a f/m romance with two bi leads with fake dating and excellent pining. Apart from the romance I loved how the new-ish friendship of one of the main characters developed in this (and would like to read a book about Rin now please, thank you!). The book could have been longer for me but i thoroughly enjoyed every page. 4.75 stars!
I received an advance review copy by the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This did not influence my opinion.
Check you work is a f/m romance with two bi leads with fake dating and excellent pining. Apart from the romance I loved how the new-ish friendship of one of the main characters developed in this (and would like to read a book about Rin now please, thank you!). The book could have been longer for me but i thoroughly enjoyed every page. 4.75 stars!
I received an advance review copy by the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This did not influence my opinion.
mayflower38's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
eniahreads's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I'm so happy to finally get Oliver's story!
I obviously loved Oliver, he's cute and fun and I wanna protect him. I was already touched by his story from book 2 when he talked about it with Allie, but seeing how it changed him, how it made him so not-him was really touching and it was important to show. And his emotions with his blue hair... ♥
Octavia was really interesting and it feels good to finally meeting her and who she is and her whole personality as we knew nothing of her! I really liked the fake dating trope and how it was build, the different moments they had together both in public and in private, how they made them feel more like a real couple, and mostly how Octavia started to change in regards of her feelings for Oliver. The chemistry and tension was nice, but also their feelings and how much they both cared about each other was really sweet.
The ending, the smut, was a lot more surprising than I was expecting from them, but okay haha It just got me uncomfortable, but that's maybe because I'm not used to that type of smut.
And am I really seeing a possible hint for 4th book with the infamous Zain? 👀
I obviously loved Oliver, he's cute and fun and I wanna protect him. I was already touched by his story from book 2 when he talked about it with Allie, but seeing how it changed him, how it made him so not-him was really touching and it was important to show. And his emotions with his blue hair... ♥
Octavia was really interesting and it feels good to finally meeting her and who she is and her whole personality as we knew nothing of her! I really liked the fake dating trope and how it was build, the different moments they had together both in public and in private, how they made them feel more like a real couple, and mostly how Octavia started to change in regards of her feelings for Oliver. The chemistry and tension was nice, but also their feelings and how much they both cared about each other was really sweet.
The ending, the smut, was a lot more surprising than I was expecting from them, but okay haha It just got me uncomfortable, but that's maybe because I'm not used to that type of smut.
And am I really seeing a possible hint for 4th book with the infamous Zain? 👀
cakt1991's review
emotional
lighthearted
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
4.0
I received an ARC from the author and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Check Your Work is the third book in the Love at Knockdown series. Like previous books in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone.
This is another fun, casually queer installment, with two bi people in an m/f relationship. I’ve loved how Skye Kilaen has continuously worked to help redefine what queer relationships can look like in her books, and this one is no different. Queerphobia is featured as an issue that impacts the characters in their pasts, but I love how the general vibe is just queer people loving who they love, for the most part.
Oliver and Octavia are both such cool, fun characters, and I loved watching their relationship go from accidentally-thrown-together-by-a-fib to actually-fake-dating to a genuine connection in a believable way. The fact that they have somewhat of a connection rooted in their pasts, before Oliver became a teacher and was still working as a barista, is also quite cute. And they balance each other out really well, with Octavia being more confident in herself and her choices, while Oliver is a bit more awkward, although still very passionate about his job.
This is a delightful book, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys queer romance.
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