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aliu6's review against another edition
4.0
4.25 stars
This book was a really fun and engaging read for me. Like other reviewers have mentioned, it does take a turn in the last 20% which was unexpected, but it drew me in even more. One of the MCs ended up being not so great, and I'm not sure I wanted the couple to end up together, which is where this book lost some points.
--- The Breakdown ---
Whitney Ainsworth's career now consists of giving motivational talks to businesspeople. The author of a bestselling series, she's had major writer's block since her third book was a flop. Not just that, but her personal life is in the toilet. Her movie star wife left her for another woman. When Gabriela Talbot catches her eye at a hotel where she's giving a talk, Whitney realizes that maybe a one-night stand is exactly what she needs to cure her writer's block. After a night of great sex, Whitney learns that Gabriela is not quite who she seems. Whitney kicks Brie out of her life, but for some reason, she can't stop thinking about her...
cw: infidelity (by side character), divorce, briefly mentioned bullying/homophobia, police show up as minor side characters
The Characters: I loved Brie. She was warm and funny, and honestly I don't understand why she liked Whitney so much, beyond the famous author thing and physical attraction. I really liked Whitney in the beginning. She had lost some self-confidence, and she used a lot of self-deprecating humor, but I appreciated how real she seemed. After her first encounter with Brie, she's kind of cruel, and Brie ends up apologizing for it? I was willing to attribute that to distrust from her marriage, but later on, she's also cruel to Brie. She apologizes and Brie forgives her, but I didn't feel like that was enough. Aside from that, the characters were well-fleshed out, and I really enjoyed getting to know some of the side characters, including Reese, the ex-wife!
The Romance: It seemed kind of one-sided. A lot of it was Brie pining over Whitney for some reason. I appreciated the times when Brie held herself back and recognized that Whitney needed to make the next move, and that she couldn't always be the one chasing after Whitney. But I wasn't a fan of Brie and Whitney together. At some point towards the end, I was wondering if Elle Spencer was gonna pull off a huge twist and make Brie end up with another character, and honestly, I was down with that. I just didn't like how Whitney treated Brie, even when they were on good terms with each other. It felt like Brie was losing herself in Whitney and would do anything for her.
The Plot: It was more complex than I'm used to, and I kind of enjoyed being taken for a few turns. It revolves around Brie and Whitney's relationship, with some side plots thrown in about the book series, Brie's parents, and Brie's writing. Very engaging.
The Writing: Superb. Elle Spencer delivers! Everything flowed smoothly, and I enjoyed a lot of witty banter.
All in all: It was entertaining and I liked it despite its faults. As long as you're not expecting a sweeping, perfect romance, I would recommend!
*I received a free ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This book was a really fun and engaging read for me. Like other reviewers have mentioned, it does take a turn in the last 20% which was unexpected, but it drew me in even more. One of the MCs ended up being not so great, and I'm not sure I wanted the couple to end up together, which is where this book lost some points.
--- The Breakdown ---
Whitney Ainsworth's career now consists of giving motivational talks to businesspeople. The author of a bestselling series, she's had major writer's block since her third book was a flop. Not just that, but her personal life is in the toilet. Her movie star wife left her for another woman. When Gabriela Talbot catches her eye at a hotel where she's giving a talk, Whitney realizes that maybe a one-night stand is exactly what she needs to cure her writer's block. After a night of great sex, Whitney learns that Gabriela is not quite who she seems. Whitney kicks Brie out of her life, but for some reason, she can't stop thinking about her...
cw: infidelity (by side character), divorce, briefly mentioned bullying/homophobia, police show up as minor side characters
The Characters: I loved Brie. She was warm and funny, and honestly I don't understand why she liked Whitney so much, beyond the famous author thing and physical attraction. I really liked Whitney in the beginning. She had lost some self-confidence, and she used a lot of self-deprecating humor, but I appreciated how real she seemed. After her first encounter with Brie, she's kind of cruel, and Brie ends up apologizing for it? I was willing to attribute that to distrust from her marriage, but later on, she's also cruel to Brie. She apologizes and Brie forgives her, but I didn't feel like that was enough. Aside from that, the characters were well-fleshed out, and I really enjoyed getting to know some of the side characters, including Reese, the ex-wife!
The Romance: It seemed kind of one-sided. A lot of it was Brie pining over Whitney for some reason. I appreciated the times when Brie held herself back and recognized that Whitney needed to make the next move, and that she couldn't always be the one chasing after Whitney. But I wasn't a fan of Brie and Whitney together. At some point towards the end, I was wondering if Elle Spencer was gonna pull off a huge twist and make Brie end up with another character, and honestly, I was down with that. I just didn't like how Whitney treated Brie, even when they were on good terms with each other. It felt like Brie was losing herself in Whitney and would do anything for her.
The Plot: It was more complex than I'm used to, and I kind of enjoyed being taken for a few turns. It revolves around Brie and Whitney's relationship, with some side plots thrown in about the book series, Brie's parents, and Brie's writing. Very engaging.
The Writing: Superb. Elle Spencer delivers! Everything flowed smoothly, and I enjoyed a lot of witty banter.
All in all: It was entertaining and I liked it despite its faults. As long as you're not expecting a sweeping, perfect romance, I would recommend!
*I received a free ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
banrions's review against another edition
3.0
This was perfectly enjoyable, but it was a bit too quick/instalove for my personal tastes. That said, I enjoyed the characters and it was a fun light read!
hsinjulit's review against another edition
2.0
Content warnings: suicide jokes, rape joke, incest jokes, graphic sex, gun, past infidelity
I am conflicted about Give In to Me. On one hand, I cannot deny that it was entertaining and I appreciate that one of the main characters is a book blogger; on the other though, some conflict resolutions fell short for me and I also couldn’t overlook many of the inappropriate jokes throughout, namely, a handful of suicide jokes, one rape joke, and two incest jokes.
Novelist Whitney Ainsworth (late-30s, lesbian) hasn’t had sex way too long since her divorce with her famous ex-wife, Reece, so when the chance arises, she spontaneously has a one-night stand with a stranger who turns out to be the book blogger, Gabriela “Brie” Talbot (30), that wrote a cruel review of her newest book, book three of the Piper Kane series. As they navigate their awkward dynamic post-sex, Whitney and Gabriela also have to deal with the drama that comes with the new Piper Kane movie, starring Reece.
The official blurb is slightly misleading. I went into the book thinking the whole story would center around Whitney and Gabriela getting past their differences and author-blogger conflict, but it was resolved fairly early. Instead, it is more about living under the scrutiny of the public eye due to the filming of the Piper Kane movie.
Give In to Me felt a bit like two novellas where the first part is about the main characters making up and the second about Hollywood drama. I thought having their relationship built upon a one-night stand would be fun to read about, since it is one of the few situations where I don’t mind instalust. But when lust becomes the solution to most problems, it left me confused and unsatisfied. I also couldn’t quite understand that if Whitney is Gabriela’s favorite author, why would she write such a mean review? Maybe it wasn’t mean. Then why would Whitney be so angry about it?
Yet I am glad to see them get together because it was fun to watch them getting sucked into the bigger drama involving Reece, the ex-wife who cheated on Whitney. If you told me I’d end up liking Reece when I started the book, I wouldn’t have believed it. And yet, I just might like Reece a bit more than I like the mains, but the best character award goes to Brie’s mother.
Now about the jokes. Spencer writes some of the funniest dialogues and there were indeed a lot of hilarious moments in Give In to Me. A lot of them were sex jokes, which were fun. But a lot of the others were suicide jokes and one semi–rape joke. Those left a sour taste in my mouth.
Also, being someone who unconsciously keeps careful track of time and locations of objects and people while reading, there were several scenes that made me unsure how we are suddenly there. And the filming of the Piper Kane movie seems to be way less than three months. Try one. The crew is incredibly efficient.
I enjoyed Spencer’s The Holiday Treatment (my review) and loved her Waiting for You (my review), but I guess I am not the target audience for Give In to Me.
I received a digital review copy from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Buddy read with Gabriella! Check out her review here!
I am conflicted about Give In to Me. On one hand, I cannot deny that it was entertaining and I appreciate that one of the main characters is a book blogger; on the other though, some conflict resolutions fell short for me and I also couldn’t overlook many of the inappropriate jokes throughout, namely, a handful of suicide jokes, one rape joke, and two incest jokes.
Novelist Whitney Ainsworth (late-30s, lesbian) hasn’t had sex way too long since her divorce with her famous ex-wife, Reece, so when the chance arises, she spontaneously has a one-night stand with a stranger who turns out to be the book blogger, Gabriela “Brie” Talbot (30), that wrote a cruel review of her newest book, book three of the Piper Kane series. As they navigate their awkward dynamic post-sex, Whitney and Gabriela also have to deal with the drama that comes with the new Piper Kane movie, starring Reece.
The official blurb is slightly misleading. I went into the book thinking the whole story would center around Whitney and Gabriela getting past their differences and author-blogger conflict, but it was resolved fairly early. Instead, it is more about living under the scrutiny of the public eye due to the filming of the Piper Kane movie.
Give In to Me felt a bit like two novellas where the first part is about the main characters making up and the second about Hollywood drama. I thought having their relationship built upon a one-night stand would be fun to read about, since it is one of the few situations where I don’t mind instalust. But when lust becomes the solution to most problems, it left me confused and unsatisfied. I also couldn’t quite understand that if Whitney is Gabriela’s favorite author, why would she write such a mean review? Maybe it wasn’t mean. Then why would Whitney be so angry about it?
Yet I am glad to see them get together because it was fun to watch them getting sucked into the bigger drama involving Reece, the ex-wife who cheated on Whitney. If you told me I’d end up liking Reece when I started the book, I wouldn’t have believed it. And yet, I just might like Reece a bit more than I like the mains, but the best character award goes to Brie’s mother.
Now about the jokes. Spencer writes some of the funniest dialogues and there were indeed a lot of hilarious moments in Give In to Me. A lot of them were sex jokes, which were fun. But a lot of the others were suicide jokes and one semi–rape joke. Those left a sour taste in my mouth.
Also, being someone who unconsciously keeps careful track of time and locations of objects and people while reading, there were several scenes that made me unsure how we are suddenly there. And the filming of the Piper Kane movie seems to be way less than three months. Try one. The crew is incredibly efficient.
I enjoyed Spencer’s The Holiday Treatment (my review) and loved her Waiting for You (my review), but I guess I am not the target audience for Give In to Me.
I received a digital review copy from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Buddy read with Gabriella! Check out her review here!
jennabeebs79's review against another edition
4.0
I’m always thrilled when Elle Spencer releases a new book, and this one was really entertaining. The best part was the witty dialogue that only Ms. Spencer can write so well. Brie was a wonderfully adorable main character who happened to fall in love with an emotionally unavailable, dare I say, selfish writer. On one hand, Brie’s tracking down Whitney on multiple occasions could be considered highly romantic, while on the other could be considered pathetic and stalkerish. I’m a romantic at heart so I leaned more to the highly romantic side. Brie was brave, humble, and kind. There were times I did wonder why she continued to pursue Whitney, but love makes I do crazy things. The supporting characters added a lot of depth and humor to the overall plot, especially Whitney’s “BFF” Liz. Thanks Elle for another wonderful read!!
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
khylabevibin's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars, I liked this book. It was a very casual read and I do recommend it.
Whitney is an author who’s going through a divorce from the famous Reece. One night at a bar she meets Brie. When a small misunderstanding leads to them having sex both of their lives are about to change- more so Brie’s than Whitney’s.
My only complaint is there was a big part in the middle of this book where Whitney and Brie didn’t have any build. The chemistry between them stops and the plot solely focuses on Brie, which makes sense and does add to the story but I do think some more scenes between them could’ve made the story even better as there is a lack of buildup. They sleep together, have a small misunderstanding and then suddenly they like each other after two more meetings. Then soon after Brie suddenly decides she loves her which to me felt very lack luster.
The later part of the book where conflict does arrive between the two did somewhat help but not fully.
Again I still do recommend as the book was very easy to read and had a nice flow.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in return for an honest review.
Whitney is an author who’s going through a divorce from the famous Reece. One night at a bar she meets Brie. When a small misunderstanding leads to them having sex both of their lives are about to change- more so Brie’s than Whitney’s.
My only complaint is there was a big part in the middle of this book where Whitney and Brie didn’t have any build. The chemistry between them stops and the plot solely focuses on Brie, which makes sense and does add to the story but I do think some more scenes between them could’ve made the story even better as there is a lack of buildup. They sleep together, have a small misunderstanding and then suddenly they like each other after two more meetings. Then soon after Brie suddenly decides she loves her which to me felt very lack luster.
The later part of the book where conflict does arrive between the two did somewhat help but not fully.
Again I still do recommend as the book was very easy to read and had a nice flow.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in return for an honest review.
kburns2004's review
2.0
This is the second Elle Spencer book I have picked up and I think I just need to admit I just don't vibe with her books. The actions of the characters of this book just felt so unrealistic and I can't say I felt much connection with either of the two leads.
kburns2004's review against another edition
2.0
I don't think Elle Spencer is my cup of tea. I started and stopped Casting Lacey a few times and didn't vibe with the Holiday Treatment either. This too just felt blah to me. Whitney is not a great person and Brie just like a star struck fan girl the entire time and a bit of a pushover to boot. I liked the concept but not the execution.
00leah00's review against another edition
3.0
3 Stars
So, I’m a little conflicted about “Give in to Me” by Elle Spencer. Spencer is usually an automatic buy for me. I love her writing and always enjoy whatever she puts out whether its angsty or rom-com.
“Give in to Me” is a funny romance with some high drama mixed in. Whitney Ainsworth is a popular writer who has gone through a very public divorce with her actress wife, Reece. She meets Gabriela Talbot (Brie) one night out and they have a passionate encounter. Afterwards, Whitney learns Brie is the author of a negative review that went viral and helped with the bombing of her latest book.
While I loved the beginning as it starts like previous Spencer books, this one ended up taking a bit of a turn. What started out fun with witty dialogue and funny encounters turned into a bit of a cluster. I felt like Spencer might’ve been trying to do too much and nothing really felt too deep. All of the emotions and chemistry felt surface level and it was a letdown especially because I know Spencer can do the more emotional connections.
The first third or so really centered around Whitney and Brie and the start of their relationship. My issue with their relationship is that it felt more like Brie was more starstruck than anything else. I think she was monologuing about being in love after their second encounter and I found no reason for it. The two have hot sex but they don’t talk and get to know one another in any capacity outside the bedroom. To me, their relationship really never goes much further either. Anytime the two are together the end up getting interrupted by either Reece, or Brie’s family or Whitney’s agent. And all think it’s just fine to just show up whenever and as often as they please.
As they begin to date, Whitney’s books are being made into a movie that of course stars her ex-wife. But in this portion of the book, everything gets muddied. There’s drama between Whitney and Reece, drama with Brie’s family and drama with the movie being made. On top of that, Whitney is about to start her next book and to do that, she needs complete isolation in her cabin in the mountains which brings on even more drama. All of this is happening at the same time while the two mains are trying to get to know one another and it was just too much.
Even though there really was just too much going on and a lot of drama happening, there were parts I enjoyed a great deal. Spencer writes a fun book even if it doesn’t hit the romance marks I prefer. I would recommend this if you want a beach read or something light and fun with crazy, over the top drama.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
So, I’m a little conflicted about “Give in to Me” by Elle Spencer. Spencer is usually an automatic buy for me. I love her writing and always enjoy whatever she puts out whether its angsty or rom-com.
“Give in to Me” is a funny romance with some high drama mixed in. Whitney Ainsworth is a popular writer who has gone through a very public divorce with her actress wife, Reece. She meets Gabriela Talbot (Brie) one night out and they have a passionate encounter. Afterwards, Whitney learns Brie is the author of a negative review that went viral and helped with the bombing of her latest book.
While I loved the beginning as it starts like previous Spencer books, this one ended up taking a bit of a turn. What started out fun with witty dialogue and funny encounters turned into a bit of a cluster. I felt like Spencer might’ve been trying to do too much and nothing really felt too deep. All of the emotions and chemistry felt surface level and it was a letdown especially because I know Spencer can do the more emotional connections.
The first third or so really centered around Whitney and Brie and the start of their relationship. My issue with their relationship is that it felt more like Brie was more starstruck than anything else. I think she was monologuing about being in love after their second encounter and I found no reason for it. The two have hot sex but they don’t talk and get to know one another in any capacity outside the bedroom. To me, their relationship really never goes much further either. Anytime the two are together the end up getting interrupted by either Reece, or Brie’s family or Whitney’s agent. And all think it’s just fine to just show up whenever and as often as they please.
As they begin to date, Whitney’s books are being made into a movie that of course stars her ex-wife. But in this portion of the book, everything gets muddied. There’s drama between Whitney and Reece, drama with Brie’s family and drama with the movie being made. On top of that, Whitney is about to start her next book and to do that, she needs complete isolation in her cabin in the mountains which brings on even more drama. All of this is happening at the same time while the two mains are trying to get to know one another and it was just too much.
Even though there really was just too much going on and a lot of drama happening, there were parts I enjoyed a great deal. Spencer writes a fun book even if it doesn’t hit the romance marks I prefer. I would recommend this if you want a beach read or something light and fun with crazy, over the top drama.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
oddgirlsmedia's review against another edition
4.0
I love when a book has a synopsis with enough detail to get me interested but then leaves me a lot of surprises. When I read Casting Lacey by Elle Spencer last year I knew she was going to be a new favorite author.
In the book Give In To Me, Whitney and Brie meet on not the best terms, well technically they meet on fantastic terms but it doesn’t last long. Electric chemistry or not when you meet the woman who trashed your last book and made it go viral you aren’t eager to hang out.
Things I loved: 1.) Brie. I loved Brie. She was smart, a little self-conscious but knew her worth, and so kind. Her journey to get Whitney to speak to her and not come off a stalker is hilarious. 2.) Celebrity romance trope. I am a sucker for a well written Hollywood romcom, and between a famous writer, an ametur book reviewer, and an A-list ex this book has it all. 3.) The relationship drama so early in the book was unexpected, but for those of us who love a little angst appreciated.
Things I wish we had more time for: 1.) Who are Brie's mom’s parents, and why are they in the Hollywood inner circle? I wish we got a little more backstory on who they were.
In the book Give In To Me, Whitney and Brie meet on not the best terms, well technically they meet on fantastic terms but it doesn’t last long. Electric chemistry or not when you meet the woman who trashed your last book and made it go viral you aren’t eager to hang out.
Things I loved: 1.) Brie. I loved Brie. She was smart, a little self-conscious but knew her worth, and so kind. Her journey to get Whitney to speak to her and not come off a stalker is hilarious. 2.) Celebrity romance trope. I am a sucker for a well written Hollywood romcom, and between a famous writer, an ametur book reviewer, and an A-list ex this book has it all. 3.) The relationship drama so early in the book was unexpected, but for those of us who love a little angst appreciated.
Things I wish we had more time for: 1.) Who are Brie's mom’s parents, and why are they in the Hollywood inner circle? I wish we got a little more backstory on who they were.
m0thermayi's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars | Popular author Whitney Ainsworth, recently divorced from Hollywood actress Reece, is suffering from a very bad case of writer's block. The first book in her insanely popular suspense series is being turned into a movie and the fact that her ex-wife is playing the lead is not helping matters. Listening to her manager and best friend, Whitney decides to let off some steam and have a one-night stand with the beautiful stranger at the bar, not knowing that Brie is the book blogger who trashed her latest novel.
I'm not really sure how to review this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed it. Despite the premise, the tone of the book is light and fun, very casual. The writing is witty, with good dialogue, banter and humour. Good pacing; it's a quick and easy read with charming main characters.
On the other hand, I felt like this book was trying to accomplish too much, meaning everything feels superficial. The characters have some dept, but I would've wanted more. I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two main characters and so I couldn't root for their happy ending.
As with the previous book I read from this author, the ending felt a little rushed. I wouldn't have minded a few more chapters to really see how their relationship progressed once all their little conflicts were resolved.
Overall, I had a good time reading this book, but I don't think the story or the characters will stay with me very long. It's a shame because I know Elle Spencer is an excellent writer. This book just wasn't for me, but I will still read whatever she writes next.
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books for the eARC copy.
I'm not really sure how to review this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed it. Despite the premise, the tone of the book is light and fun, very casual. The writing is witty, with good dialogue, banter and humour. Good pacing; it's a quick and easy read with charming main characters.
On the other hand, I felt like this book was trying to accomplish too much, meaning everything feels superficial. The characters have some dept, but I would've wanted more. I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two main characters and so I couldn't root for their happy ending.
As with the previous book I read from this author, the ending felt a little rushed. I wouldn't have minded a few more chapters to really see how their relationship progressed once all their little conflicts were resolved.
Overall, I had a good time reading this book, but I don't think the story or the characters will stay with me very long. It's a shame because I know Elle Spencer is an excellent writer. This book just wasn't for me, but I will still read whatever she writes next.
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books for the eARC copy.