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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
This was a unique take on a romance story!
Unfortunately I didn't like it at all. I don't like giving bad reviews to books, but I found very little here to love. Zoey was utterly unlikeable as a main character for me. I believe she is meant to be a strong feminist character, but she embodies more toxic traits than admirable ones. She makes snap judgements and stereotypical assumptions about other people, even though she despises others doing the same to her. She revels in her identity of "not like other women" and "complicated" without understanding how she belittles other women by doing so. She complains so often and is selfish and self-pitying. I'm fine with her ultimate decision to give priority to her self, but not with her lingering hope for someone else to compromise on the same needs that she refuses to.
There were several scenes that gave me the impression they were written to be humorous (the falconry class, for example), but they didn't work for me. I also really struggled with the entire first quarter of the book being rapid-fire story setup told through flashback - that section was much too long for me.
My biggest positive is that I enjoy this author's style of writing sex scenes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately I didn't like it at all. I don't like giving bad reviews to books, but I found very little here to love. Zoey was utterly unlikeable as a main character for me. I believe she is meant to be a strong feminist character, but she embodies more toxic traits than admirable ones. She makes snap judgements and stereotypical assumptions about other people, even though she despises others doing the same to her. She revels in her identity of "not like other women" and "complicated" without understanding how she belittles other women by doing so. She complains so often and is selfish and self-pitying. I'm fine with her ultimate decision to give priority to her self, but not with her lingering hope for someone else to compromise on the same needs that she refuses to.
There were several scenes that gave me the impression they were written to be humorous (the falconry class, for example), but they didn't work for me. I also really struggled with the entire first quarter of the book being rapid-fire story setup told through flashback - that section was much too long for me.
My biggest positive is that I enjoy this author's style of writing sex scenes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked this book. There were moments where I felt things were not going to end in a way that I would have liked and that get unnatural. But I’m really glad that the characters were well developed and the plot well constructed. Overall a good read.
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I was halfway through this book convinced I would give it 5 stars. The writing is immaculate and I found myself laughing out loud too many times to count. Get past some morally grey area and a shocking ending and I would give it a 5 easy!
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked that this book didn’t follow the usual romance novel formula and it was unclear where Zoey was going to end up through most of it. And I personally really enjoyed a female main character grappling with whether marriage was something she really wanted and standing firm in who she was at the end.
Zoey has been asked to be a bridesmaid three times. Three times is also the number of times that wedding has actually taken place, leading her to start thinking she may bring bad luck to weddings. When her best friend, Hannah introduces Zoey to her cousin Rylan, sparks fly. A year later, Rylan proposes, but Zoey can't say yes. She is bad luck for her friend's weddings, so why wouldn't she be bas luck for her own? Wanting different things, the two break up.
Now, Hannah is looking to get married, and Zoey is going to be her bridesmaid. If Zoey can just get one person to actually go through with a wedding then maybe she can prove to herself that marriage can work, and she can get Rylan back.
I've never smacked my head so many times reading a book! I was really cheering along for Zoey to get what she wanted, but just like real life, this book didn't wrap things up in a pretty bow, and the characters make some mistakes that just made me crazy. I really loved this book because it wasn't perfect, it wasn't what I expected, and because it didn't follow the expectations that I have of a romantic comedy. Come into this one with an open mind, and know that it isn't your usual formula for a romance!
Thanks so much to Macmillan audio for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook in exhange for my honest review.
Now, Hannah is looking to get married, and Zoey is going to be her bridesmaid. If Zoey can just get one person to actually go through with a wedding then maybe she can prove to herself that marriage can work, and she can get Rylan back.
I've never smacked my head so many times reading a book! I was really cheering along for Zoey to get what she wanted, but just like real life, this book didn't wrap things up in a pretty bow, and the characters make some mistakes that just made me crazy. I really loved this book because it wasn't perfect, it wasn't what I expected, and because it didn't follow the expectations that I have of a romantic comedy. Come into this one with an open mind, and know that it isn't your usual formula for a romance!
Thanks so much to Macmillan audio for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook in exhange for my honest review.
Wow!
Well done, Alison Rose Greenberg!
I judged this book by its cover. Figured it would be another romance. It is so much more. It made me laugh out loud (OMG the falconry scene!), cry, and best of all, it kept me guessing. I kept rooting for one resolution, then another, then back to the first. It was like being at a tennis match, back and forth, back and forth.
This book made me rethink society's definition of "happily ever after." And, also how bad luck can be good luck if you change the way you look at it.
This was one of those books that I didn't want to end and yet I plowed through to see how it was resolved, Book hangover, commence, This is a book that will stay on my mind for a while.
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.
Well done, Alison Rose Greenberg!
I judged this book by its cover. Figured it would be another romance. It is so much more. It made me laugh out loud (OMG the falconry scene!), cry, and best of all, it kept me guessing. I kept rooting for one resolution, then another, then back to the first. It was like being at a tennis match, back and forth, back and forth.
This book made me rethink society's definition of "happily ever after." And, also how bad luck can be good luck if you change the way you look at it.
This was one of those books that I didn't want to end and yet I plowed through to see how it was resolved, Book hangover, commence, This is a book that will stay on my mind for a while.
Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.
Almost as soon as I started this book I wondered if it wasn't for me. There was just something, maybe about Zoey, that just didn't sit well with me.
Boy, am I glad I ignored myself. I thought this book was really well done. It's the story of a woman in her 30's and her lifestyle choices that have gotten her to where she is today, and that is in no way a bad thing.
"But when the world tells you you're difficult, at some point, a little voice creeps inside and you start to ask yourself, Am I the mountain? Am I the very thing standing in my own way?"
That quote just speaks to me. I have thought this, I have felt this. It isn't the easiest life, not confirming to society's standards, but it is a beautiful life.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Boy, am I glad I ignored myself. I thought this book was really well done. It's the story of a woman in her 30's and her lifestyle choices that have gotten her to where she is today, and that is in no way a bad thing.
"But when the world tells you you're difficult, at some point, a little voice creeps inside and you start to ask yourself, Am I the mountain? Am I the very thing standing in my own way?"
That quote just speaks to me. I have thought this, I have felt this. It isn't the easiest life, not confirming to society's standards, but it is a beautiful life.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
I was a little out off by the name but this story was not at all predictable. The protagonist was so easy to connect with. Someone who didn’t fit in during high school and used her differences to propel her career forward, embracing her individuality. My inner cynic was tickled by her take on marriage, and the book had many unexpected turns. Additional themes were self discovery, female friendship and vulnerability. My only complaint is that the ending felt a little rushed. It was an easy read with a refreshing protagonist and I laughed a lot.
It was cute. I don’t get why she had swollen feet all the time. And there was a lot of descriptive text I didn’t feel was completely necessary but I enjoyed the story. It was light and cute! A good palate cleanser between serious books!
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCferU-BCL2dlFjWdD0rS75Q
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
Zoey Marks has been a bridesmaid 3 times... to brides who have not made it down the aisle. Crowning herself 'Bad luck bridesmaid', her view on marriage has been tainted, making her realize that its not for her. When her perfect boyfriend Rylan proposes, she is desperate to have her mind changed, but is unable to take the plunge, leaving them both heartbroken. Her bestfriend Hannah comes to her, asking for her to be the only bridesmaid in her upcoming marriage to a man she just met, in Ireland. Zoey is convinced that if she can get Hannah down the aisle, it means that she will be ready to make it down the aisle herself.
I liked this a lot more than I originally thought I would! The writing style is addictive, and very easy to read. I enjoyed Zoey as a main character, especially because she was flawed and she knew it. I loved the self-discovery journey she began and how her story concluded. I also loved Hannah, Zoey's bestfriend and how supportive they both were of one another. I was not the biggest fan of the way Rylan and Zoey acted at Hannah's wedding - but I don't want to spoil anything. I listened to this on audiobook, and I thought the narrator did a great job with these characters and their story!
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
Zoey Marks has been a bridesmaid 3 times... to brides who have not made it down the aisle. Crowning herself 'Bad luck bridesmaid', her view on marriage has been tainted, making her realize that its not for her. When her perfect boyfriend Rylan proposes, she is desperate to have her mind changed, but is unable to take the plunge, leaving them both heartbroken. Her bestfriend Hannah comes to her, asking for her to be the only bridesmaid in her upcoming marriage to a man she just met, in Ireland. Zoey is convinced that if she can get Hannah down the aisle, it means that she will be ready to make it down the aisle herself.
I liked this a lot more than I originally thought I would! The writing style is addictive, and very easy to read. I enjoyed Zoey as a main character, especially because she was flawed and she knew it. I loved the self-discovery journey she began and how her story concluded. I also loved Hannah, Zoey's bestfriend and how supportive they both were of one another. I was not the biggest fan of the way Rylan and Zoey acted at Hannah's wedding - but I don't want to spoil anything. I listened to this on audiobook, and I thought the narrator did a great job with these characters and their story!