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3.15 AVERAGE
3.15 AVERAGE
This one felt a little unbalanced to me. The author clearly spent a lot of time thinking about her main couple and even the secondary couple, but the rest of the cast seemed like caricatures of real people. This was a light romance so I'm not expecting the best writing, but I think because the main characters were fairly well fleshed out, the ones who weren't really stuck out. I also think that the domestic violence storyline could have been interesting, but was just not developed enough to be respectful. It was also a fade to black romance, as in no spice. This is not my jam, and I am always disappointed when we get to what should be the spice and we cut to the next day. I'm sure there are readers who like this, but really who? The story was not strong enough to carry this book without a little spice. There were fun aspects to the read, but overall a bit of a miss for me.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Note: I was provided an ARC of this title by the publisher through NetGalley.
This was a fun, quick read! In particular, Abby's close-knit friend group is vividly depicted, and the dynamic between these characters is a highlight. Representation of several LGBTQ identities is done well as the characters feel real & multi-faceted. I found the petty rivalry between the two leads hilarious, though the shift to romance is a bit abrupt and lacking in build-up. The pacing is inconsistent, with not much happening in the middle, and a rushed ending--perhaps a result of the number of characters and subplots in this short book. However, I overall found this fun and did finish the book easily even as a reader who doesn't pick up a lot of romances.
This was a fun, quick read! In particular, Abby's close-knit friend group is vividly depicted, and the dynamic between these characters is a highlight. Representation of several LGBTQ identities is done well as the characters feel real & multi-faceted. I found the petty rivalry between the two leads hilarious, though the shift to romance is a bit abrupt and lacking in build-up. The pacing is inconsistent, with not much happening in the middle, and a rushed ending--perhaps a result of the number of characters and subplots in this short book. However, I overall found this fun and did finish the book easily even as a reader who doesn't pick up a lot of romances.
** Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co. for providing me with an eARC of Keep This Off the Record in exchange for my honest review. **
I tried really hard to finish this book because it was an eARC. I got 22% in and was unable to do so, but I will give my review of the first 22%.
To start, I don't think that that writing was for me. There were descriptions that just brought me out of the story right away (a cherry is the color of ... a cherry-- really?).
The characters were basically all insufferable. I am a huge enemies-to-lovers trope gal, but this was petty and juvenile for what one would assume is supposed to be adult characters.
I just couldn't catch the plot/story at all. Maybe I just wasn't enough into it (but based on summaries I've read.. no?). There was nothing that made me even remotely interested in finding out what happens with one of the characters.
I did read an overview of the rest of the story and I won't say that I am upset that I missed out on it.
I tried really hard to finish this book because it was an eARC. I got 22% in and was unable to do so, but I will give my review of the first 22%.
To start, I don't think that that writing was for me. There were descriptions that just brought me out of the story right away (a cherry is the color of ... a cherry-- really?).
The characters were basically all insufferable. I am a huge enemies-to-lovers trope gal, but this was petty and juvenile for what one would assume is supposed to be adult characters.
I just couldn't catch the plot/story at all. Maybe I just wasn't enough into it (but based on summaries I've read.. no?). There was nothing that made me even remotely interested in finding out what happens with one of the characters.
I did read an overview of the rest of the story and I won't say that I am upset that I missed out on it.
** Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co. for providing me with an eARC of Keep This Off the Record in exchange for my honest review. **
I tried really hard to finish this book because it was an eARC. I got 22% in and was unable to do so, but I will give my review of the first 22%.
To start, I don't think that that writing was for me. There were descriptions that just brought me out of the story right away (a cherry is the color of ... a cherry-- really?).
The characters were basically all insufferable. I am a huge enemies-to-lovers trope gal, but this was petty and juvenile for what one would assume is supposed to be adult characters.
I just couldn't catch the plot/story at all. Maybe I just wasn't enough into it (but based on summaries I've read.. no?). There was nothing that made me even remotely interested in finding out what happens with one of the characters.
I did read an overview of the rest of the story and I won't say that I am upset that I missed out on it.
I tried really hard to finish this book because it was an eARC. I got 22% in and was unable to do so, but I will give my review of the first 22%.
To start, I don't think that that writing was for me. There were descriptions that just brought me out of the story right away (a cherry is the color of ... a cherry-- really?).
The characters were basically all insufferable. I am a huge enemies-to-lovers trope gal, but this was petty and juvenile for what one would assume is supposed to be adult characters.
I just couldn't catch the plot/story at all. Maybe I just wasn't enough into it (but based on summaries I've read.. no?). There was nothing that made me even remotely interested in finding out what happens with one of the characters.
I did read an overview of the rest of the story and I won't say that I am upset that I missed out on it.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thanks to Books Forward PR for the free copy of this book.
- If you love a fast-paced romcom, I’d like to recommend KEEP THIS OFF THE RECORD. This book is witty and drama-filled and has a little bit of a whodunit element to it as well. It’s plot heavy, which balances out the slow burn closed door romance.
- Abby and Freya are a good example of romance characters who throw out biting comments at each other, but are still willing to consider they might have misjudged the other.
- The secondary characters unfortunately felt a bit one note to me, though it was still a lovely found family group and I’m sure I would enjoy books centered around them.
- If you love a fast-paced romcom, I’d like to recommend KEEP THIS OFF THE RECORD. This book is witty and drama-filled and has a little bit of a whodunit element to it as well. It’s plot heavy, which balances out the slow burn closed door romance.
- Abby and Freya are a good example of romance characters who throw out biting comments at each other, but are still willing to consider they might have misjudged the other.
- The secondary characters unfortunately felt a bit one note to me, though it was still a lovely found family group and I’m sure I would enjoy books centered around them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Biphobia, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail
I am a big fan of sapphic romances and Shakespeare retellings, so I was very primed to enjoy this one. Unfortunately, it fell short by almost every measure for me. There were too many characters for me to keep track of, the characters are almost universally insufferable, the dialogue is juvenile, and I could barely make it through to the end. I think there was an attempt to recreate the prickly center of Much Ado About Nothing here, but the author unfortunately either overshot or undershot and we ended up with a bit of a mess.
This one was just not for me, I'm afraid. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This one was just not for me, I'm afraid. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-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
🌶
Rep: Jewish, lesbian, bisexual, nonbinary (SC)
This is one of the best romances I've read all year!
This is basically two romances in one. The main story is between Abby and her high school nemesis Freya, but the whole reason their paths keep crossing is because Abby's best friend Naomi and Freya's friend Will have their own romance going on.
There are so many good elements to this story. Each character is dynamic, and the side characters are so vibrant. I love the shenanigans that Becca and Riley get into, and Naomi's journey in getting through her past with her narcisstic ex is so wonderful to see. I had so much fun reading this amazing debut!
Release date: 30 January 2024
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Biphobia, Infidelity
A friends-to-lovers story about high school rivals placed into close proximity due to their friends beginning to date.
I think there was a lot of potential here, however I was overwhelmed by the superfluous characters and with dialogue that got a bit unwieldy for too long of stretches. It's hard to write 4+ people in a cohesive conversation, and I found much of it to be filler. I think the romance part could have been paced better, and again, because of all the extra characters, the interactions between the two leads weren't meaty enough. I think it had all the makings of about three different stories, and all could have been great, but when smashed together it was just too much for me.
**Thank you for the ARC**
I think there was a lot of potential here, however I was overwhelmed by the superfluous characters and with dialogue that got a bit unwieldy for too long of stretches. It's hard to write 4+ people in a cohesive conversation, and I found much of it to be filler. I think the romance part could have been paced better, and again, because of all the extra characters, the interactions between the two leads weren't meaty enough. I think it had all the makings of about three different stories, and all could have been great, but when smashed together it was just too much for me.
**Thank you for the ARC**
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review. This was such a fun read and I really enjoyed it! The characters were so lovable and I really appreciated the friend group dynamics. The only issues I really had were a lot of small grammatical mistakes or misspelled words and the development of Freya and Abby's relationship. It's hard to get the pacing of a rivals-to-lovers relationship right and this was definitely the biggest pain point in the book. It felt like they went from hating each other to being in love in almost no time and I think some clarification of how quickly time passed would definitely help with that. But overall, a great read that I would definitely recommend to my friends!
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
Complicated