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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
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
2.5 stars. While compulsively readable, this was disappointing after I really enjoyed [b:Funny You Should Ask|58065414|Funny You Should Ask|Elissa Sussman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1671712456l/58065414._SY75_.jpg|91007551].
I'm finding after reading so many dual timeline romances that most of the time, it really doesn't work, because it's banking on you caring about the characters' relationship in the present timeline while their history and development is still happening by going back and forth from the past timeline. However, unless the present timeline is unfolding really slowly (ex. over a few days or weeks), or you get chunks of the past at one time / frontload it instead of going back and forth each chapter, it's hard to care about the characters or the present timeline at all. And if you don't care about half of a book, then obviously that's an issue. It can also lead to a lot of tell and not show in the present.
I found this book did the opposite of what you should do to make a dual timeline work, which went back and forth between the present, where professional rivals Kathleen, a washed-up pop star, and Cal, a former boyband star turned choreographer / director, begrudgingly work on a Broadway play together, and the past, where Kathleen cheated on her boyfriend at the time with Cal, his boy-bandmate. It gave you chunks of the present at a time rather than chunks of the past, and the character development occurred in the opposite order.
I also just didn't really care for Kathleen. I didn't find her likeable or relatable in any way, and while it vaguely eludes to the Britney/Justin drama, I feel like no one learned from their mistakes by the end of this, and a lot of the characters were petty and needed to communicate. If you hadn't known any better, you'd think the characters were in their early 20s, not their 30s. It's mentioned in passing in the book that Kathleen had seen or is seeing a therapist, but that therapist needs to be fired!
The pace and the intensity of it all was enough to keep my attention, but I found by the end of it that I just wanted it to be over.
I'm finding after reading so many dual timeline romances that most of the time, it really doesn't work, because it's banking on you caring about the characters' relationship in the present timeline while their history and development is still happening by going back and forth from the past timeline. However, unless the present timeline is unfolding really slowly (ex. over a few days or weeks), or you get chunks of the past at one time / frontload it instead of going back and forth each chapter, it's hard to care about the characters or the present timeline at all. And if you don't care about half of a book, then obviously that's an issue. It can also lead to a lot of tell and not show in the present.
I found this book did the opposite of what you should do to make a dual timeline work, which went back and forth between the present, where professional rivals Kathleen, a washed-up pop star, and Cal, a former boyband star turned choreographer / director, begrudgingly work on a Broadway play together, and the past, where Kathleen cheated on her boyfriend at the time with Cal, his boy-bandmate. It gave you chunks of the present at a time rather than chunks of the past, and the character development occurred in the opposite order.
I also just didn't really care for Kathleen. I didn't find her likeable or relatable in any way, and while it vaguely eludes to the Britney/Justin drama, I feel like no one learned from their mistakes by the end of this, and a lot of the characters were petty and needed to communicate. If you hadn't known any better, you'd think the characters were in their early 20s, not their 30s. It's mentioned in passing in the book that Kathleen had seen or is seeing a therapist, but that therapist needs to be fired!
The pace and the intensity of it all was enough to keep my attention, but I found by the end of it that I just wanted it to be over.
emotional
funny
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:
No
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
lighthearted
slow-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
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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