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3.21 AVERAGE
3.21 AVERAGE
fast-paced
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
inspiring
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:
No
emotional
reflective
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
Really awkwardly written sex scenes and some horrendous third act miscommunication š
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.
Ok, this was an overall very charming, honest romance. There are some quite serious moments that could escalate into even more serious situations, which are thankfully averted. I thought that those moments were handled pretty well and felt confident in the narrative carrying me through those spots. However, if you are not comfortable reading about mentions of intimate partner abuse/assault or discussions of pregnancy, this book is probably not for you.
Sean, the firefighter lead, is so aware of issues that women face and is careful to avoid ācavemanā tendencies. We are given an explanation as to why he is aware, which I appreciate. Sometimes a romance lead being too perfect or too aware can really ruin the believability of a book, but there is a reason given here. I do think there was so much āah I canāt indulge my urges to protectā while also having a whole lot of growling that it did feel a little contrived at times.
Eva is the female lead. A professor of pop culture and English Lit was a nice choice of a career. We do get discussions or mentions of books and authors throughout the novel and having romance novels be defended within a romance novel was a pretty cute moment, in my opinion. She was a very real-feeling character. She overreacts, gets upset, maintains boundaries that are good, and pushes for communication pretty frequently. She is not too perfect or without flaws, but she is also not so flawed that it distracts from the romance between her and Sean.
On top of the ex that first brings Eva and Sean to meet, family and complicated families are a big part of Fake Flame. Both of their families are in the book with dinners and other meetings. I enjoyed Buckās characterization of difficult family dynamics. Even when you love each other, it can still be hard and when you donāt love each other, itās so hard. Family relationships and expectations can be a weight that you donāt even recognize or know how to deal with and I enjoyed seeing that in this book.
As the book is pretty short, a lot of threads or situations donāt get a lot of time to mature or pull through the main narrative. I wish it was longer and that there were more of the quirky/cute moments to balance out the heavier side of Sean and Evaās relationship. The attraction is cute and spicy moments abound. I enjoyed this book, but I didnāt absolutely love it.
Ok, this was an overall very charming, honest romance. There are some quite serious moments that could escalate into even more serious situations, which are thankfully averted. I thought that those moments were handled pretty well and felt confident in the narrative carrying me through those spots. However, if you are not comfortable reading about mentions of intimate partner abuse/assault or discussions of pregnancy, this book is probably not for you.
Sean, the firefighter lead, is so aware of issues that women face and is careful to avoid ācavemanā tendencies. We are given an explanation as to why he is aware, which I appreciate. Sometimes a romance lead being too perfect or too aware can really ruin the believability of a book, but there is a reason given here. I do think there was so much āah I canāt indulge my urges to protectā while also having a whole lot of growling that it did feel a little contrived at times.
Eva is the female lead. A professor of pop culture and English Lit was a nice choice of a career. We do get discussions or mentions of books and authors throughout the novel and having romance novels be defended within a romance novel was a pretty cute moment, in my opinion. She was a very real-feeling character. She overreacts, gets upset, maintains boundaries that are good, and pushes for communication pretty frequently. She is not too perfect or without flaws, but she is also not so flawed that it distracts from the romance between her and Sean.
On top of the ex that first brings Eva and Sean to meet, family and complicated families are a big part of Fake Flame. Both of their families are in the book with dinners and other meetings. I enjoyed Buckās characterization of difficult family dynamics. Even when you love each other, it can still be hard and when you donāt love each other, itās so hard. Family relationships and expectations can be a weight that you donāt even recognize or know how to deal with and I enjoyed seeing that in this book.
As the book is pretty short, a lot of threads or situations donāt get a lot of time to mature or pull through the main narrative. I wish it was longer and that there were more of the quirky/cute moments to balance out the heavier side of Sean and Evaās relationship. The attraction is cute and spicy moments abound. I enjoyed this book, but I didnāt absolutely love it.