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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
pretty nonsensical premise.. like she just immediately got over the fiancé??
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I feel like we were cooking with flames until about 60% and then the characters and writing fell apart? After the spice, it got convenient.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
- friends to lovers
- unrequited love finally returned
- runaway bride,
- spicy LGBTQ+ romance
First chapter.. Elsie realizing at the last possible moment that her fiancé has steamrolled her into a life she doesn’t even want. He planned the wedding and the honeymoon without her input, and when she sees the future he’s mapped out, she finally pulls the plug. Instead of crawling into bed and hiding, she grabs her best friend Ginny and uses the prepaid honeymoon as an escape. The setup is classic romcom chaos, but the twist is Ginny has been quietly in love with Elsie for over a decade.
On the island the story shifts from awkward tension to open desire. Ginny throws down a challenge that Elsie needs to learn to ask for what she wants. At first it’s playful, just about excursions, food, and fun. But soon Elsie starts asking for more, and what she wants is Ginny. That’s when the book turns up the heat and the long-standing friendship becomes the foundation for a week of passion. What makes it believable is that while the physical part happens quickly, the emotional groundwork has been there for years. The chemistry doesn’t feel rushed because these two already know each other inside out.
The second half wrestles with the question of what happens when the week ends. It’s not just about sex on a tropical island, it’s about whether Elsie can really choose a life that makes her happy rather than settling into what’s easy. By the end she realizes that her feelings for Ginny aren’t a fling or a rebound, they’re the real thing she should have seen all along. Ginny’s patience finally pays off, and Elsie grows into someone who can ask for love and claim it without apology. It’s a sweet, slightly predictable ride, but it delivers on heart, spice, and the satisfaction of friends finally becoming lovers
I think this is a case of me not doing enough research on the book before picking it up. I absolutely hate friends to lovers when one person has been pining after the other for years of their friendship. I think its so gross and feels like one person is faking being friends in the hopes that they can have a romantic relationship someday. That is literally what this book is.
I did enjoy the representation in this book. I love this authors writing style and I was able to finish this book. I did enjoy the way the third act conflict was handled. I honestly feel like both of these main characters are too young and immature to make any kind of life decisions. They both frustrated me so much. I really hope after the book ends that they take a step back and just date for a while cause this relationship needs more of a foundation than just sleeping together.
I did enjoy the representation in this book. I love this authors writing style and I was able to finish this book. I did enjoy the way the third act conflict was handled. I honestly feel like both of these main characters are too young and immature to make any kind of life decisions. They both frustrated me so much. I really hope after the book ends that they take a step back and just date for a while cause this relationship needs more of a foundation than just sleeping together.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I like a good friends to lovers romance but as someone who appreciates a slow burn there wasn’t enough yearning for me and the characters jumped into sex pretty fast into the book. The sex scenes were definitely the highlight, although they were clustered in the middle of the book, and the third act breakup was more like a second-act breakup as it occurred about 60% of the way into the book.
As such, I thought there was a bit too much time spent on when the characters were apart and the miscommunication that they had didn’t really feel resolved to me. At times with the flashbacks to Elsie and Ginny’s friendship it also felt a bit disjointed or repetitive. Overall though I thought this was okay, and as it’s my first book by this author I’d be willing to give them another chance.
As such, I thought there was a bit too much time spent on when the characters were apart and the miscommunication that they had didn’t really feel resolved to me. At times with the flashbacks to Elsie and Ginny’s friendship it also felt a bit disjointed or repetitive. Overall though I thought this was okay, and as it’s my first book by this author I’d be willing to give them another chance.