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snowydaze's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Mental illness
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Sexual content
lmagie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Luc's cynism and self-deprecating doesn't let him see beyond himself most the time and also leads him to look and talk down to his family and friends. Which, as most romantic dramas, leads to miscommunication, which is really the plot.
Turns funny and cute towards the middle. Happy I heard the audiobook, but not sure I'd re-read it anytime soon.
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Body shaming because characters are self-conscious of their own body defects in a couple chapters.lessthelonely's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
While this book is on the longer side, and I'd definitely cut one or two storylines from it (mainly, the whole daddy issues thing), it's an enjoyable book. It made me more than chuckle, even if the brand of humor often relies on cringe, which I admit is a brand of humor I specifically don't enjoy much. However, it's not all it is.
The romance is very sweet, and I do think it's one of the few books that makes a 3rd act breakup work, mainly because "breakups" are part of the plot. I enjoy it. I have the 3rd book in the universe ready to read in my nightstand but I might take a while. I also am thinking of buying the 2nd book to see what it's all about, I guess.
All and all, it's a good romantic comedy, emphasis on comedy, and it's pretty fun! While the book speaks to me in a very personal manner, I also think a bit of what I would consider very important for a romance is kept out. I also think the consumation of the romance, while very wholesome, left me wanting a bit more, even if I could appreciate it.
Because of that, I guess I'mma give it 4.5/5, but rounded down, for once.
-- 1st Review --
I never expected to like this book so much.
I don't want to take anything out of anyone's plate, but as a gay man, I usually find MLM Romance to be extremely lacking - my theory is that, because it's a genre DOMINATED by women, it always feels awfully fetishizing to read sex-related motions described to great and usually also graphic detail. Here's the thing: obviously not all MLM books are written by women, and not all MLM books written by women even get to lean on the fetishistic side...
But I guess I grew disillusioned with the MLM Contemporary Romance genre because the books in it tend to feel highly fetishizing or severely lacking in depth and flavor: either the relationship is set up way too quickly so the book can enter its sex descriptions, which I notice a lot of women enjoy and good for them, I guess; or... it does the exact same thing to make a plot out of breaking and resetting the relationship.
Now, I had on my mind this book was written by a woman. Why did I assume that? Well, because it's usually what happens. The name Alexis Hall did seem female, but then I reached the final page of this book and realized it was actually written by a queer man, and boy does it make sense!
This book will probably be seen as formulaic by many and, sorry to say, I'm pretty sure it is. I haven't read that many MLM Adult Romances because, as stated, I'm usually underwhelmed by them and I find a lot of interesting ones in the Young Adult genre... but this one knocked it out of the park. And I regret I didn't read it sooner, though I also don't regret it, because now it's time to wait for the sequel.
So, as I usually do, I'm going to go into technicals: this is a fake dating romance. People loved those and I decided to try one of them. It's now one of my favorite tropes, not only because of the execution of it in this book but also because I see its IMMENSE potential. In just this book, I understood why fake dating is a great trope, at least for me: it makes for the perfect internal conflict of I shouldn't, but I want to, and as Miss Natalie Wynn once said, That's how you build a plotline, kids. And that is captivating and enticing, since it is one of my favorite types of pining. Not being able to have someone just builds into the tension of wanting them, making it grow and grow. Truly great stuff.
Granted, there are some choices I don't get in this book: this could've gone for an awkward-but-hilarious-first-kiss but it didn't, though it didn't do so as a showcase of Luc's character. Oh, and on the topic of plotline... this book has none, but it truly goes to show that what I've recently seen Shonda Rhimes say about writing stories: If you base it on character, you can get away with anything. This book has no plot, but it's never boring. Is that allowed? Yeah, apparently. It's got great banter, though there were some British mannerisms I truly had to reread to understand from time to time, all was still very fun! Another choice I would like to complain about but kind of won't since I ate it the fuck up - that's how invested I was - were the little temporary roadblocks. They felt realistic and unnecessary, and I had a heart attack with each one, because if the book ended on a bad note I was going to riot as it'd all been fine a few pages ag- OK, I'll just stop there and leave it at that.
This book is hilarious and it has a couple of things I'd call gimmicks, like puns and infuriating characters who never get them - seriously, Alex, what the fuck is wrong with you? - though I guess that was the point. I felt for Luc at every single point of his struggles and Oliver... You're an S Tier love interest, character, person, man. And the fact that their banter was DELICIOUS to read and the best part of the book - and be sure to know that it all pays off in some of the best romance writing I've ever read so far... - made me want them to like each other from their very first non-date.
Side characters are also very much interesting, specially each of the lovebird's friend squad and Luc's mother.
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Abandonment
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, and Alcohol
Lighthearted, hilarious and with the best payoff I've ever read.historic_wince's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Eating disorder and Panic attacks/disorders
knifewifestan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Homophobia and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexual content
technicallyaly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It's so FUNNY. And HEARTBREAKING. And so relatable. Sometimes characters tend to be larger than life but everyone here felt so real. Lucien's
Also, My copy was filled with me yelling in the margins. "can y'all stop flirting for FIVE MINUTES." "fellas this is GAY gay" "do u think they know they're already in love?"
I really do get images from his book stuck in my head at random times.
Overall, I loved this. 5/5 would read again and recommend to everyone everywhere.
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Body shaming, Cancer, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
bookishnatalia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Body shaming and Sexual content
stxrmblessed's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Cancer, Cursing, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Emotional abuse and Sexual content
olivialandryxo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I wasn’t expecting such a focus on Luc’s and Oliver’s complicated family dynamics. The former’s father has been diagnosed with cancer and wants to fix their poor relationship, whereas the latter has emotionally abusive parents. I sympathize with both guys—I wanna give Oliver a hug—and I can especially relate to Luc’s situation, as sans cancer, I have a similar relationship with my own father. However, some of Luc’s comments regarding his father’s diagnosis seemed insensitive, and it rubbed me the wrong way. That is, until
The way Luc and Oliver supported each other warmed my heart. Theirs was a bit of a messy romance, since both of them are the epitome of gay disasters, but I loved it nonetheless. Recently I’ve realized that fake dating is one of my favorite tropes because I love seeing characters’ dynamics shift from an arrangement to real affection, so of course I loved these two, loved their story. And, as an added bonus, they teased each other frequently, which was quite amusing.
This would’ve been a five star read if not for the events of the last hundred pages. Everything seemed to be going well. I was grinning and laughing at almost every page. And then everything went so wildly wrong.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad book. It was mostly enjoyable, and quite entertaining. I’d recommend to those looking for a quick romance read, so long as you don’t go in with extremely high expectations.
Representation
- gay protagonist and love interest
- achillean romance (m/m)
- queer side characters (includes gay, bisexual, and lesbian rep; one achillean couple and one sapphic couple (f/f))
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Terminal illness, and Grief
melizto's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
there was a lot of drama due to miscommunication and the relationship was a little toxic but overall i really liked it, also the writing was too british for me haha so i only understood like 75% of the book. ALSO i didnt like that everything got resolved at the end, i wish we could have seen more of their future relationship :(
Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Eating disorder