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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
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:
Complicated
I think it’s fine. It had some good parts, funny parts, but I felt that the ending was a little rushed and I didn’t fully care about these characters
I really enjoyed this romance! The pastry descriptions were sweet, but the enemies-to-lovers trope and open-door scenes added a great amount of banter and spice. I usually don’t like this trope because it feels unbelievable, but I loved it for Cherisse and Keiran. Having a bi love interest was such a great touch!
3 stars because I just felt that the side characters and everyone’s occupations/goings-on played a heavy role in the novel and didn’t really add to the story - just added names and events to keep up with and get confused by.
I would recommend! Love that it takes place in Trinidad, the island culture adds something very special to the novel.
3 stars because I just felt that the side characters and everyone’s occupations/goings-on played a heavy role in the novel and didn’t really add to the story - just added names and events to keep up with and get confused by.
I would recommend! Love that it takes place in Trinidad, the island culture adds something very special to the novel.
Cherisse is a pastry chef who had a very public breakup with her cheating musician ex-boyfriend. She's hoping that her sister's wedding, at which she'll be the maid of honor, will get her scheming mother off her back about finding a good man. Not only is that not the case, but it turns out the best man - who she'll have to work closely with to plan wedding events - is Keiran, a musician who she's hated since they were teenagers.
This was the first read of 2023 for my book club, Three of Clubs, were our first theme of the year is forced proximity. If you'd like to join us, here's the link to the club discord: discord.
So the thing about running a book club is that you don't read the book before you pick it. You just have to guess that you'll like it. For the first time, I didn't like the book. I'd say nine out of ten isn't too bad of a record, so I won't kick myself too hard, but I was looking forward to this one quite a bit.
Generally, this book needed editing. It had the bones of a romance/romcom that could have worked, but there were several things that got in the way. The good things: both love interests having strong passion for their professions, fun side characters, a wedding plot, quid pro quo between the love interests. The spice was pretty good as well. However, a lot of these good set ups were knocked down by a lack of depth that could have been fixed! Cherisse supposedly hates Keiran - but never in her inner monologues do we actually see her being annoyed by him. There is a scene very early on where she addresses a terrible rumor about him, but that is immediately dismissed as not true. All she does is be mad that he's hot and think about how she can't be with him. But why? She doesn't think, oh, men can't be trusted because my toxic ex sucked, she just has the thought "I can't be serious with him." This turns her to be a toxic love interest for Keiran, at least for the duration of the book. Keiran is sweet and at her beck and call, and she is mean (which, he's at least into that) and strings him along like a toy. Lots of minor plot points were dropped (the rumor, the song release). Some of the dialogue was weird, except Remi, she's my favorite lol. This book was pitched as sweet, but it was unnecessarily angsty and unhealthy.
Overall, I was let down by this one. I was still entertained enough that I didn't want to DNF, but the book did not execute on what it set out to do, unfortunately.
This was the first read of 2023 for my book club, Three of Clubs, were our first theme of the year is forced proximity. If you'd like to join us, here's the link to the club discord: discord.
So the thing about running a book club is that you don't read the book before you pick it. You just have to guess that you'll like it. For the first time, I didn't like the book. I'd say nine out of ten isn't too bad of a record, so I won't kick myself too hard, but I was looking forward to this one quite a bit.
Generally, this book needed editing. It had the bones of a romance/romcom that could have worked, but there were several things that got in the way. The good things: both love interests having strong passion for their professions, fun side characters, a wedding plot, quid pro quo between the love interests. The spice was pretty good as well. However, a lot of these good set ups were knocked down by a lack of depth that could have been fixed! Cherisse supposedly hates Keiran - but never in her inner monologues do we actually see her being annoyed by him. There is a scene very early on where she addresses a terrible rumor about him, but that is immediately dismissed as not true. All she does is be mad that he's hot and think about how she can't be with him. But why? She doesn't think, oh, men can't be trusted because my toxic ex sucked, she just has the thought "I can't be serious with him." This turns her to be a toxic love interest for Keiran, at least for the duration of the book. Keiran is sweet and at her beck and call, and she is mean (which, he's at least into that) and strings him along like a toy. Lots of minor plot points were dropped (the rumor, the song release). Some of the dialogue was weird, except Remi, she's my favorite lol. This book was pitched as sweet, but it was unnecessarily angsty and unhealthy.
Overall, I was let down by this one. I was still entertained enough that I didn't want to DNF, but the book did not execute on what it set out to do, unfortunately.
3.5 stars
I read this at a time when J was a little confused and I recall most of the plot so that's good.
I read this at a time when J was a little confused and I recall most of the plot so that's good.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really cute story, extra points for clear consent and for that cover <3.
I don't usually like the Enemies to Lovers trope, but I really enjoyed this one, probably because the inmaturity of it makes sense as their perceptions were based on childhood experiences.
I don't usually like the Enemies to Lovers trope, but I really enjoyed this one, probably because the inmaturity of it makes sense as their perceptions were based on childhood experiences.
[dnf at 20%]
honestly, no one is more disappointed by this than i am… the cover and the synopsis seemed so tempting but i could not get into this book! i might pick it up again someday, but for now i’m trying to avoid a reading slump
honestly, no one is more disappointed by this than i am… the cover and the synopsis seemed so tempting but i could not get into this book! i might pick it up again someday, but for now i’m trying to avoid a reading slump