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chanelchapters's review against another edition
4.0
Overall quite fun and enjoyable
The sex scenes were a bit lacklustre and I didn't enjoy the whole "man big and muscly, woman small and tiny" schtick thats rammed down your throats repeatedly.
The point where Josh won me over was when he looked after a constantly vomitting Lucy the entire night and even cleaned her whole house in between cleaning up her vomit.
Liked them as a couple and had a fun time.
book channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@starkissedstories
The sex scenes were a bit lacklustre and I didn't enjoy the whole "man big and muscly, woman small and tiny" schtick thats rammed down your throats repeatedly.
The point where Josh won me over was when he looked after a constantly vomitting Lucy the entire night and even cleaned her whole house in between cleaning up her vomit.
Liked them as a couple and had a fun time.
book channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@starkissedstories
cipotalectora's review against another edition
1.0
This is another one of those books I've owned since it (almost) came out but I never got around reading it. Funny story: I almost bought another copy of this because I thought I lost my copy of it. I'm embarrassed to admit that I almost cried. Books are expensive. I'm so glad I found my copy and didn't buy a new one though, or I would have been crying but they wouldn't be happy tears.
The elevator scene. I don't get it. When you say two characters truly hate each other, I expect hate, but this wasn't it. It was nineteen percent in and they were already throwing lustful eyes at each other.
I will be honest though and say that even if a romance has that, there is still potential for the story to pick up and be enjoyable. But, in this case, it wasn't. There wasn't one moment where I enjoyed reading this. I was bored the entire time. It's a wonder I finished it.
This is just one of the worst romance novels I've read. Office rom-com my ass. I found nothing funny about this. Where was the comedy? There are also hardly office scenes besides the two staring at each other the entire time. There is really no humor in this whatsoever. Josh and Lucy's banter was not in any way funny. I don't get it man.
I'm not going to write a full review for this but I'll mention some things I quicky wrote on my notes as I was reading:
3% in: Apparently Josh’s blue Post-its make his desk the male version of hers. Also because he has mints instead of lipstick, whatever that means.
14% in: Lucy has her first wet dream with and of Josh. She then spends every waking moment thinking of him, his muscles, his body against hers, and, well, you get the point.
19% in: Josh kisses Lucy in the elevator even though he didn’t ask her because he’s been trying to prove a theory he’s had for a while. Before he kissed her, she put her arms in defense and thought he was going to kill her. After kissing her, she's clearly weak, meaning she enjoyed it, of course. When she asked him why he kissed her, he just said “I had to prove a theory” and ignores her wonder because he really didn’t answer her question.
24% in: The office gang has a paintball match. Danny, a designer who used to work with Josh and Lucy, is clearly interested in Lucy, and in that moment, she is as well. Danny tries getting close to Lucy but Josh snaps at Danny when he talks to her. He also shot him with his paintball gun when Danny waved to Lucy. Like, seriously?? You’re that jealous???
32% in: Josh takes care of Lucy. He lowkey shows signs of jealousy when Lucy calls his brother cute (keep in mind that his brother, Patrick, is getting married. I don’t know what Josh’s deal is).
47% in: “But . . .” My voice is plaintive. “I thought . . .”
His eyebrows pinch together in a fake display of incomprehension.
“You know . . .”
“It’s rather hurtful to only be wanted for my body. I didn’t even get the date beforehand.” He looks down at our hands again.
This scene just made me laugh. Here’s how this went:
Lucy tells Josh she wants to be friends with him, or something.
Josh asks Lucy what she means by “something.”
Lucy says to be friends or to be people that don’t hate each other.
Josh asks Lucy if Danny is her boyfriend, which she answers to no but not directly.
The two have a moment where they’re all lovey again.
Lucy then tells Josh she’s gonna try and play the “Or Something Game” with him.
The two then get sexually tensed.
Josh then tells Lucy he wants her to have her date with Danny and kiss him and that he wants to know if it was good. He says the Or Something Game cannot proceed until she tells him. He then says if the kiss isn’t as good as his (Josh), she can’t kiss him (Danny) again.
Did I mention they were in a janitors room? Well they are so after this Josh pushes Lucy out. Lucy makes an excuse for him after his boss looks for him. Josh returns 20 minutes later. Moving on.
Lucy then tells her that if the Or Something Game involves sex, it will be a one time deal. Once. The two agree. He then writers his address on a blue sticky Post-it note and hands it to her.
And now, Josh, you’re telling me you didn’t get a proper date when you could have denied the sex and maybe, I don’t know, asked for a date instead, Or Something???????? Did I miss something??
Lucy's date with Danny clearly didn't go well. Danny kissed her, but she didn't like it, so Josh won. She's now at his apartment, telling him this, admitting it, yada yada. As Lucy is about to leave, this is their conversation:
“You’re not going to miss me, are you? You can manage one little Tuesday on your own.” He touches the little toy car in my hand and spins the wheels a little. I try to be nonchalant, but he probably sees through it.
“Miss you? I’ll miss looking at your pretty face, but that’s about it.”
The relationship was just pathetically sad for me at this point.
51% in: It’s the next day.
Lucy sends Josh a note saying “I want you for more than your body.” Josh replies with “Glad to hear it.” Lucy then calls Josh and tells him she’s bored (implying she wants to come over), and he says “Better come over then.”
And you know, personally, I don’t like sweat. It’s quite . . . gross. It’s normal, of course, but gross. Josh was working out, so Lucy says “I want to see you all sweaty.” She gets to his apartment and sees him, then she runs up to him and smells him, describing his sweat as “[rainwater and cedar], leaving a faint rosemary-pine tingle in my nostrils.”
What it is about books and their sniffing???
Yeah I was really over it.
93% in: “What are the marks in your planner?” It pops into my head. He didn’t answer last time; I doubt he will now.
He smiles and looks at his plate. “It’s a bit juvenile.”
“I’d expect nothing less of you.”
“I record whether you’re wearing a dress or skirt. D, or S. I make a mark when we argue, and I make a mark when I see you smile at someone else. Also, when I wish I could kiss you. The dots are just my lunch break.”
I get the lunch break dots, but, marking when she smiles at someone? It was probably when she smiled at other guys, considering everything else that’s happened and been said. I mean, he even kept the Post-it note she kissed and plastered it on his refrigerator . . . And also, making a mark for when she wore a dress or skirt? He's quite the observer, if you ask me.
95% in: “What’s my favorite color?”
“Easy. Blue.”
“What kind of blue?”
“Bedroom blue!” I point at the wall. “The walls. Your shirt. My dress. Pale Tiffany blue.”
He tugs me to sit, then goes to the end of the bed. He opens his wardrobe door, and I see all of the shirts hanging in color sequence.
“Josh, you dork.” I start to laugh and point, but he grabs my ankles and drags me to the end of the bed. There’s a full-length mirror, and I see myself, at long last sitting on the bed in his robin’s-egg bedroom. His walls are the blue of my eyes. I’ve been a bit slow.
Ah yes, the moment Lucy finds out his walls are the color of Lucy’s eyes and loves it. Just, lovely.
98% in: “I’ve been trying to drag you down with me. In the worst, most ill-conceived and socially retarded way possible.”
We love the r-word being used in the context of Josh telling Lucy he’s loved her since the moment he saw her. So romantic.
The elevator scene. I don't get it. When you say two characters truly hate each other, I expect hate, but this wasn't it. It was nineteen percent in and they were already throwing lustful eyes at each other.
I will be honest though and say that even if a romance has that, there is still potential for the story to pick up and be enjoyable. But, in this case, it wasn't. There wasn't one moment where I enjoyed reading this. I was bored the entire time. It's a wonder I finished it.
This is just one of the worst romance novels I've read. Office rom-com my ass. I found nothing funny about this. Where was the comedy? There are also hardly office scenes besides the two staring at each other the entire time. There is really no humor in this whatsoever. Josh and Lucy's banter was not in any way funny. I don't get it man.
I'm not going to write a full review for this but I'll mention some things I quicky wrote on my notes as I was reading:
3% in: Apparently Josh’s blue Post-its make his desk the male version of hers. Also because he has mints instead of lipstick, whatever that means.
14% in: Lucy has her first wet dream with and of Josh. She then spends every waking moment thinking of him, his muscles, his body against hers, and, well, you get the point.
19% in: Josh kisses Lucy in the elevator even though he didn’t ask her because he’s been trying to prove a theory he’s had for a while. Before he kissed her, she put her arms in defense and thought he was going to kill her. After kissing her, she's clearly weak, meaning she enjoyed it, of course. When she asked him why he kissed her, he just said “I had to prove a theory” and ignores her wonder because he really didn’t answer her question.
24% in: The office gang has a paintball match. Danny, a designer who used to work with Josh and Lucy, is clearly interested in Lucy, and in that moment, she is as well. Danny tries getting close to Lucy but Josh snaps at Danny when he talks to her. He also shot him with his paintball gun when Danny waved to Lucy. Like, seriously?? You’re that jealous???
32% in: Josh takes care of Lucy. He lowkey shows signs of jealousy when Lucy calls his brother cute (keep in mind that his brother, Patrick, is getting married. I don’t know what Josh’s deal is).
47% in: “But . . .” My voice is plaintive. “I thought . . .”
His eyebrows pinch together in a fake display of incomprehension.
“You know . . .”
“It’s rather hurtful to only be wanted for my body. I didn’t even get the date beforehand.” He looks down at our hands again.
This scene just made me laugh. Here’s how this went:
Lucy tells Josh she wants to be friends with him, or something.
Josh asks Lucy what she means by “something.”
Lucy says to be friends or to be people that don’t hate each other.
Josh asks Lucy if Danny is her boyfriend, which she answers to no but not directly.
The two have a moment where they’re all lovey again.
Lucy then tells Josh she’s gonna try and play the “Or Something Game” with him.
The two then get sexually tensed.
Josh then tells Lucy he wants her to have her date with Danny and kiss him and that he wants to know if it was good. He says the Or Something Game cannot proceed until she tells him. He then says if the kiss isn’t as good as his (Josh), she can’t kiss him (Danny) again.
Did I mention they were in a janitors room? Well they are so after this Josh pushes Lucy out. Lucy makes an excuse for him after his boss looks for him. Josh returns 20 minutes later. Moving on.
Lucy then tells her that if the Or Something Game involves sex, it will be a one time deal. Once. The two agree. He then writers his address on a blue sticky Post-it note and hands it to her.
And now, Josh, you’re telling me you didn’t get a proper date when you could have denied the sex and maybe, I don’t know, asked for a date instead, Or Something???????? Did I miss something??
Lucy's date with Danny clearly didn't go well. Danny kissed her, but she didn't like it, so Josh won. She's now at his apartment, telling him this, admitting it, yada yada. As Lucy is about to leave, this is their conversation:
“You’re not going to miss me, are you? You can manage one little Tuesday on your own.” He touches the little toy car in my hand and spins the wheels a little. I try to be nonchalant, but he probably sees through it.
“Miss you? I’ll miss looking at your pretty face, but that’s about it.”
The relationship was just pathetically sad for me at this point.
51% in: It’s the next day.
Lucy sends Josh a note saying “I want you for more than your body.” Josh replies with “Glad to hear it.” Lucy then calls Josh and tells him she’s bored (implying she wants to come over), and he says “Better come over then.”
And you know, personally, I don’t like sweat. It’s quite . . . gross. It’s normal, of course, but gross. Josh was working out, so Lucy says “I want to see you all sweaty.” She gets to his apartment and sees him, then she runs up to him and smells him, describing his sweat as “[rainwater and cedar], leaving a faint rosemary-pine tingle in my nostrils.”
What it is about books and their sniffing???
Yeah I was really over it.
93% in: “What are the marks in your planner?” It pops into my head. He didn’t answer last time; I doubt he will now.
He smiles and looks at his plate. “It’s a bit juvenile.”
“I’d expect nothing less of you.”
“I record whether you’re wearing a dress or skirt. D, or S. I make a mark when we argue, and I make a mark when I see you smile at someone else. Also, when I wish I could kiss you. The dots are just my lunch break.”
I get the lunch break dots, but, marking when she smiles at someone? It was probably when she smiled at other guys, considering everything else that’s happened and been said. I mean, he even kept the Post-it note she kissed and plastered it on his refrigerator . . . And also, making a mark for when she wore a dress or skirt? He's quite the observer, if you ask me.
95% in: “What’s my favorite color?”
“Easy. Blue.”
“What kind of blue?”
“Bedroom blue!” I point at the wall. “The walls. Your shirt. My dress. Pale Tiffany blue.”
He tugs me to sit, then goes to the end of the bed. He opens his wardrobe door, and I see all of the shirts hanging in color sequence.
“Josh, you dork.” I start to laugh and point, but he grabs my ankles and drags me to the end of the bed. There’s a full-length mirror, and I see myself, at long last sitting on the bed in his robin’s-egg bedroom. His walls are the blue of my eyes. I’ve been a bit slow.
Ah yes, the moment Lucy finds out his walls are the color of Lucy’s eyes and loves it. Just, lovely.
98% in: “I’ve been trying to drag you down with me. In the worst, most ill-conceived and socially retarded way possible.”
We love the r-word being used in the context of Josh telling Lucy he’s loved her since the moment he saw her. So romantic.
jrv45's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
leah_grace07's review against another edition
5.0
Literally the MOST entertaining book I’ve read this year!! It’s one of the few books I’ve read that I actually never ever want to end
mia_mcmurter's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
mfbaaby's review against another edition
5.0
I love Joshua ..... and i’m in love with this book.
They worked so well together and they fit like two puzzle pieces — amazing chemistry between the two of them.
They worked so well together and they fit like two puzzle pieces — amazing chemistry between the two of them.
im_just_vidu's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I read the audiobook (& couldn't put it in speed motion anything else than x1) & I regret it cuz if I read the ebook or paperback, I would've finished this torment earlier than this. I wanted to like this book as it's very popular & everyone loves it but nah! It's not my cup of tea.
Lucy is so annoying & since the story runs in her pov it's more annoying. She's always about "he's so manly, he's so masculine, he's the male version of me cuz he uses blue instead of pink, his muscles - his body gets me drooling, he's so giant, I'm just 5' small body but don't call me short that's an insult but I would call you "fat" cuz you're fat" type of girl. That annoyed the hell out of me. She has such a "pick me" vibe & I normally like pick-me girls in books but she's not one of them.
Joshua, is this 6'4 giant as Lucy says but I don't see anything good about him except he took care of her when she was sick. Then again we couldn't see anything good about him cuz it's in Lucy's pov & all she talks about is his body & nothing else. And he's the "so hard, can't talk to him, he doesn't smile at anyone, I didn't smile cuz I didn't want to be friends" type of person.
And that elevator scene was so unnecessary, and that was the reason I gave this 1 star instead of 2. Idk this book wasn't good at all & I wonder if we read the same book cuz everyone else seems to LOVE this.
Lucy is so annoying & since the story runs in her pov it's more annoying. She's always about "he's so manly, he's so masculine, he's the male version of me cuz he uses blue instead of pink, his muscles - his body gets me drooling, he's so giant, I'm just 5' small body but don't call me short that's an insult but I would call you "fat" cuz you're fat" type of girl. That annoyed the hell out of me. She has such a "pick me" vibe & I normally like pick-me girls in books but she's not one of them.
Joshua, is this 6'4 giant as Lucy says but I don't see anything good about him except he took care of her when she was sick. Then again we couldn't see anything good about him cuz it's in Lucy's pov & all she talks about is his body & nothing else. And he's the "so hard, can't talk to him, he doesn't smile at anyone, I didn't smile cuz I didn't want to be friends" type of person.
And that elevator scene was so unnecessary, and that was the reason I gave this 1 star instead of 2. Idk this book wasn't good at all & I wonder if we read the same book cuz everyone else seems to LOVE this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
ladywhistledown's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I don't remember reading this but it's rated 4 on my goodreads but since it obviously wasn't memorable I'm knocking it down a half star