Reviews

I fell for the premise and was gifted an early christmas present of a shit execution

Maybe it was the stilted writing or the immature characters, but I was bored out of my mind with this story and I dnf-ed at 14%. I wasn't even able to read up to the forced-proximity trope which is one of my favourites.

I initially requested this for the promising premise, yet by the 10% mark, the storyline failed to even touch upon any significant plot points. It had also been compared to "The Flatshare", an incredibly popular book following a similar storyline. I was excited to read this before O'Leary's to see how it measured up compared to the original, but unfortunately, I could not get through the book.

Rosie, to me, felt very over-the-top and quirky. Aled felt very closed off in the few short moments that I read, considering he never spoke even after Rosie fell into his arms and her joke which provided me with second-hand embarrassment. Their chemistry felt forced and their 'meet-cute' ridiculous and heavy on the insta-lust.

For a contemporary romance, a lot was going on in the first 4 chapters. You learn about her friend Niamh, about Rosie's job and her co-workers, and the 2-and-a-half-page conversation she has on the phone with a male Karen who, quite frankly, makes Rosie seem bearable. You also read about a stray cat which is more interesting than all the chapters put together. There are also lots of references, which aren't always a bad thing (cough Check & Mate cough), but it made the writing feel all the more cluttered. I also didn't like the 3rd-person POV which I don't always hate, but here it made the book feel intolerable for me.

In all fairness, it probably wasn't the best book to read in a slump due to the incredibly slow-paced writing, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it either.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest thoughts!

honora's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

k8readstoday's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-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? Yes

3.25

j_ko1's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

2.25

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