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extracelestial's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This was a tough read/listen for me. I mostly found Catalina to be pretty insufferable and I didn’t really buy the tension between her and Aaron at the beginning of the book. Everything seemed to drag on for the first half of the book. I finished everything because I wanted to know what happened, but l found a lot of the moments over the top and Catalina’s internal monologue had me rolling my eyes more often than not. It’s a fun and lighthearted read but not one I could get lost in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
annahamburger's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcohol, Cancer, Death of parent, Bullying, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, and Medical content
scarlettlarouge's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
The writing in this book was extremely repetitive and the main character came off as obnoxious, rude, and annoying even though she was supposed to be cute and bubbly. The main hero was bland. This is basically an idiot plot where there is no issue except that the heroine refuses to acknowledge her feelings.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Death of parent, Cancer, and Fatphobia
bookfortbuilder's review against another edition
She’s being a bitch to someone who is being nice to her and except for something he did two years prior, he doesn’t seem to deserve it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
jenna_gilb's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Fatphobia, and Eating disorder
Minor: Death of parent
artemisg's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Hmmm, this book was not good, but I did have fun reading it. 2.5/5 stars.
Usually, I’m all about enemies to lovers, but these guys were insufferable. The one-sided nature of the antagonism was annoying; if you’re gonna be rivals, commit to it. I don't really have anything to say about this book; it was ultimately pretty forgettable. It follows Catalina (or Lina) and her fake boyfriend and workplace enemy Aaron as they head to Spain for Lina’s sister's wedding, where her newly engaged ex-boyfriend (gasp) is the best man (even bigger gasp). Shenanigans ensue; she realises she likes Aaron, and they have a “real romance”. They break up; they get back together because Aaron’s dad gets cancer, you get it. Even though this plot was super predictable and generic, I enjoyed it.
On top of not having a very good plot, the writing style was just not for me. I’m already not the biggest fan of first-person POV (although some of my favourite books are first-person, so what is the truth), and this style just grated me. The lack of contractions in dialogue and thoughts completely interrupted the flow and completely took me out of the story. Also, for someone who is supposed to be funny and charismatic, Lina was pretty cringe sometimes. There were also occasional moments of fatphobia and disordered eating, which took some fun out of the story.
Here is my formal PSA to all heterosexual romance authors: please find a new way to describe your male love interests that’s not tall, big, or large. I’m so sick of a slight, petite woman being picked up by a - frankly, unnecessarily - tall and buff man. Not every man is over 6ft tall; that's not the average. And give them hobbies outside of working out and being obsessed with the female love interest, please.
All in all, I’ll enjoy any fake-dating story, and I did genuinely have fun reading this, but I can’t say I would reread it, and I can’t say it was good.
Usually, I’m all about enemies to lovers, but these guys were insufferable. The one-sided nature of the antagonism was annoying; if you’re gonna be rivals, commit to it. I don't really have anything to say about this book; it was ultimately pretty forgettable. It follows Catalina (or Lina) and her fake boyfriend and workplace enemy Aaron as they head to Spain for Lina’s sister's wedding, where her newly engaged ex-boyfriend (gasp) is the best man (even bigger gasp). Shenanigans ensue; she realises she likes Aaron, and they have a “real romance”. They break up; they get back together because Aaron’s dad gets cancer, you get it. Even though this plot was super predictable and generic, I enjoyed it.
On top of not having a very good plot, the writing style was just not for me. I’m already not the biggest fan of first-person POV (although some of my favourite books are first-person, so what is the truth), and this style just grated me. The lack of contractions in dialogue and thoughts completely interrupted the flow and completely took me out of the story. Also, for someone who is supposed to be funny and charismatic, Lina was pretty cringe sometimes. There were also occasional moments of fatphobia and disordered eating, which took some fun out of the story.
Here is my formal PSA to all heterosexual romance authors: please find a new way to describe your male love interests that’s not tall, big, or large. I’m so sick of a slight, petite woman being picked up by a - frankly, unnecessarily - tall and buff man. Not every man is over 6ft tall; that's not the average. And give them hobbies outside of working out and being obsessed with the female love interest, please.
All in all, I’ll enjoy any fake-dating story, and I did genuinely have fun reading this, but I can’t say I would reread it, and I can’t say it was good.
Content Warnings
Minor: Eating disorder and Fatphobia
reads2cope's review against another edition
2.0
The tension was great, everything else was annoying. Definitely could have used 90% fewer mentions of the color of Aarons eyes. But the worst part for me was how Aaron never properly apologized for badmouthing Lina to their boss. It was such an overly agonized point at the beginning, and honestly very upsetting, so I was expecting him to own his actions there. As annoying as Lina was, she deserved better than that. Beyond other plot grievances, the writing wasn’t for me. Still curious how the same chest can be „warm and wide and snuggly“ and „a marble sculpture, unyielding and hardened.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Sexism
jaqavery'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
2.5
So overhyped. The spice and the romance were both a snooze fest.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
After getting burned in a relationship with a power differential, Catalina flees Spain for New York, starting over, climbing the misogynistic corporate ladder, and vowing not to make the same mistake twice. Her family’s pity is suffocating as Lina struggles to trust and avoids romance, but now her sister’s getting married, and the whole family can’t wait to meet Lina’s new American boyfriend…whom she may have made up at the thought of facing her family, and her newly engaged ex, who is also the best man. ¡Ay, Dios! When her irritatingly handsome work nemesis, Aaron, overhears her predicament, he offers himself as her wedding date, and no matter how much she wants to, she can’t turn him down. And that’s how Lina and Aaron end up fake dating, in Spain, amidst the lovefest of wedding festivities and the chaos of Lina’s family. But their Spanish love deception turns into a sexy and intoxicating slow burn romance that has Lina wondering, Is it love, or is it just pretend?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Bullying
Moderate: Alcohol, Fatphobia, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death of parent, Grief, Cancer, and Medical content
now_booking's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
4-4.5 Stars!
I admittedly am not the biggest fan of enemies-to-lovers romances. They stress me out and I personally don’t understand the point of investing so much banter and negative energy in someone you purportedly despise but here we are. I decided to read this and I actually really enjoyed it. Perhaps it’s because I listened to it in audio and Scarlette Hayes did such a good job on it, or perhaps it’s because from the beginning, it is beyond obvious that the hero is gone over the heroine and is being the trope of “somewhat emotionally-stunted character struggles to show their feelings.” Nonetheless, there’s something in this that really worked for me and I loved it.
The premise is that Catalina needs a fake date to attend her sister’s wedding in Spain after lying to her family about being in a relationship so they wouldn’t worry about her still being broken after a devastating break up back home. Her only option seems to be the incongruous offer from her work nemesis, Aaron, who agrees to play the part of her boyfriend in front of her family. But being thrown together makes them dig deep into the animosity between them.
I think my favourite part of this is the exploration of sexism in academia and in the work place. There are scenes where Catalina’s experience reflects the inherent bias and misogyny that exists in professional spheres where women are expected to fulfill certain roles or tropes just because of their gender, or they’re subject to gossip and innuendo if they are succeeding in their careers. I also really enjoyed the discussion around “staying neutral” versus how best to support those that are being harassed in the workplace. I did not necessarily agree with Aaron’s conclusion but I thought it was a good conversation and it made me think. I think this theme was a really important part of this novel and that the author did a good job discussing this within the plot and making the trauma Lina had experienced around this really tangible.
I found the writing especially in Lina’s stream-of-consciousness mind to be cute and laugh out loud funny. There is a lot of internal monologuing in this and Lina’s mental voice is strong, and so if this is not something that you typically like, consider if this might be the book for you. I would almost say that most of this book is Lina’s internal monologue. In audio, it was fine, the narrator did a fantastic job interpreting the character, but if you’re reading it on the page, I suppose it would be a matter of taste. I typically don’t like the deception-fake relationship trope but it worked here for me. Consent was also dealt with in a stellar way, as well as workplace relationships. As a multicultural romance, I thought this did a fair job reflecting the cultural dichotomies that existed between Lina and Aaron. I think it did matter that she was from Spain and it was integral to her character.
For me, I wish we had gotten a bit more Aaron. This was mostly Lina’s book which was fine, but sometimes I was missing Aaron getting a word in edgewise. I mean admittedly Aaron is quiet and what he did have to say was impactful but I think this could have done with much more of him either having a voice or feeling more like this was his book as well. Again the author may have made the decision to focus on Lina’s story but taste-wise, I wanted more Aaron. I also think that some of the big resolution points were a little rushed and disempowering for Lina in my opinion.
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this. It made me laugh and I thought it was cute and funny and enjoyable. I do recommend it!
I admittedly am not the biggest fan of enemies-to-lovers romances. They stress me out and I personally don’t understand the point of investing so much banter and negative energy in someone you purportedly despise but here we are. I decided to read this and I actually really enjoyed it. Perhaps it’s because I listened to it in audio and Scarlette Hayes did such a good job on it, or perhaps it’s because from the beginning, it is beyond obvious that the hero is gone over the heroine and is being the trope of “somewhat emotionally-stunted character struggles to show their feelings.” Nonetheless, there’s something in this that really worked for me and I loved it.
The premise is that Catalina needs a fake date to attend her sister’s wedding in Spain after lying to her family about being in a relationship so they wouldn’t worry about her still being broken after a devastating break up back home. Her only option seems to be the incongruous offer from her work nemesis, Aaron, who agrees to play the part of her boyfriend in front of her family. But being thrown together makes them dig deep into the animosity between them.
I think my favourite part of this is the exploration of sexism in academia and in the work place. There are scenes where Catalina’s experience reflects the inherent bias and misogyny that exists in professional spheres where women are expected to fulfill certain roles or tropes just because of their gender, or they’re subject to gossip and innuendo if they are succeeding in their careers. I also really enjoyed the discussion around “staying neutral” versus how best to support those that are being harassed in the workplace. I did not necessarily agree with Aaron’s conclusion but I thought it was a good conversation and it made me think. I think this theme was a really important part of this novel and that the author did a good job discussing this within the plot and making the trauma Lina had experienced around this really tangible.
I found the writing especially in Lina’s stream-of-consciousness mind to be cute and laugh out loud funny. There is a lot of internal monologuing in this and Lina’s mental voice is strong, and so if this is not something that you typically like, consider if this might be the book for you. I would almost say that most of this book is Lina’s internal monologue. In audio, it was fine, the narrator did a fantastic job interpreting the character, but if you’re reading it on the page, I suppose it would be a matter of taste. I typically don’t like the deception-fake relationship trope but it worked here for me. Consent was also dealt with in a stellar way, as well as workplace relationships. As a multicultural romance, I thought this did a fair job reflecting the cultural dichotomies that existed between Lina and Aaron. I think it did matter that she was from Spain and it was integral to her character.
For me, I wish we had gotten a bit more Aaron. This was mostly Lina’s book which was fine, but sometimes I was missing Aaron getting a word in edgewise. I mean admittedly Aaron is quiet and what he did have to say was impactful but I think this could have done with much more of him either having a voice or feeling more like this was his book as well. Again the author may have made the decision to focus on Lina’s story but taste-wise, I wanted more Aaron. I also think that some of the big resolution points were a little rushed and disempowering for Lina in my opinion.
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this. It made me laugh and I thought it was cute and funny and enjoyable. I do recommend it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexism, and Grief
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, and Eating disorder