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lifeofchrstnlvly's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Booktok and Booktube saying that this is the best Lauren Asher book so far is a lie. I only read this because it is the book pick of the month for one of my Fable book clubs.
The only positive I had was the cameo of the characters from the Dreamland Billionaire series, but other than that, it gave me nothing.
The pranks Julian and Dahlia pull on each other are very childish, considering they are both 30-year-olds. As for the dialogue, some parts were too cringey, but I can admit that Julian had his moments when he made me swoon. As for the spice, I mostly skimmed them since I thought there were too many for a Lauren Asher book. At one point, I just got exhausted from the spicy scenes and was rolling my eyes.
The pacing was so off, and I'm facing the same issue as with Final Offer: it was longer than necessary. It was so long for no reason. It could have been 200 pages shorter, and the plot would not suffer. I didn't mind the numerous banter between the main characters because I understand that authors need the tension to make readers root for the couple. However, the constant reminder of how they had a falling out 10 years ago started to get annoying (as if it wasn't mentioned enough). It made me dread picking up this book and reading it because of how repetitive it was.
“Romance books don't need to be this long,” that's what we keep on saying. Please, listen to us.
The only positive I had was the cameo of the characters from the Dreamland Billionaire series, but other than that, it gave me nothing.
The pranks Julian and Dahlia pull on each other are very childish, considering they are both 30-year-olds. As for the dialogue, some parts were too cringey, but I can admit that Julian had his moments when he made me swoon. As for the spice, I mostly skimmed them since I thought there were too many for a Lauren Asher book. At one point, I just got exhausted from the spicy scenes and was rolling my eyes.
The pacing was so off, and I'm facing the same issue as with Final Offer: it was longer than necessary. It was so long for no reason. It could have been 200 pages shorter, and the plot would not suffer. I didn't mind the numerous banter between the main characters because I understand that authors need the tension to make readers root for the couple. However, the constant reminder of how they had a falling out 10 years ago started to get annoying (as if it wasn't mentioned enough). It made me dread picking up this book and reading it because of how repetitive it was.
“Romance books don't need to be this long,” that's what we keep on saying. Please, listen to us.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Sexual content, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Panic attacks/disorders
abigailreads's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Lauren Asher’s books are a real mix for me but I enjoyed this one! I loved seeing a shyer mmc and I really think she dealt with some serious issues quite well. The spice was very enjoyable - didn’t feel like inorganic or out of the blue. The chemistry was so solid and I loved that it was very family centric. The ending felt a little open ended but I don’t think that’s a necessarily a bad thing. I’ll be reading the next in the series!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pregnancy
Minor: Emotional abuse
simplysimone's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A beautiful second chance small town romance that had my attention from start to finish.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Infertility, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Pregnancy
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I saw this book at Barnes & Noble, and immediately added it to my TBR.
"Love Redesigned" follows two childhood friends, Julian and Dahlia. Julian's mom and Dahlia's mom have been best friends for most of their lives, and because of that, Julian and Dahlia have grown up with each other. They were the best of friends, friends who prank each other constantly, until an incident in college left them enemies who barely speak. Now, the pair find themselves back in their hometown together, and their meddling moms want them to finally work out their differences.
From the first chapter I was sucked into the story. Julian and Dahlia, in spite of hating each other, have so much history and chemistry together that you cannot help but root for them. I loved that this was a semi second chance romance, because it was all the sweeter.
Dahlia has moved back home after her ex-fiancé calls of their engagement and she also loses her job because of it. She is dealing with severe mental health issues and has to do a lot of work to find herself again. I loved seeing a main character deal with depression and anxiety in such a realistic way, and I loved even more that we got to see her work through her difficulties and become the best version of herself. Julian is very supportive of Dahlia always, but he does not allow her to be complacent. He continually pushes her, which is a very fine line to walk, but he does so amazingly.
Julian is the cliche billionaire workaholic who does not have time for love, but he certainly makes time for Dahlia. I loved seeing his character grow and see there are so many more important things in life, and it is okay to take time for the things that make you happy.
The spice was great and very hot.
I loved every second of this book, and I did not want it to end. I am also very much looking forward to the next book in this series!
"Love Redesigned" follows two childhood friends, Julian and Dahlia. Julian's mom and Dahlia's mom have been best friends for most of their lives, and because of that, Julian and Dahlia have grown up with each other. They were the best of friends, friends who prank each other constantly, until an incident in college left them enemies who barely speak. Now, the pair find themselves back in their hometown together, and their meddling moms want them to finally work out their differences.
From the first chapter I was sucked into the story. Julian and Dahlia, in spite of hating each other, have so much history and chemistry together that you cannot help but root for them. I loved that this was a semi second chance romance, because it was all the sweeter.
Dahlia has moved back home after her ex-fiancé calls of their engagement and she also loses her job because of it. She is dealing with severe mental health issues and has to do a lot of work to find herself again. I loved seeing a main character deal with depression and anxiety in such a realistic way, and I loved even more that we got to see her work through her difficulties and become the best version of herself. Julian is very supportive of Dahlia always, but he does not allow her to be complacent. He continually pushes her, which is a very fine line to walk, but he does so amazingly.
Julian is the cliche billionaire workaholic who does not have time for love, but he certainly makes time for Dahlia. I loved seeing his character grow and see there are so many more important things in life, and it is okay to take time for the things that make you happy.
The spice was great and very hot.
I loved every second of this book, and I did not want it to end. I am also very much looking forward to the next book in this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Infertility, and Mental illness
Moderate: Grief, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage
arwenaardbeienstruik's review against another edition
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Child death
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