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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
This was a delightful way to spend a rainy day! The characters are well drawn and compelling and their chemistry is electric!
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm going to get this out first: I hate the title of this book. Hate it. It's trendy and silly and is probably already outdated. There. I feel better already.
Overall, the book just isn't very good, and even though I wanted to like it, I just...didn't. I found myself skimming over parts because they dragged but I'm easily bored, so maybe it's me. I don't know. My primary gripe is that I just didn't buy the romantic chemistry between Lauren and Alex. Alex is flirty (well, flirty and shitty, but I believe if he had hurt Lauren and known it, he would have backed it way up) and he brings Lauren out of her shell eventually, but that doesn't equal romance. I'm absolutely not saying that the romance between them is impossible, only that their progression from strictly business to friendly to romantic isn't evident. And I have to put this out there: Alex's attraction seems to come out of nowhere. I'm not saying that an extremely handsome actor would never be interested in a woman who is fat and, apparently, ugly, but let's be honest: it defies credibility, and Dade does nothing to make it plausible. Alex calls Lauren "ridiculous" and compares her to a bird because of her round body, spindly legs and beak of a nose, but is like "yeah, she has pretty eyes, so I wanna get me some of that" and we're supposed to just say, "yes, of course, because that's how life works." And it really could work that way, but it needs more deft handling than what Dade gives it.
Also? The sex scenes are yuck. I don't mind a graphic sex scene, but I'm turned off by the language that Dade uses. I'm not, however, letting that affect my score here; it's not the author's fault I find her sex scenes to be too much. But, for me, after having read both this one and Spoiler Alert, the scenes are probably enough to keep me from reading any more from this author.
Overall, the book just isn't very good, and even though I wanted to like it, I just...didn't. I found myself skimming over parts because they dragged but I'm easily bored, so maybe it's me. I don't know. My primary gripe is that I just didn't buy the romantic chemistry between Lauren and Alex. Alex is flirty (well, flirty and shitty, but I believe if he had hurt Lauren and known it, he would have backed it way up) and he brings Lauren out of her shell eventually, but that doesn't equal romance. I'm absolutely not saying that the romance between them is impossible, only that their progression from strictly business to friendly to romantic isn't evident. And I have to put this out there: Alex's attraction seems to come out of nowhere. I'm not saying that an extremely handsome actor would never be interested in a woman who is fat and, apparently, ugly, but let's be honest: it defies credibility, and Dade does nothing to make it plausible. Alex calls Lauren "ridiculous" and compares her to a bird because of her round body, spindly legs and beak of a nose, but is like "yeah, she has pretty eyes, so I wanna get me some of that" and we're supposed to just say, "yes, of course, because that's how life works." And it really could work that way, but it needs more deft handling than what Dade gives it.
Also? The sex scenes are yuck. I don't mind a graphic sex scene, but I'm turned off by the language that Dade uses. I'm not, however, letting that affect my score here; it's not the author's fault I find her sex scenes to be too much. But, for me, after having read both this one and Spoiler Alert, the scenes are probably enough to keep me from reading any more from this author.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Sexual content
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-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
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Cute read and enjoyable. I love how Olivia Dade portrays famous stars as ordinary people who fall for ordinary people. I also love how her characters are of various ethnicities and sizes. I actually liked this story better than Spoiler Alert as the characters are more developed and relatable.
thank you Netgalley for the advance copy.
thank you Netgalley for the advance copy.
After reading Spoiler Alert, I was so excited to learn more about these characters.
It was even better than I expected! I was surprised to see the story start before the ending of the previous book (I expected it to leave off where the first book ended) and I wasn't sure how to feel about it at first. That soon changed when I was able to learn about their relationship and see it really unfold.
These two characters have a beautiful relationship and I might just have to say I like the book just as much (if not more) than the first book!
It was even better than I expected! I was surprised to see the story start before the ending of the previous book (I expected it to leave off where the first book ended) and I wasn't sure how to feel about it at first. That soon changed when I was able to learn about their relationship and see it really unfold.
These two characters have a beautiful relationship and I might just have to say I like the book just as much (if not more) than the first book!