Scan barcode
bzliz's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
2.5
Look, I had a good time reading this but I need my star rating to reflect how good the book actually is which is pretty disappointing. It’s okay though because queer people deserve mediocre rom coms too!
Holden and Leo enter into a fake relationship to give them a better backstory for an audition to be on Madcap Market- a grocery store themed gameshow that has special meaning for Holden. Their fake relationship never really feels fake and I felt like the stakes were kind of forced. Obviously the people casting this show wouldn’t care if their backstory wasn’t truthful. They care that someone is attractive enough and can put on a good show. We also didn’t get enough of the game show. The last round is completely skipped and could’ve made for some good drama making the reader wonder if they can get the full prize. It felt to me like the author wasn’t interested in that and just wanted to make it to the third act breakup (which I always hate). I was confused about Buckley showing up to compete in the show also. Everything about this man told me he would never do anything that might make him look foolish or childish, but he suddenly reversed that for petty revenge on someone he dumped? It felt weird.
The topic of grief was handled pretty well. It’s such a hard subject for a lot of people. I liked Leo’s mom’s perspective- that death is the end of suffering- and I think that scene allowed Holden to actually confront some of his feelings. The scene near the end with his dad was also really sweet and I wish we had gotten more interaction between them. Their relationship was fundamentally changed when they lost a loved one and it was nice to see them heal and reconnect. Male characters being vulnerable with each other is too rare.
There’s plenty of spice in this including some D/s dynamics which caught me off guard at first but ended up being fine. What’s not fine is putting produce in any holes besides your mouth. Don’t do it, folks. If it’s going in your butt, it needs a flared base. Ask literally anyone who works in an ER.
Holden and Leo enter into a fake relationship to give them a better backstory for an audition to be on Madcap Market- a grocery store themed gameshow that has special meaning for Holden. Their fake relationship never really feels fake and I felt like the stakes were kind of forced. Obviously the people casting this show wouldn’t care if their backstory wasn’t truthful. They care that someone is attractive enough and can put on a good show. We also didn’t get enough of the game show. The last round is completely skipped and could’ve made for some good drama making the reader wonder if they can get the full prize. It felt to me like the author wasn’t interested in that and just wanted to make it to the third act breakup (which I always hate). I was confused about Buckley showing up to compete in the show also. Everything about this man told me he would never do anything that might make him look foolish or childish, but he suddenly reversed that for petty revenge on someone he dumped? It felt weird.
The topic of grief was handled pretty well. It’s such a hard subject for a lot of people. I liked Leo’s mom’s perspective- that death is the end of suffering- and I think that scene allowed Holden to actually confront some of his feelings. The scene near the end with his dad was also really sweet and I wish we had gotten more interaction between them. Their relationship was fundamentally changed when they lost a loved one and it was nice to see them heal and reconnect. Male characters being vulnerable with each other is too rare.
There’s plenty of spice in this including some D/s dynamics which caught me off guard at first but ended up being fine. What’s not fine is putting produce in any holes besides your mouth. Don’t do it, folks. If it’s going in your butt, it needs a flared base. Ask literally anyone who works in an ER.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Cancer, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia
adrienanthony's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, Grief, and Toxic relationship
jazhandz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol, Homophobia, Cancer, and Infidelity
imstephtacular's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Cancer, Grief, Death of parent, and Cursing
Minor: Terminal illness, Racism, Death, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Biphobia, Classism, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Homophobia
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-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
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
I absolutely adored this book! Quick premise is that Holden James is dumped in a restaurant by his longtime-boyfriend Buckley (I'm convinced everyone whose name begins with B is an absolute asshole in all fictional worlds lol), and then he goes to LA to audition for his favorite TV show, Madcap Market! This was the TV show he watched with his late mom before she passed away, and Holden is clearly still deep in grief. He meets Leo Min at his hotel, as Leo is the faux concierge and they have a steamy encounter.
Then, they get the idea of auditioning for the TV show together, even though the show typically takes couples or contestants with a lot of shared history. So what's the solution?! They fake date! Although, I will say they at least say that this is their very first few days of dating but they create a fake past five months of virtual friendship. Most of the book takes place over the few days that they prepare to audition, with Holden making Leo watch past episodes and them sharing past relationships and traumas.
I loved that this was a different spin on fake dating, as both Holden and Leo are very clear in their attraction to each other, so that is not a secret nor is it fake! So their fake dating is moreso for the cameras, but it really does feel like the beginning of a relationship for Holden at least. We get first-person POV of Holden only, so I can only assume Leo felt the same (though it is clarified at the end too lol). Anyway, I loved that they came up with the fake dating idea AFTER they had both already decided they were interested in each other, so I wasn't left wondering as I usually am with fake dating if it felt real for either of them. I personally felt it was quite clear that these two wanted to be with the other. They just were focused on winning $100k more in that particular moment!
Learning more about Holden and Leo was everything I love about the romance genre - we are given bouts of goofy and/or sexually tense banter, and then the characters let us in a bit, through the cracks that they *swear* are not there. Leo is still grappling with the unraveling of his last situationship, while Holden confronts why his past relationship with Buckley never stood a chance, and reckoning with his own accountability beyond their incompatibility. The third-act conflict was so utterly human and as a romance reader, you gotta know things will work out. However, I was so incredibly proud of the choice Holden made in order to move forward with intention and hope, rather than desperately hanging on to threads of the past.
Janovsky has been a bit of a slow burn for me - Boy Meets Boy #1 & #2 were okay (for me), then "New Adult" exceeded my expectations, and now this book has become my favorite of his! I will read anything he writes next, and I am so excited to say I am indeed a fan!
steam rating: 3/5 - this is dare I say, Janovsky's steamiest book!?
see content warnings below & take care while reading <3
I absolutely adored this book! Quick premise is that Holden James is dumped in a restaurant by his longtime-boyfriend Buckley (I'm convinced everyone whose name begins with B is an absolute asshole in all fictional worlds lol), and then he goes to LA to audition for his favorite TV show, Madcap Market! This was the TV show he watched with his late mom before she passed away, and Holden is clearly still deep in grief. He meets Leo Min at his hotel, as Leo is the faux concierge and they have a steamy encounter.
Then, they get the idea of auditioning for the TV show together, even though the show typically takes couples or contestants with a lot of shared history. So what's the solution?! They fake date! Although, I will say they at least say that this is their very first few days of dating but they create a fake past five months of virtual friendship. Most of the book takes place over the few days that they prepare to audition, with Holden making Leo watch past episodes and them sharing past relationships and traumas.
I loved that this was a different spin on fake dating, as both Holden and Leo are very clear in their attraction to each other, so that is not a secret nor is it fake! So their fake dating is moreso for the cameras, but it really does feel like the beginning of a relationship for Holden at least. We get first-person POV of Holden only, so I can only assume Leo felt the same (though it is clarified at the end too lol). Anyway, I loved that they came up with the fake dating idea AFTER they had both already decided they were interested in each other, so I wasn't left wondering as I usually am with fake dating if it felt real for either of them. I personally felt it was quite clear that these two wanted to be with the other. They just were focused on winning $100k more in that particular moment!
Learning more about Holden and Leo was everything I love about the romance genre - we are given bouts of goofy and/or sexually tense banter, and then the characters let us in a bit, through the cracks that they *swear* are not there. Leo is still grappling with the unraveling of his last situationship, while Holden confronts why his past relationship with Buckley never stood a chance, and reckoning with his own accountability beyond their incompatibility. The third-act conflict was so utterly human and as a romance reader, you gotta know things will work out. However, I was so incredibly proud of the choice Holden made in order to move forward with intention and hope, rather than desperately hanging on to threads of the past.
Janovsky has been a bit of a slow burn for me - Boy Meets Boy #1 & #2 were okay (for me), then "New Adult" exceeded my expectations, and now this book has become my favorite of his! I will read anything he writes next, and I am so excited to say I am indeed a fan!
steam rating: 3/5 - this is dare I say, Janovsky's steamiest book!?
see content warnings below & take care while reading <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Medical content, and Cursing
Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, and Death of parent
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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? It's complicated
2.0
This book was a miss for me. The pacing, especially, was chaotic and this was one of those books where you're expecting one thing, and it's totally different in not-the-best way.
The whole hook of this story is this game show, and yet it doesn't actually start until around 60% in and only takes up maybe 10% of this book. Instead, the book is more of a self-discovery/grief journey for Holden. Not the worst thing - I actually really liked his character arc and how he actually worked on himself - but, since I was sold something totally different, my reading experience was definitely affected, especially since there was so much build up and emotions around this game show. It was such a small sliver of the book, it was almost insignificant.
Leo was fun and relaxed and I appreciated his and Holden's connection. I think there could've been a bit more relationship development, and, again, the pacing of their relationship was very rough (and very much a cold bucket of water multiple times), and it felt choppy. It was like the book was edging us, but the climax was their relationship, you know? Maybe? I don't know. It just wasn't for me.
I think this book could be something solid, but in its current form there's just something missing. Additionally, the game show was such a big selling point for me that the small part of the story it took up just wasn't satisfying. Point for great character development, especially at the end, but not enough for me to say this was an entirely enjoyable read.
TW: grief, sexual content; mentions death of parent, infidelity, cancer, homophobia
Plot: 2.5/5
Characters: 4/5
World Building: 1/5
Writing: 3/5
Pacing: 1/5
Overall: 2/5
eARC gifted via NetGalley by Afterglow Books by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.
The whole hook of this story is this game show, and yet it doesn't actually start until around 60% in and only takes up maybe 10% of this book. Instead, the book is more of a self-discovery/grief journey for Holden. Not the worst thing - I actually really liked his character arc and how he actually worked on himself - but, since I was sold something totally different, my reading experience was definitely affected, especially since there was so much build up and emotions around this game show. It was such a small sliver of the book, it was almost insignificant.
Leo was fun and relaxed and I appreciated his and Holden's connection. I think there could've been a bit more relationship development, and, again, the pacing of their relationship was very rough (and very much a cold bucket of water multiple times), and it felt choppy. It was like the book was edging us, but the climax was their relationship, you know? Maybe? I don't know. It just wasn't for me.
I think this book could be something solid, but in its current form there's just something missing. Additionally, the game show was such a big selling point for me that the small part of the story it took up just wasn't satisfying. Point for great character development, especially at the end, but not enough for me to say this was an entirely enjoyable read.
TW: grief, sexual content; mentions death of parent, infidelity, cancer, homophobia
Plot: 2.5/5
Characters: 4/5
World Building: 1/5
Writing: 3/5
Pacing: 1/5
Overall: 2/5
eARC gifted via NetGalley by Afterglow Books by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Infidelity
fanboyriot's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
Read For:
Fake Dating
Light Dom/sub
Strangers to Lovers
Game Show/Reality TV
Insta-Love (but done right)
This book was so much better than I was thinking it would be. Everything was written so nicely. The characters, the relationships, the drama, the plot, it was all so entertaining and enjoyable.
Fake date to get on a game show then realize you caught feelings? Love this idea and how it all played out. It was wholesome, cute, funny, spicy, and just amusing to read.
Holden and Leo have such a great dynamic. I loved their chemistry and how they helped each other. Finding each other when life was less than the best. The self healing was also nice to see. Holden dealing with the grief of losing his mother and getting rid of his ghost-like mindset, and becoming himself again was written really nicely. This book was amazing!
Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and HARLEQUIN - Romance, for this eARC of this book.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (5/5)
Release Date: 23, January 2024
POV: First Person
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Rep: MlM, Gay MC, Gay Korean-American LI
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Cancer, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
More...