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froot_bythefoot's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
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
emproudfit's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
mateusjobim's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.0
krin's review against another edition
3.25
Until 70%, this was a 3.5 star reading experience that I would have rounded up to 4 stars but there was so much about the last section of the book that just did not work for me that this is more of a 3.5 stars rounded down.
What I liked:
• Like Janovsky's other books, this book had a screenplay feel to it, which is particularly fun in audio (and works better when I can speed it up)
• I liked that, until the third-act conflict, the two love interests communicated with each other really well and I really did like their connection and banter
• The main POV character is managing a lot of grief, and until that 70% mark, I thought it was handled with a lot of thought, care and depth (particularly for a romcom format). In the last part of the book there was certainly still a lot of care but there were some things that didn't sit right with me.
What didn't work for me:
• This is the spiciest of Janovsky's books and while that is totally fine, I found those scenes lacked in emotional connection, making them a feel a bit clinical or detached
• This book REALLY leans into the themes and commits to its bits and it got tired for me - a bit too one the nose and unsubtle
• Almost everything from the 70-90% mark annoyed me - it required more suspension of disbelief than I could muster and some things felt like they came out of left field or contradicted things from earlier in the book.
Overall this book was fine, and I was happy to read it, because I'm a completionist and have generally enjoyed all of the author's books so far. This one just didn't work as well for me as the last two.
I received a digital Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.
What I liked:
• Like Janovsky's other books, this book had a screenplay feel to it, which is particularly fun in audio (and works better when I can speed it up)
• I liked that, until the third-act conflict, the two love interests communicated with each other really well and I really did like their connection and banter
• The main POV character is managing a lot of grief, and until that 70% mark, I thought it was handled with a lot of thought, care and depth (particularly for a romcom format). In the last part of the book there was certainly still a lot of care but there were some things that didn't sit right with me.
What didn't work for me:
• This is the spiciest of Janovsky's books and while that is totally fine, I found those scenes lacked in emotional connection, making them a feel a bit clinical or detached
• This book REALLY leans into the themes and commits to its bits and it got tired for me - a bit too one the nose and unsubtle
• Almost everything from the 70-90% mark annoyed me - it required more suspension of disbelief than I could muster and some things felt like they came out of left field or contradicted things from earlier in the book.
Overall this book was fine, and I was happy to read it, because I'm a completionist and have generally enjoyed all of the author's books so far. This one just didn't work as well for me as the last two.
I received a digital Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and Afterglow Books by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.
kyletheblindbarista's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mmhidalgo98's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 ⭐️ roundup.
I LOVE Timothy Janovsky. He’s done it again. I feel like this could’ve used another 50-100 pages. I expected the main plot of the book to be the game show but that wasn’t until the last 100-ish pages. I was hoping for more of that. But overall it was a cute story & I loved these characters from the beginning. The chemistry and tension *chef’s kiss*
My favorite thing about Timothy’s books are the subtle Taylor Swift Easter eggs.
I LOVE Timothy Janovsky. He’s done it again. I feel like this could’ve used another 50-100 pages. I expected the main plot of the book to be the game show but that wasn’t until the last 100-ish pages. I was hoping for more of that. But overall it was a cute story & I loved these characters from the beginning. The chemistry and tension *chef’s kiss*
My favorite thing about Timothy’s books are the subtle Taylor Swift Easter eggs.
drphillgucci's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
paperenby's review against another edition
I couldn’t get invested in the characters