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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
I really liked this one.
At times it felt like this book was written just for me. It’s a spicy romance, the main character is an art conservator at the Art Institute, it’s set in my home city, the other romantic lead is a Medieval English knight, there’s a soft time travel/fantasy element, and the story has a few of excellent twists towards the end. Any one or two of those elements would do. But all of them in one story? Yes, please.
I was especially tickled by how Chicago-centric the story was. To the point where I started to wonder, is it too local? Would the story resonate as much with folks outside of the city? I don’t know, but also I don’t really care.
The things that usually annoy me about many other romance novels - lackluster subplots, unrealistically emotionally intelligent male leads, easily solvable communication errors - don’t exist in this story. Or, they do but they actually really work. Huzzah!
I met up with a friend of mine for coffee a few weeks ago and one of our old haunts in Logan Square. The woman at the table next to us began chatting with us and mentioned she wrote a book. This book, in fact. I would have never read it if we hadn’t been for that chance meeting in a cafe. So yeah, I guess tell people (read: strangers) about the cool things you do. You never know whose day you’ll brighten.
At times it felt like this book was written just for me. It’s a spicy romance, the main character is an art conservator at the Art Institute, it’s set in my home city, the other romantic lead is a Medieval English knight, there’s a soft time travel/fantasy element, and the story has a few of excellent twists towards the end. Any one or two of those elements would do. But all of them in one story? Yes, please.
I was especially tickled by how Chicago-centric the story was. To the point where I started to wonder, is it too local? Would the story resonate as much with folks outside of the city? I don’t know, but also I don’t really care.
The things that usually annoy me about many other romance novels - lackluster subplots, unrealistically emotionally intelligent male leads, easily solvable communication errors - don’t exist in this story. Or, they do but they actually really work. Huzzah!
I met up with a friend of mine for coffee a few weeks ago and one of our old haunts in Logan Square. The woman at the table next to us began chatting with us and mentioned she wrote a book. This book, in fact. I would have never read it if we hadn’t been for that chance meeting in a cafe. So yeah, I guess tell people (read: strangers) about the cool things you do. You never know whose day you’ll brighten.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
ok wtf why was this book amazing??? i read A LOT of romance, and this book was by far the most rom-com romance i’ve ever read — in the best way. i was literally laughing out loud at multiple parts, and i am not at all exaggerating. as one review said, you will absolutely love this if you like the movie enchanted, even more so if you love chicago too. the plot really sneaks up on you, but it’s a fun one
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
funny
slow-paced
The concept totally hooked me—I waited months for this book to be available at my library. A magical statue coming to life? Yes, please. I was hoping for something whimsical and fun, maybe even a Night at the Museum-style rom-com with heart and humor. Unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me.
The romance kicked off with instant lust—very instant. The first words out of the statue’s mouth were “Touch me,” and from that moment on, he became a walking cliché of horny knight energy. I tried to give him a chance, but the over-the-top seductive dialogue paired with the narrator’s attempt at a swoony old-English accent made him downright cringey. I couldn’t connect with his personality or root for the romance.
Instead of playful antics or a quirky adventure, much of the story was spent inside the main character’s dreams while the statue monologued about his past. The plot didn’t unfold in the exciting way I’d hoped—it just dragged. The premise had so much potential, but the magical spark never quite landed. So DNF'd this book so hard.
If you're into insta-love with a heavy dose of fantasy lust and don’t mind a lot of dreamscape storytelling, this might work better for you. But for me, it was a big miss.
The romance kicked off with instant lust—very instant. The first words out of the statue’s mouth were “Touch me,” and from that moment on, he became a walking cliché of horny knight energy. I tried to give him a chance, but the over-the-top seductive dialogue paired with the narrator’s attempt at a swoony old-English accent made him downright cringey. I couldn’t connect with his personality or root for the romance.
Instead of playful antics or a quirky adventure, much of the story was spent inside the main character’s dreams while the statue monologued about his past. The plot didn’t unfold in the exciting way I’d hoped—it just dragged. The premise had so much potential, but the magical spark never quite landed. So DNF'd this book so hard.
If you're into insta-love with a heavy dose of fantasy lust and don’t mind a lot of dreamscape storytelling, this might work better for you. But for me, it was a big miss.
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Cute and silly but nothing to write home about. Just something good to pass the time.
I should’ve known it wasn’t gonna be that good after she had a sex dream about a literal statue in like chapter 2. . It was very instalove. Normally, I don’t mind it, but he’s a fucking statue. I thought this was going to be a cute little displacement of time romance but the supernatural, paranormal and action stuff felt disjointed. I’m glad I didn’t waste my Audible credit on this.