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bibiran's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
this was 75% funny and cute and 25%... um.. "mark this 3 stars instead of 4" vibes
so the pacing was pretty decent, though I feel like I was waiting for something more momentous to happen on the ranch instead of you know, they get along because they're just generally nice people and his mom just really wants them to get married for some reason. like I feel like the length could've been shaved and the climax (on the roof of his house) should've been sooner.
the banter/jokes were usually pretty funny! a giggle was giggled! that was probably the best part of this. i think though, that the book should've wholly stuck to that instead of attempting to make profound statements about beauty and love and insecurity, because coming from a character who was confident in her abilities etc. and wasn't crippled by insecurity really, just going through a rough patch in life and having a normal reaction to suddenly being close to a handsome famous person, having that be one of the closing messages felt off.
speaking of this emphasis on trying to make statements on beauty, self-worth, and love, it felt like some kind of personal insecurity and opinion slipped through the cracks in the writing, which ultimately made me rate the book lower than i would have.
there is a point in the book where the main character describes Bratz dolls as looking "like Barbie had undergone extreme plastic surgery: overly made-up cat eyes, and giant, swollen lips" and goes several steps further describing them as looking like "mutant porn stars." (what?) it's important to note that these dolls have features closer mirroring the features of women of color and resonate more with people belonging to that community as well, not that I would expect a white woman writing a book about white people in a Texas ranch to be in tune with these kinds of things but as a woman of color it took me out of the book and I wasn't able to fully enjoy it after that, knowing I would have to come back to it as I wrote my thoughts later.
the book also takes to backhandedly belittling other women who were more "conventionally attractive" as opposed to the main character, who is not described as ugly at all? just like, a normal woman, who is most likely pretty as women always are? and it does it in the most un-nuanced, grotesque form as well, making the beautiful celebrity girlfriend with "bouncy plastic boobies" (?) and a perfect "airbrushed plastic" face an almost cartoonishly evil character? what was the reason? it just felt like the author had some kind of vendetta against conventionally attractive women that rubbed me the wrong way.
it wasn't all bad, the book had fluctuating moments of lucidity where it said some things about beauty, societal expectations, and insecurity that i agreed with, but i feel like it was definitely not strong enough a suit to be made as a recurring theme, so she lost me. it was, like i said, 75% decently enjoyable, which is a lot more than i can say about most contemporary romance books, so definitely power to her for that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Car accident, Gun violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Stalking, Racism, and Suicide attempt
caro_shelves's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
4.0
This book was a delightful read. Hannah's tendency to work too hard was relatable, and the gradual development of her relationship with Jack was a pleasure to follow. Although the fake-dating trope can be cheesy, the scenario of a bodyguard protecting a movie star from a difficult superfan made it believable. I loved seeing the growth of both Hannah and Jack as individuals and as a couple. Overall, it was a heartwarming and satisfying book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, Infidelity, and Cancer
Minor: Blood and Gun violence
ashleyj_reads's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, and Car accident
lisavandonselaar's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Gun violence
Moderate: Medical content, Stalking, Blood, Cancer, Grief, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
marpaige's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Car accident
Moderate: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
liciaaaaa's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking and Car accident
Moderate: Cancer, Death, and Medical content
Minor: Blood, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Grief, Gun violence, Addiction, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Toxic friendship
mels_reading_log's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
He is a two time winner of People’s Sexiest Man Alive and a world famous movie star. He needs security but wants to keep it a secret, so his family doesn’t worry. In comes Hannah, no one would ever suspect that she is an Executive Protection Agent who knows several ways to kill a man with whatever household item that is closest. To explain her presence, they pretend she is his girlfriend. But who would believe Jack Stapleton would date someone so ordinary?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Gun violence
shelbyl's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
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
5.0
Solid Romcom. Love this author
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Stalking
Minor: Cancer and Alcoholism
laurenford's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Car accident, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Cancer
Minor: Grief, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, and Alcoholism
melodyharmon's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I LOVED this book! It will be my new go-to book when I need a pick me up. I laughed so hard! So much that I couldn't read it at night because I kept waking up my husband from laughing so hard!
In this book you have an A List celebrity that needs to have some security while he's visiting his family during an emergency. The only way to do this without raising alarm is to have his security detail pretend to be his girlfriend.
Hilarity ensues. You need to read it to understand how amazing this book is!
My one gripe is that one of the side characters is a master gardener, but they have honeysuckle planted all over the garden. They even use it in bouquets. The problem is no gardener worth anything will allow honeysuckle to grow in their gardens because it's super invasive. I know....it isn't something big, or anything most people would care about. It just bugged me.
In this book you have an A List celebrity that needs to have some security while he's visiting his family during an emergency. The only way to do this without raising alarm is to have his security detail pretend to be his girlfriend.
Hilarity ensues. You need to read it to understand how amazing this book is!
My one gripe is that one of the side characters is a master gardener, but they have honeysuckle planted all over the garden. They even use it in bouquets. The problem is no gardener worth anything will allow honeysuckle to grow in their gardens because it's super invasive. I know....it isn't something big, or anything most people would care about. It just bugged me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Cancer, and Stalking