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2.97 AVERAGE
2.97 AVERAGE
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When it comes to this one, my heart and head are competing.
It follows friends Rosie and Mitch and their back-up plan: if the two are still unable to find their soulmate in four months, they'll settle down together and have a baby. An absolutely fun premise, but from the get-go I was hesitant of Mitch. And it didn't really improve.
While I did feel their connection, especially with the mix of flashbacks showcasing their friendship, I didn't think this was an especially healthy romantic relationship. Everything seemed to revolve around Mitch and his desires, with Rosie sort of just adjusting her mindset to match. On top of that, their communication was terrible.
Having said that, it was definitely entertaining. I loved the incorporation of Rosie's career—she's a woman in STEM! And the writing was truly wonderful, super fast paced and engaging. Even though this wasn't a total win, I would not hesitate to read from this author again.
(heat level: closed door)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
It follows friends Rosie and Mitch and their back-up plan: if the two are still unable to find their soulmate in four months, they'll settle down together and have a baby. An absolutely fun premise, but from the get-go I was hesitant of Mitch. And it didn't really improve.
While I did feel their connection, especially with the mix of flashbacks showcasing their friendship, I didn't think this was an especially healthy romantic relationship. Everything seemed to revolve around Mitch and his desires, with Rosie sort of just adjusting her mindset to match. On top of that, their communication was terrible.
Having said that, it was definitely entertaining. I loved the incorporation of Rosie's career—she's a woman in STEM! And the writing was truly wonderful, super fast paced and engaging. Even though this wasn't a total win, I would not hesitate to read from this author again.
(heat level: closed door)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
The fall back was such a cute light romance! This would make a really cute rom-com
The fall back was such a cute light romance! This would make a really cute rom-com
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
I think readers who enjoy drama and toxic characters will enjoy this, but this book just was not for me.
I found the characters immature, selfish, and not easy to connect with. While the premise was interesting, I feel like a majority of the book was spent with our 2 main characters in a fight (all because neither could have an honest conversation with their “best friend”) and by the time they decided to communicate like adults I no longer cared where their relationship or lack thereof went.
I found the characters immature, selfish, and not easy to connect with. While the premise was interesting, I feel like a majority of the book was spent with our 2 main characters in a fight (all because neither could have an honest conversation with their “best friend”) and by the time they decided to communicate like adults I no longer cared where their relationship or lack thereof went.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Fallback is about Rosie and Mitch, flatmates turned best friends, who eventually make a pact to be each other's fallback in the event they don't find someone special by a certain date. I really enjoyed the cast of supporting characters as many of them were quirky and funny. Unfortunately, the main characters weren't as loveable. Both Rosie and Mitch seemed immature and selfish, despite being professionals in their 30's. Rosie was especially hard for me to like because she seemed overly emotional and unable to handle any issue that arose without guidance or assistance from her friends or family. And Mitch's character seemed to change from confidant, happy, and charming, to aloof and egotistical, to thoughtful and caring. He seemed to be all over the map and I couldn't ever really tell what kind of guy he was. In romance books, I want to love both main characters and cheer them on throughout the book, but that didn't happen in this case. While I appreciated the London setting and the supporting characters, not to mention the beautiful cover, overall the book fell flat for me as I struggled to connect with characters, writing style, or plot.
Thank you to One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Minor: Miscarriage
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really wanted to like this book. The premise is everything I enjoy, women in stem, romance, best friends to lovers. It should check all the boxes. However the rambling inner monologue and too much dialogue had this book dragging for me.
I loved the idea of Rosie, however Rosie fell flat to me. How could this confident woman with a PhD butcher two weeks worth of data? How does she not notice what email she forwarded? Then how does she just sit around refusing to fix it? She makes a feeble attempt with the data but she chooses lunch with her mom, and a drink with Ben? Overall I was very disappointed in her character.
For a leading man, Mitch was very much absent.
I feel like a dual POV would have been beneficial to this story. Having Mitch confront his feelings about Rosie through a dating discovery with the other women would have been a more compelling story than Rosie’s rambling doubt stricken inner monologue.
I loved the idea of Rosie, however Rosie fell flat to me. How could this confident woman with a PhD butcher two weeks worth of data? How does she not notice what email she forwarded? Then how does she just sit around refusing to fix it? She makes a feeble attempt with the data but she chooses lunch with her mom, and a drink with Ben? Overall I was very disappointed in her character.
For a leading man, Mitch was very much absent.
I feel like a dual POV would have been beneficial to this story. Having Mitch confront his feelings about Rosie through a dating discovery with the other women would have been a more compelling story than Rosie’s rambling doubt stricken inner monologue.
The book explores the concept of a "fallback" person, where two best friends Rosie and Mitch agree to be each other's fallback if they don't find "the one" by Christmas. A plot line that I found very intriguing which was initially drew me into wanting to read this book in the first place. It is a slow burn, albeit a fun read nonetheless, with a unique plotline and likable side characters!
The author does a great job of examining life in your 30s, with Rosie being ambivalent about having children and Mitch being the romantic who wants to settle down, offering a reversal of traditional gender roles, with Rosie being unsure about settling down and having children while Mitch wanting the exact opposite, a dynamic that was I found interesting to see come into fruition and the way it was executed I really appreciated. Besides that, I also loved how the author so perfectly explored societal expectations and the hardships that comes with it about dating in your 30s.
However, I also found the relationship between Rosie and Mitch could be lacking sometimes, some problems that they had could really easily be resolved with better communication. I can see why the flashbacks that were included in the book could seem repetitive to some readers but personally I was okay with it.
.
Overall, it was a good read and I’d definitely recommend it to readers who’d want a fun, easy and a quick read!
Thank you to Netgally and HarperCollin Uk for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
The author does a great job of examining life in your 30s, with Rosie being ambivalent about having children and Mitch being the romantic who wants to settle down, offering a reversal of traditional gender roles, with Rosie being unsure about settling down and having children while Mitch wanting the exact opposite, a dynamic that was I found interesting to see come into fruition and the way it was executed I really appreciated. Besides that, I also loved how the author so perfectly explored societal expectations and the hardships that comes with it about dating in your 30s.
However, I also found the relationship between Rosie and Mitch could be lacking sometimes, some problems that they had could really easily be resolved with better communication. I can see why the flashbacks that were included in the book could seem repetitive to some readers but personally I was okay with it.
.
Overall, it was a good read and I’d definitely recommend it to readers who’d want a fun, easy and a quick read!
Thank you to Netgally and HarperCollin Uk for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
emotional
funny
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:
Complicated