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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A perfectly fine romance book. felt like the bi of it all was a bit tokenized though.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
i had high hopes going into this one because of the initial reviews and am always on the lookout for some bi rep, but this didn't quite meet them.
this romance story about truly st. james, a romance writer and colin mccrory, a family lawyer who start off on the wrong foot while having a discussion on a podcast and ending up falling in love. while the beginning of the story is a cliche scene of truly walking in on her long term boyfriend cheating on her, the bulk of the book completely disregards that and focuses on a new plot - getting truly's parents back together after they separate. i wouldn't have minded that if that's what this book had been pitched as, but the fact that it centered around truly plotting and scheming to her parents back together and colin joining along for the ride, their romance feeling like a side plot, caused me to simply check out. it totally lost me.
it doesn't help that the balance of the two characters was completely out of whack. i found truly to be immature and selfish. as a romance writer, i understood that she loves love and is in some ways a hopeless romantic, but she was so far gone into being a romantic that being challenged by colin, who was a realist, made her crumble at the any type of contradiction. i get that she felt strongly in her beliefs, but the fact that she had no room to even have a mature and respectful conversation to someone who had an opposing view had me rolling my eyes. she was condescending towards colin and his job as a family lawyer - focusing on the fact that he handles divorce (cause she simply cannot FATHOM anyone getting divorce, god forbid) despite him constantly reminding her that divorce is just one part of his job. the fact that her parents decided to separate - having nothing to do with her - and she ignores the warning of everyone around her to not get involved and still inserts herself in their relationship and basically manipulates them to get together, parent trap style, at her big old age of twenty-seven just didn't sit right with me. WHO would do that aside from eleven year old twins?
on the other hand, colin seems absolutely perfect. he's patient, understanding, compassionate, thoughtful, and seemingly has no flaws which was just unrealistic. the way he had a raging hard on for her during every conversation, even when she was berating him, was simply unacceptable lol. like boy, GET UP. the man was obsessed and in love with truly which i didn't understand and even now, still don't. also, if i took a shot for every time truly pointed out his moles, i would have to get my stomach pumped.
this was a couple that definitely doesn't last after the epilogue lol.
the dialogue was unbearable at times. the humor, wit and banter felt so forced and was often very cringe. it was trying to be funny, quirky, and flirtatious but it felt so millennial and that's coming from a millennial. it added to the immatureness of the characters and i couldn't take them seriously at all. the pacing was also all over the place. they went from hate to love in a matter of chapters which if done right, can be believable, but not in this case.
overall, this read more like a YA romance than an adult one. the conversations, dialogue, and plot, all felt juvenile. and the way the ending worked out in the most perfect of happily ever after ways?
p l e a s e.
i had high hopes going into this one because of the initial reviews and am always on the lookout for some bi rep, but this didn't quite meet them.
this romance story about truly st. james, a romance writer and colin mccrory, a family lawyer who start off on the wrong foot while having a discussion on a podcast and ending up falling in love. while the beginning of the story is a cliche scene of truly walking in on her long term boyfriend cheating on her, the bulk of the book completely disregards that and focuses on a new plot - getting truly's parents back together after they separate. i wouldn't have minded that if that's what this book had been pitched as, but the fact that it centered around truly plotting and scheming to her parents back together and colin joining along for the ride, their romance feeling like a side plot, caused me to simply check out. it totally lost me.
it doesn't help that the balance of the two characters was completely out of whack. i found truly to be immature and selfish. as a romance writer, i understood that she loves love and is in some ways a hopeless romantic, but she was so far gone into being a romantic that being challenged by colin, who was a realist, made her crumble at the any type of contradiction. i get that she felt strongly in her beliefs, but the fact that she had no room to even have a mature and respectful conversation to someone who had an opposing view had me rolling my eyes. she was condescending towards colin and his job as a family lawyer - focusing on the fact that he handles divorce (cause she simply cannot FATHOM anyone getting divorce, god forbid) despite him constantly reminding her that divorce is just one part of his job. the fact that her parents decided to separate - having nothing to do with her - and she ignores the warning of everyone around her to not get involved and still inserts herself in their relationship and basically manipulates them to get together, parent trap style, at her big old age of twenty-seven just didn't sit right with me. WHO would do that aside from eleven year old twins?
on the other hand, colin seems absolutely perfect. he's patient, understanding, compassionate, thoughtful, and seemingly has no flaws which was just unrealistic. the way he had a raging hard on for her during every conversation, even when she was berating him, was simply unacceptable lol. like boy, GET UP. the man was obsessed and in love with truly which i didn't understand and even now, still don't. also, if i took a shot for every time truly pointed out his moles, i would have to get my stomach pumped.
this was a couple that definitely doesn't last after the epilogue lol.
the dialogue was unbearable at times. the humor, wit and banter felt so forced and was often very cringe. it was trying to be funny, quirky, and flirtatious but it felt so millennial and that's coming from a millennial. it added to the immatureness of the characters and i couldn't take them seriously at all. the pacing was also all over the place. they went from hate to love in a matter of chapters which if done right, can be believable, but not in this case.
overall, this read more like a YA romance than an adult one. the conversations, dialogue, and plot, all felt juvenile. and the way the ending worked out in the most perfect of happily ever after ways?
p l e a s e.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
This would have been a 5 but some of the language used gave me the ick.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Infidelity, Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Blood, Pregnancy
3.75⭐️ It was a nice cute romance. Lots of banter but very predictable, still enjoyed
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I really enjoyed this even though I had some quibbles and the repetition (especially "mole-splattered skin" - omg) started to really get to me. What matters is I had a good time, it was very readable, and I'm interested to read more of this author!
Oh! What to say... Truly acts like a teenager despite being in her mid-twenties and is way too attached to her parents' marriage.
The male main character needs to be strong, not just an accessory for Truly.
There were many plot holes in this story, like why Colin's ex married his brother and why that unnecessary addition was made. And why is Truly an author? She writes historical romance but doesn't have the slightest idea how romance works.
Ha, yikes!
The male main character needs to be strong, not just an accessory for Truly.
There were many plot holes in this story, like why Colin's ex married his brother and why that unnecessary addition was made. And why is Truly an author? She writes historical romance but doesn't have the slightest idea how romance works.
Ha, yikes!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
god bless munches, every one!
i love me a good bi4bi romance, and this one just totally did it for me. i'm not big on rereading (too much fomo) but i enjoyed this audiobook so much i definitely see a comfort reread in my future.
colin just joined the league of fictional men who set the bar astronomically high 😪
i love me a good bi4bi romance, and this one just totally did it for me. i'm not big on rereading (too much fomo) but i enjoyed this audiobook so much i definitely see a comfort reread in my future.
colin just joined the league of fictional men who set the bar astronomically high 😪
Loveable characters:
Yes
2.5 stars
♰ I gave this book 3 stars out of respect for the author because I’ve loved almost all her books. But honestly, this is more like 2.5 stars or honestly 1 star.
𖥔 ݁˖ִ ࣪ ⊹˚ The main character, Truly (yes, that’s really her name), is <b>truly</b> awful. She’s so immature, and from the very first conversation with the MMC , I was already annoyed.
She’s a meddler, and I hate meddling. Truly spends the whole book trying to fix her parents’ relationship like she knows better than they do. I’m sorry, but if your parents want to divorce, maybe let them live their lives? The fact that they ended up back together just made me mad. I actually wanted them to get divorced so Truly could learn a lesson about minding her own business.
𖥔 ݁˖ִ ࣪ ⊹˚ Honestly, this is a pattern I’ve noticed in this author’s books and it’s starting to get on my last nerves 🙄 There’s always a meddler. And now I’m wondering if the author herself might be one, because this was just… a lot.
𖥔 ݁˖ִ ࣪ ⊹˚ In the end, Truly doesn’t grow or learn anything, and it made the whole book feel pointless. I kept hoping for some kind of redemption, but nope. This one was super frustrating
𖥔 ݁˖ִ ࣪ ⊹˚ Honestly there was more to unpack in this book but instead every energy was focused on Truly, her creepy dad (I’m sorry but sexualizing a man isn’t hot either), her mom and Gods the horrible sex scenes😦. It was terrifyingly terrible.
𖥔 ݁˖ִ ࣪ ⊹˚ Her relationship with Colin is what saved the book fr. They were cute (ish?!) I guess 🫤
♰ I gave this book 3 stars out of respect for the author because I’ve loved almost all her books. But honestly, this is more like 2.5 stars or honestly 1 star.
𖥔 ݁˖ִ ࣪ ⊹˚ The main character, Truly (yes, that’s really her name), is <b>truly</b> awful. She’s so immature, and from the very first conversation with the MMC , I was already annoyed.
She’s a meddler, and I hate meddling. Truly spends the whole book trying to fix her parents’ relationship like she knows better than they do. I’m sorry, but if your parents want to divorce, maybe let them live their lives? The fact that they ended up back together just made me mad. I actually wanted them to get divorced so Truly could learn a lesson about minding her own business.
𖥔 ݁˖ִ ࣪ ⊹˚ Honestly, this is a pattern I’ve noticed in this author’s books and it’s starting to get on my last nerves 🙄 There’s always a meddler. And now I’m wondering if the author herself might be one, because this was just… a lot.
𖥔 ݁˖ִ ࣪ ⊹˚ In the end, Truly doesn’t grow or learn anything, and it made the whole book feel pointless. I kept hoping for some kind of redemption, but nope. This one was super frustrating
𖥔 ݁˖ִ ࣪ ⊹˚ Honestly there was more to unpack in this book but instead every energy was focused on Truly, her creepy dad (I’m sorry but sexualizing a man isn’t hot either), her mom and Gods the horrible sex scenes😦. It was terrifyingly terrible.
𖥔 ݁˖ִ ࣪ ⊹˚ Her relationship with Colin is what saved the book fr. They were cute (ish?!) I guess 🫤