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klmessie's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
aliu6's review
4.0
4.0 stars
Olivia Ross should be happy with her life. She's found fame and fortune as the co-host of a popular morning news show. But below the surface, her success feels empty. Once known for her cutting interview style, she is now relegated to 'feel-good' segments that go down easy with breakfast. She's trapped in a toxic marriage that she can't leave out of fear for her reputation. And her boss just brought in a new co-host—a younger, sexier co-host—who Olivia is certain is there to replace her. Holly Reynolds has been underestimated all her life because of her looks. So she jumps at the chance to work under her longtime idol, Olivia Ross, hoping that she can learn from the woman and get taken more seriously. Her plan is off to a rocky start as Olivia immediately ices her out. But Holly isn't too bad at thawing ice, and soon, the only thing Olivia and Holly feel is heat.
cw: infidelity (by side characters), manipulative and emotionally abusive spouse
This was a fun, entertaining read. It went by so fast! It's not anything new, but it was certainly engaging.
The Characters: Both Olivia and Holly were lovely. I appreciated Olivia's intelligence and maturity, as well as her understated kindness. I liked Holly's enthusiasm and optimism. They weren't that fleshed out as characters though. I felt like Holly especially got assigned to the pretty-girl-who-actually-has-a-brain stereotype, and she needs to get over her hangups on it by the end. Olivia similarly had a somewhat cliche hangup to overcome. The conflicts added some dimension to their characters, but not much. As for the supporting cast, I liked the side characters well enough. Olivia's publicist was a standout to me.
The Romance: This is an age-gap, celebrity, meeting-your-idol romance, all tropes that I enjoy. So this made me fairly happy. I could sense the physical chemistry between the two leads. My only criticism is that beyond mutual attraction and being in the same place at the same time, I couldn't see anything that made Olivia and Holly particularly right for each other. That's just a minor point though; not everyone needs to be "meant to be."
The Plot: The plot centers around the romance but also follows the morning show pretty closely. I wouldn't say there's anything too special here. This is an extremely short book, so the plot was pretty simple. It never dragged though, which means starting it late at night could be a mistake. There are some easily avoidable misunderstandings, but the plot didn't get held up too much by those.
The Writing: This was really funny, oftentimes in a silly way. I enjoyed the dialogue, which was good, considering this is a book involving a morning news show.
All in all, a good time! I would recommend this, especially if you have access to it through KindleUnlimited.
Olivia Ross should be happy with her life. She's found fame and fortune as the co-host of a popular morning news show. But below the surface, her success feels empty. Once known for her cutting interview style, she is now relegated to 'feel-good' segments that go down easy with breakfast. She's trapped in a toxic marriage that she can't leave out of fear for her reputation. And her boss just brought in a new co-host—a younger, sexier co-host—who Olivia is certain is there to replace her. Holly Reynolds has been underestimated all her life because of her looks. So she jumps at the chance to work under her longtime idol, Olivia Ross, hoping that she can learn from the woman and get taken more seriously. Her plan is off to a rocky start as Olivia immediately ices her out. But Holly isn't too bad at thawing ice, and soon, the only thing Olivia and Holly feel is heat.
cw: infidelity (by side characters), manipulative and emotionally abusive spouse
This was a fun, entertaining read. It went by so fast! It's not anything new, but it was certainly engaging.
The Characters: Both Olivia and Holly were lovely. I appreciated Olivia's intelligence and maturity, as well as her understated kindness. I liked Holly's enthusiasm and optimism. They weren't that fleshed out as characters though. I felt like Holly especially got assigned to the pretty-girl-who-actually-has-a-brain stereotype, and she needs to get over her hangups on it by the end. Olivia similarly had a somewhat cliche hangup to overcome. The conflicts added some dimension to their characters, but not much. As for the supporting cast, I liked the side characters well enough. Olivia's publicist was a standout to me.
The Romance: This is an age-gap, celebrity, meeting-your-idol romance, all tropes that I enjoy. So this made me fairly happy. I could sense the physical chemistry between the two leads. My only criticism is that beyond mutual attraction and being in the same place at the same time, I couldn't see anything that made Olivia and Holly particularly right for each other. That's just a minor point though; not everyone needs to be "meant to be."
The Plot: The plot centers around the romance but also follows the morning show pretty closely. I wouldn't say there's anything too special here. This is an extremely short book, so the plot was pretty simple. It never dragged though, which means starting it late at night could be a mistake. There are some easily avoidable misunderstandings, but the plot didn't get held up too much by those.
The Writing: This was really funny, oftentimes in a silly way. I enjoyed the dialogue, which was good, considering this is a book involving a morning news show.
All in all, a good time! I would recommend this, especially if you have access to it through KindleUnlimited.
mayhttb's review
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
agentkp's review
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
3.0
I enjoyed this one even though it felt pretty rushed and shallow. I guess the author focused so much in having something lighthearted and sweet that everything felt a litle underdeveloped. Not bad for a quick read though.
becka6131's review
4.0
Just what I needed right now - very lighthearted and sweet romance, low angst, a couple with interesting flaws that work together. I loved the tongue in cheek depiction of breakfast shows and the rubbish news items they're often packed with - a few of those really made me laugh. I wish West hadn't subscribed to the No Homophobia branch of romcom worldbuilding, especially when she addresses other structural inequalities in the book, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment overall and I'll definitely read more by her.
danaherrmann's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
katecuth's review
funny
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? No
4.25
li_ssa8999's review
funny
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
3.5
rakhya's review
4.0
Light and warm, with a bit of a zing
Through the Roof is a lovely, low angst romance that's just perfect for a relaxing afternoon read.
The two leads had good chemistry, and their awkward fumbling into an unexpected relationship felt genuine and believable.
Equally believable were their antagonists: the scheming, the self-serving, and the sleazy. Just the kind of people you'd expect to run into in this kind of business (and sometimes in life).
The journalistic angle became really entertaining in the final act, and the two protagonists stood out more because of it.
Like a cup of cinnamon tea, it's light and warm with a bit of zing.
A recommended read.
Through the Roof is a lovely, low angst romance that's just perfect for a relaxing afternoon read.
The two leads had good chemistry, and their awkward fumbling into an unexpected relationship felt genuine and believable.
Equally believable were their antagonists: the scheming, the self-serving, and the sleazy. Just the kind of people you'd expect to run into in this kind of business (and sometimes in life).
The journalistic angle became really entertaining in the final act, and the two protagonists stood out more because of it.
Like a cup of cinnamon tea, it's light and warm with a bit of zing.
A recommended read.