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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation meets When Harry Met Sally in this charming holiday family drama that was my favorite page-turner of the month.
Penelope is a spicy romance writer who is newly divorced and returning home for the holidays.
To her unwelcome surprise, the Rideshare app pairs her with her ex-husband at the airport, who happens to be returning home to settle his mother's estate.
As luck would have it, the two end up trapped in this car for longer than expected, and that is when she discovers the family heirloom ring she once wore is tucked in a box in his bag, presumably to be given to someone else.
With her bookstore facing closure and family relationships hanging in the balance, Penny concocts a plan involving her dad's co-worker as her fake boyfriend, and shenanigans ensue.
The family dysfunction was dysfunctional without being uncomfortable, and the characters were unforgettable, including a grandmother who stole the show with her illegal garden and a romantic lead who happens to be famous on Tiktok for tying Boy Scout knots. What more could a spicy romance writer want in a fake boyfriend?
I have not laughed out loud in a book in a long time, and the witty banter and one-liners in this book were unbelievably delightful.
More importantly, this dove into some familial themes I haven't seen often, including what it would be like to lose a mother-in-law in a divorce when that relationship blossoms more than your marriage.
This book was as good as your favorite holiday rom-com movie. Once again, a Kindle First selection hit it out of the park, and this ended up being one of my favorite books of the month.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am being very generous with my 2 star rating because the 2 stars are for all the characters other than the main character Penelope. Good god I have never hated a main character more than her. Now I get it, 'Her flaws make her human!", "She's relatable!" but hear me out. There is a difference between having a youthful personality no matter how old you are and acting like a 12 year old in your thirties (sorry to all 12 year olds).
The story overall was nothing original but it was still bearable because of all the side characters. They are the only reason I had to keep reading and not dnf 50 pages in.
The story overall was nothing original but it was still bearable because of all the side characters. They are the only reason I had to keep reading and not dnf 50 pages in.
funny
inspiring
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
emotional
funny
medium-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
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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 is a great novel! It takes you on a journey and the character's healing process .