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tacoreign's review against another edition
The leading man was just awful to keep reading about. He’s just not someone a main leading lady should be with.
kpixy's review against another edition
3.5
Disliked the guy so much. There was not enough grovelling for me to get over the fact that he ghosted his live-in girlfriend of two years. Made it hard for me to accept her taking him back (I.e. the whole book).
farhana101's review against another edition
4.0
*3.75 stars
The issues going on between the hero and heroine feel a little repetitive at times but I did LOVE the Vietnamese representation and the focus on family, friendships and foood! Also this book was
The issues going on between the hero and heroine feel a little repetitive at times but I did LOVE the Vietnamese representation and the focus on family, friendships and foood! Also this book was
ohgeeitschrissy's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rainythebrainy's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
stationannie's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars, rounded up.
I’m thoroughly surprised this novel is rated so low. I absolutely loved the Asian representation, especially Trixie’s relationship with her parents. It’s so refreshing to see more accurate portrayals of Asian family dynamics, which are very nuanced. It’s often not represented in a way that feels true to the culture, but I think the author did a fantastic job in her debut novel.
I think it was amazing to see an Asian woman who not only fails, but also finds success in ways that might be considered untraditional. Trixie failed out of pharmacy school and decides to become a therapist. I felt this made her super relatable, instead of perpetuating the typical stereotype of Asian success.
As I got to know Trixie more, I felt like I shared a lot of similarities with her, which again made the story feel real to me. It was also great to see interracial relationship representation, which is another thing that doesn’t really get deeply explored in books. The issues that arise from them can be difficult to work through and being able to see that depicted in a romance novel is so great.
My main gripes with the book is that I didn’t particularly love Andre’s character. I found him annoying and controlling. He continually often came off as knowing what’s best for everyone, which made him an unlikable character that couldn’t be redeemed for me. It would have been one thing if he showed character development, but we never see it. Because he never really improved, I struggled to find what Trixie liked about him. Apparently he’s good at sex, but that was about it.
Some parts of the story were also a bit cringey like calling her friends “Boss Babes”. The only context that I could see this being used in a non-cringey way would be to make fun of people who use this term, not to actually use it seriously. At times there were also over-explained bits of Vietnamese/Asian culture, but I also understand wanting to make these nuggets of information clear to a reader who may not be of Vietnamese or Asian descent. I do they could have been incorporated a bit more naturally, but I appreciate the effort to include them at all.
I think Lam truly cares about making her Vietnamese culture a part of her book, and it’s not just another romance where the main character happens to be Asian. We actually get the real deal of what it would be like to be Vietnamese/Asian. All this to say that I 100% will read another book by the author.
nbrickman's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-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? It's complicated
2.0
whatssarahreading's review against another edition
hopeful
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? No
4.0