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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Porter Harrison is now in the running for my favorite book boyfriend of 2024. I smiled from ear to ear at everything he said! This is also the first "later in life" romance I've read, and it was fabulous!
So I liked the combo of instalove and slow burn here. I don't usually like the office romance trope, but this story didn't have much office shenanigans, so it worked just fine for me. It was more about 40+ Millenials finally getting the life they spent about 20 years to work for. I think it's interesting to read about their insecurities. I would have liked to know more about how each of them dreamed their life before meeting each other... I do think it's getting more and more common to find people in their 40's who have never been married and/or childless. However, Porter wasn't just some regular guy and I feel like their approach to love, regardless of them working together, could have been more explored. Clearly they shared an ideal of growing old with someone, but they never talked about what marriage means to them. Porter gets to share a lot how he feels, but Ari doesn't say much except for the hurt love brought to her. The different settings for the intimate scenes were * chef kiss *
Eh.....
I loved Ari! Porter, on the other hand, was hard to connect to as a character. I loved the topics the author touched on, but overall, the story was a bit dry.
I loved Ari! Porter, on the other hand, was hard to connect to as a character. I loved the topics the author touched on, but overall, the story was a bit dry.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
“Actually, it was twenty dozen. I was going to send you thirty-five dozen. For every day you’ve been here. For every day I’ve been lucky enough to know you.”
I received this debut novel from Tati Robinson as an ARC, and it had me hooked from the beginning. This book is a slow-burn workplace romance that doesn’t have your typical main characters, and it was so refreshing. Ari is a confident, smart, beautiful, plus size black woman who doesn’t need a man to swoop in and make her feel good about herself. Porter is a doppelgänger for Jesse Williams but not as confident as you would assume him to be.
“The Build Up” focuses on realistic themes that not only happen in the workplace but also real life like fat phobia, colorism, gender inequality, and etc. Tati’s love for music and HBCUs was apparent throughout the whole book, and it definitely added some excitement for me. Being a Hampton grad who also lived in McGrew Towers, I was beside myself when the main characters were alum and Ari lived in my dorm. I felt a special connection to her.
I didn’t care for the third act in this book simply because I’m not a fan of miscommunication tropes, and it felt a tad bit rushed. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, and I can’t wait to see what the author writes next. Make sure you pick up your copy of “The Build Up” when it releases on March 28, 2023!
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I received this debut novel from Tati Robinson as an ARC, and it had me hooked from the beginning. This book is a slow-burn workplace romance that doesn’t have your typical main characters, and it was so refreshing. Ari is a confident, smart, beautiful, plus size black woman who doesn’t need a man to swoop in and make her feel good about herself. Porter is a doppelgänger for Jesse Williams but not as confident as you would assume him to be.
“The Build Up” focuses on realistic themes that not only happen in the workplace but also real life like fat phobia, colorism, gender inequality, and etc. Tati’s love for music and HBCUs was apparent throughout the whole book, and it definitely added some excitement for me. Being a Hampton grad who also lived in McGrew Towers, I was beside myself when the main characters were alum and Ari lived in my dorm. I felt a special connection to her.
I didn’t care for the third act in this book simply because I’m not a fan of miscommunication tropes, and it felt a tad bit rushed. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, and I can’t wait to see what the author writes next. Make sure you pick up your copy of “The Build Up” when it releases on March 28, 2023!
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Minor: Fatphobia, Racism
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced