Scan barcode
cakt1991's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
I received an ARC from the author and am voluntarily posting a review.
I had mixed feelings about Her Favorite Rebound. I like it in theory, but parts of this require massive suspension of disbelief and really depends on your ethical lines of what you like in a romantic partner.
I do really like the general principle of the billionaire boyfriend being the antagonist, as it goes against the popular archetype of lionizing extreme wealth in the genre, when so many of these billionaires acquire and maintain their fortunes through oppressive means.
But this book would have fared better if the hero weren’t just barely a step up from the billionaire, Colton. Yeah, he’s obviously against Colton for his own reasons and he’s not obscenely wealthy. But I feel like it misses the point that wealth and power aren’t the only things that can cause issues. He basically falls for Sierra instantly and inserts himself into her life, to keep badgering her to dump Colton. While he is right in his messaging, ultimately others around her also come to the same conclusions, sooo…And why is she supposed to believe someone she barely knows? I know in principle his own history with Colton gives him some insider knowledge, but he doesn’t have to try to get his point across so aggressively and make her feel weird by constantly being cornered by a stranger.
And ultimately, that results in the rest of the premise falling a bit flat. I very much wanted this to just be a rebound to get it out of her system and find someone else who didn’t violate her boundaries.
I did quite like the family dynamics in this one, as well as the strong friendships. Sierra’s family consider her a disappointment due to giving up her career as an engineer to run a greeting card store. However, there are some things in that regard I did not expect, especially where her mother was concerned, that provided a lot of nuance. And the friend group is a strong connecting element that carries over if you’ve been following each book in the series.
While a weaker book due to really missing an opportunity in execution of its message, it is a pretty sweet, fun read. If you like contemporary romances with equal amounts of complex family dynamics, community, and sexy moments, it might still be worth checking out.
I had mixed feelings about Her Favorite Rebound. I like it in theory, but parts of this require massive suspension of disbelief and really depends on your ethical lines of what you like in a romantic partner.
I do really like the general principle of the billionaire boyfriend being the antagonist, as it goes against the popular archetype of lionizing extreme wealth in the genre, when so many of these billionaires acquire and maintain their fortunes through oppressive means.
But this book would have fared better if the hero weren’t just barely a step up from the billionaire, Colton. Yeah, he’s obviously against Colton for his own reasons and he’s not obscenely wealthy. But I feel like it misses the point that wealth and power aren’t the only things that can cause issues. He basically falls for Sierra instantly and inserts himself into her life, to keep badgering her to dump Colton. While he is right in his messaging, ultimately others around her also come to the same conclusions, sooo…And why is she supposed to believe someone she barely knows? I know in principle his own history with Colton gives him some insider knowledge, but he doesn’t have to try to get his point across so aggressively and make her feel weird by constantly being cornered by a stranger.
And ultimately, that results in the rest of the premise falling a bit flat. I very much wanted this to just be a rebound to get it out of her system and find someone else who didn’t violate her boundaries.
I did quite like the family dynamics in this one, as well as the strong friendships. Sierra’s family consider her a disappointment due to giving up her career as an engineer to run a greeting card store. However, there are some things in that regard I did not expect, especially where her mother was concerned, that provided a lot of nuance. And the friend group is a strong connecting element that carries over if you’ve been following each book in the series.
While a weaker book due to really missing an opportunity in execution of its message, it is a pretty sweet, fun read. If you like contemporary romances with equal amounts of complex family dynamics, community, and sexy moments, it might still be worth checking out.
More...