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sasaboba's review against another edition
1.0
PROS:
- Easy read.
- Sex.
- Great premise.
CONS:
- Fatphobia.
- Repetition, repetition, repetition!
- Non-fluid writing.
- Odd character development.
- Poor plot pacing.
- Jack is a jackass (pun intended).
- Unoriginal and unbelievable.
- Stick to reading the back of the book; it's better than the actual novel.
COMMENTS:
Exactly what you would expect from a skinny person writing about fat characters. I haven't read a lot of Cabot's stuff compared to other people but they're usually tolerable at best.
After reading this, I understand why it's easier for Cabot to write in email/text/diary format. Was it necessary to keep reminding the reader that Jack Townsend was handsome? Or that he was an action-adventure movie megastar? Or that he ad-libbed a line in Lou Calabrese's movie? Or that Lou and Jack's exes ran off together? Or that Lou wrote a screenplay for her ex? Or that they each won an Academy Award? Or that Jack was in this movie and that movie? All of these weren't repeated just two or three times. It had to have been at least fifty times from start to finish. Each. I can flip to almost any page and you can bet there will be one of those. We get it!
I also felt like the characters were flat, especially the minor characters. Vicky was supposed to be Lou's best friend but it didn't feel that way. She didn't seem to care about Lou at all. Characters that only showed up once had more personality than 90% of the major and minor characters. They ramble so much. It felt like Cabot was just filling space with repetition and rambling.
I mentioned that Jack was a jackass. I hate that Lou used to be a fat girl and is only attractive because she got skinnier. Cabot reminded the reader that fat is unattractive.
There were also constant perspective changes. I love perspective changes when they're done right. Usually, there's a pattern of some sort and some indication that there will be perspective changes. There was NO INDICATION in this book. Halfway through, it was as if Cabot had forgotten she had other characters. Cabot also forgot there was an actual mystery plot to write. She kept dabbling in the characters' romances, even the minor characters. It was as if she'd forgotten someone was trying to kill Jack. When she'd suddenly remember, she'd plug in a random explosion/gunfire to remind the reader it's supposed to be a mystery novel.
To conclude, the premise was great and the sex was there. I wish the sex weren't so censored. It is an adult novel. Oh well! The writing style really needed working on. I also hate how Lou's badassery was reduced to jelly in the end. She became a different person and the chemistry died, especially because the build-up for the end was super cheesy. I wanted to see some witty sarcasm from Lou and there was nothing.
- Easy read.
- Sex.
- Great premise.
CONS:
- Fatphobia.
- Repetition, repetition, repetition!
- Non-fluid writing.
- Odd character development.
- Poor plot pacing.
- Jack is a jackass (pun intended).
- Unoriginal and unbelievable.
- Stick to reading the back of the book; it's better than the actual novel.
COMMENTS:
Exactly what you would expect from a skinny person writing about fat characters. I haven't read a lot of Cabot's stuff compared to other people but they're usually tolerable at best.
After reading this, I understand why it's easier for Cabot to write in email/text/diary format. Was it necessary to keep reminding the reader that Jack Townsend was handsome? Or that he was an action-adventure movie megastar? Or that he ad-libbed a line in Lou Calabrese's movie? Or that Lou and Jack's exes ran off together? Or that Lou wrote a screenplay for her ex? Or that they each won an Academy Award? Or that Jack was in this movie and that movie? All of these weren't repeated just two or three times. It had to have been at least fifty times from start to finish. Each. I can flip to almost any page and you can bet there will be one of those. We get it!
I also felt like the characters were flat, especially the minor characters. Vicky was supposed to be Lou's best friend but it didn't feel that way. She didn't seem to care about Lou at all. Characters that only showed up once had more personality than 90% of the major and minor characters. They ramble so much. It felt like Cabot was just filling space with repetition and rambling.
I mentioned that Jack was a jackass. I hate that Lou used to be a fat girl and is only attractive because she got skinnier. Cabot reminded the reader that fat is unattractive.
There were also constant perspective changes. I love perspective changes when they're done right. Usually, there's a pattern of some sort and some indication that there will be perspective changes. There was NO INDICATION in this book. Halfway through, it was as if Cabot had forgotten she had other characters. Cabot also forgot there was an actual mystery plot to write. She kept dabbling in the characters' romances, even the minor characters. It was as if she'd forgotten someone was trying to kill Jack. When she'd suddenly remember, she'd plug in a random explosion/gunfire to remind the reader it's supposed to be a mystery novel.
To conclude, the premise was great and the sex was there. I wish the sex weren't so censored. It is an adult novel. Oh well! The writing style really needed working on. I also hate how Lou's badassery was reduced to jelly in the end. She became a different person and the chemistry died, especially because the build-up for the end was super cheesy. I wanted to see some witty sarcasm from Lou and there was nothing.
negotiumperambulans's review against another edition
4.0
This book was really fun and sweet and it was hard to put it down.