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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
Admittedly I mostly listened to the audiobook on this one. It's much better than The Schemer, the previous book in the series. Okay, it's not officially the same series, but having started with Tomboy, the third book in The Hartigans and having to backtrack to get other characters stories you really want to read the Harbor City Series then the Hartigans then Ice Knights so you can catch the little references to parts of other stories found in the series. That said because I started later, Lucy is referred in all the later books as the PR guru for the Ice Knights players, so how exactly does she not know who the Cajun Rage is in this book? Did I just hear that wrong or something because it would seem like all the girls would know the teams' biggest rivals. That seriously bugged me. Also in Tomboy the girls are Fallon's closest friends so how is it she's just meeting them in Butterface?
I'll be honest, I really didn't like the premise of this book where Ford spends so much of the story lying to Gina in order to further his job. And the fact that Gina beat herself up at one point for not listening to him really pissed me off. I both loved and hated Gina. I felt for her and the way she was mistreated and how the high school hurts followed her into adulthood. Like most women I have my own share of stories of mean little comments people have made about my appearance that followed me and I push out of my head on the regular. (The guy trying to pick up my cousin who described me as having shit green eyes, when she asked if he knew me always sticks in my head and there's this mean little part of me who hopes he's going bald and has a beer gut now and divorced after a really messy divorce where his ex took everything. Okay, so I hold a grudge, allow me my fantasies. And I've heard enough comments on my weight throughout my life to have lost count before I ever made it to high school. They can all go choke on their kale shakes while I enjoy another cookie.) So I can easily empathize with Gina and her feelings and I think most female readers will be about to do this. But the thing is she has it in her head that she just deserves it because she believes she's just as ugly as those nasty people say she is. I'd say she has a legitimate harassment complaint against the cops who set her up in the opening scene and instead of AT LEAST telling them they're assholes that need to go fuck themselves, she just puts her head down and walks away. She's almost a doormat to other people and their comments and the only person she ever ends up standing up to about it is the one guy who actually doesn't make any comments about her appearance. I really wanted to see this character tell some of the haters where to go shove it. I really wanted to see something bad happen to the mean people, like a random tractor-trailer running them over. And that's not the case. This book follows the same pattern as the last where the outside factors really aren't dealt with and the only issues resolved as the ones between the main couple and that seriously bothers me.
What I did like was the family relationships between these characters, not just the Hartigans who are as always the greatest. But the sibling relationship between the DeLucas was awesome. I loved Gina's crook brothers and I'd like to see a real happy ending for them at some point.
Overall while this isn't my favorite of Flynn's work, I really liked it and I love the characters and the world Flynn has created here. If I could pack up and move to Harbor City like it was a real place filled with these actual people I totally would. So yes, I'd definitely recommend it.
I'll be honest, I really didn't like the premise of this book where Ford spends so much of the story lying to Gina in order to further his job. And the fact that Gina beat herself up at one point for not listening to him really pissed me off. I both loved and hated Gina. I felt for her and the way she was mistreated and how the high school hurts followed her into adulthood. Like most women I have my own share of stories of mean little comments people have made about my appearance that followed me and I push out of my head on the regular. (The guy trying to pick up my cousin who described me as having shit green eyes, when she asked if he knew me always sticks in my head and there's this mean little part of me who hopes he's going bald and has a beer gut now and divorced after a really messy divorce where his ex took everything. Okay, so I hold a grudge, allow me my fantasies. And I've heard enough comments on my weight throughout my life to have lost count before I ever made it to high school. They can all go choke on their kale shakes while I enjoy another cookie.) So I can easily empathize with Gina and her feelings and I think most female readers will be about to do this. But the thing is she has it in her head that she just deserves it because she believes she's just as ugly as those nasty people say she is. I'd say she has a legitimate harassment complaint against the cops who set her up in the opening scene and instead of AT LEAST telling them they're assholes that need to go fuck themselves, she just puts her head down and walks away. She's almost a doormat to other people and their comments and the only person she ever ends up standing up to about it is the one guy who actually doesn't make any comments about her appearance. I really wanted to see this character tell some of the haters where to go shove it. I really wanted to see something bad happen to the mean people, like a random tractor-trailer running them over. And that's not the case. This book follows the same pattern as the last where the outside factors really aren't dealt with and the only issues resolved as the ones between the main couple and that seriously bothers me.
What I did like was the family relationships between these characters, not just the Hartigans who are as always the greatest. But the sibling relationship between the DeLucas was awesome. I loved Gina's crook brothers and I'd like to see a real happy ending for them at some point.
Overall while this isn't my favorite of Flynn's work, I really liked it and I love the characters and the world Flynn has created here. If I could pack up and move to Harbor City like it was a real place filled with these actual people I totally would. So yes, I'd definitely recommend it.
While I saw many people review this book expressing their dislike for how often we were reminded that the heroine wasn't the poster child for social beauty standards, that's the sad reality in our society. Whether reminded by others or ourselves, every day can be a new struggle in surviving in a world who automatically judges us. I think this book does a great job expressing that reality, while also showing the reality of finding someone who loves you for exactly who you are, no matter your weight, or the size of your nose.
Just because someone is comfortable in their body, that doesn't erase their past trials and tribulations to get there
6/10 "Enemies to Lovers"
7/10 Romance
8/10 Young Adult
Just because someone is comfortable in their body, that doesn't erase their past trials and tribulations to get there
6/10 "Enemies to Lovers"
7/10 Romance
8/10 Young Adult
This book has a very unique aspect to it, in that the heroine is not beautiful and doesn’t change throughout the entire book. Kudos to the author for keeping it real. It was a cute modern love story with some great characters.
This was an entertaining & enjoyable read. While there’s no real surprises with how the plot progresses, I did appreciate that the female lead was not traditionally beautiful or undertook a makeover where she magically turned into the the most beautiful person ever.
I liked Gina - she was a strong person and I liked her attitude. After a life of being bullied about her looks, she understandably has built walls to protect herself & I loved seeing Ford break those down. I thought they had great chemistry together, both in & out of the bedroom. This was just a sweet read & I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
I liked Gina - she was a strong person and I liked her attitude. After a life of being bullied about her looks, she understandably has built walls to protect herself & I loved seeing Ford break those down. I thought they had great chemistry together, both in & out of the bedroom. This was just a sweet read & I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
I loved this book.The sarcasm and witty humour was wonderful.
I really like that Gina is not naive about Ford's likely motive but at the same time I feel sad that her experiences have led to her having such a negative opinion of herself and others. It is heart wrenching how society judges others and the long term effects it has in the victim.
I love the Hartigan clan, the sibling love but also the ribbing too.
I really like that Gina is not naive about Ford's likely motive but at the same time I feel sad that her experiences have led to her having such a negative opinion of herself and others. It is heart wrenching how society judges others and the long term effects it has in the victim.
I love the Hartigan clan, the sibling love but also the ribbing too.
This one swooped in on me, and I wasn't sure what to expect other than a rom-com. Well it was that and so much more. This book had so much going on it was always entertaining and never lacked with the plot. The characters were amazing, Gina was awesome, I can relate in a way to her. I think really we all can. This was a fantastic book that I couldn't put down.
emotional
hopeful
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The premise is simple: the supposedly ugly girl meets the supposedly hot guy. They fake date and fall in love.
What is stopping this love story from happening are Gina's insecurities and Ford's inability to understand where she's coming from.
Most of the book is commentary about Gina's looks and how people can't see past the surface, how Gina gets used to this maltreatment and even does not expect anyone to love her for who she is.
Then Ford comes along and finds Gina genuinely attractive but she is disbelieving and keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop.
To his credit, Ford tries really hard to prove Gina wrong that he sometimes fumbles and becomes clueless when he's around her.
Initially, I thought I would connect with Gina's character as I usually gravitate towards the "undesirables" or the "underdogs", but I find myself empathizing with Ford because I think he isn't given a fair chance to explain his actions.
Gina assumes the worst of him as she paints every man with the same brush as the one who pranked her. But as there are bad guys, there are good guys too.
What is stopping this love story from happening are Gina's insecurities and Ford's inability to understand where she's coming from.
Most of the book is commentary about Gina's looks and how people can't see past the surface, how Gina gets used to this maltreatment and even does not expect anyone to love her for who she is.
Then Ford comes along and finds Gina genuinely attractive but she is disbelieving and keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop.
To his credit, Ford tries really hard to prove Gina wrong that he sometimes fumbles and becomes clueless when he's around her.
Initially, I thought I would connect with Gina's character as I usually gravitate towards the "undesirables" or the "underdogs", but I find myself empathizing with Ford because I think he isn't given a fair chance to explain his actions.
Gina assumes the worst of him as she paints every man with the same brush as the one who pranked her. But as there are bad guys, there are good guys too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My first introduction to Avery Flynn and this series and it was a solid good start.
I'm a little on the fence about this book. In some aspects I liked and enjoyed it and in others I was left wondering why the author went that direction. I liked Gina's character. She's tenacious, smart, sassy, funny, kind, and for some reason doesn't realize how amazing that makes her but she's very hung up on her looks, particularly her nose, and that's stemming from a high school prank that has deeply affected her and how she perceives everyone around her. Especially men, especially hot men she kissed that light her up...like Ford.
Ford, for a bit felt very idk meh, but a few chapters later in his perspective and it really allowed his character to have a voice and I ended up liking him. I loved that he was a man of honest words and he means what he says, especially towards Gina, who he can't get enough of.
I hated his cop coworkers and hope to never read about them again. Give me every other side character; Gina's brothers, her besties, all the Hartigans but not any more cops. I really wanted to punch those guys more times than I can count.
I'm a little on the fence about this book. In some aspects I liked and enjoyed it and in others I was left wondering why the author went that direction. I liked Gina's character. She's tenacious, smart, sassy, funny, kind, and for some reason doesn't realize how amazing that makes her but she's very hung up on her looks, particularly her nose, and that's stemming from a high school prank that has deeply affected her and how she perceives everyone around her. Especially men, especially hot men she kissed that light her up...like Ford.
Ford, for a bit felt very idk meh, but a few chapters later in his perspective and it really allowed his character to have a voice and I ended up liking him. I loved that he was a man of honest words and he means what he says, especially towards Gina, who he can't get enough of.
I hated his cop coworkers and hope to never read about them again. Give me every other side character; Gina's brothers, her besties, all the Hartigans but not any more cops. I really wanted to punch those guys more times than I can count.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Bullying, Death
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced