Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
What I liked: the banter, the vulnerability, the imperfect characters, the bacon sandwich
What I didn't like: the clunky pacing, the "miscommunication" at the conclusion that felt forced for the sake of plot
This was cute. At times. Other times I wanted to roll my eyes. Not mad I read it, ultimately.
What I didn't like: the clunky pacing, the "miscommunication" at the conclusion that felt forced for the sake of plot
This was cute. At times. Other times I wanted to roll my eyes. Not mad I read it, ultimately.
This was like reading an episode of Gilmore Girls but instead of a mother/daughter duo it was two dudes who suck at love and have very low self esteem who agree to fake date and eventually fall in love.
Loved every minute of it.
Loved every minute of it.
A veces los personajes me desesperaban ¿Hola, penúltimo capítulo???? Casi tiro el ebook del cabreo
Pero se complementan tan bien, son tan lindos y jo, nunca había deseado tanto que dos personajes se besaran como estos, casi chillo
Pero se complementan tan bien, son tan lindos y jo, nunca había deseado tanto que dos personajes se besaran como estos, casi chillo
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
TL;DR: this book is spectacular. I love it and I suspect you will, too, no matter what you want to get out of it.
I'll be honest: I picked this book up at Target (already not my first choice in bookstores) because I was having a bad day and it looked like it would be a lighthearted, funny, borderline-trashy romance novel, and that was exactly what I needed. Little did I know it would be among my favorite books I've read in months (years, even).
From the start, Luc is not particularly likable. He's blunt, he makes poor choices that you don't immediately understand, and he seems determined to prevent anything good from happening to him. Oliver's character, likewise, is not the easiest to get on board with for the first act of the novel. For what I wanted out of this book, however, that was perfect: two unlikely archetypal enemies-to-lovers in an easy-to-follow, trope-ridden plot. Right?
Wrong.
As I continued reading this book, it rather snuck up on me. I share the same experience as another reviewer who admitted to staying up all night, unable (or unwilling) to put Luc and Oliver down for the night. Slowly, I watched the two of them unfold and grow more complex until the only logical conclusion was for their fake love to turn very, very real.
I think what drew me to the characters, especially Luc, was the raw humanity of them. Luc is (physically and emotionally) messy, self-deprecating, and often struggles to keep his mouth shut. I felt so connected to him that I almost began to fall for Oliver myself--but at the same time, Oliver mirrored my own anxiety and obsessive perfectionism, culminating in a family blow-up that finally cracked him open and proved he, like me, was imperfectly insecure underneath it all.
As for the love, the only way I can think to describe it is that this is not a *love story*, but a story *of love*--an important distinction in this case. Luc and Oliver show us what it means to love and be loved, beyond French toast and V-cuts and tuxes, just as they are learning themselves. The characters fall, and Hall beautifully captures them on the way down.
There were many scenes I went back and reread--atypical for me when I read for pleasure--but one that sticks in my mind is the first time Oliver holds Luc, quieting his anxious thoughts as well as his tossing and turning. This was the point at which I realized that this story meant much more to me than I had anticipated. I actually closed the book and hugged it to my chest, with a smile on my face that I couldn't have stopped if I'd wanted to.
I laughed out loud countless times. I teared up near the end (when I thought our protagonists were at *their* end) and I was left wanting so, so much more. The only thing I would change about my reading experience would be to push it back several months, because the prospect of waiting until August for the sequel is feeling rather impossible!
I'll be honest: I picked this book up at Target (already not my first choice in bookstores) because I was having a bad day and it looked like it would be a lighthearted, funny, borderline-trashy romance novel, and that was exactly what I needed. Little did I know it would be among my favorite books I've read in months (years, even).
From the start, Luc is not particularly likable. He's blunt, he makes poor choices that you don't immediately understand, and he seems determined to prevent anything good from happening to him. Oliver's character, likewise, is not the easiest to get on board with for the first act of the novel. For what I wanted out of this book, however, that was perfect: two unlikely archetypal enemies-to-lovers in an easy-to-follow, trope-ridden plot. Right?
Wrong.
As I continued reading this book, it rather snuck up on me. I share the same experience as another reviewer who admitted to staying up all night, unable (or unwilling) to put Luc and Oliver down for the night. Slowly, I watched the two of them unfold and grow more complex until the only logical conclusion was for their fake love to turn very, very real.
I think what drew me to the characters, especially Luc, was the raw humanity of them. Luc is (physically and emotionally) messy, self-deprecating, and often struggles to keep his mouth shut. I felt so connected to him that I almost began to fall for Oliver myself--but at the same time, Oliver mirrored my own anxiety and obsessive perfectionism, culminating in a family blow-up that finally cracked him open and proved he, like me, was imperfectly insecure underneath it all.
As for the love, the only way I can think to describe it is that this is not a *love story*, but a story *of love*--an important distinction in this case. Luc and Oliver show us what it means to love and be loved, beyond French toast and V-cuts and tuxes, just as they are learning themselves. The characters fall, and Hall beautifully captures them on the way down.
There were many scenes I went back and reread--atypical for me when I read for pleasure--but one that sticks in my mind is the first time Oliver holds Luc, quieting his anxious thoughts as well as his tossing and turning. This was the point at which I realized that this story meant much more to me than I had anticipated. I actually closed the book and hugged it to my chest, with a smile on my face that I couldn't have stopped if I'd wanted to.
I laughed out loud countless times. I teared up near the end (when I thought our protagonists were at *their* end) and I was left wanting so, so much more. The only thing I would change about my reading experience would be to push it back several months, because the prospect of waiting until August for the sequel is feeling rather impossible!
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Amazing book
Absolutely loved the humour in this book!! And the relationship between Luc and Oliver were so sweet