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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Not for me but I can't say I didn't give it shot. I'm not a fan of romance novels but every so often I take a stab at reading one and the results are generally lack luster. This is one of those moments.
I like romances that have a plot. I am all for slow burn because it allows the characters to grow as people and for the story to develop. I feel like slow burns have great sex scenes because the characters have come to know one another as people and their relationship flourishes. When I started out with this book, I thought perhaps that's what I was going to see here but it fell apart pretty fast. To make matters worse, the sex scenes weren't even interesting. No pay off at all.
I started this book once before, a few months ago, and stopped listening to it right away because Lucy and Josh came across as childish. That's my major problem with this book because that never stops: They are childish throughout. They never feel like adults but overgrown children who refuse to face their issues or to develop an ounce of maturity. Some people have a problem with just Lucy others with just Josh but I think they're both a huge pain.
The writing was cringe worthy to say the least. Too many attempts at cutesy wording and what, to me, felt like it was trying to hard to be relevant or I suppose that would be considered contemporary. 4eva? Who even says that? Natch? That's about as bad as people saying redic to shorthand ridiculous. I hated that crap in high school and I'll hate it to my dying day. Maybe it's a sign of me being an aging grouch or I'm just not cut for this contemporary stuff. Oh, and let's not forget using Legos to describe muscles because those totally look the same.
This is not the hate to love story that I had in mind. Oh, sure, they "hated" each other but in reality Josh loved her from day one! He loved her so much he painted his room the same shade as her eyes! He kept little mementos of her around his house! And, oh, she played games with him because she wanted him to like her and she never really hated him! That was the worst bate and switch. I wanted some actual hate. I've read really good books of couples actually hating one another then getting to know one another and having a deep, appreciative love form. This was just Lucy being dense about Josh having feelings for her even after having sex and her being dense about her own emotions which is sad for a 28-year-old.
Also, besides being childish, Josh is a jerk. No amount of family issues, "shyness", or whatever other excuses you can come up for him makes up for that. His behavior borderlines emotionally abusive to Lucy and everyone else around him. Then he and Lucy have the nerve to talk down about nice guys. Well, call me pathetic, but I'd rather have nice guys than douche bags like Josh. Plus, he's a creep. Painting his bedroom the color of her eyes? Noting when she wears a dress, a skirt, when she smiles at people? What the hell? Call the damn cops cause this guy is going to kill her and stuff her so he can look at her whenever he wants. She always describes him with "murder eyes" and "going to kill her" and "keep her in the basement as a sex slave." Well, with that last tidbit about the paint I'd say she isn't far off from the truth. That isn't normal.
There is no story to this. I liked it in the beginning because I thought there was going to be plot what with the publisher, the big interview pinning Josh and Lucy against each other, Lucy's parents. These were all set up like they would actually matter to the story but they don't. The interview is sloppily side stepped in the last pages of the story. God forbid this book having actual conflict. (Josh's family situation doesn't count as conflict. The whole thing with Danny isn't conflict Those were shoehorned in so hard it hurt.) Let's pretend that never mattered even though more than half this book focuses on the interview. We don't even know if Lucy gets the job! It's just assumed she will while Josh bows out prematurely. Her parents never get more than a few scenes. You'd think the visit to their farm would be included but that's written off with a "I'll see them next weekend" and that's it. Why build these things up if the writer isn't going to expand upon them? Don't make a big deal about them and don't spend most of the damn book going on about them if you're never going to explore them in the actual story.
It's just a mess. I imagine if anything people would say I'm making too big a deal about fluff so I just need to back off of fluff and contemporary from now on. Too many cliches, tropes, and characters who don't act their age. No thank you.
I like romances that have a plot. I am all for slow burn because it allows the characters to grow as people and for the story to develop. I feel like slow burns have great sex scenes because the characters have come to know one another as people and their relationship flourishes. When I started out with this book, I thought perhaps that's what I was going to see here but it fell apart pretty fast. To make matters worse, the sex scenes weren't even interesting. No pay off at all.
I started this book once before, a few months ago, and stopped listening to it right away because Lucy and Josh came across as childish. That's my major problem with this book because that never stops: They are childish throughout. They never feel like adults but overgrown children who refuse to face their issues or to develop an ounce of maturity. Some people have a problem with just Lucy others with just Josh but I think they're both a huge pain.
The writing was cringe worthy to say the least. Too many attempts at cutesy wording and what, to me, felt like it was trying to hard to be relevant or I suppose that would be considered contemporary. 4eva? Who even says that? Natch? That's about as bad as people saying redic to shorthand ridiculous. I hated that crap in high school and I'll hate it to my dying day. Maybe it's a sign of me being an aging grouch or I'm just not cut for this contemporary stuff. Oh, and let's not forget using Legos to describe muscles because those totally look the same.
This is not the hate to love story that I had in mind. Oh, sure, they "hated" each other but in reality Josh loved her from day one! He loved her so much he painted his room the same shade as her eyes! He kept little mementos of her around his house! And, oh, she played games with him because she wanted him to like her and she never really hated him! That was the worst bate and switch. I wanted some actual hate. I've read really good books of couples actually hating one another then getting to know one another and having a deep, appreciative love form. This was just Lucy being dense about Josh having feelings for her even after having sex and her being dense about her own emotions which is sad for a 28-year-old.
Also, besides being childish, Josh is a jerk. No amount of family issues, "shyness", or whatever other excuses you can come up for him makes up for that. His behavior borderlines emotionally abusive to Lucy and everyone else around him. Then he and Lucy have the nerve to talk down about nice guys. Well, call me pathetic, but I'd rather have nice guys than douche bags like Josh. Plus, he's a creep. Painting his bedroom the color of her eyes? Noting when she wears a dress, a skirt, when she smiles at people? What the hell? Call the damn cops cause this guy is going to kill her and stuff her so he can look at her whenever he wants. She always describes him with "murder eyes" and "going to kill her" and "keep her in the basement as a sex slave." Well, with that last tidbit about the paint I'd say she isn't far off from the truth. That isn't normal.
There is no story to this. I liked it in the beginning because I thought there was going to be plot what with the publisher, the big interview pinning Josh and Lucy against each other, Lucy's parents. These were all set up like they would actually matter to the story but they don't. The interview is sloppily side stepped in the last pages of the story. God forbid this book having actual conflict. (Josh's family situation doesn't count as conflict. The whole thing with Danny isn't conflict Those were shoehorned in so hard it hurt.) Let's pretend that never mattered even though more than half this book focuses on the interview. We don't even know if Lucy gets the job! It's just assumed she will while Josh bows out prematurely. Her parents never get more than a few scenes. You'd think the visit to their farm would be included but that's written off with a "I'll see them next weekend" and that's it. Why build these things up if the writer isn't going to expand upon them? Don't make a big deal about them and don't spend most of the damn book going on about them if you're never going to explore them in the actual story.
It's just a mess. I imagine if anything people would say I'm making too big a deal about fluff so I just need to back off of fluff and contemporary from now on. Too many cliches, tropes, and characters who don't act their age. No thank you.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
for the hype that this book get, i was disappointed. the supposedly “enemies-to-lovers”—there were no enemies, only rivals office, and they got together wayyyyyy to quick. the mention of “big man, smol women” was also out of hand and borderline annoying. the writing itself was also weird and a little bit confusing for me.
but for a contemporary romance, it was worth to read. cute and easy to read, the problems were light and not too stressful. it is a fun and entertaining book
but for a contemporary romance, it was worth to read. cute and easy to read, the problems were light and not too stressful. it is a fun and entertaining book
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
he painted his room the color of her eyes ??? that’s ENOUGH
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
On eof the best enemies to lovers stories ever! ThornesThornes genius is that she so slowly gets these authentic characters to persistently work under each other's armor and let their vulnerable , lustful and loving souls shine! Breathtaking writing and genius banter! Super cool plot twist at the end !
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
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
I immediately became addicted to this book. I thought the set up was a little eye-roll inducing at first--I've never truly hated someone who wasn't some kind of bigot or creep, so it's hard for me to imagine hating someone so intensely for just like... being intense. Anyway, as the book went on, I actually really connected with the characters. My favorite aspect is how they're both a little a little neurotic. Like he wears the same shirts in sequence and she notices. Like Josh, I am a shy person with a sometimes hard exterior who just really wants to be noticed and understood. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) because I'm a gangly woman, I do not have the same intimidation factor. I also really like that, by design with this premise, the two love interests are financial equals. This wasn't really a detail that was explored explicitly, but I still appreciated that, with all the other cliché aspects of their dynamic, at least he wasn't secretly loaded for no reason.
Their little "games" and banter were delectably cartoonish, and I kept imagining a movie adaptation in the style of Scott Pilgrim or an anime. Having not seen the actual movie adaptation, I'm pretty convinced that it will not capture this tone of the characters at all and will be a really lack-luster portrayal.
That all being said, there were a few things about this book that left a bad taste in my mouth. Firstly, I felt too woke for this book. It wasn't overtly problematic, but little details like gushing over their white skin and blue eyes, the use of the slur g*psy, saying "free, free at last" about her car and then laughing about attributing an MLK quote to something so trivial. It was a definitively White book with a sprinkling of out-of-touch or tone deaf details as a result. I also would've preferred a greater emphasis on consent, which I think a lot of similar romance authors do well. Especially in a workplace setting with legit HR complaint trails, a certain scene should've involved a better consent check imo. Also, I always say this, but the huge man-little woman dynamic is also SOOOOO played out. This author and Ali Hazelwood and all the other freaked out little women writing novels need to cool it. Maybe I'm just desperate for some tall woman representation. This dynamic was such a prominent part of the narrative, though, like they were always talking about it. I'm like damn we get it, you're freaked to the max because he's like triple your size. If there are any short kings reading romance, I'm sure they're affected even more greatly than my 5'11 ass. Romance authors depict the diversity of humanity challenge, level impossible apparently.
Finally, I thought the ending was really anticlimactic.They spent the whole novel competing and building towards this big interview, just for Josh to bow out beforehand? I get the narrative choice, but it felt like an abrupt stop to the momentum being built. And then their sex scenes were also kind of underwhelming. The elevator scene and the bossy language they exchanged set them up for a kinky power play dynamic, but then when they had sex, it was like slow missionary under the covers lol. I was actually really excited/intrigued at the prospect of a more dominant female lead, which NEVER happens in het romance. There was real potential for that, but the novel didn't deliver. Typical *sigh*. Even though I enjoy reading novels like this, I am weary of the hypocritical narrative ethics that condemn overt sexism (e.g. leering at your employee's cleavage) but then reinforce very traditional gender dynamics. It's so cowardly imo! I will continue to read bad and almost-amazing romances and hold them to too high of standards because maybe someday either 1) I will fall in love and stop needing this genre like a fix, or 2) I will get the femdom representation I deserve!
Their little "games" and banter were delectably cartoonish, and I kept imagining a movie adaptation in the style of Scott Pilgrim or an anime. Having not seen the actual movie adaptation, I'm pretty convinced that it will not capture this tone of the characters at all and will be a really lack-luster portrayal.
That all being said, there were a few things about this book that left a bad taste in my mouth. Firstly, I felt too woke for this book. It wasn't overtly problematic, but little details like gushing over their white skin and blue eyes, the use of the slur g*psy, saying "free, free at last" about her car and then laughing about attributing an MLK quote to something so trivial. It was a definitively White book with a sprinkling of out-of-touch or tone deaf details as a result. I also would've preferred a greater emphasis on consent, which I think a lot of similar romance authors do well. Especially in a workplace setting with legit HR complaint trails, a certain scene should've involved a better consent check imo. Also, I always say this, but the huge man-little woman dynamic is also SOOOOO played out. This author and Ali Hazelwood and all the other freaked out little women writing novels need to cool it. Maybe I'm just desperate for some tall woman representation. This dynamic was such a prominent part of the narrative, though, like they were always talking about it. I'm like damn we get it, you're freaked to the max because he's like triple your size. If there are any short kings reading romance, I'm sure they're affected even more greatly than my 5'11 ass. Romance authors depict the diversity of humanity challenge, level impossible apparently.
Finally, I thought the ending was really anticlimactic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Stalking