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akookieforyou's review against another edition
3.0
*3.5*
"Hey," says Dyl. He isn't looking at the sky. He's looking at me, smiling that Bad boy smirk of his."I love you." I smile so big it's probably lopsided.
This book definitely had it's issues, like sometimes the dialogue didn't feel like real people were talking, like they were idealistic versions of people. But small problems like that put aside, I really enjoyed this book. It has a nice and sweet love story, a really fascinating premise, and some neat action scenes. One of my favorite thing about this book is how it show that everyone is the protagonist of their own story. I loved it so much when Caden finally came to this conclusion.
And I absolutely love the love and support for the LGBT+ community this book (and author) have, it really shows.
Spoiler
"Hey," says Dyl. He isn't looking at the sky. He's looking at me, smiling that Bad boy smirk of his."I love you." I smile so big it's probably lopsided.
This book definitely had it's issues, like sometimes the dialogue didn't feel like real people were talking, like they were idealistic versions of people. But small problems like that put aside, I really enjoyed this book. It has a nice and sweet love story, a really fascinating premise, and some neat action scenes. One of my favorite thing about this book is how it show that everyone is the protagonist of their own story. I loved it so much when Caden finally came to this conclusion.
And I absolutely love the love and support for the LGBT+ community this book (and author) have, it really shows.
emrodav's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed most of this book. The premise was really interesting and pretty much all of the characters ended up being super likable (especially Juliet, thank god. I wouldn't have been okay if she had been flat or boring, but she was great).
The issue I had with this book was the sudden and crazy shift in tone and pacing that takes place in the last 1/4 of the book. The first 3/4 was a kind of quirky take on spies and love triangles and coming-of-age. It wasn't perfect, but it was enjoyable. But then everything changed.
In fact,
Overall, the whole ending felt rushed and strange. It almost felt like the first 3/4 of the book would've worked better as the first book in a trilogy. Then the would be the second, and the crazy ending would be book three. But instead it's all kind of smushed into one book and it ends up not working that well.
Hopefully these issues are just the growing pains that come with a debut novel. I hope so, because the parts of the book I enjoyed make me hope that if/when I read another book by this author it'll be more successful.
The issue I had with this book was the sudden and crazy shift in tone and pacing that takes place in the last 1/4 of the book. The first 3/4 was a kind of quirky take on spies and love triangles and coming-of-age. It wasn't perfect, but it was enjoyable. But then everything changed.
In fact,
Spoiler
within the span of like 10 pages everyone just decides to dismantle the all-powerful LIC without much of a plan? And within about 25 pages at least 5 characters die, some in pretty gruesome ways. And then there's a rushed happy ending and happily ever after.Overall, the whole ending felt rushed and strange. It almost felt like the first 3/4 of the book would've worked better as the first book in a trilogy. Then the
Spoiler
section where they decide to dismantle the LIC and go on the runHopefully these issues are just the growing pains that come with a debut novel. I hope so, because the parts of the book I enjoyed make me hope that if/when I read another book by this author it'll be more successful.
josworld96's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
clubuntu's review against another edition
2.0
I think my expectations from this book were too high so I'm a little disappointed.
mrswhite's review against another edition
2.0
I'm all about good LGBTQ+ books, but this....was not good. Pacing was off, dialogue was bad, sloppy execution all around. The premise was good, but the writing was not.
elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I am not sure why this book as such a low rating compared to other books in the genre. I read The Love Interest for the first time when I was in the target age group, and I really liked it. Now, officially not a teenager anymore, I find this book equally as charming as I did the first time I read it. Cale Dietrich writes fun books with well-made, important characters, and The Love Interest is no exception. Silly and trope-filled on purpose, Dietrich does not take himself too seriously but still creates a book that has representation so many young people (including me!) need in literature. Definitely worth the read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Blood, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Trafficking, Slavery, Homophobia, and Murder
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
kvreadsandrecs's review against another edition
4.0
This book STRESSED me out. Holy goodness. But it was great!
melissaverasreads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars!
It was SO MUCH FUN! It's been a while since I read a book this quickly, but I couldn't stop reading! I never never got bored, everything was so fun and entertaining! The romance was swoon worth it, I was rooting so hard for Caden and Dyl! ♥ My babies ♥
The secondary characters were fun to read about, too :)
This book doesn't take itself too seriously, it plays a lot with the YA tropes in an obvious yet funny way. This book should be taken as something light, and funny with some action scenes and a lot of entertainment and as nothing else.
It was SO MUCH FUN! It's been a while since I read a book this quickly, but I couldn't stop reading! I never never got bored, everything was so fun and entertaining! The romance was swoon worth it, I was rooting so hard for Caden and Dyl! ♥ My babies ♥
The secondary characters were fun to read about, too :)
This book doesn't take itself too seriously, it plays a lot with the YA tropes in an obvious yet funny way. This book should be taken as something light, and funny with some action scenes and a lot of entertainment and as nothing else.
alyssaindira's review against another edition
3.0
*no spoilers were harmed in the making of this review*
"Me, a Nice? Yeah right. Sure, I try to be friendly and I dont like hurting people's feelings, but that doesnt mean I'm a Disney Prince" ~C
Hey guys, so I finished The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich. It was different that what I was expecting, by far, however, just because it was different does mean I did not enjoy it. Sure, when I first picked this book up at a used bookstore and scanned through the description, I was led to believe that it was a typical love triangle. Two guys, polar opposites, fighting over the affections of a girl. These two guys just happen to be kids in a super secret and wicked spy organization that turns those particular affections to profit. Instead, the first thing that clued me in that this book was different, was the fact the main POV was one of the guy's, not the girl's (like how it usually is). Not that i minded this, I rather enjoyed it. However, throughout the book, it became clear that the man did not have much chemistry and bond with the girl that he was trying to woo. Or maybe he did and I just did not catch it. What I did catch from the very beginning, was the blossom of friendship/alliance between the two men of the story. That was so clear it bleed through the ink and soon the bromance turned into something more. So, the story itself was a pretty easy read. it was nicely paced, swiftly moving from one event to another, no matter if that event was "action" packed or swoon packed, and the author's writing was pretty alright. My fav part about it was how he made the MC see the world and experience it and everything. I also like how the MC progressed through the story as well, and came to realize that the world he lived in was not what he believed it to be. Now, The other characters? Eh. They were good enough supporting characters. Even Juliet. But the main characters that came out on top, were of course, the two men. Anyway, it was a nice enough story for what it was worth. And the ending was sweet and fluffy. I cannot remember the last time I read a book with that type of ending. It's been a while, I think. Ha, okay, so I don't know what else to say, mostly because I dont have that many more thoughts on this novel. I am going to stop rambling now, lol. As always, if you have questions or comments, drop em below. TIll next time.Bye.
"Me, a Nice? Yeah right. Sure, I try to be friendly and I dont like hurting people's feelings, but that doesnt mean I'm a Disney Prince" ~C
Hey guys, so I finished The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich. It was different that what I was expecting, by far, however, just because it was different does mean I did not enjoy it. Sure, when I first picked this book up at a used bookstore and scanned through the description, I was led to believe that it was a typical love triangle. Two guys, polar opposites, fighting over the affections of a girl. These two guys just happen to be kids in a super secret and wicked spy organization that turns those particular affections to profit. Instead, the first thing that clued me in that this book was different, was the fact the main POV was one of the guy's, not the girl's (like how it usually is). Not that i minded this, I rather enjoyed it. However, throughout the book, it became clear that the man did not have much chemistry and bond with the girl that he was trying to woo. Or maybe he did and I just did not catch it. What I did catch from the very beginning, was the blossom of friendship/alliance between the two men of the story. That was so clear it bleed through the ink and soon the bromance turned into something more. So, the story itself was a pretty easy read. it was nicely paced, swiftly moving from one event to another, no matter if that event was "action" packed or swoon packed, and the author's writing was pretty alright. My fav part about it was how he made the MC see the world and experience it and everything. I also like how the MC progressed through the story as well, and came to realize that the world he lived in was not what he believed it to be. Now, The other characters? Eh. They were good enough supporting characters. Even Juliet. But the main characters that came out on top, were of course, the two men. Anyway, it was a nice enough story for what it was worth. And the ending was sweet and fluffy. I cannot remember the last time I read a book with that type of ending. It's been a while, I think. Ha, okay, so I don't know what else to say, mostly because I dont have that many more thoughts on this novel. I am going to stop rambling now, lol. As always, if you have questions or comments, drop em below. TIll next time.Bye.