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momac2022's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
suzyq436's review against another edition
2.0
I picked this up after a glowing recommendation from Jess at PeaceLoveBooks. I was very excited for the friends-who-fake-date-turn-lovers trope and all at a wedding in Antigua. Yes please.
Unfortunately, this went from bad to worse very quickly. The beginning is so slow that it was quite boring to read. It was quite a climb to get to the halfway mark but I pushed through because it was said that from about halfway onwards it gets so much better. Yeah, well, it doesn’t.
Firstly, I expected more fake dating nuances such as going along with the other person’s closeness, touches and caresses all the while trying to convince yourself that it is still all pretend. There was NONE of that! JT just went straight to kissing Hallie at the first gathering of the wedding week and if I had blinked too fast, I would have missed the entire scene. That’s how quickly it came and went. The fact that they share a hotel room and sleep in the same bed is done without an afterthought. Where is the tension? Where is the angst? Where is the wondering? There is none of that. I know they have been friends since NYU (this fact is repeated so many times throughout this short book that it becomes nauseating after a while) but shouldn’t there still be some awkwardness or discomfort when it comes to intimate situations?
Hallie is so annoying. She is meant to be this hotshot associate at a prestigious law firm but she has no backbone when it comes to her personal life. She becomes quite timid and reserved when it comes to being around her friends and the wedding party. She actually says in the book that she tries her best to avoid confrontation as a rule. You’re a LAWYER Hallie!! Confrontation is meant to be your party trick.
Another thing that just didn’t sit right with me is when the reader is FINALLY made privy to the big, bad, dark secret, the very secret that results in Hallie being so darn awkward around her ex and everyone else she left behind from her teen years, it is as a result of, you guessed it, beating around the bush MISCOMMUNICATION. We all know how I feel about that trope. If it was done well it would not have bothered me as much because it is an emotional experience that Hallie went through but it wasn’t done well. The manner it was treated annoyed the heebie-jeebies out of me.
Also, if someone goes through something that traumatic involving their ex, then why even entertain the idea of attending their wedding. Actually, why even think of going to an ex’s wedding in the first place, regardless of the extra baggage Hallie and her ex have. If the hurt is still so raw then there is no way a person would attend the wedding, especially since they haven’t spoken since the trauma and has no desire clear the air either. Yet, when Hallie receives the wedding invitation at the beginning of the book, she ponders over it for about two seconds then says yes to going to the wedding. Huh?
All this extra drama also took away from the relationship between JT and Hallie and had me skimming the last 20% of the book.
Lastly, the editing needs work. The amount of spelling and grammatical errors threw me for a loop and sometimes took me out of my reading zone.
Unfortunately, this went from bad to worse very quickly. The beginning is so slow that it was quite boring to read. It was quite a climb to get to the halfway mark but I pushed through because it was said that from about halfway onwards it gets so much better. Yeah, well, it doesn’t.
Firstly, I expected more fake dating nuances such as going along with the other person’s closeness, touches and caresses all the while trying to convince yourself that it is still all pretend. There was NONE of that! JT just went straight to kissing Hallie at the first gathering of the wedding week and if I had blinked too fast, I would have missed the entire scene. That’s how quickly it came and went. The fact that they share a hotel room and sleep in the same bed is done without an afterthought. Where is the tension? Where is the angst? Where is the wondering? There is none of that. I know they have been friends since NYU (this fact is repeated so many times throughout this short book that it becomes nauseating after a while) but shouldn’t there still be some awkwardness or discomfort when it comes to intimate situations?
Hallie is so annoying. She is meant to be this hotshot associate at a prestigious law firm but she has no backbone when it comes to her personal life. She becomes quite timid and reserved when it comes to being around her friends and the wedding party. She actually says in the book that she tries her best to avoid confrontation as a rule. You’re a LAWYER Hallie!! Confrontation is meant to be your party trick.
Another thing that just didn’t sit right with me is when the reader is FINALLY made privy to the big, bad, dark secret, the very secret that results in Hallie being so darn awkward around her ex and everyone else she left behind from her teen years, it is as a result of, you guessed it, beating around the bush MISCOMMUNICATION. We all know how I feel about that trope. If it was done well it would not have bothered me as much because it is an emotional experience that Hallie went through but it wasn’t done well. The manner it was treated annoyed the heebie-jeebies out of me.
Also, if someone goes through something that traumatic involving their ex, then why even entertain the idea of attending their wedding. Actually, why even think of going to an ex’s wedding in the first place, regardless of the extra baggage Hallie and her ex have. If the hurt is still so raw then there is no way a person would attend the wedding, especially since they haven’t spoken since the trauma and has no desire clear the air either. Yet, when Hallie receives the wedding invitation at the beginning of the book, she ponders over it for about two seconds then says yes to going to the wedding. Huh?
All this extra drama also took away from the relationship between JT and Hallie and had me skimming the last 20% of the book.
Lastly, the editing needs work. The amount of spelling and grammatical errors threw me for a loop and sometimes took me out of my reading zone.
raeread's review against another edition
1.0
Okay, I was actually very excited for this, but unfortunately, this was a disappointment
thee_book_connoisseur's review against another edition
5.0
From start to finish, this was a lovely narrative. The narrative moved along smoothly and authentically. I like the reference to Antigua and how precisely the author described the surroundings, the inhabitants, and their way of thinking. As a Caribbean girl seeing different Caribbean cultures showcased in books is really a dream come true for me. I adore stories about friends who become lovers, and this one did not let me down. It was clear how much JT cared for Hallie. At moments, it seemed as though his emotions were going to burst through the pages. Hallie wasn't quite as stupid as I first believed. She obviously cared for JT, but her history was chasing her and keeping her from being herself. I initially believed that learning Hallie's real motivation for continuing to be so upset with Cameron would disappoint me. I anticipated something ridiculous and quirky. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a lot deeper and more grounded in reality. The one drawback is that I would have liked to learn more about JT and Hallie's post-apocalyptic lives, but I'm sure we'll learn more about them in the series' upcoming books.
scoodle42's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
3.25
Hallie and JT are best friends but one of them has a secret crush. JT's love for Hallie leads him to agree to attend her ex's wedding with her as her fake boyfriend.
Okay, so I liked Hallie and JT's story. I loved that he was an artist, and that meeting her was the thing that gave him the epiphany that he wanted to be one. I also loved how they were with each other. Gentle, affectionate, patient. But Hallie's drama distracted from the romance. I didn't understand why she went to the wedding. Even when what she confronted finally came out, I didn't understand. None of it felt... necessary. Not her going, not her putting up with the insults, not her friend's antagonism towards JT--none of it felt necessary. I honestly could have done without all of that. It seemed like she put herself and JT through an ordeal she could have worked out with her mother. But, I did like them, and his family. And I did like the HEA.
Okay, so I liked Hallie and JT's story. I loved that he was an artist, and that meeting her was the thing that gave him the epiphany that he wanted to be one. I also loved how they were with each other. Gentle, affectionate, patient. But Hallie's drama distracted from the romance. I didn't understand why she went to the wedding. Even when what she confronted finally came out, I didn't understand. None of it felt... necessary. Not her going, not her putting up with the insults, not her friend's antagonism towards JT--none of it felt necessary. I honestly could have done without all of that. It seemed like she put herself and JT through an ordeal she could have worked out with her mother. But, I did like them, and his family. And I did like the HEA.
pendygal80's review against another edition
4.0
I love a pining hero and goodness did this book fit the bill. JT has been low-key pining for Hallie for years and all it takes is some fake dating in front of her ex for Hallie to recognize what's been right in front of her this whole time. They were super sweet together and I adored how loving and supportive they were of each other. And the chemistry between Hallie and JT was on point - just so good. I also really liked all of JT's siblings so I'm excited to read their books.
mrsmar10thereader's review against another edition
5.0
JT & Haley
JT met Haley studying in the NYU library and they became the best of friends. They did everything together and she was family. Somewhere along the way, he fell in love and everyone could see it but her. When her childhood crush invites her to his wedding back home in Antigua Haley decides JT can play her boyfriend. This trip home is going to be one to remember!
JT met Haley studying in the NYU library and they became the best of friends. They did everything together and she was family. Somewhere along the way, he fell in love and everyone could see it but her. When her childhood crush invites her to his wedding back home in Antigua Haley decides JT can play her boyfriend. This trip home is going to be one to remember!