Reviews

Something Borrowed by Yolande Kleinn

lareinadehades's review

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

bushph's review

4.0

I enjoyed this so much - I can really struggle with short stories as I always feel I'm left wanting a lot more than they give but this was different! I loved how the fake dating trope was executed here and it was done so well. Nothing felt forced and I enjoyed the little bit of backs tory that we did get to see!

rosebeccs's review

2.0

This felt more like a lovely premise for a book rather than the complete thing. It was so short that it gave me no time to get to know the characters which meant that I had no investment in their fake relationship dynamic. It's such a shame because I am the ultimate sucker for this trope and really wanted to read a book that had it at the centre.

Both of the characters were sweet and fun, and I could tell this had such potential to be something great. If it were even a couple of hundred pages, it would have given them more room to be multi-dimensional people. There's also a great supporting cast of characters that had a lot of potential. The writing style and dialogue were also things I was totally on board with.

It really is set up to be my perfect kind of thing, I can still feel myself rooting so hard for it. If I'm frustrated, it's because there's so much good here but it just never quite made the leap from short, almost one-shot fanfiction to fully developed story.

slovenianbookworm's review

3.0

I enjoyed this story. It was a nice story between two colleagues who are now friends. It was nicely packed – from the asking to the wedding to them admitting their feelings for each other and sleeping together. I did miss more heat. I do like my novellas more heated.

This one seemed like it dragged at times. I’m still not sure why Sebastian was even needed for this wedding, Trevor could go alone and for someone who is so over his ex, he sure harbors a lot of feeling for her and her new wife. He is jealous of her which again, for someone over this relationship just doesn’t suit right.

Sebastian is more calculated and reserved toward his actions may be too reserved at times. I would say I would never pick him as a love interest because he never looked at him with stars in his eyes other than the said wedding. Maybe it’s also because this book is completely from Trevor’s POV.

So yeah, I was disappointed. I thought this book will pack heat ad smut and all in between but the main star of this show was the wedding itself and not so much their relationship.

3 stars.

⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
ARC was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Full post: https://slovenianbookworm.wordpress.com/2021/12/29/something-borrowed-by-yolande-kleinn/

plettr's review

4.0

I received an ARC through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Trevor is out for drinks with his ex-boss, and now friend Sebastian when he notices an email from a past girlfriend asking him if he's going to her wedding. After grumbling to Sebastian about the difficulty to find a date for this event, he blurts out an invitation. Sebastian agrees to be his plus-one.

Trevor's best friend Cam insists this will be trouble. Trevor has been hung up on Sebastian all these years and now they are going to a wedding, and pretending to be dating!? The chance for heartache seems high. And though Trevor agrees with the sentiment, he cannot make himself rescind the invitation.

And so Trevor and Sebastian go to the wedding.

This novella was short but ever so sweet. Yes, I think this as a full length book with extra angst, longing, and love would also be exquisite, but this novella had all these things as well. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

doseofromance's review

4.0

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
A very quick and sweet romance. I would have liked to get to know Sebastian a bit better but other than that I really enjoyed it.

sarareadstoomuch's review

5.0

I wish there was more! I was hooked!

I wanted more of Trevor and Sebastian! I’m left waning and longing for a longer story so the novella did it’s job! This was probably the shortest romance I’ve read but it was super sweet and enjoyable to just see how things play out.

I would’ve loved to see a full novel with these two but it made sense for their relationship to be a novella. They’re both very straight forward characters and it worked really well with the story so I’m left satisfied!

Thank you to NetGalley and NineStar Press for the ears in return for an honest review.

fencewalker's review

5.0

An incredibly sweet and tender story about two older men pining after each other for years. The book is short, but I was incredibly invested and charmed by the relationship between the two characters. I would immediately read any other books about them! I appreciated the honesty and openness of the book, between how the characters discuss their relation to each other within their careers and what they expect from each other.

Thanks to NetGalley and Nine Star Press for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

moonyreadsbooks's review

4.0

Something Borrowed was a quick read, at times funny, and incredibly sweet. It features one of my favorite tropes, the fake-dating one, and treats it in a lovely way. I really needed something this soft for a break. The ending made me wish there was more to further explore Sebastian and Trevor's newborn relationship, but overall I'm very happy with this novel.

Thanks to NineStar Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

endemictoearth's review

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

3.5

Tho it has a forgettable title and is quite short, the fake date between two legal professionals was kind of a fun trip. They were so sharp and erudite about their profession, but dummies when it came to love. And the wondrous affection near the end was lovely.