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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
funny
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
Is it bad that I liked them better when they were mean to each other?
This was true romance. It didn’t try too hard to fit itself in the mold of what romance books typically are. It’s just pure romance.
And you know I love a hard-headed, irreverent FMC.
This was true romance. It didn’t try too hard to fit itself in the mold of what romance books typically are. It’s just pure romance.
And you know I love a hard-headed, irreverent FMC.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I LAUGHED SO MUCH.
such beauty and so adorable
I wish there was an epilogue
This is almost on the same level as The Hating Game
such beauty and so adorable
I wish there was an epilogue
This is almost on the same level as The Hating Game
I REALLY wanted to like this book. The last ~30% was cute, but it was overshadowed by my mind being stuck on the premise and what reality should be for an engaged couple planning their wedding. It was clear (although clearly deluded for the FMC) that he was fighting for them and she was just ready to end things without actually doing it or even fighting for them. Communication between them was obviously the problem yet the lack of any attempt by the FMC was infuriating.
Second half / towards the end portion was very delightful HOWEVER I was so annoyed by the first half and Naomi herself that I can’t bring myself give more than 4 stars and that’s me being generous..
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
THE STRAW PAPER BRACELET IN HIS NIGHTSTAND IM KILLING MYSELF IN SIX MINUTES
wow, i’m really surprised by this book and how its kind of comedy resonated with me. it had been a while since i genuinely laughed at some book’s passage, even though other romcom books have made me happy. this one was actually funny to me precisely because naomi (the main character) and nicholas (the love interest) are messed up in the head, seriously. i am and always will be an advocate for flawed characters, because to me they appeal so much more to my empathy and my sense of justice than characters who are too good to be true. i think complexity is born from well written flaws, and good romance stories are born from acknowledging them.
i must say, though, that i felt the pacing was a little inconsistent. many internal monologues that cracked me up at the beginning started to feel heavier by the end, when things were already pretty much resolved and there wasn’t much left to do except wrap up the story, but it ended up dragging on a little—a tiny bit—more than it should have. i also appreciate the message, but at times i felt it was excessive and that i wanted more apologies from nicholas than from naomi (since, well, we’re reading from her pov, so hers is more constant). it’s a beautiful message, though.
however, something that really bothered me is that the two most villainized characters in the story are women: nicholas’s mother, and melissa; and while i understand it’s perfectly possible for women like that to exist (especially since i know some in real life), i would’ve appreciated it more if the book had tried to balance the gender of these hostile characters. the impression it leaves isn’t that great.
finally, i totally understand now why this book is going to be made into a movie so soon—it was made to be adapted! not that it’s written like a script (far from it, actually, as we have a lot of internal monologues), but because it’s impossible not to picture how some scenes would play out on the big screen and how easily it would earn a place on the shelf of excellent romantic comedy films, right there next to ‘how to lose a guy in 10 days’ and other romcoms/screwball comedies. i loved it!
i must say, though, that i felt the pacing was a little inconsistent. many internal monologues that cracked me up at the beginning started to feel heavier by the end, when things were already pretty much resolved and there wasn’t much left to do except wrap up the story, but it ended up dragging on a little—a tiny bit—more than it should have. i also appreciate the message, but at times i felt it was excessive and that i wanted more apologies from nicholas than from naomi (since, well, we’re reading from her pov, so hers is more constant). it’s a beautiful message, though.
however, something that really bothered me is that the two most villainized characters in the story are women: nicholas’s mother, and melissa; and while i understand it’s perfectly possible for women like that to exist (especially since i know some in real life), i would’ve appreciated it more if the book had tried to balance the gender of these hostile characters. the impression it leaves isn’t that great.
finally, i totally understand now why this book is going to be made into a movie so soon—it was made to be adapted! not that it’s written like a script (far from it, actually, as we have a lot of internal monologues), but because it’s impossible not to picture how some scenes would play out on the big screen and how easily it would earn a place on the shelf of excellent romantic comedy films, right there next to ‘how to lose a guy in 10 days’ and other romcoms/screwball comedies. i loved it!
funny
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
I didn't understand what the big deal was about this book. I picked it up because of the high Goodreads rating and the interesting blurb. But what sounded like a cute story when you read the blurb is actually just an iceberg effect. Underneath the fluff and jokes, is a really toxic relationship between two people who are bringing each other down.
However, we soon lose the whole 'refund' plot and this story just becomes two people behaving way worse than little children out for vengeance and pulling really stupid and mean tricks on each other. They are having more fun doing these immature things than they ever had as a mature couple. Add in an evil mother in law who is of course excessively horrible, and you've got a Monster In Law esque movie plot. This feels like a rejected screenplay that was then turned into a book.
The power imbalance in this story was so disturbing that I just couldn't tolerate it: rich, entitled man with flashy job and Maserati who looks down on high-school graduate working in retail.
I can't move past a number of things:
- Nicholas openly ridicules Naomi's choices in friends and jobs, like a typical upper class boy.
- Nicholas buys a HOUSE without telling Naomi about it, and then somehow Naomi ends up loving it (he buys other things without telling Naomi too, like a CAR, but guys... he buys a HOUSE which basically means Naomi has to move with him because she can't afford the rent by herself).
- Naomi posts photos of Nicholas on social media with lovey-dovey captions even though they are in the middle of a major argument.
- Nicholas can't remember Naomi's best friend's name - I'm sorry, WHAT?
- All Naomi's friends hate Nicholas, which is a MASSIVE Red Flag.
These are only some of my issues with the book, and they are all major issues. I give the author some credit for imagining an original storyline, but the toxicity of this relationship is nothing short of disturbing and I'm extremely concerned about all the people who love this book and think it's okay for people to behave this way. Look, we know the world of romance novel writing is not perfect and if we want to dig deeper we can find flaws with all the love stories we love reading. But guys, this man bought a HOUSE without talking to his partner about it. WHAT THE HELL?
However, we soon lose the whole 'refund' plot and this story just becomes two people behaving way worse than little children out for vengeance and pulling really stupid and mean tricks on each other. They are having more fun doing these immature things than they ever had as a mature couple. Add in an evil mother in law who is of course excessively horrible, and you've got a Monster In Law esque movie plot. This feels like a rejected screenplay that was then turned into a book.
The power imbalance in this story was so disturbing that I just couldn't tolerate it: rich, entitled man with flashy job and Maserati who looks down on high-school graduate working in retail.
I can't move past a number of things:
- Nicholas openly ridicules Naomi's choices in friends and jobs, like a typical upper class boy.
- Nicholas buys a HOUSE without telling Naomi about it, and then somehow Naomi ends up loving it (he buys other things without telling Naomi too, like a CAR, but guys... he buys a HOUSE which basically means Naomi has to move with him because she can't afford the rent by herself).
- Naomi posts photos of Nicholas on social media with lovey-dovey captions even though they are in the middle of a major argument.
- Nicholas can't remember Naomi's best friend's name - I'm sorry, WHAT?
- All Naomi's friends hate Nicholas, which is a MASSIVE Red Flag.
These are only some of my issues with the book, and they are all major issues. I give the author some credit for imagining an original storyline, but the toxicity of this relationship is nothing short of disturbing and I'm extremely concerned about all the people who love this book and think it's okay for people to behave this way. Look, we know the world of romance novel writing is not perfect and if we want to dig deeper we can find flaws with all the love stories we love reading. But guys, this man bought a HOUSE without talking to his partner about it. WHAT THE HELL?