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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this book so much and it's got such relatable characters, I just couldn't put it down. Catherine's background is honestly so unique, and I love that she learns to embrace it, weaving it in with her own reality. Luca is adorable and I get why Catherine liked him <3 He's got his quirks and we love them. I found it reasonably easy to connect with both MCs, and I was specially intrigued by Luca's huge family and their lovely dynamic. Reading some reviews right now, I do see that Luca and Catherine's relationship wasn't all that fleshed out and didn't get much emphasis either, but that didn't bother me. I also loved the closure Catherine got with learning to assert herself in her workspace, and meeting halfway with her clown roots.
There's a lot about this book that irked me though. I'll start with the fact that I'm not satisfied with how the magical realism in the book is justified. It feels like the author just had a wacky idea, forgot to come up with a reasoning, and suddenly remembered and used the most random excuses to make it make sense. And it threw me off pretty bad. I cannot explain how annoying it was coz it basically shatters the foundation of the entire book. I see how some might thing that it was a 'surprise' but I see it as an unwelcome shock.
There's a lot about this book that irked me though. I'll start with the fact that I'm not satisfied with how the magical realism in the book is justified. It feels like the author just had a wacky idea, forgot to come up with a reasoning, and suddenly remembered and used the most random excuses to make it make sense. And it threw me off pretty bad. I cannot explain how annoying it was coz it basically shatters the foundation of the entire book. I see how some might thing that it was a 'surprise' but I see it as an unwelcome shock.
Catherine and Luca are extremely different from one another, which is really the main focus of this book (although the identity issue and journey to resolve it are very much present in the plot). Together they are very much uptight vs. slacker energy. Catherine is the parentified only child of a free-wheeling dad and absentee mom, and she's presented initially as very dry and rigid. Luca is presented as charming and immature and devil-may-care, which doesn't really change over the course of the book although we do learn more about why both of them are the way they are. Luca irritated me in the beginning, when he was deliberately pushing Catherine's buttons in a pigtail-pulling kind of way. Actually they both felt like caricatures in the beginning, and that made it harder for me to sink into the story, although I did warm up to the both of them as more of their backgrounds and motives were uncovered. The way the premise was executed helped, presenting a mystery for them to solve together. But they just seemed so mis-matched, and because the book was written from Catherine's POV it felt like there wasn't enough to explain why Luka was so chaotic. Unfortunately as the book went on the initial annoyance stayed with me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that the message here is that Catherine is the only one who needed to change herself and her attitude and her understanding of Luca in order to be happy in their relationship. I'm probably missing the author's intended message here, but I really felt for Catherine and how her chaotic upbringing with her free-spirited father shaped her rigid worldview and her cautious approach to relationships. And no matter how hot Luka is, it would take a lot for Catherine to trust that he isn't just like her dad, whereas Luca didn't seem to have the same amount of emotional baggage to overcome to meet her in the middle. Nor did he seem to feel any sense that he needed to make any changes; rather, he was presented as patiently waiting for her to become her "true self" and realize that she didn't need to trap herself in a box. While I applaud that sentiment as an overall approach to life, it feels uneven when it's in a relationship dynamic. It's possible I'm over-thinking it, but it felt like the emotional work that needed to happen was weighed much too heavily on Catherine's end and Luca just got to keep being sexy and adorable and scattered (albeit he had altruistic reasons for the seemingly chaotic way he lived his life). I gave this book 3 stars but it's closer to 3.5. It would have been a higher rating if not for that conflict and the mixed feelings their relationship gave me, as the overall writing was good and I did invest in wanting to see everything through to the end. Overall a sweet opposites-attract closed door romance focusing on found family, with a bit of a mystery and a large supporting cast. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an Ebook ARC. Publishes 10-15-24.
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Let me just tell you this book gave me the chills! It is a charming rom-com with Catherine, who is miss organization. In an unexpected turn of events, she has to rely on mister somewhat irresponsible, Luca, to get her life back on track. They embark on this great, whirlwind of adventures - meeting Mafia figures, breaking into records rooms, and navigating through a smoky bar. Through all of this, Catherine see life and Luca in a different light. These opposites find themselves attract to one another and discovering how perfectly they fit into each other’s lives. If you’re in the mood for a feel-good read with laughs and heart, I highly recommend this book. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
If you're in the mood for a "dont' think about it too hard", Hallmark movie sort of book then this is one I'd recommend to you! This was a short, sort of fluffy book but I didn't find it especially compelling or memorable and it felt really one dimensional and predictable. I say sort of fluffy because I feel like some serious sort of things were just kinda brushed under the rug in the journey to our main character's "loosening up" and it just felt weird to me.
The magical realism included didn't make a lot of sense, and I just couldn't buy into many of the aspects of this book. I didn't love any of the characters and was especially annoyed by the dad. I didn't think he was redeemed by the end of the book and that relationship felt so uncomfortable. I love an opposites attract storyline but this just fell flat to me.
Thanks Forever for the e-ARC and the finished copy!
The magical realism included didn't make a lot of sense, and I just couldn't buy into many of the aspects of this book. I didn't love any of the characters and was especially annoyed by the dad. I didn't think he was redeemed by the end of the book and that relationship felt so uncomfortable. I love an opposites attract storyline but this just fell flat to me.
Thanks Forever for the e-ARC and the finished copy!
This had such a fun array of characters. I loved the way everyone interacted. There was definitely a found family with both the DeGreco and the Morelli’s. I felt that all the characters had multiple layers to their personality. I related a bit to Catherine and her relationship with her father because I grew up in a similar way minus the circus.
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