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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
skyhazzard's review
4.0
I might have enjoyed this more and bought more into Nathan and Preston being a couple if I could remember them from the first book. I just couldn’t remember any of their interactions from the first book so the relationship felt one sided for most of this one.
Nathan we could tell had feelings for Preston, it was very clear in how it was written out and how he’d feel when he was around him. Preston on the other hand seemed to arrive to his feelings out of nowhere. I would have liked to have him get tingly feelings or catching him gazing at Nathan for periods of time, you know something to tell me he might have had feelings he didn’t realize this whole time. They did have some cute moments but I would have liked more of a balance.
I did enjoy the trip through Europe.
Nathan we could tell had feelings for Preston, it was very clear in how it was written out and how he’d feel when he was around him. Preston on the other hand seemed to arrive to his feelings out of nowhere. I would have liked to have him get tingly feelings or catching him gazing at Nathan for periods of time, you know something to tell me he might have had feelings he didn’t realize this whole time. They did have some cute moments but I would have liked more of a balance.
I did enjoy the trip through Europe.
hazelstaybookish's review
4.0
This was SO sweet!! M/M best friends-to-lovers, Maroon 5 references, Europe = loveeeee <3
dessy331's review
3.0
This was exactly what I thought it would be: a cute, simple love story. It was pure fluff, pure tropey goodness. Which is sometimes what you need as a break between intense fantasy worlds where the world is ending every other chapter and there's angst and drama and all that. Sometimes you need a simple story with some cute romance that isn't gonna change your life or even really expand your reading, y'know.
Anyway, that's basically what this was. I didn't think it would change my life and it didn't. But it was also just the right amount of cute and tropey without also being annoying or offensive too. Which some contemporaries tend to be. Sometimes along with your cute fluff, you get slut-shaming and casual sexism thrown in the mix - and that's not what you asked for. But happily, this book didn't anger or frustrate me or any of that bad stuff.
The characters weren't terribly memorable, but I liked them too. They were occasionally funny and adorable. Would recommend if you are into tropey fanfic plots and aren't easily frustrated by poor communication.
Anyway, that's basically what this was. I didn't think it would change my life and it didn't. But it was also just the right amount of cute and tropey without also being annoying or offensive too. Which some contemporaries tend to be. Sometimes along with your cute fluff, you get slut-shaming and casual sexism thrown in the mix - and that's not what you asked for. But happily, this book didn't anger or frustrate me or any of that bad stuff.
The characters weren't terribly memorable, but I liked them too. They were occasionally funny and adorable. Would recommend if you are into tropey fanfic plots and aren't easily frustrated by poor communication.
kitkat1225's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
kylek's review
2.0
2.5 Stars
It was a very easy and short read. I guess the one word to describe it is superficial. Nothing seems real and tangible. It was still mostly enjoyable to read though.
It was a very easy and short read. I guess the one word to describe it is superficial. Nothing seems real and tangible. It was still mostly enjoyable to read though.
awexis's review
4.0
It was very cute and good! I liked it. Although I must say Pres is a bit of an airhead lol. I loved that it doesn't have any kind of hate feeling about one's sex. I mean, they are like "so what if they are gay?" Everyone accepts them as is. Even the mothers. Which I would've thought that they'd be kind of devastated. But I am so glad that they support Pres and Nate. It was a really good one. :)
ssuprnova's review
3.0
When Will I Come Across A Friends-To-Lovers That Sweeps Me Off My Feet
its a hard dynamic to put to paper. i get it. you walk that weird, uncomfy line between "youre the person im most comfortable with in the entire world" and "if you come any closer i will literally combust", and at least one of the two is most often entirely oblivious to the entire situation. so, how the hell do you transition from one stage to the other?
glad you ask. the answer is: not like this. i will not tolerate anywhere this whole "i have never even considered the possibility of becomig romantically involved with you, but it took me exactly seven hours since you confessed to decide you are actually are the love of my life" ordeal. i cannot believe it!!! i cannot!!! this is the bit where it goes wrong. wheres the pining?? wheres the conflict?? i want to be blueballed!!!!!! you cannot throw a "suddenly they look absolutely delectable" thought at me with no preparation!!!!!!!! also: they never said what the hell it is that they like about each other. miss, you're TELLING me they're in love, yet you are not SHOWING me. show me. i wanna see it.
even that aside, nathan is... kind of unlikeable tbh. and everybody is a bitch at preston for no reason??? dude's just existing, living his life, being a pal, and folks just keep getting mad at him left and right and he just. apologizes. bends over backwards. goes along with it. my man is traumatized! at one point nathan cries happy tears and prestons like WAIT HOW DID I FUCK Up NOW IM SORRY like. this shit aint right!! and dont let me start on the way he's borderline being shamed for doing exactly what he's always said he would. because GOD FORBID his partner isnt his absolute number one priority! (this may be a me thing, as we know, im not the most romantic person out there, but regardless, kinda unhealthy imo)
obviously, i liked preston better than nathan, though theyre both SO dramatic for NO REASON. nathan is a bit of a caricature of a gay man, which i dont love either. the dialogue felt forced at times, too, and the prose was fine, but it wasnt remarkable. other bits were confusing, like why the hell is nathan not more comfortable with his best friend's mother if they've known each other since they were like 5? does she suck that much? also, consider they're both, like, filthy rich, so its all very first world problems. also, nathan's sister feels, at times, clinically insane. why is it cool for you to slap preston across the face just because you didnt like a thing he did, natasha? go to therapy, please. also, am i genuinely supposed to believe that the most influential woman in town chose the eighteen years old (that, supposedly, somehow has experience planning events??) to plan the biggest event of the year? just because he seduces her with the idea of taking his son on a trip that she herself could very easily throw together for him? that doesnt seem right.
its not all bad tho: its entertaining. it gets three stars because i didnt at any point consider DNFing it. i liked the idea of having the book be a trip across europe, liked the change of scenery, genuinely liked preston. i have qualms against it because i have very high standards for this trope, and i have read fanfiction that captured the vibes a lot more accurately and... in a more emotionally pertinent way. you know, for free. so. three stars it is.
(and if y'all know of a GOOD friends to lovers pls send it my way im begging u)
its a hard dynamic to put to paper. i get it. you walk that weird, uncomfy line between "youre the person im most comfortable with in the entire world" and "if you come any closer i will literally combust", and at least one of the two is most often entirely oblivious to the entire situation. so, how the hell do you transition from one stage to the other?
glad you ask. the answer is: not like this. i will not tolerate anywhere this whole "i have never even considered the possibility of becomig romantically involved with you, but it took me exactly seven hours since you confessed to decide you are actually are the love of my life" ordeal. i cannot believe it!!! i cannot!!! this is the bit where it goes wrong. wheres the pining?? wheres the conflict?? i want to be blueballed!!!!!! you cannot throw a "suddenly they look absolutely delectable" thought at me with no preparation!!!!!!!! also: they never said what the hell it is that they like about each other. miss, you're TELLING me they're in love, yet you are not SHOWING me. show me. i wanna see it.
even that aside, nathan is... kind of unlikeable tbh. and everybody is a bitch at preston for no reason??? dude's just existing, living his life, being a pal, and folks just keep getting mad at him left and right and he just. apologizes. bends over backwards. goes along with it. my man is traumatized! at one point nathan cries happy tears and prestons like WAIT HOW DID I FUCK Up NOW IM SORRY like. this shit aint right!! and dont let me start on the way he's borderline being shamed for doing exactly what he's always said he would. because GOD FORBID his partner isnt his absolute number one priority! (this may be a me thing, as we know, im not the most romantic person out there, but regardless, kinda unhealthy imo)
obviously, i liked preston better than nathan, though theyre both SO dramatic for NO REASON. nathan is a bit of a caricature of a gay man, which i dont love either. the dialogue felt forced at times, too, and the prose was fine, but it wasnt remarkable. other bits were confusing, like why the hell is nathan not more comfortable with his best friend's mother if they've known each other since they were like 5? does she suck that much? also, consider they're both, like, filthy rich, so its all very first world problems. also, nathan's sister feels, at times, clinically insane. why is it cool for you to slap preston across the face just because you didnt like a thing he did, natasha? go to therapy, please. also, am i genuinely supposed to believe that the most influential woman in town chose the eighteen years old (that, supposedly, somehow has experience planning events??) to plan the biggest event of the year? just because he seduces her with the idea of taking his son on a trip that she herself could very easily throw together for him? that doesnt seem right.
its not all bad tho: its entertaining. it gets three stars because i didnt at any point consider DNFing it. i liked the idea of having the book be a trip across europe, liked the change of scenery, genuinely liked preston. i have qualms against it because i have very high standards for this trope, and i have read fanfiction that captured the vibes a lot more accurately and... in a more emotionally pertinent way. you know, for free. so. three stars it is.
(and if y'all know of a GOOD friends to lovers pls send it my way im begging u)
foleyzac's review
1.0
An (incomplete) list of things I hated about this book:
- the very SERIOUS and PROFESSIONAL party planner who just graduated high school
- the way Preston SET A WORLD RECORD at swim tryouts and then spent most of the book saying “I really messed up. I wasn’t good enough. What if I don’t get into the swim camp”
- the way the narrator would often refer to Preston as “the swimmer” “the swimmer smiled” “the swimmer said” etc.
- the way that Nathan and Preston NEVER say anything that they like about each other (other than that they are hot) but we are meant to believe they are in love
- the way they spend most of this book fighting but we are meant to believe they are in love
- THE WAY THIS BOOK WAS ACTUALLY JUST MAROON 5 FAN FAN FICTION!? Really should’ve come with a warning, Maroon 5 are the third biggest characters in this book!!!!
- the very SERIOUS and PROFESSIONAL party planner who just graduated high school
- the way Preston SET A WORLD RECORD at swim tryouts and then spent most of the book saying “I really messed up. I wasn’t good enough. What if I don’t get into the swim camp”
- the way the narrator would often refer to Preston as “the swimmer” “the swimmer smiled” “the swimmer said” etc.
- the way that Nathan and Preston NEVER say anything that they like about each other (other than that they are hot) but we are meant to believe they are in love
- the way they spend most of this book fighting but we are meant to believe they are in love
- THE WAY THIS BOOK WAS ACTUALLY JUST MAROON 5 FAN FAN FICTION!? Really should’ve come with a warning, Maroon 5 are the third biggest characters in this book!!!!
haleymadd's review
3.0
*I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*
I honestly wasn't sure what to think about his book, I've read the first book and I really liked it. This book is about Nathan and Preston flying to Europe to get Preston's mind off of swimming and for Nathan to get a chance to confess his love for Preston. The writing in this book to me wasn't as strong as in the first one. I wasn't that into the plot and the story was more unrealistic to me. I didn't enjoy how the point of view would just change whenever it liked and didn't have a pattern to it. Don't get me wrong I do love reading in the different point of views, but the way this book was written I didn't enjoy it. I personally enjoyed the first book way more than this one and wasn't able to get into this one. I still love Didi's and Caleb's relationship though when they were mentioned. Preston and Nathan's relationship didn't have the same effect on me, just because Preston was so oblivious to what was going on while Nathan was too scared to do anything until he took the pot brownie. After that, everything changed although I feel the point leading up to the ending wasn't enjoyable and there's was nothing building up towards the ending.
I honestly wasn't sure what to think about his book, I've read the first book and I really liked it. This book is about Nathan and Preston flying to Europe to get Preston's mind off of swimming and for Nathan to get a chance to confess his love for Preston. The writing in this book to me wasn't as strong as in the first one. I wasn't that into the plot and the story was more unrealistic to me. I didn't enjoy how the point of view would just change whenever it liked and didn't have a pattern to it. Don't get me wrong I do love reading in the different point of views, but the way this book was written I didn't enjoy it. I personally enjoyed the first book way more than this one and wasn't able to get into this one. I still love Didi's and Caleb's relationship though when they were mentioned. Preston and Nathan's relationship didn't have the same effect on me, just because Preston was so oblivious to what was going on while Nathan was too scared to do anything until he took the pot brownie. After that, everything changed although I feel the point leading up to the ending wasn't enjoyable and there's was nothing building up towards the ending.