Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
I can already tell this is going to be painfully millennial. I was cringing 15 pages in; there was already an “I’m shook” line and “you’re serving some serious looks.” Plus the couples first meeting is terrible. He takes her phone and looks at her messages to find her name (after she refuses to tell him) and goes through her tinder!! It was a skin-crawling level of ICK. No thank you.
emotional
lighthearted
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
It was boring at the start and I was really not into it, but as soon as I was reading this in the sun I got hooked on this book. So easy to read, the characters were fun, and all around a good time.
Not the best book I've read, and I didn't enjoy the premise of the gym setting that much, but it was nice. (Also this cover is so ugly).
Not the best book I've read, and I didn't enjoy the premise of the gym setting that much, but it was nice. (Also this cover is so ugly).
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4.5/5⭐️ I enjoyed this book so muchhh. I had this on my tbr since before it was out and I was anticipating it so much!! I have no idea why I didn’t pick this up as soon as it came up but I was recently looking for a good curvy girl romance book and this book just so happens to have that and have a fantastic plot. (not to mention and AMAZING hero)
I loved most of these characters (ofc) Scott and Crystal and all Scott’s friends and Tara and Mel (just like me)
Scott is a new top book boyfriend. He is perfect and I love him so much. He’s literally the definition of guy falls first. He’s the textbook definition of perfect, and I, along with Crystal, would give everything for him. He is truly sensitive and sweet while being sexy and rough. He was like a giddy teenager when talking to and about Crystal and then the next line goes on to describe how tall and manly and burly he is. It was just the perfect mix of sensitive and sweet and then hot sexy and rugged.
There were too many petty small fights that just added unnecessary drama that really prevented this from becoming one of my favorite reads and it really was so close. There were multiple unnecessary “breakups” that could’ve been resolved by just TALKING to each other. That’s such a hard concept for characters in romance books to follow.
This book is definitely worth the read. It talks about healthy gym culture and loving yourself but knowing that self love is a journey and there are ups and downs. You won’t always be able to wake up and feel good about yourself, but that’s ok. No one can be 100% confident all the time.
I loved most of these characters (ofc) Scott and Crystal and all Scott’s friends and Tara and Mel (just like me)
Scott is a new top book boyfriend. He is perfect and I love him so much. He’s literally the definition of guy falls first. He’s the textbook definition of perfect, and I, along with Crystal, would give everything for him. He is truly sensitive and sweet while being sexy and rough. He was like a giddy teenager when talking to and about Crystal and then the next line goes on to describe how tall and manly and burly he is. It was just the perfect mix of sensitive and sweet and then hot sexy and rugged.
There were too many petty small fights that just added unnecessary drama that really prevented this from becoming one of my favorite reads and it really was so close. There were multiple unnecessary “breakups” that could’ve been resolved by just TALKING to each other. That’s such a hard concept for characters in romance books to follow.
This book is definitely worth the read. It talks about healthy gym culture and loving yourself but knowing that self love is a journey and there are ups and downs. You won’t always be able to wake up and feel good about yourself, but that’s ok. No one can be 100% confident all the time.
I have to concede first that I'm reading this series out of order, which I generally hate doing. (Throwback to the time I got Hell Bent in my book of the month box, only to realize that it's a sequel. Oops.) I read Exes and Ohs (the second book in the series) first, maybe to the detriment of my review of Set on You.
This is an enemies to lovers book, kind of? Crystal Chen, a fitness influencer, immediately dislikes the extremely hot Scott when he steals her favorite squat rack at the gym. Extremely relatable, when I lifted at the gym I was often one of a handful of women by the barbells and have been pressured to be pushed off of equipment by heaving liftings bros more than once. So I get this!
Starting with what I loved: just like in Exes and Ohs, Crystal is a wildly charming narrator. I love Amy Lea's writing. It's so refreshing and honest with a dash of self-deprecation that doesn't feel like the characters dislike themselves. Crystal and Scott's chemistry is phenomenal. Their banter? Chef's kiss. I wouldn't call this a slow burn by any stretch, but the buildup of anticipation and sexual tension is so well done (and so rewarding). I also love Amy Lea's side characters. Grandma Flo is such a treat (although I found her even more charming in Exes and Ohs, but again I don't think it's really fair to compare to the subsequent book). The relationship between Crystal and her family, particularly her sister Tara, is really rewarding. The moments where Crystal had to defend her career and her decisions resonated deeply with me - it's something a lot of millennials, especially millennial women, have had to do. (I'll save my soap box rant about how women's labor is undervalued for another time.)
I really enjoyed this, but found myself hungry for more depth of character. It felt a little bit like all of Crystal's life and personality was tied up in being a fitness influencer. And fair, that's kind of the point of the book, but she felt a little less dimensional at times as a character because of it. I appreciated the message of the book, and the author's note at the front end struck a chord (in a good way!) but by the end it felt like this book clearly Had A Message and it felt like Crystal was the vehicle to communicate that message rather than a character working through a hard personal conflict.
All in all, I enjoyed this! The dialogue was quippy and fun, the flirting was top notch, and the sex scenes were spicy and satisfying.
This is an enemies to lovers book, kind of? Crystal Chen, a fitness influencer, immediately dislikes the extremely hot Scott when he steals her favorite squat rack at the gym. Extremely relatable, when I lifted at the gym I was often one of a handful of women by the barbells and have been pressured to be pushed off of equipment by heaving liftings bros more than once. So I get this!
Starting with what I loved: just like in Exes and Ohs, Crystal is a wildly charming narrator. I love Amy Lea's writing. It's so refreshing and honest with a dash of self-deprecation that doesn't feel like the characters dislike themselves. Crystal and Scott's chemistry is phenomenal. Their banter? Chef's kiss. I wouldn't call this a slow burn by any stretch, but the buildup of anticipation and sexual tension is so well done (and so rewarding). I also love Amy Lea's side characters. Grandma Flo is such a treat (although I found her even more charming in Exes and Ohs, but again I don't think it's really fair to compare to the subsequent book). The relationship between Crystal and her family, particularly her sister Tara, is really rewarding. The moments where Crystal had to defend her career and her decisions resonated deeply with me - it's something a lot of millennials, especially millennial women, have had to do. (I'll save my soap box rant about how women's labor is undervalued for another time.)
I really enjoyed this, but found myself hungry for more depth of character. It felt a little bit like all of Crystal's life and personality was tied up in being a fitness influencer. And fair, that's kind of the point of the book, but she felt a little less dimensional at times as a character because of it. I appreciated the message of the book, and the author's note at the front end struck a chord (in a good way!) but by the end it felt like this book clearly Had A Message and it felt like Crystal was the vehicle to communicate that message rather than a character working through a hard personal conflict.
All in all, I enjoyed this! The dialogue was quippy and fun, the flirting was top notch, and the sex scenes were spicy and satisfying.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There is no reason for any book to have this many pop culture references oh my god.
funny
fast-paced