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zaza_bdp's review against another edition
3.0
Initialement publiée dans le recueil It was always you, c'est avec pas mal de retard que j'ai lu cette nouvelle de Lane Hayes, et du coup, entre-temps, voilà qu'elle est sortie en VF.
C'est une nouvelle mignonne, à la fois tendre et romantique, un peu sexy aussi, une histoire de friends-to-lovers, qui est un trope que j'affectionne particulièrement. Seulement là, j'ai l'impression d'être restée en retrait, je n'ai pas vraiment réussi à entrer en "connexion" avec les personnages et, format court oblige, les choses sont allées trop vite à mon goût. Dans ce genre d'histoire, ce que j'aime, c'est les tensions entre les personnages, quand on les voit mariner un peu (beaucoup, c'est encore mieux) avant de se lancer. Du coup oui, c'est mignon, c'est une jolie romance, mais ça ne correspond pas à ce que j'aime dans ce type d'histoire. Néanmoins, cela reste une lecture sympa, avec une bande d'amis qui promet de belles histoires, même si Nick est un sacré abruti qui mériterait quelques paires de baffes !
C'est une nouvelle mignonne, à la fois tendre et romantique, un peu sexy aussi, une histoire de friends-to-lovers, qui est un trope que j'affectionne particulièrement. Seulement là, j'ai l'impression d'être restée en retrait, je n'ai pas vraiment réussi à entrer en "connexion" avec les personnages et, format court oblige, les choses sont allées trop vite à mon goût. Dans ce genre d'histoire, ce que j'aime, c'est les tensions entre les personnages, quand on les voit mariner un peu (beaucoup, c'est encore mieux) avant de se lancer. Du coup oui, c'est mignon, c'est une jolie romance, mais ça ne correspond pas à ce que j'aime dans ce type d'histoire. Néanmoins, cela reste une lecture sympa, avec une bande d'amis qui promet de belles histoires, même si Nick est un sacré abruti qui mériterait quelques paires de baffes !
a_reader_obsessed's review against another edition
3.0
3 Stars
Not too shabby.
Lately, I’m hit or miss with Ms. Hayes, but this short from the anthology [b:It Was Always You|32432787|It Was Always You|Cardeno C.|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475542557s/32432787.jpg|52019403], was an easy, breezy friends to lovers story.
Eric has always ignored his attraction towards his longtime friend Zane. However, it seems that Zane has been waiting for just the right opening and is ready to take the next step.
Nicely smexy and I’m quite grateful “honey” was only used twice in jest ;P
Not too shabby.
Lately, I’m hit or miss with Ms. Hayes, but this short from the anthology [b:It Was Always You|32432787|It Was Always You|Cardeno C.|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475542557s/32432787.jpg|52019403], was an easy, breezy friends to lovers story.
Eric has always ignored his attraction towards his longtime friend Zane. However, it seems that Zane has been waiting for just the right opening and is ready to take the next step.
Nicely smexy and I’m quite grateful “honey” was only used twice in jest ;P
fishreads's review against another edition
challenging
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Eric and Zane have known each other since high school but became friends once they attended the same college together. After their mutual friend, Eric's ex (fuckbuddy), and current business partner Nick, announces his engagement to a daughter of one of their investors, Eric finds himself somewhat miffed at having no personal life of his own. That is where Zane comes in, wanting to spend more time with Eric without their other friends and accompanying Eric to Nick's engagement party. Eventually, the two of them start dating in secret, but things don't go so smoothly after Nick breaks off his engagement under the pretense of still being in love with Eric .
Eric and Zane's story didn't work for me at all, and that had both to do with Eric's character and Nick's selfish behavior. It was implied that Nick was the brains and Eric was the heart of their operations, except all the events of the story pointed out at Eric actually being pretty crap at interpersonal relationships. There were so many times throughout the story that Eric dropped the ball that it wasn't even funny. He is supposedly great at giving speeches, yet when he's confrontedwith Nick's ex-fiance's father, he doesn't have a first idea how to handle the situation and runs away instead .
On the other hand, Nick was such a toxic presence in the story and any chance of enjoying developing romance between Zane and Eric was ruined by Nick getting a significant amount of screen time in the story with his incredibly selfish actions directly affecting Zane and Eric's relationship.
The pacing of the story was incredibly uneven. Instead of getting to see actual Eric and Zane's relationship development, we were treated to scenes of the two of them having sex and scenes of Nick causing unnecessary drama. The major conflict in the story and supposed obstacle to Eric and Zane's relationship gets introduced in the last chapter only to be completely hand-waved in the epilogue. Bonus chapter isn't much of a treat either,with Eric behaving like an insufferable insecure groomzilla and Zane asking Nick's help to organize their honeymoon, which made me bit sick to my stomach .
I found their whole friends group dynamic incredibly strange with supposedly mature, successful men not behaving according to their supposed age. This novella didn't feel like a complete story of its own but more of an introduction to the rest of the series, except I have zero interest in reading more about Eric and Zane's drama or about any of the immature secondary characters that made an appearance in this story and have their own books in the series. No, thank you.
Themes: single POV, friends to lovers, opposites attract
Eric and Zane's story didn't work for me at all, and that had both to do with Eric's character and Nick's selfish behavior. It was implied that Nick was the brains and Eric was the heart of their operations, except all the events of the story pointed out at Eric actually being pretty crap at interpersonal relationships. There were so many times throughout the story that Eric dropped the ball that it wasn't even funny. He is supposedly great at giving speeches, yet when he's confronted
On the other hand, Nick was such a toxic presence in the story and any chance of enjoying developing romance between Zane and Eric was ruined by Nick getting a significant amount of screen time in the story with his incredibly selfish actions directly affecting Zane and Eric's relationship.
The pacing of the story was incredibly uneven. Instead of getting to see actual Eric and Zane's relationship development, we were treated to scenes of the two of them having sex and scenes of Nick causing unnecessary drama. The major conflict in the story and supposed obstacle to Eric and Zane's relationship gets introduced in the last chapter only to be completely hand-waved in the epilogue. Bonus chapter isn't much of a treat either,
I found their whole friends group dynamic incredibly strange with supposedly mature, successful men not behaving according to their supposed age. This novella didn't feel like a complete story of its own but more of an introduction to the rest of the series, except I have zero interest in reading more about Eric and Zane's drama or about any of the immature secondary characters that made an appearance in this story and have their own books in the series. No, thank you.
Themes: single POV, friends to lovers, opposites attract
aftgandreil's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars!!
this was such a short and sweet read ^^ i am already itching to read more from this series!!
this was such a short and sweet read ^^ i am already itching to read more from this series!!
haletostilinski1's review against another edition
4.0
Fun story about best friends Eric and Zane falling in love. I liked that them falling in love after being "just friends" for 12 years wasn't unbelievable, and Lane had them take their time in falling in love - even if it was skipped over mostly in this short 80 page story - although the slight there and gone drama didn't quite flow well in this short story. And it was kind of unnecessary.
Also, Nick was a total douche. I'm now sure how Hayes will make him likable in his own book, but here's hoping she pulls it off.
I'll definitely be reading the next one. I did enjoy this, and I definitely want to see more of these two. Don't know if I'll read it right away or not yet though.
Recommend this, though :)
Also, Nick was a total douche. I'm now sure how Hayes will make him likable in his own book, but here's hoping she pulls it off.
I'll definitely be reading the next one. I did enjoy this, and I definitely want to see more of these two. Don't know if I'll read it right away or not yet though.
Recommend this, though :)
robazizo's review
3.0
My fourth Lane Hayes book and the third one that left me kind of meh. I got the feeling that I was thrown into an existing story with little explanation about the mutual relationships, I didn't really feel the switch between friendship and love between Eric and Zach and Nick played a too big and unhealthy role in the story, even up until the end. He is an intriguing character though, so perhaps I'll give his book a try.
papercranestitches's review
4.0
Originally reviewed as part of:
[bc:It Was Always You|32432787|It Was Always You|Cardeno C.|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475542557s/32432787.jpg|52019403]
*** 4.25 Stars ***
This was perfectly sweet without being perfect. I loved it. In fact, it was my favourite friends-to-lovers story in the above anthology.
[bc:It Was Always You|32432787|It Was Always You|Cardeno C.|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475542557s/32432787.jpg|52019403]
*** 4.25 Stars ***
This was perfectly sweet without being perfect. I loved it. In fact, it was my favourite friends-to-lovers story in the above anthology.