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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
I’ve loved the other Mason Deaver books I’ve read, so I was really looking forward to this one, but unfortunately, it was a bit of a let-down. Knowing I Wish You all the Best, and especially considering that this is an adult novel, I was expecting more depth from the characters, their relationship, and the plot.
The book didn’t have a strong beginning - The first date scene was so bizarre and made me dislike both MCs. I warmed up to Peter as the story progressed, but I found Eli to be a frustrating narrator and at times very unlikeable. He made choices that were so obviously bad that it made it hard to root for him.
Thankfully, I stuck it out and the story did get better, and by the end, I would say that there were plenty of things about this book I did enjoy. There were cute moments and moments that made me smile. For a light-hearted, silly summer read, this did the job, but I also think there’s a lot better choices for romance with more substance out there.
I’ve loved the other Mason Deaver books I’ve read, so I was really looking forward to this one, but unfortunately, it was a bit of a let-down. Knowing I Wish You all the Best, and especially considering that this is an adult novel, I was expecting more depth from the characters, their relationship, and the plot.
The book didn’t have a strong beginning - The first date scene was so bizarre and made me dislike both MCs. I warmed up to Peter as the story progressed, but I found Eli to be a frustrating narrator and at times very unlikeable. He made choices that were so obviously bad that it made it hard to root for him.
Thankfully, I stuck it out and the story did get better, and by the end, I would say that there were plenty of things about this book I did enjoy. There were cute moments and moments that made me smile. For a light-hearted, silly summer read, this did the job, but I also think there’s a lot better choices for romance with more substance out there.
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:
Yes
This was SUCH a sweet romance novel, and perfect to read during Pride Month! "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" is one of my all-time favorite romcoms, and this story was very reminiscent of that. I really loved following along as Eli and Peter recovered from their particularly bad first date and grew to be good friends as they fell in love. I also really appreciated that both Eli and Peter still had growing to do despite being near 30. As someone who's also nearing 30, I always appreciate a reality check that not everyone has their life perfectly planned by now and that you can still grow and change.
I also really loved the queer rep in this novel. While neither Eli nor Peter had it very easy with Eli being trans and Peter growing up gay and Korean in a very conservative southern state, I appreciated that neither of them had especially traumatic backstories. Both Eli and Peter had loving and understanding families, and it's always nice when queer characters come from relatively healthy homes.
Some minor critiques I have that kept me at 4 stars vs. 5 was that Eli did get in his own way (he really could have left "Vent" a long time ago), Eli's boss and Eli's ex did NOTTT get any sort of comeuppance for being garbage people, and I did struggle to get into the story in the beginning, but it did pick up and I was really flying through the pages once I got going!
Thank you so much to Avon Books and the Epic Tastemakers program for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Read If You Like:
- LGBTQ+ Rep
- Fake Dating
- "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days"
- Finding Yourself and Your Voice
I also really loved the queer rep in this novel. While neither Eli nor Peter had it very easy with Eli being trans and Peter growing up gay and Korean in a very conservative southern state, I appreciated that neither of them had especially traumatic backstories. Both Eli and Peter had loving and understanding families, and it's always nice when queer characters come from relatively healthy homes.
Some minor critiques I have that kept me at 4 stars vs. 5 was that Eli did get in his own way (he really could have left "Vent" a long time ago), Eli's boss and Eli's ex did NOTTT get any sort of comeuppance for being garbage people, and I did struggle to get into the story in the beginning, but it did pick up and I was really flying through the pages once I got going!
Thank you so much to Avon Books and the Epic Tastemakers program for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Read If You Like:
- LGBTQ+ Rep
- Fake Dating
- "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days"
- Finding Yourself and Your Voice
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
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:
Complicated
Steamy! Sweet! Fake dating! Such a cute read with well-rounded characters.
emotional
funny
hopeful
Eli and Peter forever!!!!!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Transphobia
Thank you to Avon for the advanced reader copy! All thoughts are my own.
This is my first Mason Deaver book and I can't wait to read more! I thought this was a super cute queer romance that was such a fun take on the fake dating trope.
Peter was SUCH A CUTIE. I was obsessed with him throughout this whole book and just wanted to boop his nose and wrap him in bubble wrap and protect him from mean people. Eli was an interesting protagonist to follow as I spent a lot of time frustrated with his actions, but aware that sometimes people need to make mistakes in order for them to learn from them and grow. Eli certainly needed the life lesson this whole experience with Peter ended up teaching him.
There were some great lessons overall; I loved that the general theme of the novel was sometimes we have to do scary things and we have to realize that everyone experiences the world differently. There's no judgement in being in a different place in life than those around you.
My one critique is that I think things wrapped up a little too quickly in the end and I wish we had more scenes of Peter and Eli post third act breakup, as the time skip in the epilogue left me wanting a little bit more.
Overall, I really had a fun time with this and I can't wait to see what others think!
This is my first Mason Deaver book and I can't wait to read more! I thought this was a super cute queer romance that was such a fun take on the fake dating trope.
Peter was SUCH A CUTIE. I was obsessed with him throughout this whole book and just wanted to boop his nose and wrap him in bubble wrap and protect him from mean people. Eli was an interesting protagonist to follow as I spent a lot of time frustrated with his actions, but aware that sometimes people need to make mistakes in order for them to learn from them and grow. Eli certainly needed the life lesson this whole experience with Peter ended up teaching him.
There were some great lessons overall; I loved that the general theme of the novel was sometimes we have to do scary things and we have to realize that everyone experiences the world differently. There's no judgement in being in a different place in life than those around you.
My one critique is that I think things wrapped up a little too quickly in the end and I wish we had more scenes of Peter and Eli post third act breakup, as the time skip in the epilogue left me wanting a little bit more.
Overall, I really had a fun time with this and I can't wait to see what others think!
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
fast-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
okay yeah i LOVED this one. fake dating done right!!! when fake dating makes sense and is realistic in a book a new star in the night sky is born… a butterfly escapes its chrysalis to perch on a flower… you get it. i loved that Eli was a movie nerd and each chapter title was a movie with who directed it.
Eli is a bit of a messy character and does some shitty things but he means well and he is just human after all! Peter is a sweet angel and maybe the nicest man on earth. While this book is very rom-commy and fun, it also explores some heavier topics such as growing up queer and non-white in the southern US and how that affects a lot of the formative experiences young queer people have down here. HOWEVER Deaver takes care to also show that the south is not all bad and shouldn’t be counted out. Anyway! You will laugh! You will root for these two MCs! i loved them.
This is my first MD and i enjoyed their writing style and pacing. I finished this in less than 24 hours which is saying a lot for me. I ate it up thank you for this meal Mason.
My ONLY critique of this book is including the movie Anyone But You as a “romcom classic”… … …… … say psych.
thank you to Avon & Harper Voyager and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-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