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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
4 ⭐ 2 🌶️ 3 🎧
I really enjoyed this story. Peter and Eli were absolutely adorable, Eli's mom was amazing and I loved their friends. There were a few things I wish we got and one thing I wish we didn't... But overall I adored these two and their story.
That third act break up. Ugh. Saw it coming a million miles away and still hoped it wasn't happening... I also wish we got to see them in their actual relationship a touch more. We went from yeah, maybe we can try again to epilogue and the reconciliation felt a little rushed.
The epilogue was so perfect though and made me so so happy!!
The audio was good. Logan Rozos was great at times, but I felt like he was missing some range, especially in a third person POV MM book that made it hard to tell who was who via context sometimes. But overall I really enjoyed this listen. Thank you so much Harper Audio for the advanced copy!
I really enjoyed this story. Peter and Eli were absolutely adorable, Eli's mom was amazing and I loved their friends. There were a few things I wish we got and one thing I wish we didn't... But overall I adored these two and their story.
That third act break up. Ugh. Saw it coming a million miles away and still hoped it wasn't happening... I also wish we got to see them in their actual relationship a touch more. We went from yeah, maybe we can try again to epilogue and the reconciliation felt a little rushed.
The epilogue was so perfect though and made me so so happy!!
The audio was good. Logan Rozos was great at times, but I felt like he was missing some range, especially in a third person POV MM book that made it hard to tell who was who via context sometimes. But overall I really enjoyed this listen. Thank you so much Harper Audio for the advanced copy!
Thank you to HarperAudio Adult and NetGalley for a free advanced reader’s copy. I received this copy in exchange for my honest review.
I was so ecstatic picking up this book for the first time because I knew I just needed a good, messy, late-90’s to early-2000’s rom-com vibe and this book delivered. If you aren’t prepared to sit with a flawed and self-sabotaging main character, this isn’t the book for you, but I really enjoyed that aspect. I feel like Eli was really human in how frustrating he was in the decisions he made but he also was so perfectly set up to be the kind of person who would make these kinds of decisions. You, as the audience, are kind of stuck being his well-meaning friend who wishes he would stop making choices that hurt him in the end.
I think the one flaw that this book has, in my eyes, is that I wanted more from our love interest, Peter. Peter felt almost too kind and too good in a way that felt like he never fully actualized as a full-bodied character. I loved when he and Eli were happy and together, but he felt like he was written for Eli, rather than to exist on his own. His anger is so quiet, and his discomfort never fully dissipates in a way that made me feel like he never got to let loose or feel fully comfortable. That, paired with a bit too little of Eli’s groveling and a bit too much of the narrative doing the Eli-punching in the end, is what docked a few stars for me.
Narration wise, Logan Rozos embodied Eli well but I feel like he leaned really heavily into very dry delivery to translate sarcasm, and it lent a quality to dialogue exchanges that felt flat. I would have loved to see Logan Rozos go bigger in some of his performances to add a bit of warmth to the characters around Eli so Eli, as a naturally dry and sarcastic character, stood out more.
Overall, this was a really fun read, and if you’re looking for a cover-your-eyes-but-peek-through-your-fingers kind of mess a la ‘How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days’ please give this book a try!
this book was everything to me. I sat down to listen and finished it in one sitting because i could not get enough of our MCs.
This is giving how to loose a guy in 10 days but make it queer and trans and the writing is just honestly perfection. The vibes were immaculate and the narration on the audiobook was superb.
The practice dating was such a fun way to learn
about each other and us as the reader to learn about them. The rock climbing date was such a sweet moment to read and see their bond truly blossom.
the romance aspect of this book felt so AUTHENTIC. i think more often than not romance books don’t necessarily feel authentic (AND THATS OK) but the way their chemistry naturally built and their full cooperation to being vulnerable with each other was so beautiful to read.
TRULY, i love this book and i need everyone to read it immediately.
The Vibes:
-Queer Romance
-Trans Rep
-Fake/Pretend/Practice Dating
-MC that reads romance
-SO SWEET
This is giving how to loose a guy in 10 days but make it queer and trans and the writing is just honestly perfection. The vibes were immaculate and the narration on the audiobook was superb.
The practice dating was such a fun way to learn
about each other and us as the reader to learn about them. The rock climbing date was such a sweet moment to read and see their bond truly blossom.
the romance aspect of this book felt so AUTHENTIC. i think more often than not romance books don’t necessarily feel authentic (AND THATS OK) but the way their chemistry naturally built and their full cooperation to being vulnerable with each other was so beautiful to read.
TRULY, i love this book and i need everyone to read it immediately.
The Vibes:
-Queer Romance
-Trans Rep
-Fake/Pretend/Practice Dating
-MC that reads romance
-SO SWEET
Eli is in a rut. He's stuck doing a job he hates while trying desperately to get promoted to the role he really wants, all while having to work beside the man who broke his heart. His roommates set him up on a blind date with Peter, which ends up being an absolute disaster. When Peter comes to Eli's workplace to apologize, Eli's boss overhears and comes up with an idea. He wants Eli to pretend to date Peter and use the experience to write an embarrassing article. Seeing an opportunity to finally get the writer gig he's been hoping for, Eli decided to pretend to write his boss's article, while he actually works on a serious article about Peter growing up queer in the south.
3.5 stars
There was so much good in this book. It felt like a classic rom-com with a crazy, disastrous first date, fake dating, meddling family and friends, etc. The queer and trans representation was excellent and it just felt so joyous, which I loved.
Where this loses some points for me is Eli's character. I found myself getting frustrated with him at times. In particular, his attitude towards his job was hard for me. He hates the content the company produces, and he has a terrible boss who treats him horribly. He seems so confident in the other areas of his life, so I find it hard to believe that he would have stayed in that job for so long. It just made me want to scream a little bit.
The narrator did very well. My only complaint was that he played Peter almost too timid at times. It made his character feel flat in parts of the story that were very emotional.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the ARC!
3.5 stars
There was so much good in this book. It felt like a classic rom-com with a crazy, disastrous first date, fake dating, meddling family and friends, etc. The queer and trans representation was excellent and it just felt so joyous, which I loved.
Where this loses some points for me is Eli's character. I found myself getting frustrated with him at times. In particular, his attitude towards his job was hard for me. He hates the content the company produces, and he has a terrible boss who treats him horribly. He seems so confident in the other areas of his life, so I find it hard to believe that he would have stayed in that job for so long. It just made me want to scream a little bit.
The narrator did very well. My only complaint was that he played Peter almost too timid at times. It made his character feel flat in parts of the story that were very emotional.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the ARC!
emotional
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:
Yes
This was a fun listen. I will say that I liked Peter much more than Eli. There were parts where Eli came across as a little too condescending. Sometimes it felt like Eli thought he could do no wrong and everyone else was the problem. Peter really was my favorite part of this story. I loved seeing him grow more confident in himself and figure out how to better integrate himself into social settings.
Mason Deaver is an author I have been following and reading from for years now, and this book was one I was really excited for! After reading it, I can confirm that this book lives up to my expectations. I loved the setting and the characters (I'm an SF Bay Area Native, so I loved seeing the city represented!) Eli and Peter were so lovable as main characters, and I really was rooting for them the entire time.
However, this wasn't a perfect book. At times, it felt like Peter was too distant. We were so deeply entrenched in Eli's head, so it felt more difficult to fully grasp Peter as a character. I liked his backstory a lot, and I was hopeful we'd get more depth into his experience growing up as a queer kid in the south. It really felt surface-level at times. I also felt like the ending lacked a conclusion to Eli's story. Eli ends up quitting his job at Vent, which was good, but then we never get a resolution. As someone in their 20s who is struggling with my career, I need for the protagonists I read about to end with a job, lol!
The last, little detail that I noticed was about a certain linguistic thing. It's small, but NorCal natives refer to highways like this: "She drove to Santa Cruz on 17". We don't use an article before the number, which SoCal natives do. Mason Deaver had Eli refer to a highway with an article (I don't remember the exact highway, but they wrote "the [highway number]" vs just the number. Small detail, but as a linguistics student this is something we talked about often.
Overall, I had a great time with this book! Mason Deaver is an auto-read author for me, and I'm excited to see what else they write! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for early access for this book!
However, this wasn't a perfect book. At times, it felt like Peter was too distant. We were so deeply entrenched in Eli's head, so it felt more difficult to fully grasp Peter as a character. I liked his backstory a lot, and I was hopeful we'd get more depth into his experience growing up as a queer kid in the south. It really felt surface-level at times. I also felt like the ending lacked a conclusion to Eli's story.
The last, little detail that I noticed was about a certain linguistic thing. It's small, but NorCal natives refer to highways like this: "She drove to Santa Cruz on 17". We don't use an article before the number, which SoCal natives do. Mason Deaver had Eli refer to a highway with an article (I don't remember the exact highway, but they wrote "the [highway number]" vs just the number. Small detail, but as a linguistics student this is something we talked about often.
Overall, I had a great time with this book! Mason Deaver is an auto-read author for me, and I'm excited to see what else they write! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for early access for this book!
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I really loved this book! I've read most of Mason Deaver's other books and have loved every one, but this one really surprised me! It's a bit more casual than their other books, in a way. I like how humorous and laid back it was while still being engaging. I could see exactly how the book was going to end well before it happened and I dreaded it the whole way (I mean that in a positive way). Although, I am still thinking about a certain scene unfortunately. Hoping to see more adult romance from Mason Deaver in the future!
I really loved this book! I've read most of Mason Deaver's other books and have loved every one, but this one really surprised me! It's a bit more casual than their other books, in a way. I like how humorous and laid back it was while still being engaging. I could see exactly how the book was going to end well before it happened and I dreaded it the whole way (I mean that in a positive way). Although, I am still thinking about a certain scene unfortunately. Hoping to see more adult romance from Mason Deaver in the future!
This one left me with a lot of different feelings, from considering a DNF early on to feeling contented with a satisfying read by the end. Eli, a trans man, is trying to make his way up to staff writer at a company that continues to tell him that his style of writing doesn’t fit what they’re looking for. After a blind date with Peter, shy and reclusive, a plan is made to help “fix” Peter’s lacking skills. It didn’t necessarily feel like a fake dating story, but it did come together with the realization that people can be ok the way they are. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the digital ARC for review.
funny
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