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3.12 AVERAGE
3.12 AVERAGE
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I didn’t feel invested in/ connected to any of the characters. Also — and this might sound petty — it really bothered me how the FMC is supposed to be a modern woman in her early 30s and she kept wearing capris and baking casseroles. Like… what???
Natalie is one of the most unlikable characters I’ve read in a long time. Constantly bringing up the age gap between them was really annoying when their age gap was 4 years. Natalie seemed to just want to sabotage the relationship for no reason.
Then the third act conflict is all in the last 10 pages pretty much to break up and get back together and have another romp was so unrealistic.
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I absolutely loved the first half of the book, but was honestly disappointed with the second half. All of the intimate scenes felt copy and pasted, and there just wasn’t a lot of context into the connection between the two main characters. It felt very surface level to me.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Light, breezy romance - very quick read! The writing style felt a bit too “stream of consciousness” for me, but I REALLY enjoyed their chemistry and was hooked on their relationship from the start.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Am I outgrowing Burton or are her books less engaging lately?
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Designs on You is a fun and quick contemporary romance that I read in one sitting. I liked both main characters and their romance. Natalie is a single mom just getting into the groove of her new life without a demanding husband, and Eugene is the younger brother of Natalie's sister's partner. A few years older than Eugene and with two young children, Natalie's hesitant to get involved with the carefree game designer. Eugene, on the other hand, has no reservations, and I love that about him. lol He was interested in her from the start, even before he hired her to design his house.
Natalie and Eugene have a wonderful romance, and Eugene sounds like a total dreamboat boyfriend. Handsome and charming, he gets along really well with her kids and family. They complement each other and fit together so well. However, I totally understood Natalie's hesitancy. Newly divorced and finally forging her own path and following her dreams instead of her partner's, Natalie likes her independence and worries about committing to another man. Undaunted and patient, Eugene works hard to prove to Natalie that she should take a chance on them.
This is a pretty low-stakes story and was a nice palate cleanser for me after a much heavier read. The characters are endearing, the romance is lovely, and the themes of family, friendship, and taking a chance on love are woven well throughout the plot. Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Natalie and Eugene have a wonderful romance, and Eugene sounds like a total dreamboat boyfriend. Handsome and charming, he gets along really well with her kids and family. They complement each other and fit together so well. However, I totally understood Natalie's hesitancy. Newly divorced and finally forging her own path and following her dreams instead of her partner's, Natalie likes her independence and worries about committing to another man. Undaunted and patient, Eugene works hard to prove to Natalie that she should take a chance on them.
This is a pretty low-stakes story and was a nice palate cleanser for me after a much heavier read. The characters are endearing, the romance is lovely, and the themes of family, friendship, and taking a chance on love are woven well throughout the plot. Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.