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jbragland's review against another edition
2.0
A fun romance set in the restaurant world, but I'll be remembering the poutine descriptions more than anything else
sarahbook's review against another edition
hopeful
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? No
2.5
I struggled with this couple. They just seemed more in love with the idea of each other than actually being in love with each other. They struggled to communicate throughout the whole book (and then commented on how good they were at communicating??) I liked the plot lines with the parents though. I also thought it was super weird that there was this whole build up for being on this show, and it took place approximately 20 min. before the end of the book. I was expecting it to happen earlier and then see more of the impacts of it.
bojanus's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.25
Sweet adult romance! Ultimately had some little things that did not vibe with me, but pretty solid as a romance.
I'm just gonna say: I'm not against enemies-to-lovers, I'm not even against coworkers/boss-to-lovers, but I think if my coworker made my life as frustrating as these two made each other's lives (probably more how rude of a boss Amy was)... I would not be dreaming of taking her blouse off. Being an actively bad coworker is an instant turnoff.
Once they got over that hump, the romance was a lot more believable in the second half. I enjoyed Sophie's journey the most--her interactions with her mom were hilarious, realistic, and heartwarming, definitely a fun coming-out scene. I appreciated that even though she was "good" at television, she doesn't necessarily want to pursue that as a full-time job! She can choose not to do things just because she's good at them! The scenes where she took a stand and took care of Amy also really had me cheering.
Writing wise, things flowed well, but there were occasional turns of phrases that grated at me. Specifically during a sex scene one of the characters refers to the other as "the fire sign"... astrology is not really an established part of their interactions, and I think if I was in the midst of fucking someone I would not be thinking of them via zodiac-based epithets.
I struggled to get through the last third/fourth of the book. I think the whole "Oh both of us are only PRETENDING to be casual" is not a very interesting conflict, and although other things came up having that kind of be the core issue carrying the latter half of the book felt juvenile.
Overall a pleasant read, good if you're interested in a contemporary adult romance.
I'm just gonna say: I'm not against enemies-to-lovers, I'm not even against coworkers/boss-to-lovers, but I think if my coworker made my life as frustrating as these two made each other's lives (probably more how rude of a boss Amy was)... I would not be dreaming of taking her blouse off. Being an actively bad coworker is an instant turnoff.
Once they got over that hump, the romance was a lot more believable in the second half. I enjoyed Sophie's journey the most--her interactions with her mom were hilarious, realistic, and heartwarming, definitely a fun coming-out scene. I appreciated that even though she was "good" at television, she doesn't necessarily want to pursue that as a full-time job! She can choose not to do things just because she's good at them! The scenes where she took a stand and took care of Amy also really had me cheering.
Writing wise, things flowed well, but there were occasional turns of phrases that grated at me. Specifically during a sex scene one of the characters refers to the other as "the fire sign"... astrology is not really an established part of their interactions, and I think if I was in the midst of fucking someone I would not be thinking of them via zodiac-based epithets.
I struggled to get through the last third/fourth of the book. I think the whole "Oh both of us are only PRETENDING to be casual" is not a very interesting conflict, and although other things came up having that kind of be the core issue carrying the latter half of the book felt juvenile.
Overall a pleasant read, good if you're interested in a contemporary adult romance.
sydcant's review against another edition
Just wasn’t very good. Didn’t feel interested in either main character
heyitscrystal's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
michaelaaa_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
etinney's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I promise the atrocious cover is misleading - this was a solid, enjoyable read. The characters' negative character traits created realistic tension in the relationship that was compounded by the other plot elements. The prose is very readable and free of major copyediting errors or glaring plot holes (an accomplishment for modern romance books). The spice scenes were well-written if they do trigger minor concerns regarding health code violations.
However, the forced third-act breakup was very rushed, which forced the other B-plots to be wrapped up quickly and in an unsatisfying way. I was particularly bothered by how Amy handles her relationship with her father.
Overall a good entry in the Sapphic romance genre though the insistence on a third-act breakup soured the ending for me.
However, the forced third-act breakup was very rushed, which forced the other B-plots to be wrapped up quickly and in an unsatisfying way. I was particularly bothered by how Amy handles her relationship with her father.
Overall a good entry in the Sapphic romance genre though the insistence on a third-act breakup soured the ending for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Death of parent
brittneyrobyn's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-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
3.0
texas_toast92's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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
4.0