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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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:
Yes
Thank you Putnam for my Netgalley copy of THE SWEETEST REVENGE by Lizzy Dent, out now!
As soon as I saw Emily Henry wrote a blurb, I instantly requested this book for an advanced copy! Bridesmaids meets Emily in Paris, this is a heartfelt and fun-loving story about a woman named Amy Duffy making the comeback of her life, both in her career and in her love life, after a humiliating split with her ex that the entire internet saw.
This book started off a little goofy at first and I didn’t quite believe the storyline, but the dialogue quickly sucked me in, the chemistry was through the roof once Amy meets her adorable and hunky neighbor with an embarrassing story of his own, and the empowering nature of Amy’s drive in her career inspired me and it was nice to see a woman’s aspirations front and center.
As someone who also loves the idea of TV writing, this was a super enticing read as Amy moves from making trailers for failing British television to creatively writing, pitching and working towards producing her own drama show.
The climactic event of this book? Amy’s ex-boyfriend who ruined her life is hired as her new boss, so her sparks flying with her hot new neighbor turned collaboration partner collides with the humiliation she thought she left in her past.
SUPER fun read. 5/5 stars. No notes.
This was such a fun read. I loved "watching" Amy overcome her past and learn to own the choices she made - even if they weren't her best ones. Jake and Amy's dynamic was so genuine and organic. I loved watching them grow together, share their past and current struggles, and help one another be the best version of themselves. Overall, this book made me smile and kept me entertained. The dialogue was so fun - especially if you like TV.
funny
lighthearted
fast-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:
Yes
4 stars!
"The Sweetest Revenge" is the first book by Lizzy Dent that I have read. I cannot wait to read her back catalog because I enjoyed the hell out of this book! This story is the perfect summer read! It is laugh-out-loud hilarious, light and fun, messy and drama-filled, and even surprisingly sweet at times. I loved all of the characters, but I particularly liked the main character Amy. She is strong, ambitious, and determined, but has also been wounded by life and love. After an unfortunate series of incidents involving her boss/ex-boyfriend Chris, his car, and a video of her that went viral, Amy fled New York for London and now works at a new company cutting up footage to make TV trailers. Her new neighbor, Jack, was just kicked off one of the hottest reality shows on television. As their relationship slowly develops, they begin working together to co-create a script so he can get his foot in the door of the industry and so she can get a new position at work. Unfortunately, Chris shows up out of nowhere and is now working for Amy's company. The best aspects and moments of this story involve Amy, Jake, and their ever-evolving friendship. As they slowly get to know one another, they uncover things about each other, and themselves, that they didn't know. Amy and Jake both have their flaws and make mistakes (to varying degrees). They always take accountability and grow from their transgressions. I thought they had incredible chemistry as characters! I found Jake to be absolutely swoon-worthy as an MMC. I absolutely loathed Chris so, so much. That's just how well-written he is! I certainly wanted to slap Amy a couple of times during the book because she should have had so many more red flags about him having dated him!! I also enjoyed the TV show/network setting, as well as all of the television quotes and references to all things TV. It felt very relevant and seamlessly integrated into the story.
Trust me, you're going to want to read "The Sweetest Revenge." It is a breeze to read, and it will keep you invested from start to finish! I certainly couldn't put it down. Way to go, Lizzy Dent!
Thank you to NetGalley, Lizzy Dent, and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
"The Sweetest Revenge" is the first book by Lizzy Dent that I have read. I cannot wait to read her back catalog because I enjoyed the hell out of this book! This story is the perfect summer read! It is laugh-out-loud hilarious, light and fun, messy and drama-filled, and even surprisingly sweet at times. I loved all of the characters, but I particularly liked the main character Amy. She is strong, ambitious, and determined, but has also been wounded by life and love. After an unfortunate series of incidents involving her boss/ex-boyfriend Chris, his car, and a video of her that went viral, Amy fled New York for London and now works at a new company cutting up footage to make TV trailers. Her new neighbor, Jack, was just kicked off one of the hottest reality shows on television. As their relationship slowly develops, they begin working together to co-create a script so he can get his foot in the door of the industry and so she can get a new position at work. Unfortunately, Chris shows up out of nowhere and is now working for Amy's company. The best aspects and moments of this story involve Amy, Jake, and their ever-evolving friendship. As they slowly get to know one another, they uncover things about each other, and themselves, that they didn't know. Amy and Jake both have their flaws and make mistakes (to varying degrees). They always take accountability and grow from their transgressions. I thought they had incredible chemistry as characters! I found Jake to be absolutely swoon-worthy as an MMC. I absolutely loathed Chris so, so much. That's just how well-written he is! I certainly wanted to slap Amy a couple of times during the book because she should have had so many more red flags about him having dated him!! I also enjoyed the TV show/network setting, as well as all of the television quotes and references to all things TV. It felt very relevant and seamlessly integrated into the story.
Trust me, you're going to want to read "The Sweetest Revenge." It is a breeze to read, and it will keep you invested from start to finish! I certainly couldn't put it down. Way to go, Lizzy Dent!
Thank you to NetGalley, Lizzy Dent, and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a decent romcom binge! I read the entire book in a day.
I found I really liked a lot of the side characters (Jake’s mom, Amy’s dad, Amy’s friend Maggie—even the landlord). I also found a lot of Amy’s actions relatable. Going to the grocery store and buying one frozen meal and a bottle of wine? Been there. Doing that so often the cashier knows who you are? Also been there. Buying a kiddie pool to cool off in the summer because there’s no real pool available to you? I have one sitting in my backyard as I write this.
Though I enjoyed some of the character of Amy, sometimes I felt like we didn’t truly know her. I felt there was a lot of telling us how she felt, when she didn’t really show that feeling herself. It wasn’t until over halfway through the book she had any sort of real conversation with any of her family members, which didn’t feel right to me when she kept telling Jake she missed them. As readers, we didn’t understand why she didn’t just pick up the phone (except that she felt shame, which was mentioned altogether too many times to mean anything). Her family obviously likes her and wants to keep in contact with her, and it felt more like she was ignoring them for spite than anything else.
I also felt like we didn’t fully understand Amy’s motivations when she literally took credit for Jake’s work on the script. She said it was because she was thinking of Jake and was doing it for both of them, but it felt very sketchy. And she knew it was sketchy and still did it. It just didn’t seem like a proper explanation, when up until that point we thought she did it out of spite against Chris.
I felt this book was a bit longer than it needed to be, and the plot seemed to drag on and on. It was still a good binge, and I would recommend if you’re looking for a comedic summer read!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Amy Duffy embarks on a fresh start in London, leaving behind her job and family following an extremely embarrassing incident. I found it refreshing that the author depicted the main female character as originally hailing from the United States but eventually settling in London.
Amy's character intrigued me, especially her passion for her career. She is relatable in her accomplishments yet also displays a touch of chaos. The exploration of television production and its associated challenges was captivating. The connection between Amy and Jake, both as romantic interests and collaborators who respect each other as equals, was a notable aspect.
The author seamlessly incorporates her witty humor throughout the novel. I frequently found myself chuckling at Amy's inner musings. I eagerly anticipate delving into more books penned by the author!
Amy's character intrigued me, especially her passion for her career. She is relatable in her accomplishments yet also displays a touch of chaos. The exploration of television production and its associated challenges was captivating. The connection between Amy and Jake, both as romantic interests and collaborators who respect each other as equals, was a notable aspect.
The author seamlessly incorporates her witty humor throughout the novel. I frequently found myself chuckling at Amy's inner musings. I eagerly anticipate delving into more books penned by the author!
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Yes
I absolutely loved this book! The romance was adorable and a delight to read, the show and tv references were excellent, and I’ll be rereading this again ASAP.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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