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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
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
Nice, but too superficial to be really entertaining. The switch between friends and lovers came on too soon and Spencer's change from playboy to hopelessly in love didn't feel organic.
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
A nice fake fiancé, friends to lovers told from the man’s perspective.
Cute!
This is a definite must read series. This series is about Manhattan men and Manhattan women. Most of the protagonist be coming out in each of the books. Definite must read series
This is a definite must read series. This series is about Manhattan men and Manhattan women. Most of the protagonist be coming out in each of the books. Definite must read series
So I read the description on this one and even though I have two other books I'm reading that I had to set aside for the weekend and haven't had the chance to get back to, I had to check this out. The description made it just too tempting. I mean Spencer sounds like a complete jerk right from the description so I felt this need to see the man's ego dropped down a peg or two.
In all honesty I didn't get that, but I didn't find myself disappointed either. Spencer does start out as kind of a jerk, with an ego the size of Manhattan and way too much focus on getting laid, but he's the sort of character who grows on you. This is the first romance I've read told in the first person from the male point of view and I have to say I really liked it.
Spencer creates a fake engagement to his best friend in order to make his family seem more pg, Rockwell painting-like to a prospective buyer of his father's jewelry store. The best friend and business partner Charlotte goes a long with it because she needs to get her cheating ex-boyfriend to leave her alone. She's being bombarded with gifts she doesn't want, each more embarrassing than that last. What's really nice about this one is that it combines two of my favorite romantic tropes (best friends falling in love & fake relationships turned real) and bring a totally unique perspective to them both by telling them completely from the male point of view.
It's also nice because you actually know, the pig you wanted to see get shot down in the first chapter or two, grows as a character because you're inside his head, watching it happen.. More than that you get the chance to see his other really great qualities, like how much the prospective buyer's sexist behavior bothers him. What I loved even more was not just that Blakely emphasized the equality of the sexes, but that she used different methods of showing sexism. Sexism is usually portrayed in books as lewd comments, guys that just can't take the hint, it's more sexual harassment shown than sexism. It starts small, like a comment from the man to his wife, that scoping out potential wedding venues for their teen and pre-teen daughters' weddings was a wonderful hobby for her when she's not needed in the kitchen. Which for me raised the hair on the back of my neck pretty much instantly. I loved seeing that Spencer too had his hackles raised and was doing everything he could not to blow up and ruin his father's business deal. Then there was choosing his daughter's future majors in college with stuff like art appreciation or something, something that's going to be really difficult to actually use in the real world said in a manner that makes it clear that of course she doesn't need a degree for use in the real world, college is for husband hunting of course. That latter part isn't actually said but it's like you could hear all of that just in the way discussions about his daughters and college were phrased. My mind started add libbing while I suppressed a desire to punch a fictional character. It was gratifying to see I wasn't the only one who felt that way, there was another fictional character who was getting angry with me.
Bonus points to Blakely that the heroine makes no career sacrifices to fall in love and the thought of her doing so doesn't even cross her hero's mind. I didn't think, in the beginning of the book that Spencer was going to be a guy worth catching, but I was glad to find that I was wrong. The story was spicy, romantic and funny - a great read from beginning to end.
In all honesty I didn't get that, but I didn't find myself disappointed either. Spencer does start out as kind of a jerk, with an ego the size of Manhattan and way too much focus on getting laid, but he's the sort of character who grows on you. This is the first romance I've read told in the first person from the male point of view and I have to say I really liked it.
Spencer creates a fake engagement to his best friend in order to make his family seem more pg, Rockwell painting-like to a prospective buyer of his father's jewelry store. The best friend and business partner Charlotte goes a long with it because she needs to get her cheating ex-boyfriend to leave her alone. She's being bombarded with gifts she doesn't want, each more embarrassing than that last. What's really nice about this one is that it combines two of my favorite romantic tropes (best friends falling in love & fake relationships turned real) and bring a totally unique perspective to them both by telling them completely from the male point of view.
It's also nice because you actually know, the pig you wanted to see get shot down in the first chapter or two, grows as a character because you're inside his head, watching it happen.. More than that you get the chance to see his other really great qualities, like how much the prospective buyer's sexist behavior bothers him. What I loved even more was not just that Blakely emphasized the equality of the sexes, but that she used different methods of showing sexism. Sexism is usually portrayed in books as lewd comments, guys that just can't take the hint, it's more sexual harassment shown than sexism. It starts small, like a comment from the man to his wife, that scoping out potential wedding venues for their teen and pre-teen daughters' weddings was a wonderful hobby for her when she's not needed in the kitchen. Which for me raised the hair on the back of my neck pretty much instantly. I loved seeing that Spencer too had his hackles raised and was doing everything he could not to blow up and ruin his father's business deal. Then there was choosing his daughter's future majors in college with stuff like art appreciation or something, something that's going to be really difficult to actually use in the real world said in a manner that makes it clear that of course she doesn't need a degree for use in the real world, college is for husband hunting of course. That latter part isn't actually said but it's like you could hear all of that just in the way discussions about his daughters and college were phrased. My mind started add libbing while I suppressed a desire to punch a fictional character. It was gratifying to see I wasn't the only one who felt that way, there was another fictional character who was getting angry with me.
Bonus points to Blakely that the heroine makes no career sacrifices to fall in love and the thought of her doing so doesn't even cross her hero's mind. I didn't think, in the beginning of the book that Spencer was going to be a guy worth catching, but I was glad to find that I was wrong. The story was spicy, romantic and funny - a great read from beginning to end.
This book was read sometime during my Goodreads hiatus in June 2015 - September 2016
I have to say how much I love Lauren Blakely's books! Her characters are so relatable and the drama is never over the top or eye rolling. Just lovable feel good reads that leave me smiling. Blakely is the Queen of Rom Com and has become one of my favorites in this genre!
funny
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:
Complicated
This is an interesting take on the fake romance genre as it's done entirely from the male point of view. Our main character is very big-headed so I didn't really warm to him, though I did like Charlotte, his fake fiancee. The main character's family is great too and I would have preferred more from them and indeed something from Charlotte's point of view. The sex is well-written but there's too much of it for me. However if you like a lot of sex in your romances, then this one should suit you.