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3.25 AVERAGE
3.25 AVERAGE
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This book provided in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 rounded up.
When Rachel gets a job offer across the country, she is determined to learn how to better her people skills. She sets out to a bar for research, and meets Luke and proceeds to have a hot one-night stand. The next morning, she sneaks out of Luke’s apartment hoping to never see him again. Little did she know, they had a mutual friend and met again at a party. Luke and Rachel strike up an agreement to mutually help each other in their careers.
This was a cute idea and had such promise. I have to admit I almost DNF’d it at 15% but it did get better the more the story went on. The narrator was a little static, and the beginning had many info dumpy scenes. Rachel was very awkward in the beginning, and it wasn’t an endearing kind of awkward. Not sure if the author intended for her to come across this way, but it didn’t jive with me. The one-night-stand almost felt like their first time ever, not first time together.
There were scenes that were especially cute. I loved when Luke came by her apartment when Rachel was sick. I was super proud of Rachel during the family dinner scene prior to Claudia’s wedding. The jar was particularly sweet as well. I lived in Texas for a while, and I think Luke and his family were portrayed well.
Overall, the book was fine, and was generally cute, but I had a really hard time with the beginning and found some parts cringe-worthy.
2.5 rounded up.
When Rachel gets a job offer across the country, she is determined to learn how to better her people skills. She sets out to a bar for research, and meets Luke and proceeds to have a hot one-night stand. The next morning, she sneaks out of Luke’s apartment hoping to never see him again. Little did she know, they had a mutual friend and met again at a party. Luke and Rachel strike up an agreement to mutually help each other in their careers.
This was a cute idea and had such promise. I have to admit I almost DNF’d it at 15% but it did get better the more the story went on. The narrator was a little static, and the beginning had many info dumpy scenes. Rachel was very awkward in the beginning, and it wasn’t an endearing kind of awkward. Not sure if the author intended for her to come across this way, but it didn’t jive with me. The one-night-stand almost felt like their first time ever, not first time together.
There were scenes that were especially cute. I loved when Luke came by her apartment when Rachel was sick. I was super proud of Rachel during the family dinner scene prior to Claudia’s wedding. The jar was particularly sweet as well. I lived in Texas for a while, and I think Luke and his family were portrayed well.
Overall, the book was fine, and was generally cute, but I had a really hard time with the beginning and found some parts cringe-worthy.
I greatly enjoyed The Rachel Experiment. Rachel is brilliant but doesn't necessarily do as well in social situations. Luke is a socially gifted charmer, but he lacks ambition. These two are perfect for each other if they could only figure it out.
Mechanical bulls, homemade chicken soup, card sharks, and a Texas drawl--what's not to love?
Mechanical bulls, homemade chicken soup, card sharks, and a Texas drawl--what's not to love?
Rachel Bai is socially inept but smart and more than willing to put the work in to make herself better in social situations. When her work sends her to a new city as a trial to see if she can handle being a team leader and her family tell her that she's destined to fail at it, she's more convinced than ever that she can solve her social awkwardness. She arrives at her new city and heads to a bar to chat up a bartender and ease into conversations with strangers. But instead of the bartender, she ends up talking to Luke Trudeau, a lawyer who's starting to think he wants more out of life but isn't sure what. He meets Rachel at a bar and finds her intriguing enough that finding her at a mutual friend's party leads to them making a trade. Luke will teach Rachel to be more sociable, and Rachel will help Luke figure out what he needs to start his own firm. This is the beginning of a super sweet friendship and relationship formed out of respect for each other's quirky traits and personalities.
I fell into this book's plot almost immediately, despite it not being 100% original, simply because Rachel and Luke together make an adorable pair. I couldn't walk away until I'd heard the entire story of them making each other better just by being themselves around each other.
The narration by Kat Riley is fun and pitch-perfect when it comes to giving characters their own voice and accent so you can easily tell who's talking. It makes the scenes where there are a lot of characters present really feel like there are several people participating in the discussion.
Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the very engaging listen!
I fell into this book's plot almost immediately, despite it not being 100% original, simply because Rachel and Luke together make an adorable pair. I couldn't walk away until I'd heard the entire story of them making each other better just by being themselves around each other.
The narration by Kat Riley is fun and pitch-perfect when it comes to giving characters their own voice and accent so you can easily tell who's talking. It makes the scenes where there are a lot of characters present really feel like there are several people participating in the discussion.
Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the very engaging listen!
Read this on a whim and really enjoyed it.
Rachel and Luke, complete opposites who use their skills and knowledge to help one another in their chosen professions.
I liked the balance of characters and how each of them explored their expertise and supported one another in their goals & aspirations.
I appreciated how open, kind, and genuine they were. Respecting and admiring their differences beyond just tolerating them.
I laughed out loud a few times (this rarely happens!)
Nice, easy read. Story line made sense. Characters contributed to the plot.
Rachel and Luke, complete opposites who use their skills and knowledge to help one another in their chosen professions.
I liked the balance of characters and how each of them explored their expertise and supported one another in their goals & aspirations.
I appreciated how open, kind, and genuine they were. Respecting and admiring their differences beyond just tolerating them.
I laughed out loud a few times (this rarely happens!)
Nice, easy read. Story line made sense. Characters contributed to the plot.
This was a solid, fun romance read!
However, the 3rd-act conflict was VERY unbelievable and annoyed me, so I had to bump my rating down a star. But I did enjoy the overall plot and premise of this story, especially our main character Rachel's side plots of her making new friends and figuring things out with her family.
Rating: 3 stars
*Thank you to Libro.FM for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
However, the 3rd-act conflict was VERY unbelievable and annoyed me, so I had to bump my rating down a star. But I did enjoy the overall plot and premise of this story, especially our main character Rachel's side plots of her making new friends and figuring things out with her family.
Rating: 3 stars
*Thank you to Libro.FM for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
In The Rachel Experiment, we get Rachel's story. We got to meet her in The Year of Cecily, and she was such an interesting side character that I'm so thankful Lisa made Rachel front and center next. Rachel is a painfully awkward (but lovable) financial analyst who is kinda-forced kinda-excited to have her job relocated from NYC to San Francisco. Her family? Not exactly thrilled, especially with her sister's upcoming wedding. Rachel is overwhelmed to say the least, and a chance encounter in a bar leads to a one night stand...which was absolutely shocking behavior for the Rachel we've known so far, even if there was a little help from tequila. Luke is a handsome southern gentleman (and lawyer!) who helps Rachel to...relax. Quite a few times. If you catch my drift.
Rachel dips out early in the morning, but thankfully, there's another chance encounter where Luke is able to propose a (non-sexual) deal: he'll help her learn how to be more sociable and less awkward, if she'll help him with a financial plan to open his own practice. But, can people with this much chemistry stay friends?
I really enjoyed this book! I loved watching as Rachel came out of her shell a little bit and let herself live. She put so much pressure on herself to be "social," but is so overly anxious that she ends up sabotaging herself, which was so relatable as someone who is more naturally shy than they let on. Rachel and Luke's relationship is also easy to follow and support, but my favorite thing about this book was the female friendships: Cecily and Adrienne were such good friends to Rachel and to each other! There is a brief "your next" line said to Adrienne, and I'm hoping that that is a teaser--I would LOVE a book about Adrienne. She's so dry and witty that I can just imagine a book about her would be fun!
This was such a quick, low stakes read that was just what the doctor ordered as I was on a romantasy book hangover. Definitely recommend grabbing The Rachel Experiment!
Rachel dips out early in the morning, but thankfully, there's another chance encounter where Luke is able to propose a (non-sexual) deal: he'll help her learn how to be more sociable and less awkward, if she'll help him with a financial plan to open his own practice. But, can people with this much chemistry stay friends?
I really enjoyed this book! I loved watching as Rachel came out of her shell a little bit and let herself live. She put so much pressure on herself to be "social," but is so overly anxious that she ends up sabotaging herself, which was so relatable as someone who is more naturally shy than they let on. Rachel and Luke's relationship is also easy to follow and support, but my favorite thing about this book was the female friendships: Cecily and Adrienne were such good friends to Rachel and to each other! There is a brief "your next" line said to Adrienne, and I'm hoping that that is a teaser--I would LOVE a book about Adrienne. She's so dry and witty that I can just imagine a book about her would be fun!
This was such a quick, low stakes read that was just what the doctor ordered as I was on a romantasy book hangover. Definitely recommend grabbing The Rachel Experiment!
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
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
I liked the premise of this book but I think the audio part took away from it. I really didn’t the male side of the story and it kind of wrecked a little bit of it. The cultural differences were cute but also felt a little exaggerated. Overall, the love story was cute but it was just okay.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes