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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
fast-paced
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Like many people, I loved The Hating Game. It was one of my favorite books I've read this year... and I have read a lot of books. I didn't even think I would like it but it was just so pleasurable, I couldn't put it down.
Then I read Second First Impressions and 99 Percent Mine. First, let's get this out of the way: the writing in both books is a hot mess. I'm talking: missing punctuation and rambling sentences. They read like first drafts. So there is that glaring problem. I will say, at least with Second First Impressions I found the characters fun and charming, and there was clearly a plan for a narrative and a plot to unfold and genuine character development that happens after a series of events that builds to a conclusion that made sense. For that, I forgive the terrible writing (a little).
This book is a whole other beast. I don't understand how this was published. All of the characters are garbage people. Darcy starts off as a smart, no-nonsense badass striving for independence after being coddled/ left behind/ made to feel like a liability her whole life because she has a heart condition. Good start! Then we meet her love interest and it all went to shit. Tom. Where do I fucking begin with Tom? Tom is her and her brother's childhood friend who basically lived with them while growing up. We are supposed to feel bad for Tom because he grew up poor with a single mother who wasn't around much and a perfectionist complex. He is all quiet and moody and he makes Darcy feel like shit, lies to her a lot to avoid conflict, and pushes her away... then loses his mind when other men pay her any attention. He gets possessive, threatens to kill other men, etc. I mean, she's not better either, but at least while she thinks he is happy in another relationship she does not try to sabotage him. We are supposed to want them to get together and fall in love... fuck me I could not care less.
Also, her twin brother is an asshole who has weird control issues and makes her feel like garbage. And we are supposed to be happy at the end when they go back to being creepily co-dependent?
And her best friend, who is the only person Darcy feels comfortable talking to and being vulnerable around completely betrays her and tells her brother all Darcy's secrets... and there is no meaningful confrontation.
Also (I promise I will stop ranting after this one), Tom makes 2 minors and then leaves for months... what. the. fuck. ugh.
Ok, I need to move on to a pallet cleanser book because this made me rage.
Then I read Second First Impressions and 99 Percent Mine. First, let's get this out of the way: the writing in both books is a hot mess. I'm talking: missing punctuation and rambling sentences. They read like first drafts. So there is that glaring problem. I will say, at least with Second First Impressions I found the characters fun and charming, and there was clearly a plan for a narrative and a plot to unfold and genuine character development that happens after a series of events that builds to a conclusion that made sense. For that, I forgive the terrible writing (a little).
This book is a whole other beast. I don't understand how this was published. All of the characters are garbage people. Darcy starts off as a smart, no-nonsense badass striving for independence after being coddled/ left behind/ made to feel like a liability her whole life because she has a heart condition. Good start! Then we meet her love interest and it all went to shit. Tom. Where do I fucking begin with Tom? Tom is her and her brother's childhood friend who basically lived with them while growing up. We are supposed to feel bad for Tom because he grew up poor with a single mother who wasn't around much and a perfectionist complex. He is all quiet and moody and he makes Darcy feel like shit, lies to her a lot to avoid conflict, and pushes her away... then loses his mind when other men pay her any attention. He gets possessive, threatens to kill other men, etc. I mean, she's not better either, but at least while she thinks he is happy in another relationship she does not try to sabotage him. We are supposed to want them to get together and fall in love... fuck me I could not care less.
Also, her twin brother is an asshole who has weird control issues and makes her feel like garbage. And we are supposed to be happy at the end when they go back to being creepily co-dependent?
And her best friend, who is the only person Darcy feels comfortable talking to and being vulnerable around completely betrays her and tells her brother all Darcy's secrets... and there is no meaningful confrontation.
Also (I promise I will stop ranting after this one), Tom makes 2 minors and then leaves for months... what. the. fuck. ugh.
Ok, I need to move on to a pallet cleanser book because this made me rage.
i love when the leads obviously are each other’s perfectly perfect person but are too scared to admit it! Because the second they admit it the chemistry just flys all over the place and i squeal!
Definitely one of my fave romance, just like The Hating Game. I love the characters so much. I didnt count the times I smiled and laughed while reading but I did a lot.
I really hurt for Thorne when I read this book. I remember listening to a podcast where a writer was talking about how great it was to have a first book that was relatively unknown and little loved because there was nowhere to go but up. I didn't really think about what she meant until I read this book. When I read The Hating Game, I loved it with my WHOLE heart. It hit all the right notes for me, and when I heard Thorne was writing another book, I was so excited. A title and synopsis came out, and then it just "disappeared". Like, I never heard about the book again. Then a year or so later, I saw this book and I felt a little sink in my gut, because I realized, she'd tried to write another book, but it wasn't working and she'd ditched it, then tried again.
Man that sucks. It sucks to have every book you ever write compared to the first one.
99 Percent Mine is an interesting book and I liked the main characters, but I don't know if I'd call it a GOOD book. The characters aren't very consistent. The brother, for instance is made out to be a douche bag like the whole book, but at the end, he's just magically kind of great???? The main character is soooooo messed up, but instead of going into WHY she's messed up, WHY she runs away from her relationships, the author kind of ignores it. And believe me, she has a really valid reason. The whole weird "hero disappears for 6 months" part of the story was just... well, weird. It didn't make sense for the story. It didn't resolve anything and it felt really out of place.
Basically, it had all these great elements of a story, without all coming together and I totally get why. This author is terrified of failing after the first book. Well, sorry, Thorne. This book failed. Now you don't have to worry about it anymore and you can move on and keep writing. You're a good writer and you have good instincts. You just need to get over being a success. :)
Man that sucks. It sucks to have every book you ever write compared to the first one.
99 Percent Mine is an interesting book and I liked the main characters, but I don't know if I'd call it a GOOD book. The characters aren't very consistent. The brother, for instance is made out to be a douche bag like the whole book, but at the end, he's just magically kind of great???? The main character is soooooo messed up, but instead of going into WHY she's messed up, WHY she runs away from her relationships, the author kind of ignores it. And believe me, she has a really valid reason. The whole weird "hero disappears for 6 months" part of the story was just... well, weird. It didn't make sense for the story. It didn't resolve anything and it felt really out of place.
Basically, it had all these great elements of a story, without all coming together and I totally get why. This author is terrified of failing after the first book. Well, sorry, Thorne. This book failed. Now you don't have to worry about it anymore and you can move on and keep writing. You're a good writer and you have good instincts. You just need to get over being a success. :)
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
DAMN, this had some chemistry. It was a bit uneven in spots, not perfect, but I really love this author. Genuinely smart, funny, steamy reads are a rare find.
I finished this last night and I'm still in the process of exhaling the longest disappointed sigh ever. Because 99 Percent Mine was good––amazing, even––but it just couldn't live up to The Hating Game. What can, really? It's partially my fault because I set my expectations so high, but it's also partially the book's fault because it started off so beautifully. It was just the ending that fell flat––suddenly we were too cheesy and too rushed and my heart was screaming because the beginning and middle were so pitch-perfect.
And yet. And yet. Darcy was a hilarious and heart-breaking combination of tough-as-nails and horribly insecure, and Tom almost made me pass out several times (the combination of protective, adorably shy, and very tall knocked me out). I loved the complicated relationship between Darcy and her twin brother, I loved the hilarious little details of their lives, I loved watching Darcy and Tom tiptoe around each other as they flipped the house, I loved the family history... The ending was just too rushed, dammit. Woe is me.
And yet. And yet. Darcy was a hilarious and heart-breaking combination of tough-as-nails and horribly insecure, and Tom almost made me pass out several times (the combination of protective, adorably shy, and very tall knocked me out). I loved the complicated relationship between Darcy and her twin brother, I loved the hilarious little details of their lives, I loved watching Darcy and Tom tiptoe around each other as they flipped the house, I loved the family history... The ending was just too rushed, dammit. Woe is me.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes