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A review by wolfiereads
Heartbreak for Hire by Sonia Hartl
5.0
Admittedly, I spent a few weeks circling this book and hesitated whether or not I should check it out. The cover is eye catching, but the blurb and mixed reviews were a hard sell for me. I'm glad I read it - this is a fun one.
This is a great beach read or rainy day read with a fast paced, singular POV. It's a fresh concept set in a surreal world - where else would a company where you can pay for revenge exist? - with larger than life characters and plenty of humor, all three qualities akin to a Lucy Score rom-com, so those looking for realism might not dig this. The morality/ethics of the H4H company and its founder's blatant gaslighting and emotional manipulation of her workers is adequately discussed.
Brinkley's unapologetic and brash personality might turn readers off, but her struggle with self-worth, life/career aspirations and complicated relationship with her mother will (hopefully) have readers invested in her transformation/growth by the end. If readers don't like Brinkley, they'll stay for Mark. I loved Mark the moment he was introduced - he's the classic cinnamon roll hero, an ultra nerd who solely wears sweater vests and loves metal detecting but somehow also has the chiseled body of a Greek god. He's an absolute sweetheart battling his own demons and doesn't belong in a cutthroat environment like H4H or, weirdly, academia.
Besides the predictability of the "twists" at the end, my qualm with this book is the chemistry between Brinkley and Mark. It felt forced and stranger than the notion of H4H itself. They felt like best friends at most. As much as I love a good HEA, this would've worked well without one and for a moment towards the end, felt like it wasn't set up for one.
Listen, this book isn't gonna be for everyone. It's not a polarizing read, but its eccentric concept with an arguably unlikeable heroine will dissuade some readers from progressing past the 25% mark. If you can suspend disbelief and settle into the world Sonia Hartl has excellently crafted, you'll definitely enjoy the ride and find a new favorite book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery books for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a great beach read or rainy day read with a fast paced, singular POV. It's a fresh concept set in a surreal world - where else would a company where you can pay for revenge exist? - with larger than life characters and plenty of humor, all three qualities akin to a Lucy Score rom-com, so those looking for realism might not dig this. The morality/ethics of the H4H company and its founder's blatant gaslighting and emotional manipulation of her workers is adequately discussed.
Brinkley's unapologetic and brash personality might turn readers off, but her struggle with self-worth, life/career aspirations and complicated relationship with her mother will (hopefully) have readers invested in her transformation/growth by the end. If readers don't like Brinkley, they'll stay for Mark. I loved Mark the moment he was introduced - he's the classic cinnamon roll hero, an ultra nerd who solely wears sweater vests and loves metal detecting but somehow also has the chiseled body of a Greek god. He's an absolute sweetheart battling his own demons and doesn't belong in a cutthroat environment like H4H or, weirdly, academia.
Besides the predictability of the "twists" at the end, my qualm with this book is the chemistry between Brinkley and Mark. It felt forced and stranger than the notion of H4H itself. They felt like best friends at most. As much as I love a good HEA, this would've worked well without one and for a moment towards the end, felt like it wasn't set up for one.
Listen, this book isn't gonna be for everyone. It's not a polarizing read, but its eccentric concept with an arguably unlikeable heroine will dissuade some readers from progressing past the 25% mark. If you can suspend disbelief and settle into the world Sonia Hartl has excellently crafted, you'll definitely enjoy the ride and find a new favorite book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery books for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.