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A review by 00leah00
Swipe Right by Tagan Shepard
4.0
4 Stars
“Swipe Right” is a rom-com-esq, friends-to-lovers romance that was quick and fun to read.
Kieran is single and finally ready to start dating again. Being in her mid-thirties, it’s not as easy for her to find dates so she turns to online dating with the help of her best friend, Penelope (Pen.)
This was very cute and had me laughing out loud several times. Kieran goes through several dates and has very different experiences each time. She’s pansexual so we see dates with lesbians, cis men, and non-binary folks. Each disastrous date was that way because of circumstances or personality issues, it was never about the orientation/identity of that person and that was a refreshing take.
This story is told Kieran’s pov so I felt like I got to know her really well. She’s ready to move on from her last relationship but doesn’t really know how to go about doing it. She gets her best friend, Pen, to help her set up an online profile since she figures Pen knows her better than anyone. Kieran’s got a sense of humor but also comes across a little bit desperate but also just wants to meet the right person and can sometimes be impatient about it. She’s not sure the right person is out there but she has to keep looking, in part to Pen’s nudges. Kieran and Pen meet up after every date to discuss the date what went wrong and this seems to be the highlight of their night.
Unlike Kieran, Pen wants nothing to do with relationships. She has EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) and doesn’t want to be a burden to someone else. She’s happy with her many hookups and friends-with-benefits. I liked Pen quite a bit. She seems funny, kind, and sure of herself, especially when it comes to other women. I do wish we had gotten to know her a bit better. A lot of her scenes involved her hitting on/being with other women and I wanted more substance from her. Kieran and Pen are pretty different but they respect one another and try to be there for each other as much as possible.
While I really liked Kieran in the beginning, it did lessen a bit as the story went on. She spends a good amount of time whining and crying over things I didn’t see a reason to whine or cry about. Luckily, she has Pen there as a shoulder to cry on. Kieran is oblivious to things and is even called out about it and it still takes someone else to point out what everyone else clearly sees. I found her acceptance of this light bulb moment to be a little quick for her. Her realization was a little unbelievable in that I expected her to sit and think about it for longer than she does.
My only other real complaint is that I do wish there was maybe one less date. The story started dragging a bit and then I think the ending felt kind of rushed. I would’ve liked more out of the relationship and less about dating woes. The epilogue was a nice touch, especially since you don’t see our couple as a couple for long.
All the above comes down to I really liked my first foray into Tagan Shepard’s writing. This was fun and funny and has some heart as well.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books in exchange for an honest review.
“Swipe Right” is a rom-com-esq, friends-to-lovers romance that was quick and fun to read.
Kieran is single and finally ready to start dating again. Being in her mid-thirties, it’s not as easy for her to find dates so she turns to online dating with the help of her best friend, Penelope (Pen.)
This was very cute and had me laughing out loud several times. Kieran goes through several dates and has very different experiences each time. She’s pansexual so we see dates with lesbians, cis men, and non-binary folks. Each disastrous date was that way because of circumstances or personality issues, it was never about the orientation/identity of that person and that was a refreshing take.
This story is told Kieran’s pov so I felt like I got to know her really well. She’s ready to move on from her last relationship but doesn’t really know how to go about doing it. She gets her best friend, Pen, to help her set up an online profile since she figures Pen knows her better than anyone. Kieran’s got a sense of humor but also comes across a little bit desperate but also just wants to meet the right person and can sometimes be impatient about it. She’s not sure the right person is out there but she has to keep looking, in part to Pen’s nudges. Kieran and Pen meet up after every date to discuss the date what went wrong and this seems to be the highlight of their night.
Unlike Kieran, Pen wants nothing to do with relationships. She has EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) and doesn’t want to be a burden to someone else. She’s happy with her many hookups and friends-with-benefits. I liked Pen quite a bit. She seems funny, kind, and sure of herself, especially when it comes to other women. I do wish we had gotten to know her a bit better. A lot of her scenes involved her hitting on/being with other women and I wanted more substance from her. Kieran and Pen are pretty different but they respect one another and try to be there for each other as much as possible.
While I really liked Kieran in the beginning, it did lessen a bit as the story went on. She spends a good amount of time whining and crying over things I didn’t see a reason to whine or cry about. Luckily, she has Pen there as a shoulder to cry on. Kieran is oblivious to things and is even called out about it and it still takes someone else to point out what everyone else clearly sees. I found her acceptance of this light bulb moment to be a little quick for her. Her realization was a little unbelievable in that I expected her to sit and think about it for longer than she does.
My only other real complaint is that I do wish there was maybe one less date. The story started dragging a bit and then I think the ending felt kind of rushed. I would’ve liked more out of the relationship and less about dating woes. The epilogue was a nice touch, especially since you don’t see our couple as a couple for long.
All the above comes down to I really liked my first foray into Tagan Shepard’s writing. This was fun and funny and has some heart as well.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books in exchange for an honest review.