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A review by ihavetosay
Only Lovers in the Building by Nadine Gonzalez
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I found this book fast-paced and dialogue heavy, which worked for me.
Lily is a quick-witted undercover romantic that finds herself instantly attracted to the bartender, Ben, who happens to live across the hall. Ben is a mystery she wants to solve. They get along quickly and it becomes a will they, won’t they situation.
I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand these characters and their wittiness didn’t always land for me.
On the other hand, it kept my interest and I wanted to know what would happen. And when the wittiness worked for me I really enjoyed it.
At times I really liked both Ben and Lily and other times they both annoyed me. They’re both charming, but have issues, and as a whole it was a little unclear to me why they were the way they were. I think Ben’s backstory was explored a little more than Lily’s.
The book to me felt like a moment in time and I don’t know if I believe it’s a forever story as much as a for now one.
I couldn’t look away from it because in ways it was realistic to me.
Read for:
🎙️ Banter on banter
🎙️ A book about books
🎙️ Summer vacay
🎙️ Found family
🎙️ Close proximity
🎙️ Strangers to friends to lovers
OVERALL
Overall, I give this book a 3.75 out of 4 stars. I have mixed feels about it, but I’d recommend it to feel it out and if you read it or have read it please slide in my DMs so we can chat! I’m interested in what this author does next.
I found this book fast-paced and dialogue heavy, which worked for me.
Lily is a quick-witted undercover romantic that finds herself instantly attracted to the bartender, Ben, who happens to live across the hall. Ben is a mystery she wants to solve. They get along quickly and it becomes a will they, won’t they situation.
I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand these characters and their wittiness didn’t always land for me.
On the other hand, it kept my interest and I wanted to know what would happen. And when the wittiness worked for me I really enjoyed it.
At times I really liked both Ben and Lily and other times they both annoyed me. They’re both charming, but have issues, and as a whole it was a little unclear to me why they were the way they were. I think Ben’s backstory was explored a little more than Lily’s.
The book to me felt like a moment in time and I don’t know if I believe it’s a forever story as much as a for now one.
I couldn’t look away from it because in ways it was realistic to me.
Read for:
🎙️ Banter on banter
🎙️ A book about books
🎙️ Summer vacay
🎙️ Found family
🎙️ Close proximity
🎙️ Strangers to friends to lovers
OVERALL
Overall, I give this book a 3.75 out of 4 stars. I have mixed feels about it, but I’d recommend it to feel it out and if you read it or have read it please slide in my DMs so we can chat! I’m interested in what this author does next.