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A review by wilybooklover
The Stand-Up Groomsman by Jackie Lau
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
I really enjoyed this!
I adored Vivian. I love a 'difficult' heroine, and you see exactly how she came to be that way in this book. She's very cleverly written in a way that makes you sympathise with her, rather than getting too frustrated or annoyed with her. She's prickly and standoffish but secretly so soft when she opens up. I enjoyed seeing her stand up to her family and begin to repair her relationship with some of them (I appreciated how she didn't reconcile with them all though — very realistic!).
I also loved Mel, who is a very unconventional romance hero. He's the same height as the heroine, on the chubby side, with a class clown personality. He's kind of the opposite to Vivian in many ways — loud (in both personality and fashion sense), famous, a bit brash, loves being the centre of attention. Yet they work well together as a couple because they balance each other out, and because Mel is a sweetheart who is so giving and supportive. I loved that they were both bi, and how they both felt queer. The ending is quite unconventional as well, with both characters in a happy long-distance relationship. I loved that neither of them had to sacrifice their location or career! I found Mel's po po a bit annoying, but I do tend to struggle with matchmaking relatives.
I adored Vivian. I love a 'difficult' heroine, and you see exactly how she came to be that way in this book. She's very cleverly written in a way that makes you sympathise with her, rather than getting too frustrated or annoyed with her. She's prickly and standoffish but secretly so soft when she opens up. I enjoyed seeing her stand up to her family and begin to repair her relationship with some of them (I appreciated how she didn't reconcile with them all though — very realistic!).
I also loved Mel, who is a very unconventional romance hero. He's the same height as the heroine, on the chubby side, with a class clown personality. He's kind of the opposite to Vivian in many ways — loud (in both personality and fashion sense), famous, a bit brash, loves being the centre of attention. Yet they work well together as a couple because they balance each other out, and because Mel is a sweetheart who is so giving and supportive. I loved that they were both bi, and how they both felt queer. The ending is quite unconventional as well, with both characters in a happy long-distance relationship. I loved that neither of them had to sacrifice their location or career! I found Mel's po po a bit annoying, but I do tend to struggle with matchmaking relatives.
I have to say though, there's a fair bit of Mel's stand-up in this book and I didn’t find most of it very funny. I think it’s just difficult to represent in text format, and I often don’t find American comedians that funny anyway (just a cultural clash, I think). And I haaated the third-act breakup.
Oh, and as always with Jackie Lau, this book had some delicious food! I swear her books need to come with themed snacks included because they make me so hungry!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Biphobia, and Mental illness
Minor: Racism, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse