A review by giulsfloris
Hottie on Her Shelf by Christi Barth

lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read an e-ARC copy of Hottie on Her Shelf! Every thought written in this review comes from my honest opinion.

This review may contain spoilers!!

I don’t really know how to explain it best, but to me it seemed like this book wanted to throw at me everything I was supposed to learn by reading between the lines. So many emotions weren’t as subtle or “hidden” as I usually like them to be, they popped up here and there, forcing me to instantly get to know the characters’ intentions instead of letting me discover them bit by bit.

Sometimes the sentences were a little pretentious but, thankfully, other times the language was really easy to comprehend. I like it when it’s simpler because I’m a non-native English speaker and it’s really nice when the writing style is fluid and enjoyable for those who don’t speak English as a first language, but at the same time the author used a bit too many refined expressions whenever Hallie and Fitz talked and that threw me off a little.

It seemed like Fitz always had to prove how educated and smart he was (to Hallie, to his parents…) but eventually he learned how to shine by only showing how kind he was and I really liked that about him.

I also didn’t like how Hallie was so haughty at the very beginning, but I liked that she had a huge character development, too.

I must add that the relationship between the two of them felt a bit rushed. Even though I liked the banter and the way they learned to communicate, I believe that they fell for each other a little too quickly.

Last but not least, the story was unnecessarily slow and long. I believe that less parts about politics and more parts about the love story would have been better because I actually rooted for Hallie and Fitz for the entirety of the story. They are a good match and I enjoyed seeing them grow together.

Overall I didn’t dislike this story, it was a pleasant reading and I liked how the characters learned from their past mistakes, but I have to admit I probably wouldn’t read this again.