A review by dlrosebyh
The Playlist by Morgan Elizabeth

lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

"Don't judge a book by its cover," as the saying goes. Oh, I might as well start to follow that. Look at the cover—it has the lover sunglasses, the fuck the patriarchy red keychain, the mirrorball, the red converse, the letters—so it's Taylor Swift coded—and that's one of the things this book thrives at. Each chapter is titled after a Taylor Swift song, and the song title is tied to the chapter's content in some way. Other than that, let me go over the book's pros and cons. 
 
Let's start with the pros. It certainly contains well-thought-out information. It's quite difficult to connect song lyrics to chapter content. Next, it was clear that the author was really a swiftie. The author is knowledgeable of the references, dates, and so forth. Finally, I enjoyed how rom-com-y it was. If you need a good chuckle, the comedy in this book is not forced, unlike other novels. 
 
So, bear with me since the cons are numerous. To begin with, the characters were undeveloped. I mean, Zander was obviously awful from the start, but I was expecting for some character growth. He was extremely controlling and obsessed with her, which was really annoying. I get that he wants her to have fun, but with how controlling he is? I doubt they were happily married for at least three years. He was also subtly misogynistic, but the author will always pull the “he was raised with a feminist mother and sister” card. 
 
Zoe's character development was better than Zander's, although I wish she would speak up for herself in some instances. I don't have much to say about her other that, I found her relatable in some way. 
 
Zander and Zoe were... dare I say, toxic together? I mentioned earlier that Zander is rather controlling, and Zoe seldom speaks out for herself. Zoe didn't have the best communication skills either. Although the author implies that Zander knows her better than she knows herself, unless he's some kind of magician, which he isn't, Zander won't know all that runs through her mind. I wish Zander had allowed Zoe to speak out at some point, because he had crossed certain boundaries several times. 
 
Let's go on to the plot. The premise was fascinating, but the execution was poor. It became too repetitive. It's always Zander pushing Zoe out of her comfort zone, Zoe gets upset but eventually says yes, Zander does some romantic stuff involving Taylor Swift songs, then Zoe backs out because she's worried about the future. Furthermore, it was enjoyable for a time, but as you repeat anything, it definitely becomes duller. 
 
This novel is marketed as childhood friends to lovers, and don't get me wrong, that's exactly what it was, but there was something missing. If someone had warned me that the cheating trope was in this novel, I would have run away as fast as I could.
 
Finally, let us bring up the writing style. It was simple to read, a little childish at times, but still bearable. And though, a large chunk of this plot hinges, once again, around Taylor Swift references. Moreover, as much as I admire the author's use of Taylor Swift references, I found them to be too forced and cringe-worthy. It reminded me of me attempting to get my non-Swiftie friends to listen to Taylor Swift for the millionth time in less than a week. 
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