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A review by moriak
The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis
1.0
The entire plot of the book is revealed by reading the back cover and first two chapters. What follows is a trip from point A to point Z stopping only at a few letters and bypassing the rest. It centers on two lifelong “frenemies” who are also half-sisters (only one of them knows this at the beginning of the book). Despite brief flashbacks to the women’s childhoods, it’s never explained exactly why they hate each other so much. The feud comes off more like normal kid stuff, not the sort of full-on bullying that would justify the obnoxious behavior of these grown adults.
And let me be clear: these women are AWFUL. And there is no clear reason why anyone endures their dramatics for the sake of friendship. There’s a lot of telling the reader how wonderful the two actually are, but all we see is selfish, immature behavior. There is a millimeter of personal growth from Kinsey, but alas we see Brynn pulling the same secretive nonsense in the epilogue that she does in the first chapter.
I wish the book had done more showing than telling, and that it had left a few plot twists hidden for a bit. Overall, not an enjoyable read.
And let me be clear: these women are AWFUL. And there is no clear reason why anyone endures their dramatics for the sake of friendship. There’s a lot of telling the reader how wonderful the two actually are, but all we see is selfish, immature behavior. There is a millimeter of personal growth from Kinsey, but alas we see Brynn pulling the same secretive nonsense in the epilogue that she does in the first chapter.
I wish the book had done more showing than telling, and that it had left a few plot twists hidden for a bit. Overall, not an enjoyable read.