A review by kparenteau
It's Different This Time by Joss Richard

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

1.5

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book started out promising (I love a good friends to lovers), but it ultimately fell flat. I found the characters to be very one-dimensional to the point where I didn't really care what happened to them in the end. The initial conflict 5 years ago and the second conflict were both things that could've been solved with a simple conversation, and I felt like I was reading about teenagers communicating when the characters are in their 30s.
The New York part of the book also felt a bit too hallmark-y? It all felt very unrealistic and too cheesy.
There were also some typos, mostly missing quotation marks, enough of them that it was hard to overlook.