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Butterface by Avery Flynn
5.0

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Butterface is a laugh-out-loud funny and sweet romantic comedy that gets the truth about love, and looks, right. Main character Gina Luca practices being honest with herself on the daily. She has a big nose, she has her dream job, and she has brothers with careers that aren't quite legal. She isn't expecting to win any beauty pageants, but her personality in this novel shines brighter than any beauty queen's smile. Ford Hartigan is a handsome guy, a cop unfortunately, and apparently blind, at least that's what Gina thinks. He's also got his own insecurities, as the only cop in a family of firefighter brothers and pretty sisters, he follows every single rule even if it isn't what he really wants. The two have a by-chance meeting, the kind that makes readers laugh and character's faces turn red. When the two are pushed together again it's an opportunity both take advantage of, unaware that they're allowing their insecurities to stop trust from building between them.

"He glanced down, making eye contact, and for a second they weren't the hottie and the nottie."

I loved Butterface, I wasn't expecting the true-to-reality story we got from Avery Flynn, but boy did I enjoy it. Gina is a classic romantic comedy woman, with a few flaws, some klutzy behaviors, and in her case a face she doesn't find beautiful, but someone else does. Ford is absolutely the most by the book cop I've ever read in a book, but it makes him endearing, especially with him falling for Gina and the family she belongs to. It seems too easy, a hot cop and a wedding planner and happily ever after, but the two have secrets and both struggle to overcome the image of themselves they've believed for so long. Avery Flynn tells an engaging romance that makes you both laugh and feel a bit of emotion as you hope that Gina one day realizes she's beautiful and deserving of love too. Ford and Gina don't have it easy, neither are perfect, but it makes their relationship and their chemistry all the more believable.

"Ford Hartigan, are you breaking the rules?"

Butterface is a powerful rom-com, it has a meaningful message built in with the laughs. It has a bit of a feminist roar to it, with Gina owning her flaws, fighting for her dream, and accepting only good into her life, even if it takes a few messy tries first. It's a story readers will embrace and connect with, because we all want to feel beautiful in our skin and loved for just being who we are. I really enjoyed this book and I definitely can't wait for the next. Avery Flynn has a new fan in me.

ARC provided by Entangled Publishing, LLC.