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A review by onceandfuturereaders
Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Booked on a Feeling is a friends to lovers focused on Lizzy and Jack, two Korean-Americans who have been best friends for twenty years. Jack has loved Lizzy since they were 10. After Lizzy needs to take some time off from her anxiety inducing career, she goes to Jack's hometown to spend some time relaxing with him. Which obviously leads to their friendship taking a turn towards love.
Both of these characters were lovely - Jack is kind, caring, but painfully unsure of himself. He constantly feels like he's not good enough for those he loves, including Lizzy. Lizzy is a high-achieving lawyer whose anxiety leads to panic attacks. She's also unsure of herself, she's been following her mom's chosen path for her life and it's put her in a bad place mentally. They both had depth and easy to connect to feelings as individuals and it was easy to see why they were falling for each other.
I love a friends to lovers if it's done right and this one was fine. My main struggle was that I couldn't even say "these two are miscommunicating" because they just weren't communicating! The book was all kissing and then internal dialogue. I enjoyed it, but I also kept wondering when things were going to pick up. It's a slow burn for sure and not a lot of spice (totally fine, but always something I try to note in reviews). There was a lot of talk of sexual tension and talk about each other in their internal dialogues, but a lot of the action was fade to black.
I struggled with an overall rating - I think I'd go a 3. It was cute, but it's not really leaving me with much to stand out and remember. I could totally see how it could be someone else's type of romance though! It's just not quite what I love in mine.
Things I liked: the very realistic nature of Lizzy's anxiety; the bookstore plot lines - I literally want to revamp a small bookstore after this; the friendship and obvious affection between the two of them; Lizzy's arrival in Jack's town; and the family connection that Jack's family had. I actually wish there'd been a little more about that - his family seemed so close and I loved the contrast between them and Lizzy's family.
Things I didn't care for: the lack of communication - I just kept begging them to talk to each other about their feelings; the excess kissing, but fade to black action just wasn't really my vibe; and Lizzy's relationship with her mom. I had a lot of background questions - like where did Lizzy live after her parents moved back to Korea? How did Jack and Lizzy meet? Just a few more details would have been appreciated.
All in all it was a cute, quick read but I'm not sure it'll stick with me. Again, I think this is a great read for the right audience. If you like friends to lovers, slow burns, and kissing books, this one is for you.
Thanks to Net Galley, St. Martin's Press, and Jayci Lee for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Both of these characters were lovely - Jack is kind, caring, but painfully unsure of himself. He constantly feels like he's not good enough for those he loves, including Lizzy. Lizzy is a high-achieving lawyer whose anxiety leads to panic attacks. She's also unsure of herself, she's been following her mom's chosen path for her life and it's put her in a bad place mentally. They both had depth and easy to connect to feelings as individuals and it was easy to see why they were falling for each other.
I love a friends to lovers if it's done right and this one was fine. My main struggle was that I couldn't even say "these two are miscommunicating" because they just weren't communicating! The book was all kissing and then internal dialogue. I enjoyed it, but I also kept wondering when things were going to pick up. It's a slow burn for sure and not a lot of spice (totally fine, but always something I try to note in reviews). There was a lot of talk of sexual tension and talk about each other in their internal dialogues, but a lot of the action was fade to black.
I struggled with an overall rating - I think I'd go a 3. It was cute, but it's not really leaving me with much to stand out and remember. I could totally see how it could be someone else's type of romance though! It's just not quite what I love in mine.
Things I liked: the very realistic nature of Lizzy's anxiety; the bookstore plot lines - I literally want to revamp a small bookstore after this; the friendship and obvious affection between the two of them; Lizzy's arrival in Jack's town; and the family connection that Jack's family had. I actually wish there'd been a little more about that - his family seemed so close and I loved the contrast between them and Lizzy's family.
Things I didn't care for: the lack of communication - I just kept begging them to talk to each other about their feelings; the excess kissing, but fade to black action just wasn't really my vibe; and Lizzy's relationship with her mom. I had a lot of background questions - like where did Lizzy live after her parents moved back to Korea? How did Jack and Lizzy meet? Just a few more details would have been appreciated.
All in all it was a cute, quick read but I'm not sure it'll stick with me. Again, I think this is a great read for the right audience. If you like friends to lovers, slow burns, and kissing books, this one is for you.
Thanks to Net Galley, St. Martin's Press, and Jayci Lee for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness