A review by gi_reads30
The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest

funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thanks Netgallery and Berkley romance for the ARC of The Partner Plot in exchange of an honest review.


“There were multiple iterations of their love. Violet and Xavier then…Maybe Violet and Xavier now?”
 
Plot summary: 
 
10 years after their heartbreaking break up, Violet and Xavier found each other again a night in Las Vegas. One thing led to another, and they woke up with not only a severe hangover, but with wedding rings on their fingers. They soon find out that "being married" could benefit them both, so why not pretend for a little bit. But with both being each other’s true love, will those feelings come back? Will they take a chance on their relationship now that they live both very different lives? 
 
Read if you like:
-       High School Sweethearts
-       Second chance romance
-       Marriage of Convenience
-       SLOW BURN
-       No third act break up. 
 
Review: 
 
I want to start by saying that I absolutely LOVED this book, for many reasons. First, I read The Neighbor Favor last year, and while I liked it, I wasn’t completely sold. I was hesitant to request this ARC but since I liked Violet’s character in the previous book, I requested it. I AM SO GLAD I DID. This book is such an improvement from the previous one (again, not saying that The Neighbor Favor was bad, it was just not my favorite). Kristina Forest’s writing had matured so much, and the way the story was told, the banter and the moments of pining are just so good in this one. I loved how even though the story was a second chance romance there wasn’t too many flashbacks to their relationship before their breakup, but just enough to understand as a reader where they were at the time, they ended things. Both characters proved they have grown so much, and that they have learned from their mistakes. I adored Violet, how real and determined she was, and Xavier was just such a great mmc. They both were just meant to be, and I felt that through the story. 
 
One thing I do want to note, just because I feel this could be something people don’t particularly like, is their conflict. There might be slight spoilers ahead so beware. Their conflict stemmed out of a very REAL fear. Look, I can't judge Violet and the way she handled the conflict or say, "but she is an adult she needs to communicate”, because after heartbreak, true painful heartbreak, it’s not easy to trust again, it’s more than natural to fear again. It’s not an easy thing to do. Violet needed someone like Xavier, to not only prove that everything would be okay, but to be there to lean on, and he did exactly that. He never tried to justify the past, rather he said he was sorry, he learned from his mistakes and gave her all the reassurance that this time around, they were going to make it. Which is why I love how this story developed, it’s a slow burn but it feels realistic. SURE, the whole "fake marriage thing" is part of the tropes that starts up the plot but them as a couple, and them giving another chance to the relationship that changed their lives when they were kids, feels authentic and beautifully real.
 
All and all, I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait to see Iris’s story in the next one!