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A review by roget
Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
2.0
“About a starchy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn,” the blurb says.
Eh…
More like twice. Ish?
Look, that’s not where my issues originate here. I don’t mind a short “grumpy” arch in a grumpyXsunshine style ship, though I think this story would’ve benefitted from keeping Julian distant for longer.
This book follows Julian, an exacting Stanford professor home on some sort of sabbatical to write a novel, and Hallie, a landscaper who’s feeling unmoored since the loss of her grandmother. She’s had a crush on Julian since high school, but he doesn’t remember her. They have a spark, though, and the story follows them as they try to see if it can be cultivated into something more.
Both characters had strong and promising backstories, but the plot fell quite flat. With all the room for real conflict and real development, the turns the book took often felt contrived and boring.
I wanted more about Julian’s anxiety. I wanted him to actually come into serious conflict with Hallie’s way of managing her time. In real life, that would’ve happened, and it might’ve been enough to sink them as a couple. But instead, Julian seems to constantly sugar coat even her most destructive or unhealthy behaviors (pointless theft?). He doesn’t need to lecture her or criticize her, but his constant internal insistence that she has no flaws rang more and more false with his every repetition. It made the relationship feel grounded in an unreality that will capsize because Julian does not truly know or accept her. He has not yet been truly inconvenienced by her. Their love wasn’t tested.
And that makes this a sort of flimsy romance story.
This wasn’t helped by the lack of clear reasons for Julian to be interested in Hallie, beyond his physical attraction. Look, spice isn’t my thing, but usually Bailey’s books have an interesting love story between those parts.
Most of Julian’s reflections were just him drooling over Hallie’s body. There was very little development given to his relationship with her internal characteristics.
And his anxiety was left pretty underdeveloped. We were told some things there, near the end, but most of the story sort of sidelined it, and the reader is left with the understanding that for the most part, Julian’s symptoms go away when he’s with Hallie because he’s too distracted by his attraction for her. (I am not a fan of that take.) I was glad to see that it wasn’t magically cured, but I feel the development there was unclear and didn’t quite ring true to me, personally. (Of course, others may disagree!)
I don’t know. :/ I wanted to enjoy this one, but it fell a bit flat for me, unfortunately.
Tldr: Physical attraction doesn’t cure anxiety. Pretending your partner is flawless to avoid conflict is a recipe for burnout, poor conflict management, and eventual hurt feelings.
**Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest feedback.**
Eh…
More like twice. Ish?
Look, that’s not where my issues originate here. I don’t mind a short “grumpy” arch in a grumpyXsunshine style ship, though I think this story would’ve benefitted from keeping Julian distant for longer.
This book follows Julian, an exacting Stanford professor home on some sort of sabbatical to write a novel, and Hallie, a landscaper who’s feeling unmoored since the loss of her grandmother. She’s had a crush on Julian since high school, but he doesn’t remember her. They have a spark, though, and the story follows them as they try to see if it can be cultivated into something more.
Both characters had strong and promising backstories, but the plot fell quite flat. With all the room for real conflict and real development, the turns the book took often felt contrived and boring.
I wanted more about Julian’s anxiety. I wanted him to actually come into serious conflict with Hallie’s way of managing her time. In real life, that would’ve happened, and it might’ve been enough to sink them as a couple. But instead, Julian seems to constantly sugar coat even her most destructive or unhealthy behaviors (pointless theft?). He doesn’t need to lecture her or criticize her, but his constant internal insistence that she has no flaws rang more and more false with his every repetition. It made the relationship feel grounded in an unreality that will capsize because Julian does not truly know or accept her. He has not yet been truly inconvenienced by her. Their love wasn’t tested.
And that makes this a sort of flimsy romance story.
This wasn’t helped by the lack of clear reasons for Julian to be interested in Hallie, beyond his physical attraction. Look, spice isn’t my thing, but usually Bailey’s books have an interesting love story between those parts.
Most of Julian’s reflections were just him drooling over Hallie’s body. There was very little development given to his relationship with her internal characteristics.
And his anxiety was left pretty underdeveloped. We were told some things there, near the end, but most of the story sort of sidelined it, and the reader is left with the understanding that for the most part, Julian’s symptoms go away when he’s with Hallie because he’s too distracted by his attraction for her. (I am not a fan of that take.) I was glad to see that it wasn’t magically cured, but I feel the development there was unclear and didn’t quite ring true to me, personally. (Of course, others may disagree!)
I don’t know. :/ I wanted to enjoy this one, but it fell a bit flat for me, unfortunately.
Tldr: Physical attraction doesn’t cure anxiety. Pretending your partner is flawless to avoid conflict is a recipe for burnout, poor conflict management, and eventual hurt feelings.
**Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest feedback.**
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Grief and Death