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A review by exteenawreads
The Scientist by Kristen B. Cole
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This is an excellent debut from Kristen B. Cole and a fun, respectfully spicy romance I'd recommend for fans of Ali Hazelwood and Christina Lauren (although, I was bummed that "The Scientist" was only the MMC, because I love a STEM female main character).
Overall I enjoyed the story, and especially was impressed by how much personality we get from the cast of side characters. It's a pet peeve of mine when the mains have one or two token friends who feel like they exist only to serve the protagonist's story, but here we have several people - the mom, Sarah, Nicky, etc - who all have fleshed out and unique personalities. Special shout out to Stuart (who was giving Jonah Hill from Accepted vibes) and Lionel - I'd read another book just centered around one of those two.
Things I like:
- the cover! Honestly its so pretty and unique, I was instantly intrigued
- the mains development a friendship first. There is essentially no lusting or flirting between them until maybe 40% in. I appreciate when there's some build up before a relationship happens.
- Lex, our MMC, is fully *obsessed* with her. He simps, he pines, he flaunts. It's very cute.
- Hadley, our FMC, is snarky and clever, and constantly dishing out the goofiest jokes. I will admit, at first I found her humor sort of too cheesy and dad-jokey, but it grew on me.
Things not for me:
- the way every male has to flirt with and comment on Hadley (and every other woman's) appearance. It felt like high school boy behavior, not post-graduate men. And they just never stop. It would make me so uncomfortable to be around these guys if I were her.
- I'm personally not a fan of third act breakups, although it was clear that where this was heading for a while
- although I love how obsessed Lex is, I got the ick from how overly possessive and sensitive he got (esp with Hadley's ex). You can't love and respect your lady if you aren't going to trust her and communicate with her!
- the pacing in the second half. I wish the main conflict at the end was teased sooner so there was some suspense or thread pulling us through
Thank you so much NetGalley and My Trope Productions for the ARC! Definitely check this out when it comes out in January 2025.💙
Overall I enjoyed the story, and especially was impressed by how much personality we get from the cast of side characters. It's a pet peeve of mine when the mains have one or two token friends who feel like they exist only to serve the protagonist's story, but here we have several people - the mom, Sarah, Nicky, etc - who all have fleshed out and unique personalities. Special shout out to Stuart (who was giving Jonah Hill from Accepted vibes) and Lionel - I'd read another book just centered around one of those two.
Things I like:
- the cover! Honestly its so pretty and unique, I was instantly intrigued
- the mains development a friendship first. There is essentially no lusting or flirting between them until maybe 40% in. I appreciate when there's some build up before a relationship happens.
- Lex, our MMC, is fully *obsessed* with her. He simps, he pines, he flaunts. It's very cute.
- Hadley, our FMC, is snarky and clever, and constantly dishing out the goofiest jokes. I will admit, at first I found her humor sort of too cheesy and dad-jokey, but it grew on me.
Things not for me:
- the way every male has to flirt with and comment on Hadley (and every other woman's) appearance. It felt like high school boy behavior, not post-graduate men. And they just never stop. It would make me so uncomfortable to be around these guys if I were her.
- I'm personally not a fan of third act breakups, although it was clear that where this was heading for a while
- although I love how obsessed Lex is, I got the ick from how overly possessive and sensitive he got (esp with Hadley's ex). You can't love and respect your lady if you aren't going to trust her and communicate with her!
- the pacing in the second half. I wish the main conflict at the end was teased sooner so there was some suspense or thread pulling us through
Thank you so much NetGalley and My Trope Productions for the ARC! Definitely check this out when it comes out in January 2025.💙
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent
Minor: Drug use