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A review by opalmars
Finally Fitz by Marisa Kanter
lighthearted
- 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
4.0
This was a sweet book!
I enjoyed Fitz as a MC. Her impostor syndrome and her struggles with her self-worth felt very real. The way she reacted to things made sense, given her situation (though I still wanted to shake her whenever she didn’t finish her assignments. The amount of second-hand embarrassment I felt for her, omgggggg 😵💫. Her creative block and burnout still made sense, though!). The only thing I didn’t love was the lowkey boomer message of her story lol. Like, I get it – she’s addicted to her phone and is constantly taking pictures instead of ~living in the moment~ or whatever. But… Idk. It just felt a little “phone bad, book good” at times. Not often, though! Her arc is mostly about introspection and burnout, and she DOES end up happily going back to her social media career, which I enjoyed!
Levi was lovelyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!! I am sick and tired of rude and cocky LIs. Give me sweet LIs, please!!! And that’s EXACTLY what this book gave me! Levi was great – caring, mature, understanding, just overall a sweetheart!I was honestly shocked during their 3rd act breakup, when Levi acts suuuuper out of character! Like, THAT’S NOT MY BOY??!?!?!?!? He later explains he was afraid of his feelings, so he purposefully tried to hurt her, but still. He did own up to his mistakes, though, which I appreciate!
Fitz and Levi’s romance was really sweet! Estranged childhood friends to lovers!! So cute!! I really liked seeing them reconnect and bond over things they used to love in the past, but also learn more about who each of them is in the present! The progression of their relationship felt very realistic, and I appreciate the slow burn! 😋
I also think the fake-dating was really fun! The book is very self-aware and calls out its own premise multiple times, which I appreciate. I also think the way the fake dating arc evolved made sense, despite the slightly eyeroll-y miscommunication (it’s nothing bad, though! Everything actually felt very realistic and not annoying!).
I do think the pop culture references were a bit much. I get that this is a book about a social media influencer, so some references are understandable. However, the author went a little crazy with the pop culture references, here. I didn’t need all of these shows, musicals, actors and locations to be mentioned all the time. I didn’t need the 30+ references to singers/bands (yes, 30+. I counted them. Multiple of them were Taylor Swift references, too. Can authors please stop mentioning that woman in books? It’s getting TIRING!!!!!! 😫). Anyways. This is just a nitpick, but yeah. I definitely noticed the incessant references.
But, overall, this was a really cute book, with a healthy relationship, a nice individual arc for the MC, and fast pace. I’d definitely recommend it, if it seems like something you’d enjoy!
I enjoyed Fitz as a MC. Her impostor syndrome and her struggles with her self-worth felt very real. The way she reacted to things made sense, given her situation (though I still wanted to shake her whenever she didn’t finish her assignments. The amount of second-hand embarrassment I felt for her, omgggggg 😵💫. Her creative block and burnout still made sense, though!). The only thing I didn’t love was the lowkey boomer message of her story lol. Like, I get it – she’s addicted to her phone and is constantly taking pictures instead of ~living in the moment~ or whatever. But… Idk. It just felt a little “phone bad, book good” at times. Not often, though! Her arc is mostly about introspection and burnout, and she DOES end up happily going back to her social media career, which I enjoyed!
Levi was lovelyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!! I am sick and tired of rude and cocky LIs. Give me sweet LIs, please!!! And that’s EXACTLY what this book gave me! Levi was great – caring, mature, understanding, just overall a sweetheart!
Fitz and Levi’s romance was really sweet! Estranged childhood friends to lovers!! So cute!! I really liked seeing them reconnect and bond over things they used to love in the past, but also learn more about who each of them is in the present! The progression of their relationship felt very realistic, and I appreciate the slow burn! 😋
I also think the fake-dating was really fun! The book is very self-aware and calls out its own premise multiple times, which I appreciate. I also think the way the fake dating arc evolved made sense, despite the slightly eyeroll-y miscommunication (it’s nothing bad, though! Everything actually felt very realistic and not annoying!).
I do think the pop culture references were a bit much. I get that this is a book about a social media influencer, so some references are understandable. However, the author went a little crazy with the pop culture references, here. I didn’t need all of these shows, musicals, actors and locations to be mentioned all the time. I didn’t need the 30+ references to singers/bands (yes, 30+. I counted them. Multiple of them were Taylor Swift references, too. Can authors please stop mentioning that woman in books? It’s getting TIRING!!!!!! 😫). Anyways. This is just a nitpick, but yeah. I definitely noticed the incessant references.
But, overall, this was a really cute book, with a healthy relationship, a nice individual arc for the MC, and fast pace. I’d definitely recommend it, if it seems like something you’d enjoy!