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A review by imme_van_gorp
Egotistical Puckboy by Saxon James, Eden Finley
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
➛First read: February 2022 | ★4.5 stars
➛Second read: February 2023 | ★4.5 stars
➛Third read: May 2024 | ★2.0 stars
EDIT after my re-read:
I’m actually so disappointed in Past Me, because there’s no way I actually used to think this book was good, let alone amazing.
It was insanely superficial and literally offered nothing but smut and bad writing. There wasn’t a hint of depth or emotion or love to be found here; just sex and silly “banter”. It was also super boring and repetitive.
Seriously, what was wrong with me that I used to love this??
Original Review:
I was extremely hyped for this book, and I am incredibly glad to say that I am not disappointed! Not even close. It was maybe even better than I expected.
This book starts out with Ezra and Anton not liking each other. At all. They both think the other is infuriating to the max, and this does not change after they hook up for the first time. They don't suddenly think the other is a saint merely because of some good sex. Nope. It was a true dislike, and they only warm up to each other when they truly get to know each other over time. It was quite a slow-burn with regards to their actual feelings.
Eventually, they learn to love the exact things about each other they initially thought made them arseholes. I kind of loved that, because it made their relationship feel authentic and like it could actually work. Neither of them change their personalities or who they are: they remain the same they have always been. The only difference is how each of them feel about those traits.
Basically, they both learn to open up more and accept each other, resulting in respect, admiration and love.
When it comes to the two main characters, I started out with mixed feelings.
I never had an issue with Ezra, as I immediately thought he was a funny, entertaining, bubbly and sweet character. And okay, he was surely cocky and egotistical, but I mostly found that endearing, hot and humorous. All in all, he was immediately my favourite of the two.
Anton, however, needed some time for me to warm up to him. I didn't really like him at first, and his impression of Ezra grated on me slightly. His assessments of Ezra just didn't seem particularly fair to me. Anton also didn't have many interesting qualities about him at the start, since he was rather closed off and uptight in general. Nonetheless, when he finally starts to accept and love Ezra, he also changes into more of the real him. And that change was for the better. He became a bit more light-hearted, but he also had this extreme possessiveness. This possessiveness comes into play quite a few times, and I honestly couldn't get enough of it.
There's plenty of banter and snark here, but there's also a bit of angst to satisfy the general need for some more seriousness. The angst is definitely not super deep though, and could have been further explored, but I'm honestly not sure if that would have fit with the overall tone of the novel. So, really, the level of seriousness and angst in this particular story was fine with me.
The banter was just through the roof, though! It was really good! The chemistry between these two was simply amazing, and they didn’t have a single boring interaction.
I really liked this book and I can honestly not wait for when the second book comes out. I'm assuming the next book will be about Tripp and Dex, and seeing as I am a complete sucker for best friends-to-lovers and unrequited love, I am convinced this novel will be a hit for me.
➛Second read: February 2023 | ★4.5 stars
➛Third read: May 2024 | ★2.0 stars
EDIT after my re-read:
I’m actually so disappointed in Past Me, because there’s no way I actually used to think this book was good, let alone amazing.
It was insanely superficial and literally offered nothing but smut and bad writing. There wasn’t a hint of depth or emotion or love to be found here; just sex and silly “banter”. It was also super boring and repetitive.
Seriously, what was wrong with me that I used to love this??
Original Review:
I was extremely hyped for this book, and I am incredibly glad to say that I am not disappointed! Not even close. It was maybe even better than I expected.
This book starts out with Ezra and Anton not liking each other. At all. They both think the other is infuriating to the max, and this does not change after they hook up for the first time. They don't suddenly think the other is a saint merely because of some good sex. Nope. It was a true dislike, and they only warm up to each other when they truly get to know each other over time. It was quite a slow-burn with regards to their actual feelings.
Eventually, they learn to love the exact things about each other they initially thought made them arseholes. I kind of loved that, because it made their relationship feel authentic and like it could actually work. Neither of them change their personalities or who they are: they remain the same they have always been. The only difference is how each of them feel about those traits.
Basically, they both learn to open up more and accept each other, resulting in respect, admiration and love.
When it comes to the two main characters, I started out with mixed feelings.
I never had an issue with Ezra, as I immediately thought he was a funny, entertaining, bubbly and sweet character. And okay, he was surely cocky and egotistical, but I mostly found that endearing, hot and humorous. All in all, he was immediately my favourite of the two.
Anton, however, needed some time for me to warm up to him. I didn't really like him at first, and his impression of Ezra grated on me slightly. His assessments of Ezra just didn't seem particularly fair to me. Anton also didn't have many interesting qualities about him at the start, since he was rather closed off and uptight in general. Nonetheless, when he finally starts to accept and love Ezra, he also changes into more of the real him. And that change was for the better. He became a bit more light-hearted, but he also had this extreme possessiveness. This possessiveness comes into play quite a few times, and I honestly couldn't get enough of it.
There's plenty of banter and snark here, but there's also a bit of angst to satisfy the general need for some more seriousness. The angst is definitely not super deep though, and could have been further explored, but I'm honestly not sure if that would have fit with the overall tone of the novel. So, really, the level of seriousness and angst in this particular story was fine with me.
The banter was just through the roof, though! It was really good! The chemistry between these two was simply amazing, and they didn’t have a single boring interaction.
I really liked this book and I can honestly not wait for when the second book comes out. I'm assuming the next book will be about Tripp and Dex, and seeing as I am a complete sucker for best friends-to-lovers and unrequited love, I am convinced this novel will be a hit for me.