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The writing here was less than amazing. The story and characterizations seemed excessively superficial - Abby's a shy bookworm librarian, Gabrielle's a beautiful but distant model, they bond over a shared love of books. There really isn't any more to it than that, and I wanted there to be. I found it hard to understand their attraction to one another, especially given how terribly awkward their earlier encounters are; this is the place where most books will fall back on the (lazy, imo) excuse of sexual chemistry, but with Abby being asexual, we don't even have that.
The conflict is also cheap; Gabrielle is excessively secretive over stupid things (the reason given is past betrayal, but her refusal to divulge even the most inconsequential of personal details is excessive and off-putting), and the biggest obstacle they face is a Big Misunderstanding sparked by a half-overheard conversation. Ugh.
There was also a noticeable reliance on lazy clichés, peaking when ostensibly well-read Abby literally uses the "tip of the iceberg" cliché to describe Gabrielle (whose industry nickname is the Ice Queen), talking like it's this amazing, fresh new metaphor she's just come up with. Really?
All that said, it was a sweet story, and I did like Abby as a protagonist. I liked that she was a librarian who liked reading, without it turning into a librarians-get-paid-to-sit-around-reading-all-day stereotype (the author seems to have a more-than-passing familiarity with the actual workings of libraries, which, as a library worker myself, was refreshing), and I particularly appreciated that she was mostly uninterested in fashion and looks but did get dolled up for parties and dates, without it turning into an ugly duckling makeover situation. The actual progression of her and Gabby's relationship was also satisfying, even if its motivations were unclear. And I especially liked the way the author handled Abby's asexuality - while there were occasional obvious Educational Exposition moments, it was mostly just (rightfully) treated as a part of who she was, and the way it was handled in the context of the relationship felt satisfyingly deft and believable. I was concerned for a minute toward the end thatGabrielle was going to turn out to be ace, too, which would have been WAY too neat and convenient for me , but that was neatly avoided and I like the actual resolution so much better.
So for writing and story alone, this probably would've maxed out at two stars for me, but it gets a bonus star for its handling of asexuality (and maybe a little because I really liked the library subplot). And it was a quick read, so there are certainly worse ways to spend an afternoon.
The conflict is also cheap; Gabrielle is excessively secretive over stupid things (the reason given is past betrayal, but her refusal to divulge even the most inconsequential of personal details is excessive and off-putting), and the biggest obstacle they face is a Big Misunderstanding sparked by a half-overheard conversation. Ugh.
There was also a noticeable reliance on lazy clichés, peaking when ostensibly well-read Abby literally uses the "tip of the iceberg" cliché to describe Gabrielle (whose industry nickname is the Ice Queen), talking like it's this amazing, fresh new metaphor she's just come up with. Really?
All that said, it was a sweet story, and I did like Abby as a protagonist. I liked that she was a librarian who liked reading, without it turning into a librarians-get-paid-to-sit-around-reading-all-day stereotype (the author seems to have a more-than-passing familiarity with the actual workings of libraries, which, as a library worker myself, was refreshing), and I particularly appreciated that she was mostly uninterested in fashion and looks but did get dolled up for parties and dates, without it turning into an ugly duckling makeover situation. The actual progression of her and Gabby's relationship was also satisfying, even if its motivations were unclear. And I especially liked the way the author handled Abby's asexuality - while there were occasional obvious Educational Exposition moments, it was mostly just (rightfully) treated as a part of who she was, and the way it was handled in the context of the relationship felt satisfyingly deft and believable. I was concerned for a minute toward the end that
So for writing and story alone, this probably would've maxed out at two stars for me, but it gets a bonus star for its handling of asexuality (and maybe a little because I really liked the library subplot). And it was a quick read, so there are certainly worse ways to spend an afternoon.