A review by readwithev
Seeds of Betrayal by Lola Lockhart

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? Yes

1.5

Overall, this book was ok. The book is primarily slow burn brother’s best friend which is a romance trope I love. However, the quality of writing, plot points, and character development (or lack thereof) really bring the story down down. There are too many cons to give this book more than 1.5⭐️ I know my criticism may seem harsh but I feel like writers/editors can do better.
Pros:
  • The banter - the dialogue between Alfie (MMC) and Tara (MFC) was funny and cute. I actually caught myself smiling. Even the jokes between their friends felt natural.
  • The spicy scenes 🌶️ were pretty tame but still romantic and not cringy 
  • The stargazing scene outside the geology lab where Tara and Alfie discuss rocks and fossils
  • Alfie’s artistic skills & drawing Tara
  • Alfie and Tara flirting by talking nerdy science to each other
  • Drake’s confiding in Alfie at the end of the book
  • Alfie getting protective of Tara.
Cons:
  • The title makes no sense. Neither of the characters betray each other.
  • chapter 20 the author refers to Tara, Alfie, Ethan and Paiges’s double date as the night before. But then in the same chapter, the author says “the date is tonight.” Makes the timeline feel inaccurate
  • “You think you know what you want but you have no idea what you’re asking for.” Alfie says this line 3 times in the whole book. Feels contrite and lacks creativity
  • Author repeatedly used the adjectives “wrecked” and “chaos”
  • Tara constantly describes her childhood and parents as controlling and managing her life. Again, would have liked if the author used more descriptive words like “suffocating” “restricting” “condescending” “hovering.”
  • Tara being 21 yrs old and constantly walking around with a chip on her shoulder felt relatable. However, the author repeats it so many times when anyone even remotely questions Tara’s decisions. it starts to lose its effectiveness. Example: chapter 20
  • Chapter 30 the club scene after Tara’s 22nd birthday party makes no sense. It doesn’t add any info or create tension for the story. Plus Tara and Alfie just fought in chap 29 but now they’re flirting and touching? Its giving whiplash.
  • Chapter 31 Alfie’s grandma offers him relationship advice. It seems redundant since he already got advice from Ethan and Freddie. I think it would have been more pivotal for his development if she’d advised him on how to rebel against his mom and their Spencer family legacy, especially since Gran is viewed as the rebel. She could have reassured him that his path as a research scientist was right and he was doing what was best for himself.
  • Troy accepts Alfie and Tara’s relationship with very little convincing, even he was described as super protective.
  • Chapter 32 when Tara goes to Alfie’s house after seeing the flip book video on social media. I think the chapter would have been better from Alfie’s perspective instead. We would see his doubt, fear, shock etc. here it seems unnecessarily confrontational. Also, tara doesn’t really confess anything. Moreover, I would hsve preferred if Alfie mentioned how his family paid off Drake’s ex girlfriend when she got pregnant. That would have communicated to Tara why he was afraid she could get hurt or manipulated.
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