read_like_a_bee 's review for:

The Art of Marrying Your Enemy by Alina Jacobs

3.0

dark emotional slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Discussion about trauma, confinement due to kidnapping, and bullying. 

Honestly didn’t suck me in the way The Art of Awkward Affection did. If anything it aggravated me to the point of wanting to through my kindle out the window on multiple occasions just within the first half of the novel. I had such high hopes for this novel between the quotes I came across before getting it, and after having read The Art of Awkward Affection, but The Art of Marrying Your Enemy was a major let down for me. There were points where I thought maybe it would pick up then there would be an interaction between some of the characters and I had to put it down again. 

Between Aaron’s personality, his family’s way of putting his mother’s wants and needs above everything and everyone else despite how horribly she treats absolutely everyone, Aaron included both in placating and being treated like absolute garbage, and Daisy’s incessant need to do things to piss Aaron off, I had such a hard time getting through this. I understand that Aaron’s grandparents want to make their daughter’s life easier after everything she went through, but it honestly seems like everything they do just makes everything worse for everyone, especially their daughter cause they are letting her treat everyone like crap and guilt trip everyone into doing what she wants even if there are more pressing matters than her basically throwing a tantrum. Usually I can get with a stubborn female lead and a grumpy male lead with issues, but not this time. This was probably the hardest read I had in a while.

Even though I’m glad I stuck it out and finished the book, I cannot in good conscience recommend this book. It picked up and was significantly better in the second half but the first half felt like absolute torture in some parts. So if you enjoyed the first book and want to give this one a try cause you have high hopes, then I’d say proceed with caution. Otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend reading this book.