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A review by aliu6
If the Shoe Fits by E.J. Noyes
4.0
4.25 stars
Jana Fleischer has high standards—at least, that's what she says when people tell her she needs to stop dumping guys for the silliest reasons. Jana doesn't need a man anyway when she has a loving and supportive family and a hot, er, super cool new best friend Brooke Donnelly. But soon Jana finds herself thinking that she may have found her perfect match—in Brooke! Can both Jana and Brooke overcome their fears and take a chance on love?
Once again, EJ Noyes does not disappoint. This was a fun read, and I really enjoyed watching the tension build up between the characters as they tried to figure out whether their feelings were returned or the other was just being ~friendly~.
That being said, there are a few serious topics tackled in this book: questioning one's sexual preferences/orientation, homophobic parents, self-harm. These are very real issues that members of the LGBTQ+ community deal with daily, and I appreciated their inclusion in this story.
I liked both characters a lot. Jana could be too hotheaded at times, and Brooke was sometimes wishy-washy, but I was definitely cheering them both on.
A few reasons why this didn't get the 5th star for me:
- It was a bit long. I was super into it until about 3/4 through, when I got a little restless. Not sure if there were some parts that could have been shortened or if it just needed a bit more action.
- I thought some of the things that happened in the book were a bit unrealistic.
- There were also loose ends at the end that I didn't feel had been wrapped up or adequately addressed.
Still, for fans of the earlier Ask, Tell books should definitely pick up this book as well. Overall, it's an enjoyable read. Would recommend.
Jana Fleischer has high standards—at least, that's what she says when people tell her she needs to stop dumping guys for the silliest reasons. Jana doesn't need a man anyway when she has a loving and supportive family and a hot, er, super cool new best friend Brooke Donnelly. But soon Jana finds herself thinking that she may have found her perfect match—in Brooke! Can both Jana and Brooke overcome their fears and take a chance on love?
Once again, EJ Noyes does not disappoint. This was a fun read, and I really enjoyed watching the tension build up between the characters as they tried to figure out whether their feelings were returned or the other was just being ~friendly~.
That being said, there are a few serious topics tackled in this book: questioning one's sexual preferences/orientation, homophobic parents, self-harm. These are very real issues that members of the LGBTQ+ community deal with daily, and I appreciated their inclusion in this story.
I liked both characters a lot. Jana could be too hotheaded at times, and Brooke was sometimes wishy-washy, but I was definitely cheering them both on.
A few reasons why this didn't get the 5th star for me:
- It was a bit long. I was super into it until about 3/4 through, when I got a little restless. Not sure if there were some parts that could have been shortened or if it just needed a bit more action.
- I thought some of the things that happened in the book were a bit unrealistic.
Spoiler
Brooke ends up re-coming out to her dad and also telling him that she doesn't want to take over the family business. As someone with homophobic parents and the weight of their expectations on my shoulders, I would not have done that for someone I had started dating less than a month ago. Also, I thought they fell in love a bit too quickly. I get that they were friends first, but still, a few weeks in seems really early.- There were also loose ends at the end that I didn't feel had been wrapped up or adequately addressed.
Spoiler
These include: Brooke's relationship with her brother, the life-sized statue of Jana, Brooke's commissioned piece for Bec and Sabine, Jana's court case with the bisexual mother.Still, for fans of the earlier Ask, Tell books should definitely pick up this book as well. Overall, it's an enjoyable read. Would recommend.