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A review by aliu6
Give in to Me by Elle Spencer
4.0
4.25 stars
This book was a really fun and engaging read for me. Like other reviewers have mentioned, it does take a turn in the last 20% which was unexpected, but it drew me in even more. One of the MCs ended up being not so great, and I'm not sure I wanted the couple to end up together, which is where this book lost some points.
--- The Breakdown ---
Whitney Ainsworth's career now consists of giving motivational talks to businesspeople. The author of a bestselling series, she's had major writer's block since her third book was a flop. Not just that, but her personal life is in the toilet. Her movie star wife left her for another woman. When Gabriela Talbot catches her eye at a hotel where she's giving a talk, Whitney realizes that maybe a one-night stand is exactly what she needs to cure her writer's block. After a night of great sex, Whitney learns that Gabriela is not quite who she seems. Whitney kicks Brie out of her life, but for some reason, she can't stop thinking about her...
cw: infidelity (by side character), divorce, briefly mentioned bullying/homophobia, police show up as minor side characters
The Characters: I loved Brie. She was warm and funny, and honestly I don't understand why she liked Whitney so much, beyond the famous author thing and physical attraction. I really liked Whitney in the beginning. She had lost some self-confidence, and she used a lot of self-deprecating humor, but I appreciated how real she seemed. After her first encounter with Brie, she's kind of cruel, and Brie ends up apologizing for it? I was willing to attribute that to distrust from her marriage, but later on, she's also cruel to Brie. She apologizes and Brie forgives her, but I didn't feel like that was enough. Aside from that, the characters were well-fleshed out, and I really enjoyed getting to know some of the side characters, including Reese, the ex-wife!
The Romance: It seemed kind of one-sided. A lot of it was Brie pining over Whitney for some reason. I appreciated the times when Brie held herself back and recognized that Whitney needed to make the next move, and that she couldn't always be the one chasing after Whitney. But I wasn't a fan of Brie and Whitney together. At some point towards the end, I was wondering if Elle Spencer was gonna pull off a huge twist and make Brie end up with another character, and honestly, I was down with that. I just didn't like how Whitney treated Brie, even when they were on good terms with each other. It felt like Brie was losing herself in Whitney and would do anything for her.
The Plot: It was more complex than I'm used to, and I kind of enjoyed being taken for a few turns. It revolves around Brie and Whitney's relationship, with some side plots thrown in about the book series, Brie's parents, and Brie's writing. Very engaging.
The Writing: Superb. Elle Spencer delivers! Everything flowed smoothly, and I enjoyed a lot of witty banter.
All in all: It was entertaining and I liked it despite its faults. As long as you're not expecting a sweeping, perfect romance, I would recommend!
*I received a free ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This book was a really fun and engaging read for me. Like other reviewers have mentioned, it does take a turn in the last 20% which was unexpected, but it drew me in even more. One of the MCs ended up being not so great, and I'm not sure I wanted the couple to end up together, which is where this book lost some points.
--- The Breakdown ---
Whitney Ainsworth's career now consists of giving motivational talks to businesspeople. The author of a bestselling series, she's had major writer's block since her third book was a flop. Not just that, but her personal life is in the toilet. Her movie star wife left her for another woman. When Gabriela Talbot catches her eye at a hotel where she's giving a talk, Whitney realizes that maybe a one-night stand is exactly what she needs to cure her writer's block. After a night of great sex, Whitney learns that Gabriela is not quite who she seems. Whitney kicks Brie out of her life, but for some reason, she can't stop thinking about her...
cw: infidelity (by side character), divorce, briefly mentioned bullying/homophobia, police show up as minor side characters
The Characters: I loved Brie. She was warm and funny, and honestly I don't understand why she liked Whitney so much, beyond the famous author thing and physical attraction. I really liked Whitney in the beginning. She had lost some self-confidence, and she used a lot of self-deprecating humor, but I appreciated how real she seemed. After her first encounter with Brie, she's kind of cruel, and Brie ends up apologizing for it? I was willing to attribute that to distrust from her marriage, but later on, she's also cruel to Brie. She apologizes and Brie forgives her, but I didn't feel like that was enough. Aside from that, the characters were well-fleshed out, and I really enjoyed getting to know some of the side characters, including Reese, the ex-wife!
The Romance: It seemed kind of one-sided. A lot of it was Brie pining over Whitney for some reason. I appreciated the times when Brie held herself back and recognized that Whitney needed to make the next move, and that she couldn't always be the one chasing after Whitney. But I wasn't a fan of Brie and Whitney together. At some point towards the end, I was wondering if Elle Spencer was gonna pull off a huge twist and make Brie end up with another character, and honestly, I was down with that. I just didn't like how Whitney treated Brie, even when they were on good terms with each other. It felt like Brie was losing herself in Whitney and would do anything for her.
The Plot: It was more complex than I'm used to, and I kind of enjoyed being taken for a few turns. It revolves around Brie and Whitney's relationship, with some side plots thrown in about the book series, Brie's parents, and Brie's writing. Very engaging.
The Writing: Superb. Elle Spencer delivers! Everything flowed smoothly, and I enjoyed a lot of witty banter.
All in all: It was entertaining and I liked it despite its faults. As long as you're not expecting a sweeping, perfect romance, I would recommend!
*I received a free ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.