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A review by mcdermottcecelia
The Godparent Trap by Rachel Van Dyken
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
I know I already said this in the title, but wow does this book feel like a nice hug. The Godparent Trap follows our two nemeses Colby and Rip as they navigate becoming parents overnight as their mutual friends (/Rip's family member) are killed in a car crash on their way to vacation. Despite this book being full of raw grief and sadness, there's so much light and joy in watching Colby and Rip navigate their new roles as co-guardians.
I'm not sure if enemies-to-lovers is quite the right tag, but Colby and Rip definitely start out at odds in this romance novel. Their journey to work together in order to make life easier for the two children is engaging and a total page-turner. The dialogue is great, and I loved the witty banter between the two. They really strive to figure out ways to work together and have intentional communication, so this novel does a great job at avoiding some common miscommunication tropes that are popular in the genre. I felt like the pacing was perfect, the structure was spot on, and the characters were well developed. This is totally a book you pick up and don't put down until it's finished (and that's certainly what I did).
My overall rating is probably closer to a 4.5 out a 5 stars. I did find the third act conflict to be a bit late, and I would've liked to see a couple more additional chapters between that point and the epilogue. I was excited to see the ending didn't follow one of my least favorite tropes in this genre, but it still felt a bit too quick to resolve. Maybe I just like to see the characters sweat a little bit more before things wrap up.
This book's premise isn't anything new, but it sure was well written. This is the first novel I've read by Rachel Van Dyken, but I'm looking to pick more up after having finished this one. If you're looking for a quick pick, I would totally recommend reading The Godparent Trap or adding it to your TBR.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not sure if enemies-to-lovers is quite the right tag, but Colby and Rip definitely start out at odds in this romance novel. Their journey to work together in order to make life easier for the two children is engaging and a total page-turner. The dialogue is great, and I loved the witty banter between the two. They really strive to figure out ways to work together and have intentional communication, so this novel does a great job at avoiding some common miscommunication tropes that are popular in the genre. I felt like the pacing was perfect, the structure was spot on, and the characters were well developed. This is totally a book you pick up and don't put down until it's finished (and that's certainly what I did).
My overall rating is probably closer to a 4.5 out a 5 stars. I did find the third act conflict to be a bit late, and I would've liked to see a couple more additional chapters between that point and the epilogue. I was excited to see the ending didn't follow one of my least favorite tropes in this genre, but it still felt a bit too quick to resolve. Maybe I just like to see the characters sweat a little bit more before things wrap up.
This book's premise isn't anything new, but it sure was well written. This is the first novel I've read by Rachel Van Dyken, but I'm looking to pick more up after having finished this one. If you're looking for a quick pick, I would totally recommend reading The Godparent Trap or adding it to your TBR.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, and Car accident
Moderate: Bullying, Death, and Death of parent