A review by scookiecat
Forever After All by Catharina Maura

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Now now, you would think this book having some of my favourite tropes - marriage of convenience + brother's bestfriend (mixed in a very wild context) would have me eating it up. I was fully prepared to but after the description of the FMC justifying that the MMC didn't recognise was due to a super massive glow up was well, uncomfortable to say the least.

Like I get people physically change, but not even with her face, 3 things question and nickname could the MMC figure out who she was??? C'mon. It also felt like the relationship you had in highschool, the MMC was hot-cold every other chapter and the FMC drowning in her insecurities (tbh I would be too girl). He makes it so obvious that it's purely physical and sorta mistreats her. She on the other hand, leans into the self-deprecation and decides that to the only way to "help" and "appreciate" him is to fulfil their agreement by letting him use her.

Adding on the fact that he basically became an obsessed stalker towards the end in a plot to win her back? (cue Joe Goldberg) And only wanted to talk to her because she was potentially seeing someone that he couldn't verify about. Overall this book gave me a bit of an ick.

Thank you, but no thank you, next.