secretbookgarden 's review for:

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood

fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I am not giving this book a rating because I can't decide if I love or hate this book. Because dammit these messy people are addicting and of course they get a sweet ending and I'm grinning. BUT ALSO. Problematic romance is the understatement. If you love to hate read, this is the book for you because it was extremely addicting despite how much I couldn't stand the main characters. 

As someone who often reads historical romances, I have a lot of space in my romance reading for relationships that aren't totally up to modern egalitarian/gender-theory/feminist standards. In fact, I really appreciate when an author takes the time to think through how their characters would actually exist in their chosen settings and plays with those rules. I think it shows more skill than just throwing a modern feminist lead character into a historical time period without giving any mind to the culture of their time. 

So I don't need all of my characters to be perfect people, alright? Even in a modern setting. I can appreciate reading about messy people being messy. It can be fun when done well. 

But Coner Harkness is giving serious Edward Cullen vibes and it's very icky!  Controlling, directly insulting her, infantilizing, and talking down to her one moment. Then the next moment he's flirting and clearly into her or trying to be friends. He absolutely hates whenever she tries to flirt with anyone else and insults her taste in guys, and attempts to forbid her from being with anyone else, but then absolutely refuses to admit that it's because he likes her, just claims bs about "safety" and how immature she is. The moment I have the most respect for her is when she calls him out on this. When they do get together physically, he refuses to believe her when she says she wants him, though he does finally admit to wanting her - begrudgingly. He is insufferable and doesn't believe her words. Literally tells her multiple times that she doesn't know her own mind because she's too young. At 25. A fully fledged adult. At no point in this book does he LISTEN to to Maya. 

When they FINALLY figure it all out, the issues are brushed over WAY too quickly. I want him to GROVEL at the end here he doesn't even directly apologize at any point! And it's just not enough. The turn is just too quick. Honestly, I wish we were in his head too. Even just for one chapter at the climactic fight moment. This is part of why I like dual perspective romance novels. It gives you something to hang onto while the male lead is generally being really stupid for 80% of the book. At least you know on the inside he's got more going on. 

Maya, on the other hand, reads as very juvenile despite all her protesting that she's an adult. (If you have to keep saying it, maybe that says something). I find myself actually agreeing with everyone who points out their age and experience gap, which is not what you want in an age gap romance. She literally throws multiple tantrums including stomping her foot and shouting that the author attempts to give more depth by calling them "anger issues." Being completely unable to control yourself isn't cute. She is incredibly self-centered, by her own words throughout the book. Meanwhile, she's frustrated that everyone keeps treating her like a child (which they absolutely are!) but also she's acting like a child! She is absolutely exhausting. And every time Coner points it out, I agree with him but also he's such a dick about it that I don't want to be agreeing with him! 

Also, while this isn't on the author, the audiobook narrators don't... match. The voice actress for Maya sounds like she's living in a romcom and the actor for Coner feels like he's from a grim dark historical. It makes the constant cutting between them very jarring. The directing for these two voice actors sounds like two different styles and it was annoying for the entire book. Especially because it wasn't dual perspective, so you didn't get to settle in and get used to Corner's voice. It's just spliced in for his actual dialogue, but then the Maya narrator says all of the "he saids" and similar. 

Look this is a rant and I'm fully aware that I'm taking this too seriously. It's just a book and it warned us in the title that these characters would be problematic. This is entirely the point! It's watching two very messy people being messy together and it does have its moments of spice and sweetness.

I did finish it because dammit her writing is addictive, I do like to watch a train wreck happen in a beautiful Italian villa, and of course the sex was hot because it always is (even if also having it's problematic moments!) 

I was grinning for them at the end of course. Who doesn't love two very messed up people finally getting it together for each other? But god these characters nearly put me through the roof in the process.