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lbuck303's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bex_readz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"BE LIKE GOUDA. KNOW YOUR WORTH."
Plot- 4/5🔆
This was a fast, easy read. It felt pretty low stakes and like I could just read and enjoy the plot. The conflict between main characters was resolved quickly which I am a huge fan of. I hate miscommunication tropes that drag out. All of the characters were enjoyable. It felt like a grief healing journey for everyone.
Plot- 4/5🔆
This was a fast, easy read. It felt pretty low stakes and like I could just read and enjoy the plot. The conflict between main characters was resolved quickly which I am a huge fan of. I hate miscommunication tropes that drag out. All of the characters were enjoyable. It felt like a grief healing journey for everyone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Gaslighting
abray701's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I have loved all of Emma Lord's novels thus far and I am so excited to see her venture into Adult Romance.
June and Levi are childhood friends who have barely spoken in the last ten years, but after they both go through embarrassing, public break-ups, that go viral across social media, Levi returns to their hometown where June is running a failing tea shop. A photo of them together spreads online leading the internet to believe they are a couple. They decide to seize the opportunity and keep up the ruse in hopes that the increase in business will be enough to save June's shop and that Levi will be able to make his ex jealous.
I really loved this novel. I have adored Lord's writing in her YA novels and I am pleased to say that I felt the same about this one. Something that I have always loved about her characters is the growth that they go through as they are learning who they are and coming into adulthood. I worried that I would miss that in a romance with older characters, but June and Levi are also at a real crossroads in their lives and I was happy to find that they too went through a lot of personal growth and discovery.
The fake dates were fun and quirky in the delightful way they only can be in rom-coms. I really felt the connection between them and was rooting for their love right alongside all of their online shippers. This novel did feel a bit heavier than Lord's other ones, due to the recent passing of a loved one, but I thought it was well balanced with her beautiful words on grief and love.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
June and Levi are childhood friends who have barely spoken in the last ten years, but after they both go through embarrassing, public break-ups, that go viral across social media, Levi returns to their hometown where June is running a failing tea shop. A photo of them together spreads online leading the internet to believe they are a couple. They decide to seize the opportunity and keep up the ruse in hopes that the increase in business will be enough to save June's shop and that Levi will be able to make his ex jealous.
I really loved this novel. I have adored Lord's writing in her YA novels and I am pleased to say that I felt the same about this one. Something that I have always loved about her characters is the growth that they go through as they are learning who they are and coming into adulthood. I worried that I would miss that in a romance with older characters, but June and Levi are also at a real crossroads in their lives and I was happy to find that they too went through a lot of personal growth and discovery.
The fake dates were fun and quirky in the delightful way they only can be in rom-coms. I really felt the connection between them and was rooting for their love right alongside all of their online shippers. This novel did feel a bit heavier than Lord's other ones, due to the recent passing of a loved one, but I thought it was well balanced with her beautiful words on grief and love.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
veve835's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
beatricelangevin's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kristinlynn24's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
brittanyisbooked's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
As far as summer romances go, this was a pretty good one. The tone was lighthearted throughout and the setting is in a small beach town, so those components made it perfect. Overall, the book was cute, but I didn't feel like there was significant character development and ultimately it fell flat for me. I do think the main characters changed during the book, but it wasn't a change we saw on the pages. It felt very sudden and unexplained in my opinion. I thought there were a lot of loose ends in the book that could have been cleaned up with a little more editing, so that was a bit frustrating. For example, it felt like Annie, June's sister and Levi's friend, played a significant role in their relationship over the years, but because she died unexpectedly there's no confirmation or closure on this.
If you're looking for a light summer read, you should still add this one to your list. However, if you're a book snob you might be disappointed in the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this ARC.
If you're looking for a light summer read, you should still add this one to your list. However, if you're a book snob you might be disappointed in the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Death and Cancer
booksinherhead's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
Something about this book was SO close but just didn't quite hit it for me. I'm not sure it will be memorable. I really struggled with the figure of the deceased sister Annie (not a spoiler). There was so much about the way that she played into the characters on the page dynamics but because we didn't get any time with her I felt there were a lot of unanswered questions...including...why did Annie not want Levi and June to be together when they were in high school? Why did she initially hide from June that she and Levi had stayed in contact? As June uncovered ephemera from their high school years I was CONVINCED she was going to find an old journal of Annie's that revealed that SHE had feelings for Levi and basically sabotaged June's chances...that would have been predictable, I guess, but would have explained how the characters landed where they did. I also just in general felt that they fell back in love too fast and that some of Levi's career choices by the end were a little rash. The reasons he had pursued his original career were not exactly changed circumstances by the end of the book, so when he leaves his big job in finance I did not understand how his author career was so sustainable?! Add in some whimsical fantasy about the publishing process...ultimately I think that this book had great bones and even characters I really liked. I just felt like I was left wanting. This was my first Emma Lord book though, so I feel like I might vibe better with another one of her titles. I do think that lots of people will enjoy this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Death
Minor: Cancer
Death of a sibling via brain aneurysm. Parent with cancer.readwithkait's review against another edition
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was such a fun summer romance! The story pulls you in right away, and as you follow the ups and downs of the main couple, you can’t help but root for them to be successful both in love and their business ventures.
The setting is quintessential small town, there’s a prevalent fake dating scheme, and terrible ex’s. This book was so fun to read.
I do wish it had moved a little faster, and I felt like at times it was drawn out, but overall enjoyed it!
I was provided a complimentary ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
pagesofpeace's review against another edition
5.0
Holy cuteness. Imagine friends to enemies and then enemies to lovers with a fake dating trope. It had all my favorite parts of romance novels intertwined throughout. And the perfect amount of drama. The character development was incredible. I couldn’t put this book down.