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koyalites's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"no one wants to watch people they don't like fall in love..."
Hear me out... This book feels like a less funny spin-off episode of Veep following one of their side characters, it's less rom-com and more Bojack Horseman. The main character is a piece of shit, it's addressed point blankly, it was the intention, this is an incredibly flawed shitty woman who vehemently rejects romance to the point of hurting many of those around her. For a romance novel, that is pretty interesting! Especially because the author completely commits to making her be selfish and hypocritical in nearly every thought she has, so don't expect this to be a fun time cause you're stuck for 11 hours hearing her blame others for mistakes she herself commits. It's very Bojack Horseman in the sense that the character is aware of how shitty she behaves, how jaded and fucked up she can be to those she loves or worse, to those who love her, and it only increases her self hatred. The only thing keeping her going is pride and stubbornness, the unwillingness to just stop because that would mean self-reflection --> admitting she is a piece of shit.
To be honest, I was about to give this book 3.75 and round it up to a 4 because this is really hard to write since audiences are rarely as sympathetic to female characters, and the author has the additional burden of expectations that come with the genre (the formula, the conventions, feel-goodness, and again with the line, who wants to watch people they don't even like fall in love?).
But here's my issue. Towards the end of the book, it starts getting very Hannah Montana-y with the 'everyone makes mistakes' thing, and there was only one line from the love interest (oh yeah he's there) that actually addresses what I've been thinking about characters like our heroine... that this journey of self-reflection, of change, that they go through often leaves others hurt or traumatised along the way. That's an ugly truth that I wished had more time to simmer, so much of the book was about her realising how unhealthy her coping mechanisms are and how they hurt not just her but those around her who love her; not enough time was spent on Ben's side. The man's whole life was fucked up by this person, WHY should we root for her getting his forgiveness, especially when she barely showed that she changed. The book takes this strange route of trying to undermine what she did and the damage caused, instead of actually letting the character take accountability. It does show the hurt cheating can cause, but never before spinning around to focus on how bad it made the cheater feels, which... i mean,,, booo [tomato tomato tomato]. I guess it's realistic, baby steps, you can't expect a person to change for the better after a whole decade of self-destructing, but this is romance, I need more to root for this relationship. Like sure I can support a woman's wrongs if she actually owns up to it and if the author doesn't cheapen it.
Which is why, I'm ending this review by warning everyone who's about to pick this up thinking its another regular adult romcom. Instead expect a lot of politics and shitty people (hence the Veep comparison), and a character study of a really messed up person who needs a shit ton of therapy. Also if you hate reading about cheating, steer clear, cause there is so much fucking cheating in this book.
Hear me out... This book feels like a less funny spin-off episode of Veep following one of their side characters, it's less rom-com and more Bojack Horseman. The main character is a piece of shit, it's addressed point blankly, it was the intention, this is an incredibly flawed shitty woman who vehemently rejects romance to the point of hurting many of those around her. For a romance novel, that is pretty interesting! Especially because the author completely commits to making her be selfish and hypocritical in nearly every thought she has, so don't expect this to be a fun time cause you're stuck for 11 hours hearing her blame others for mistakes she herself commits. It's very Bojack Horseman in the sense that the character is aware of how shitty she behaves, how jaded and fucked up she can be to those she loves or worse, to those who love her, and it only increases her self hatred. The only thing keeping her going is pride and stubbornness, the unwillingness to just stop because that would mean self-reflection --> admitting she is a piece of shit.
To be honest, I was about to give this book 3.75 and round it up to a 4 because this is really hard to write since audiences are rarely as sympathetic to female characters, and the author has the additional burden of expectations that come with the genre (the formula, the conventions, feel-goodness, and again with the line, who wants to watch people they don't even like fall in love?).
But here's my issue. Towards the end of the book, it starts getting very Hannah Montana-y with the 'everyone makes mistakes' thing, and there was only one line from the love interest (oh yeah he's there) that actually addresses what I've been thinking about characters like our heroine... that this journey of self-reflection, of change, that they go through often leaves others hurt or traumatised along the way. That's an ugly truth that I wished had more time to simmer, so much of the book was about her realising how unhealthy her coping mechanisms are and how they hurt not just her but those around her who love her; not enough time was spent on Ben's side. The man's whole life was fucked up by this person, WHY should we root for her getting his forgiveness, especially when she barely showed that she changed. The book takes this strange route of trying to undermine what she did and the damage caused, instead of actually letting the character take accountability. It does show the hurt cheating can cause, but never before spinning around to focus on how bad it made the cheater feels, which... i mean,,, booo [tomato tomato tomato]. I guess it's realistic, baby steps, you can't expect a person to change for the better after a whole decade of self-destructing, but this is romance, I need more to root for this relationship. Like sure I can support a woman's wrongs if she actually owns up to it and if the author doesn't cheapen it.
Which is why, I'm ending this review by warning everyone who's about to pick this up thinking its another regular adult romcom. Instead expect a lot of politics and shitty people (hence the Veep comparison), and a character study of a really messed up person who needs a shit ton of therapy. Also if you hate reading about cheating, steer clear, cause there is so much fucking cheating in this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Drug use, and Grief
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