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abiigrl's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
lmeierhoff's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I liked the characters, but all the publishing details were a bit much, and the way the fmc was treated by some of her family (and didn’t stand up for herself) was hard to read.
gia_c14's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aroseshaw's review
lighthearted
medium-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
3.0
sarah_thebooknerd's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I loved this book so much. The fake dating that led to led to real dating, the conversations about being a BIPOC author in the publishing world, the opposites attract, the surprise mom twist, the humor, family dynamics and sibling relationships had me just so happy. I legit didn't put this book down. I read it in one day. Okay I did put it down at points in time but it was sooooo good!
thindbooks's review
4.0
This story follows an author whose mom tries to arrange her with a guy and the two decide to fake a date. This book was really cute and I was very invested with the story from the beginning. I loved the storyline and how much of the publishing life was put into this story. It shows how hard the publishing life is and I loved that. There are a lot of family moments in this book along with learning how to navigate a huge family. The story is diverse and I loved seeing the story take place in Toronto. This book is mainly told in Emily’s pov but in part two, we get Mark’s.
Emily is the FMC who is an author and part-time barista. Her family doesn’t take her seriously and wants her to get married. I loved seeing her independence, especially in an Asian household. Then we have Mark who comes off stern and grumpy in the beginning but he’s honestly such a sweetheart. I loved his character and getting his pov of what he thinks of Emily. We do have a lot of side characters in this book but I mainly loved Emily’s mom as she explains everything which I thought was so thoughtful. The story is fake dating, forced proximity and an arranged couple with a bit of steamy scene and the chemistry is so there.
The ending was well done and I loved how the family all came together. There was miscommunication but I loved how it was all explained and how others viewed it differently when it was not meant to be bad. I do have to say that one-star drop is mainly for when Emily thought she had to break up with Mark after everything was exposed. I didn’t see the purpose of that conflict and was so lost. Overall a great story which I recommend.
*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*
garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexism, Racism, and Pregnancy
alli_the_bookaholic13's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
intentionalreadinglife's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I had a hard time connecting with and rooting for these characters, especially the Emily who just seemed so unlikeable. A lot of the narrative focuses on Emily’s writing career and the perils of the publishing industry, and I would have rather seen more character development with both Emily and Mark. I had a hard time rooting for an unreliable narrator.
litatiger's review
The book itself is fine. I made it about halfway through but I honestly just can't make myself like the fmc. I find her to be very judgmental and disrespectful, and while I really like the mmc, I can't see myself cheering for the two of them to come together.
At this point in the book everything is very one sided. I have read other reviews and know that we do get he mmc's perspective coming soon, but at this point I just don't care.
On a side note, If you were ever interested in getting into the author and publisher world, this book interesting perspectives and insight into what those worlds actually look like.
At this point in the book everything is very one sided. I have read other reviews and know that we do get he mmc's perspective coming soon, but at this point I just don't care.
On a side note, If you were ever interested in getting into the author and publisher world, this book interesting perspectives and insight into what those worlds actually look like.