This book had far too many “ick” tropes, with sparsely scattered redeeming scenes.
Cliché after cliché.
“He was pricklier than my legs”
“Ben’s optimism was cautious, like a baby giraffe taking its first steps”
The one redeeming scene that pushed me to finish the rest of the book, was when the main character & love interest host a party, and disaster strikes. There’s a single line here, “Do you know why I have guests holding their mouths and their asses” – that I cackled in laughter about. Hilarious.
Drunk parties (ick) “He was so drunk. and cute.” – I’m just not the audience for this. There’s nothing cute about drunk men.
Chapter 20 included fat shaming. The main character is talking about snack tables and how long it took her to get ready due to her desire to eat / weight.
The ‘damsel in distress’ trope was over played (Ben rescued during wedding when she was being physically carried off, and then rescued again when she was being stopped by a journalist hounding her), and annoying. As was the main character’s disparage over herself. She’s so incredibly down on herself, and her life, it’s annoying and frustrating. She constantly self depreciates.
This line told me I’m simply not the audience for the book: “following you around the wedding like a simp” – I’m not the demographic. Not the books fault.
2/5
The Nomadic Reader 