Reviews

Borrowing Blue by Lucy Lennox

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chambersaurusrx's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

This was unlike any other mm book I've ever read. I feel like it was written like a typical rom/com book. It read almost like a chick lit.

At first I thought this was going to be a quick fluffy read, but then I was surprised by it's length, and also by how deep it actually was. I found Tristan to be so refreshing, i LOVED his go for it attitude. He knew what he wanted and he didn't let anything stand in his way. One of my pet peeves with these stories is when misunderstanding happen that are intentionally kept unresolved when a simple conversation in the moment would help clear the air. This didn't happen here. In fact, every time I believe it was Tristan who cleared things up between them. I just really loved them together. Despite how fast they fell in love, which is another pet peeve of mine, the way they fell in love felt so real and genuine.

While I did love the story and the character, and I do feel like I want to know more about the other Marian siblings, I did feel like there was just way too much here that could've been cut out. Instead of 50 chapters. I think it could've easily been 40. It wasn't TOO bad, but I totally skipped over parts I knew added nothing to the story. parts that felt like watching a movie, rather than reading a story.

All in all, really great start. I like this WAY better than the first book from the forever wilde series.

waywardskyril's review against another edition

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DNF at 26%

I'm not going to rate this because, honestly, it's, like, 85% personal preference, not book quality, that I'm DNFing. Besides, I only listened to a quarter of it.

Objectively, Borrowing Blue has been a pretty good book. It has solid writing (though the characters "laugh" in reaction a bit too frequently), it's mildly funny, and the characters seem relatively interesting.

This is an insta-love book, obviously. And maybe following up Boyfriend Material that does the fake boyrfriend trope SO well, with Borrowing Blue, which plunges in so voraciously, wasn't the best idea. Unfortunately, I just couldn't make myself FEEL anything for these two, their incredibly rapid romance, or during the spicy scenes.

I think I might be over insta-love? I mean, it was never something I gravitated towards anyway, but I did sometimes read it and enjoy it. I wasn't sure about this one, but the raving reviews pushed me to pick it up. I'm not sorry I tried it. I just realized it wasn't for me.

Basically, if you're down for some insta-love, high-spice reads, this might be for you. Otherwise, maybe try something else.

I will say, though, if you're considering the audiobook, the narrator is fantastic. I wasn't sure of him at first, but once I got into it and the narrator got going, he proved himself excellent at his job. Practically a voice actor. A+

galleytrot's review against another edition

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Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

READ: Sep 2023

FORMAT: Audio

BRIEF SUMMARY:

In this contemporary romance, Blue is at the bar of the vineyard he’s spending a week at for a wedding, stewing over his ex attending with a young and attractive plus-one attached to his arm (and his face), when he meets and hits it off with Tristan. Supposedly-straight Tristian decides making out with Blue would be the best way to get one over on the ex, but a kiss soon proves not to be nearly enough when fireworks explode between himself and Blue. When they learn the following morning that the wedding they’re attending is between their brother and sister, an awkward outing turns into a doubling-down on the ruse, and the boys commit to a week of debauchery and reassessment of their lives before they will go their separate ways and live said lives anew.

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 4 / 5⭐

Wow, this book. What a surprise.

So I have strong opinions against insta-love, and this book is the epitome of the trope, with our guys committing deeply to each other in a matter of days. This book does its best to try to establish reasonable grounds for it, though. The scene where they meet plays out like a first date with excellent chemistry where they are very open and expressive about their lives and families and relationships and personal interests, providing each other with a solid foundation of knowledge (except of course, for any reveal that they’re both here for the same wedding – because story’s gotta story).

I expected this book to take the exhaustive tone of the fake boyfriend trope where everything results in a “what’s real and what’s for show” angst-fest, but that really is the least of these guys’ concerns. Their commitment to each other is sickeningly sweet, the story’s tone is always hopeful, and any opposition they face comes from the two or three awful people who clearly exist to be the book’s villains. I am pleasantly surprised that this book is not what I though it was going to be based on its synopsis. I was looking for something to waste my time on and give my brain a rest, but I found something that genuinely delighted me and kept my interest the whole way through.

TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 4 / 5⭐

This book surprised me in a number of other ways, too. Every time I found something problematic in the writing that made me feel squirmy or gross or like the author (whom I am new to) probably shouldn’t be writing about this subject matter, that very issue would be addressed and corrected some time later and to my wonderment. There were multiple times where I made a note to the effect of: “Yeah, no, this isn’t how that works,” and then the author would eventually write, “but that’s not how it works,” and it would sooth my bristly soul.

Dean as a narrator really does give this performance his all, to a degree where I sometimes found myself laughing or grinning right along with him, although there was maybe one or two occasions where it felt like a little bit much and it took me out of the head space. I had to check my reading logs from the past two years to see if I’ve listened to Dean’s narrations before; I found three books from last year, two of which I did not enjoy (by their content, not by any fault of the narration) so it’s not entirely a surprise that I could not recall his name.

FINAL THOUGHTS - OVERALL: 4 / 5⭐

Truly, this book took a direction I could not have predicted. If I squint past the obscene insta-love and the blatant setup for the next books within the series (and I’ll tackle my thoughts on the coincidental Oops! All Gay family within a following review, I’m sure), then we have an intense and sweet and compelling story of love and growth and discovery. I am definitely interested in continuing with the series, and seeking out more by the author.

This book has representation for gays and lesbians. There is otherwise little in the way of diversity. I will say, however, that some wording in Tristan’s description along with the narrator’s choice of voice for him allowed me to mentally assign him as a black man, despite the book cover clearly depicting two white men.

The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail.

Spoiler

This book contains: Alcohol use; bi-erasure; homophobia; mentions of rapes, hate crimes, domestic violence, physical abuses, assaults; past gaslighting, manipulative relationship; multiple past incidences of infidelity; fatphobia in media; panic attacks, hyperventilation; off-page cancer, death, grief/loss; and, vomiting (stress/anxiety).

Content Warnings

litloulou's review against another edition

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4.0

Give me insta lust anytime but insta love isn't my jam. Literally one day??? Ugh. But based on the description I knew what I was getting. And I knew that despite that, it would be a sweet and spicy Lucy Lennox. She literally Never fails me!!

I will say I really didn't like the idea that marrying a homophobe when more than half of your immediate family is gay... Kinda makes you look like a sh*tty person. I hope they don't try to make me like Simone because I had no sympathy for her. I loved all the little sneak peaks at the next books. At least I hope they are! I am not much into the rockstar trope but I need to ready Jude's story like yesterday!

It wrapped up a little too easily at the end but whatever it was cute.

So yeah, I bought all the stories in this series on audible all at once and I regret nothing.

myzanm's review against another edition

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4.0

Quick, easy and relaxing read.
I was a bit hesitant after reading some of the reviews since it sounded a bit OTT, but I was pleasantly surprised.

It just turned out to be an all around feel good kind of novel with nice characters and I really wanted to continue with Jude and Jamie’s stories.

tankytoon's review against another edition

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This is probably the longest short book ever as the first half of the book comprised mostly of sex, compliments, and more sex. Sure there's some back story involved but Blue and Tristan telling each other how amazing they are within 24 hours of meeting was just too much for me.

Honestly the cute thing about this is Piper the dog.