hi_im_a_bookaholic's review
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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? No
5.0
I LOVED this story! Very original plot. I liked that it showed the in between phase between filming a show to the release. The snippets from the snow and the hype surrounding it was very well done. I loved the sound effects and I loved that the story was broken up by podcast episodes. Really nice, easy listening.
teawiththefates's review
2.0
I rarely give books ratings this low, because 2-stars means I feel like I'm unhappy I spent time reading this instead of something else. BUT I also want to acknowledge that most of what frustrated me was the kinds of people some of these characters are, and that may not be an issue for other people the same way. This story was just not for me.
That said, I wanted to like this, and elements of the radio theater format were fun (the voice actors for Amanda and Josh both did a fantastic job!) but others fell totally flat. Too many long silences left gaps where the story needed more information - if you're going to write/direct a play meant to be listened to, you have to take the lack of visuals into consideration more. As for the characters themselves, I know they need flaws but for a story selling itself as "cute" they were way too unlikable for me. For example...
Amanda's mother was super toxic, constantly managing her adult daughter in condescending ways or straight up insulting her and then insisting she was "only teasing". You know, the way bullies insist that you're the problem if you don't find their joke funny. She talks often about reading her daughter's diary when she was a teen and then proceeds to spill secrets from the diaries to people Amanda knows. If I were Amanda I'd be moving out to stay with friends instead. She's so awful.
And then Amada herself is terrible too. When she isn't selfishly calling up people to entertain her drunk self (even though she knows they have to get up at 4am for work) she's lying in hurtful ways on television and then avoiding apologizing like a coward, or insinuating that men aren't masculine for having good decorating style or wanting vanilla lattes. She cheats on her fiancee (a kiss only but still, just break up if you're unhappy). I don't really understand what Josh (a character I genuinely liked!) was supposed to find charming about her; she leads him on a LOT when she doesn't really seem like she's planning on leaving her fiancee for most of the story, and quite frankly I don't feel like she deserved him at the end. There were other moments when I liked her character and felt for her, but it was so inconsistent.
I don't know. The premise was fun; I really liked the idea of following a character ~after~ the big drama of her reality tv experience was over, but I feel like I was too distracted by constant frustration with the characters themselves. Clearly this story was not for me, but your mileage may vary.
That said, I wanted to like this, and elements of the radio theater format were fun (the voice actors for Amanda and Josh both did a fantastic job!) but others fell totally flat. Too many long silences left gaps where the story needed more information - if you're going to write/direct a play meant to be listened to, you have to take the lack of visuals into consideration more. As for the characters themselves, I know they need flaws but for a story selling itself as "cute" they were way too unlikable for me. For example...
Amanda's mother was super toxic, constantly managing her adult daughter in condescending ways or straight up insulting her and then insisting she was "only teasing". You know, the way bullies insist that you're the problem if you don't find their joke funny. She talks often about reading her daughter's diary when she was a teen and then proceeds to spill secrets from the diaries to people Amanda knows. If I were Amanda I'd be moving out to stay with friends instead. She's so awful.
And then Amada herself is terrible too. When she isn't selfishly calling up people to entertain her drunk self (even though she knows they have to get up at 4am for work) she's lying in hurtful ways on television and then avoiding apologizing like a coward, or insinuating that men aren't masculine for having good decorating style or wanting vanilla lattes. She cheats on her fiancee (a kiss only but still, just break up if you're unhappy). I don't really understand what Josh (a character I genuinely liked!) was supposed to find charming about her; she leads him on a LOT when she doesn't really seem like she's planning on leaving her fiancee for most of the story, and quite frankly I don't feel like she deserved him at the end. There were other moments when I liked her character and felt for her, but it was so inconsistent.
I don't know. The premise was fun; I really liked the idea of following a character ~after~ the big drama of her reality tv experience was over, but I feel like I was too distracted by constant frustration with the characters themselves. Clearly this story was not for me, but your mileage may vary.
winona_reads3's review
listened to get into The Bachelor mode because this is my first season watching..
this book is silly but i guess thats what i expected..lol entertaining listen but thats it
this book is silly but i guess thats what i expected..lol entertaining listen but thats it
bamando's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
thelauramay's review
3.0
This was a cute listen, with an interesting storyline that wasn't *too* tropey, and good voice acting. It may not be winning any literature prizes, but it's certainly a comforting read.
ezoots's review
2.0
Cringy in its predictability. I would give it a one star but I liked the cast that read the book. Gonna be more choosy with my audible originals.
kreannyreads's review
2.0
Loved the format, but the story had too many holes and bad character characteristics. Our main hero felt selfish, quick to jump into Liams hands after destroying someone else's heart, etc. I know that this format can be done great, I've loved audiobooks in this format before. But this wasn't one of them. The story just wasn't it.
bdewreads's review
3.0
I thought I would instantly LOVE this book since it is the recipe of a typical light-hearted read I would love: Bachelor-esque show, second chance romance, possible love triangle, possible best-friends-to-lovers trope. But this definitely was very medium at best. It might have been the production of the book (I found all the music and other radio stuff very distracting), but I felt like it wasn’t fully developed and the ending was just rushed. If it was possible to do a 2.5, then this would be the epitome of a 2.5: very much medium all the way around.