sikonat's review against another edition
4.0
Award-winning political journalist Margaret can't stand her colleague Jagger, dismissing his 'Swipe Write' dating column and 'Jagger Tries' videos as trivial. Since he began six months previously, her emnity has grown to melodramatic levels.
To her horror, her status as the office trivia queen is usurped, and she has to share the winning prize of a luxury trip to Zanzibar. Margaret's plans for a mother-daughter trip are then dashed when her mother hits it off with Jagger's dad and she's forced to share a room with him.
Just as Margaret judges Jagger, I, too was guilty of the same. She's is uptight, slightly prudish, and rude towards him for no valid reason. I found the first few chapters slow-going so I stopped reading and left it for a month.
Men in workplaces, especially easy-going and good-looking ones like Jagger tend to be the office golden boy who can get an easier time at work, better assignments, etc. So while I understood some of her emnity towards him, her behaviour towards him was unprofessional and childish. I'm amazed HR let her get away with the partition.
But as the story developed and we learn more about her I started to understand her better, just like she does about how wonderful and caring Jagger is.
Jo Watson has created a moving portrait of a woman who is grieving the loss of her father, the loss of her marriage and is fearful of losing again. She's a woman who is hard-working, smart and tenacious. Jagger, sees her from day one, and he's very patient with her, even when she truly tested the limits. He gently called her out even when she was breaking his heart and her rightfully should've told her to bog off.
There were times though I do think that this book dragged a bit at the start. I wanted action to move along to the trip faster and found the whole 'sex on my desk' irritating. I also would've liked to have seen some signs why Jagger liked her from the get-go, given her downright rudeness. Also towards the end, Margaret's constant flip flopping with Jagger dragged out too long for me to be realistic that he'd give her so many chances. I also found the constant references to Margaret's plus-size irritating and unnecessary (the wetsuit scene made me cringe I had skimmed through it).
I really enjoyed Watson's gentle education about the intra-Africa slave trade in Zanzibar and the effect it had on both the characters. Supporting characters were also wonderful, particularly Margaret's best friend Leighton, an 80s pop star who delivered her loving home truths and good advice.
This book was an utter surprise. I started thinking I wouldn't like this book as I couldn't connect with the character, but I found myself cackling one chapter, then my heart strings tugged another. Just like Margaret, I was wrong. This book was funny, poignant and entirely relatable.
Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the ARC.
To her horror, her status as the office trivia queen is usurped, and she has to share the winning prize of a luxury trip to Zanzibar. Margaret's plans for a mother-daughter trip are then dashed when her mother hits it off with Jagger's dad and she's forced to share a room with him.
Just as Margaret judges Jagger, I, too was guilty of the same. She's is uptight, slightly prudish, and rude towards him for no valid reason. I found the first few chapters slow-going so I stopped reading and left it for a month.
Men in workplaces, especially easy-going and good-looking ones like Jagger tend to be the office golden boy who can get an easier time at work, better assignments, etc. So while I understood some of her emnity towards him, her behaviour towards him was unprofessional and childish. I'm amazed HR let her get away with the partition.
But as the story developed and we learn more about her I started to understand her better, just like she does about how wonderful and caring Jagger is.
Jo Watson has created a moving portrait of a woman who is grieving the loss of her father, the loss of her marriage and is fearful of losing again. She's a woman who is hard-working, smart and tenacious. Jagger, sees her from day one, and he's very patient with her, even when she truly tested the limits. He gently called her out even when she was breaking his heart and her rightfully should've told her to bog off.
There were times though I do think that this book dragged a bit at the start. I wanted action to move along to the trip faster and found the whole 'sex on my desk' irritating. I also would've liked to have seen some signs why Jagger liked her from the get-go, given her downright rudeness. Also towards the end, Margaret's constant flip flopping with Jagger dragged out too long for me to be realistic that he'd give her so many chances. I also found the constant references to Margaret's plus-size irritating and unnecessary (the wetsuit scene made me cringe I had skimmed through it).
I really enjoyed Watson's gentle education about the intra-Africa slave trade in Zanzibar and the effect it had on both the characters. Supporting characters were also wonderful, particularly Margaret's best friend Leighton, an 80s pop star who delivered her loving home truths and good advice.
This book was an utter surprise. I started thinking I wouldn't like this book as I couldn't connect with the character, but I found myself cackling one chapter, then my heart strings tugged another. Just like Margaret, I was wrong. This book was funny, poignant and entirely relatable.
Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the ARC.
jennifer_charbo's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
drewslibrary's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
jkowalski87'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
ascher3's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
paytonbox21's review
I struggled getting into this book to the point where I started skimming it to get to the point where they go on vacation together, the beginning of the book had so many unnecessary scenes between Jagger and Margaret, it would have been more beneficial for those scenes to be used while they were on vacation. I couldn’t connect with Margaret and her thoughts, while we love plus size representation, she brought it up in weird ways that bothered me. Arguing that Jagger had an upper hand cause he could raise his hand faster than her cause her arm weighed more had me so thrown off, and that isn’t the only comments.
I do hope to try this author again in the future but this book just wasn’t for me.
I do hope to try this author again in the future but this book just wasn’t for me.
zasou_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Margaret loves her job as a journalist. But she hates her coworker, Jagger, who constantky goes out of his way to annoy her. And unfortunatly, they just won a luxury trip to a resort...
This is a workplace rivalry to lovers, forced proximity, contemporary romance, and I don't think this one was for me. I did not like the interactions between both main characters, I felt they were so immature. It did not work for me. Jagger's behavior borderlines on harassment. I have seen it compared to The Hating Game, and I hated The Hating Game for thr same reasons. The tropical setting was fun, though.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is a workplace rivalry to lovers, forced proximity, contemporary romance, and I don't think this one was for me. I did not like the interactions between both main characters, I felt they were so immature. It did not work for me. Jagger's behavior borderlines on harassment. I have seen it compared to The Hating Game, and I hated The Hating Game for thr same reasons. The tropical setting was fun, though.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
hanwilliams's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5