The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
kathis_wonderland's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ā
This book was a roller-coaster of feelings. The first five chapters were really not my cup of tea. I was thinking what the hell I've gotten myself into. Luc really annoyed me (and did throughout the whole book). He is 28 years old, but behaves like an unreasonable teenager. No communication, being annoying, only seeing the worst in everything and being quite mean to his friends and other people. He behaved more like a 17-year-old. BUT THEN Oliver came along. And I feel in love with this book.
Ā
I can't even describe all the emotions I felt while reading. I was jumping up and down with this book in my hands, had the biggest smile on my face and couldn't regulate my feelings at all. Still not sure what happened there. I just know that I want an Oliver in my life. He is pretentious and just so intelligent, but he is so wonderful. Both Luc and Oliver really do have their personal problems and they are the opposite of each other. But they fit so well together. They brought out the best in the other and had each otherās backs. I ROOTED FOR THEM! As soon as their fake relationship started, I started to love this book. It's by far one of my favourites now. It made me feel so happy!
Ā
This book blew me away. I did not expect to love it that much, but I can't help myself. It's one of my favourite books now. I can't wait to read the next book!Ā
Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual content and Cancer
Minor: Eating disorder
hiddenstaircase's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Only major gripe is with the excess of side characters and some of the dialogue feeling off. I cannot keep track of all the friends and coworkers and their relationships and then the otherās friend group. The dialogue between Luc and Oliver is teasing and cute.
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Toxic relationship and Cancer
lalu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I wanted something lighthearted and all the side characters are so over-the-top in the best way possible so that was perfect. But also everything between Luc and Oliver was so so good and pure and ugh I love it! (probably helped that I'm newly in love myself)
And I'm honestly in awe of Hall's ability to make this not extremely cringy. So good!Ā
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Terminal illness
Minor: Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Cancer, and Toxic relationship
danisanerd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
My favorite part of the book was the main couple, luc and Oliver. once they actually became friends and luc decided that maybe he should try to be a better person. Both of their friend groups were also pretty good, i wish we got more development from them.
the main problem i had with the book though, was pretty much everything not relating to them. I guess its the point, but i really didnt like any of Luc's coworkers. I feel like they we're either stereotypes or just plan annoying to read. (alex) The beetle drive felt convoluted, just kinda thrown in there to give them a reason to be boyfriends.Ā
ending spoilers:
the ending is what ended up dropping my score down the most i think. It very much felt like it came out of nowhere. Oliver breaks up with Luc, ignores him, and then is rude when Luc tells him he loves Oliver? and then later that night, oliver shows up, apologies and the book ends. i feel like i am missing a chapter or something. wheres the rest?
Ā
Moderate: Cancer and Eating disorder
vicixyz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Body shaming, Cancer, Drug use, and Death of parent
willoughby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Cancer and Homophobia
Minor: Eating disorder and Toxic relationship
livlamentloathe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Proās:
- When they were actually being semi-serious boyfriends, post-dinner with the two rich dummies, Oliver and Luc were super cute and sweet
- I appreciated the idea of the bathroom door and Luc vocalizing his fear/longing for intimacy
- Lucās mom and Judy āĀ who totally shouldāve been in love but oh well
- James Royce Royce and James Royce Royce (spelling? I listened to the audiobook so whoās to say?) ā at first this annoyed me but by the end, I found the whole bit hilarious
- Lucās friends helping him clean
- Bridgetteās work emergencies and terminal lateness
- I cried for a bit in the middle when Oliver and Luc were super cute and boyfriendy and so caring for one another at the gala! Lucās need for support mirrored my own there so it was personal watching him be cared for in just the way he needed.Ā
- The realism of Lucās absentee father being shit still and not deserving Luc. I also liked that Luc didnāt let him off lightly at any point despite āhaving cancer.āĀ
Conās:
- But on the other hand: Lucās dad. First because, it was unnecessary for him not to have cancer in the end! Iād have preferred an explanation like the doctor misread an X-Ray, or some meds were working and heād be okay, or there was a surgery option with a high success rate! Anything but āoh that was an overdramatic lieā
- And further: his whole bit was so random. Somehow despite never being in Lucās life, and Luc being more or less a random, the paps cared about Luc like he was a dang Kardashian. Instead of likeā¦ idk I pictured Howard Stern but if Stern was a narcissist rocker Lennon-type who lived to have a sad pithy comeback on The Voice. And he cares aww, then shows time and time and time and time again he doesnāt care, then ghosts again. If it looks like a duckā¦
- Tom????? No proper explanation for the status of Lucās relationship with him, what it had been, why it ended, how he picked Lucās friend over Luc? And the lack of proper understanding for Lucās feelings post-relationship! Of course heās bitter and sad!!!! Who wouldnāt be in that situation?! (That said, he seemed to be the only character with his head on āstraightā)
- The ending, the ending, the fucking ending!!!!
- How defensive and snappy and mean Oliver was at and after Luc met his family! Especially after Oliver had practically begged for a game plan and Oliver hadnāt said anything to warn him!!
- The rude guy at the pub in the first scene being overly offended by Luc making the REALISTIC assumption a journalist would want to write about him! Then Luc was in so much mental conflict and dragging himself through the mud for being anxious and not wanting to be exposed again and said journalist acted like Luc was a narcissist for even making a joke about it! THEN having the fucking GALL to write about it!!!!!!!!!!! You canāt fucking act offended when someone thinks youāre using them for a story and then turn around and use them for a fucking story!!! What a fucking jackass.
- Oliverās awful friends and awful awful family!!! The family were sincerely fucked up people, but how could Oliver let them talk about Luc like that??! Itās one thing that he let them tear into him, thatās a personal issue based on clear trauma and toxic familial abuse, but it bothered me that he was okay with Luc being the back-up target for defending Oliver!
- The idiots Oliver worked with! They were characatures of people! Reese (Rhys?) was one thing. He was a believable older man who shouldnāt be in charge of socials and was bumbling his way through it. But the other guy was such a fucking idiot that itās beyond me how he even had a job! How can you be both that inept and so up and up with society-folk???????? Was this an obvious metaphor I missed? All in all, the only good bit of them for me was when Luc told the joke about the interrupting cow.
- THE HOMOPHOBIA!!! I could not connect with Lucās desire to work at that company. Itād have been one thing if there was a micro-aggression and he needed the job. But he didnāt seem to need the work considering his rich dad, and mom living off royalties!! There was too much homophobia and him wanting to work there was beyond me. He shouldāve quit. He shouldāve sued them.Ā
- I hated how all the homophobes got away with it. Like the queer characters would acknowledge it was homophobic after the fact (orĀ mentally during) but rarely did anyone answer for their own ignorance! And this is re: cis white gay men. They were the first group of lgbtq+ to be palatable to the public, so thereās no real excuse! Luc stayed at and actively helped his homophobic boss. And bent over backward to make a bunch of other rich homophobes happy! Gross af.
- Lucās self-awareness was frustrating. Heād think the right thing and say something bananas or just not say anything at all! It was so frustrating.Ā
- Their communication was just bad. Most of the problems couldāve been solved with one honest conversation. How are we supposed to believe in the romantic ending when they broke up like 5 times during the book??
- The intensity of Oliverās breakup with Luc. It floored me cause it seemed out of nowhere! Beyond their clear communication issues and the family thing, Oliver had not been anything less than loving and all in, and then he just up and decides itās over? Sorry but it felt forced. It wasnāt organic enough to be believable.
- And THEN: Luc was made to jump through hoops and run an entire obstacle course (by his friends who were not being helpful kind nudgers trying to match make, but instead were brutal, harsh, and way too overly-involved. Good outside intervention would've been Bridge (?) giving Oliver a scolding or trying to help them communicate. Not kidnapping Luc and locking him out of the car to force him to beg Oliver back!! Oliver DUMPED Luc. Oliver should be the grand-gesture-er. Not Luc. I was so frustrated by the whole thing at that point. Much too frustrated to think the ending was romantic. I cannot believe they wonāt just break up for good post-book.
Anyway, most of my thoughts are specific to spoilers. But my tldr/you havenāt read the book review is: The romantic relationship of the two central characters was plagued by poor communication, assumptions, and a desperate need to see a therapist (3 therapistsāone each for them as individuals and another for them as a couple). The background characters are such bananas caricatures of humans, that they read as cartoonishly mean, dumb, and self-obsessed. I think they were meant to be jovially mean with the implication that Luc isnāt good to them so itās mutual, but in my opinion, they just sucked. Sorry that was very mean.Ā
If you want a simple book with stereotypical relationship problems, gay romance (that feels written by a str8 despite that very much not being the case??), and a sweet if not dragged out plot, this may be for you. Oh an actual selling point is that if you want a romance thatās entire plot is about the romance, and the subplot is so sub that itās barely plot, read this! Weāve all been there. Sometimes you read SJM for the dreamy str8 faeries and sometimes you read a fluff romance book without a plotāescapism is escapism!
Iām mean.
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Cancer, Abandonment, and Homophobia
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Body shaming, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, and Eating disorder
tinkeringcheck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Hoo boy.
The main character is insufferable, unlikeable, and his narrative voice is annoying. It's a bad rom-com that happens to be gay, except the leads have no chemistry and its attempts at humour are genuinely unfunny.Ā Not to mention the plot's driven by the main character trying to appease his homophobic boss, who wants him to get a respectable, straight-passing boyfriend to be a "good gay." And that's supposed to be... funny and light-hearted? Instead of an HR nightmare?
As for the main character POV: Luc reads like a stereotypically sarcastic, insecure teenager but since he's supposed to be almost 30 it makes him come off really poorly. Like I'm almost 30 and can confidently say nobody has their life together at almost 30, but holy shit at least my inner monologue doesn't sound like an angsty 2010s YA protag. He ain't a lovable, quirky disaster gay. He's just rude and emotionally immature.
And his queer friend group are huge stereotypes and not in the fun way. Like two indistinguishable married guys named James Royce-Royce who are literally only ever referred to as "James Royce-Royce" (yes, first name and surname) so you never know who's talking kind of way. I actually can't believe this was published recently - and by a queer writer!! - because all this is giving me vaguely homophobic early 00s rom-com vibes.
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Cancer
The whole premise of the book is the main character experiencing casual homophobia at work (he needs to get a boyfriend to be a "good gay" in the eyes of his boss) and it's not really challenged - he goes along with it. Cancer warning refers to a parent of the main character. Also themes about dealing with an estranged father.what_karla_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
1/5 spice
Such a fun and swoon worthy read. I loved how Oliver and Luc worked together.Ā
This is my second read by Alexis Hall, and I loved it! I had a lot of girly giggly moments that had me swooning, just like Luc. I loved how both characters are flawed and relatable. Luc is publicly a mess and is constantly putting his foot in his mouth, but he comes across as likable because he's not an arrogant asshole. He just wants to be stable... so, of course, relatable. Oliver, on the other hand, had the appearance of someone who is put together with all their ducks in a row. However, as the story progresses, you get a glimpse of all the ways he's very much NOT ok and how much he needs help.Ā
I didn't expect this to be single POV so I found myself craving Oliver's POV a few times. I always love seeing how the MCs see different interactions.Ā
Overall, highly recommend for fans of opposites attract and fake dating with swoony moments.Ā
Trigger/Content warnings:
Moments of homophobia, bigotry, body shaming, gaslighting, and emotional abuse. Mentions cancer and mental health issues.Ā
Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cancer and Homophobia
Minor: Sexual content
gooseboy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
general+ending spoilers
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Addiction and Racism