Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - My Favorite Half-Night Stand

Starting this review feel so difficult. I purchased the eBook of this one when it was on sale a few weeks ago and I felt like I needed to pick it up as soon as possible. I got into Christina Lauren about a year ago and I still have so much of their backlist to read. This was one of the ones that appealed to me the most and I really enjoyed it. This is about a woman named Millie and her group of guy friends. They all need to find dates for a work event so they decide to go down the dating app route, but things go a little crazy when Millie (as Catherine) gets matched with one of these guy friends. It’s like You’ve Got Mail, but with way more douche-y guys and unsolicited dick pics. Millie has to decide if she’ll come clean.

One of the things that actually made this one hard for me to read is that Millie’s father is having health problems that effect him physically and mentally which is something we’ve been dealing with for my mom for the past four months. And it’s been a lot to handle so reading it was hard. Especially Millie’s penchant for avoidance and then, later on, guilt. It didn’t help that I started this book while I was visiting my mom at a facility like the one Millie’s dad has to go to for a bit. But all of that is on me and my situation and not on the writing. Despite all of those things, I really enjoyed these characters and their friendship. It really felt like a found family which I normally don’t feel in non-SFF books. I also think the situation that Millie finds herself in is plausible. It doesn’t feel like one of those plot points that you have to suspend your disbelief for which I appreciated. And the romance felt so real to me. As I was reading, I was rooting for these characters and every interaction seemed true to who those characters are and their emotions.

I guess my chief complaint about the book is just that I wanted more out of it. Which is my most common book complaint so hopefully no one takes that too seriously. I just wish that we had gotten more of the happy moments before all of the drama started unfolding. But this book is already over 350 pages so I understand why those would have been cut down. It just felt like they went through so much and I just wanted more happiness by the end of it. Because the book does leave off on a bit of a bittersweet moment.

Content Warnings

gracefully_jk's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted tense 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? Yes

4.5

This was very sweet and lovely—good old identity shenanigans, and a beloved friend group found family situation. Plus, the main character was born in Bellingham!!

Content Warnings

swimmermenitro's review

Go to review page

funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Content Warnings

More...