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misslexilouwho's review
2.0
Quirky and somewhat cute, with a touch of a hot mess express. Bella is not a likable character, and her resentment over Mark made me think she was in love with Ellie multiple times. (Now that could’ve been an interesting angle to take…) She essentially ends up sabotaging her entire life for whats basically a watt pad fic gone wrong. And I didn’t feel sorry for her at all.
Also, points knocked off for having so many freaking Harry Potter references. I get it, it takes place in London, but come on, its 2023 and it’s well known the author is a piece of trash transphobe, can we move on from that damned series?
Also, points knocked off for having so many freaking Harry Potter references. I get it, it takes place in London, but come on, its 2023 and it’s well known the author is a piece of trash transphobe, can we move on from that damned series?
coffeeaddicted1988's review
1.0
I read 9 chapters (how are 4 chapters her explaining how she ended up there?!). Pacing was definitely off!
The main character could maybe be interesting but thinks too much of herself and isn’t as independent as she thinks she is.
I just couldn’t continue. Couldn’t care about main character and what she would do with her life. Unfortunate since I liked the synopsis.
The main character could maybe be interesting but thinks too much of herself and isn’t as independent as she thinks she is.
I just couldn’t continue. Couldn’t care about main character and what she would do with her life. Unfortunate since I liked the synopsis.
blondapst's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
supermarioctopus's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
abercrombie1986's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This one is a hard one to write about. The premise and plot are great ideas, but it is hard to have a romance with an unlikable main character. I'm not sure if it was meant as a test or the character just didn't work for me. Bella is immature a lot of the time and makes some terrible decisions.
What I did really like was the idea. Bella decides to finally write her book and writes it online chapter by chapter based on her dates. And of course it goes viral. Another great part to this is all the fairy tale references that are cleverly woven in.
Maybe this was just wrong book wrong time for me, but it was really not for me.
What I did really like was the idea. Bella decides to finally write her book and writes it online chapter by chapter based on her dates. And of course it goes viral. Another great part to this is all the fairy tale references that are cleverly woven in.
Maybe this was just wrong book wrong time for me, but it was really not for me.
paperbacklyds's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jmoura01's review
3.0
I’d like to say this was a cute rom-com. There were some funny parts when Bella began writing about her dates. Bella came across as emotionally immature and so, so whiny. I think she became more unlikeable as the story progressed. The peripheral characters were extremely likeable, though, and that’s what kept me reading.
The texts between her and Marty were sweet, and I would’ve loved to see more between them. It all came together in the end, though. I actually teared up as she finally woke to how selfish she’d been and made amends to those who cared for her. 2.5/5 Stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC.
The texts between her and Marty were sweet, and I would’ve loved to see more between them. It all came together in the end, though. I actually teared up as she finally woke to how selfish she’d been and made amends to those who cared for her. 2.5/5 Stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC.
lukevirgo's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I bamboozled myself. For some reason I thought this was labeled as queer, I was very wrong. This was as hetero as they come except for the Hansel and Gretal section and even that wasn't much. I should have given up around the Mark Hating. All he ever did is love your best friend. And all you ever did was disrespect their privacy. Who chooses to sleep in their best friend and her boyfriend's bed nightly??? Bella was an unlikable protagonist; whiny, self-centered, and a bit mean. I'm shocked it took her so long that to realize Marty was right there, I'm a real Marty Supporter. It was hard to watch her go on this journey. She used these strangers for her writing and in throwing herself into all those situations she hurt herself. A real lose, lose situation. Although, I did love the Snow White and the Seven Smurfs portion.
racham1123's review
funny
lighthearted
3.75
Started as an audiobook (loved the narrator) but ultimately decided to spend a day reading it myself; I did buy it after all. 😅
In the very beginning I found Bella to be incredibly whiny and desperate. I want to find the one as much as the next person but if a date isn't going well, if the guy isn't paying attention to me or is being a general asshole I'm not just going to keep up the charade of the date in the mind set of "But, what if he's the one??" No, girl. Unless you want a shit head, this isn't the one. But, for Bella she would let a guy walk all over her just in case he was her match. Ew.
The Bella/Ellie/Mark dynamic is a little weird at first and I'm not goin to lie I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be rooting for Mark or if he really was an asshole.
It also took a little bit to get into the heart of this story, but once Bella started writing it was great. I really enjoyed her fairy tale take on dating gone wrong. I was a bit perplexed though why Bella was so incapable of writing a story herself without putting herself straight into it first. I mean, why couldn't she summon something up from her imagination? Start with a kernel of truth and just run with it? But instead she insisted she couldn't write her fairy tales unless she specifically played them out in her own life. Which, okay, kudos for immersive writing but I just don't understand how she got so sucked in with all the blinders on. I mean, for fucks sake it took her over 300 pages to realize she was being a bit hypocritical with men writing about failed dates or trying to get a story out of her when that's what she'd been doing this whole book.
I wasn't sure if I wanted her to end up with Marty or not at first. Because that felt like a very predictable 'happily ever after' ending and sometimes it's refreshing to legitimately just have a male best friend. Don't get me wrong, I liked the ending but our MC was a bit awful at times.
I didn't like that by the time she apologizes to Mark she's saying he was right after everything and it WAS a bad idea. I just don't believe that. I feel like it was a good idea, Bella just didn't think it all through. She became a bit impulsive as the book went and she was met with a series of rejections (which is the way of life), but I felt like she was failing more than because her motives were so tainted at that point. It's like she wasn't being herself, even a little bit anymore.
I liked the story. I liked the premise. I just feel like it fell apart a bit? I don't know, I just think it could have been stronger. Few too many Harry Potter references for me, but that's just a personal tick of mine. Still a fun read though. Easy to get through. Great opening line.😂
In the very beginning I found Bella to be incredibly whiny and desperate. I want to find the one as much as the next person but if a date isn't going well, if the guy isn't paying attention to me or is being a general asshole I'm not just going to keep up the charade of the date in the mind set of "But, what if he's the one??" No, girl. Unless you want a shit head, this isn't the one. But, for Bella she would let a guy walk all over her just in case he was her match. Ew.
The Bella/Ellie/Mark dynamic is a little weird at first and I'm not goin to lie I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be rooting for Mark or if he really was an asshole.
It also took a little bit to get into the heart of this story, but once Bella started writing it was great. I really enjoyed her fairy tale take on dating gone wrong. I was a bit perplexed though why Bella was so incapable of writing a story herself without putting herself straight into it first. I mean, why couldn't she summon something up from her imagination? Start with a kernel of truth and just run with it? But instead she insisted she couldn't write her fairy tales unless she specifically played them out in her own life. Which, okay, kudos for immersive writing but I just don't understand how she got so sucked in with all the blinders on. I mean, for fucks sake it took her over 300 pages to realize she was being a bit hypocritical with men writing about failed dates or trying to get a story out of her when that's what she'd been doing this whole book.
I wasn't sure if I wanted her to end up with Marty or not at first. Because that felt like a very predictable 'happily ever after' ending and sometimes it's refreshing to legitimately just have a male best friend. Don't get me wrong, I liked the ending but our MC was a bit awful at times.
I didn't like that by the time she apologizes to Mark she's saying he was right after everything and it WAS a bad idea. I just don't believe that. I feel like it was a good idea, Bella just didn't think it all through. She became a bit impulsive as the book went and she was met with a series of rejections (which is the way of life), but I felt like she was failing more than because her motives were so tainted at that point. It's like she wasn't being herself, even a little bit anymore.
I liked the story. I liked the premise. I just feel like it fell apart a bit? I don't know, I just think it could have been stronger. Few too many Harry Potter references for me, but that's just a personal tick of mine. Still a fun read though. Easy to get through. Great opening line.😂
thebookishhomesteader's review
3.0
A different take on romance. Bella has to do things all wrong to get to what is right for her. It’s an interesting tale of a woman who essentially gives up on price charming and decides to just have fun. Like everyone in that “phase” she realizes she can’t just stay there and, thankfully, her Prince Charming is waiting on the other side.