ohthesheenanigans's review
2.0
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5 Stars)
Title: Somebody To Love
Author(s): Aurelia Fray
Character(s):
― Rachel: Brunette, Green Eyed
― Henry:
Setting: ―
Tag(s): Romance, Contemporary
Content Rating: ―
POV: Third Person
Smexy Level: ―
Favorite Quote(s): N/A
Overall Opinion:
From what little I did read, this series was not what I was expecting seeing how I love the initial blurb. The dialogue was everywhere and the friendship between Rachel and Cassy was a hot mess. I could barely turn the page without cringing. Sadly this just wasn't for me.
emmalita's review
1.0
This is my first DNF for the year and I have put this author on my not at any price list. The cover is cute, so I requested it from Netgalley. This is an honest review. I wish I had paid more attention to the description, it might have saved me some heartache.
The fake therapist device is not appealing to me, but I tried. I really tried. Despite the fact that I didn’t make it past the second chapter, I truly did try. Where did the problems start? with the very first sentence.
This is the opening line. It’s what Rachel says to the man she thinks is her new therapist, a man trying to repair a radiator which is filled with scalding hot water. She surprises him, causing him to lose his grip on a wrench and his crotch is sprayed with scalding hot water. Her response to him being burned is to give him an I-told-you-so look and tell him he looks like he pissed his pants. I hate Rachel. She is an awful person with no boundaries, no compassion and no sense that the way she moves through the world affects anyone other than her.
But don’t worry, Henry is just as bad. Even before he decides not to tell her she’s in the wrong place, he tells us he thinks this is a prank in retaliation for making his brother’s girlfriend think he was cheating. Who does that? Who thinks that’s funny? And then he decides to keep pretending he is a therapist.
So that was chapter one.
At this point, I went on Amazon to see what reviewers were saying. It had a one star rating calling it an excuse to write porn and then a bunch of 4 and 5 star reviews that made me concerned for the rest of the book. A couple of people said they started laughing and didn’t stop. I don’t like those people either. Personally, I would rather read porn than what I had read so far. I decided to press on and at least write a review that articulates why this is a bad book. I moved on to chapter two.
Two things happened in chapter two that made me realize that life is too short and I don’t have to read more to know I’m not going to like this book. Rachel is having hot chocolate with her cousin and best friend Cassy. Cassy is a bitch, and not a fun bitch either.
So she tells her cousin she looks like a whore, steals her lipstick and wears it to annoy her. Why would I want to spend more time with these people. They are all the villain.
The other little nugget of bullshit in the second chapter is the author working in a little side of fat shaming.
A few reviewers mentioned that they appreciated the “curvy girl” representation on the cover of Somebody to Love. No thank you. I can do without this particular flavor of “representation.”
And that’s it. That’s all I could take. Maybe they all learn from their mistakes and become better people. I don’t care.
Henry only needed to fix the leaky office pipes. So, when a crazy woman barges in and turns his day upside down, then confesses all her secrets like a challenge, he faces two choices: Tell her he’s not the man she’s looking for, or roll with it.
Rachel knows there’s something amiss about her new shrink—he’s far too handsome for starters—but she’s desperate to straighten her life out. With only three weeks to find a date for her cousin’s wedding, she’s willing to try anything. Even rely on a complete stranger to help her find love.
The fake therapist device is not appealing to me, but I tried. I really tried. Despite the fact that I didn’t make it past the second chapter, I truly did try. Where did the problems start? with the very first sentence.
As much as I enjoy watching a man play with his tool, are you sure you should be doing that?
This is the opening line. It’s what Rachel says to the man she thinks is her new therapist, a man trying to repair a radiator which is filled with scalding hot water. She surprises him, causing him to lose his grip on a wrench and his crotch is sprayed with scalding hot water. Her response to him being burned is to give him an I-told-you-so look and tell him he looks like he pissed his pants. I hate Rachel. She is an awful person with no boundaries, no compassion and no sense that the way she moves through the world affects anyone other than her.
But don’t worry, Henry is just as bad. Even before he decides not to tell her she’s in the wrong place, he tells us he thinks this is a prank in retaliation for making his brother’s girlfriend think he was cheating. Who does that? Who thinks that’s funny? And then he decides to keep pretending he is a therapist.
So that was chapter one.
At this point, I went on Amazon to see what reviewers were saying. It had a one star rating calling it an excuse to write porn and then a bunch of 4 and 5 star reviews that made me concerned for the rest of the book. A couple of people said they started laughing and didn’t stop. I don’t like those people either. Personally, I would rather read porn than what I had read so far. I decided to press on and at least write a review that articulates why this is a bad book. I moved on to chapter two.
Two things happened in chapter two that made me realize that life is too short and I don’t have to read more to know I’m not going to like this book. Rachel is having hot chocolate with her cousin and best friend Cassy. Cassy is a bitch, and not a fun bitch either.
I knew the shade well. The lipstick had been mine for all of five minutes, a gift my mom sent from Paris. She’d picked it up as a joke and said it reminded her of how red my face became when I blushed. Cassy watched me sign for it, unwrap it, try it on, and then told me it made me look like a cheap whore. Mumbling something akin to waste not; want not, she wrapped it in her bony little fist and shoved it into her purse. She wore it to annoy me.
So she tells her cousin she looks like a whore, steals her lipstick and wears it to annoy her. Why would I want to spend more time with these people. They are all the villain.
The other little nugget of bullshit in the second chapter is the author working in a little side of fat shaming.
I took a sip of my hot chocolate and relished the way it coated my mouth in sweet silk before flowing warmly down my throat, straight to my hips and ass.
A few reviewers mentioned that they appreciated the “curvy girl” representation on the cover of Somebody to Love. No thank you. I can do without this particular flavor of “representation.”
And that’s it. That’s all I could take. Maybe they all learn from their mistakes and become better people. I don’t care.
lattes_lipstick_literature's review
4.0
Hello Fellow Readers,
So I went to my kindle fully intent on reading a cozy mystery in between all of my requests I have been doing lately. I don't know what happened, maybe it's the cute cover, maybe it's the interesting synopsis or maybe my mind fully knew that I actually did not want to read a mystery but I ended up reading Somebody to Love by Aurelia Fray.
I liked the book, it was actually funny which surprised me because sometimes a book alludes to the fact that it's hilarious and I barely crack a smile. First off, I really like Rachel she's spunky but also vulnerable in a way that seems realistic, when authors write strong women they tend to forget that everyone have vulnerabilities which doesn't make a women less. Henry was also really great, although not at first but he grows which is what you want to read about in a book, no one has to start great as long as he ends that way.
The romance between the two was pretty cute and delightful, and not at all instalove which I enjoyed. Henry and Rachel had good chemistry and playful banter, they didn't argue excessively either, they acted like adults. The humor in this is pretty raunchy, FYI so if your looking for clean romance you won't find it here.
One thing I did not like was the girl-on-girl hate. Rey, was just an useless character I felt there was no reason to include her, especially when you have Cassy already. I was a little upset with the lack of support Rachel had in the first half of the novel, I just kept thinking 'are all the friends in this shitty?' I was happy I was proved wrong but they should have been introduced sooner. Overall, a great read for those who like saucy humor in their romance.
So I went to my kindle fully intent on reading a cozy mystery in between all of my requests I have been doing lately. I don't know what happened, maybe it's the cute cover, maybe it's the interesting synopsis or maybe my mind fully knew that I actually did not want to read a mystery but I ended up reading Somebody to Love by Aurelia Fray.
I liked the book, it was actually funny which surprised me because sometimes a book alludes to the fact that it's hilarious and I barely crack a smile. First off, I really like Rachel she's spunky but also vulnerable in a way that seems realistic, when authors write strong women they tend to forget that everyone have vulnerabilities which doesn't make a women less. Henry was also really great, although not at first but he grows which is what you want to read about in a book, no one has to start great as long as he ends that way.
The romance between the two was pretty cute and delightful, and not at all instalove which I enjoyed. Henry and Rachel had good chemistry and playful banter, they didn't argue excessively either, they acted like adults. The humor in this is pretty raunchy, FYI so if your looking for clean romance you won't find it here.
One thing I did not like was the girl-on-girl hate. Rey, was just an useless character I felt there was no reason to include her, especially when you have Cassy already. I was a little upset with the lack of support Rachel had in the first half of the novel, I just kept thinking 'are all the friends in this shitty?' I was happy I was proved wrong but they should have been introduced sooner. Overall, a great read for those who like saucy humor in their romance.
remusreads's review against another edition
4.0
Around 30% of the way in I was considering not finishing this one, but I am infinitely happy that I continued it. I was getting a little agitated with Cassy’s pettiness and the girl on girl hate, but I realised that it was a character flaw that was inevitably going to come to a head and get fixed — and it certainly did! I can, without a doubt, say that I am beyond happy that I didn’t put the book down for that reason because the character development this lot went through was fantastic. This book to me was made even better by the fact that I felt everything the characters were feeling. I mean, I felt so frustrated that I almost put the book down; the same as Rachel storming out for example! So yes, the book is massively amazing for that. I felt what the characters felt and imagined what the characters saw and it was brilliant!
Also I laughed so hard I had tears brimming. There’s a particular scene which involves a toilet and good lord it had me laughing so hard that I ended up having to read the chapter to my fiancée so that she could laugh with me! I love it when a book makes me laugh that hard, I really do. Some people may find the scene cringey but it was one of my favourites from the book!
There is an undeniable theme in this book to not judge a book by its cover. Rachel is dismissed on numerous occasions because she’s curvy. A few of the men in the book refer to her as “tubby”, “dumpy”, amongst others and I found that unsettling personally, but they all see what an amazing person she is. I don’t agree with the idea that if you’re fat you can’t be beautiful which felt like an underlying idea that the characters had, but I’m glad that they all gave her a chance at least and didn’t continue to judge her by her looks.
There was also the theme of just because they’re blood related doesn’t mean you have to tolerate their shitty behaviour. It was probably the second strongest theme in this book and was really written fantastically. Rachel is essentially bullied by Cassy, her cousin, and this book follows the journey of her learning to stand up for herself, to Cassy and to all of those that don’t believe in her. Lemme just tell you that I am HERE for that theme and loved the way everything unfolded. The character development that Rachel underwent was fabulous, and I loved seeing her unfold into someone who loved herself, believed in herself and didn’t take less than the best from others.
Here are a few more things I liked:
— the writing was fabulous! It was gripping, hysterically funny, enjoyable, addicting (I read the first quarter of it in a burst and was gutted to put it down). It’s not too descriptive nor too vague and is a lot of fun.
— is (mostly) a light hearted contemporary which touches on some heavier subjects (mentioned above), so the perfect summer read. I had an absolute blast reading it.
— though the plot can be seen as formulaic, I felt it was unique and refreshing to read and it took some turns that I was thoroughly enthralled by.
— families! I love familial presence in books!
— steamy, but not too much sex that it detracts from the plot.
— it felt immensely real. I didn’t feel like I was reading a fictionalisation, it genuinely felt like I was reading how someone’s life had panned out — and I was a huge fan of that.
— the pacing is great! Didn’t take too long to get into the story and the main event in the story didn’t occur too quickly, and there definitely wasn’t much (if any at all) filler content. The story flowed fabulously.
Rated 4/4.5* due to a couple of issues I’ve mentioned in this review! I would absolutely recommend this to anyone and everyone; even if you’re not a romance reader as such. It was great fun and a lot of laughs!
Also I laughed so hard I had tears brimming. There’s a particular scene which involves a toilet and good lord it had me laughing so hard that I ended up having to read the chapter to my fiancée so that she could laugh with me! I love it when a book makes me laugh that hard, I really do. Some people may find the scene cringey but it was one of my favourites from the book!
There is an undeniable theme in this book to not judge a book by its cover. Rachel is dismissed on numerous occasions because she’s curvy. A few of the men in the book refer to her as “tubby”, “dumpy”, amongst others and I found that unsettling personally, but they all see what an amazing person she is. I don’t agree with the idea that if you’re fat you can’t be beautiful which felt like an underlying idea that the characters had, but I’m glad that they all gave her a chance at least and didn’t continue to judge her by her looks.
There was also the theme of just because they’re blood related doesn’t mean you have to tolerate their shitty behaviour. It was probably the second strongest theme in this book and was really written fantastically. Rachel is essentially bullied by Cassy, her cousin, and this book follows the journey of her learning to stand up for herself, to Cassy and to all of those that don’t believe in her. Lemme just tell you that I am HERE for that theme and loved the way everything unfolded. The character development that Rachel underwent was fabulous, and I loved seeing her unfold into someone who loved herself, believed in herself and didn’t take less than the best from others.
Here are a few more things I liked:
— the writing was fabulous! It was gripping, hysterically funny, enjoyable, addicting (I read the first quarter of it in a burst and was gutted to put it down). It’s not too descriptive nor too vague and is a lot of fun.
— is (mostly) a light hearted contemporary which touches on some heavier subjects (mentioned above), so the perfect summer read. I had an absolute blast reading it.
— though the plot can be seen as formulaic, I felt it was unique and refreshing to read and it took some turns that I was thoroughly enthralled by.
— families! I love familial presence in books!
— steamy, but not too much sex that it detracts from the plot.
— it felt immensely real. I didn’t feel like I was reading a fictionalisation, it genuinely felt like I was reading how someone’s life had panned out — and I was a huge fan of that.
— the pacing is great! Didn’t take too long to get into the story and the main event in the story didn’t occur too quickly, and there definitely wasn’t much (if any at all) filler content. The story flowed fabulously.
Rated 4/4.5* due to a couple of issues I’ve mentioned in this review! I would absolutely recommend this to anyone and everyone; even if you’re not a romance reader as such. It was great fun and a lot of laughs!
heaorgtfo's review
1.0
I received an e-ARC of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I really hate writing negative reviews. I like squeeing over books and it bums me out when I don't like something. But I really did not like this book. All of the characters were stupid and mean. That sounds really harsh, but it's true! The MCs meet when the heroine mistakes the plumber (hero) for her new psychologist, and he realizes her mistake and pretends to be the doctor. She feels like he's probably full of shit but agrees to another session (I guess because she's self-hating and curious??) and then continues seeing him for coffee and other activities while still pretending she thinks she's getting therapy. At first, I thought she mistook him for a prostitute she had hired and that would have been less ridiculous, or at least less offensive. But then she starts spilling her guts to him and I realize she thinks it's therapy. Maybe it's my extensive history with mental health care services, but I couldn't believe someone would pretend to be a therapist. And it's not a funny meet-cute to me.
The heroine has this cousin/best friend who's a total monster and makes the heroine feel like shit all the time. Both MCs screw around with other people over the course of the book. The hero's girlfriend is another mega-bitch crazy woman. It just felt really woman hating. Although the heroine was plus size and mostly happy about it, there was fat-shamey language throughout the book from other characters. Including the hero. The mega-bitches get their comeuppance in the end, but the heroine sinks to their level too much for my liking by publicly humiliating them.
I didn't get the feeling that this author truly likes romance novels. It felt more like she was trying to subvert tropes and mocking them instead. There were some funny lines though. And the cover is adorable.
I really hate writing negative reviews. I like squeeing over books and it bums me out when I don't like something. But I really did not like this book. All of the characters were stupid and mean. That sounds really harsh, but it's true! The MCs meet when the heroine mistakes the plumber (hero) for her new psychologist, and he realizes her mistake and pretends to be the doctor. She feels like he's probably full of shit but agrees to another session (I guess because she's self-hating and curious??) and then continues seeing him for coffee and other activities while still pretending she thinks she's getting therapy. At first, I thought she mistook him for a prostitute she had hired and that would have been less ridiculous, or at least less offensive. But then she starts spilling her guts to him and I realize she thinks it's therapy. Maybe it's my extensive history with mental health care services, but I couldn't believe someone would pretend to be a therapist. And it's not a funny meet-cute to me.
The heroine has this cousin/best friend who's a total monster and makes the heroine feel like shit all the time. Both MCs screw around with other people over the course of the book. The hero's girlfriend is another mega-bitch crazy woman. It just felt really woman hating. Although the heroine was plus size and mostly happy about it, there was fat-shamey language throughout the book from other characters. Including the hero. The mega-bitches get their comeuppance in the end, but the heroine sinks to their level too much for my liking by publicly humiliating them.
I didn't get the feeling that this author truly likes romance novels. It felt more like she was trying to subvert tropes and mocking them instead. There were some funny lines though. And the cover is adorable.
brujaalexis's review
3.0
I Ended up giving this book 3/ 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️ .
While the I didn't mind the general plot, I just couldn't connect to the characters. I can't tell if I just didn't care about them or if it's just the way they were written. It was a really fast read and it was very easy to finish. I just wasn't invested in any way. I didn't care what happened in the end. My major complaint I think is the whole pretending to be her therapist charade went on way too long. I think this was just more of a personal preference than anything else. Overall it was a quick and easy read.
While the I didn't mind the general plot, I just couldn't connect to the characters. I can't tell if I just didn't care about them or if it's just the way they were written. It was a really fast read and it was very easy to finish. I just wasn't invested in any way. I didn't care what happened in the end. My major complaint I think is the whole pretending to be her therapist charade went on way too long. I think this was just more of a personal preference than anything else. Overall it was a quick and easy read.
bookgyrl's review
3.0
I like books with a good opening and an original 'meet-cute'.
Rachel walks into the office of what she thinks is a relationship therapist and starts talking to the man she encounters in the room, not realizing he is the building manager. Henry at first thinks it is a prank by his brother, but soon realizes Rachel thinks he is someone else. Somehow he offers to help Rachel with her relationship woes and finding a (fake) boyfriend for the wedding of her cousin Cassy. I liked both Rachel and Henry and wow, what a rotten family Rachel has. I really hated Cassy and could not fathom why Rachel would think they are or were best friends.
Overall the story is very well written and pulls you in. Loved big parts of it, especially when Rachel finally takes a stand for herself.
But.. I must admit I was put off by several things. I did not like the fact both H/h had descriptive sex with others after meeting each other (no, I don't want to read about it). Normally that would have been a DNF for me. Also, there was a bathroom scene that was - again - so descriptive - it was a bit too much for what the author wanted to convey. I could have done without, thank you.
So, very talented author but a storyline that did not grab me completely. I give it 3 stars.
*** I requested and received an ARC via Netgalley and this is my honest review. ***
Rachel walks into the office of what she thinks is a relationship therapist and starts talking to the man she encounters in the room, not realizing he is the building manager. Henry at first thinks it is a prank by his brother, but soon realizes Rachel thinks he is someone else. Somehow he offers to help Rachel with her relationship woes and finding a (fake) boyfriend for the wedding of her cousin Cassy. I liked both Rachel and Henry and wow, what a rotten family Rachel has. I really hated Cassy and could not fathom why Rachel would think they are or were best friends.
Overall the story is very well written and pulls you in. Loved big parts of it, especially when Rachel finally takes a stand for herself.
But.. I must admit I was put off by several things. I did not like the fact both H/h had descriptive sex with others after meeting each other (no, I don't want to read about it). Normally that would have been a DNF for me. Also, there was a bathroom scene that was - again - so descriptive - it was a bit too much for what the author wanted to convey. I could have done without, thank you.
So, very talented author but a storyline that did not grab me completely. I give it 3 stars.
*** I requested and received an ARC via Netgalley and this is my honest review. ***
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