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A review by yas_sezer
A Merry Little Meet Cute by Sierra Simone, Julie Murphy
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
i have quite mixed feelings with this one.
on one hand, i had a fun time, on the other i found myself bored. part of the issue is that this book was just too long for what it is. i would have enjoyed it a lot more had it ended 150 pages earlier than it did.
i went into this knowing its a cute little fluffy rom com, so my expectations were not high. i was not expecting something groundbreaking or for big emotions to be induced. i knew what i was getting myself into.
except, it didnt really deliver what it was meant to. i didnt really care for the characters, including side characters. they were all just there, likeable enough for me to tolerate them, but i did not feel connected. anything could have happened to them and i wouldve just accepted it.
i liked Bee being a bigger girl, and i actually do not see much representation of curvy girls like her in many books so it was refreshing. however, i do not think the author did the exploration of the struggles curvy girls go through justice. if anything, she pointed it out as an issue frequently. any time bee would mention something about herself, she would link it to her being "fat". shes still a normal girl. i would have preferred for us to know bee is a curvy girl and to show us the issues she has faced throughout her life, relationships, and career without it being shoved in our face constantly. an example where this was done well was with nolan urging bee to stop sucking her stomach in during their intimate moments. that was cute. more of that would have been preferred compared to her repeatedly telling us that she has faced issues coz she is "fat".
i also want to note that nolans mum struggling with her mental health could have been written with slightly more depth. i know this book isnt intending to delve into things in a serious way too much since it is a rom com, but if you bring a topic as heavy as this i think you need to do it justice and address it appropriately. it almost felt like it was just used as a plot device. nolan needs to cause tension on set? phone call from his sister about his mum. nolan needs to get onto this movie? its for his mums meds. nolan needs to host an interview? its to protect his mums privacy and mental health. idk, it didnt really sit right with me, particularly since we dont actually see much of his mum as an actual character, only a few phone calls really. its nice that this topic was added into the story, but i do think it could have been explored a little more sensitively.
in terms of the setting, i always love anything film/theatre related so having that as the backdrop was really enjoyable. i would have liked to see more of that, maybe more of the behind the scenes and rehearsals and on set funny moments. but alas, what we got was not bad, just not much. still enjoyable.
one thing i will appreciate is the communication in this book. the characters, particularly bee, were great at voicing their concerns and addressing problems head on. their conflict was not something that could have been solved with one conversation, which made it more believable for me. also, bee is so understanding which i was happy with. i was worried she would cause heaps of issues because of the things nolan had to say post-reveal, but in reality she genuinely understood despite her hurt feelings. respect.
i dont really have much to say about the side characters with this one. there wasnt anyone i really loved in general, and i feel as though the side characters will be forgotten shortly. it wasnt a very memorable experience for me.
thats about where my thoughts and feelings end with this one. it was a cute experience, not really memorable, but good for the time. i will say though, there are definitely books that are shorter that will give you the fluffy giggly feelings a rom com should give you. but if you wanna read it and give it a go, then go for it, you might enjoy it.
on one hand, i had a fun time, on the other i found myself bored. part of the issue is that this book was just too long for what it is. i would have enjoyed it a lot more had it ended 150 pages earlier than it did.
i went into this knowing its a cute little fluffy rom com, so my expectations were not high. i was not expecting something groundbreaking or for big emotions to be induced. i knew what i was getting myself into.
except, it didnt really deliver what it was meant to. i didnt really care for the characters, including side characters. they were all just there, likeable enough for me to tolerate them, but i did not feel connected. anything could have happened to them and i wouldve just accepted it.
i liked Bee being a bigger girl, and i actually do not see much representation of curvy girls like her in many books so it was refreshing. however, i do not think the author did the exploration of the struggles curvy girls go through justice. if anything, she pointed it out as an issue frequently. any time bee would mention something about herself, she would link it to her being "fat". shes still a normal girl. i would have preferred for us to know bee is a curvy girl and to show us the issues she has faced throughout her life, relationships, and career without it being shoved in our face constantly. an example where this was done well was with nolan urging bee to stop sucking her stomach in during their intimate moments. that was cute. more of that would have been preferred compared to her repeatedly telling us that she has faced issues coz she is "fat".
i also want to note that nolans mum struggling with her mental health could have been written with slightly more depth. i know this book isnt intending to delve into things in a serious way too much since it is a rom com, but if you bring a topic as heavy as this i think you need to do it justice and address it appropriately. it almost felt like it was just used as a plot device. nolan needs to cause tension on set? phone call from his sister about his mum. nolan needs to get onto this movie? its for his mums meds. nolan needs to host an interview? its to protect his mums privacy and mental health. idk, it didnt really sit right with me, particularly since we dont actually see much of his mum as an actual character, only a few phone calls really. its nice that this topic was added into the story, but i do think it could have been explored a little more sensitively.
in terms of the setting, i always love anything film/theatre related so having that as the backdrop was really enjoyable. i would have liked to see more of that, maybe more of the behind the scenes and rehearsals and on set funny moments. but alas, what we got was not bad, just not much. still enjoyable.
one thing i will appreciate is the communication in this book. the characters, particularly bee, were great at voicing their concerns and addressing problems head on. their conflict was not something that could have been solved with one conversation, which made it more believable for me. also, bee is so understanding which i was happy with. i was worried she would cause heaps of issues because of the things nolan had to say post-reveal, but in reality she genuinely understood despite her hurt feelings. respect.
i dont really have much to say about the side characters with this one. there wasnt anyone i really loved in general, and i feel as though the side characters will be forgotten shortly. it wasnt a very memorable experience for me.
thats about where my thoughts and feelings end with this one. it was a cute experience, not really memorable, but good for the time. i will say though, there are definitely books that are shorter that will give you the fluffy giggly feelings a rom com should give you. but if you wanna read it and give it a go, then go for it, you might enjoy it.