A review by sharonleavy
Summer at Buttercup Beach by Holly Martin

lighthearted fast-paced

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

1.0

 

From the blurb, I presumed that this was a cute romantic Summer story about two friends who worked together, both harbouring a secret crush on each other. 

Your girl here loves a slow burn, so I bought it. 

Unfortunately, it's less slow burn and more intolerable lack of communication with a highly unlikeable female lead. 

The main issue I had with this was that the characters seemed like completely different people in their own chapters versus from the others POV. In her chapters, Freya was saying and doing one thing and in Rome's, she would say or do something that was totally at odds with what she was supposedly feeling or thinking. 

The lack of communication was abysmal and the preoccupation with the word "love" was immature. I expect the odd misunderstanding in a romcom, I don't expect the same one told ten times over.