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A review by mastersal
Stuck-Up Suit by Penelope Ward, Vi Keeland
3.0
One of the last books I read to close off the year - so I was looking for something fun and low angst to distract me from 2020.
This mostly worked except for a plot twist about halfway through. This book felt like two novella mashed together to pad the book length. The irony is that as two separate novellas this would have worked a lot better for me.
Separately, the two parts are pretty strong - the couple are great characters individually and as a couple. I liked the banter between them and their relationship. The hero especially was fantastic - he is a rarity in the romance genre sometime. He is direct and raunchy but is completely into the heroine. He makes no bones about what he wants but is honest and emotionally vulnerable throughout. He was a real standout for me (and I’ve also realized that the author duo tends to mix the alpha-hero tropes with beta-hero characteristics quite well).
Unfortunately the plotting of the novel let it down. The latter half was a little too OTT to sit well with the first half. The last minute plot twist () was especially egregious.
In the end I am going with three starts for the disjointed read.
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Nov 2020: This premise sounds very much similar to [b:Hate Notes|38600870|Hate Notes|Vi Keeland|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1536750850l/38600870._SX50_.jpg|60207050] - keeping my fingers crossed that this one works better for me.
Plus KU - so I've already sort of paid for it - no?
This mostly worked except for a plot twist about halfway through.
Spoiler
The book starts off with this honestly fun meet-cute between our couple but about halfway through a secret child of the hero is introduced which kind of takes the book in a direction I was not expecting.Separately, the two parts are pretty strong - the couple are great characters individually and as a couple. I liked the banter between them and their relationship. The hero especially was fantastic - he is a rarity in the romance genre sometime. He is direct and raunchy but is completely into the heroine. He makes no bones about what he wants but is honest and emotionally vulnerable throughout. He was a real standout for me (and I’ve also realized that the author duo tends to mix the alpha-hero tropes with beta-hero characteristics quite well).
Unfortunately the plotting of the novel let it down. The latter half was a little too OTT to sit well with the first half. The last minute plot twist (
Spoiler
with the heroine lying about cheating for the “good of the hero” - don't get me started. How did we end up there from the start where the couple are exchanging sexy text messages??!!!In the end I am going with three starts for the disjointed read.
----
Nov 2020: This premise sounds very much similar to [b:Hate Notes|38600870|Hate Notes|Vi Keeland|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1536750850l/38600870._SX50_.jpg|60207050] - keeping my fingers crossed that this one works better for me.
Plus KU - so I've already sort of paid for it - no?