A review by banjireads
You Deserve Each Other, by Sarah Hogle
4.0
2022 Reread: I def almost DNF'd this after getting to 60%. I actually put this in this year's DNF list but then I read my review and decided to pick it back up. I couldn't connect the way I remembered the first time around. I remembered loving this book and having so much fun reading Naomi's inner monologue. This time, I didn't find Naomi's humor as entertaining as I did. It's still a cute story and there were still parts that I could relate to. But it was more irritating than entertaining to me. This read-through, I'd rate it maybe 3 stars. I’m gonna change my rating to 4 stars. I love what this book meant to me when I first read it but it’s not a reread 5-star anymore for me. I had highlighted so much so I know I must have really connected with the story. I'm bummed that I didn't get the same feelings I did when I first picked it up and I'm disappointed that the humor was not hitting the way I described in my initial review.
First read 2021:
I cannot comprehend how much I love and relate to this book. I thought I wasn't going to like it, I was literally going to DNF this after chapters 2-3. I thought this was going to have the theme of the main character, Naomi, just not speaking up and allowing her fiance and soon-to-be mother-in-law walk all over her and unappreciate her. I thought it was going to be that same theme leaving me irritated and angry like in the Heart Principle. And OMG was I wrong. I was cheering when she finally spoke up and they were fighting and she was finally speaking up to Deborah. I laughed out loud so many times in this book and I probably highlighted like half the book, at least I wanted to if I didn't. The way Naomi thinks of Nicholas starting out was so relatable to me and how she is able to change her mindset over Nicholas' actions and see her own actions in a different light was eye-opening for me. I squealed so much as they fell in love again and how they get married. The reasons they don't want the ceremony is so relatable to reasons that I don't want one and to read about them spontaneously getting married made me so happy. My heart is alive for them. I think this book might replace my favorite book at the moment, The Unhoneymooners. I could not stop laughing and smiling through this entire book. I love how the author weaves this story- Naomi is fucking hilarious and their banter/fights are so entertaining. It warms my heart that Nicholas stays in the relationship knowing his own unhappiness and seeing Naomi's. Where Naomi wanted to end it and sees Nicholas as trying to manipulate her stays to try to push him away, Nicholas is fighting for her. I love this book so much and I couldn't be happier to be wrong over my initial feelings.
First read 2021:
I cannot comprehend how much I love and relate to this book. I thought I wasn't going to like it, I was literally going to DNF this after chapters 2-3. I thought this was going to have the theme of the main character, Naomi, just not speaking up and allowing her fiance and soon-to-be mother-in-law walk all over her and unappreciate her. I thought it was going to be that same theme leaving me irritated and angry like in the Heart Principle. And OMG was I wrong. I was cheering when she finally spoke up and they were fighting and she was finally speaking up to Deborah. I laughed out loud so many times in this book and I probably highlighted like half the book, at least I wanted to if I didn't. The way Naomi thinks of Nicholas starting out was so relatable to me and how she is able to change her mindset over Nicholas' actions and see her own actions in a different light was eye-opening for me. I squealed so much as they fell in love again and how they get married. The reasons they don't want the ceremony is so relatable to reasons that I don't want one and to read about them spontaneously getting married made me so happy. My heart is alive for them. I think this book might replace my favorite book at the moment, The Unhoneymooners. I could not stop laughing and smiling through this entire book. I love how the author weaves this story- Naomi is fucking hilarious and their banter/fights are so entertaining. It warms my heart that Nicholas stays in the relationship knowing his own unhappiness and seeing Naomi's. Where Naomi wanted to end it and sees Nicholas as trying to manipulate her stays to try to push him away, Nicholas is fighting for her. I love this book so much and I couldn't be happier to be wrong over my initial feelings.