A review by booksalacarte
First Impressions by Linda Middleton

hopeful lighthearted reflective tense slow-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

1.75

First impressions


1.75⭐️2.75🌶️

Contemporary romance
British Romcom
Workplace romance
Family dynamics
Miscommunication
3rd act breakup


Tw: domestic violence, terrorist attack

The cover and synopsis of this book were cute and intriguing. Unfortunately it just didn’t deliver for me.

The plot was just trope after shock factor after trope. Victim situation on top of victim situation on top of victim situation. By the 50% mark I was so tired of the woe is me for this FMC. All the characters were reduced to their role, instead of coming into their own. Leaving them all flat and tired. 

There is a lot of telling and not showing. The whole book was basically inner monologue. There was barely any actual dialogue. The timeline was very timeline jumpy. Events that needed unpacking never were, instead the plot would skip to later in the week.

Light spice. Barely open door. 

Add a terrorist attack type explosion during London fashion week to just up the camp. I thought it was done in bad taste as something cornered into a side plot.


Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
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