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A review by chronicallybookish
Do I Know You? by Austin Siegemund-Broka, Emily Wibberley
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
<i>Quick Stats</i>
<b>Age Rating: 18+</b>
Over All: 4.25 stars
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4,5/5
Writing: 4/5
<i>Thank you so much Berkley Romance for sending me a copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.</i>
I’m not quite sure why, considering I am a single, unmarried, 20 year old community college student, but one of my favorite premises in a romance novel is a married couple fixing their relationship. There’s just something about it that gives me every single possible emotion, and leaves me feeling so warm and fuzzy in the end. This book was no exception.
This is Wibbroka’s sophomore adult novel, and while I enjoyed The Roughest Draft a little bit more, this was a really great read.
I really liked how in depth we got into Eliza’s backstory and character development in that sense. I do think that, comparatively, Graham was a little lacking, and they both could have used a little more <i>emotional</i> development, but they were both engaging characters that it was impossible not to root for. I was so invested in them and their relationships. I also absolutely adored Daniel. He was an amazing supporting character and I would simply die to read a book about him finding his own love story.
The premise of the book had me very intrigued from the first time I read the blurb. A married couple pretends not to know each other in order to rekindle the spark in their relationship? Sign me up. It definitely reminded me of Phil and Claire’s little anniversary schtik in <i>Modern Family</i>, and while I adore <i>Modern Family</i>, I was a little apprehensive as to how that could be executed outside of a sitcom, in a more serious manner. I had no reason to worry though, because Wibbroka managed to balance the inherently weird and comical aspects of this idea with the serious nature of repairing a struggling relationship. Sometimes it was fun and lighthearted, like the banter or the boxing class, but there were also a lot of emotional and real conversations had as well. I truly believed that it was possible for them to fix their relationship while engaging in this game. I think that this premise and the plot were the most compelling parts of the book, and it more than made up for the somewhat shallow emotional development of the characters themselves and the general…lack of development in Graham all around.
Wibbroka’s adult debut, and this book as well, are often compared to Emily Henry, and while I see where the comparisons come from, I think it does these books a disservice. Emily Henry’s books are so character driven. Her characters are so fully developed and emotionally engaging that you could read 400 pages of them without any plot at all. Whereas this book (and TRD) may be lacking, comparatively, in the character department, but that’s okay because the plot and premise is the driving force behind it. Standing on its own, this book is great, but you can’t go into it expecting a character driven novel, because that’s not what it is.
I definitely recommend this book, and I can’t wait to see what Wibbroka come out with next. I’m so hyped for their next YA book releasing in a few months.
<b>Age Rating: 18+</b>
Over All: 4.25 stars
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4,5/5
Writing: 4/5
<i>Thank you so much Berkley Romance for sending me a copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.</i>
I’m not quite sure why, considering I am a single, unmarried, 20 year old community college student, but one of my favorite premises in a romance novel is a married couple fixing their relationship. There’s just something about it that gives me every single possible emotion, and leaves me feeling so warm and fuzzy in the end. This book was no exception.
This is Wibbroka’s sophomore adult novel, and while I enjoyed The Roughest Draft a little bit more, this was a really great read.
I really liked how in depth we got into Eliza’s backstory and character development in that sense. I do think that, comparatively, Graham was a little lacking, and they both could have used a little more <i>emotional</i> development, but they were both engaging characters that it was impossible not to root for. I was so invested in them and their relationships. I also absolutely adored Daniel. He was an amazing supporting character and I would simply die to read a book about him finding his own love story.
The premise of the book had me very intrigued from the first time I read the blurb. A married couple pretends not to know each other in order to rekindle the spark in their relationship? Sign me up. It definitely reminded me of Phil and Claire’s little anniversary schtik in <i>Modern Family</i>, and while I adore <i>Modern Family</i>, I was a little apprehensive as to how that could be executed outside of a sitcom, in a more serious manner. I had no reason to worry though, because Wibbroka managed to balance the inherently weird and comical aspects of this idea with the serious nature of repairing a struggling relationship. Sometimes it was fun and lighthearted, like the banter or the boxing class, but there were also a lot of emotional and real conversations had as well. I truly believed that it was possible for them to fix their relationship while engaging in this game. I think that this premise and the plot were the most compelling parts of the book, and it more than made up for the somewhat shallow emotional development of the characters themselves and the general…lack of development in Graham all around.
Wibbroka’s adult debut, and this book as well, are often compared to Emily Henry, and while I see where the comparisons come from, I think it does these books a disservice. Emily Henry’s books are so character driven. Her characters are so fully developed and emotionally engaging that you could read 400 pages of them without any plot at all. Whereas this book (and TRD) may be lacking, comparatively, in the character department, but that’s okay because the plot and premise is the driving force behind it. Standing on its own, this book is great, but you can’t go into it expecting a character driven novel, because that’s not what it is.
I definitely recommend this book, and I can’t wait to see what Wibbroka come out with next. I’m so hyped for their next YA book releasing in a few months.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content