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A review by kfriend
Love You Better by Brit Benson
5.0
4.5 Stars
What a powerhouse of a debut! Compelling and unique heroine, the swooniest and sexiest leading man I’ve read in a while, a heartfelt and emotive friends to lovers story brimming with complex chemistry, and sweet and sincere love story about taking that leap of faith and the power of trust, forgiveness, and healing- what more could you want?! I’m so impressed with this debut, and I’m looking forward to more from Brit.
KELLEY. MY GOD. This man. Dreamy, just dreamy. The perfect hero- a bit of edge, a dirty mouth and super sexy, but also a kind, generous, patient, and emotionally open character. I simply adored him, from the first moment. Ivy took longer for me to connect with, in part because her own baggage has us only seeing certain aspects of her as she projects a persona that is safe for her. When we get more of her heart and vulnerability, when we see her with Kelley, I feel like we get the real Ivy. She’s the source of a lot of hold ups, but she’s got a lot of weight on her shoulders. I loved how she makes mistakes, but she does out of love and care for others.
This story really excels in the chemistry. It is magical, and the perfect articulation of the friends to lovers dynamic. Friends to lovers is hard to get just right- you have to both believe the characters are long term friends, but also believe that their failure to cross the friends to lovers line comes from legitimate barriers. And Brit brilliantly constructed that challenge- why two so besotted would be content to remain just friends. There is a profound emotinonal safety and intimacy between these two that I found so delightful, and quite moving. The transitionto lovers is also authentic and natural- the sexy feels intimate and personal, like two people who are already soul mates learning to explore each other in a new way. Not to mention- the steam in this book is SO good. HOT!!
The prose is beautifully captured, the characters dimensionally created, and the story balances heart, heat, and humor. I did find the pacing to be a bit uneven, and it took me a while to feel the story pick up and for me to also truly connect with Ivy, but about 40% in the story took off, and I was consumed. The narrative approach balances substantial flashbacks with present day tension so perfectly- helping us uncover the barriers and emotional baggage that have become the invisible wall between these two. And, while the ending felt a bit quick, it is only an indication of how much I loved these two together, I wanted MORE of them. And I did appreciate how after all the angst, the drama at the end is quickly and thoughtfully resolved. These characters know each other too well for it to be otherwise, and it was SOOOO swoony.
We have some exciting foreshadowing for characters' stories yet to come- and I can’t wait for more! Brava Brit, fantastic debut!
What a powerhouse of a debut! Compelling and unique heroine, the swooniest and sexiest leading man I’ve read in a while, a heartfelt and emotive friends to lovers story brimming with complex chemistry, and sweet and sincere love story about taking that leap of faith and the power of trust, forgiveness, and healing- what more could you want?! I’m so impressed with this debut, and I’m looking forward to more from Brit.
KELLEY. MY GOD. This man. Dreamy, just dreamy. The perfect hero- a bit of edge, a dirty mouth and super sexy, but also a kind, generous, patient, and emotionally open character. I simply adored him, from the first moment. Ivy took longer for me to connect with, in part because her own baggage has us only seeing certain aspects of her as she projects a persona that is safe for her. When we get more of her heart and vulnerability, when we see her with Kelley, I feel like we get the real Ivy. She’s the source of a lot of hold ups, but she’s got a lot of weight on her shoulders. I loved how she makes mistakes, but she does out of love and care for others.
This story really excels in the chemistry. It is magical, and the perfect articulation of the friends to lovers dynamic. Friends to lovers is hard to get just right- you have to both believe the characters are long term friends, but also believe that their failure to cross the friends to lovers line comes from legitimate barriers. And Brit brilliantly constructed that challenge- why two so besotted would be content to remain just friends. There is a profound emotinonal safety and intimacy between these two that I found so delightful, and quite moving. The transitionto lovers is also authentic and natural- the sexy feels intimate and personal, like two people who are already soul mates learning to explore each other in a new way. Not to mention- the steam in this book is SO good. HOT!!
The prose is beautifully captured, the characters dimensionally created, and the story balances heart, heat, and humor. I did find the pacing to be a bit uneven, and it took me a while to feel the story pick up and for me to also truly connect with Ivy, but about 40% in the story took off, and I was consumed. The narrative approach balances substantial flashbacks with present day tension so perfectly- helping us uncover the barriers and emotional baggage that have become the invisible wall between these two. And, while the ending felt a bit quick, it is only an indication of how much I loved these two together, I wanted MORE of them. And I did appreciate how after all the angst, the drama at the end is quickly and thoughtfully resolved. These characters know each other too well for it to be otherwise, and it was SOOOO swoony.
We have some exciting foreshadowing for characters' stories yet to come- and I can’t wait for more! Brava Brit, fantastic debut!