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A review by novelty_reads
The Boy You Always Wanted by Michelle Quach
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I'll be honest, I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would, which is a shame because I really wanted to.
From the start, I wasn't really connecting with the characters. I don't know what it was, but I was left wishing for more relatability and connection to them that would make me want to ship Francine and Ollie together. I was curious to see where their relationship would go but I spent the entirety of the book wishing for more chemistry.
They did have some cute scenes together but I wished we got more of that. I liked the scene on the playground and the cheeky moments of physical displays of affection from Ollie but I wished they were prolonged more. The characters that absolutely stole the show for me were Rolo and Jiya, they were really cool and I was secretly shipping them together admittedly even more so than the main couple.
I also enjoyed the writing style, it was very digestible and easy to read but I think the overall thing I would've wanted was more depth in general especially since the last part of the book felt really quick.
I think what would've worked in the book's favour was if Francine's relationship with her family and her previous crush on Ollie was highlighted before the events of the book. The plan was introduced really early on and would've really benefitted from having those moments where we got some backstory before the main plot line was brought forward. The Plan could've been introduced more into the middle of the book which may have resulted in more connection and chemistry between Ollie and Francine.
Overall though, I thought this book was okay. Not amazing but not bad either, I just wished for a bit more depth to the characters and story.
I'll be honest, I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would, which is a shame because I really wanted to.
From the start, I wasn't really connecting with the characters. I don't know what it was, but I was left wishing for more relatability and connection to them that would make me want to ship Francine and Ollie together. I was curious to see where their relationship would go but I spent the entirety of the book wishing for more chemistry.
They did have some cute scenes together but I wished we got more of that. I liked the scene on the playground and the cheeky moments of physical displays of affection from Ollie but I wished they were prolonged more. The characters that absolutely stole the show for me were Rolo and Jiya, they were really cool and I was secretly shipping them together admittedly even more so than the main couple.
I also enjoyed the writing style, it was very digestible and easy to read but I think the overall thing I would've wanted was more depth in general especially since the last part of the book felt really quick.
I think what would've worked in the book's favour was if Francine's relationship with her family and her previous crush on Ollie was highlighted before the events of the book. The plan was introduced really early on and would've really benefitted from having those moments where we got some backstory before the main plot line was brought forward. The Plan could've been introduced more into the middle of the book which may have resulted in more connection and chemistry between Ollie and Francine.
Overall though, I thought this book was okay. Not amazing but not bad either, I just wished for a bit more depth to the characters and story.