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A review by korry_tza
Let's Not be Friends by Phoebe MacLeod
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
"Hallmark" meets "dear diary".
This is the best way I could describe this novel.
The idea was there but the plot was diluted with so many descriptive everyday moments that were not essential for the storyline.
A woman gets cheated and this is a story about her growing as a confident person and her journey to happiness, simple as that.
The story would read so much better if it were a novella. The balance of the plot is off, we get to see more of the man who cheated on her than the man that she ends up with. Sorry, but I don't want to repeatedly go through how much of a jerk her ex-husband is, I got it from the first moment he was caught in the act. Then, there was the problem with the guy she ended up with. I didn't care about him at all, he was uninteresting and I think that only happened because of the imbalance of the storyline I mentioned previously. There was just not enough time for him to shine, to develop some personality.
The writing was fine, and it was easy to read, but at one point it felt dragged out and the side characters didn't make the story better.
I would maybe call this a literary fiction, a novel of a woman finding her true self and happiness, but even for that it needs a bit more depth. This was not a romance novel, finding someone to share your days with - yes, romance - no. For this to be a romance we need much more romantic emotions from the love interest. Instead, she was the one giving him support to make some decisions in his life and all we saw was his insecurities, the only thing that connected them was that both of them were divorced.
By the end, I was happy for her but it all felt a bit dragged.
I received this novel as an dARC via NetGally. This is my honest opinion.
This is the best way I could describe this novel.
The idea was there but the plot was diluted with so many descriptive everyday moments that were not essential for the storyline.
A woman gets cheated and this is a story about her growing as a confident person and her journey to happiness, simple as that.
The story would read so much better if it were a novella. The balance of the plot is off, we get to see more of the man who cheated on her than the man that she ends up with. Sorry, but I don't want to repeatedly go through how much of a jerk her ex-husband is, I got it from the first moment he was caught in the act. Then, there was the problem with the guy she ended up with. I didn't care about him at all, he was uninteresting and I think that only happened because of the imbalance of the storyline I mentioned previously. There was just not enough time for him to shine, to develop some personality.
The writing was fine, and it was easy to read, but at one point it felt dragged out and the side characters didn't make the story better.
I would maybe call this a literary fiction, a novel of a woman finding her true self and happiness, but even for that it needs a bit more depth. This was not a romance novel, finding someone to share your days with - yes, romance - no. For this to be a romance we need much more romantic emotions from the love interest. Instead, she was the one giving him support to make some decisions in his life and all we saw was his insecurities, the only thing that connected them was that both of them were divorced.
By the end, I was happy for her but it all felt a bit dragged.
I received this novel as an dARC via NetGally. This is my honest opinion.