Asia
3/5
I was so disappointed by this book. It started out great, I enjoyed it and I love a fake dating romance so I was excited for it. And then the couple got together at 70% and I knew there would eb a third-act-breakup. But I wasn't prepared for how stupid the reasoning would be and how much I'd hate the whole book and a relationship because of it.
But, first things first.
Bea is single, by choice. After her last toxic relationship, she's not ready for a new boyfriend. Cue her sister's machinations: setting her up on the blind date with Jamie, the guy Bea hates.
So Bea and Jamie hatch a plan: pretend to date to make their meddling friends invest in their relationship, and then stage a breakup so severe and painful that it would make their friends leave them alone.
And we all know where this is going, Jamie and Bea fall in love along the way and end up together. But, as much as I love Chloe Liese, she has this nasty habit of writing third-act breakups that make no sense.
Like this one.
Because Bea's twin sister, Jules, and her boyfriend, Jean-Claude, manipulated Bea and Jamie into dating. And then, when Juliet and Jean-Claude broke up, for some reason Bea thinks she can no longer date Jamie? Because her happiness will make her sister sad? So she BREAKS UP WITH JAMIE ALL TO STOP REMINING JULIET OF JEAN-CLAUDE. BUT, she of course tells him it's just a break... with no end date in sight. Which sounds just like a breakup to me. WHERE'S SENSE, WHERE'S LOGIC?
And THEN. THEN. Juliet's manipulations don't stop. Because "weeks later", the third sister Kate unexpectedly comes home, but Juliet leaves for Scotland! Without telling Bea, of course! And of course, Beatrice, who has NO spine, goes along with this with no protest or pushback.
But oh, wait, now that Jules's gone, Bea can date Jamei again! At least until Jules comes back. Because then, Bea will probably feel the need to protect her again so she'll break up with Jamie again... And he AGAIN will be the one to reach out and apologize. I hated this so much.
This entire conflict made me dislike Bea and her relationship with Jamie. I usually believe that romance books couples stay together forever, but not them. Not Jamie and Bea. She'll dump him soon enough for some reason or another.
I was going to read the entire series (I was excited for Christopher and Kate - I love enemies to lovers and enjoyed Taming of the Shrew) - but now I dread the third-act breakup of this couple. I know it will make me hate the book and the couple.
For once, I want the authors to stop using third-act breakup. If you need it to make the book interesting, then you can't write a couple being happy. If you must have a conflict, LET THEM TALK IT OUT LIKE ADULTS FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, STOP WITH THE MISCOMMUNICATION.
3/5
I was so disappointed by this book. It started out great, I enjoyed it and I love a fake dating romance so I was excited for it. And then the couple got together at 70% and I knew there would eb a third-act-breakup. But I wasn't prepared for how stupid the reasoning would be and how much I'd hate the whole book and a relationship because of it.
But, first things first.
Bea is single, by choice. After her last toxic relationship, she's not ready for a new boyfriend. Cue her sister's machinations: setting her up on the blind date with Jamie, the guy Bea hates.
So Bea and Jamie hatch a plan: pretend to date to make their meddling friends invest in their relationship, and then stage a breakup so severe and painful that it would make their friends leave them alone.
And we all know where this is going, Jamie and Bea fall in love along the way and end up together. But, as much as I love Chloe Liese, she has this nasty habit of writing third-act breakups that make no sense.
Like this one.
Because Bea's twin sister, Jules, and her boyfriend, Jean-Claude, manipulated Bea and Jamie into dating. And then, when Juliet and Jean-Claude broke up, for some reason Bea thinks she can no longer date Jamie? Because her happiness will make her sister sad? So she BREAKS UP WITH JAMIE ALL TO STOP REMINING JULIET OF JEAN-CLAUDE. BUT, she of course tells him it's just a break... with no end date in sight. Which sounds just like a breakup to me. WHERE'S SENSE, WHERE'S LOGIC?
And THEN. THEN. Juliet's manipulations don't stop. Because "weeks later", the third sister Kate unexpectedly comes home, but Juliet leaves for Scotland! Without telling Bea, of course! And of course, Beatrice, who has NO spine, goes along with this with no protest or pushback.
But oh, wait, now that Jules's gone, Bea can date Jamei again! At least until Jules comes back. Because then, Bea will probably feel the need to protect her again so she'll break up with Jamie again... And he AGAIN will be the one to reach out and apologize. I hated this so much.
This entire conflict made me dislike Bea and her relationship with Jamie. I usually believe that romance books couples stay together forever, but not them. Not Jamie and Bea. She'll dump him soon enough for some reason or another.
I was going to read the entire series (I was excited for Christopher and Kate - I love enemies to lovers and enjoyed Taming of the Shrew) - but now I dread the third-act breakup of this couple. I know it will make me hate the book and the couple.
For once, I want the authors to stop using third-act breakup. If you need it to make the book interesting, then you can't write a couple being happy. If you must have a conflict, LET THEM TALK IT OUT LIKE ADULTS FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, STOP WITH THE MISCOMMUNICATION.