So everyone loves this book. Everyone. It’s been all over CBR. And it popped up as $2.99 or something the other day on Amazon, so I downloaded it.
And…
I didn’t much care for it.
Can I still be in CBR?
I mean, it was okay. There were a few funny moments, and I laughed a few times, but I expected lots of snark and banter and wit and… I don’t know. It just didn’t blow my skirt up.
Lainie is an actor in a West End theatre, and her role on stage has her smooching with her off-stage former paramour, Will Farmer. Will’s kind of a jerk, having dumped Lainie for someone else and then wondering why she’s so upset with him. So I guess Will is kind of a clueless jerk. Sometimes those are the worst kind, aren’t they? And then there’s Richard Troy, who gives off the air of feeling too good for their little theatre, and is kind of a jerk of the pretentious kind. Richard’s got some PR troubles – he’s got a bad boy reputation – and so the theatre lackeys come up with the brilliant plan to make Lainie and Richard pretend to be together. A few paparazzi snaps, a few dinners out, a few blind items, and all will be well. But of course in true romance novel fashion, they fall in love for real, there’s a misunderstanding about something, they have a falling out, and they come back together.
But I guess I didn’t see what was so jerky about Richard. I mean, he wasn’t exactly the most awesomely sweet guy ever to grace the pages of a book, but he felt pretty normal to me, kind of on the gruff side, but normal. I don’t know. Maybe that says something about the guys in my life. Lainie was so good she made my teeth ache, and I was honestly surprised that she wasn’t a virgin in the book, because that’s the ultimate in good-girl-ness in romance – you know, the whole being unsullied by a man’s touch thing. And Will was pretty bland in his jackass-ness. If he’s supposed to be the bad guy, make him the bad guy, not this wussified version of a bad guy.
Maybe that’s the issue that I had with the book. It was just…bland. No heat, no spark, and even the sexy times were kind of meh. I kept waiting for the wit and smartass remarks and I guess if you turned the book on its side and squinted really hard you could find them, but I’d say that it’s kind of a stretch.
Years ago, my parents used to watch some British comedies. And I didn’t really get them, because I think British humor isn’t really my bag. Maybe that’s what was wrong here? I don’t know, but I feel like everyone else read a different book than me.
More reviews found here.
Oh well, to each their own.
We all loved The Hating Game, too. Maybe you’ll have more luck with that recommendation.
That’s on my TBR list. I dunno. I didn’t hate it. I just… think I was neutral about it.
I never follow the herd mentality on books to be honest so I understand your hesitation to voice a differing opinion here. Sometimes I’ll break down and read what everyone gushes about and feel ‘meh, whatever…’ which is why I didn’t bother with this one.
I loved this one, but I also love cheesy British comedies on PBS and am a just slightly closeted theatre geek so it spoke to me on all the levels. Don’t worry though, I have one (Devil in Winter) that everyone else LOVES, but my response is a responding meh. I even recently reread it and confirmed my previous suspicions. It’s not for me.
Its never fun coming in with an opinion that is in opposition to the group’s overarching standpoint. Of course we’d never banish you! Part of the fun is the variety of viewpoints and voices at the table. I don’t want to be reading in an echo chamber, and seeing what doesn’t work for someone else helps me keep a clearer eye on what I’m reading.
Hear, hear! All opinions welcome, definitely
Totally! I’m only defensive of things I love when someone is just being mean or shitty about it for no good reason. Otherwise, yours is just an interesting conflicting opinion!