definitely lives up to the hype (thanks booktube!)
This was my first time reading romance and it was an interesting one to start with. This book has been raved about time and time again, and it seemed like a fun breath of fresh air, which it definitely was.
This first thing is entirely on me; I feel like a total dummy for not gleaning the explicit sexual content of this book from the back blurb, but I don't think I've ever blushed harder in my entire life. Some people think the smut is an absolute work of art and others think it's goofy, but like I said before, I have zero experience in this genre so I can only speak to the shock value it had for me.
I disliked the insta-love element because as a trope, I think it prevents a meaningful story arc from forming, and any conflict that happens later on feels forced. I think that's partly my own opinion and partly a reflection from the story itself, the conflict in the third act felt flimsy and contrived. It was obvious that Michael and Stella were going to end up together, so I struggled to feel invested in most of the conflict. I thought the part of the book where Stella struggles to find common ground with Michael's family was fairly well done, and they were all interesting enough.
Stella and Michael's relationship basically being used as a Band-aid for her ASD and related issues was the most off-putting aspect of the book to me, but the implication that a lot of other reviewers have brought up about Stella's problems being f*cked out of her is pretty on the nose. I hate this trope on principle and I was disappointed to see it here.
On the other hand, I liked both leads well enough. I can't exactly put my finger on any part of this book I enjoyed enough to devote a whole paragraph to, but I liked the inclusion of underrepresented races and disabilities. Since I'm not a member of any of those groups, I can't speak to how good the rep was, but I enjoyed it anyway. I'm glad I bit the bullet on this one, even if it wasn't perfect, and I can see myself reading from this genre and maybe even Helen Hoang's other romances in the future.
This first thing is entirely on me; I feel like a total dummy for not gleaning the explicit sexual content of this book from the back blurb, but I don't think I've ever blushed harder in my entire life. Some people think the smut is an absolute work of art and others think it's goofy, but like I said before, I have zero experience in this genre so I can only speak to the shock value it had for me.
I disliked the insta-love element because as a trope, I think it prevents a meaningful story arc from forming, and any conflict that happens later on feels forced. I think that's partly my own opinion and partly a reflection from the story itself, the conflict in the third act felt flimsy and contrived. It was obvious that Michael and Stella were going to end up together, so I struggled to feel invested in most of the conflict. I thought the part of the book where Stella struggles to find common ground with Michael's family was fairly well done, and they were all interesting enough.
Stella and Michael's relationship basically being used as a Band-aid for her ASD and related issues was the most off-putting aspect of the book to me, but the implication that a lot of other reviewers have brought up about Stella's problems being f*cked out of her is pretty on the nose. I hate this trope on principle and I was disappointed to see it here.
On the other hand, I liked both leads well enough. I can't exactly put my finger on any part of this book I enjoyed enough to devote a whole paragraph to, but I liked the inclusion of underrepresented races and disabilities. Since I'm not a member of any of those groups, I can't speak to how good the rep was, but I enjoyed it anyway. I'm glad I bit the bullet on this one, even if it wasn't perfect, and I can see myself reading from this genre and maybe even Helen Hoang's other romances in the future.