Okay so this book was extremely adorable. There was so much I loved about it. First off, i am a big big fan of the friends-to-lovers trope. I know everyone is all gaga about enemies-to-lovers and I understand, when it is done correctly, it can be excellent. But this Hufflepuff is just nuts about friends-to-lovers and this book is a spectacular example of it. Like i spent a lot of the book just giggling and being the human equivalent of the heart eyes emoji.
Okay, this might be the part where you are wondering ‘if you loved it so much, why only 4 stars? Unfortunately, I just had some issues with the ending. And honestly, it really frustrated me especially because the whole book was so relatable and adorable and so good but this was just one of those unfortunate cases where it was let down by the ending. Like literally, i didn’t have any big issues other than nitpicking until the last 5%.
SPOILERS FOLLOW SO LOOK AWAY
As the plot of the book revolved around Keely feeling pressure and anxiety about being a virgin, I’d had the idea that it would be a great message if Keely was able to rise above all that pressure and worry and decide to remain a virgin for the time being. Not that it’s such a huge hairy and unheard of deal to still be a virgin but I wanted for her to come to the place where she would be able to see that it wasn’t the big thing she was afraid of. I wanted her to be able to feel comfortable with her virginity and decide to wait until she felt comfortable and not feel like she was pressured. And when we found out that Andrew was, in fact, still a virgin, I was hoping that, as they decided to embark on their relationship they would just take their time since neither one would be judging the other for their virginity and they could do it in a way that felt special… this did not happen.
Instead, after Keely realizes she doesn’t want to have sex with the other love interest because she is in love with Andrew, she pulls the fire alarm and, while the two of them are running away from the hotel staff and the fire department (which includes Andrew’s uncle) they find an old storage closet and do it there. And that just felt so rushed and cheap to me. They’ve finally found each other and are on the same page and love each other and then they decide that not only for their first time together but both of their first times ever to just do it in a random old storage closet. Maybe i’m old fashioned, but that’s not sweet and earnest and romantic which i felt that they deserved. Why on earth would you want your first time to be while you are hiding from the fire department? I don’t care where the closet was, the FD could have walked in on them! Andrew’s uncle could have walked in on them! They just suddenly became so overcome by lust that they couldn’t wait another minute and it just felt very out of character for both of them and really soured me on it. Couldn’t they have reunited, professed their love and then like make plans to do it the next day? Did they have to do it right there?
Alright, i’m ranting I just still don’t get it. With just like that one bit, that one scene, it just felt like it undermined the whole rest of the book and their respective arcs. I’m not mad that they had sex, just the when and the where. THey could have done it in Andrew’s room with his parents downstairs and I would have been fine. I’m just frustrated.
SPOILERS END HERE
Alright, so execution of the ending aside, I did enjoy the book. A lot. I kept sticking little page flags in to my favorite bits and just loved the dialogue and the development between Keely and Andrew. It was sweet and, like 96% of it was very well written it just didn’t stick the landing for me.
Other people will probably read this book and find the execution of the ending romantic and exciting, it just didn’t work for me. If you’re looking for a sweet and funny friends-to-lovers romp in these uncertain times, I recommend you pick this up!
Okay, this might be the part where you are wondering ‘if you loved it so much, why only 4 stars? Unfortunately, I just had some issues with the ending. And honestly, it really frustrated me especially because the whole book was so relatable and adorable and so good but this was just one of those unfortunate cases where it was let down by the ending. Like literally, i didn’t have any big issues other than nitpicking until the last 5%.
SPOILERS FOLLOW SO LOOK AWAY
As the plot of the book revolved around Keely feeling pressure and anxiety about being a virgin, I’d had the idea that it would be a great message if Keely was able to rise above all that pressure and worry and decide to remain a virgin for the time being. Not that it’s such a huge hairy and unheard of deal to still be a virgin but I wanted for her to come to the place where she would be able to see that it wasn’t the big thing she was afraid of. I wanted her to be able to feel comfortable with her virginity and decide to wait until she felt comfortable and not feel like she was pressured. And when we found out that Andrew was, in fact, still a virgin, I was hoping that, as they decided to embark on their relationship they would just take their time since neither one would be judging the other for their virginity and they could do it in a way that felt special… this did not happen.
Instead, after Keely realizes she doesn’t want to have sex with the other love interest because she is in love with Andrew, she pulls the fire alarm and, while the two of them are running away from the hotel staff and the fire department (which includes Andrew’s uncle) they find an old storage closet and do it there. And that just felt so rushed and cheap to me. They’ve finally found each other and are on the same page and love each other and then they decide that not only for their first time together but both of their first times ever to just do it in a random old storage closet. Maybe i’m old fashioned, but that’s not sweet and earnest and romantic which i felt that they deserved. Why on earth would you want your first time to be while you are hiding from the fire department? I don’t care where the closet was, the FD could have walked in on them! Andrew’s uncle could have walked in on them! They just suddenly became so overcome by lust that they couldn’t wait another minute and it just felt very out of character for both of them and really soured me on it. Couldn’t they have reunited, professed their love and then like make plans to do it the next day? Did they have to do it right there?
Alright, i’m ranting I just still don’t get it. With just like that one bit, that one scene, it just felt like it undermined the whole rest of the book and their respective arcs. I’m not mad that they had sex, just the when and the where. THey could have done it in Andrew’s room with his parents downstairs and I would have been fine. I’m just frustrated.
SPOILERS END HERE
Alright, so execution of the ending aside, I did enjoy the book. A lot. I kept sticking little page flags in to my favorite bits and just loved the dialogue and the development between Keely and Andrew. It was sweet and, like 96% of it was very well written it just didn’t stick the landing for me.
Other people will probably read this book and find the execution of the ending romantic and exciting, it just didn’t work for me. If you’re looking for a sweet and funny friends-to-lovers romp in these uncertain times, I recommend you pick this up!