Rating: somewhere between a 2.5 and a 3 Mood: Slightly confused, mildly entertained, lowkey frustrated but still kinda vibed?
Huge thanks to Caroline MaRating: somewhere between a 2.5 and a 3 Mood: Slightly confused, mildly entertained, lowkey frustrated but still kinda vibed?
Huge thanks to Caroline Masci & Love Notes PR for the ARC ...more
"A fake feud, a fake relationship... and a fakeout on the chemistry?"
Okay, I wanted to like this. I was READY for a chaotic enemies-to-lovers + fake d"A fake feud, a fake relationship... and a fakeout on the chemistry?"
Okay, I wanted to like this. I was READY for a chaotic enemies-to-lovers + fake dating combo with some slow-burn angst and grudging pining... but what I got was a super sweet family rom-com that felt more like a Hallmark movie on extra syrupy mode.
I read A Guide to Fake Dating Your Enemy 'cause I’ve got an ARC of book 2, and let’s just say... this was a case of the blurb doing all the heavy lifting. The whole "we’ve been rivals for three generations" thing?? Never explained. Not even a throwaway line. I kept WAITING for some juicy past scandal, some ancient betrayal—but no. The families are just like, “lol we hate each other... but also come in for dinner, sweetie!�
Enemies? WHERE. Tension? WHO. Chemistry? NOT HERE.
I kid you not, I never thought I’d say this but�it had TOO MUCH found family. Like... everyone was SO supportive, so open-hearted, so annoyingly nice?? I kept waiting for drama or at least a passive-aggressive jab from an aunt, but nah. It was just vibes. And not the kind I signed up for.
Also that big secret? Wasn’t big. Wasn’t a secret. Was just dumb. I'm sorry but if you're gonna slow-burn your way through 90% of the book, you BETTER give me a damn good reveal. And this one? It flopped harder than my hopes for enemies-to-lovers tension.
Honestly, Nat and Sam were... fine. There were cute moments, but nothing that made me scream or swoon or throw my phone across the room with FEELS. And when you sell me fake dating + enemies to lovers, I need that inner turmoil. I need "oh no he’s hot" vibes. I need petty jabs that turn into loaded glances.
This book? It just gave me two nice people play-acting conflict in a town full of cinnamon rolls.
But y’know what? The chapter openers with fake-dating advice? Adorable. That was actually my fave part. I’d read a whole novella just of those.
I’m still gonna read book two because I’m a clown with hope in my heart and I already committed. But please, let that one bring the DRAMA. Give me angst. Give me stakes. Give me something I can emotionally spiral over!!
TL;DR: If you're into ultra wholesome small-town vibes, no spice, and a super sweet romance where nobody’s actually enemies, you might vibe with this. But if you came for claws-out rivalry, aching pining, and tension so thick you could cut it with a knife? This ain't it....more
Honestly?? I don’t even know how to rate this book because my expectations were in the sky and this book said, “lol no.� I feel so betrayed. This was Honestly?? I don’t even know how to rate this book because my expectations were in the sky and this book said, “lol no.� I feel so betrayed. This was not the rock 'n' roll glam I was promised—this was just a bunch of drug addicts, cheaters, and the most insufferable cast of characters I’ve ever read in a book that’s apparently beloved by the masses.
No hate to anyone who vibed with this... but also, what was this??? Cheating is a HARD limit for me. And Billy??? The audacity. The guy had a WHOLE WIFE and was still emotionally frolicking around with Daisy while poor Camila was home raising three kids and being a literal saint.
Camila deserved the world, and instead she got Billy. Let that sink in.
Daisy was just... ugh. Bratty, entitled, chaotic in the worst way. Billy was a selfish mess. Karen, Pete, and Rod were... tolerable. The rest? Straight to the DNF bin in hell.
And can we TALK about the format for a sec? The interview transcript style?? Emotionally detached. Cold. Repetitive. Like yes, I get it’s supposed to feel like a documentary, but this felt like reading a Wikipedia article with extra steps. I didn’t feel anything. It was all tell, no show, and it made me feel like I was watching people argue about song lyrics and overdose in a loop.
No plot, just vibes—and the vibes were BAD.
And listen—I love 70s LA vibes, music industry drama, unhinged artists spiraling into chaos... but this didn’t hit. It felt flat, predictable, and deeply disappointing. I kept reading because I thought it was building to something explosive—some massive reveal. Instead, it fizzled out like flat soda.
Also, let’s not romanticize cheating just because there’s ✨emotional turmoil�. Billy Dunne was not a tortured artist. He was a selfish man who kept hurting the woman who stood by him. And Daisy??? I don’t care how iconic she’s supposed to be. She needed a therapist and a reality check. Not a married man.
The only iconic thing about this book was Camila’s patience.
I know this book has fans, and I can kinda see the appeal if you’re into morally gray mess and band drama... but for me? It was a chaotic mess of emotionally hollow storytelling, annoying characters, and way too many drugs. And if I hear “Daisy Jones is a star� one more time, I might combust.
Final thoughts: This book was not for me. At all. And I will be putting some ice on my whiplashed expectations....more
˗ˏˋ ★★☆☆� ˎˊ˗ "Swept Away" by Beth O’Leary aka: lost at sea AND lost in the plot.
SPOILER WARNING � if you don’t want to know the WILD twist that drops l˗ˏˋ ★★☆☆� ˎˊ˗ "Swept Away" by Beth O’Leary aka: lost at sea AND lost in the plot.
SPOILER WARNING � if you don’t want to know the WILD twist that drops like a soggy anchor at 90%, turn back now!!!
This book had me screaming into the void and not in a swoony way. More like, “HOW is this happening?� and “WHO thought this was romantic???�
I went in expecting forced proximity + strangers to lovers + stuck on a boat = tension, chemistry, banter. What I got was a textbook example of trauma bonding and one of the WEIRDEST twists I’ve read in recent memory.
Let’s break this down: � One-night stand? Sure, I can vibe. � Boat drifting off because of miscommunication? Okay, I’ll suspend disbelief. � Dude has a festering injury and they're flirting through it?? What?? � They fall in “love� while dehydrated and delusional? This is not The Notebook. This is a health hazard. � And then� at 90%... HE’S HER BEST FRIEND’S BABY DADDY.
WHAT. THE. HELL.ASTAGHFIRULLAH. THAT AIN’T ROMANCE. THAT’S TRAUMA BONDING. AND IT AIN’T GONNA LAST.
I had high hopes. I really did. But this book gave: � zero chemistry � vibes of a weird fever dream � characters who needed therapy more than each other � dialogue that felt like it belonged in a CW show from 2012
� why was the reverse age gap written like THAT? There’s a way to explore it with nuance. This book said: “Let’s keep reminding you that he was ‘barely legal� when he had a kid with a grown woman!� HELLO??? REPORT TO THE POLICE IMMEDIATELY???
TL;DR: � 2 stars for effort (and the cover, I guess) � The romance? Unbelievable. � The twist? Soapy in the worst way. � The vibes? Off. Just off.
I need a palate cleanser now. Happy reading (but not this one maybe) ...more
Fairuz ᥫ᭡.
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