It’s a mini review! I’m clearing out my review queue of all the books I can’t seem to convince myself to finish, for one reason or another. That doesn’t mean these are negative reviews, it simply means that something isn’t compelling me to keep reading at the moment. Maybe I’ll go back to them another day, maybe I won’t!
DNF Details:
How far did I get? Sort of a weird situation, I’ll get into that. As other reviewers have mentioned, this REALLY needed a content warning. Despite the bubbly cover and fun blurb, it’s got some seriously heavy content. I actually had an ARC, and I feel disrespected that there was no heads up about some of the things involved in this story. The authors should’ve done better for their readers.
Why did I stop? As I write this, it’s one of the bestsellers in romantic comedy, the cover and blurb imply a lighthearted read that might hit you in the feels, and the authors are rom com writers… and yet there is SO much potentially triggering content here. I dove in wanting and expecting a rom com with a little bit of bite, but many of the topics lurking within these pages are heavier than the dark romances I read. Abuse, terminal illness, death of a child (who is very involved in the story!), just to name a few. I absolutely would not expect that from the marketing, and these authors should know better. It felt deceptive. Beyond that, I simply didn’t enjoy it as much as I have some of their other books, so it was an easy decision to set it aside.
Was I enjoying it initially? Yeah, sure. I solidly read the first third and enjoyed the small town/runaway bride vibes. These two are instant enemies, and it was feeling promising. I didn’t love it, but I liked it. However, the heroine has an emotionally (at least) abusive ex, and yet she slaps the hero more than once. That was the first red flag for me. Once the hero’s backstory is revealed, it was clear this was going to be a LOT heavier than anticipated. After that, I started skimming and sought out spoilers regarding the concerns I had about where it was heading. Since I didn’t read thoroughly after that, I’m not the best person to describe the content warning required – I just know that it was dishonest not to better prepare readers for what they were getting themselves into.
Would I finish this? No. I sat in my thoughts for several days, and any warm feelings I had about the story are gone now. I’ll be more cautious next time I read one of Max Monroe’s books, which is disappointing since I’ve been a longtime reader.
Who would I recommend this to? If you know you’ve got a heavy read ahead of you, perhaps this will go better for you. Just don’t expect the typical Max Monroe vibes.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3JNgHLn
Blurb:
When grumpy, muscled-up artist Bennett Bishop bothers to speak, it’s usually to say something you’re not ready to hear.
When he first speaks to Norah Ellis, a rambling runaway bride who hitchhikes a ride from him, it’s to tell her to get out of his truck and walk because she’s a pain in the a-s-s.
By appearance, Norah Ellis is a fancy fashionista who’s spent the last several years living the good life in the city—expensive apartments, highbrow events, and a fiancé with wealth and good looks. The only problem is that she didn’t choose any of it for herself.
On the day of her July wedding, thanks to a letter from a stranger, Norah’s world turns upside down. She runs for the hills of Vermont to start a new life, but what’s waiting for her, between her estranged sister, the townspeople, and bad-boy Bennett Bishop himself, is way more than she bargained for.
Enemies turn to lovers, strangers become friends, dark secrets bust open like cans of worms, and most of all…Summer will never be the same.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3JNgHLn
About the Author:
Many moons ago, a dynamic duo of romance authors teamed up under the pseudonym Max Monroe, and, well, the rest is history…
Max Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over thirty contemporary romance titles (with Romantic Comedy being their jam), Favorite writing partners and long time friends, Max and Monroe strive to live and write all the fun, sexy swoon so often missing from their Facebook newsfeed. Sarcastic by nature, their two writing souls feel like they’ve found their other half. This is their most favorite adventure thus far.
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