About the Book
-
Author:
- Rachel Lynn Solomon
- Voices:
- Cis Girl
- Jewish
- Straight
- White (Non-Specified)
First Impressions: Foot Fetish
What’s Your Type? Existential Dread, Hidden Identities, Sex Lessons, One Night Stands, Lovers To Coworkers To Lovers, Mental Health, Former Heartthrobs, Comic Conventions
Meet Cute: Sexy Stranger
The Lean: Hum-drum
We Need to Talk: Nitpicking
Was It Good For You? Yeah…
First Impressions: Foot Fetish
I question why there’s a pair of high heels on the floor near the bed like she just kicked them off when she’s wearing socks. (Also, my feet get so hot at night so I don’t know how people wear socks to bed.) Anyway, aside from my foot-related questions, I like it! It’s cute and a little saucy.
What’s Your Type?
- Existential Dread
- Hidden Identities
- Sex Lessons
- One Night Stands
- Lovers To Coworkers To Lovers
- Mental Health
- Dating Famous People
- Fandom Culture
Dating Profile
Chandler Cohen is an aspiring journalist turned ghostwriter, because who can get a journalism job for a livable wage anymore? After wrapping up her second gig, she’s feeling stuck in a life rut: still renting a room in her cousin’s house, not loving her job, and she finally slept with the friend she’d been in love with for years…only for him to tell her they were better as friends.
Finn Walsh is a middling actor best known for being the loveable, nerdy boyfriend in a Teen Wolf-esque drama from ten years ago, and now he makes a living off the occasional Hallmark movie and attending every single fan convention he can. But he’s got more in his life to talk about, and he wants to write a memoir about said life…but he desperately needs the help of a certain ghostwriter.
Meet Cute: Sexy Stranger
The second book Chandler wrote was for a popular Instagram influencer she never spoke to during the writing process, so she’s excited to get a photo—and maybe some actual acknowledgement of a job well done—when she goes to the book’s launch. To no one else’s surprise but Chandler’s, the celebrity “writer” doesn’t even recognize her. Feeling despondent, Chandler grabs a drink at the bookstore’s bar and meets a hot, funny, and charming stranger. The impromptu date night is AMAZING—until they get back to his hotel room. It may be the worst sex of Chandler’s life, and she isn’t sticking around until morning to talk about it.
The Lean: Hum-drum
Things start off mighty awkwardly when Chandler and Finn have to work together after a night he thought went great and she would love to forget. But despite trying to keep things professional, they are still drawn to one another as more than coworkers. I appreciated they were open and honest with each other, and it was refreshing to see a male lead who wasn’t automatically the most amazing and sensitive lover in the world. It was all very mature…but also kinda boring, chemistry-wise? They just didn’t sizzle, and I can’t pinpoint what it was that didn’t work for me. It’s possible I never really fell in love with Chandler or Finn separately as people, so having to watch their love story without any investment in its success left me cold.
Dirty Talk
Finn asks Chandler to help him become a better lover, so a lot of the “sexy” moments are peppered with Chandler’s tutorials. Informative, yes. Sexy? Meh. It’s nice to see some frank and informative sex talk, though I’m assuming the people (i.e., many, many hetero men) who need it the most aren’t reading this book.
Let’s instead look at their first night together, which was alternately cracking me up and giving me major second-hand embarrassment:
“Does she like that?” he asks.
“She?”
A smirk as he uses his other hand to tap between my legs. It takes me longer than it should to process what he’s saying— and then it hits me. He’s talking about my vagina. Like we’re two separate entities.
“Mm-hmm” is all I can say.
And
“You feel so good,” he says. “So hot. So ready. I love how hot and ready you are.”
In the parts of my mind that aren’t cringing, I remember that Little Caesars sells pizzas called Hot-N-Ready, a fact that does not make me any hornier.
Ms. Perky’s Prize for Purplest Prose
Solomon can always be counted on to craft an easy-to-read, thoughtful book that aims to entertain and also highlight universal issues that plague thirty-somethings today. I do appreciate that she doesn’t shy away from heavier topics that may not get talked about enough in the genre, but I think you also need to make sure you’re in the mindset to want that. This isn’t “just” a fluffy romance novel.
All of her novels are based in Seattle (which means you may spot a cameo from a previous book here and there!), but this one also bounced our characters all around the country as Finn traveled to meet fans at conventions. Sometimes it’s nice to change things up!
We Need To Talk: Nitpicking
When your characters are so mature and the primary thrust of the novel is the romance, it can be tough to figure out that third-act drama. Are they going to break up? Do you eliminate that plot-beat altogether? How hard do you go? I think a bit of my frustration with Chandler (who is our only POV) is that early on she latched on to Finn’s casual statement about how he’s only ever dated people in Hollywood, and so she makes the immediate assumption that means he will only ever continue to date Hollywood types forever and ever. So she uses this as her basis to fruitlessly agonize about wanting a relationship with him that, in her mind, will never happen. Of course, this is contrary to every freaking signal he is giving her. And like, yes, I know a smart person like her can be stupid when it comes to love. But because there was literally nothing else in the plot keeping them apart, this one little “miscommunication” is given so much weight. Sigh.
On the bright side, I did like how sex positive the book was, and that Finn isn’t some macho, alpha dude who knew instinctively knew how to pleasure every woman he’s ever met perfectly.
Was It Good For You? Yeah…
Will plenty of people LOVE this book? Yes, they already have! Did I like it? Yes! I just didn’t completely love it. It could’ve been me, it could’ve been the book (I did have some similar issues with Solomon’s other adult romance, Weather Girl. Maybe I just prefer her YA voice??). It’s only been a few weeks between finishing the book and writing this review, and already the finer details of the story have escaped my brain. But, overall, there’s plenty to enjoy, especially if you want something relatively drama-free.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Berkley. I received neither money nor peanut butter cups in exchange for this review. Business or Pleasure is available now.
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