Cover Image: 99% Mine

99% Mine

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Member Reviews

I've read the Hating Game and enjoyed it a lot.
With this I had a few issues with Darcy's characterization. I get that a woman can be aggressive or be jealous, but I don't want to read constantly how she wants to bash, kill or mess up other women/Megan. That really annoyed me and I expected better from the author. It wasn't necessary in any way for the story.
This is why I can give this 3 stars only.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC.

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Being perfect isn’t everything…

***4.5 Stars***

I met Sally Thorne at a book signing a couple of years back and if I hadn’t loved her before then I would have loved her after meeting her. She’s the cutest little thing and she was FREAKING OUT in a *strangers want to TALK TO ME* kind of way. I think we as readers forget that authors are just like us and may or may not love to be the centre of attention. I gave her a hug and tried to convince her that it would all be OK, just take it one fan at a time. She gave me that deer in the headlights look, took a deep breath and returned to her side of the table. I love book signings.

While I was talking to Sally, I was doing my own version of fangirling and congratulating her on The Hating Game. I asked her how her second book was going, and she admitted that she was struggling with the amount of pressure she was under to produce something different but as good as her first. I gave her all the peppy speeches that I thought any new author would want to hear and told her…she’ll be right, mate. And, guess what, she was right, mate.

I admit to starting 99 Percent Mine a little hesitantly. I didn’t want to set my expectations too high. Maybe, in the back of my mind, I was remembering her worries, and I was hoping she had worried for nothing. But, when you’re reading a new author’s second book, especially when it’s not part of a series, you kind of expect it to not be as good.

OMG!! I’m such a horrible person!! I can’t believe I just admitted ^^^that^^^ to you.

Hello, my name is Stacey (who thinks she’s Sassy, but I’m pretty sure it’s all in her head), and I admit to having low expectations when it comes to reading the second book by a new author…

Now, I have that off my chest, let me tell you how I felt about Sally Thorne’s second book.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!! There were highs and lows that sent my emotions crazy. I was so frustrated with Darcy for a lot of the book. She’s a self-destructive, scaredy cat who does a runner whenever things go dodgy. So, I was frustrated but could completely relate to her. I even started dreaming of doing a runner myself. How cool would it be to just pack your bags and leave your troubles behind? Obviously, I’d need to pack my hubby and kids bags too, sell the house, try and learn how to home-school my kids…stuff it…too much like hard work.

Anyways, Darcy was a very interesting character. She has been in love with Tom since she was a kid but said the wrong thing to him when she was 18, and nearly ruined their friendship. Time moves along and she runs, runs, runs and runs some more, and Tom moves on with his life. Luckily, they’ve stayed friends because the other most important person in her life, her twin brother Jamie, is Tom’s best friend.

There is absolutely no way I can go further into this storyline because it would take a ten-part-exposition to explain it all. I will tell you this, I loved 99 Percent Mine especially because it wasn’t perfect. The characters are not perfect, the love between the characters broke my heart, and they all made so many mistakes. Secrets, fibs, manipulations and trust are all things that made my emotions boil. It was so bloody realistic. Sometimes you make a bad choice, take a runner instead of standing your ground, and manipulate to get the best outcome. In the end, I was extremely happy with how it all played out and completely convinced that Tom and Darcy would struggle through together for the rest of their lives.

Sally, you so got it right. 99 Percent Mine was perfect in an imperfect kind of way. Who wants to be perfect when it’s so good to be bad.

Stacey is Sassy, received a complimentary copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.

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The Hating Game, Sally Thorne’s debut, is one of my favourite books ever. It was pretty much perfection. It’s a hard act to follow.

There was a three year gap between The Hating Game and this book, and in between a different book was announced and later scrapped. Like many other authors before her who had spectacular debuts, I think Thorne has struggled with Second Book Syndrome and it shows with 99 Percent Mine.

There are similarities between the two books. Thorne again does not specify a setting for the book. The terms the characters use are mostly American so, although Thorne is Australian, I would assume the US is the setting. I would love to know why she doesn’t just go down the conventional path of specifying a place setting. I hope her publisher/editors suggest she avoids this idea with her next book as, by then, I think it will simply be annoying (it went close to being annoying this time).

As in The Hating Game, the two lead characters have loads of chemistry. Thorne can write UST like no one else. Her characters practically sizzle on the page. Every look, every touch, every word is laced with lust. But whereas in The Hating Game there was a good reason for the characters to hold back and not give in to their lust, in 99 Percent Mine, the reason was weak at best.

In the beginning of the book, we’re presented Darcy as a bit of a screw up -- dead end job, bad attitude and a revolving door for a bedroom. Darcy and her twin brother, Jamie, have had a falling out over the house their grandmother has bequeathed them upon her death. One thing they do agree on, however, is that Tom and his newly formed construction company will renovate the house. Tom is their pseudo brother who has been brought up as one of their family almost. Tom and Darcy getting together would make everything nice and tidy, unless Darcy breaks his heart.

The book shows flashes of depth but really that’s the story in a nutshell. It’s not very original, nor very complicated, and I think this is my biggest issue with the book. It needed more plot. I don’t think the limited conflict and misunderstandings between the characters were enough to sustain an almost 400 page book.

Written in Darcy’s first person point of view, we get quite a lot of internal thoughts. The ones regarding Tom’s physical perfection are tiring after a while, I must admit. Darcy’s tough girl act is only temporary (in fact, I don't get the point of her working in the bar) and Jamie is a bit of a nothing character until the last few chapters where, thankfully, he redeems himself spectacularly.

The style and language choices make this very modern; a contemporary romance which could prove to be a winner with the new adult population. Maybe (*gasp*) I’m getting too old.

The Hating Game has probably given me unreal expectations about this follow up and one thing I am probably doing is not comparing apples with apples. If I compared this book to a lot of other books in this genre, 99 Percent Mine would come out as quite superior. As I said, Thorne’s talent for writing sexy scenes is almost unprecedented. But if I'm comparing it to the big ripe orange that is The Hating Game, it doesn’t even come 1% close, let alone 99.

It pains me, but 3 out of 5.

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99 Percent Mine By Sally Thorne
2.5*

This is probably one of my shortest reviews ever. I wanted so much to love this book and maybe I put pressure on the book, the author but -and this is coming from someone who can knock out a book a day- this book took me three days to finish because I simply could not bring myself to continue with it - it was that laborious. The story was disjointed and the characters had zero connection. The romantic aspects were negligible. The characters were ok enough but not such that I felt invested in them individually or as a couple. I hate ‘best friends’ who are saboteurs and I really hate this review and what it says but in all honesty, the final third of the book was it’s only redemption. Finally, there was one important detail I really wanted from this book (about the ring and letter) and the author left it unanswered. Why, goddammit, why?

*I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.

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If you've read Sally Thorne's The Hating Game, you'll understand why I was waiting so eagerly for 99 Percent Mine. I am 99% sure the reps at Hachette wish I didn't have access to their email addresses, because as I ordered books for work, I'd also throw in a cheeky, "So, any word on the new Sally Thorne?"

There was no word. And finally, there was. And the wait was well and truly worth it.

***

The general gist, spoiler free: Darcy, our delightful heroine, has nursed a crush on Tom since she was eight years old. However, her twin brother (Jamie) claimed Tom as his best friend, forever, and rendered him off-limits for good. So Darcy does what anyone in the throes of unrequited love does – she travels the world, and she tries to leave Tom firmly in the past where he belongs. But one day, Tom rocks up on her doorstep, somehow single, still 99% devoted to his friendship with Jamie. Darcy's plans of scurrying back overseas take a backseat. Instead, she wonders if maybe... just maybe... she'll be able to claim more than the 1% of Tom Valeska's heart. It's time to make him 99% hers.

***

I wondered how this would live up to the hype of The Hating Game. I am a romance aficionado (check the read history), but there was something special about Sally's writing. That same style carried over to 99 Percent Mine, but there is zero sense of this being a carbon copy, of a rote romance following a winning formula. There was something edgy about this story: perhaps it was Darcy herself, with her sassy jabs at Tom? Or maybe I was sucked in by the wonderful back-and-forth banter between the two, only heightened by Jamie's reappearance. Sally makes the slow burn so tantalisingly bearable – it practically had me in the same fog Darcy and Tom exist in themselves.

To put it mildly: I loved this book, purely because it grew on me as I continued reading. At first, I wasn't sure how I felt; it took some time for me to get into the story and I wasn't too sure where we were heading with it. A romance centred around a renovation? Not my thing usually, but gradually I felt that delicious feeling of being sucked into a story. My jet-lagged self was curled up around my Kindle all night til I reached the ending. I was sending out silent thank-you notes to Sally for giving me a book I could fall in love with. (You're two for two, Sally.) I loved the ending, I loved the middle, I loved traipsing into the start and into the history of these two. Honestly, I even loved the glimpses of Loretta.

If you're a fan of The Hating Game, be aware: this is its own book. The vibe isn't the same as The Hating Game, and to me it's all the better for it. 99 Percent Mine is its own sweet read, perfectly ready to be devoured, with characters you'll grow to adore. But, if you're a fan of The Hating Game, I'll be fairly surprised if you don't fall in love with 99 Percent Mine.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Hachette Australia in exchange for an honest review.

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This has been a highly anticipated and long awaited second novel from this author. I waited to start this until I had time to really sit and enjoy it, and that I did - enjoyed it, but I didn't love it like the first book. I know you are not suppose to compare books from the same author as it is like comparing your children, but I felt it should have had the same quality of writing which this one didn't. The first few chapters were baffling with waffling dialogue that at times were hard to follow. Granted, I did have an early copy and the formatting made it more difficult but this was not that. It was like hearing one side of a story and only getting part of it in words on paper and the rest is lost in the character or author's own head. And it slipped back into that state from time to time during the book. I kept going from rolling my eyes to swooning - from wanting more to wishing they'd hurry up and get it on! Don't get me wrong, it is not a bad book, it is good but not completely polished or perfected. It doesn't have the same light hearted ness that the first book had. This one is more intense and deeper.

So what is it about? It is a tale of childhood friends that have a bond as strong as family can be. They are propelled together to renovate a treasured home to sell after. Throw into the mix that they each have had feelings for each other since they were teens and now are both single. Makes for some interesting work days for one and all.

Darcy is a twin, and her brother Jamie has laid claim to Tom their friend as his bestie since they were eight. He has warned her to never hurt Tom and to just keep walking by. I feel it is definitely an opposites attract romance with missed chances when they were teens and the sexual tension is lit with all the years they have wasted! What I did love was Tom. He is that hard working, strong morals guy that would do absolutely anything for his family and especially Darcy. She was irrational more times than not, but she is undeniable loveable. When they were alone and connecting, it was simply great. Poor Tom just had to endure all the other craziness that comes with the twins. The last chapter / epilogue seems to be setting us up for maybe a sequel or second book with Jamie's journey? Hopefully it will be more sumptuous than this one.

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The Hating Game was one of my favourite reads of 2016, so safe to say that I was extremely excited to get my hands on Sally’s latest novel, 99 Percent Mine. This novel is not out until 29 January, so a big shout out to my friend Alana, who managed to convince the Netgalley fairies at Hachette Australia to provide an eARC for me to read and review.

If you’re looking for a great summer beach read for those residing in the southern hemisphere right now, then look no further than 99 Percent Mine. It has all the right ingredients for the ultimate swoon read, and I guarantee that any romance/chick lit lover will devour this novel in a matter of hours. I know I did.

For those that have read The Hating Game, our protagonist for 99 Percent Mine is nothing like the sweet and small Lucy we all met and loved in Sally’s previous novel. Darcy Barrett could eat Lucy for dinner — in a good way! She’s sassy and fierce, in a way that’s completely different to Lucy, and it’s pretty hard not to root for her. An avid traveller that never stays in the same place for long, for the first time in years, Darcy is living in the inherited run-down cottage of her grandmother, which she and her twin brother co-own. They’re left with the instructions to restore it for sale, and her brother’s sent his best friend Tom to help with the renovations.

As her brother’s best friend, Tom Valeska is definitely off limits. And Darcy is totally fine to only have 1 percent of him. But even with all of her travelling, she’s never come close to finding someone quite like Tom. 99 Percent Mine follows a cliched plotline, but I can definitely forgive this because as with Sally’s previous debut novel, the story is driven by the characters you meet. Darcy and Tom are entirely different to Lucy and Josh, yet the same kind of romantic magic leaps off the pages. I adored the slow burn romance and even the cliched “he’s-broken-up-with-his-fiancee-but-hasn’t-told-her-yet” plot because the reveal was just so satisfying.

Sally, you’ve done it again. I cannot wait to see what you come up with next!

Thank you to Hachette Australia for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I quite enjoyed Sally Thorne's debut novel 'The Hating Game', so I was excited to read her second novel.

Unfortunately, I don't have many complimentary things to say about 99 Percent Mine.
The characters were unlikable, the dialogue was clunky, some scenarios incongruous.
There's no way of telling where the novel is set - it's all very generic - but it's not the novel's biggest fault.

I'm afraid '99 Percent Mine' is 99% forgettable. Here's hoping Sally Thorne's third novel will be more accomplished.

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HOW COULD I NOT LOVE THIS BOOK!

Everyone is going to want their own Valeska now, I don't think you're being fair and giving us realistic expectations in life, Sally Thorne.

I loved everything about it, Darcy & Tom, Underswears, twin bonds, ugh. just e v e r y t h i n g.

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99% Mine is a fun novel to read if you don’t take it too seriously or expect too much. It took me a while to enjoy this book because I found the main character Darcy to be annoying rather frequently in the beginning. I was able to overlook a lot of my issues with Darcy once we were introduced to our love interest Tom. He was charming, and it complimented her character enough to minimise the issues I had with her while he was in a scene.

I had some issues with the dialogue feeling unrealistic in places and this did take me out of the story a few times but overall the cast in this story is fun and I enjoyed Truly and the building crew whenever they appeared. This isn't a fast-moving romance and I was a little disappointed that 99% Mine ended when it did because I could have happily read another 100 pages with these characters. Unfortunately, that isn’t because it was so incredible that I needed more, but because I feel like it took so long to get anywhere that by the time the interesting stuff was happening there weren’t many pages left.

Despite me saying this I still had fun reading 99% Mine. I liked it enough that I will go back and read her other novel The Hating Game at some point in the future.

Many thanks to Hachette Australia and Netgalley for a copy of 99% Mine to review.

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Darcy Barrett is a train wreck and I love her!

Darcy and Jamie are terrible twins, they really make a mess of things. Their buffer throughout their childhood and into adulthood is Tom. They each want Tom to be ‘theirs’ and one twin hasn’t quite worked out how to share him, while the other battles with feelings that they believe are not reciprocated.

I loved The Hating Game, and this was a good follow up, but where THG is a light and airy romantic comedy, this one is a bit darker and has a lot more smut. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; THG glossed over it, so I wasn’t expecting it in this one.

99 Percent Mine is a slow burn, it takes some time for the storyline to pick up, and even then, it’s doesn’t get super engrossing until about half way. I loved Darcy and liked Tom, the others felt a little underdone, but I guess it’s not their story.

Overall I liked this book, but I enjoyed The Hating Game more.

Thank you to Sally Thorne, Hatchette Australia and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I really enjoyed Sally Thorne’s hit The Hating Game, so was excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of 99 Percent Mine. It didn’t quite wow me as much as the former, but it was a cute, funny and sweet romance.

Darcy and her twin brother Jamie have to get their late grandmothers house renovated and sell it to split the money between them. Enter Tom, builder extraordinaire and Jamie’s best friend. He also happens to be the only man Darcy has ever loved. Newly single, and with his own building business, Tom has agreed to renovate the place for them. Will anything ever get built with all the sparks that are flying between him and Darcy? And can Darcy’s dodgy heart take it?

I enjoyed 99 percent mine, however I found the continual hyperactive banter and non-stop inner monologue quite annoying. Darcy just couldn’t stop going on and on about how hot Tom was and it wore thin pretty quickly.

However, overall it was a cute little romance book. A few twists and turns salvaged the story line, however it didn’t quite live up to its predecessor.

There were some lovely, sweet parts to it and some steamy scenes. Overall I enjoyed it. I just didn’t particularly warm to the characters.

Would I recommend 99 Percent Mine?
It was a cute little book. It had some very funny parts, if you are a big fan of romantic comedies, you may be able to set aside the hyperactivity and will hopefully enjoy it more than I did.

Many thanks to Hachette Australia via Netgalley for a copy of 99 percent mine to review.

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This was such an amazing romance book. I loved Darcy's character she was spunky, sarcastic and funny, but she also was vulnerable. Tom was swoon worthy for sure, a guy so devoted, loving, caring and fun. Whenever they're together it was explosive!

I have to give this book major props for having such unique and realistic characters. I loved that Darcy had a friend in Truely and her close twin relationship with her brother, Jaimie was also really fun. It was awesome to see a female main character that was so strong but also soft, that didn't need to bring down other women around her to make herself 'different', instead we got the amazing Darcy that is just unabashedly herself, and is great in all ways.

Sally Thorne has come off a massive debut from The Hating Game, and really knocked 99% Mine right out of the park. She is an author that has definitely just jumped right onto my 'always buy list'.

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99% Mine was a heartwarming, adorable and cute childhood friends to lovers romance. Last year I had the pleasure of reading The Hating Game by Sally Thorne and so when I saw she had a new book coming out I jumped at the chance to read it.

This book made me laugh out loud so many times. That is what I love about Sally Thorne's writing. Not only is it a fantastic slow burn (and sexy) romance but the humour infused throughout makes it all the more realistic and enjoyable.

Our main character, Darcy Bennett, is a traveler and world wanderer. After a falling out with her twin brother over their recently inherited house from their grandmother, she is determined to stay in town and help fix up the house once she sees who has come to renovate it. Enter Tom Valeska. Childhood crush and friend. Best friend to her twin brother, Jamie. Tom now owns his own construction and building company and is single for the first time in forever.

I very much enjoyed Darcy's wit and humour. She was realistic, adorable and completely true to herself. Tom was HOT and caring, protective and kind. They made a fantastic team. It was clear there was a lot of history between the two and things that were left unsaid, but this was a slow burn and well developing romance. I was hooked from page one and just like with The Hating Game, I was left with a huge smile on my face throughout the book.

If you enjoy amazing, easy to read contemporary romances infused with humour and wit this book is for you. The childhood friends to lovers is always one of my favourite types of romances and Sally Thorne has written this brilliantly.

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I was so excited when I was chosen to review this book!
I wasn't let down either. Sally Thorne has a writing style that is so colourful and distinct; I find her writing style extremely refreshing in the huge sea of badly written romance novels. I seem to bring this up again and again; I am not a huge fan of first person narrative but she makes it work to the point that you don't even notice it.

I felt like I got to know each character very quickly and i did actually like each of them (always a bonus!)

The plot was good -although the reason for Jamie's absence and Darcy's huge lifestyle change/ bender seemed a little underwhelming.  In fact so did Tom's reason for leaving towards the end. I think perhaps these parts of the story could honestly have been fleshed out more to really emphasize the make up scenes.

That's not to say I didn't thoroughly eat this story up! I really enjoyed it and think it makes a great follow on from the 5/5 The Hating Game.  ( I really didn't want to mention The Hating Game in this review but it is why I am here! So apologies for bringing it up.)
I can't wait to read more from Sally Thorne! This book has cemented her as a go to romance writer for me!
3.5/5 stars

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I'm going to be fully upfront. Sally Thorne wrote one of my favourite books - "The Hating Game". And boy did I love that one. So, when I started this, I'll just say I had high hopes. For a little while, maybe the first few pages, I was a bit unsure if those high hopes were going to be met. Darcy, the protagonist, I found a bit hard to relate to at first. She comes from a very different place and is rough, tough and a little darker than I was expecting. BUT. After the first chapter, I really began to get into the groove of it. And to cut a long story short - I really enjoyed this novel. I really did.

And boy, can I just say how swoon-worthy Tom Valeska is. You can see why Darcy wants to make him "99% hers". And I don't blame her. I have to say, though, by far the best part of this novel, was Darcy herself. Darcy was feisty, fun and just a whole lot of fun to read along with, even though at first I wasn't sure if I was going to like her/this novel. I think that Thorne really portrayed her well, a complex creature, who is tough yet at the same time has a dysfunctional 'cotton reel'/ heart. It's little things like that that kind of made her a little bit more real.

Is this book different from The Hating Game? FOR. SURE. They are literally polar opposites, from the characters personalities, to their look, to the storyline. And perhaps that's where my thinking was wrong coming into this book. I was expecting this novel to be more similar to and like The Hating Game. But it's not. It's completely its own novel and story, and yet still retains Sally Thorne's lovely writing style and eye for romance stories. It's hard to believe that this is only her 2nd book she's ever written. So I look forward to all her future novels.

Believe me, if you're looking for a good story to read, this is one for you. Definitely.

Note: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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"We sat outside and shared a joint, and it was a thrill. 'Don't tell your father! How'd I birth such a prude? It grows in the earth, for God's sake.'"


This book was such a joy, I honestly can't express that enough, but the simple fact that I've read this book twice in one month should sum that up clearly enough for you. In true Sally Thorne fashion, she has written the perfect book; with relatable, flawed and downright hilarious characters.

There are not enough words in the English language for me to fully describe this wonderful book. The characters were so different from her previous work—Darcy is fire and ice squeezed into female form, with a snarky mouth, attitude and so much dirty humour. Tom is sweet, sensible and the 'ever perfect man'. Childhood friends to lovers, and, brother's best friend are some of my favourite tropes, and Thorne melded them together and wrote me a perfect book. Bless her soul.

Ninety Nine Percent Mine follows Darcy Barrett, one half of the Barrett Twins and Tom Valeska, the ever-steady mediator between the twin's brand of crazy, their ever-present saviour. This book starts with the twins not talking, Darcy sludging through a bartending job she hates in an effort to save enough money to get back to travelling the world and running from her responsibilities. Once again, Tom swoops in to save the day when he comes around to renovate the Barrett's grandma's house—per the instructions left in her will.

The crazy dynamic and underlying lust that was always bubbling between Darcy and her lifelong family friend, Tom, was hilarious. His sweet and bashful personality was probably my favourite thing in this book, he was the perfect character to balance out the bitter and kinda bitchy (in the best possible way) Darcy, who lacked a filter and a shit to give.

This book was heavily focused on the relationship between Darcy and Tom, but also on the renovations of the house and past memories they have. I didn't think I would enjoy the latter two plotlines (especially because I hate time jumps), but I couldn't have enjoyed them more. I loved the snippets of the fortune telling grandma and to see how Darcy had damaged all her relationships in the past.

Tom may have been my favourite character, but Darcy was the most interesting. She was deeply flawed, always running from feelings and her deep-seated commitment issues that stemmed from a lifelong chronic illness. With a habit of self-sabotage, she was continuously fighting against her nature to do the 'right thing' and stick out the renovation project. She was a strong, capable female who also worked hard to be a better person, and her character growth was such a joy to read about. The way her relationship with her brother grew and changed was also so amazing, they were equal parts infuriating and hilarious when they were forced in the same room together.

The writing and flow were perfect, which was not surprising, and this was so incredibly easy to devour in a day. It's one of those books that will consume your every waking moment until you've managed to finish it. This didn't manage to top The Hating Game, but then again, that may be one of my all time favourite books. Tom, Darcy and 99% Mine came in a close second though.

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Ok, maybe it's just me.

I'm scrolling through the reviews and anticipation reviews for this book, and maybe it's me that has the problem.

Look, this book was ok, but I'm just not feeling the mad love for it that everyone else seems to have experienced.

Darcy has been in love with her twin brother's best friend forever. He's now renovating the house she's been living in, and so they are in constant close quarters. Is it a recipe for disaster, or the start of something really, really right?

Look, this was quite a hot little book. The chemistry between Tom and Darcy was off the charts.

But.

I found it a little bit disjointed, the book jumping from one moment to the next with no transition. Whilst the conversations were hot, they didn't always flow and I would have to go back and re-read to see if I'd missed something.

The start was so awesome, Darcy this kick ass chick working in a biker bar taking no shit from anyone. Then she sees Tom and falls all over herself and becomes someone else entirely. And once Tom was in the story, we just didn't see kick ass Darcy anymore. We didn't see her in bar, or doing anything much but moon around over Tom (and maybe pull a few tiles off the wall). I guess, I just would have liked more.

More Darcy, just being Darcy. Her having a life outside of Tom. And even Tom to an extent, having something more than Darcy. I don't like when books get ridiculously complicated, but for me this was just a little too simple, if that makes sense?

Look, I'm intruiged enough to try the authors previous works, The Hating Game, but this book was just perfectly ok, nothing spectacular, unfortunately.

**I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

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I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Hachette Australia.

I was caught by surprise by The Hating Game, Sally Thorne's debut novel. It was a reading copy sitting on the shelf out the back of my work. I picked it up, knowing nothing about the premise, author, or general reviews, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The most memorable thing in my mind from that book was the characters and their chemistry. That same chemistry is present here in her latest book 99% Mine. Darcy and Tom come alive with their banter, unspoken confessions, and sexual chemistry.

While I adored the characters and the majority of the plot, I found the ending seemed a little rushed in comparison to the rest of the novel. There were some plot threads that felt rushed, and some I found unanswered, and the conflict seemed to appear, and resolve, a little too quickly. In the edition I read as well—I acknowledge that it was an early reader copy—there were many proofreading errors that I hope will be fixed by final print.

I still managed to read this book in one sitting and I had a pretty fun time.

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I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Hachette Australia for a chance to read and review this book. The Hating Game is one of my favourite romances and this book did not disappoint. I’ve read a few conflicting reviews and the one thing that should be remembered, is that it’s not the Hating Game. The two shouldn’t be compared. In reality, the fact that the characters and story are so different is a testament to the author.
One of the main characters, Darcy, is a total badass. She’s tough (not when it comes to feelings maybe) outspoken and possibly unaware of how fragile she is. Her inner dialogue is outrageous and hilarious and usually truthful.
Tom Valeska (you can’t say one name without the other) is literally the ‘perfect man’. Their interactions kept me on the edge of my seat and the fact that he’s a good boy was doubly attractive. Sometimes a bad boy really is just a bad boy.
Darcy’s interaction with her twin brother was also insightful. It included the highs and lows of such a close relationship and the realities of family. The characters felt so real I feel like they’re still there now, bickering at the building site.
I give this book 4.5 stars.

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