You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle is about a woman named Naomi Westfield, an employee at a store called the Junk Yard, who is engaged to a man name Nicholas Rose, who is a dentist, and comes from a very well to do family. Naomi has come to resent her fiancé and wants to end the engagement.
To her surprise, Nicholas is not content in the relationship either and also wants to end the engagement. So begins the fight to see who can make the other break up with the other. Each has something to lose by being the one to end it. If Naomi ends the engagement, she will have to pay her soon to be mother in law back for the wedding that they are paying for. If Nicholas ends the relationship he will never hear the end of it from his overbearing mother.
When I read the blurb for the book, I thought it sounded like a great premise…. Friends to enemies and back to friends/lovers by the end. I was wrong, and now when I read the blurb for the book I just instantly despise Naomi to the very depths of my soul, and I cannot fathom what on earth made me pick up this book.
Naomi is a childish, immature, neurotic, insecure, sociopath that has very little awareness outside of herself. She is a directionless 28 year old, who for no ungodly reason, landed an educated, sweet, giving Dentist who may have a hero complex. This woman had no redeeming qualities. I’m sure that the author was trying to make her cute and quirky. I am here to tell you, she was not. I found her to be beyond annoying and lacking in integrity. I mean if you are unhappy, be an ADULT and end the relationship. Don’t wait for someone else to do the dirty work for you.
The first 3 chapters are all about how much she doesn’t want to marry Nicholas and how she is a feminist for lying about being able to change a tire/fix a car (that’s not feminism, that’s lying). I’m sure the author was trying to get you to sympathize her, but all I thought was when will the incessant whining stop? It doesn’t.
Unfortunately, you only get to hear her point of view through the entire book and never get to understand where Nicholas is coming from. This book would’ve been exponentially better if it had switched POV every other chapter. Instead, you are permanently intrenched inside Naomi’s 7th grade brain. (The woman is suppose to be 28 years old!)
I have to believe that the only people that would think that this book was amazing are in fact in junior high themselves. Honestly, this book very well could have been deemed YA even Young Reader if you take out the one scene at 90% through the book.
In all reality, Nicholas was, far and away, to good for Naomi. Don’t get me wrong, Nicholas was a mamas boy through and through but with communication, instead of quietly resenting him for it, he could have addressed it. Alternatively, Naomi just shuts down and expects him to read her mind. At every opportunity to have an open dialogue, Naomi throws a tantrum and runs away- Ugh…
As you can tell, I have feelings on this book and there is not enough space on the internet to share them.
If you only read one sentence of this review, let it be this, DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS BOOK!

This story sounded intriguing--an enemies-to-lovers trope, however the enemies are already engaged. Cool twist, and I was all in.

However, as I started reading I could not get over Naomi's terribly negative attitude. The first few chapters are her plotting worse and worse tricks and looking at everything as a possible attack from her fiance, Nick. Even when Nick did nice things she acted really paranoid and immature, so much so that I felt like she was written as a character that was going through a depressive episode. I wanted more to be done to explore her mental health as this was not just a "we are not getting along and I want to possibly call of the wedding because I am stubborn" situation. As she and Nick started to work together I liked seeing their relationship develop, but I still really felt like Nick should have suggested that she TALK TO SOMEONE. A PROFESSIONAL, rather than take it upon himself to "fix" her and "bring her back" to him.

Release Date: April 7th 2020
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Naomi hates her fiancée. She entered into the relationship with Nicholas head over heels in love. Somewhere along the way the love turned to hate and now Naomi is out to destroy him. Add in an atrocious future mother in law and it’s a combination for combustion.

This book was hard for me to get into. It’s like the hating game on steroids. The second half of the book really won me over and I ended up really enjoying it. I would read this again.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

#bookstagram #netgalleyreads #bookrecommendations

BOOK REVIEW: You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

Genre: Romance

With a twist on the “enemies to lovers” romance to be more of a “lovers to enemies and potentially back to lovers” romance! Does that make sense?!

Centers on a couple preparing for their upcoming wedding. But unfortunately, they have dropped their guard on actually nurturing their relationship. Since neither one of them want to call “uncle” first and bail, they end up going head-to-head and seeing who can annoy the other one first into surrendering!

However, as the pranks start to evolve and escalate, they end up starting to see each other in a much more authentic way.

Because they're actually being completely themselves now! As opposed to that cautious “reveal” we often only allow ourselves to be in the early stages of a relationship.

I must admit, I was a little unsure about this book until about a third of the way in. I just was not confident that the level of nasty emotional warfare was going to leave enough room for me to really believe that an enduring love could actually take root.

But… I found out that, just as in life, there are two sides to every story… And always more to discover in understanding people's actions and why they do certain things.

A great lesson to take to heart from this romance.

Plus, it really added to making this romance stand out as authentic rather than being formulaic.

Loved the female character for going “all in” and overcoming her own obstacles in determining her own path in how she would move forward and the boundaries she established in order to do so… Whether win or lose!

This is a debut novel from a new author that describes herself as a stay-at-home mom that actually spends a lot of her time planning weird pranks… And dreams of living in a falling-apart castle in a forest that's probably cursed!

Well, you know what? I could really see her unique spirit in this book! And I'm looking forward to her next one!

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
2020 Book Release | April

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All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Books & DIY Home Ideas | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com ... Including my video tutorials for DIY home ideas inspired by recommended books to support you in bringing your favorite book to life in your life and home.

You can see my full review for You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle at https://www.thisismyeverybody.com/books/books-to-read-next-characters-who-overcome-obstacles


✨😎✨A big thank you to Sarah Hogle, Penguin Group – Putnam / G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in my review are my own.

I am not leaving a review due to the fact that this book did not interest me enough to finish the story.

This was a really fun read! Nicholas and Naomi’s antics were entertaining and created a unique dynamic. Parts of it required some suspension of disbelief, but that’s to be expected in a dramatic romcom. I really liked the way the author pulled things together and made the changes in the characters seem natural and gradual in a believable way. It’s not a typical romcom but it was fun for something different.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book!

I loved this book. The atmosphere was everything I wanted it to be. I loved the plot and storyline in the book. I loved the characters in this story. It gave me all the feels I was looking for when I started reading this. I highly recommend this author. I loved the writing. I will be looking for other works in the future from this author.

The book started off annoying if i am being honest. First 50 pages felt like all the main character did was complain about how much she hated her fiance. Like break up already, but then the reason why she wouldn't do was even worse.
After that "mile stone" the book takes a turn for the better. I laughed so much at the main character and the mother-in- law because gosh i cant stand mine either. so very relatable on so many levels.

Back to the review...... Being that You Deserve Each Other is Sarah Hogle debut novel, she nailed it!

You Deserve Each Other is a Contemporary Romance debut novel by Sarah Hogle. Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for providing me with and eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Naomi Westfield met the perfect man in Nicholas Rose and is set to get married to him in just 3 months after knowing him for a year and nine months. Her fiancé and their relationship is perfect to anyone looking at them through Instagram.

Naomi works at an "antique" junk yard and drives a beaten down Saturn. She has a high school diploma as far as her education goes and needs to start preparing for the possibility of a new job.
Nicholas is a dentist and drives a flashy Maserati. Not only does he have the education but he has the parents who are well off. They share a rental home together.

Nicholas’ parents, specifically his mother, plays a huge role on the demise of Naomi and Nicholas’ feelings for each other. She has been a constant burden in their life and wedding planning. They begin to drift both having silent reservations of one another and not verbally coming right out and saying what they feel, explaining what they think. How will these two solve their problem? Well, in the game of love and hate everything is valid and these two set to get back at each other to see who breaks of the engagement first.

HILARIOUS!! Naomi is hilarious, she is my new spirit animal. She is so quirky and her ways to spite Nicholas were epic. She is completely relatable as a person and it was amazing to watch her grow as a person.

Nicholas!! I wish we would have gotten a bit of his thoughts. We know that Naomi was going through so much emotionally and mentally, I have a feeling Nicholas felt the same exact way. His perspective would have been epic.

Overall, the story was so well written although I would have loved to see into the mind on Nicholas, I feel like I know what he was thinking which were showcased by his actions. Patience and virtue, that’s what Nicholas was. Wow that man had some patience. I think this Lovers-Enemies-Lovers genre is right up my ally. Loved every second of it. You Deserve Each Other had me hooked from page one, what else could you ask from a book.

Oh man, I had SO MUCH FUN reading this book, you guys. Nicholas and Naomi's nonstop bickering and banters never failed to entertain me throughout the book and they seriously cracked me up so bad that I found it hard to compose myself. As the synopsis implied, Naomi's fiance, Nicholas, was truly her worst nightmare, biggest nemesis, and every terrible name you could call someone. Just when they were so fed up with each other right before their ceremonial wedding day, they decided to do their best to make each other's life more miserable than it already was.

Interestingly, by messing up with each other, Nicholas and Naomi somehow let their façade slip. With their guards down, they managed to truly be themselves, and that was what really mattered at the end of everything. The feelings from both characters were so eloquently expressed, and so was the overall narrative. I loved the down-to-earth personality of Naomi, the cool demeanor of Nicholas, but what I adored most was definitely the evolutionary development between both protagonists, romantically and individually.

All in all, if you were looking for a light-hearted, super fun, and humorous summer read, then You Deserve Each Other was 100% for you. The only reason I didn't give this book a solid five star was because I'd appreciate more if there were a bit more in-depth elements such as lessons of life or some sort of moral instead of all the juvenile pranks Naomi and Nicholas played on each other. Incredibly fun aside, it could certainly be a cherry on top if the story touched upon something more thought-provoking. Anyway, I'd still recommend this book to all of you! Naomi and Nicholas's story will surely make you day and brighten your life. :)

***Thanks to Penguin Random House International Sales for providing me with an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

Hilarious and unexpected. I loved this book. At first, it reads like any other rom-coms out there but Sarah Hogle pulled an unexpected one. She made me root for two really unlikable people and made me feel invested in their lives. Plus, I didn't really didn't like them. I love the heroine. Her pettiness was hilarious.

I loved this book from the very beginning chapter, but as I got further into the story, I became more and more frustrated with the characters. I knew going in that it was a hate to love trope, but it just didn’t work for me as I’d hoped.

Many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own

This was a pretty enjoyable read for me! It definitely brought some giggles which was unexpected but ALWAYS a super welcome reaction (who doesn't like lols?!). At times it was a little too much bickering for my personal taste but obvi can't complain because that's a huge part of the trope! You could definitely tell there was still love for each other and I was crossing my fingers and toes for the happily ever after!!

Hj Recommends!

In You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle, When Naomi Westfield accepted Nicholas Rose’s marriage proposal, she was on cloud nine. She thinks. At this point, she truly can’t remember why she agreed to get married. Between Nicholas trundling along, oblivious to his clingy mother’s demands on Naomi and how she’s taken over their wedding plans, to him treating her like she’s a pleasant acquaintance, Naomi is ready to run for the hills. But no way will she be held responsible for putting an end to the relationship. Especially if it means paying for the whole blasted wedding, no details of which she chose.

Naomi’s plan to keep at Nicholas, making him so aggravated that he’ll toss in the towel works okay at first. Little digs about his mom. Harmless pranks and flip attitude leave him wondering what’s going on. It’s when Nicholas begins to clue in to Naomi’s plan that it all goes south. Then it’s war. But just when things are looking like they just might come to a mutual cease-fire, Naomi and Nicholas both realize why it all went wrong. And that they still have a sizzling connection that won’t be denied. Can the unthinkable really happen? Can seeing their real selves, a more evolved version of who they fell in love with, have them choosing each other all over again?

A smartly written fresh new take on romantic comedy–and what it means to compromise–You Deserve Each Other was a hilariously heartfelt debut novel by Sarah Hogle.

You Deserve Each Other had a lot going for it right out of the gate. It’s by a debut author, which I love discovering new authors to stalk, er–I mean follow. It was enemies to lovers. Or, I suppose, lovers to enemies to lovers. And it featured two smart, well-meaning main characters who had the right chemistry but who were (rather severely) lacking in communication skills. But what a fun time! All the angst, the bickering, the pranks, the one-upping each other. It did the trick, because it led the way for Naomi and Nicholas to fall in love all over again. *swoon*

Nicholas and Naomi’s whirlwind courtship was almost a cautionary tale in a way, where we saw what could happen when a couple never opens up and truly lets each other in. Everything was on the surface between them. I did love how Hogle basically created a romance in reverse. We saw a snippet of Naomi (this is told strictly from her POV) at the beginning of their relationship and then we were thrown in when everything started to crumble, not quite two years later. Finding out how it all went wrong and why both Naomi and Nicholas treated each other poorly was woven in throughout the book. One major factor? His overbearing mother. Oh. My. Word. She will be a character you love to hate, guaranteed. And without giving too much away, I can tell you that she does get knocked down a peg or two–or three!–by the end.

You Deserve Each Other was a romance where the main characters were so adorably clueless and perfect for each other that I simply couldn’t help cheer them on. If you’re looking for a book filled with laughter, quirkiness, and love, this will be a great choice

This is Sarah Hogle's DEBUT romance and it can't get any better.

YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER is the romance book that we all deserve. I, like so many others, adore the enemies-to-lovers trope and Hogle takes it up a notch! We get a hilarious and heartwarming lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers. I mean, what more could we possibly want?

You Deserve Each Other is an entertaining debut novel by author Sarah Hogle: a new spin on the days leading up to happily ever after. The premise of the book was interesting and unique and I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect before reading it. I felt like the only thing missing from the novel was the story behind how they ended up where they were at in the beginning of the book. We got the story of how they find their way back, but it would have been interesting to see how they got there in the first place.

One of the major themes of the novel is that your wedding and marriage should be about you and your person, and the decisions you make should be to make the two of you happy, not to please everyone else. When you’re in a relationship you have to be on the same team, otherwise it won’t work. You can’t be constantly fighting against one another and making everything more difficult. You have to work together and support one another.

Another major them of the novel is that although falling in love is one of the greatest joys in life, staying in love isn’t always easy but it’s the most wonderful thing that can happen to you. Sometimes you have to fight battles but life is about growing and learning and loving together.

In a Nutshell: Entertaining debut novel with an interesting spin on the days leading up to a ‘happily ever after’.

This a great second chance at romance again. This is lovers to enemies to lovers. If you like that trope this is a must-read.

Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They're preparing for their lavish wedding that's three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him.

Naomi wants out, but there's a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.

But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they're finally being themselves--and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.

When your nemesis also happens to be your fiancé, happily ever after becomes a lot more complicated in this wickedly funny, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy debut.

What a fun enemies to lovers debut. I really loved this book! I can't wait to read more of Sarah's books.

If you’re in search of the perfect enemies to lovers romcom look no further!

We all know in relationships that no matter how big or small there is always a little competition, we’ll these two keep one upping each other to see how far the other will go before breaking up.

Communication is a major factor is all relationship types and miscommunication can make so much to do wrong fast. This book had it all; humor, sadness, happiness, and anger. I would not only recommend this book I was suggest getting it for all your romcom loving friends!

Nicolas and Naomi are always one upping each other to make the other break up with them. What happens when things change and they realize that is not what they really want. they have so much family drama in their life, so they need to step away and see where things go.
This book had me cracking up, angry, sad and in the end it was everything a great book should be.

** I received a copy of my book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review**