I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. There was nothing noteworthy or exceptional about this book. Max is a spoiled rich boy who has forsaken his family's wealth to become an artist, but he’s always angry about something or other, and always judging people and jumping to conclusions if he thinks they are acting the way he thinks rich people act. Sophie is the sole caregiver for her 16-year-old, diabetic sister. She works hard to make enough money to support the two of them and keeps her private life a secret.

Although Max and Sophie are attracted to one another, they have a blow-out fight when Max accuses Sophie of being a sell-out and she accuses him of being entitled and stubborn. She is correct; he is not. Sophie learns that it’s okay to let people share your burdens, and Max learns that he needs to swallow his pride if he wants to be successful. Despite their argument, they find their way back to each other and confess their love.

I had a problem believing that Max and Sophie had fallen in love after only a few encounters, some of which were quite unpleasant. The end felt a bit rushed to me. In fact, I thought the book ended abruptly.

There was a description in this book that made me laugh because it brought back a memory that I’m not sure everyone shares. It feels like it could be a generational thing. “Max placed the second drink on the bar and another woman approached, dressed in a ridiculous outfit that resembled one of those toilet roll dollies that his grandmother used to sit on the top of her cistern. It was the same bright yellow of his memory but wasn’t knitted or crocheted. He could never tell the difference. The dress was one big ruffle.”

The writing was okay. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters, so I didn’t really care about what happened to them. There were many opportunities where the author could have engaged the reader more and formed real bonds with the characters. Editing for an ARC was sub-par. Hopefully, it was all fixed before publication, but there was one word that made me laugh while also causing confusion. “His taste was inviting and descendant, and after two kisses, familiar.” I know descendant is not the right word, but what did the author mean to say? Decadent? Resplendent? Transcendent? Perhaps, I’ll never know.

The most positive thing I can say about this book is that it’s easy to read and I finished it quickly. That’s no small feat because some writers are so bad, it’s difficult to read their writing. This one was good enough that I don’t feel it was a complete waste of time, but I won’t be looking for more from this author either.

Written quite well, but overall just an okay read for me. Max and Sophie were a nice couple but I never really warmed to Max at all.

Fun romance from down under. As usual I skipped over the intimate parts. I enjoyed seeing the personal growth and involvement of many of the characters. A quick read. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book. Upon reading the description, I knew I had to read this. It was a fairly quick read. I wish it was a bit longer.

This was a great quick read! I wished it was a little longer and there had been more of a buildup between the two main characters. It felt like they met, they got together, they broke up, and then got back together within the span of a chapter. I was reading and thinking to myself "wow he didn't even get her number". Overall it was a great fun read, I wish it had a little more of a buildup and suspense and had developed the story a little more.