Skip to main content

Member Reviews

I had high hopes for this book - the description and cover made it seem like it would be a cute, feel-good romcom. I couldn't get through this. I tried so hard to push through, but I had to call it quits at 50%. The plot felt too forced. Some parts of the story felt too drawn out and didn't progress the story that much. I didn't really connect with any of the characters. I really wanted to like this one; I'm so bummed I didn't. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

This was such a unique premise, and I haven’t read any books like this before. However, it fell a little short for me.

The introductory first couple of chapters were very confusing. There’s several main characters, and it was hard to follow who was who and what was going on. As the story progressed this got easier, but I felt like I missed some things in the beginning.

The characters themselves were funny and entertaining, but some of the conflict, especially between the FMC and her best friend, seemed very manufactured and came up out of nowhere.

I also wish this book was a little shorter. After the main plot point ended and the characters were no longer all together, it took awhile to wrap up. There was almost a whole chapter where the FMC was having a full conversation, out loud, with a roach in her apartment, which didn’t really add anything.

My favorite part of this book was definitely the gorgeous setting, the entertaining banter, and the goats!

Was this review helpful?

this one bored me. So much! I expected humour but instead the 'funny' incidents were unrealistic and a little childish. I really should have put this one down and picked up another book.

Was this review helpful?

This is such a unique story - it almost feels like a fever dream. The plot passes by like a whirlwind, and you’re left with a cotton candy feeling when you get to the end. My only thought was that it was difficult to get situated in the story.

Some parts felt satirical, funny without an obvious joke, and some parts muddled my mind but I do think that accurately represents the state of the characters who are essentially lying hot messes, trying to make their way in the world.

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately i got about 25% into this book and i just couldn’t tough it out. I found the characters to be extremely unlikable and hard to relate too. The romance felt completely off page - it didn’t feel romantic to me at all.

Overall. i just didn’t feel like this one was something i could continue in with.

Was this review helpful?

I am a sucker for the fake dating trope and this definitely has that. The leads were a little stiff at first but I grew to appreciate them and I think it was a good read.

Was this review helpful?

This book took me a minute to get into, but once I learned more about Libby's life her story really came together. A super cute, easy, light hearted rom-com with realistic banter and life situations. I also couldn't pass up a book with goats involved! A great summer read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I wanted to like it more than I did - I struggled. The cover is great. The title is fantastic. The set up is ideal, but it just didn't totally hit for me.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Libby and her friends live and breathe social media. When they create a character which is a combination of all of them, their lives are changed. This book lagged in a few places.

Was this review helpful?

This one was a bit of a let down for me. I struggled ti be engaged with the story and the characters. I did love the cover art.

Was this review helpful?

This book was pretty funny at times and oh so cute! I would absolutely love it if they turned this one into a movie on Netflix. I’m always a sucker for a good mix of comedy in a cute romance. Love this book! A job well done!

Was this review helpful?

A waitress pretending to be an influencer and a wildlife photographer meet and…just about everything that can go wrong does.

This book was just too silly for me. And I don’t like lying in a book. I’m just waiting for the secret to come out and it just takes me out of the story itself.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately, this book didn’t land with me. There were aspects of it I liked a lot. The writing was good, I liked the way Instagram and Instagram posts were incorporated into the beginning of most of the chapters, and I loved how the author’s love for Hawaii shone through throughout the story. Parts of the book really felt like a local’s love story to the island. And parts of it were funny! I can see where the kind of slapstick humor could work well. But the premise was not well executed, and I found it incredibly hard to believe the ease with which the ruse came together. Also the pacing was slow so I had a hard time staying engaged. The biggest thing for me though was I didn’t care for most of the characters so I didn’t feel invested in what happened to them. But I would like to read more from this author, especially if she wrote a book about the family stories from the island - now THAT I would love to read!

Was this review helpful?

This was a cute read, funny and light. I liked the idea of the fake influencer and there were a lot of screwball antics. Unfortunately I didn't really care too much about the characters and I was hoping for more focus on the rom than the com. That doesn't mean someone else won't love it though!

Was this review helpful?

This was very frustrating. While I appreciate "show, don't tell", it felt like we jumped into the story without any of the necessary background - just right into two fast talking main characters who seemed to be in an odd circumstance, but it wasn't explained. I read through the first third of this book and it was just getting more and more confusing, rather than having a narrative shaping up, so finally decided to DNF.

Was this review helpful?

This was cute and quirky with a hint of comedy. It was an easy read but didn’t love any of the characters and didn’t love it in the end overall.

Was this review helpful?

Sadly this wasn't my cup of tea. I thought it sounded funny, but ultimate it just felt too convoluted. The only character I remotely liked was Jefferson. The rest of them were absolutely ridiculous. I honestly only finished it because I received the arc from Net Galley.

I would willing to try something else from Amanda Sellet, but this book was not for me.

Was this review helpful?

There is a silly quality to this story that once I buckled up for the ride, felt like I could see past some of the ridiculousness of the storyline. I felt this author has a great writing style that grabbed me and I feel she has a magnificent way of giving sarcastic vibes without making any one of her characters over snarky. I don't know if the love connection was a bit too "manufactured" for the story and therefor felt "forced" at times. I also didn't quite understand Jefferson's motivations as well to go along with Hildy's plans. Overall, this has a very campy vibe and I really liked Libby and even the side characters provided some comic relief.
There might have just been one too many off-shoots of the main story to keep me gripped to the storyline and at times I really just wanted the story to "get to it".
Over al, I liked it but didn't love it.

Was this review helpful?

This really didn’t work for me. I tried to get into it many times but I was just bored. The comedic aspects didn’t hit for me. I didn’t care about the characters. I didn’t care for the writing style. Note to self, quit impulse downloading read now romance arcs just because they have pretty covers.

Was this review helpful?

This novel had potential but the execution fell a bit flat. The humor was a bit lackluster, and it was difficult to root for the main characters. Lots of banter but not much in the way of tension or chemistry.

Was this review helpful?