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Such a Pretty Face
A sexy, sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant, contemporary romance that gently exposes the damage to heart and soul when we fail to look beneath the surface for what truly matters.
Mia Sanchez is rocked when her partner of four years, Brenda Montalba, informs her that she has fallen out of love with her and that she's planning on leaving town for several months to give them time to "think about their future together." Mia hadn't thought words could be more painful until Brenda followed up hers with, "You've really let yourself go over the last few years." Alone, hurt, and embarrassed, Mia decides to take the advice of her sales assistant and friend Mathew "Goody" Good, the self crowned Queen of Getting Dumped when he tells her, "The best way to get over them is to get even."
Mia Sanchez is rocked when her partner of four years, Brenda Montalba, informs her that she has fallen out of love with her and that she's planning on leaving town for several months to give them time to "think about their future together." Mia hadn't thought words could be more painful until Brenda followed up hers with, "You've really let yourself go over the last few years." Alone, hurt, and embarrassed, Mia decides to take the advice of her sales assistant and friend Mathew "Goody" Good, the self crowned Queen of Getting Dumped when he tells her, "The best way to get over them is to get even."
251 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2007
4 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
About the author
Gabrielle Goldsby
10 books35 followersGabrielle Goldsby is the author of several novels including Forward Magazine finalist, Remember Tomorrow, the Lambda Literary Award winning Wall of Silence, and The Caretaker’s Daughter, recipient of the Alice B. Lavender Certificate. A Northern California transplant, Gabrielle currently resides in Portland, Oregon. When not writing, she enjoys reading, camping, hiking, and lifting the heaviest things she can get her hands on.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 2, 2016
The description for this book could not be further from what this book actually is about. This book has zero to do with revenge and everything to do with finding your own happiness despite sucky circumstances. Such a Pretty Face by Gabrielle Goldsby is a light romance that focuses on dealing with dysfunctional relationships (parents, wife, co-workers…) and rising above the nonsense and making the most of your life on your terms.
Mia Sanchez a beautiful Mexican American woman who just happens to be plus sized. Mia has a great career, through hard work and dedication she has established herself as one of the top financial analysts in her investment firm. What Mia also has is a superficial wife, a contemptuous mother and to top it all off a growing waistline, none of which she knows what to do about. You see, Mia eats her feelings instead of dealing with her life’s issues. Therefore she overeats, and then begins to avoid looking in mirrors or trying on clothes.
Mia comes home one day to her wife, Brenda, who tells her she is taking a job in New Zealand for five months. Three days later, on her way to the airport, Brenda lets her know she isn’t happy anymore and alludes to the fact Mia has let herself go. Damn Brenda, could you be any harsher! Unfortunately, Mia doesn’t breakup with the a-hole, and will have to deal with this relationship when Brenda decides to come back to Portland.
Ryan Benson is a beautiful, blond, athletic, construction worker who is the perfect distraction for Mia’s messy breakup, which is more like a strong relationship pause. Ryan is quiet, reserved and undeniably nice. Ryan has personal demons of her own, and she has trouble facing their destructive patterns. Kindness has been a double edged sword for her. These two ladies are almost instantly drawn together but fight the urge to have any relationship beyond friendship because of Brenda and the relationship pause.
What I liked about this book is that both of the main characters were not “perfect” physically and they both had their share of emotional issues. I really appreciate that the author gave us a beautiful woman who had a larger figure. Beautiful women do not fit a standard mold. There is going to be a but though.
There are things that I did not care for about this book either. The potential is there for this book to be fantastic but (I told you) to me it sadly it fell just short. The narrative, which is shown from Mia's point of view, spends so much time on her body image, that we lost sight of the romance with Ryan. Ryan’s issues seemed like they were barely touched on and for the life of me I could not figure out why we had to spend so much time with work related issues. There is enough conflict already, let’s delve into the good stuff and forget the petty co-workers. I was desperate to know more about Ryan and what made her tick, especially what drove her to Mia despite all of her reservations.
Gabrielle Goldsby is no doubt a talented author, and one who I would gladly read again. I loved what this book was, a pleasant story with refreshing characters. 3.25 stars.
Mia Sanchez a beautiful Mexican American woman who just happens to be plus sized. Mia has a great career, through hard work and dedication she has established herself as one of the top financial analysts in her investment firm. What Mia also has is a superficial wife, a contemptuous mother and to top it all off a growing waistline, none of which she knows what to do about. You see, Mia eats her feelings instead of dealing with her life’s issues. Therefore she overeats, and then begins to avoid looking in mirrors or trying on clothes.
Mia comes home one day to her wife, Brenda, who tells her she is taking a job in New Zealand for five months. Three days later, on her way to the airport, Brenda lets her know she isn’t happy anymore and alludes to the fact Mia has let herself go. Damn Brenda, could you be any harsher! Unfortunately, Mia doesn’t breakup with the a-hole, and will have to deal with this relationship when Brenda decides to come back to Portland.
Ryan Benson is a beautiful, blond, athletic, construction worker who is the perfect distraction for Mia’s messy breakup, which is more like a strong relationship pause. Ryan is quiet, reserved and undeniably nice. Ryan has personal demons of her own, and she has trouble facing their destructive patterns. Kindness has been a double edged sword for her. These two ladies are almost instantly drawn together but fight the urge to have any relationship beyond friendship because of Brenda and the relationship pause.
What I liked about this book is that both of the main characters were not “perfect” physically and they both had their share of emotional issues. I really appreciate that the author gave us a beautiful woman who had a larger figure. Beautiful women do not fit a standard mold. There is going to be a but though.
There are things that I did not care for about this book either. The potential is there for this book to be fantastic but (I told you) to me it sadly it fell just short. The narrative, which is shown from Mia's point of view, spends so much time on her body image, that we lost sight of the romance with Ryan. Ryan’s issues seemed like they were barely touched on and for the life of me I could not figure out why we had to spend so much time with work related issues. There is enough conflict already, let’s delve into the good stuff and forget the petty co-workers. I was desperate to know more about Ryan and what made her tick, especially what drove her to Mia despite all of her reservations.
Gabrielle Goldsby is no doubt a talented author, and one who I would gladly read again. I loved what this book was, a pleasant story with refreshing characters. 3.25 stars.
July 31, 2017
I was between 2 and 3 stars on this one. As the blurb mentions, there are ex issues. So much so that I felt the shadow of her ex drove many of the plot points throughout to distraction. What I *did* like however was that the MC was not a size 2. There were some issues with that, but my point is is that because of that the character was a lot more believable. More real. And she was a WoC. So because of it I'll give it 3 stars. All the angst and drama and bad feels, bleh.
April 16, 2014
Having read this book once before I didn't expect to find myself chuckling at the funny bits again, or feeling so much for the characters, or finding new things within it that I liked. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying this book even more than I did the first time. I'd forgotten just how lovely, and appealing, both the leads are. Mia is just adorable, and her interactions with her family had me guffawing several times. Even her interactions with her potential love interest, Ryan, had me giggling. She gets a bit clumsy and goofy around Ryan, and who could blame her? Gabrielle Goldsby certainly created a rather alluring woman in Ryan.
I'm almost certain nobody (certainly not me) could accuse Goldbsy of writing poorly or making the act of reading hard work, or adding superfluous characters or side plots that detract from the main reason for the novel - which is the building romance of its two leads. I love her work because of this fact. She gets the level of plot just right without losing sight of the characters. My interest in this book didn't wane at any point as I read through it again. She had me rooting for the love story without it getting overly soppy. The dialog didn't noticeably stray into cringe territory, and I wanted to read the whole thing again once I was done, though there were times I could have pushed my hand through the pages in order to give Mia a good shake. Really, who would allow an awful ex-girlfriend so much control? But on the flipside of that, her struggles with being overweight were not overly dramatic and I didn't feel I was being preached to by Goldsby about either the merits of curvy women, or the merits of being athletic and healthy. Mia's change - both physically and emotionally - seemed to happen naturally, and was completely understandable; lending itself well to the dynamic between her and Ryan. And the dynamic was certainly well presented.
The few heated scenes between Mia and Ryan, though sometimes a little far fetched, were perfectly done and suited both characters. I had to fan myself with my kindle at one point in fact. But hell, there's nothing wrong with reading books just for the romantic aspect, and there's nothing wrong with enjoying sex scenes, and the build up to those scenes. I don't feel I have to apologise for what I like, so I won't, and this book delivers in all those aspects more than adequately (as far as I'm concerned at least).
Of course, there is more to the book than desire and sex even though the desire is very well portrayed; there are some great moments that had me really feeling for Mia, and the book left an overall lingering sensation of satisfaction. It isn't perfect but makes for an engaging, light-hearted, enjoyable read that doesn't try to be something that it's not. I know I'll be reading the book again in the future.
I'd say this book lands more in the 4 and a half stars zone for me, but I've rounded it up for all the moments I found myself laughing out loud as I read.
I'm almost certain nobody (certainly not me) could accuse Goldbsy of writing poorly or making the act of reading hard work, or adding superfluous characters or side plots that detract from the main reason for the novel - which is the building romance of its two leads. I love her work because of this fact. She gets the level of plot just right without losing sight of the characters. My interest in this book didn't wane at any point as I read through it again. She had me rooting for the love story without it getting overly soppy. The dialog didn't noticeably stray into cringe territory, and I wanted to read the whole thing again once I was done, though there were times I could have pushed my hand through the pages in order to give Mia a good shake. Really, who would allow an awful ex-girlfriend so much control? But on the flipside of that, her struggles with being overweight were not overly dramatic and I didn't feel I was being preached to by Goldsby about either the merits of curvy women, or the merits of being athletic and healthy. Mia's change - both physically and emotionally - seemed to happen naturally, and was completely understandable; lending itself well to the dynamic between her and Ryan. And the dynamic was certainly well presented.
The few heated scenes between Mia and Ryan, though sometimes a little far fetched, were perfectly done and suited both characters. I had to fan myself with my kindle at one point in fact. But hell, there's nothing wrong with reading books just for the romantic aspect, and there's nothing wrong with enjoying sex scenes, and the build up to those scenes. I don't feel I have to apologise for what I like, so I won't, and this book delivers in all those aspects more than adequately (as far as I'm concerned at least).
Of course, there is more to the book than desire and sex even though the desire is very well portrayed; there are some great moments that had me really feeling for Mia, and the book left an overall lingering sensation of satisfaction. It isn't perfect but makes for an engaging, light-hearted, enjoyable read that doesn't try to be something that it's not. I know I'll be reading the book again in the future.
I'd say this book lands more in the 4 and a half stars zone for me, but I've rounded it up for all the moments I found myself laughing out loud as I read.
February 20, 2017
4.15 stars.
This book is written very well and it's definitely worth a read. Many times it was hard for me to put down and I kept telling myself, "just one more chapter", only to keep going to find out what happened next. I loved the fact that the main character, Mia, is a larger sized love lead who is also non-white. I'm a big fan of diversity in lesfic.
The story is told completely from Mia's perspective, whose inner monologue I found completely authentic, engaging, and amusing. The self-doubt, self-criticism and insecurities all rang true and it was refreshing to see them written in such a way, with both honesty and humor. So many books establishing a character as insecure either don't go as deep or they go too deep to the point of maudlin. I felt Mia's voice had a perfect balance.
The humor in the story is great and, as for the love story, this was a joy to follow, as well. The chemistry is palpable between Mia and Ryan and it's satisfying to see their relationship unfold. For the romance, the author did something incredibly rare in lesfic, she let the characters breathe around each other. The intimacy the characters build is seen just as much in the non-spoken interactions they have as with their conversations. As a reader, that's really fun for me to read. When Mia and Ryan finally come together, the love scene is both intimate and steamy. Very well done. It was especially satisfying that Ryan falls for Mia when she's bigger and feeling her worst. Any inner growth Mia has is motivated within herself rather than pressure to impress, which was also a refreshing angle.
With all of the good this book has, I do have some bittersweet feelings.
I feel that the last third of the book doesn't feel as tight as the rest of it. The book is never slow at all but the first half of the book really takes its time and fills in a lot of character and detail. When we come up on the last 1/3rd of the book, something about it felt more jarring or rushed to wrap things up and, in some ways, made it a bit too tidy. I also wanted a few things fleshed out more, primarily I was hoping for a bigger blow up scene between Brenda and Mia. It's a compliment to the author that I wanted more instead of less.
Overall, this is a really unique and refreshing read and certainly recommend.
This book is written very well and it's definitely worth a read. Many times it was hard for me to put down and I kept telling myself, "just one more chapter", only to keep going to find out what happened next. I loved the fact that the main character, Mia, is a larger sized love lead who is also non-white. I'm a big fan of diversity in lesfic.
The story is told completely from Mia's perspective, whose inner monologue I found completely authentic, engaging, and amusing. The self-doubt, self-criticism and insecurities all rang true and it was refreshing to see them written in such a way, with both honesty and humor. So many books establishing a character as insecure either don't go as deep or they go too deep to the point of maudlin. I felt Mia's voice had a perfect balance.
The humor in the story is great and, as for the love story, this was a joy to follow, as well. The chemistry is palpable between Mia and Ryan and it's satisfying to see their relationship unfold. For the romance, the author did something incredibly rare in lesfic, she let the characters breathe around each other. The intimacy the characters build is seen just as much in the non-spoken interactions they have as with their conversations. As a reader, that's really fun for me to read. When Mia and Ryan finally come together, the love scene is both intimate and steamy. Very well done. It was especially satisfying that Ryan falls for Mia when she's bigger and feeling her worst. Any inner growth Mia has is motivated within herself rather than pressure to impress, which was also a refreshing angle.
With all of the good this book has, I do have some bittersweet feelings.
I feel that the last third of the book doesn't feel as tight as the rest of it. The book is never slow at all but the first half of the book really takes its time and fills in a lot of character and detail. When we come up on the last 1/3rd of the book, something about it felt more jarring or rushed to wrap things up and, in some ways, made it a bit too tidy. I also wanted a few things fleshed out more, primarily I was hoping for a bigger blow up scene between Brenda and Mia. It's a compliment to the author that I wanted more instead of less.
Overall, this is a really unique and refreshing read and certainly recommend.
August 2, 2012
i went back and forth between 3 stars and 4 on this one. I loved the moral to the story. The main character is slightly overweight and loathes herself. by the end of the book (i don't think is giving away spoilers...) she sees what a difference it is to surround yourself by people that love you and see your true beauty. It changes everything for her. Whether it's weight, or any number of other things, many of us have insecurities that this book will speak to.
The main thing that i didn't like that dropped this to 3 stars for me, what the state of the 'broken up' relationship. I also don't think it's a spoiler, since it happens at the very beginning and is spoken of in the 1st sentence... but Mia's wife, whom she's been with for 4 years, leaves her. She takes off her ring, says she doesn't love her anymore, then goes on to criticize her. After which she leaves on a trip to fiji for 5 months and she takes most of her things. The story starts there and goes on to show mia realizing she didn't love her anyhow and rebuilding her self esteem. Fine. Good story. What wasn't good for me, and what i struggled with the rest of the book, was why mia and everyone around her kept saying she still had a girlfriend. Her love interest was put off because of the 'girlfriend' that was in fiji and mia needs to end it. ...Hello! she took off her ring and walked out the door! mia is single now! i just didn't get it. even mia didn't make this point. she kept agreeing she had unfinished business, which was what... the sale of the house. dumb. it made me really not like this book anytime that came up.
But, i realize this is a matter of personal opinion and it is entirely possible i am missing something regarding states of 'broken-up' and relationships. So, if you think you can get past that, you may love this book. i found the whole wishy-washy-ness of it made the main character weaker in my eyes. (which completely undermined the point of her becoming emotionally stronger) but it does have a sexy fix-it girl that you will love. and a decent hot scene or two.
The writing and editing were well done. This is the first i've read from the author and i will probably read more. she has a nice fluid writing style and the character development is decent, even if you want to slap them...
The main thing that i didn't like that dropped this to 3 stars for me, what the state of the 'broken up' relationship. I also don't think it's a spoiler, since it happens at the very beginning and is spoken of in the 1st sentence... but Mia's wife, whom she's been with for 4 years, leaves her. She takes off her ring, says she doesn't love her anymore, then goes on to criticize her. After which she leaves on a trip to fiji for 5 months and she takes most of her things. The story starts there and goes on to show mia realizing she didn't love her anyhow and rebuilding her self esteem. Fine. Good story. What wasn't good for me, and what i struggled with the rest of the book, was why mia and everyone around her kept saying she still had a girlfriend. Her love interest was put off because of the 'girlfriend' that was in fiji and mia needs to end it. ...Hello! she took off her ring and walked out the door! mia is single now! i just didn't get it. even mia didn't make this point. she kept agreeing she had unfinished business, which was what... the sale of the house. dumb. it made me really not like this book anytime that came up.
But, i realize this is a matter of personal opinion and it is entirely possible i am missing something regarding states of 'broken-up' and relationships. So, if you think you can get past that, you may love this book. i found the whole wishy-washy-ness of it made the main character weaker in my eyes. (which completely undermined the point of her becoming emotionally stronger) but it does have a sexy fix-it girl that you will love. and a decent hot scene or two.
The writing and editing were well done. This is the first i've read from the author and i will probably read more. she has a nice fluid writing style and the character development is decent, even if you want to slap them...
April 25, 2022
3.5 Stars
Had I reviewed this book as soon as I finished it, I think I would have rounded up to 4 stars. But, a week later, and the scenes and characters don't stand out as much. It wasn't hard to jog my memory after reading a few of my highlighted passages, but now, I've also had time to think through a few elements that I glossed over before.
What I liked:
That Mia's perception of herself and her weight felt realistic, it was neither over or underdone. Ryan, I thought she was a really interesting character and I appreciated her ability to set boundaries for herself. I also thought that Goody, Mia's secretary, was entertaining. The themes the author decided to touch on: the characters' relationships to food and familial guilt/expectations. And finally, this quote:
"most straight women would be shocked to find that the majority of gay women look at them as if they are another species, and therefore not really mating material. What made me uncomfortable was the fact that these women didn’t know I was gay and would no doubt have thought twice about how easily they appeared nude in front of me."
Things I didn't like:
Brenda. yes, of course we're supposed to dislike her, the woman who just leaves her wife with no discussion and parting remarks about her weight. But I felt like she took up way more of the story than she should have. This isn't to say that I didn't understand why Mia felt like she had to discuss things with Brenda in person, but I also felt like that reaction was also somewhat pushed on her by friends and family who kept informing her that she had unfinished business even when Mia felt otherwise.
Now, being a few days out from reading the book, it's causing me to rethink Ryan and Mia's relationship. It's a weird grey area of did she cheat or not? Especially after Mia's (completely reasonable) upset with Brenda, this doesn't feel quite right.
Mia's mother was also a piece of work. My dislike of her didn't factor into my review as she was unfortunately realistic, but I strongly disliked her. And the men of Mia's family. The only one I felt bad for was her sister (Christina?). And while I understand why things blew up the way they did at the end, I do wish Mia had been gentler for Christina's sake. But also, Mia was also dealing with her own traumas.
Overall, I did like this book. I enjoyed Ryan and Mia both as individuals but also together. I also enjoyed the counter drama at the office. There were some great quotes and a wonderful underlying theme of self-acceptance that I thought was executed fairly well. I decided to round down though because of that cheating grey area and my enthusiasm being a little dimmed from when I first finished the book.
I'll end my review with another quote I thoroughly enjoyed. Mostly for the quote, but also because of the insanity of the circumstances:
"my breasts had tumbled out like two escaped convicts during a prison break."
Had I reviewed this book as soon as I finished it, I think I would have rounded up to 4 stars. But, a week later, and the scenes and characters don't stand out as much. It wasn't hard to jog my memory after reading a few of my highlighted passages, but now, I've also had time to think through a few elements that I glossed over before.
What I liked:
That Mia's perception of herself and her weight felt realistic, it was neither over or underdone. Ryan, I thought she was a really interesting character and I appreciated her ability to set boundaries for herself. I also thought that Goody, Mia's secretary, was entertaining. The themes the author decided to touch on: the characters' relationships to food and familial guilt/expectations. And finally, this quote:
"most straight women would be shocked to find that the majority of gay women look at them as if they are another species, and therefore not really mating material. What made me uncomfortable was the fact that these women didn’t know I was gay and would no doubt have thought twice about how easily they appeared nude in front of me."
Things I didn't like:
Brenda. yes, of course we're supposed to dislike her, the woman who just leaves her wife with no discussion and parting remarks about her weight. But I felt like she took up way more of the story than she should have. This isn't to say that I didn't understand why Mia felt like she had to discuss things with Brenda in person, but I also felt like that reaction was also somewhat pushed on her by friends and family who kept informing her that she had unfinished business even when Mia felt otherwise.
Now, being a few days out from reading the book, it's causing me to rethink Ryan and Mia's relationship. It's a weird grey area of did she cheat or not? Especially after Mia's (completely reasonable) upset with Brenda, this doesn't feel quite right.
Mia's mother was also a piece of work. My dislike of her didn't factor into my review as she was unfortunately realistic, but I strongly disliked her. And the men of Mia's family. The only one I felt bad for was her sister (Christina?). And while I understand why things blew up the way they did at the end, I do wish Mia had been gentler for Christina's sake. But also, Mia was also dealing with her own traumas.
Overall, I did like this book. I enjoyed Ryan and Mia both as individuals but also together. I also enjoyed the counter drama at the office. There were some great quotes and a wonderful underlying theme of self-acceptance that I thought was executed fairly well. I decided to round down though because of that cheating grey area and my enthusiasm being a little dimmed from when I first finished the book.
I'll end my review with another quote I thoroughly enjoyed. Mostly for the quote, but also because of the insanity of the circumstances:
"my breasts had tumbled out like two escaped convicts during a prison break."
April 19, 2018
Painful to read 90% of the time. Extremely predictable. Cringe-worthy writing style.
January 4, 2016
I'm kind of conflicted with this one. The storyline about the jerk coworker wasn't really necessary, I would have liked to know more about Ryan's perspective, and I don't really understand why everyone was worried about what Brenda thought, when Mia makes it clear to everyone that Brenda left and she doesn't care what she thinks. I did like Mia and Ryan's relationship though, and all of the scenes with the two of them were great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2020
I wish I could give this book 5 stars with its funny dialogue, potentially interesting characters and potentially good plot but 3 stars seems fitting.
It started so well; Mia with her relatable self depracating body image and humor backed by her trusty assistant Goody, a hot love interest, office drama wrapped up with an ex and family i couldn't stand. So much to create a good story but then halfway through it all just fell flat and rushed.
-The office drama got wrapped up too quickly with all the emphasis they put on it. It had so much potential to lead to something grand.
-Goody was excruciatingly sensitive at times. He seemed to always making wrong assumptions whiles not giving well defined advice.
-Mia was just so blind and weak towards her ex! - God she ended your relationship and headed to freaking Fiji! What else do you two have to work out for you to start a new relationship???!!! And when she came back she didn't have an ounce of backbone to shut her down and get her the hell out of her house, like where was all the anger she continuously claimed she harbored (even the final breakup felt like a plea, it was so lackluster I almost threw my phone away).
-Ryan, the hot love interest, was not well developed. It felt like there were so many ways her trauma could be acknowledged and addressed but things were cut off so suddenly and at the end we didn't get to see if she had gotten enough closure. Ryan kept on coming off as unsure about any feelings or situations that seemed to make her uncomfortable so she either closed up and stewed on her anger or backed away. She just didn't try hard enough for the relationship. Why is Mia the one to always go back and apologise or make an effort to reconnect them?
- A few characters like Selena, were consistently introduced but cut short where I had to question their relevance in the story.
- The final thing was how Mia kept on refusing to tell people (especially her friends) that the annoying 'slappable' ex of hers had left her in one of the the most annoying (again) ways and she had every right to do as she pleased. Telling them could have saved me from all the frustrating scenes I wanted to scream at!
Despite all this, I loved Pepito and his not so attractive self, Mia standing up for herself against her family ( why she didn't keep the same energy for her annoying AF, entitled ex is just beyond me, she really deserved to be chewed out and her receipts read in italics) and the overall humor in the dialogues made everything much more tolerable.
I'll probably read it again when in I'm super calm mood. Lol
It started so well; Mia with her relatable self depracating body image and humor backed by her trusty assistant Goody, a hot love interest, office drama wrapped up with an ex and family i couldn't stand. So much to create a good story but then halfway through it all just fell flat and rushed.
-The office drama got wrapped up too quickly with all the emphasis they put on it. It had so much potential to lead to something grand.
-Goody was excruciatingly sensitive at times. He seemed to always making wrong assumptions whiles not giving well defined advice.
-Mia was just so blind and weak towards her ex! - God she ended your relationship and headed to freaking Fiji! What else do you two have to work out for you to start a new relationship???!!! And when she came back she didn't have an ounce of backbone to shut her down and get her the hell out of her house, like where was all the anger she continuously claimed she harbored (even the final breakup felt like a plea, it was so lackluster I almost threw my phone away).
-Ryan, the hot love interest, was not well developed. It felt like there were so many ways her trauma could be acknowledged and addressed but things were cut off so suddenly and at the end we didn't get to see if she had gotten enough closure. Ryan kept on coming off as unsure about any feelings or situations that seemed to make her uncomfortable so she either closed up and stewed on her anger or backed away. She just didn't try hard enough for the relationship. Why is Mia the one to always go back and apologise or make an effort to reconnect them?
- A few characters like Selena, were consistently introduced but cut short where I had to question their relevance in the story.
- The final thing was how Mia kept on refusing to tell people (especially her friends) that the annoying 'slappable' ex of hers had left her in one of the the most annoying (again) ways and she had every right to do as she pleased. Telling them could have saved me from all the frustrating scenes I wanted to scream at!
Despite all this, I loved Pepito and his not so attractive self, Mia standing up for herself against her family ( why she didn't keep the same energy for her annoying AF, entitled ex is just beyond me, she really deserved to be chewed out and her receipts read in italics) and the overall humor in the dialogues made everything much more tolerable.
I'll probably read it again when in I'm super calm mood. Lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2021
Interracial romance in Portland. Being from the city I crave stories that don't center whiteness so I was disappointed with Ryan. The character dynamics were excellent I could really relate to Mia's toxic relationship with her family, self and friends. It was hard to put this one down, heck Im still thinking about how lil Pepito grew on me.
March 7, 2018
Loved every bit of it. Sweet romance, that makes you happy and sad, excited and angry-same as the main character.
January 15, 2020
Such a beautiful face
Heart strings: tugged
Eyes: teared up
Angst: perfect
Wishing for a sequel: yes
Such a great read. I couldn't shut off my kindle until I finished.
Heart strings: tugged
Eyes: teared up
Angst: perfect
Wishing for a sequel: yes
Such a great read. I couldn't shut off my kindle until I finished.
June 23, 2011
I enjoyed reading this book! I was hooked by chapter one due to the breakup of Mia and Brenda, however, at times I felt as if the book dragged on and on and repeated similar moments. I also enjoyed the development of Ryan and Mia's friendship before they jumped into bed with one another. I have read other books by Goldsby and by far this is my favorite. I gave a 3 star rating, because I believe more editing needed to be done and some development didn't need to be there. Overall, the book kept my interest and I also enjoyed the "naughty" moments...
March 16, 2014
Sometimes it takes a very talented author like Ms Goldsby to enlighten us to detrimental scars of childhood. She also shows us the very important details of life in these fascinating characters and wonderful inspiring story. I track my exercise and run 4-5 miles every day!
April 3, 2017
Hilarious Read...
I Love this book. Not only is the author Hilarious on the delivery of jokes, but how some touchy situations are handled as well. I will Definitely be looking into more books by this author!!
I Love this book. Not only is the author Hilarious on the delivery of jokes, but how some touchy situations are handled as well. I will Definitely be looking into more books by this author!!
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