Lizzie & Niccolò
Tl;dr This was a book where you kept wishing the FMC would take the MMC at his word, and actually leave and go find someone who treated her well. Where you kept wishing the FMC would tell off the MMC and go find her own happiness without him.
Premise: Strangers have surprising physical chemistry ending in a one-night stand. Extremely common trope. FMC ends up pregnant. (Accidental pregnancy storylines aren't my thing, but they're so hard to escape these days, so fine.) She can't get in communication with MMC, so it's 6 months before he finds out about the pregnancy.
Then he shows up on her doorstep, and that's where the trouble starts. Yes, he takes care of practical matters--anything money-related, essentially. But in terms of building a relationship during their forced proximity situation....to say he gave her bread crumbs is being generous. Crumbs.
So we have two strangers who are having a baby together. Each spent 6 months remembering an "idea" of the other person in bed. The main thing that draws them together is still just physical chemistry. When they actually spend a couple weeks together, the reality is that the MMC gives her nothing personally or emotionally and refuses to even verbalize the existence of a baby.
And then there's the mistrust on both sides. Several arguments where they each accuse each other of using one other/questioning their motives.
Even when the physical chemistry finally boils over, and they sleep together a second time, it's such an emotional letdown for the FMC, she decides not to finish out the one month she's supposed to stay in NYC. (And he's itching to be on his own again, so he doesn't argue for her to stay.)
This MMC is the opposite of what one hopes for as a partner for their FMC. He has her grateful for the tiniest of crumbs. The FMC isn't much better. Little self-worth with only a tad of "I deserve better", but mostly, it's "He's so sexy." "I can't stop remembering the sex." "I can fix him/give him the chance he needs."
So often with these stories, there's a trope of the MMC having some family history that's holding him back from embracing a relationship. But there's a difference between an MMC who's saying one thing, but whose actions belie his words and show that he cares.....and Niccolò, who is so neglectful of her. Like, family trauma only excuses so much. As some point, shabby treatment is just shabby treatment. (It's so bad that when she opens the Xmas gift, she cynically assumes it was his assistant's work.)
So after all that, when he shows up on her doorstep (an entire MONTH after she leaves)....and says he's missed her...it's like, what? They spent two weeks sleeping in separate rooms, her barely seeing him in the mornings before he went to work, maybe eating dinners together (sans relationship-developing confidences), and one public outing....they're still basically strangers, but suddenly, he wants to be with her? On what basis?
And still, at the 11th hour, nothing has really changed--he suggests they marry--but for practical purposes. It was the worst, most unromantic non-proposal. Why? (And his confidence that she'd accept felt out-of-character. She's already left him once. He's too shrewd to have assumed she'd finally fall into the role of women trying to snag him.)
The FMC turns him down. But when he tries again, she's like, "I love you." Girl, what? Based on what? No!
Cannot recommend.