Love By Design

by Yinnie Lin

Mahalia ‘Hallie’ Hartt is an aspiring designer with dreams of one day starting her own fashion line.

After graduating from one of the most prestigious fashion institutions in London, Hallie faces the hardships of gaining a foothold in the field as she needles through job rejection after job rejection in a tight-knit industry.

So when she’s finally given the chance to intern at a well-known yet highly controversial fashion house in London— she grabs the opportunity with both hands.

But the world of fashion runs two sizes too small as Hallie finds herself at thread and thrum working under the scrutinising supervision of the ever-enigmatic and impossible-to-impress August, the nepo baby son of design powerhouse and fashion conglomerate, Vante Atelier.

And despite starting off on the wrong foot with people pinpricking her passions and pursuits, Hallie is determined to keep her platform Mary Janes in the door.

Caught in a fabric of fashion feuds, run(a)way models and emotional baggage of designer proportions, Hallie must measure up to prove her potential so she can tailor her way and make a name for herself in this fashion-filled and feelings-fuelled work of fiction.

Genres: Romance, Booktok

524 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 5, 2024

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blindingly Good!

This is easily one of my top reads for the year and I will be purchasing a physical copy to read again in the future.

I watched the skits the author posted to Tiktok forever ago and fell in love with the concept of an aspiring fashion designer fighting for her place in the industry with a nepo baby germaphobe and Yinnie Lin followed through with an excellent novel.

The dynamic between FMC and MMC is so back and forth but so endearing. It's vaguely reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice but that could just be me. There's some anxiety representation and a touch of invisible illness and though addressed is not the only factor of the characters' personalities.

Fade to black so no spice but if you liked the fashion industry/press and nepo baby is actually really hard working and wonderful aspects of Lucy Score's By A Thread then you will love this!

Highly highly highly recommend!!!

[Emily P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this book twice now and it's such a cute, wholesome palette cleanser with a touch of Filipino culture

[Vanessa Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

literally so so good, such a good book!! It had me kicking my feet in the air, giggling and shit.

[Natka]

dnf, bo strasznie nudne

[Hibah · Rating 3 out of 5]

mid

[olivia ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am not one for a purely romance-based book but i couldn’t resist when i heard sunshine x grumpy! the trope was LIVELY in this book and has me looking for my own personal grumpy nepo baby with platinum hair and gray eyes. this made me reevaluate my disinterest in romance books because i found myself craving for more when i was at work or busy with different projects of my own. i’ve been in such a reading slump where most times i can’t even think about opening up a book, but i was thinking about reading this book while i was running around a hot, humid, crazy restaurant. usually, i go take a nap after work, however, i would read a chapter(or five) after.
what makes the book even better for me is the side characters. i am one for a good side character, and this book has a good few. gigi and hero are my main favorites but tobias and pollux are very high honorable mentions. (also, do i hear a gigi and tobias book? i think they have amazing chemistry and would love to see them together! who doesn’t love a girlboss x prince couple?)
my favorite scene takes place in the museum where they have to run out to avoid being locked in for the night. it reminds me of the picture of the group of three running in an art museum that is on pinterest giving very much dark academia vibes(if anyone else gets the reference lol). i am a SUCKER for a good, fun love experience and that scene MELTED my heart and wishes to find love instead of reading about it. an honorable mention is the fact he hitchhiked in the snow right before one of the BIGGEST snowstorms in history blew into town in order to apologize. a man who risks his life to apologize? sign me uppppppp. ALSOOOO the pet names he gives?!??! i found myself translating the words because i only have a quarter of a semester under my belt in french and they were so cute! calling her my heart resonated with me so much because i always been wanting for someone to call me ‘my heart’ and i was like ‘hallie, move aside for one second please. let me take this one.’
what i enjoyed a lot was learning about the fashion industry. it was very informative for someone who only sees the world from the outside. i, personally, liked seeing the fashion industry in its highs and lows. every job has its cons and it comes to no surprise the amount of struggles, stress, and labor needed for the fashion profession. the book highlights the heavy weight designers and interns are expected of them, which is very burdensome. long nights, overtime, demanding bosses, and being ridiculed makes for a toxic workplace which i feel is under looked in the fashion profession. we see the fashion shows and the beautiful (sometimes ridiculous) outfits but the talents for everyone behind the scenes is undervalued. we only hear of the outfits, never the designers and staff who poured everything into their work.
one last comment(maybe. lol) i LOVE how hallie made her own brand. she really transformed from someone who did what was needed from her to someone who values her talents and energy she puts into everything. seeing how sebastian undervalues her by not adding her name to the collection she made EVERYTHING into just because she doesn’t come from a powerful family is such a thing a man named sebastian would do (apologies to kind sebastians out there, y’all are great). i’m glad gigi, our lovable girlboss, and august, our germaphobe nepo, took matters into their own hands and allows hallie to be recognized for her talents and efforts. seeing her have her own fashion show made me a proud parent. i was always hoping she would because it makes sense for her. someone who dealt with family ridicule and told she is a disappointment for going into fashion turning into a powerhouse is just what hallie needed.
happy to have waited for this book to be published🫶

(excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes. memorial day weekend at a summer town as a waitress is not for the weak)

[Gm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ngl this book was really gooodddd. If i had had the time, i would've read it in one sitting. I saw a vid on tiktok, and wanted to read it as soon as possible. I really loved this one. Love love love August, although i didn't really understand why he was that mad and mean to mahalia when she found out abt the real him. I mean yeah she said some mean shit abt him, but she didn't know. And the fact that he was still waiting for her for lunch after, was so freaking cuteee. I love him with my entire heart. Also love Mahalia, she deserves so muchhhh. Also why the fuckk, did we go over the fact that that bad dude drugged her, so fast????? Fuck him man and after that even trying to steal her spotlight???? I THINK NOTTT!!! Also fucking Henry the model????? He kissed her without her consent, AND THAT'S IT???? fucking weirdos man, they should've talked abt that cus WHATTTRR!!! I LOVE Gigi, she is the bestie I need. Also love all the side characters. Was shocked after Mahalia her story abt her family cause again WHATTT?!?!? Why tf did nobody call the fuxning police or some shit, that uncle don' deserve shit man? Found it a bit much that August fainted in the grandma's house but yeahhh. I think it would have been really cute if they went downstairs to lay with all the cousins. Anyway, i love this book. Will probably read it again someday.

[Jems☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

That was nice it's a chill book. Idk didn't hate it but i don't absolutely love it.

[❤️‍🩹]

aaaahhh idk about the rating

[Amelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love By Design or Love At First Sight?

That is precisely how I felt catching a first glimpse of THE fashion novel of all fashion novels.
Following main character Mahalia Hartt around the buzzing metropole of London trying to make her way in the highly competitive fashion industry whilst tripping over a roll of fabric and falling for the nepo-baby-germaphobe aka her boss who definitely does not put the joy in toile de jouy – or does he?
This book filled with fashion idioms took my heart by storm, not only because of a love story that would put a tear in even the most cynical of all women but also because of the deeply researched fashion anecdotes and references.
Whilst this is a spice-free, fade-into-black romance, the tension is so palpable I could cut it with my rotary cutter.
A classic grumpy-sunshine trope with many light-hearted custom-tailored fashion puns and serious moments to add the right amount of depth without disqualifying as a light summer read at the beach (or to bridge over the time before the next fashion month).

Bravo and now go put it on your TBR! xx

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is the palette cleanser I so desperately needed after finishing both The Prisoner's Throne and The Reappearance of Rachel Price. It's a really sweet fashion romance and perfect for the spring/ summer season. I first saw about on TikTok, as did many others, and it did not disappoint. I finished it in one day, and I find the book to be very well written and fast paced. It almost overwhelms with cuteness and that's exactly what I needed. Overall, great book and I look forward to reading more from the writer.

[Linda Etemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is literally my favourite read of the year so far!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first fashion romance and i loved it!!!! The grumpy x sunshine trope is my favourite and i ate it up. The author did so well promting it on tik tok because i wouldnt of found it otherwise. Mahalia is so passionate about her work and i loved it. She is how i want to feel when i get my dream job. I honestly thought she wasnt going to let anything ruin it at all but god damn Sebastian! I literally hate him, i thought he wouldnt be as bad as others said especially when he started flurting but unfortunately he didnt come through :(. August though!!! I fell in love with him the moment we saw him, even though we never saw his pov you could see he cared for her and would move the world for mahalia. They are the perfect couple and i hope they live happily ever after because they really do deserve it. This book was so good i was almost late to school because i just had to finish the book. Also i wonder if this is going to become part of a seried as there are definitely some easter eggs as to other potential couples!!! It would've been a five star but i simply didnt get that spark

[readsbylilac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.75 ✨️

Finally finished my 4th book for the month of May and I'm obssessed with it!
August and Mahalia is a perfect grumpy x sunshine couple for me, the witty banters, THE TENSION is just *chef's kiss* super love love their chemistry! 💗
Mahalia's journey is amazing, and her growth throughout the story is so inspiring.And the fact that she's a Filipino is a plus for me! I loved seeing Filipino culture represented so beautifully in this book, from traditional terms and gestures to mouthwatering food descriptions. It's wonderful to see myself reflected in the story.
As this is a fashion novel, the fashion world setting is so vivid and detailed, from descriptions of fabrics, runway moments, and design processes. So even if you're not much into fashion or have absolute 0 idea how the industry (like me lol) works, you'll still enjoy it ✨️
Overall, it's a must-read for anyone looking for an amazing grumpy-sunshine love story filled with authentic representation and amazing fashion world-building. I can't wait to see what Yinnie Lin writes next!

[Jowi · Rating 5 out of 5]

oMggggg they are so cute. big fu to seb and friends such an a class a hole!!! BUT AUGUST & LOVEHEART OMG THEY HAVE MY HEART. THE OUTFITS ONG THEY ARE SO DETAILED AND STYLISH.

PROUD FILO HERE!! AND CONGRATS MS YINNI! MABUHAY KA NG MASAYA AT MAPAYAPA. SANA'Y MAG SULAT KA PA NG MARAMI! 🌷💖

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

The further the better

It is actually more like 4.5 stars, and that's only because of a little bit too stretched out start. But with every chapter it got better and better, so it was really worth reading through to the end. Well fleshed out, likeable characters you root for and just the right amount of awkwardness makes it a really good, fluffy reading material, with the perfect amount of drama sprinkled in to keep you hooked. The fashion world set up is an added plus, although I am incredibly biased toward it. Would love to see another one with more of the world building done through dialogs, rather than blocks of dry description. Keep it up ^^

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

absolutely loved it!! such a cute couple and omg august is actually perfect!!! from the first sent jumper with his initials, i was in love🫶🏻🫶🏻 how he travelled to her families house in the ice cold blizzard, the bar is in heaven💐💐

[Holly Fellows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review with spoilers:

I have been waiting for this book since she started doing tik toks of little bits for the book. And it was EXACLTY how you wanted it, it was perfect. The chemistry between the MML and FML and the banter and nicknames 🥰. Even when they had a little bit of distance between them I was still rooting for them. The emotions were high in this book having you cry, laugh and giggle. Also Sebastian I was rooting for you😂but he was not a good person 😭.

As someone who has loved fashion and studies some textiles I loved how she really went into depth about each fabric and outfit. So you can visually see you when reading. I just love her writing style and can’t wait to see what she does next 🥰.

[ania · Rating 2 out of 5]

annoying honestly

[Vivi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

I have very mixed feelings about this book. The beginning was amazing and I adored the main character, as well as the background of fashion and design. However, there was a few moments that really bothered me on how they were dealt with and later talked about (or not talked about in some cases).
The main characters had really great chemistry and I loved their interactions in the start of the book, with the whole grumpy x sunshine vibes. They were fun and entertaining together, but also loving and the slight slow-burn was really great. It wasn’t hard to liked them both, but I wish we had gotten more details in the hero’s backstory. The heroine seemed better developed as a character than him, even if her story also had its flaws.
I honestly liked a lot of things in this book. The writing was one of the high points for me, it was smooth and engaging, I finished the entire book in just a couple of hours. Frankly, I think it was a very good debut book for Yinnie Lin. However, I hope the development gets better in her future stories. I wasn’t expecting this book to go the way it did. Some parts felt weird and like they tried to put too much stuff in just one story. Still, it was entertaining and enjoyable. I’m looking forward to reading more from this new author in the future.

[♔ InfiniteRoyalty ♔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE FLUFF YOU NEED

Amazing read.

A bit of a slow starter, did need to get used to the rhythm of the writing. It did initially feel like a more classic ‘teen’/YA voice.

Not without its flaws but once you’re in, you’re IN. I was so invested. There were too many moments where I wanted to kick my feet and scream into my pillow. This one hit me harder than expected. Absolutely adore the main couple. Love that there’s no “he’s richer than you” nonsense holding back the couple. Just, yknow, trauma.

But the romance was very well done and aside from a couple loose ends (like wtf happened to Sebastian??), which ultimately didn’t matter bc this story is about Mahalia and August, it was pretty tight narrative and pretty satisfying arc. Deffo gave me fluffy Kdrama vibes.

[artemis ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

honestly a good read but i feel like something was missing from the story. i think i would have liked to see more of the main characters as a couple? i feel like they spent the whole story skirting around officialising their relationship that we didn't see them get all lovey-dovey (it's a romance book after all). but i appreciate all the effort the author put in her research for the fashion industry, good job.

taking in consideration that this is their debut it's not bad at all. i hope to read more from the in the future.

[Tan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

It was quite cute and I really enjoyed the buildup of their relationship! I just wish there were more sweet scenes and that there was a smoother transition from August being a jerk to super sweet and lovely. Also some parts were a little too cheesy for my liking but others may enjoy it! Still a great read!

[bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

mwahahahaha

[Nouki’s boeken · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really special, wouldn’t recommend.
Was cute but didn’t really feel any love from her side, was cringe because of that at some moments

[kpgc · Rating 4 out of 5]

°❀⋆ 4.75 ☆'s ! .ೃ࿔*:･

“𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅. 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆, 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒙𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖— 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝑰 𝒕𝒓𝒚. 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒄𝒄𝒖𝒑𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅. 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑰 𝒎𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖— 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌, 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕, 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕.”

What a great debut from Yinnie! The book started with Mahalia and August meeting in a Filipino restaurant in London which became the starting point of their relationship. I learned a lot about fashion from just reading this novel, I love how technical stuff are explained. She also showed the progress of both their careers which became really important for their character development.

“𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇, 𝑯𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒆. 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 22 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒍𝒅. 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚 𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒕. 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒏𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕? 𝑻𝒘𝒐 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔? 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆.”

Can relate to this a lot because I just turned 22 and graduating this October so it really made me feel seen and understood. How Hallie has the right support system in maneuvering her 20's and graduation blues (or grays).

“𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒐𝒐. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒐𝒌𝒂𝒚. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒌. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒕.”

And can we talk about the amount of culture from this book from both the characters' side of families? Especially the Filipino side which I can relate to a lot as a Filipino myself. Gosh, the number of times I stopped myself from crying because some of the stuff that Hallie went through is a normal thing that Filipinos go through (as also a creative surrounded by intellectual ones).

All in all, a great job for producing this masterpiece of a book! Just gave it a 4.75 because I know she can do so much more in her next novels.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

i actually really really like it! its giving devil wears prada, confession of a shopaholic, geek girl, upgraded, the princess diaries?????? like i could feel those vibes, and i really like it. its fresh, not too much, the detail on fashion and textile industries is soo good.

my favourite part would be everytime mahalia thinking out loud(?) and everytime august saying something that means something lol iykyk, the subtle hint, the indirect attention, muttered words.....

their work trip is like the start of something in their relationship, he's more open, he laughs a lot too???? im surprised 🥹 so many cutesy moment in part 2 and i read it like more than once to absorb the cuteness

then, the way that none of their coworkers or friends making a big deal of their relationship, like its just deserved and nothing to make scandal of ( i don't like it when they make a character feel bad about their relationship or feelings)

that's it, overall i enjoy everything even though at the beginning i thought i would be bored, but then i just keep reading, excited for what's happening next

[Denique Visser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chronic people pleaser meets ex model and head of communications and promptly befriends him, then insults him behind his back to his face, because tada he's her new boss and she didn't know. Poor girl called her new boss a nepo baby, which granted he is. But man was he not impressed, CPP tries to apologize and makes an ass out of herself; multiple times. NB remains a grumpy fuck for like 80% of the book and quite literally almost dies when he finally realizes he loves CPP. Magic all around when he absolutely beats the shit out of CPP's fucked in the head uncle. The rest is pure fluff, shits and giggles and I love you's. CPP and NB live happily after in designer and model heaven. Or whatever the fashion people worship.

Edit: I've been informed they believe and worship clothes.

[diya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book through the author’s tiktok and the words ‘fashion’ and ‘romance’ in the same sentence had me sprinting to download it.

Such an adorable read. Hallie and August are so sickeningly cute. Both the fashion part of my heart and the hopeless romantic part are so happy right now.

Quite literally the perfect grumpy x sunshine, the way he’d flip the switch to grumpy the second someone else walked in the room was hilarious. Hallie constantly voicing her inner thoughts was slightly annoying and repetitive but August finding that endearing was so wholesome tbh (find me an August pls)

However, I did feel the book was a tad dragged on but I did eat up every bit so I’m not entirely complaining.

[Eunice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars -

- Single POV
- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Workplace Romance

Loved this book! FMC was super relatable and I loved the growth in her that we saw throughout the story. She's written in a way that makes you want to cheer for her even when she makes mistakes. I appreciated how the Filipino culture was woven throughout this story and felt it added a nice element.

MMC also had so much growth and was so caring for the FMC (even when she didn't see it). I appreciate that the characters were so robustly written and you have the opportunity to see them grow both individually and together.

Cannot recommend this book enough ◡̈