I liked the cover, but because it was marketed as a romance I didn't think I was actually gunna like reading it, but it was pleasantly surprising.
For the most part we don't see the romance aspect at all, Sophie is in need of a prom date ever since her ex turned out to be a two-timing scum bucket, Bennet- her neighbor [and the dude who's been crushing on her for years] is lucky enough to be outside when she's having a moment and offers to help. Though he's pretty bad at giving condolences, she decides he'll be her replacement prom date. I mean she asks him to ask her and it's a bit awkward for both parties BUT there is no ill will in it. And then the aliens come and kidnap Sophie and now Bennet is on an adventure with a space band to try and rescue Sophie [his prom date]
Now look, I rated it a 4, but it's really a 3.5 [but if we're gunna follow math we have to round up]. I'm not saying I didn't have fun, I had lots of fun on this adventure, and if you're just here for a good time, then you're gunna get it outta this book. There's just a few small tidbits that rubbed me the wrong way every time they came up and they came up plenty enough for me to get annoyed with reading the book.
I'm going to mention them, and they might hedge into spoiler territory but I don't think they're, so if you want to take your chances on making sure this book is good enough for you then warning SPOILERS AHEAD.
1. Over the course of the book Bennet, internally and externally refers to Sophie as his prom date, like that is some formal title she bears, like it's a huge part of her identity, and it really isn't. It's such a small aspect of their just barely there relationship that it shouldn't warrant so much repetition. She's a human being who just got kidnapped and tagged like an animal, your want to save her [while more tied to the fact he's in love with her] should not be so intrinsically linked to him wanting to get his prom date back. It just feels like she only has worth to him as a date to prom every time he says it and I want to hit him for it.
2. There's also a couple of times where he mentions she's the girl he's "wanted" for so many years like, ok yeah true, you wanted her, but can you please say it in a less materialistic tone? Please, I wanted to put the book down every time I read that line, and sometimes I did put the book down. Heavily. Across the room.
3. This is a big one and I'm gunna split it in a few parts cause it has some spoilers in it
3A. When Sophie is rescued [cause we all knew it was gunna happen, it's not a big spoiler] a love triangle is introduced because Cad hits on her almost immediately after her rescue. I hate love triangles, I hate when they're used in books, they mostly have no reason for existing, they never add to a plot, it's just stupid trash and I wish books would stop. AUTHORS STOP WRITING LOVE TRIANGLES, STOP IT, WE DON'T NEED IT. WE NEVER NEEDED IT.
On that note this is actually my favorite love triangle, because it lasts 2-3 pages. THAT'S IT. It's the shortest one in history [probably] and that's why I love it, I didn't have to suffer through it for the last third of the book [which is better than most of the other books but I still wouldn't have wanted that to be a thing]. Basically Sophie hears Bennet threatening to hurt Cad if he doesn't leave Sophie alone. I can respect Bennet for being honest and saying they weren't dating just going to prom, he admits he likes her but he hasn't actually attempted to romance her, he basically says she's her own free woman who can do whatever she pleases now that she's safe, which is very big on his part. His anger and jealousy towards Cad is not unwarranted, but it comes from a spurn heart not the logical reason behind why he should be furious [which is why I was furious]. It felt like the author was poking fun at love triangles [thank you] and Sophie herself shuts it down by blatantly telling Cad she's not interested in him. You go girl, you tell him to fuck off.
3B. Cad is a 30 year old man [while Sophie and Bennet are just 18, so while legal it is still in my opinion no bueno], and at face value seems like a chill dude, someone you can totally hang with. But it comes out that he hits on anything in a skirt, and has even seduced Driver's [the bands drummer] wife the night Driver and her got married. Cad spent the honeymoon with Driver's wife, which is RUDE AS ALL HELL. Which in a way can be realistic, like your best friend could be a nice person but there's one aspect of them that can make them the biggest asshole in the world and it's just painful to deal with that level of complexity that is humanity. Driver doesn't like him, and my respect and fondness for the guy plummeted, and honestly he was a good person up until that point, he was portrayed as someone who'd help you out. But apparently that was all for his own gain, and that is what real people do, they'll look all nice and kind as they're stabbing you in the back. But I'm not mad that he was a douche, I may not like him much as a character but I can't fault the author for giving the guy some 3-dimensionality.
3C. What I'm actually pissed about is that Cad is hitting on Sophie right after she's been rescued, when she's exhausted and starving and vulnerable [especially emotionally]. That is a level of cruel manipulation of a persons mental and emotional state that is at the same level of a super villain. It's fucked up and he just goes for it, like right off the bat, he's either planned that really well or he's got mad practice doing that. I'm not just mad about trying to use Sophie's trauma to win her favor [and maybe a few other things] but also that this doesn't get a bigger reaction in the book. Like Bennet you're a smart ass kid, what the shit, this isn't just flirting, this is a walking carbon based organism for danger for Sophie, how are you this blinded to the situation. Tell your heart to get it's shit together. I'm mad at this level of attempted manipulation, I'm mad that more people [aliens too] didn't notice the severity of the situation, and I'm mad that it just kinda gets swept under the rug after a few pages.
"Oh it's fine he didn't do nothing and the danger was short lived" bitch that is not the point, I don't care how short lived the danger was I would not trust that dude as far as I could throw him, and we're in space so if I opened a window I could chuck him pretty far from anything and everything. It's really creepy and it did not sit right with me at all and to have it be brushed off as such a small moment makes me feel worse. These things are so hard to spot sometimes [in real life] and they need to be addressed, especially in books. People need to be aware of these kinds of assholes and react accordingly, not just move on as if this old ass guy wasn't just trying to prey on a young woman who's been through some traumatic ass shit in an attempt to get to sleep with her. Where are all the red flags?! Where are the space police!!? I have some serious issues with this.
I don't like that part of the book one bit and it really could have been handled better. Yeah, we get it, he can be a total asshole and lothario, that doesn't mean you treat that as normal! Sure Bennet threatened him but he threatened Cad out of jealousy, not cause he was being a manipulating creeper. Bennet gets no good guy points, Cad is in jail [in my mind at this point], and the author has just a little bit of splainin' to do.
But that's me, I tend to nitpick these kinds of quick scenes. Because when you think about it, it's way worse than those 2-3 pages make it out to be.