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Corsets and Quartets
When real life challenges you to write your own story...
Josie always dreamed of following in Jane Austen’s footsteps. Instead, she’s surrounded by snarky queens, sullen teens, and a retail job that’s sucking her dry. With her writing and professional career at a standstill, her best friend suggests that what she needs is new inspiration... especially if that includes filling her dance card with more than one sexy, eligible man at a time.
Could it be that maybe a modern girl needs a Quartet to thrive? Here’s what happens when Josie decides that she’s not such a plain Jane after all....
Josie always dreamed of following in Jane Austen’s footsteps. Instead, she’s surrounded by snarky queens, sullen teens, and a retail job that’s sucking her dry. With her writing and professional career at a standstill, her best friend suggests that what she needs is new inspiration... especially if that includes filling her dance card with more than one sexy, eligible man at a time.
Could it be that maybe a modern girl needs a Quartet to thrive? Here’s what happens when Josie decides that she’s not such a plain Jane after all....
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2020
130 people are currently reading
439 people want to read
About the author
Mercy DeSimone
8 books323 followers Mercy DeSimone is a pen name/mash up of my cats Mercy and Simon. Mercy the cat was originally named after Patricia Briggs’ character, Mercy Thompson.
As the youngest of 6, I’ve always been a voracious reader. To this day I love to find the hidden stories within stories. For most, Dr. Seuss just wrote fantastical children’s books. Many people don’t realize that all of his tales were allegories about politics, tolerance, and the environment. I don’t remember being read to as a child, but a love of reading was instilled at a young age through books like A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, or Anne of Green Gables. I quickly graduated to stealing my mom’s romance novels when I was 12, and never looked back. Most of my favorite authors are established Urban/High fantasy or PNR writers like Anne Bishop, Devon Monk, Ilona Andrews and Amy Bartol.
As a former corporate refugee, I am a coffee drinker, cocktail enthusiast, beauty junkie (I work in the beauty industry), traveler and cat mom. I’m also a self professed champagne snob and overall Queen of useless trivia, fluent in Schoolhouse Rock.
I love to cook, and music holds a huge place in my heart. My employees often say they can track me by my incessant humming to some internal soundtrack. In fact, I tend to make a Playlist for every book I write, and sometimes for books I read that inspire me.
My idols have always been authors, chefs and musicians. In a perfect world, I would have my own talk show where I’d invite a great chef to cook for us, my favorite musician to play for us, and we’d all sit down with one of my favorite writers for great food, music, and conversation.
It’s up to us to write our own story, and every story I write has bits and pieces of my life interwoven into the characters. Its my way of bringing my fantasies to life.
As the youngest of 6, I’ve always been a voracious reader. To this day I love to find the hidden stories within stories. For most, Dr. Seuss just wrote fantastical children’s books. Many people don’t realize that all of his tales were allegories about politics, tolerance, and the environment. I don’t remember being read to as a child, but a love of reading was instilled at a young age through books like A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, or Anne of Green Gables. I quickly graduated to stealing my mom’s romance novels when I was 12, and never looked back. Most of my favorite authors are established Urban/High fantasy or PNR writers like Anne Bishop, Devon Monk, Ilona Andrews and Amy Bartol.
As a former corporate refugee, I am a coffee drinker, cocktail enthusiast, beauty junkie (I work in the beauty industry), traveler and cat mom. I’m also a self professed champagne snob and overall Queen of useless trivia, fluent in Schoolhouse Rock.
I love to cook, and music holds a huge place in my heart. My employees often say they can track me by my incessant humming to some internal soundtrack. In fact, I tend to make a Playlist for every book I write, and sometimes for books I read that inspire me.
My idols have always been authors, chefs and musicians. In a perfect world, I would have my own talk show where I’d invite a great chef to cook for us, my favorite musician to play for us, and we’d all sit down with one of my favorite writers for great food, music, and conversation.
It’s up to us to write our own story, and every story I write has bits and pieces of my life interwoven into the characters. Its my way of bringing my fantasies to life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
January 14, 2021
Sassy, sweet and sexy while keeping it real!
Corsets and Quartets is a book for all the ladies out there who are tired of reading about drop-dead gorgeous perfect young female leads and fantastic 'happy ever after's.
It gives us a tale that could belong to any real person out there, MCs that could be practically your next door neighbors and a plot peppered with all those little things each and every one of us have had to face at one time or another. Awkwardness and insecurity and even those embarrassing clusterfucks that have you looking for a hole to hide your head in.
In other words, it's like a breath of fresh air in the contemporary RH genre and I absolutely loved it.
Josie always dreamed of following in Jane Austen’s footsteps. But becoming a writer is not an easy task, especially when life keeps throwing at you one curveball after another. Her retail job is sucking her dry and her writing could do with some extra inspiration.
Her best friend suggests that the cure to all her problems would be filling her dance card with more than one sexy, eligible man at a time. Even through online dating if nothing else applies. But Josie finds that advice a bit difficult to follow. After all,
'It's hard to put yourself out there and not feel like a total tramp when you know you have absolutely no interest in a guy other than his impressive bulge.'
And yet, the online dating gets Josie to meet not one but three handsome men who somehow make her feel like anything but the plain Jane she believes herself to be. And for the first time in very long, Josie seems to be happy.
But life isn't perfect and Josie gets scared. Because she is convinced that type of happiness isn't meant for people like her. It's simply too.... perfect! Akin to a mirage.
How everything will turn out in the end, I'll leave that for you to find out. But know that their tale is peppered with quite a bit of sass, a little awkwardness here and there and a whole load of sweetness to top it all up.
Great characters that leap from the page, a fast-flowing narrative that's a pleasure to read and a tale that will have you both chuckle and identify with once in a while. Neither perfect nor fancy, but as real and down-to-earth as it gets.
It's a real treat ladies. And a must read! Not only for the sass and steam, but also for the message.
'Don't settle and don't accept anything less than you deserve.'
Hugs and light everyone
and happy reading!
Corsets and Quartets is a book for all the ladies out there who are tired of reading about drop-dead gorgeous perfect young female leads and fantastic 'happy ever after's.
It gives us a tale that could belong to any real person out there, MCs that could be practically your next door neighbors and a plot peppered with all those little things each and every one of us have had to face at one time or another. Awkwardness and insecurity and even those embarrassing clusterfucks that have you looking for a hole to hide your head in.
In other words, it's like a breath of fresh air in the contemporary RH genre and I absolutely loved it.
Josie always dreamed of following in Jane Austen’s footsteps. But becoming a writer is not an easy task, especially when life keeps throwing at you one curveball after another. Her retail job is sucking her dry and her writing could do with some extra inspiration.
Her best friend suggests that the cure to all her problems would be filling her dance card with more than one sexy, eligible man at a time. Even through online dating if nothing else applies. But Josie finds that advice a bit difficult to follow. After all,
'It's hard to put yourself out there and not feel like a total tramp when you know you have absolutely no interest in a guy other than his impressive bulge.'
And yet, the online dating gets Josie to meet not one but three handsome men who somehow make her feel like anything but the plain Jane she believes herself to be. And for the first time in very long, Josie seems to be happy.
But life isn't perfect and Josie gets scared. Because she is convinced that type of happiness isn't meant for people like her. It's simply too.... perfect! Akin to a mirage.
How everything will turn out in the end, I'll leave that for you to find out. But know that their tale is peppered with quite a bit of sass, a little awkwardness here and there and a whole load of sweetness to top it all up.
Great characters that leap from the page, a fast-flowing narrative that's a pleasure to read and a tale that will have you both chuckle and identify with once in a while. Neither perfect nor fancy, but as real and down-to-earth as it gets.
It's a real treat ladies. And a must read! Not only for the sass and steam, but also for the message.
'Don't settle and don't accept anything less than you deserve.'
Hugs and light everyone
and happy reading!
October 20, 2020
Subtle and Clever Reverse Harem
I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.
This author is new to me and I picked up this book on a recommendation in a Facebook Group. It’s always nice to find romances written for people who have experienced life and this book is a brilliant example of that.
Josie is 42, manages a cookware store, has a pet cat she adores and writes romantic fiction. She enjoys her food and is therefore on the voluptuous side and is happy with the way she looks, which is a refreshing change. So often if we have a plus sized MFC they are insecure and have very negative views about themselves and the way they look. Josie is mature enough and has worked her way through life to accept herself and the way she looks without worrying too much about what other people think about her.
Josie’s best friend, Emma, has been trying to convince Josie that she needs to find a man/men to make her happy and to also inspire her romance writing to be a bit more spicy. In the end she caves and agrees to meet a man she met through an online dating website. This is the first step in her journey into finding a relationship that works for her.
One of the things I really loved about this book is that it was believable. The people were not all flawlessly sexy, confident and wealthy. They were successful in their fields, with insecurities and dad-bods. The way the relationships evolved felt natural and unforced.
I loved the friendships involved in this story almost as much as the romance. Emma is Josie’s rock. She utterly believes in her friend and is her biggest cheer-leader, but still calls out her friend when she is down on herself. Mark and Heath have been friends for years and are supportive and honest with each other. Simon is the outsider but still he is included and cared for, not only by Josie but by Mark and Heath.
I love stories about people in their 40s, because that is my stage of life now. I also like them about people who are that age who have no children because it makes us a breed apart. So often romances are about people finding love and having babies, when you start relationships in your 40s that becomes less of an option and it’s nice to have a romance where that isn’t a focus and is talked about by the characters.
This is a grown up Reverse Harem and I loved it. It felt like a breath of fresh air and I’m happy to see that there is a book planned for Emma.
I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.
This author is new to me and I picked up this book on a recommendation in a Facebook Group. It’s always nice to find romances written for people who have experienced life and this book is a brilliant example of that.
Josie is 42, manages a cookware store, has a pet cat she adores and writes romantic fiction. She enjoys her food and is therefore on the voluptuous side and is happy with the way she looks, which is a refreshing change. So often if we have a plus sized MFC they are insecure and have very negative views about themselves and the way they look. Josie is mature enough and has worked her way through life to accept herself and the way she looks without worrying too much about what other people think about her.
Josie’s best friend, Emma, has been trying to convince Josie that she needs to find a man/men to make her happy and to also inspire her romance writing to be a bit more spicy. In the end she caves and agrees to meet a man she met through an online dating website. This is the first step in her journey into finding a relationship that works for her.
One of the things I really loved about this book is that it was believable. The people were not all flawlessly sexy, confident and wealthy. They were successful in their fields, with insecurities and dad-bods. The way the relationships evolved felt natural and unforced.
I loved the friendships involved in this story almost as much as the romance. Emma is Josie’s rock. She utterly believes in her friend and is her biggest cheer-leader, but still calls out her friend when she is down on herself. Mark and Heath have been friends for years and are supportive and honest with each other. Simon is the outsider but still he is included and cared for, not only by Josie but by Mark and Heath.
I love stories about people in their 40s, because that is my stage of life now. I also like them about people who are that age who have no children because it makes us a breed apart. So often romances are about people finding love and having babies, when you start relationships in your 40s that becomes less of an option and it’s nice to have a romance where that isn’t a focus and is talked about by the characters.
This is a grown up Reverse Harem and I loved it. It felt like a breath of fresh air and I’m happy to see that there is a book planned for Emma.
April 6, 2021
Generously rounding up to 3 stars.
The blurb & premise had me pick up this book, hoping for a great story. Unfortunately it fell short. I’m a little torn on how to review this. I loved the cat, Daisy, & Brutus the dog, best part of the whole book. This did get quite a few tears from me, from the relatable drama, but the enjoyment factor wasn’t there. I hated the dream sequences mixed in, since they were bizarre & irrelevant to moving the story. I did not like, the FMC, Josie. Something about her just grated on my nerves. I almost quit the book a few times over her. Also, it’s conflicting to see her act confident one moment but insecure the next. I'm also really tired of the big busted FMC portrayal, with references that she's an F cup, just seemed excessive for book purposes, D would have been plenty without taking away from the story. The "F" took away from the story. The 4 main characters, felt flat, and weren’t consistent in their behavior, it made it a bit confusing. The 3 guys seemed forced (like putting a square peg into a round hole trying to make the story work), thus not something that seemed natural for a contemporary Reverse Harem. I didn’t really feel the “love” or chemistry. The relationship conflict was not resolved in my opinion, just glossed over to end the story. Mark throwing it all back at her (reasoning from his not telling her he wasn't going to be able to do her event at work, to throwing it in her face that it was her not wanting to chase her dream of writing that made her blow up at him, which I totally didn’t get that from his betrayal & the way it was written) was enough to make me hate him. I would have walked away from both Mark & Heath/Cliff over it all (them both not telling her when he found out & then confessed to Heath/Cliff) then Heath/Cliff siding with Mark over her. Simon, the 3rd wheel, felt forced into the story(shoehorned), just in order to make this a Reverse Harem instead of a Ménage. The sex scene after he gets out of the hospital felt creepy, not sexy. Almost like he was forcing himself on her just so he could be added to her “queue” they kept referring to. At this point, I wish I hadn’t bothered. Needless to say, I won’t continue with the series.
The blurb & premise had me pick up this book, hoping for a great story. Unfortunately it fell short. I’m a little torn on how to review this. I loved the cat, Daisy, & Brutus the dog, best part of the whole book. This did get quite a few tears from me, from the relatable drama, but the enjoyment factor wasn’t there. I hated the dream sequences mixed in, since they were bizarre & irrelevant to moving the story. I did not like, the FMC, Josie. Something about her just grated on my nerves. I almost quit the book a few times over her. Also, it’s conflicting to see her act confident one moment but insecure the next. I'm also really tired of the big busted FMC portrayal, with references that she's an F cup, just seemed excessive for book purposes, D would have been plenty without taking away from the story. The "F" took away from the story. The 4 main characters, felt flat, and weren’t consistent in their behavior, it made it a bit confusing. The 3 guys seemed forced (like putting a square peg into a round hole trying to make the story work), thus not something that seemed natural for a contemporary Reverse Harem. I didn’t really feel the “love” or chemistry. The relationship conflict was not resolved in my opinion, just glossed over to end the story. Mark throwing it all back at her (reasoning from his not telling her he wasn't going to be able to do her event at work, to throwing it in her face that it was her not wanting to chase her dream of writing that made her blow up at him, which I totally didn’t get that from his betrayal & the way it was written) was enough to make me hate him. I would have walked away from both Mark & Heath/Cliff over it all (them both not telling her when he found out & then confessed to Heath/Cliff) then Heath/Cliff siding with Mark over her. Simon, the 3rd wheel, felt forced into the story(shoehorned), just in order to make this a Reverse Harem instead of a Ménage. The sex scene after he gets out of the hospital felt creepy, not sexy. Almost like he was forcing himself on her just so he could be added to her “queue” they kept referring to. At this point, I wish I hadn’t bothered. Needless to say, I won’t continue with the series.
October 16, 2020
snoozefest 2020
September 30, 2021
Harems are for harlots ….NOT
This book was interesting. It was almost 3 (2 mini) stories in one.
In short, Josie is a historical romance writer, currently writing her second book while balancing her “real” life work. She uses her real life situation and transforms it into character.
1. Josie's real life
2. Josie's story about Lady Sydney and her men.
3. Josie's dreams about Lady Sydney that happen to portray her own very closely.
I enjoyed this book as the author didn't get into too much detail with regards to Josie's book. I liked that we got a little snippet here and their, although we are left without even knowing where Josie was going with the story. I'm pretty sure that I like that more seeing how Josie seemed so indecisive about the story altogether. The actual story of Josie, Cliff/Heath, Mark and Simon was super cute. It was very modern with how a polygamy/harem relationship would be perceived as today. Of course for most of the worlds population, thinking about it is one thing and actually participating is another.
Josie is your average, thick thighed, sales associate manager of a high-end kitchenware store. Cliff aka Heath is a veterinarian. Mark is your local high-end celebrity chef. Simon is your world wide Rockstar. Quite a combo. ;-) Together they realize how they are all head over heels for the same women and when Josie just cannot pick between them, she decides to try the ridiculous notion of asking for all of them. When they accept - crazy things happen and Josie is as happy as she's ever been. Until she isn't...
**************
It was a fun read and I want to know more. I found it to be a light and refreshing book to break away from my others I typically read. The banter between Josie and Emma was hilarious and I am dying to know what happened to Emma at the book show. Also, I'm currently googling Madison Shane's tentacle story....Side note: Don't google it at work. Got it...
I'm personally not into historical romance so that really didn't do a whole lot for me BUTTTTT what did was CHAPTER 34. Thank youuuu Miss Mercy Desimone! That is exactly what I like to see in these stories!! lol. Aside from that I wish we got more story with Simon, as he came in late to the game.
All in all I am glad I read this. It wasn't my typical read but it was fun and I enjoyed it.
*Overall 4/5
*Heat? 3/5
*First person POV (Josie only)
*Med Burn - Chp 16ish
*HEA? Yes - but I definitely craved an epilogue.
This book was interesting. It was almost 3 (2 mini) stories in one.
In short, Josie is a historical romance writer, currently writing her second book while balancing her “real” life work. She uses her real life situation and transforms it into character.
1. Josie's real life
2. Josie's story about Lady Sydney and her men.
3. Josie's dreams about Lady Sydney that happen to portray her own very closely.
I enjoyed this book as the author didn't get into too much detail with regards to Josie's book. I liked that we got a little snippet here and their, although we are left without even knowing where Josie was going with the story. I'm pretty sure that I like that more seeing how Josie seemed so indecisive about the story altogether. The actual story of Josie, Cliff/Heath, Mark and Simon was super cute. It was very modern with how a polygamy/harem relationship would be perceived as today. Of course for most of the worlds population, thinking about it is one thing and actually participating is another.
Josie is your average, thick thighed, sales associate manager of a high-end kitchenware store. Cliff aka Heath is a veterinarian. Mark is your local high-end celebrity chef. Simon is your world wide Rockstar. Quite a combo. ;-) Together they realize how they are all head over heels for the same women and when Josie just cannot pick between them, she decides to try the ridiculous notion of asking for all of them. When they accept - crazy things happen and Josie is as happy as she's ever been. Until she isn't...
**************
It was a fun read and I want to know more. I found it to be a light and refreshing book to break away from my others I typically read. The banter between Josie and Emma was hilarious and I am dying to know what happened to Emma at the book show. Also, I'm currently googling Madison Shane's tentacle story....Side note: Don't google it at work. Got it...
I'm personally not into historical romance so that really didn't do a whole lot for me BUTTTTT what did was CHAPTER 34. Thank youuuu Miss Mercy Desimone! That is exactly what I like to see in these stories!! lol. Aside from that I wish we got more story with Simon, as he came in late to the game.
All in all I am glad I read this. It wasn't my typical read but it was fun and I enjoyed it.
*Overall 4/5
*Heat? 3/5
*First person POV (Josie only)
*Med Burn - Chp 16ish
*HEA? Yes - but I definitely craved an epilogue.
April 14, 2021
Loved this
This was amazing!! I really enjoyed this fresh take on the RH trope. Brilliant characters, and I want Emma to be my best friend!!!
This was amazing!! I really enjoyed this fresh take on the RH trope. Brilliant characters, and I want Emma to be my best friend!!!
September 28, 2021
Great!
I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, well written, and had a good plot. I loved the uniqe take on RH as well, and will definitely be reading more from this author!
I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, well written, and had a good plot. I loved the uniqe take on RH as well, and will definitely be reading more from this author!
September 12, 2020
Mixed feelings
I read the overview and I thought this would be a great contemporary reverse romance to read. It definitely is not like any other book I’ve read. However, I feel that one of the love interests was just briefly mentioned and not a real part of the storyline as he should’ve been. In this book, one love interest was introduced later on in the book and was majority just a friend till the end. It was more of a ménage than harem. Secondly, I didn’t really care for the ending. I wanted more glimmer of a HEA. But it’s like HFN. Lastly, I really didn’t care for the side story, where she wrote passages of the book she’s writing and sharing it with her “real” audience. we get that she was a new author and was nervous about pursuing her dream career. We didn’t have to be told over and over in a nightmare.
But this book did have a lot of good times too. I loved her relationship with her best friend and PIC. I loved Brutus and Daisy! There were a lot of funny romantic moments with the other two love interests in the book.
I’ve read a lot of books over the years. Unfortunately, sometimes when there are disappointments about a book it overshadows the good things. I wish the author best of luck!
I read the overview and I thought this would be a great contemporary reverse romance to read. It definitely is not like any other book I’ve read. However, I feel that one of the love interests was just briefly mentioned and not a real part of the storyline as he should’ve been. In this book, one love interest was introduced later on in the book and was majority just a friend till the end. It was more of a ménage than harem. Secondly, I didn’t really care for the ending. I wanted more glimmer of a HEA. But it’s like HFN. Lastly, I really didn’t care for the side story, where she wrote passages of the book she’s writing and sharing it with her “real” audience. we get that she was a new author and was nervous about pursuing her dream career. We didn’t have to be told over and over in a nightmare.
But this book did have a lot of good times too. I loved her relationship with her best friend and PIC. I loved Brutus and Daisy! There were a lot of funny romantic moments with the other two love interests in the book.
I’ve read a lot of books over the years. Unfortunately, sometimes when there are disappointments about a book it overshadows the good things. I wish the author best of luck!
September 26, 2020
I struggled to get through this one. Typically, I devour a book in a day, two max. This one took me 9 days... I didn’t want to read it most of those but forced myself to finish before moving on to a much anticipated read. This was very slow to start. It wasn’t until 51% in that I found myself truly interested. Many times I felt bad for one of the male characters. The FMC was so opposed to the idea of a RH and yet she developed one without a real care at all. Things just didn’t add up for me. The final conflict and resolution was irritating. I don’t know. This one felt more selfish then most RH I read. Heated scenes were also not very realistic. It’s not possible to do something while in a certain position no matter what size you are. I never realized how much I appreciated good descriptive writing until the scenes in this book. I don’t recommend this one. Sorry.
August 4, 2020
I was provided with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first read by this author. I enjoyed her style of writing. The book was really fun to read with some well written, witty dialogue. The characters are great and you’ll really like Josie, the FMC. She’s funny, down to earth and very relatable, I also like the fact that she’s in her 40’s and curvy and a struggling part time indie author. Looking for love, Josie subscribes to a dating app where she meets Cliff and things take off from there. What Josie didn’t expect is to end up with her own little harem of hot men and her bestie Emma cheering her on! I’m looking forward to reading Emma’s book next!
This is my first read by this author. I enjoyed her style of writing. The book was really fun to read with some well written, witty dialogue. The characters are great and you’ll really like Josie, the FMC. She’s funny, down to earth and very relatable, I also like the fact that she’s in her 40’s and curvy and a struggling part time indie author. Looking for love, Josie subscribes to a dating app where she meets Cliff and things take off from there. What Josie didn’t expect is to end up with her own little harem of hot men and her bestie Emma cheering her on! I’m looking forward to reading Emma’s book next!
February 22, 2022
DNF@18%
~~ NLOG vibes ~~
One of the male leads feels the need to drag vegans, comparing it to keto (a diet, not an ethical stance) and implying they've made it a "crime" to enjoy "good food". I'm a fat vegan, food's delicious man.
Are we really not past making jokes about people who just don't want to hurt animals? :/
~~ NLOG vibes ~~
One of the male leads feels the need to drag vegans, comparing it to keto (a diet, not an ethical stance) and implying they've made it a "crime" to enjoy "good food". I'm a fat vegan, food's delicious man.
Are we really not past making jokes about people who just don't want to hurt animals? :/
July 13, 2025
To be honest, I've had a hard time with this book. Usually, three days is more than enough for me to read a whole book. When I'm super invested, one day is enough. I've spent more than a month on this one... And I didn't have that many thoughts, not like I usually do. But here they are:
I still somewhat liked the book in the end. I liked the characters. I don't regret reading it, although I wish it didn't drag so much in the beginning. That's pretty much all I can say.
I still somewhat liked the book in the end. I liked the characters. I don't regret reading it, although I wish it didn't drag so much in the beginning. That's pretty much all I can say.
February 19, 2022
A realistic get together harem... but mixed feelings in the execution
I really like the book. A lot of the content was funny, and, that's important for me, I could relate to it. Of course, it has a lot to do with the FMC Josie. Though, I have difficulties with her, too.
Josie isn't the usual female lead in the story. For one, all characters in the book are not young adults. They are in their 40s and had lived their life and made career. I'm myself 32, and I like it, when the characters are mature and don't act silly. Though, I don't often read contemporary. But from time to time, a little normalcy after reading PNR/Omegaverse and others is refreshing.
So, Josie was a good character. I mostly liked her and her inner monologues, because a lot of it remembered me of my own. I loved her interactions with Brutus and Daisy. And not to forget Emma. But Josie regularly digressed too. And most of the things weren't really necessary. Like the dreams/nightmares in the beginning of each chapter. I get it, that she is afraid of following her dreams. And that would have been ok. But it doesn't need to be repeated in the same way in every chapter. It wasn't relevant to the plot. Another aspect, that was awful to read, was for me, that she is described as being confident and all. She loves her body. But very often, throughout the book, she is self-conscious, because of thinner women or more beautiful ones. And she isn't in the least confident in her dream as a writer.
It is hard to see, that the people around her are more confident in her as she is herself. And that she sabotages her own success. And her relationships. Even in the end, I can't find the reason, why she thinks that. Is it because of her past relationships? I know she had bad experiences, that's why she always searches for the hook. But that can't be all. Why does she think, that she don't deserve happiness?
The harem felt realistic in the way they found each other. Of course, there were problems. It's normal in every new relationship. But the guys adapted better than Josie. She often forget to listen, or didn't remember well. The guys speak open about being together. But she tries to hide it. And don't forget Simon. Since he was established in the second half of the book, she refused to acknowledge him. Heath and Mark see, that she likes him. But she always refuses. She hurt feelings without thinking about it, because she is in denial, and often it felt selfish.
So, we don't see much of Simon most of the time, and it is only solved in the end, because of unnecessary drama. In that part, she doesn't act mature at all. More like a toddler. And it felt just repetitive. Not to forget, that in the end, I'm not sure what happens with her book and her dream as a writer. We only know she writes again.
Overall, I enjoyed reading the book. I think, if there will be a book about Emma, I would read it, too. But I can't really ignore the negatives. That makes it hard to rate. For me, it's not 5 stars, but not really only 3 stars either. So, I compromise I would give it 3.5 stars, and round it up to 4 stars.
I really like the book. A lot of the content was funny, and, that's important for me, I could relate to it. Of course, it has a lot to do with the FMC Josie. Though, I have difficulties with her, too.
Josie isn't the usual female lead in the story. For one, all characters in the book are not young adults. They are in their 40s and had lived their life and made career. I'm myself 32, and I like it, when the characters are mature and don't act silly. Though, I don't often read contemporary. But from time to time, a little normalcy after reading PNR/Omegaverse and others is refreshing.
So, Josie was a good character. I mostly liked her and her inner monologues, because a lot of it remembered me of my own. I loved her interactions with Brutus and Daisy. And not to forget Emma. But Josie regularly digressed too. And most of the things weren't really necessary. Like the dreams/nightmares in the beginning of each chapter. I get it, that she is afraid of following her dreams. And that would have been ok. But it doesn't need to be repeated in the same way in every chapter. It wasn't relevant to the plot. Another aspect, that was awful to read, was for me, that she is described as being confident and all. She loves her body. But very often, throughout the book, she is self-conscious, because of thinner women or more beautiful ones. And she isn't in the least confident in her dream as a writer.
It is hard to see, that the people around her are more confident in her as she is herself. And that she sabotages her own success. And her relationships. Even in the end, I can't find the reason, why she thinks that. Is it because of her past relationships? I know she had bad experiences, that's why she always searches for the hook. But that can't be all. Why does she think, that she don't deserve happiness?
The harem felt realistic in the way they found each other. Of course, there were problems. It's normal in every new relationship. But the guys adapted better than Josie. She often forget to listen, or didn't remember well. The guys speak open about being together. But she tries to hide it. And don't forget Simon. Since he was established in the second half of the book, she refused to acknowledge him. Heath and Mark see, that she likes him. But she always refuses. She hurt feelings without thinking about it, because she is in denial, and often it felt selfish.
So, we don't see much of Simon most of the time, and it is only solved in the end, because of unnecessary drama. In that part, she doesn't act mature at all. More like a toddler. And it felt just repetitive. Not to forget, that in the end, I'm not sure what happens with her book and her dream as a writer. We only know she writes again.
Overall, I enjoyed reading the book. I think, if there will be a book about Emma, I would read it, too. But I can't really ignore the negatives. That makes it hard to rate. For me, it's not 5 stars, but not really only 3 stars either. So, I compromise I would give it 3.5 stars, and round it up to 4 stars.
August 1, 2020
Real romance
Sweet and sassy meets reality in this book that reads like the romantic escapades of any one of your best friends. (the real story only divulged after a pitcher of margaritas, of course)
It feels so relatable! You could picture yourself in Josie’s place and really want to cheer her on as she navigates the tricky intricacies of dating after forty, while still maintaining the balance she has achieved in life.
This book really takes off when Josie starts to open up to the guys. I loved their interactions as they learn about each other. The dialogue is well done and flows so well. I could see how Josie fell for more than one man without intending it.
There is relationship drama and your heartstrings will be tugged. I am sure you will be on Josie’s side, but you will also feel torn. It’s the mark of a good conflict when you can feel for both sides.
A special extra in this book is Josie also is a new, struggling indie romance author (as a side job) who is suffering writer’s block and feeling as if her dream may be unachievable.
It was with a sense of trepidation I read about Josie’s experiences, especially as her friend pushes her to reach for that dream by going outside of her comfort zone.
I think this peek at indie authoring will delight both authors and readers alike as they read about Josie’s very relatable anxiety and struggles in our world.
Is it an allegory for writing her own story? Yep. Perhaps it is also a hopeful message for the rest of us.
Live your story!
Sweet and sassy meets reality in this book that reads like the romantic escapades of any one of your best friends. (the real story only divulged after a pitcher of margaritas, of course)
It feels so relatable! You could picture yourself in Josie’s place and really want to cheer her on as she navigates the tricky intricacies of dating after forty, while still maintaining the balance she has achieved in life.
This book really takes off when Josie starts to open up to the guys. I loved their interactions as they learn about each other. The dialogue is well done and flows so well. I could see how Josie fell for more than one man without intending it.
There is relationship drama and your heartstrings will be tugged. I am sure you will be on Josie’s side, but you will also feel torn. It’s the mark of a good conflict when you can feel for both sides.
A special extra in this book is Josie also is a new, struggling indie romance author (as a side job) who is suffering writer’s block and feeling as if her dream may be unachievable.
It was with a sense of trepidation I read about Josie’s experiences, especially as her friend pushes her to reach for that dream by going outside of her comfort zone.
I think this peek at indie authoring will delight both authors and readers alike as they read about Josie’s very relatable anxiety and struggles in our world.
Is it an allegory for writing her own story? Yep. Perhaps it is also a hopeful message for the rest of us.
Live your story!
October 28, 2021
I definitely need to go to sleep.
Wow. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately—starting and stopping had a dozen books after just a few sentences—nearly consumed by the frustration of worlds right at my fingertips, yet somehow still so far out of my reach.
Turns out, I was just waiting to be consumed by Josie’s story, and it heartily swallowed me up whole. From the very first page, I found myself unable to put it down; a sleepless night full of dreams nonetheless. Dreams of Lady Sybil and her ever-evolving courtships, dreams of fame and glory while cooking across millions of screens, dreams of being enough for someone to love, dreams of feeling settled so soul-deep as to finally sleep, and dreams of being brave enough to cast aside a broken safety net enough to believe in dreams. There is so much laced into this story, satiny words criss-crossing and pulling right to bridge any divide and hold the story together. The characters in this book overlap, dive under and over one another, and stay on separate sides before finally looping together and revealing not a mess of tangled and nots, but a perfect and harmonious structure. It’s a beautiful thing, watching these people find their way to each other, and Mercy DeSimone makes it impossible to look away.
Read this book. Love this book. Write a half-crazed review after staying up far too late doing so. It’s what we all must do.
Wow. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately—starting and stopping had a dozen books after just a few sentences—nearly consumed by the frustration of worlds right at my fingertips, yet somehow still so far out of my reach.
Turns out, I was just waiting to be consumed by Josie’s story, and it heartily swallowed me up whole. From the very first page, I found myself unable to put it down; a sleepless night full of dreams nonetheless. Dreams of Lady Sybil and her ever-evolving courtships, dreams of fame and glory while cooking across millions of screens, dreams of being enough for someone to love, dreams of feeling settled so soul-deep as to finally sleep, and dreams of being brave enough to cast aside a broken safety net enough to believe in dreams. There is so much laced into this story, satiny words criss-crossing and pulling right to bridge any divide and hold the story together. The characters in this book overlap, dive under and over one another, and stay on separate sides before finally looping together and revealing not a mess of tangled and nots, but a perfect and harmonious structure. It’s a beautiful thing, watching these people find their way to each other, and Mercy DeSimone makes it impossible to look away.
Read this book. Love this book. Write a half-crazed review after staying up far too late doing so. It’s what we all must do.
January 8, 2023
wwjd?
Im not sure where to begin. First, I have to say that I enjoyed this book but I didn’t love it. I enjoyed the most of the characters and the story itself painted more of a realistic picture as to how folks who were new or apprehensive about polyamory would react.
With that said, there were times where I just didn’t like Josie. I hate to say it bc I wanted to just love her - flaws and all. But she had moments where she was whiney and sometimes just too pretentious or uppity (like at Quill when she struggles with the corset and then Emmas shirt) and my god her communication skills made me want to shake her ass. The conflict that took place could have been easily solved with communication but I digress.
Then lets speak about her men - okay, they were great. I loved Mark and Heath - I mean how can you not?! Mark is a sexy as sin hotshot chef - meow- and Heath is a tall ZADDY. They also put aside their apprehensions to daye Josie and when they were together their scenes were 🔥🔥 I also enjoyed Simon but felt the timing was weird for how and when he joined. I wish he was along for the ride from the start bc it just felt weird.
This is a sllllow burn (inho) and it just left me wanting more - I will definitely be on the look out for Emma’s story because I have a feeling she will be the life of the party.
Im not sure where to begin. First, I have to say that I enjoyed this book but I didn’t love it. I enjoyed the most of the characters and the story itself painted more of a realistic picture as to how folks who were new or apprehensive about polyamory would react.
With that said, there were times where I just didn’t like Josie. I hate to say it bc I wanted to just love her - flaws and all. But she had moments where she was whiney and sometimes just too pretentious or uppity (like at Quill when she struggles with the corset and then Emmas shirt) and my god her communication skills made me want to shake her ass. The conflict that took place could have been easily solved with communication but I digress.
Then lets speak about her men - okay, they were great. I loved Mark and Heath - I mean how can you not?! Mark is a sexy as sin hotshot chef - meow- and Heath is a tall ZADDY. They also put aside their apprehensions to daye Josie and when they were together their scenes were 🔥🔥 I also enjoyed Simon but felt the timing was weird for how and when he joined. I wish he was along for the ride from the start bc it just felt weird.
This is a sllllow burn (inho) and it just left me wanting more - I will definitely be on the look out for Emma’s story because I have a feeling she will be the life of the party.
September 23, 2021
Mostly amazing. I loved everything until the final quarter where the romance kinda fizzled, the conflict and the end didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story. I don't know maybe it's because life got in the way and I had to pause finishing the book but it just seemed odd and left me feeling unsettled instead of the warm fuzzies I was expecting. Maybe it was too meta for me 😄 I always find it weird when the fmc's are writers or authors as well. I really wanted more Simon I felt like we missed out on a great romance with him I'm a sucker for the damaged ones 😁. Also not a fan of the dreams in every chapter after reading the first couple I just skipped the rest. You can only really do that kind of thing with a short lyric or poem not a paragraph each time about a recurring nightmare that doesn't have much relevance to the story. All in all still a wonderful book and I'm glad I read it despite my reservations. I'm always a bit wary with the curvy girl books as their appearance tends overshadow the story as it comes up again and again as the fmc's identity. I really appreciated the handful of nods towards it in this one to enhance and nuance the fmc's character rather than define it.
October 30, 2021
DNF @ 38%~
Very slow, boring start. A lot of things some of the guys say are ignored by the FMC all for prolonging the drama. Example: almost at the beginning heath says he doesn’t mind her dating around. After she sleeps with mark she has the dilemma of telling heath…but why?? Both he and mark discussed “timesharing” her right in front of her. How is communicating with heath a problem when it’s been presented by the guys that it shouldn’t be.
I think the part that bothered me the most was every chapter having a “nightmare” not relevant to the story and her “jerking awake” every single time. The “nightmares” just seemed like word count fillers and were annoying. I stopped reading them by the third appearance.
I liked Heath and Mark seemed okay but the FMC was a bit confusing. Sometimes she was very confident and other times she had a petty insecurity about her. I know as humans we all have times of being unsure of ourselves but her bouts just never made sense.
This author has potential but this book just was not for me. Shame since there aren’t many “older women” and “DILF” characters around.
Very slow, boring start. A lot of things some of the guys say are ignored by the FMC all for prolonging the drama. Example: almost at the beginning heath says he doesn’t mind her dating around. After she sleeps with mark she has the dilemma of telling heath…but why?? Both he and mark discussed “timesharing” her right in front of her. How is communicating with heath a problem when it’s been presented by the guys that it shouldn’t be.
I think the part that bothered me the most was every chapter having a “nightmare” not relevant to the story and her “jerking awake” every single time. The “nightmares” just seemed like word count fillers and were annoying. I stopped reading them by the third appearance.
I liked Heath and Mark seemed okay but the FMC was a bit confusing. Sometimes she was very confident and other times she had a petty insecurity about her. I know as humans we all have times of being unsure of ourselves but her bouts just never made sense.
This author has potential but this book just was not for me. Shame since there aren’t many “older women” and “DILF” characters around.
June 28, 2021
"Well you know, Alice, it is possible to indulge in at least three sexy men before breakfast." "Stop it! That's so twisted. Alice said she could believe in at least six impossible things before breakfast. She was not talking about men, as impossible as you all are. Stop trying to rewrite the classics."
Overall I enjoyed this. Loved that the characters were in their 40s. I'm in the later half of my 30s and it gets annoying sometimes only reading romances with young young adults. Middle age people need love too!
Love all the guys. They were great. I loved that it was set in Philly, I'm from that area originally. Since I normally read PNR I swear everything is only set in New Orleans. lol
This was my first contemporary RH. I normally read PNR or Omegaverse RH. I'm not sure that RH are as believable to me in a contemporary setting, but that's just me.
I wish that her 3rd guy had come in to the fold sooner, I felt like he deserved more time with her for real before the story was done.
Overall I enjoyed this. Loved that the characters were in their 40s. I'm in the later half of my 30s and it gets annoying sometimes only reading romances with young young adults. Middle age people need love too!
Love all the guys. They were great. I loved that it was set in Philly, I'm from that area originally. Since I normally read PNR I swear everything is only set in New Orleans. lol
This was my first contemporary RH. I normally read PNR or Omegaverse RH. I'm not sure that RH are as believable to me in a contemporary setting, but that's just me.
I wish that her 3rd guy had come in to the fold sooner, I felt like he deserved more time with her for real before the story was done.
July 26, 2020
I wish I were better with words so I could properly express how amazing this book is. We all live the fantasy of a good romance book, but sometimes always reading about size 2, 20 somethings gets old. Sometimes as I get old I wished romance books did to.
This book does that. Josie, the main character, is a real person. She is older, 40+, and plus-sizes. She has a real and average job. She has to work at having a relationship, because in reality relationships aren’t easy.
Having all of this realness does not take away from this wonderful RH romance. It is a sizzling slow-medium burn with plenty of humor and super hot men. Not to mention a hilarious bestie that I wish I had for my own.
This book is definitely a must read.
This book does that. Josie, the main character, is a real person. She is older, 40+, and plus-sizes. She has a real and average job. She has to work at having a relationship, because in reality relationships aren’t easy.
Having all of this realness does not take away from this wonderful RH romance. It is a sizzling slow-medium burn with plenty of humor and super hot men. Not to mention a hilarious bestie that I wish I had for my own.
This book is definitely a must read.
September 5, 2020
Mixed emotions
When I was about half way through this I did not think I would finish it. However being one that does not like to give up I pressed on. The beginning seemed a bit slow and seemed way to informational. Who knew there could be too much description but that’s just me. I kept reading to see if Simon ever makes it to the harem. I’m glad I kept reading. Over all this book is touching and it really hits the nail on the head as to what would happen as someone struggles to come to terms with entering into a RH relationship. Obviously it’s not as easy as some books make it seem. That was totally refreshing and honestly despite the fluff there is a lot of substance here. Well worth the read.
When I was about half way through this I did not think I would finish it. However being one that does not like to give up I pressed on. The beginning seemed a bit slow and seemed way to informational. Who knew there could be too much description but that’s just me. I kept reading to see if Simon ever makes it to the harem. I’m glad I kept reading. Over all this book is touching and it really hits the nail on the head as to what would happen as someone struggles to come to terms with entering into a RH relationship. Obviously it’s not as easy as some books make it seem. That was totally refreshing and honestly despite the fluff there is a lot of substance here. Well worth the read.
October 26, 2020
I really wanted to like this
This story wasn't good for me. I couldn't connect to the main character, she is more than pessimistic, she only complains and it's all the time. She doesn't speak well of her friends, even. It's a pain reading her. I also wasn't interested in reading her book, I felt the pace very slow and shallow because the focus wasn't on the characters but in just their jobs and her complaints. The author writes great guys, a little bit shallow, but great.
I gave up, skipped to see if things evolved, read a bit of conflict that was ugh (shallow, immature and was dragged forever) and end. Nope. I will not read the second book but I will try another book of this author.
This story wasn't good for me. I couldn't connect to the main character, she is more than pessimistic, she only complains and it's all the time. She doesn't speak well of her friends, even. It's a pain reading her. I also wasn't interested in reading her book, I felt the pace very slow and shallow because the focus wasn't on the characters but in just their jobs and her complaints. The author writes great guys, a little bit shallow, but great.
I gave up, skipped to see if things evolved, read a bit of conflict that was ugh (shallow, immature and was dragged forever) and end. Nope. I will not read the second book but I will try another book of this author.
Read
April 16, 2022DNF at 40%. Ok so I love a good reverse harem and both of the guys in this are so hot honestly. But Heath being hesitant and the FMC being hesitant doesn’t inspire me with the confidence I need from the harem. I didn’t realise it until reading this because in every other harem I’ve read, the hesitation wasn’t like this. I also like cohesive harems, like when everyone is comfortable as a unit. Not sword crossing per se but just a relationship with everyone that makes the harem work. Otherwise it just feels off. Maybe it gets better and closer as you keep reading but the hesitation on Heath’s part sapped my desire to keep reading. There was also a lot of jarring dialogue with Emma, I just found it to be boring and unnecessary. I wanted to love this but I just didn’t :(
July 14, 2023
+
Plus size FMC
Why choose
Average looking MMC
The way she stuck to her grounds during the fight.
I really liked the beginning, getting to know the 2 leading MMCs.
The push and pull in the poly relationship felt real, I liked that part.
-
I feel like I didn’t really get to know the characters, their relationships didn’t feel authentic. I feel like their entire relationships were off page, with the exception of a few sex scenes. They said they love each other but I never felt like I got to see them together.
I feel like I could have loved this, it has all the recipes for a favorite read, but it felt lacking. Maybe multiple POVs would have made it feel like the men were in the relationship too, not sure but I felt like it was missing something.
Plus size FMC
Why choose
Average looking MMC
The way she stuck to her grounds during the fight.
I really liked the beginning, getting to know the 2 leading MMCs.
The push and pull in the poly relationship felt real, I liked that part.
-
I feel like I didn’t really get to know the characters, their relationships didn’t feel authentic. I feel like their entire relationships were off page, with the exception of a few sex scenes. They said they love each other but I never felt like I got to see them together.
I feel like I could have loved this, it has all the recipes for a favorite read, but it felt lacking. Maybe multiple POVs would have made it feel like the men were in the relationship too, not sure but I felt like it was missing something.
August 14, 2023
Here goes
Pros:
Daisy (cat) & Brutus (dog) 🐈🐾🐈🐾🐈
BFF (Emma) 👢👢👢👢
Mark 🍆🍆🍆
Heathcliff 🫶🫶🫶🫶
Simon 🎸🎸🎸🎸
🫣Mark lost a star for being clueless 🫣
Regency Romance 👑👑
Singular POV 📚📚
Josie ⌨️⌨️
Spice ❤️🔥
Feels 💗
Ironically Em spends a extraordinary amount of time trying to convince Josie to add spice to her passion project romance novel, it’s like the author telling us “I know this story is missing heat and I don’t care” 🤷♀️
So much potential makes the end result even more disappointing and frustrating.
To have FMC attempt to be so well adjusted and so in denial with no awareness or awakening until the last 3% and bam everything ends with sunshine & roses. Simon is an intruder until 90% mark and feels like a punishment. Singular POV just doesn’t work, it makes the guys feel disconnected
Pros:
Daisy (cat) & Brutus (dog) 🐈🐾🐈🐾🐈
BFF (Emma) 👢👢👢👢
Mark 🍆🍆🍆
Heathcliff 🫶🫶🫶🫶
Simon 🎸🎸🎸🎸
🫣Mark lost a star for being clueless 🫣
Regency Romance 👑👑
Singular POV 📚📚
Josie ⌨️⌨️
Spice ❤️🔥
Feels 💗
Ironically Em spends a extraordinary amount of time trying to convince Josie to add spice to her passion project romance novel, it’s like the author telling us “I know this story is missing heat and I don’t care” 🤷♀️
So much potential makes the end result even more disappointing and frustrating.
To have FMC attempt to be so well adjusted and so in denial with no awareness or awakening until the last 3% and bam everything ends with sunshine & roses. Simon is an intruder until 90% mark and feels like a punishment. Singular POV just doesn’t work, it makes the guys feel disconnected
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2024
This one was just ok for me. I love reverse harem but I now know that it’s important for the FMC to be confident and embrace the dynamic. This one missed the mark a little in that regard. Josie was relatively confident in her body (and I do love having a 40+ plus size FMC who owns it), but lamented a lot about the size of her breasts. When it came to her guys though, I spent some time wanting to shake some sense into her. Also, the FMC is an author of sweet historical romance and as she veers towards reverse harem in her own life, she is quite judgy of reverse harem as a plot point. So those things just detracted from my enjoyment while reading this one. Overall though, it was still an ok read.
August 26, 2020
I loved pretty much everything about this book; mature female main character, realistic guys (for the most part), real life emotional issues, career problems, self-doubt, jealousy..... it's all here and it's navigated very well.
Josie is incredibly relatable as a character, from her struggles to get her writing off the ground to her dancing through the sudden influx of available men in her life, it's a unique tale with a realistic edge that startles as well as intrigues.
Pros:
~ She is in her 40's - which is fantastic!
~ The guys don't ALL fit the drop dead gorgeous category.
~ The jealousy is there, real and addressed.
~ The HEA isn't a fantasy notion, or they all get married or they are fated, etc, etc.... it follows the line
of the narrative and suggests that happy is as happy does and they are happy where they are.
Cons:
~ Her self-doubt is sabotaging, like so many of us.
~ What happened with her story???! I want to know how IT ends too!
Perspective
First Person, Single POV
Ending Type
HEA
Rating
Adult
Romantic Dynamic
MMMF
Character Age Range
40's+
My Final Verdict on Corsets and Quartets
Fun, relatable and often hilarious, this is a Reverse Harem you can sink you teeth and heart into.
Josie is incredibly relatable as a character, from her struggles to get her writing off the ground to her dancing through the sudden influx of available men in her life, it's a unique tale with a realistic edge that startles as well as intrigues.
Pros:
~ She is in her 40's - which is fantastic!
~ The guys don't ALL fit the drop dead gorgeous category.
~ The jealousy is there, real and addressed.
~ The HEA isn't a fantasy notion, or they all get married or they are fated, etc, etc.... it follows the line
of the narrative and suggests that happy is as happy does and they are happy where they are.
Cons:
~ Her self-doubt is sabotaging, like so many of us.
~ What happened with her story???! I want to know how IT ends too!
Perspective
First Person, Single POV
Ending Type
HEA
Rating
Adult
Romantic Dynamic
MMMF
Character Age Range
40's+
My Final Verdict on Corsets and Quartets
Fun, relatable and often hilarious, this is a Reverse Harem you can sink you teeth and heart into.
April 4, 2021
I reeeally wanted to like this book. Reverse harem within an older group. Awesome.
I got bored. It took me so long to get through it because I had no desire to read it.
I really liked the friendship dynamic with Josie and Emma. The passage at the start of each chapter of her nightmares due to her book writing anxiety was just unnecessary and I ended up just skipping them altogether.
I liked the men.... Heath and Mark that is. Simon was apparently British, he ended each sentence with 'luv' so of course he was..... 🙄 He was a contemporary Spike from Buffy.
Brilliant premise, but missed my mark.
I got bored. It took me so long to get through it because I had no desire to read it.
I really liked the friendship dynamic with Josie and Emma. The passage at the start of each chapter of her nightmares due to her book writing anxiety was just unnecessary and I ended up just skipping them altogether.
I liked the men.... Heath and Mark that is. Simon was apparently British, he ended each sentence with 'luv' so of course he was..... 🙄 He was a contemporary Spike from Buffy.
Brilliant premise, but missed my mark.
December 10, 2021
I found the story a little slow to start. Then once the first date happened, I really enjoyed the book. I was invested in the characters and had fun even if I did not understand all the choices made.
Then it switched gears and I could not understand why the main character, Josie, was acting so unreasonable. She went from being in love to flying off the handle and being irresponsible. It was very frustrating and left me confused. The resolution finally came and the authored seemed to be over writing the story and rushed the ending. I am disappointed and afraid to try another story by this writer if it is going to follow this path.
Then it switched gears and I could not understand why the main character, Josie, was acting so unreasonable. She went from being in love to flying off the handle and being irresponsible. It was very frustrating and left me confused. The resolution finally came and the authored seemed to be over writing the story and rushed the ending. I am disappointed and afraid to try another story by this writer if it is going to follow this path.
May 30, 2022
4.5 ⭐️
This was super close to being a five star read for me, but for a small issue I had with the relationship with Simon. (Small spoiler here…)
I thought that for sure it was coming, but the add for him happened in a way that honestly felt a bit like cheating and that’s a bit of a no-go for me.
I really loved the developing of the main character and could certainly emphasize with her struggle for reaching for her dreams. I really enjoyed the other characters in the story (please tell me Emma’s book is almost done?), and thought the writing was wonderful. This author is new to me and I’m now a huge fan.
This was super close to being a five star read for me, but for a small issue I had with the relationship with Simon. (Small spoiler here…)
I thought that for sure it was coming, but the add for him happened in a way that honestly felt a bit like cheating and that’s a bit of a no-go for me.
I really loved the developing of the main character and could certainly emphasize with her struggle for reaching for her dreams. I really enjoyed the other characters in the story (please tell me Emma’s book is almost done?), and thought the writing was wonderful. This author is new to me and I’m now a huge fan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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