***Actual Rating: 1/5 Not-My-Cup-of-Tea Stars***
Ugh, I really don’t want to do this. I know this is supposed to be a happy, favorable review for this book but I’d be lying if I said the entire reading experience is pleasant. What prompts me to pick this up and sign up for the blog tour is the beautiful cover (apparently I have a thing for neon lights and silhouette figures) AND the blurb. Not gonna lie, from the way the blurb describes the characters, I know I think broody protagonists, especially bad boys, will be right up my alley. And then I browse through all the reviews on Goodreads and not only do I realize there’s a yelping 4.62/5 stars on average for this book, but it also gets about 50 positive reviews from so many reviewers. Without hesitation, I’m in.
However, my distaste for the story stems from…the very beginning, probably BEFORE the whole thing starts. The terrible “Asian Fetish” reference and stereotype IRK me so much, and so does the problematic demonstration of racism and sexism towards Asian girls. You know, the truth is, when the prologue already leaves a sour taste in your mouth, it’s very unlikely that the rest of the story will sweep you off your feet.
Unfortunately, as much as I wish I could think differently about the main characters, Naomi and Lars–of course, on a more positive, happier note–I simply am unable to do so. They already leave a horrible impression on me with the starters, and I honestly don’t care what happened in their pasts, or what’s going to happen in their future. Obviously, this book is both plot-and-character-driven, but the derogatory vocabulary regarding females as well as the overall foul language (for example, there are lots of sex innuendoes including the f-word, several body parts in a much more vulgar sense, and they’re usually expressed in desperation/anger/lust) really make me lose my appetite for this book. 😦
In general, I see why people like, even love, this book because the friends-turn-lovers trope is unquestionably well-thought-out; I mean, despite the fact that Lars is an ultimate player, he truly puts his best friend, Naomi, first. His friendship with Naomi is literally the only valuable thing in this book, and for someone like him, it’s hard to imagine that he has such a soft spot for a faux-sweet, innocent girl like Naomi. That being said, I think you can still give this book a shot as I seem to be the unpopular opinion here. And for sure, I hope you’ll enjoy Naomi and Lars’s story much more than I do.
Lastly, just because this book isn’t my cup of tea doesn’t mean I won’t read anything by this author in the future. Gabrielle seems like such a lovely person and her other works also receive LOTS of positive feedbacks, so I’ll certainly give her previous books a try. 🙂
***Thanks to InkSlinger PR and the author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.***