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The Sizzle Paradox
The Kiss Quotient meets Love Potion No. 9 in the next sparkling romantic comedy by Lily Menon, The Sizzle Paradox.
Lyric Bishop feels like a fraud—she’s studying sexual chemistry in romantic partners and what makes for a successful long-term relationship, only she can’t seem to figure it out in her own dating life. The science is sound, but how can she give her expert opinion with no real-world experience? In order to complete her doctoral thesis, she must crack the Sizzle Paradox—it seems the more sexually attractive she finds a guy, the less likely it is to come with an emotional connection; but why?—and to do that she must get the help she desperately needs.
Kian Montgomery, her best friend, roommate, and fellow grad student, has no trouble bringing both romance and sizzle to his own relationships. When he offers to tutor Lyric on dating tactics to find a good match, she’s certain it will solve her problems, and in exchange she agrees to set long-term-commitment-averse Kian up with someone different to give his romantic life a much-needed shakeup.
But once the two progress with their "tutoring sessions," they start to feel less like the academic exercise they were supposed to be as real feelings develop. Which is a problem, because Lyric and Kian are best friends and absolutely, irrefutably nothing else.... Right?
Lyric Bishop feels like a fraud—she’s studying sexual chemistry in romantic partners and what makes for a successful long-term relationship, only she can’t seem to figure it out in her own dating life. The science is sound, but how can she give her expert opinion with no real-world experience? In order to complete her doctoral thesis, she must crack the Sizzle Paradox—it seems the more sexually attractive she finds a guy, the less likely it is to come with an emotional connection; but why?—and to do that she must get the help she desperately needs.
Kian Montgomery, her best friend, roommate, and fellow grad student, has no trouble bringing both romance and sizzle to his own relationships. When he offers to tutor Lyric on dating tactics to find a good match, she’s certain it will solve her problems, and in exchange she agrees to set long-term-commitment-averse Kian up with someone different to give his romantic life a much-needed shakeup.
But once the two progress with their "tutoring sessions," they start to feel less like the academic exercise they were supposed to be as real feelings develop. Which is a problem, because Lyric and Kian are best friends and absolutely, irrefutably nothing else.... Right?
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 14, 2022
57 people are currently reading
11032 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 670 reviews
July 9, 2022
was hoping this would be redemptive after totally hating this author's adult romance debut. sadly it was not.
the heroine was wildly immature and weird. hero had pretty much no personality. and the best friends to lovers? sooo so so lacking. i wasn't convinced these two were besties from their interactions. i was kinda grinning at the beginning when they go to target together but immediately things go downhill when the heroine abandons her best friend at target to go on a froyo date with a stranger she meets in store? so fucking bizarre. and it just continues.
not as irritating as Make Up Break Up but pretty damn boring.
the heroine was wildly immature and weird. hero had pretty much no personality. and the best friends to lovers? sooo so so lacking. i wasn't convinced these two were besties from their interactions. i was kinda grinning at the beginning when they go to target together but immediately things go downhill when the heroine abandons her best friend at target to go on a froyo date with a stranger she meets in store? so fucking bizarre. and it just continues.
not as irritating as Make Up Break Up but pretty damn boring.
March 6, 2022
Unfortunately for all parties involved, I did not like this.
Lyric's behaviour does not match her age at all. There's no character growth here. She acts immature and it pulled me right out of the story because it was bothering me so much. The book is only 230 pages and 100 pages in, nothing was happening. Lily is adamant on setting Kian up with her friend Zoey..... but she wasn't even friends with her friend Zoey? I don't get it. She was also very picky and like, okay girlie, set your standards! But at one point she meets someone in a program she kinda doesn't like and that's a write-off. Then she meets Daniel and he's 3 years younger than her and even though she acts like a child, HE'S the "boy" and Kian's crazy and doesn't know what girls want. It was infuriating. I didn't like her.
Kian was fine but he wasn't anything to write home about. Nothing about him made me want this to work out. This book could've ended with them not being together and I would've been like "yeah, checks out".
I really wanted a "Kiss Quotient" meets "Love Hypothesis" type story and it did not hit the mark. It missed it quite a bit. I'm sad.
When the two finally stop dancing around each other it gets a bit better but at that point I'm so annoyed by Lyric that I can't navigate around it. Her study didn't make sense to me either, because I didn't understand why she was part of the subject matter. Aren't you supposed to be removed and analyzing things objectively? I'm not a woman in STEM so what do I know, really? But it feels like I'm right on this one.
Overall, wasn't the one for me and I'm disappointed. Maybe next time.
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and St Martin's Griffin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
Lyric's behaviour does not match her age at all. There's no character growth here. She acts immature and it pulled me right out of the story because it was bothering me so much. The book is only 230 pages and 100 pages in, nothing was happening. Lily is adamant on setting Kian up with her friend Zoey..... but she wasn't even friends with her friend Zoey? I don't get it. She was also very picky and like, okay girlie, set your standards! But at one point she meets someone in a program she kinda doesn't like and that's a write-off. Then she meets Daniel and he's 3 years younger than her and even though she acts like a child, HE'S the "boy" and Kian's crazy and doesn't know what girls want. It was infuriating. I didn't like her.
Kian was fine but he wasn't anything to write home about. Nothing about him made me want this to work out. This book could've ended with them not being together and I would've been like "yeah, checks out".
I really wanted a "Kiss Quotient" meets "Love Hypothesis" type story and it did not hit the mark. It missed it quite a bit. I'm sad.
When the two finally stop dancing around each other it gets a bit better but at that point I'm so annoyed by Lyric that I can't navigate around it. Her study didn't make sense to me either, because I didn't understand why she was part of the subject matter. Aren't you supposed to be removed and analyzing things objectively? I'm not a woman in STEM so what do I know, really? But it feels like I'm right on this one.
Overall, wasn't the one for me and I'm disappointed. Maybe next time.
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and St Martin's Griffin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
June 14, 2022
This book was okay. I read "Love Hypothesis" so thought this similar themed booked would be decent too. The premise of the book was good; but the execution of it just didn't really hit like I expected. I did like how there is a male and female narrator, switching between the characters made it alot easier and made the story flow well. I just feel like it fell short of my expectations. Still a decent read, but not something I would re-read or personally recommend.
I received this ARC in audiobook format from NetGalley and the publishers to read and review. All statements above are my own true opinion after fully listening to this audiobook.
I received this ARC in audiobook format from NetGalley and the publishers to read and review. All statements above are my own true opinion after fully listening to this audiobook.
March 9, 2022
"Perhaps we are all born alone and will die alone; however, if we are lucky, there are many years between one and the other. What better way to fill those years than with an enduring love?" holy shit.
i am not embarrassed to say that i shed a tear at the ending :’) this is like an excellent contemporary romance for me! it’s super light, swoony and made me giggle a lot!! on top of that, it’s a stem romance?! like if you love the love hypothesis you’re gonna like this too!! except this one is a couple of besties, goin on a fake date (research purposes) not to impress anybody, but to learn from each other. they suck at dating apparently especially Lyric (awesome name i know) hahahaha omg you wouldn’t believe how she behaved during her dates she’s so awkward and weird 😆 she tends to talk like a geek around hot guys who’re clearly attracted to her, and there she goes, talking about ducks’ penis to the recent guy (Benedict Cumberbatch’s clone).
*some guy handing Lyric a bouquet of roses*
Lyric: “Do you know that sending a hundred million roses, the amount purchased on the average Valentine's Day, produces around nine thousand metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from the field to the florist?" 🤦🏻♀️ she really said that.
she messed up big time y’all. now as for my (idk how many) husband, Kian Montgomery, a well-known hottie, soon-to-be doctor, he’s awesome at dating. but the spark wasn’t there anymore. he thought he’s getting bored of dating the same type of women so the besties paired up to find out what’s wrong with them. until.. the fake dating stuff went… completely opposite of what they have intended. there u go, a nice and light contemporary romance. honestly i don’t get why the rating is pretty low, i think it’s awesome. but anyway this book is everything i need to get out of my reading slump! it’s witty, swoony, and cute! this book will be available on 14th June!!
thankyou Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc!
i am not embarrassed to say that i shed a tear at the ending :’) this is like an excellent contemporary romance for me! it’s super light, swoony and made me giggle a lot!! on top of that, it’s a stem romance?! like if you love the love hypothesis you’re gonna like this too!! except this one is a couple of besties, goin on a fake date (research purposes) not to impress anybody, but to learn from each other. they suck at dating apparently especially Lyric (awesome name i know) hahahaha omg you wouldn’t believe how she behaved during her dates she’s so awkward and weird 😆 she tends to talk like a geek around hot guys who’re clearly attracted to her, and there she goes, talking about ducks’ penis to the recent guy (Benedict Cumberbatch’s clone).
*some guy handing Lyric a bouquet of roses*
Lyric: “Do you know that sending a hundred million roses, the amount purchased on the average Valentine's Day, produces around nine thousand metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from the field to the florist?" 🤦🏻♀️ she really said that.
she messed up big time y’all. now as for my (idk how many) husband, Kian Montgomery, a well-known hottie, soon-to-be doctor, he’s awesome at dating. but the spark wasn’t there anymore. he thought he’s getting bored of dating the same type of women so the besties paired up to find out what’s wrong with them. until.. the fake dating stuff went… completely opposite of what they have intended. there u go, a nice and light contemporary romance. honestly i don’t get why the rating is pretty low, i think it’s awesome. but anyway this book is everything i need to get out of my reading slump! it’s witty, swoony, and cute! this book will be available on 14th June!!
thankyou Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc!
June 15, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC
These two morons would not last 1 week in a real doctorate program.
Loved the concepts of trying to understand the boundaries of emotional and physical love but this premise was undermined by the two best friends/love interests, both scientists, who have an alarming lack of emotional maturity for people in their mid-20s. Got 30% in before giving up entirely.
These two morons would not last 1 week in a real doctorate program.
Loved the concepts of trying to understand the boundaries of emotional and physical love but this premise was undermined by the two best friends/love interests, both scientists, who have an alarming lack of emotional maturity for people in their mid-20s. Got 30% in before giving up entirely.
June 30, 2022
I really, really loved this dual perspective, friends to lovers romance featuring two PhD students who fake date for the sake of science and find themselves falling in love. The friendship, the banter, the STEAM! Everything just worked so well for me in this book. I also loved that Lyric was a woman in STEM researching the romantic chemistry between partners.
Great on audio with two narrators, Abhay Ahluwalia and Brittany Pressley (one of my all time fav voices for young women)! Highly recommended for fans of Helen Hoang, Ali Hazelwood and Susannah Nix. Much thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advance review copies!!
Great on audio with two narrators, Abhay Ahluwalia and Brittany Pressley (one of my all time fav voices for young women)! Highly recommended for fans of Helen Hoang, Ali Hazelwood and Susannah Nix. Much thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advance review copies!!
July 1, 2022
Going to pause this rn I’m tired and it’s slow
Update: 25/4/2022
It’s 2am and Its about time I finished this, this was a cute lighthearted fast paced story but nothing special wouldn’t really recommend.
Thank you net gallery for this e-arc!
Update: 25/4/2022
It’s 2am and Its about time I finished this, this was a cute lighthearted fast paced story but nothing special wouldn’t really recommend.
Thank you net gallery for this e-arc!
May 19, 2023
2.5 stars i couldn't take her experiment seriously so I couldn't get into the story.
Read
April 14, 2023Mindless, silly, sexy fun! Definitely a comfy romance read for anyone who loves the best-friend-to-lovers trope with a hint of 'we shouldn't because I don't want to ruin what we have' tension, which I enjoyed. It doesn't take itself too seriously which made it more fun.
Read
October 12, 2023Menon's 2nd adult title tackles my personal favourite trope: friends to lovers, a trope I love because the risk is so high if things don't work out. I suspect reader enjoyment of this particular title will be somewhat dependent on each individual reader's ability to suspend disbelief. The central premise involves a brilliant scientist who decides 5 years of data collection and analysis about brain chemistry are irrelevant if she doesn't have a successful and fulfilling romance of her own, so she tosses aside all that research for the duration of the book, and takes a profoundly un-scientific approach to understanding sexual and romantic attraction instead. This polarity might have made more sense if Menon separated the heroine's work life and the personal life. A brilliant scientist has all the data in the world and writes her dissertation based on that data, but it still doesn't solve her messy personal life. Instead, Menon integrates the two threads, so our heroine uses her messy personal life to PROVE her science, graduating summa cum laude and to the accolades of her faculty with the least scientific dissertation I've ever heard, and one no faculty member I know would ever approve within a scientific context. It's a peculiar choice in today's political climate--to posit that science is best understood by eschewing actual scientific research. And those who understand the scientific method might wonder why our heroine never once applies it to the choices she makes. But the book isn't meant to be political, and for those who can run with the central premise, you'll find lots of flirty banter, plenty of close-proximity set-ups ripe for sexual tension, and two characters who are so clearly crazy about each other from page one, it's easy to root for their blossoming romance.
January 4, 2022
Lyric Bishop and Kian Montgomery are BFFs and roommates who are both doctoral students. This is a classic friends to lovers romance. It was pretty sweet and contained a slew of the the usual suspects including fake dating and just-one-time-let’s-bang-it-out-of-our-systems tropes, so if that’s your jam that you’ll enjoy this romcom.
Overall, it was just okay for me, but nothing particularly special in my opinion. Lyric and Kian definitely had a strong friendship bond but beyond that, nothing really sizzled between them. It took more than half the book before there was even a little tiny spark and I was bored waiting for their feelings to start bubbling. At best the tension was room temperature.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, it was just okay for me, but nothing particularly special in my opinion. Lyric and Kian definitely had a strong friendship bond but beyond that, nothing really sizzled between them. It took more than half the book before there was even a little tiny spark and I was bored waiting for their feelings to start bubbling. At best the tension was room temperature.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 18, 2022
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
i really struggled with this, I wanted to like it but unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. I couldn’t connect with the characters at all mainly because the main character, lyric, doesn’t act the same age she is. I also didn’t really like this book as it’s super slow, by page like 150 there was still nothing of significance happening yet. I really struggled not to dnf this book.
On the other hand I did think the romance was cute. But overall, very disappointed in this book.
i really struggled with this, I wanted to like it but unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. I couldn’t connect with the characters at all mainly because the main character, lyric, doesn’t act the same age she is. I also didn’t really like this book as it’s super slow, by page like 150 there was still nothing of significance happening yet. I really struggled not to dnf this book.
On the other hand I did think the romance was cute. But overall, very disappointed in this book.
June 22, 2022
This was a quick, light book featuring some of the things I like best:
✔️Dual POV
✔️Fake dating
✔️Nerdy characters
✔️A sprinkling of spice 🔥
I started it in print and ended up listening to almost all of the audiobook instead. I think that this helped me get through it quickly and actually finish it.
Friends to lovers is not my favorite trope but it is one I enjoy enough to read pretty regularly. The trope development was okay (at times less believable than others) but I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite FTL plot.
The main character seemed kind of immature and not as “intellectual” as she was supposed to be. It felt like there were inconsistencies between how the characters were described and how they acted. I found the lack of development in characters to be off-putting. For me, simply identifying that you’re in love with someone doesn’t automatically count as development when all other behavior stays the same.
For me, the ending felt rushed. Things built up and then resolved quickly to where I felt like I missed something in between (I won’t give details to avoid spoilers).
✔️Dual POV
✔️Fake dating
✔️Nerdy characters
✔️A sprinkling of spice 🔥
I started it in print and ended up listening to almost all of the audiobook instead. I think that this helped me get through it quickly and actually finish it.
Friends to lovers is not my favorite trope but it is one I enjoy enough to read pretty regularly. The trope development was okay (at times less believable than others) but I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite FTL plot.
The main character seemed kind of immature and not as “intellectual” as she was supposed to be. It felt like there were inconsistencies between how the characters were described and how they acted. I found the lack of development in characters to be off-putting. For me, simply identifying that you’re in love with someone doesn’t automatically count as development when all other behavior stays the same.
For me, the ending felt rushed. Things built up and then resolved quickly to where I felt like I missed something in between (I won’t give details to avoid spoilers).
May 11, 2022
A huge thank you to the publisher for an ARC!
*Note: this is an HONEST SPOILER FREE REVIEW*
“Perhaps we are all born alone and will die alone; however, if we are lucky, there are many years between one and the other. What better way to fill those years than with an enduring love?”
My rating: 3.5-3.75
Oh man, I had a field day reading this one. My best friend got an earful as I ranted to her about this best friends to lovers, slow burn. I mean, best friends to lovers? Check. Fake dating with a lil’ spice? Check. LGBTQ+ representation? Check. Academia? Triple check (grad school + experimental psychology + environmental science stuffy). And they were roommates? *smirk* check. What’s not to die for here?
First of all, I need to take a second to talk about the whole academia setting. As someone who is currently a psychology major (and kind of really hates statistics), I had a blast reading about Lyric Bishop’s grad school journey. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the heroine is a psych major or in the psych field. And as someone who was previously a biology major, it was kind of nostalgic and funny reading about Kian Montgomery’s journey with environmental science.
Okay, moving on from my academia fangirl moment (never thought I’d be saying that). To be honest, this book was kind of difficult for me to get into. Sometimes writing styles or characters just don’t pull me in right away, but once I was drawn in by the story, I was invested. I love Kian and Lyric’s dynamic; how they *cough I’m looking mostly at you, Kian* always looked after one another, their jokes, the cute nicknames, and how their relationship changed over time. I am a wh*re for a good best friends to lovers story…and Kian.
In terms of individual characters, I found Lyric’s struggle and growth to be pretty relatable. Sometimes we hit a speed bump (or drive into a ditch by accident), or get burnt out, or question whether or not the decisions we made were right for us. Lyric’s life and situation was a little more complicated considering that her research and success depended on her life and ability to collect data through her personal experiences, which is an extreme amount of pressure. But somehow she got it right. Same concept applies to Kian’s character. They both grew throughout the story, leading their paths to finally cross. It was a great moment.
With that being said, I can’t talk about much more without spilling the beans, but I definitely encourage everyone to give this book a try when it’s released. Especially if you believe in friendship, love, disasters, and growth. I hope all of you find something inspiring from this story.
booktok: katsxlibrary
bookstagram: day_dreamer394
*Note: this is an HONEST SPOILER FREE REVIEW*
“Perhaps we are all born alone and will die alone; however, if we are lucky, there are many years between one and the other. What better way to fill those years than with an enduring love?”
My rating: 3.5-3.75
Oh man, I had a field day reading this one. My best friend got an earful as I ranted to her about this best friends to lovers, slow burn. I mean, best friends to lovers? Check. Fake dating with a lil’ spice? Check. LGBTQ+ representation? Check. Academia? Triple check (grad school + experimental psychology + environmental science stuffy). And they were roommates? *smirk* check. What’s not to die for here?
First of all, I need to take a second to talk about the whole academia setting. As someone who is currently a psychology major (and kind of really hates statistics), I had a blast reading about Lyric Bishop’s grad school journey. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the heroine is a psych major or in the psych field. And as someone who was previously a biology major, it was kind of nostalgic and funny reading about Kian Montgomery’s journey with environmental science.
Okay, moving on from my academia fangirl moment (never thought I’d be saying that). To be honest, this book was kind of difficult for me to get into. Sometimes writing styles or characters just don’t pull me in right away, but once I was drawn in by the story, I was invested. I love Kian and Lyric’s dynamic; how they *cough I’m looking mostly at you, Kian* always looked after one another, their jokes, the cute nicknames, and how their relationship changed over time. I am a wh*re for a good best friends to lovers story…and Kian.
In terms of individual characters, I found Lyric’s struggle and growth to be pretty relatable. Sometimes we hit a speed bump (or drive into a ditch by accident), or get burnt out, or question whether or not the decisions we made were right for us. Lyric’s life and situation was a little more complicated considering that her research and success depended on her life and ability to collect data through her personal experiences, which is an extreme amount of pressure. But somehow she got it right. Same concept applies to Kian’s character. They both grew throughout the story, leading their paths to finally cross. It was a great moment.
With that being said, I can’t talk about much more without spilling the beans, but I definitely encourage everyone to give this book a try when it’s released. Especially if you believe in friendship, love, disasters, and growth. I hope all of you find something inspiring from this story.
booktok: katsxlibrary
bookstagram: day_dreamer394
June 21, 2022
4 Stars
-friends to lovers
-STEM grads
-new adult
-Fake dating
-Releases 6/28
I requested this book from Netgalley as an audiobook ARC because of the comparison to The Kiss Quotient in the blurb and because the heroine is in STEM, despite the fact that I’m pretty picky about the friends-to-lovers trope, unfortunately I think that set my expectations a little too high. I didn’t hate this book at all, it was cute and I liked the friendship between the two characters, but this felt more new adulty than I was expecting, and I just haven’t been a big fan of new adult lately. There were definitely moments in this that I loved and the book kept my attention, but it wasn’t anything that particularly stood out to me
-friends to lovers
-STEM grads
-new adult
-Fake dating
-Releases 6/28
I requested this book from Netgalley as an audiobook ARC because of the comparison to The Kiss Quotient in the blurb and because the heroine is in STEM, despite the fact that I’m pretty picky about the friends-to-lovers trope, unfortunately I think that set my expectations a little too high. I didn’t hate this book at all, it was cute and I liked the friendship between the two characters, but this felt more new adulty than I was expecting, and I just haven’t been a big fan of new adult lately. There were definitely moments in this that I loved and the book kept my attention, but it wasn’t anything that particularly stood out to me
January 4, 2023
50% in and this is a hard pass for me. DNF
I hate hate hate when characters continue to refer to another character by using their full name like it's an adjective or something....Like 'your Kian f'ing Montgomery' over and over again. And then when the guy himself says "come on, I'm Kian Montgomery. I don't have a girl problem. Girls love me. Most guys would love to be me." ....I'm out of here.
That whole target scene in the beginning was so bizzare. Like they both just instantly find make-out partners at target in the home decor aisle...HUH? And then just split up right there to go on dates with those people...nope.
Also the sizzle project sounds extremely stupid and completely unbelievable to use an an actual academic thesis.
The big small trope in this is insufferable. Oh her matchstick arms and bony knees. Oh her Arms barely wrap all the way around me all the way because im so big. Oh his hand is bigger than my head. Oh I'm 5'8 and he's still Bigfoot to me. (These lines are paraphrased but they're still almost direct quotes....NO kidding).
And a main character named Lyric....absolutely not. Also her obsession with tarot and crystals just feels so fake trendy, jump on the bandwagon, trying to be relevant. I can't stand it.
Also lyric incessantly trying to set up Kian with her friend Zoey when clearly they are not interested in eachother and have no interest. Like can you let it go? Stop bring it up? Cool thanks. God it was grating on my nerves.
This is just some of the worst most cringe writing.
I hate hate hate when characters continue to refer to another character by using their full name like it's an adjective or something....Like 'your Kian f'ing Montgomery' over and over again. And then when the guy himself says "come on, I'm Kian Montgomery. I don't have a girl problem. Girls love me. Most guys would love to be me." ....I'm out of here.
That whole target scene in the beginning was so bizzare. Like they both just instantly find make-out partners at target in the home decor aisle...HUH? And then just split up right there to go on dates with those people...nope.
Also the sizzle project sounds extremely stupid and completely unbelievable to use an an actual academic thesis.
The big small trope in this is insufferable. Oh her matchstick arms and bony knees. Oh her Arms barely wrap all the way around me all the way because im so big. Oh his hand is bigger than my head. Oh I'm 5'8 and he's still Bigfoot to me. (These lines are paraphrased but they're still almost direct quotes....NO kidding).
And a main character named Lyric....absolutely not. Also her obsession with tarot and crystals just feels so fake trendy, jump on the bandwagon, trying to be relevant. I can't stand it.
Also lyric incessantly trying to set up Kian with her friend Zoey when clearly they are not interested in eachother and have no interest. Like can you let it go? Stop bring it up? Cool thanks. God it was grating on my nerves.
This is just some of the worst most cringe writing.
July 4, 2022
The Sizzle Paradox
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 6/28/22
Author: Lily Menon and Sandhya Menon
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 304
Goodreads Rating:3.31
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Lyric Bishop feels like a fraud – she’s studying sexual chemistry in romantic partners and what makes for a successful long-term relationship, only she can’t seem to figure it out in her own dating life. Kian Montgomery, her best friend, roommate, and fellow grad student, has no trouble bringing both romance and sizzle to his own relationships. When he offers to tutor Lyric on dating tactics to find a good match, she’s certain it will solve her problems, and in exchange she agrees to set long-term-commitment-averse Kian up with someone different to give his romantic life a much-needed shakeup.
My Thoughts: I have seen mixed reviews on this book and the rating is lower than I expected. I, however, loved this book and thought it was the perfect light romantic story. The besties and fake dating trope worked so well for this book. The story is narrated in dual perspectives from Lyric and Kian, from their perspectives. They are both getting their doctorate degrees in different fields. For me, the characters were developed well, they had undeniable chemistry, they had some growth, the witty banter between them was amazing, and I think they just worked well for this book. The authors’ writing style was complex, creative for the concept of this story, and I was never bored, kept me engaged from cover to cover. I did get a little frustrated right before the end, I will not say why to spoil it, but I believe that was the concept. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend giving it a try. I would definitely read more by these authors.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 6/28/22
Author: Lily Menon and Sandhya Menon
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 304
Goodreads Rating:3.31
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Lyric Bishop feels like a fraud – she’s studying sexual chemistry in romantic partners and what makes for a successful long-term relationship, only she can’t seem to figure it out in her own dating life. Kian Montgomery, her best friend, roommate, and fellow grad student, has no trouble bringing both romance and sizzle to his own relationships. When he offers to tutor Lyric on dating tactics to find a good match, she’s certain it will solve her problems, and in exchange she agrees to set long-term-commitment-averse Kian up with someone different to give his romantic life a much-needed shakeup.
My Thoughts: I have seen mixed reviews on this book and the rating is lower than I expected. I, however, loved this book and thought it was the perfect light romantic story. The besties and fake dating trope worked so well for this book. The story is narrated in dual perspectives from Lyric and Kian, from their perspectives. They are both getting their doctorate degrees in different fields. For me, the characters were developed well, they had undeniable chemistry, they had some growth, the witty banter between them was amazing, and I think they just worked well for this book. The authors’ writing style was complex, creative for the concept of this story, and I was never bored, kept me engaged from cover to cover. I did get a little frustrated right before the end, I will not say why to spoil it, but I believe that was the concept. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend giving it a try. I would definitely read more by these authors.
July 11, 2022
Rating: 3
Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me. I’m already not the biggest fan of the best friend to lovers trope but this one was recommended if you enjoyed The Kiss Quotient. I loved that book and honestly I only see one similarity between these two books which is the characters helping one another with their romantic life. I went into this one totally opened minded and even excited but it was just okay. The problem was the relationship between the characters. I feel like they made great best friends and even had more of a brother/sister relationship than they did a romantic one. When they finally started to develop feelings for one another it felt too forced. I’m not sure if it’s because the book was slower paced and more of a slow burn. Maybe if they found out their feelings sooner and started acting on them sooner I wouldn’t have been caught up on their brother/sister dynamic.
Even though I didn’t enjoy this one I would still recommend it for people who enjoy new adult romance. I listened to the audiobook version while at work and the narrator did a good job. It’s a great book to listen to while working because you can zone out and not miss anything.
Thank you so much @stmartinspress & @macmillan.audio for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me. I’m already not the biggest fan of the best friend to lovers trope but this one was recommended if you enjoyed The Kiss Quotient. I loved that book and honestly I only see one similarity between these two books which is the characters helping one another with their romantic life. I went into this one totally opened minded and even excited but it was just okay. The problem was the relationship between the characters. I feel like they made great best friends and even had more of a brother/sister relationship than they did a romantic one. When they finally started to develop feelings for one another it felt too forced. I’m not sure if it’s because the book was slower paced and more of a slow burn. Maybe if they found out their feelings sooner and started acting on them sooner I wouldn’t have been caught up on their brother/sister dynamic.
Even though I didn’t enjoy this one I would still recommend it for people who enjoy new adult romance. I listened to the audiobook version while at work and the narrator did a good job. It’s a great book to listen to while working because you can zone out and not miss anything.
Thank you so much @stmartinspress & @macmillan.audio for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 16, 2022
Such a fun best friends to lovers romance!! Lyric and Kian are long-time best friends. Lyric is slacking on her thesis about “The Sizzle Paradox” because she feels as if she doesn’t experience the truth of it in real life. Kian offers to “tutor” her or basically help her out by taking her on dates so she’d know what to do once she actually meets someone.
This has the things I love in a friends-to-lovers story. The familiarity with each other, the lines blurring, feelings developing, and even jealousy!!
My reasons for rating it 3.5 — there are scenes where I thought the characters don’t act their age. It was also slow-paced in the beginning. And dare I say it… the romance aspect between Lyric and Kian lacked a little sizzle.
Still, I enjoyed more parts of the story and would still recommend!
Rating: 3.5 ⭐️
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC!!
This has the things I love in a friends-to-lovers story. The familiarity with each other, the lines blurring, feelings developing, and even jealousy!!
My reasons for rating it 3.5 — there are scenes where I thought the characters don’t act their age. It was also slow-paced in the beginning. And dare I say it… the romance aspect between Lyric and Kian lacked a little sizzle.
Still, I enjoyed more parts of the story and would still recommend!
Rating: 3.5 ⭐️
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC!!
July 2, 2022
The Sizzle Paradox is a contemporary romance/rom-com featuring women in STEM set in New York City.
The book alternates between the male and female 1st person POVs.
Kian (26) and Lyric (24) are roommates and doctoral students. He is an environmental chemist. She is a psych student.
I really liked how her thesis was devoted to studying how partners in successful relationship keep both the romantic and sexual chemistry alive.
I liked parts of this story. But I was not super invested in the couple or the romance. It was a cute romance. But the miscommunication was too much. The epilogue was really good. But I wish that the romance part of the story took up much more of the book.
Thanks to netgalley and SMP Romance for allowing me to read this book.
January 23, 2022
I usually love Lily Menon's writing (especially her YA), but this one didn't really work for me. I didn't feel like Lyric's sizzle paradox concept was well defined, especially as it related to her project, and it didn't make sense to me why she had to nail it down in her own relationship rather than in the data that she was collecting. Shouldn't she be objective? And why would Kian be the one to help her with it when he can't maintain a relationship either? As for the actual romance, it felt like the setup was pushing them together (they're best friends and roommates and everyone always thinks they're together) rather than the characters themselves having the chemistry.
Also, I yelled many, many times "this is not how grad school works!" No way that she lives in NYC as a grad student and has money to fly to London and stay in a 5-star hotel room by herself without being independently wealthy or having a rich family. Working overtime hours in the lab, presumably on her own project, for extra money to pay for it? That's not how grad students are paid. And she took off to London for a weekend the week before her due date for her professor? The entire stakes of the book hinge on her project so she should probably be more invested in it, and then the climax and resolution around her project were very rushed at the end so the stakes fell flat.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
Also, I yelled many, many times "this is not how grad school works!" No way that she lives in NYC as a grad student and has money to fly to London and stay in a 5-star hotel room by herself without being independently wealthy or having a rich family. Working overtime hours in the lab, presumably on her own project, for extra money to pay for it? That's not how grad students are paid. And she took off to London for a weekend the week before her due date for her professor? The entire stakes of the book hinge on her project so she should probably be more invested in it, and then the climax and resolution around her project were very rushed at the end so the stakes fell flat.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
August 21, 2022
The Sizzle Paradox is a fun friends-to-lovers contemporary romance that is sure to make you laugh.
Lyric is trying to finish up her thesis about relationships (specifically how well suited couples are based on their emotional connect and sexual connection), but she needs more data...her own data. That's where her best friend, Kian, comes in. Lyric has had bad luck in the relationship department, so Kian agrees to train her, so she can go out and collect the data she needs. Throw in a whirlwind trip to London, some serious miscommunication, and a blossoming tension that is undeniable, and you're in for a wild ride!
Read if you enjoy:
fake dating
friends-to-lovers
women in STEM
fantastic friend groups
hilarious family dynamics
crystal healing
Thank you SMP Romance and St. Martin's Press for sending me a copy of The Sizzle Paradox!
Lyric is trying to finish up her thesis about relationships (specifically how well suited couples are based on their emotional connect and sexual connection), but she needs more data...her own data. That's where her best friend, Kian, comes in. Lyric has had bad luck in the relationship department, so Kian agrees to train her, so she can go out and collect the data she needs. Throw in a whirlwind trip to London, some serious miscommunication, and a blossoming tension that is undeniable, and you're in for a wild ride!
Read if you enjoy:
fake dating
friends-to-lovers
women in STEM
fantastic friend groups
hilarious family dynamics
crystal healing
Thank you SMP Romance and St. Martin's Press for sending me a copy of The Sizzle Paradox!
January 29, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
I struggle to really follow this story and really get pulled in with the characters. Immediately the relationship between Lyric and Kian is set up in the friend zone and a sweet brother and sister relationship. It felt like they really never left it throughout the book.
The book progressed slowly, and the Lyric didn't come off as an adult that is pursue her PHD in her degree. She acted not awkward but like a high schooler still in school. To me it was what caused a disconnect for me.
I thought this book had a good story idea and I wanted to be invested in the plot. I read another book that the author wrote and felt that this book wasn't as strong as the last one.
I struggle to really follow this story and really get pulled in with the characters. Immediately the relationship between Lyric and Kian is set up in the friend zone and a sweet brother and sister relationship. It felt like they really never left it throughout the book.
The book progressed slowly, and the Lyric didn't come off as an adult that is pursue her PHD in her degree. She acted not awkward but like a high schooler still in school. To me it was what caused a disconnect for me.
I thought this book had a good story idea and I wanted to be invested in the plot. I read another book that the author wrote and felt that this book wasn't as strong as the last one.
June 20, 2022
I thought this was so cute! I usually like enemies-to-lovers over friends-to-lovers, but this one was adorable and I did enjoy it. I really liked both of the main characters. Lyric and Kian are best friends going on SEVEN YEARS, and they are also roommates. It's always funny to me when two friends have NO IDEA they're actually in love, even though everyone else can clearly see it... One thing that did annoy me was the constant miscommunication (one of my least favorite tropes). If they had both been honest and upfront right away, they could have saved themselves a lot of heartache! Overall, this is a quick, lighthearted romance perfect for a summer read.
Read if you enjoy:
• dual POVs
• fake dating
• friends to lovers
• best friends/roommates
• strong female lead
• grad school
I listened to the audiobook version of this, and I thought it was great. I love the Lyrics narrator, but Kian's definitely wasn't my favorite that I've heard, but that's a personal preference and didn't take away from the quality of the recording.
Thank you St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!
Read if you enjoy:
• dual POVs
• fake dating
• friends to lovers
• best friends/roommates
• strong female lead
• grad school
I listened to the audiobook version of this, and I thought it was great. I love the Lyrics narrator, but Kian's definitely wasn't my favorite that I've heard, but that's a personal preference and didn't take away from the quality of the recording.
Thank you St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!
December 13, 2022
2.5 Stars rounded up
This is a friends to lovers, with a twist on fake dating. It was a super interesting premise. As Lyric is a PHD student studying how emotional
Connection and sexual attraction impacts lasting relationships. But she's in a slump, so her bestfriend Kian is going to give her "dating lessons", by pretending to go on dates together.
This was an ok read. I really enjoyed Lyrics character a lot but I really struggled with Kians character and perspectives. He was just really unlikable character to me, as he came off cocky and arrogant when it came to women finding him attractive.
The other downside of this romance was that although they have been friends for 7 years I feel like the romantic feelings just came out of no where. I had to double check I didn't miss a chapter prior to them going to London. It just jumped scenes and tone so quickly that I got a hit of whip lash.
This is a friends to lovers, with a twist on fake dating. It was a super interesting premise. As Lyric is a PHD student studying how emotional
Connection and sexual attraction impacts lasting relationships. But she's in a slump, so her bestfriend Kian is going to give her "dating lessons", by pretending to go on dates together.
This was an ok read. I really enjoyed Lyrics character a lot but I really struggled with Kians character and perspectives. He was just really unlikable character to me, as he came off cocky and arrogant when it came to women finding him attractive.
The other downside of this romance was that although they have been friends for 7 years I feel like the romantic feelings just came out of no where. I had to double check I didn't miss a chapter prior to them going to London. It just jumped scenes and tone so quickly that I got a hit of whip lash.
June 15, 2022
If you love a friends to lovers romance wrought with lack of communication between the main characters leading to much angst then this book is perfect for you. I personally love audiobooks and thought the narrators did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life in spite of often stilted dialogue that seemed more fitting for high school students rather than two college doctoral students especially when one of them is getting her doctoral in psychology. Overall it was entertaining, but just didn't quite reach expectations for me. It does have a rom com happily ever after so again, if a sweet friends to lovers story is what you are looking for then this one may just be the one you want!
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to listen and express my opinions on this book!
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to listen and express my opinions on this book!
June 26, 2022
While this plot or trope is not super original or clever, I still enjoyed it quite a lot!!
I tend to typically really enjoy the friends to lovers and fake dating stories as they’re usually pretty light, witty and fun! My least favourite thing about them is the constant miscommunication, and this one was no different. I definitely was rolling my eyes at times but there were also several swoon worthy moments as well.
After the success of The Love Hypothesis and The Kiss Quotient, I’m happy to see more and more romcoms and contemporary romances coming out and revolving around women in STEM, so huge kudos to Menon!
I rotated this one between a physical copy and audio and I must say that I certainly recommend the audio!
3.5 stars rounded to 4 for goodreads
I tend to typically really enjoy the friends to lovers and fake dating stories as they’re usually pretty light, witty and fun! My least favourite thing about them is the constant miscommunication, and this one was no different. I definitely was rolling my eyes at times but there were also several swoon worthy moments as well.
After the success of The Love Hypothesis and The Kiss Quotient, I’m happy to see more and more romcoms and contemporary romances coming out and revolving around women in STEM, so huge kudos to Menon!
I rotated this one between a physical copy and audio and I must say that I certainly recommend the audio!
3.5 stars rounded to 4 for goodreads
April 22, 2022
This friends to lovers romance was really fun! It started off slow, but it did get better in time. I loved all the female STEM reps in this book. I liked Kian and Lyric together, but the miscommunication trope just wasn’t it for me. The ending did make for that. Overall, this was a very slow burn, but a great light read!
Read if you like:
- Women in STEM
- Friends to lovers
- Fake dating
- Grad school setting
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Read if you like:
- Women in STEM
- Friends to lovers
- Fake dating
- Grad school setting
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
June 21, 2022
Lyric and Kian are best friends, they met in college and hit it off eventually becoming roommates. They share everything with each other and are incredibly close, relying on each other to get through their strenuous degree programs. Lyric has chosen to undertake the study of sexual chemistry, creating what she calls the Sizzle Paradox. It is the study of both physical and emotional attraction. The problem is she cannot find someone who she is compatible with to the prove her theory. She feels like a major fraud, Kian who is getting ready to graduate is trying to help her so he offers to tutor her to help her with her dating life.
I liked the fact that Lyric was a super smart driven girl. She graduated high school early and entered college and her major program for her degree at a young age. Kian was a incredibly supportive character to Lyric and did all the typical things a best friend should do and more. I also really enjoyed the academic element to this book.
What didn’t really work for me was, the entire book everyone the two MC’s talk to (and I mean almost every other character in this book) suggests that they would be perfect for each other and yet for Lyric and Kian a relationship between them is not even on their radar. But yet Lyric mentions laying in Kians lap and cuddling on the couch. I wouldn’t associate those things with my platonic friends. It was frustratingly obvious they had deeper feelings for each other that neither of the characters was aware enough to realize. The ending also felt rushed the huge conflict at the end of the book had been built up so much that I felt the resolution was to easy and smooth for what it was.
Because I listened to the audiobook version I want to say how absolutely amazing Brittany Pressley is at narration. I’ve listened to several books that she has read and every time she does a phenomenal job! Abhay Ahluwalia was the second narrator for the book, while I do enjoy switching voices for the different POV I found his voice to be a little flat and monotone.
Over all it was a cute romcom with a HEA ending. If your into science and friend to lovers or college romances this will be a great book for you.
I liked the fact that Lyric was a super smart driven girl. She graduated high school early and entered college and her major program for her degree at a young age. Kian was a incredibly supportive character to Lyric and did all the typical things a best friend should do and more. I also really enjoyed the academic element to this book.
What didn’t really work for me was, the entire book everyone the two MC’s talk to (and I mean almost every other character in this book) suggests that they would be perfect for each other and yet for Lyric and Kian a relationship between them is not even on their radar. But yet Lyric mentions laying in Kians lap and cuddling on the couch. I wouldn’t associate those things with my platonic friends. It was frustratingly obvious they had deeper feelings for each other that neither of the characters was aware enough to realize. The ending also felt rushed the huge conflict at the end of the book had been built up so much that I felt the resolution was to easy and smooth for what it was.
Because I listened to the audiobook version I want to say how absolutely amazing Brittany Pressley is at narration. I’ve listened to several books that she has read and every time she does a phenomenal job! Abhay Ahluwalia was the second narrator for the book, while I do enjoy switching voices for the different POV I found his voice to be a little flat and monotone.
Over all it was a cute romcom with a HEA ending. If your into science and friend to lovers or college romances this will be a great book for you.
July 13, 2022
A forgettable read.
Lately, I've really been into books with academics or doctors since that is what I do, but this book didn't even deliver on that front, ignoring its lack of romantic intrigue.
The book wasn't bad. It just was not memorable in any way. I didn't particularly care for Lyrics: I didn't really like her, but I didn't have a particularly strong negative feeling about her either. Kian was fine. Both just didn't seem to be fully fleshed out characters, and honestly they were quite immature.
The romance was uninteresting. It wasn't quite compelling, but I didn't dislike any of it either. As you can tell, this book was mediocre and forgettable.
And I'm out.
Lately, I've really been into books with academics or doctors since that is what I do, but this book didn't even deliver on that front, ignoring its lack of romantic intrigue.
The book wasn't bad. It just was not memorable in any way. I didn't particularly care for Lyrics: I didn't really like her, but I didn't have a particularly strong negative feeling about her either. Kian was fine. Both just didn't seem to be fully fleshed out characters, and honestly they were quite immature.
The romance was uninteresting. It wasn't quite compelling, but I didn't dislike any of it either. As you can tell, this book was mediocre and forgettable.
And I'm out.
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