bookyloo

There are so many aspects of this book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Let's start with Drew's POV. So many times I have read a male POV and instantly (and sometimes painfully) knew it was written by a woman. Many (most?) men don't think like women, don't talk like women, don't even understand women. Remember that whole Venus/Mars thing? A lot of female writers I've encountered either forget this fact or simply can't cross over to the other side. Emma Chase is not one of those authors. Drew talks like a man, acts like a man, and thinks like a man. There aren't any moments of "no dude thinks like that" or "a guy like him would never say that." She managed to make me forget a woman wrote this story and that is a huge accomplishment. It was great.

I also enjoyed how Drew speaks to the reader. It reminded me of something I would expect to see and hear in a Joseph Gordon-Levitt film.

"What the hell does that even mean? Think about it. It will come to you."

The story is filled with moments where the reader is brought into the picture creating a sense of involvement. Those moments were often the ones that had me laughing the most. I found myself highlighting so many lines and passages not because they were great one-liners, but because Drew has a knack for explaining things in such an obtainable way, of providing insight to his perspective.

"You brush your teeth, right? Well, suppose your favorite toothpaste is Aquafresh. But the store is out. All they have is Colgate. What are you going to do? You're going to use the Colgate, right?

You may want to brush with Aquafresh, but when all is said and done, you use what you have to keep those pearly whites clean. See my way of thinking? Good."

Kate is another plus in this story. She is strong, confident, brilliant, and kindhearted. We actually get to see these traits; the same traits that Drew falls for. Finally, a newly-reformed cad with an actual reason to be reformed! I'm tired of reading about the "bad boy" suddenly changing his ways and failing to see why the girl is worth it. Kate has substance. She has class. She also is vulnerable but not a bunny-in-a-cage vulnerable. There is strength through her vulnerability. She refuses to settle for less than she deserves even if it scares her.

The budding romance between Drew and Kate unfolds at a nice pace. It wasn't ridiculously quick or obnoxiously slow. Their early phase reminded me a lot of David Addison and Maddie Hayes from Moonlighting or (as mentioned in the book) the Roses from The War of the Roses. They are feisty, competitive, relentless, and passionate. It was really fun to read and, thanks to Drew speaking to the reader, fun to experience along with them.

Overall, this was a fun, well-written story from a unique perspective that was pulled off successfully. I'm looking forward to reading more from Emma Chase.