Welcome to my buddy-read review for Bad At Love that I read with my bloggerwife, Brandee @ BookwormBrandee :)
Hi wifey! I'm so happy we buddy read Bad at Love - you know, Karina Halle seems to be our go-to author for these. ;) Okay, let's chat!1) What did you think of Laz's serial monogamy?I found it very interesting that he dated for periods of time but always had a girl to move to immediately - and that it was easy because he never got close to a girl or let them get close to him. It said a lot about his feelings on relationships even though he felt he was doing a good thing.
I thought that Laz’s serial monogamy was a way for him to not be alone, but also to not be invested. He made himself believe what he did was OK, because he didn’t cheat. However, he also didn’t really give his girlfriends a chance, as he always knew there was an expiration date.
2) And what about Lax's career? Poet? Lead singer of a cover band?I felt both were ways to keep people from really knowing him since poetry is open to interpretation and singing someone else's lyrics allows you to hide. Both were brilliant ways to develop Laz's character and convey the issues he had due to his past. But I loved that he was open with Marina - showed her his true self - and it was easy with her.
Yummy! I loved both his poetry and his music - even when he sang cover songs, he kind of did make them his own. But yeah, he always took the safe road, not taking risks or showing anyone who he really was. I loved his and Marina’s friendship too - you know friends to lovers stories are among my favorites, and with Bad at Love, that was one of the things that really made me swoon.
3) Marina was quirky and I loved her for it. How do you think her childhood influenced her career and relationship choices?I adored the bee lady! She was out to save everyone - and the planet - one bee at a time. So her career said a lot about her need to save since she was unable to save someone close to her and I think she felt she failed at saving another someone close to her as well. Her relationships and the way she sabotaged them was a self-preservation mechanism. You can't get hurt if you don't let anyone close. In that way, she and Laz were similar. And yet they let themselves be close to each other...because romance was out of the equation. Until it wasn't.
I adored Marina and her awkward dorkiness! It was so funny how she’d have extra coffee and then too much wine at her third date - making sure it would be a disaster, then doing her bee-dance at the end :D Definitely a self-preservation mechanism, plus, I am pretty sure her subconscious knew there was only one man for her, all the others were just fillers.
4) Marina and Laz's friendship was miraculous considering how "bad" at love they were. Did you think Laz had ulterior motives for his suggestion about them fake dating or do you think he was genuine and then genuinely surprised by the results?I thought he had ulterior motives until I saw his reaction to how good they were together. I was happy about that - but I also felt Marina needed the fake dating to get past her "need" to sabotage things. Then of course I wanted to string up Laz for doing what he always did. I mean, I understood but that was when he should have leaned on Marina...*sigh* All's well that ends well though. 😁
I don’t think Laz had ulterior motives per se, but he did have strong feelings for her from the beginning, I’m sure of that. However, when things started getting more tangled, he really didn’t know what to do with all those feelings he had kept at bay for so long. I cried with Marina when Laz was stupid like that. And while I could kind of understand him, I had hoped he’d be stronger with her.
5) What did you think overall? And did you get a feeling that this might have been a bit autobiographical? Marina? Lazarus "Scott"?Overall, I liked Bad at Love. I do love a friends-to-lovers romance and this one just really worked for me. I loved that they'd found their "weirdo" and *finally* figured it out. And I did wonder at whether this was semi-autobiographical since Marina is similar to Karina and her husband's name is Scott... In any event, it was a great read!
I didn’t even think of that at all! Autobiographical? Eh...
I loved that Laz and Marina found their weirdo, too, what more can we all ask for, right? I’ve even found more than one weirdo, since I now also have you, wifey ;)
"But you like girls," he says. "You know that." I nod. "I do. But sexuality is just a part of who we are, it's not everything. And just because you like girls, doesn't mean your life is magically easier, either. Believe me."
I've actively worked hard to see Laz as a friend and just a friend, all the while it would have been so incredibly easy to just give in and just admit to myself that I want him.
I glance at her and her attention is out the window, watching the passing cars. Something in the car is changing, the space and air between us. There never used to be tension and now it feels thick enough to choke you. I can't tell if it's just that we're going somewhere fancy, if it's the infamous third date, or that I can still feel her lips crushed against mine.
Thanks for stopping by today! Be sure to stop by Brandee's blog too :) Our chats are always fun - at least they are to us ;)