This book! I am at a temporary loss for words on how to describe this book. So heartwarming, sweet, and endearing. I have never had a romantic comedy with such a touching happily ever after (HEA) that I was emotionally drained, in the best of ways, by the time I read the last page. One warning - I was not aware this was book #2 of a series when I read it. For those interested in reading the first book in the influencer series, Set on You, read it BEFORE reading this one as it does tell you essentially the entire third act of that book.
Tara Chen is a romance book reviewer who has a habit of blurring the lines between fantasy and fiction. With a recent breakup and an unexpected move, Tara finds herself desperately seeking her really life HEA. Taking her grandmother’s advice, Tara decides, with the help of her gorgeous firefighter roommate Trevor, to go back through her past and make her own second chance romance come true.
Trevor still can’t figure out how he has gotten roped into Tara’s “brilliant” plan to rekindle a relationship with a former ex in time for the Valentine’s Day gala. As each hilarious encounter crosses an ex off the list, Trevor finds himself, not only growing closer to his roommate, but becoming personally invested in her ending. The question is, can fantasy handle what reality has to offer.
What I like about the book: It was hilarious to see the role of a book influencer, book reviewer fictionalized. Going with the idea of life imitating art, imitating life; I had to wonder how much fellow influencers have blurred that line, especially in the realm of falling in love with fictional men - i.e. the coveted book boyfriend. I liked how Tara tried to keep her grip on reality but every situation spilled over to a trope for her, giving her the “answers” she needed to figure out the situation, not realizing that real life doesn’t work that way (which of course is hilarious as this is a roommates to friends to lovers trope making fun of itself!) As for spice - the heated scenes between Tara and Trevor will leave condensation on any window.
What I love about it: I loved how layered Trevor was in the book. Sure, he was the “hot playboy with a trouble past” but I enjoyed how Amy used that past, like a real person, to build his present. There is so much more to him than a pretty face and a great body. We get to know him as Tara does and we can see how the fantasy corrupts the realistic situations that do happen in real life (a much needed reminder that the guys normally written in your average romantic comedy are WRITTEN for women).
To dive even further, I loved how much Tara's grandmother shares her abundance of knowledge, dispelling the allure of the fantasy and grounding of reality through her advice. She’s right, problems can’t be fixed by one conversation and in real life, miscommunication is inevitable. It isn’t just about communicating, but learning how to effectively communicate (and there is nothing wrong with seeking outside help to make this happen). It is also important to speak your truth, consequences be darned because they're nothing more powerful than owning how you feel, who you are, and not compromising for the sake of not being judged.
For a romantic comedy novel to stand the test of time, it needs to be one that provokes such strong feelings, you are drawn to it time and time again to get that fix - whether it is overwhelming joy, a much needed laugh, confirmation of self worth, etc. This book provides all that and more. I can't wait for others to fall in love with this story and whatever else Amy writes in the future!