Carey, like all of Christina Lauren’s protagonists is a force to be reckoned with, feisty and fierce, but above all she is extremely relatable ... [a] refreshing and realistic take on adulthood ... I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Christina Lauren excels at writing characters that make the reader feel understood and seen. The struggles of trying to find friends while working more than 50 hours a week and looking forward to a week of lying on the couch catching up on Netflix only to have that snatched away by more work was so relatable that I kept finding myself nodding at the book as I kept flipping the pages ... This book felt like Christina Lauren going back to their roots in the best possible way and their writing style perfectly honed over years of writing together and the best parts, the quick-witted banter, the swoon-worthy romance still very much intact ... After numerous published novels together, one thing is clear: this author duo has cemented itself firmly in the top tier of the romance genre and deservedly so ... A refreshing and charming romance, perfect for long-time fans of the author duo and newer readers who want to have a little smile on their face for 320 pages straight.
The comedic beats are sharp and always impeccably timed to temper some of the more serious moments, and feel like a well-placed reminder that everything is going to be okay. Fans of Lauren will be delighted that their writing is as rock solid as ever, and newcomers should look forward to beginning what will undoubtedly become a life-long love affair with the author duo.
Lauren...delivers a breezy, tongue-in-cheek rom-com ... Playfully poking fun at the world of DIY TV, Lauren’s romance is as insightful as it is irreverent. Readers will laugh out loud.
Using a framing device similar to that of Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies, the story flashes forward to interview transcripts with the police that hint at a dramatic ending to come, and the chapters often end with gossip in the form of online comments, adding intrigue. Bonding over bad bosses allows James and Carey to stick up for each other while supplying readers with all the drama and wit of the enemies-to-lovers trope ... When a book has such great comic timing, it's easy to finish the story in one sitting.