Re-read (October 2021): wanted to read this after reading The Charm Offensive and I am very glad I did! Luc and Oliver are excellent. This book is hilarious. Bridget continues to be the best. I am glad I now have this obscure reference to a Ferrero Rocher commercial from the 90s to pull out and flabbergast people with.
When reading this book again, after having read MANY romance novels in the intervening time, I realize it’s long in the best way–Luc actually learns from his mistakes and has time to reflect, mess up, and make things right. The best arcs give characters time to behave like us normal humans do, which is to say not everyone is my mother who was told one day by her doctor to start exercising and has never missed more than a week or two since.
The length also gives Luc time to delve into the relationship with his father, but here Hall does something really unique (and vaguely spoilery, so in white: [she lets the relationship…not heal? His father is sort of a dick, and has been for many years, and once it’s clear that he doesn’t actually have cancer he…goes back to being a dick?]). Relationships are hard work, and happy ever after isn’t a guarantee even with your flesh and blood.
I cannot wait for the follow-up, Husband Material.
Original review (July 2020): This book is practically DRIPPING in your standard British rom com tropes–the quirky cast of co-dependent friends, costume parties, piling into questionable automobiles to make Grand Romantic Gestures. For heavens’ sake, the Token Straight Friend’s name is Bridget and she goes by Bridge, like hello paging Helen Fielding.
I will also like to point out here that our Muslim lesbian friend is named PRIYA which, if you are South Asian, will be jarring af when it comes out (that she is Muslim, not that she is a lesbian). Because Priya is…not a Muslim name. At least, it suggests a whole history (one Hindu parent?) that might also have been relevant in a conversation about why our sapphic friend eschews pork but not alcohol. Poor copy editing! This is why representation matters.
But in any case, this is a story of a self-professed Hot Mess who agrees to a Fake Relationship for trope reasons that make so much sense (the issue is, of course, that his job cannot both be meaningless and mean so much that he needs to find a Fake Boyfriend) (but that is me being nitpicky, I know). I usually find self destructive characters to be The Most, but in this case I was charmed by Luc and intrigued with why Oliver would put up with him. I was rooting for the two, and barely noticed that this book was longer than most in its genre (that genre being, of course, romantic novels with bright block-y primary color covers) (you know what I mean).
I wish we’d spent more time addressing Oliver’s issues, but as noted this book was already pushing 400+ pages (I think). And this wasn’t his story, per se. Recommend all around!