You know how, after a perfectly shitty day at school/work, plonking yourself down on the couch with your coffee/hot chocolate/glass of wine and watching your favourite cheesy chicklit is the most satisfying thing ever? Yes? Good, because this book was completely and utterly the book version of that. I’m not going to pretend the story wasn’t a little too cheesy or the characters a little over-the-top - because they were. But can we just say how much fun this story was? It made me laugh and smile and blush at its adorableness. I seriously don’t see how you couldn’t adore the banter and spark between Phoebe and Dev. I was invested in their story. I cared. I cried. It was just much fun. If you love chicklit or funny, slightly cheesy romances in any form than you must, must, must give this one a go.

I loved our protagonist, Phoebe. She was such a relatable character. Her bookishness was realistic and provided a lot of perfect moments. She cosplayed, she obsessed over her favourite book boyfriends, she highlighted her favourite quotes - she led the life of a fangirl, like so many of us readers do. What I loved most about Phoebe though was that she never wavered from her bookish habits. Too often characters are “cured” of their introverted nature by the end of their book - as if having a boyfriend/girlfriend means they cannot enjoy time alone - but Phoebe is still Phoebe and it’s perfect.

Also, round of applause for the diversity in this story! Not only do we have an interracial romance (Dev is also Hindu), but there are also Jewish and lesbian characters. It’s always nice to see a diverse cast of characters, and there were some great moments were Dev and Phoebe talked through some issues. It was done so well.

The female friendship was also done incredibly well. Phoebe had different relationships with her friends but they were done well. I loved that her friends slowly grew more and more supportive of her. They weren’t perfect and yeah, sometimes they did crappy things or made decisions that didn’t work out so well, but they grew from that and I think it was an honest depiction of high school friendships.

Overall?

This book is fluffy and light. It has it’s cheesy moments and sometimes there’s some drama that will make you roll your eyes. But it’s quick and fun. You’ll love the characters. The banter will make you laugh, and Dev will make you blush and swoon. A great contemporary romance. Not one to miss!

P.S. The title, cover and synopsis of the sequel was just revealed, and it looks like we're getting Em's story next!