BOOK FRIENDS - why do I keep subjecting myself to romance in the hopes that it’s going to knock me off my feet when it truthfully just falls flat for me? Will I ever learn?Absolutely not but I like to think I might. But enough of that..let’s talk about the nitty gritty. 

So, first and foremost this has been praised as a re-telling of “When Harry Meets Sally” which I can with 100% certainty say I have never ever watched and after reading this I don’t know that I will. (#sorrynotsorry)

Here we’re following the relationship of Ari - a bisexual Comedian who moved to New York to follow her dreams though they keep seeming to crash around her & Josh - a Chef that is struggling with the expectations of what his Father wanted him to be and what he wants to be. Their first true, face-to-face interaction, is at Ari’s apartment when she finds out her roommate is ‘dating’ Josh (and she’s been sleeping with her roommate, too). Sworn to be mortal enemies, the world has an interesting way of constantly bringing them back together with meet-cute’s. But can they make it work? 

So, I will hand it to the story that the enemies to lovers trope is in full force here and it’s executed fairly well in about the first 25% of the book. The dynamics and banter between Ari and Josh is palpable and I love the small digs they can bring to each other and the comedic relief it brings. 

The next 50% of the book is the necessary building of their relationship - the ups and downs - every time you think they’re headed in a positive direction, they end up at the bottom of the hill again and have to start the climb all over. Truthfully, for me, it just seems like the characters are both genuinely so miserable that it’s almost unbearable. I know that they’re going through things while they’re trying to work on each other - but at some point the self-loathing gets old. And maybe that’s just a personal thing because I generally cannot stand people who ‘Whoa, is me’ constantly but won’t make any effort to freaking change it. 

The last 25% did pick up again and we can tell the story is going to wrap up, but it still seems to take SO SO long for them to get there as a couple and then it just ends. There isn’t a whole lot of resolution or how they fix things, it’s just like “Happily Ever After, The End” and I hate, hate, HATE that. 

So, I definitely think there is a group of people this is for (my wife being one of them) but I am not one of them.