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Review
3.5 stars
This is such a fun read! A witty comedy featuring a bachelor-ish reality show where a semi-wannabe-celebrity dates his ex-girlfriends in the hopes of finding the one who got away. But what if the hero is a douchebag, and two of the contestants end up falling for each other? It’s fantastically entertaining, and my very first f/f romance, and I really enjoyed this one!
Maya is a feisty high school graduate who is unsure what her future holds, and her life takes a strange twist when she receives an invite to appear on the reality show Second Chance Romance. Her ex-boyfriend, Jordy is now semi-famous because his older sister married royalty, and he has become the media’s golden child. Maya knows the real Jordy though, the man who cheated on her and broke her heart. She initially refuses to have anything to do with the show until she realises this is her chance for vengeance – she can show the real world who the true Jordy is, and she’s totally on board.
Skye is quiet and reserved, and she was the next woman in Jordy’s life after Maya. Of course, she has no idea that she was actually ‘the other woman’, and she fell hard for his charms. When she’s offered the chance to appear on the reality show, she sees it as a true second chance with Jordy, and after a heartfelt plea from Jordy himself, she agrees, hoping that she’ll truly get her second chance.
So, the two girls head off to the small European country where Jordy now lives, along with four of Jordy’s other exes. There, they are set up in a mansion for 7 weeks while he dates each of them. Six girls all alone and vying for the same man? Let the games begin!
“Stop looking at me. Why are you always looking at me?”
“Because you’re always there,” she snaps, climbing the bunk bed. “To my unending disappointment.”
“Yeah, well, it’s my…unending disappointment…to be stuck with you, too,” I shoot back.
Nailed it. Devastating blow. She’ll regret verbally sparring with me tomorrow.
Except that Maya isn’t really vying for Jordy, and it turns out she’s not alone. And behind the scenes, things are so different from what is seen on TV. It’s about as staged and unromantic as you can get, and it’s so funny to watch.
“Haven’t you noticed, Maya? Is it really possible you haven’t noticed?”
“Noticed what?” I play along.
He takes my hands across the table. “How you’ve captured me.”
Oh, fucking gag me with a wet rag. “Did you write that line, or did you have help?”
It’s a fun set up with a great mix of characters and one very douchey ex-boyfriend. And after a rocky start, the girls start to bond and they begin to wonder just what exactly they are competing for. But it’s Maya and Skye who eventually form a strong connection, and from both of their perspectives, we get to watch as they slowly, naturally and easy begin to fall for each other.
“I don’t know how to begin defining us.”
“I can kick us off? We’re Maya and Skye. We fit together like we were made that way on purpose. How’s that for a definition?”
It’s really sweet and has the feel of a friends-to-lovers relationship as these two former enemies, now friends, try to figure out what’s between them, all while playing up for the cameras so that they can get their revenge on the man who betrayed them both. It’s a bit of a strange dynamic for them to be stuck in the middle of, trying to figure out how to navigate the show, their revenge plans, and their feelings for each other, and it’s a funny and entertaining ride, with a ending that left me feeling completely satisfied.
If, like me, you’ve never read f/f romance before, this is a fantastic book to start with. It’s a YA/NA book, the love story feels so natural, and it’s steam-free and completely safe for young readers. But it’s really heartfelt, and I thought the romance was beautifully written.
My body chose her to be my home. It recognizes her as mine … She feels like my safe place. She feels like finding a missing part of my soul that was floating around in space until it finally burst into my orbit, and I latched on to it. I latched on to her.
I really enjoyed this one!
3.5 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.