e-Audio, 09:11:38
Narrated by: Lori Prince
Release Date: May 23, 2023
Published by: HarperAudio
Read from: May 23-24, 2023
Stand-alone
Source: Audible Credit
TW: Emotional Abuse, Alcoholism, Toxic Parenting, Classism
For Readers Interested In: Romance, Sports (Weight Lifting), LGBTQ+, Realistic Fiction, LOLSometimes true love takes a little heavy lifting
The gym is Lizzie’s life–it’s her passion, her job, and the only place that’s ever felt like home. Unfortunately, her bosses consider her a glorified check-in girl at best, and the gym punching bag at worst.
When their son, Lizzie’s best friend, James, begs her to be his plus one at his perfect sister Cara’s wedding, things go wrong immediately, and culminate in Lizzie giving a drunken pep talk to a hot stranger in the women’s bathroom–except that stranger is actually the bride-to-be, and Lizzie has accidentally convinced her to ditch her groom.
Now, newly directionless Cara is on a quest to find herself, and Lizzie–desperate to make sure her bosses never find out her role in this fiasco–gets strong-armed by James into “entertaining” her. Cara doesn’t have to know it’s a setup; it’ll just be a quick fling before she sobers up and goes back to her real life. After all, how could someone like Cara fall for someone like Lizzie, with no career and no future?
But the more Lizzie gets to know Cara, the more she likes her, and the bigger the potential disaster if any of her rapidly multiplying secrets get out. Because now it’s not just Lizzie’s job and entire future on the line, but also the girl of her dreams.
*MY THOUGHTS*
The way I was so excited when I saw that Jennifer Dugan had another book coming out soon! I didn’t even notice this was her debut adult novel until I went to pre-order it on Audible. I was just excited to get more words from her. Although her last YA wasn’t my favorite, I just KNEW it was because I was going to love this one. And sure enough, I did!
Maybe I’m just a weirdo, but I actually thought this was hella funny. I say that because I’ve read a couple reviews on this book and a lot of them were saying the character I thought that was funny actually wasn’t lol I know reading is subjective, but I always feel some type of way when I’m the Black Sheep lol And I guess I am in this one too. But oh well. I thought James and Lizzie were hilarious. That’s why they were besties. I also really liked Cara. She was weird as hell, so basically, like me. I thought it was cute, so i loved her too. I haven’t laughed that hard from a book in so long.
Also, I really need to stop going in to books blind. I had no idea what this was about, just that Dugan had written it, so I added it to my TBR. But man, I was dreading the ending to that bathroom convo. I was cringing so hard. I always know when I like a book because then I feel way too attached and start to feel second hand feelings. And this one was no different. I felt bad for Cara, but I was also embarrassed for Lizzie because man how do you tell your bestie that? I got what she did, but I also thought/knew she was wrong for that. This book was so damn messy but it was like I couldn’t look away? Idk it was so good.
The romance was very cute. I hated that they began on a lie tho. I have way too much anxiety to do something like that. I’d really have to convince myself to not think about it. Which is probably why this book stressed me so much. But as it went on the way they KEPT lying, I was on 10! The third act break up was dumb tho. Literally every fucking body in this book was lying about something. How in the hell were they all mad at her?! Why did they think their lies were ok but hers was the thing that made everyone mad. I just didn’t understand it. But I DID understand how all these things came to a head tho. That’s what happens when you lie.
This book was hella messy, but it was also hella good. I really want y’all to read this so we can also get a book from James’ POV. We know who it’s with….. But I’d really like to see what they have going on either after the thing at the end of this, OR if we could get one that happened at the same time as this one. Idk I think that’d be cool. Until then, I guess I have to just read her next YA book, The Last Girls Standing.
Overall, I give this
