“Why do you keep saying that?” “Saying what?” “ ‘Fake dating.’ Like it’s a thing.” “Because it is. Don’t you watch rom-coms?”
OK, I get the hype now. Who“Why do you keep saying that?” “Saying what?” “ ‘Fake dating.’ Like it’s a thing.” “Because it is. Don’t you watch rom-coms?”
OK, I get the hype now. Who knew I was into rom-coms?! But after The Spanish Love Deception, I just had to give this one a chance too. And it did not disappoint. It was funny, fast-paced, easy to read and even easier to love.
"HYPOTHESIS: Approximately two out of three fake-dating situations will eventually involve room-sharing; 50 percent of room-sharing situations will be further complicated by the presence of only one bed."
》》The Plot《《
Olive would do anything for her friends, so when Anh refuses to date Jeremy (Olive's ex), just because she's afraid of hurting Olive’s feelings, even after she had insisted time and time again that she didn’t mind, Olive does what any other normal girl would do: she lies. She tells her friend that she is already dating someone else and, when instead of being at the upmentioned nonexistent date she goes to the lab to run some experiments and Anh unexpectedly shows up, she does what any other normal ... wait no, scratch that, because no normal girl does that but, hey, who am I to judge, right? The point is, Olive ends up kissing the only man in the room with her, who happens to be none other than the most renowned brooding, dark and hot young professor Dr. Adam Carlsen. Who, for reasons of his own, agrees to keep this charade. And from here on, get ready for a proper rom-com, because you're in for a ride...
"HYPOTHESIS: When compared with multiple types and models of furniture, Adam Carlsen’s lap will be rated in the top fifth percentile for comfort, coziness, and enjoyment."
》》Ups and Downs《《 (but I don't have any downs for it, so it will just be a list of all the good reasons for picking this up)
✅ It's a really good rom-com. It's funny, it has a lot of situations that made me look down and grin like an idiot or outright laugh with tears and it's a light reading that catches you very fast. The writing is good and it's really easy to fall into this book and forget about your daily chores.
✅ The amazing side characters. I always love a novel that isn't focused only on the MCs and let me assure you: Anh, Malcolm and Holden were the perfect side characters. Anh ended up forcing Olive and Adam into so many hilarious scenes (usually involving shameless displays of affection in public) that she quickly became one of my favorite characters, if not my favorite one. Scenes like forcing Olive to sit on his lap in an overly crowded room.
"You’re taking up space we don’t have, and it’s only logical that you use Carlsen as a chair. I would, but he’s your boyfriend, not mine.”
Or insisting on Olive giving him a reward kiss. And don't even get me started on the sunscreen scene, because Anh was simply a constant source of unexpected and definitely funny scenes and I just loved her along the way.
"What do you think she’ll have us do next time?” He shrugged. “Hold hands?” “Feed each other strawberries?” “Good one.” “Maybe she’ll up her game.” “Fake wedding?”
And Malcolm and Holden? My favorite cinnamonrolls. They were so sweet and supportive (and it definitely helped a lot that they were also funny, while Holden had an unlimited amount of embarrassing stories from his and Adam's childhood).
✅ We get another brooding, dark-haired male, written by a woman, and that's something that will never stop making me fall instantly in love. I'm weird like that. But, joke aside, Dr, Adam Carlsen is a very good reason to pick up this book.
"How could I—and Adam Carlsen, of everyone. Who is into Adam Carlsen?” Malcolm snorted. “Everyone, Ol. He’s a tall, broody, sullen hunk with a genius IQ. Everyone likes tall, broody, sullen hunks with genius IQs.”
Malcom honestly said it all. And the chemistry between Andam and Olive?! Amazing. (And I pinky promise I'm not saying that just because they are working in a science department)
✅ The (unexpected) smut scenes were on point. I definitely need to keep reminding myself that just because it's a romcom, it doesn't mean there won't be any spice involved. Because once again I was tricked by a cover with cartoons, not that I complain about it. They were well written and only happened in one chapter, so the book definitely did not get to turn into a smutty romance.
✅ I loved the way it treated the topic of women in STEM. One of Anh's obsessions (apart from forcing Adam and Olive into situations that made their cheeks burn) was to ensure that girls who had an interest in science will have an easier way than she did. And that was amazing because it's still a big gap between men and women in STEM (and not only there, but still) and treating that subject in a rom-com was definitely not something I was expecting, but something I loved.
“What do I always tell you?” “Um . . . ‘Don’t misplace the multichannel pipette’?” “The other thing.” She sighed. “ ‘Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man.’ ”
》》Conclusion《《
1. Netflix, hurry up and snatch the rights for this! I'm waiting for the movie here. And don’t you dare do it dirty, because there's a lot of potential here. Also, can you imagine how funny it would be to get Adam Driver play Adam (since I understood this was meant to be a Reylo fanfiction) ?!
2. If you like romcoms, brooding males that happen to have a soft spot for a little Rey ray of sunshine, definitely pick this up. Also, if you liked The Spanish Love Deception, The Love Hypothesis is another good book to try.
“Have you considered getting a real girlfriend?” His eyebrow lifted. “Have you considered getting a real date?” “Touché.”...more
“Okay, that was …” Rosie’s voice trailed off, not ending the statement. “Maddening? Insulting? Bizarre?” I offered, bringing my hands to my face. “Unexp“Okay, that was …” Rosie’s voice trailed off, not ending the statement. “Maddening? Insulting? Bizarre?” I offered, bringing my hands to my face. “Unexpected,” she countered. “And interesting.”
Genre: contemporary romance, comedy Tropes: fake dating, enemies to lovers, one bed, slow-burn romance Series: The Spanish Love Deception #1 Cliffhanger: No Spice: 1.5 /5 ...more