Reading the synopsis, I thought I would really like this book (I mean, it's a great cover!). She and her mother own a food truck. He and his brother encroach on their territory. Hijinks ensue. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.
Like I mentioned in another romance review recently, maybe I've just grown past reading this type of story. It felt very New Adult. (Not that New Adult is bad. There's the struggles that someone in their 20s goes through -- hers are just a little more extreme than most since her father died. I'm just not in my 20s anymore.) The couple butt heads.
Honestly, their conflict felt a little forced, like they were enemies because the author wanted an enemies-to-lovers story, with the characters fighting because the author wants them to fight, rather than it being a natural evolution of events. The 'meet-cute head bump' felt really forced, with him being rude and her *way* over-reacting. It felt even more forced when compared to how he interacts with everyone else. His brother just lets it play out instead of stepping in, even though that seems like something he would do, because they need to fight right now.
Then, coinkydink of coinkydinks, they are seated next to each other, on the exact same plane ride to London. Talk about locking them in a room where they have to interact. And, lo and behold, once they talk, they like each other, begin sleeping together, and when they get back to the US, they secretly date.
I made it about 50% through this book and decided to give up. I stopped twice, muttering "Really? Really? He's an Adonis but you hate him?" And then, of course, he is a great guy once you get past the antagonism. Forced conflict. There's the contrived "we have to compete in a food truck contest, which will decide who of us gets to stay in this spot!" I mean, their businesses are both doing well. Do they really have to continue being squabbling 12 year-olds? Their customers couldn't take a simple "We decided that both of us can stay here and we've resolved our differences."? They could even keep up the prank routine, if they need that gimmick. Can't people be a little more mature than this idea of punishing them when they give up the drama?
In the end, I decided I didn't care. I didn't care who won the contest. I didn't care about whether Callum's going to stay in Hawaii or go back to Chicago. I didn't care about the fall out once they get serious and their relationship is discovered. I didn't care what the 3rd-act-separation trope will be. I just didn't care. You can tell that I really wasn't engaged when she's talking about dealing with her father's death and my empathy feeler didn't even twitch. I think at one point I actually rolled my eyed because it was just too dramatic. Not emotive, but extreme melodramatic reactions.
This could have been a fun story, but it ended up feeling really cliche to the point that a person who cries at commercials just felt 'meh.' I might have had a different reaction, if I was in my 20s. (Maybe not, because I can think of other stories - Spoiler Alert, for instance - who handled the angst of life-family-relationships really well.)
It's a disappointment and I don't know if I'm going to read something else by this author. Probably will read/watch reviews before I dip my toe back in the water.
I gave it a 2.5/5. Been there, done that. and read better.
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