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A review by solaceinprose
Mr Right Across the Street by Kathryn Freeman
3.0
Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgally for the ARC for an honest review.
This is the third book of Kathryn Freeman's I've read, and I enjoyed it immensely. I definitely will say it was a bit sexier than her other books. That isn't something I'm complaining about. I felt that there were far less fade to black scenes in this book than in her previous ones. The sex scenes, however, were not over the top or smutty if that is something you're worried about. They weren't melt your clothes off, I need 14 glasses of water, and a cold shower hot, but I felt that with Kathryn's writing, they were fitting.
The whole "not like other women" trope was a bit too much in my face as a reader. I appreciate that Mia wasn't one to dress up or put on makeup just to impress a man, but I found the underlying attitude about the women who did was a bit put off. It was very present in the book, especially towards the previous women in Luke's life. Mia can't be bothered to put on make up or dress up in slinky dresses and high heels, and that's fine for her. What the other women did with their lives or wardrobe was no one's business but their own, but Mia made it very clear how she felt about them even if didn't outright say anything negative. Girl, let them do their thing, you do yours, and we can all live in a much happier world.
My biggest issue with this book was Mia's constant judgment about Luke's past sex life. The man is attractive, single, and didn't want anything serious. That is perfectly fine. It would be no different if Mia had a similar past. If you're two consenting adults and are careful, what is the big deal? This seems to be more of the author's view that is slipping into her characters, because this is an on-going theme in her books. It was just more present in this one because of who Luke is as a character. Mia continuously brings up his past sex life, almost to the point where I kept wondering why Luke was bothering with her in the first place.
I will say this about Kathryn's books. The conflict can be a bit of a stretch, but it doesn't make it less real. Her male leads aren't assholes with toxic behaviors like extreme jealousy, possessiveness, or are straight assholes. I liked Luke. He tried to give Mia agency, even when it came to a scene with her previous ex, and although he missed her when they couldn't spend time together, he understood she had her life and he had his. I also enjoy that her characters TALK. Yes, it may be a day or two (or three or four) before they have a much needed conversation, but they do talk. Mia and Luke talked through their issues, and even though Mia made me want to beat my head against the wall at times, you could see their growth through their conversations as they both tried to overcome past experiences and current obstacles.
If you like quick, beach read, healthy-esque type rom-coms, I recommend this. I enjoyed it, and I've come to appreciate Freeman's writing as a romance author.
This is the third book of Kathryn Freeman's I've read, and I enjoyed it immensely. I definitely will say it was a bit sexier than her other books. That isn't something I'm complaining about. I felt that there were far less fade to black scenes in this book than in her previous ones. The sex scenes, however, were not over the top or smutty if that is something you're worried about. They weren't melt your clothes off, I need 14 glasses of water, and a cold shower hot, but I felt that with Kathryn's writing, they were fitting.
The whole "not like other women" trope was a bit too much in my face as a reader. I appreciate that Mia wasn't one to dress up or put on makeup just to impress a man, but I found the underlying attitude about the women who did was a bit put off. It was very present in the book, especially towards the previous women in Luke's life. Mia can't be bothered to put on make up or dress up in slinky dresses and high heels, and that's fine for her. What the other women did with their lives or wardrobe was no one's business but their own, but Mia made it very clear how she felt about them even if didn't outright say anything negative. Girl, let them do their thing, you do yours, and we can all live in a much happier world.
My biggest issue with this book was Mia's constant judgment about Luke's past sex life. The man is attractive, single, and didn't want anything serious. That is perfectly fine. It would be no different if Mia had a similar past. If you're two consenting adults and are careful, what is the big deal? This seems to be more of the author's view that is slipping into her characters, because this is an on-going theme in her books. It was just more present in this one because of who Luke is as a character. Mia continuously brings up his past sex life, almost to the point where I kept wondering why Luke was bothering with her in the first place.
I will say this about Kathryn's books. The conflict can be a bit of a stretch, but it doesn't make it less real. Her male leads aren't assholes with toxic behaviors like extreme jealousy, possessiveness, or are straight assholes. I liked Luke. He tried to give Mia agency, even when it came to a scene with her previous ex, and although he missed her when they couldn't spend time together, he understood she had her life and he had his. I also enjoy that her characters TALK. Yes, it may be a day or two (or three or four) before they have a much needed conversation, but they do talk. Mia and Luke talked through their issues, and even though Mia made me want to beat my head against the wall at times, you could see their growth through their conversations as they both tried to overcome past experiences and current obstacles.
If you like quick, beach read, healthy-esque type rom-coms, I recommend this. I enjoyed it, and I've come to appreciate Freeman's writing as a romance author.