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A review by turquoiseavenue
Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other by Bethany Turner
3.0
I wanted so much to like this story based off the synopsis and mixed tropes, but sadly, did not entirely enjoy it. I believe books are subjective though, so I suggest you give this story a try and see what you think for yourself!
For me, the pros were the beautiful, mountainous small-town setting. It had definite Virgin River vibes and the author brings it to life well. I also enjoyed the news anchor/ tv personality / journalist careers of the two main characters; that was unique and fun. Their backstories were solid and entertaining. In the second half of the story, the romantic and heartwarming elements were there - a hunky hero rescue moment, a swoon worthy kiss, tender reconnecting with long lost friends and a moment to save the day - but I didn't enjoy them as much as I would have if the first half of the story had been delivered differently. The secondary characters are totally lovable and support the small town vibes. Lastly, the cover is gorgeous and drew me in right away.
Now for me, the cons outweighed the pros. While I don't mind some pop-culture references, the ones in this story were far too frequent and constantly used as metaphors, making me skip over many of them simply because I didn't understand the reference.
Next, I was surprised to find I strongly disliked the FMC, Brynn, especially in the first half of the story. Her character is selfish, rude and obnoxious. She makes a huge mistake, setting up the possibility for definite character growth and redemption, but that didn't happen early enough for me nor was it heartfelt. Instead, her actions appeared to be swept under the rug to be ignored and she makes no grand gesture to right her wrong. Her attitude and behavior ruined the romance for me and the enemies to lovers trope that I chose this book for. The proverbial hate is forced, based off no prior interaction, and instead of flirty and fun, it's aggressive and mean-spirited. Then, it ends abruptly, and suddenly the lead characters are moving towards romantic emotions.
Also, the POV shifts between 1st person for Brynn and 3rd person for Seb. It got a little tiresome switching back and forth. I believe I'd have enjoyed 1st person POV for Sebastian much more!
Lastly, the subplots were only so-so. At times they felt overpowering to the actual romance, sometimes I wanted to learn more but never did and other times they were underwhelming.
In short, I liked the second half of the story much better than the first but did not care for the FMC overall, making the romance and tropes forced and less enjoyable than I hoped for.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.
For me, the pros were the beautiful, mountainous small-town setting. It had definite Virgin River vibes and the author brings it to life well. I also enjoyed the news anchor/ tv personality / journalist careers of the two main characters; that was unique and fun. Their backstories were solid and entertaining. In the second half of the story, the romantic and heartwarming elements were there - a hunky hero rescue moment, a swoon worthy kiss, tender reconnecting with long lost friends and a moment to save the day - but I didn't enjoy them as much as I would have if the first half of the story had been delivered differently. The secondary characters are totally lovable and support the small town vibes. Lastly, the cover is gorgeous and drew me in right away.
Now for me, the cons outweighed the pros. While I don't mind some pop-culture references, the ones in this story were far too frequent and constantly used as metaphors, making me skip over many of them simply because I didn't understand the reference.
Next, I was surprised to find I strongly disliked the FMC, Brynn, especially in the first half of the story. Her character is selfish, rude and obnoxious. She makes a huge mistake, setting up the possibility for definite character growth and redemption, but that didn't happen early enough for me nor was it heartfelt. Instead, her actions appeared to be swept under the rug to be ignored and she makes no grand gesture to right her wrong. Her attitude and behavior ruined the romance for me and the enemies to lovers trope that I chose this book for. The proverbial hate is forced, based off no prior interaction, and instead of flirty and fun, it's aggressive and mean-spirited. Then, it ends abruptly, and suddenly the lead characters are moving towards romantic emotions.
Also, the POV shifts between 1st person for Brynn and 3rd person for Seb. It got a little tiresome switching back and forth. I believe I'd have enjoyed 1st person POV for Sebastian much more!
Lastly, the subplots were only so-so. At times they felt overpowering to the actual romance, sometimes I wanted to learn more but never did and other times they were underwhelming.
In short, I liked the second half of the story much better than the first but did not care for the FMC overall, making the romance and tropes forced and less enjoyable than I hoped for.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.