She plans to prove there’s a dozen reasons why life isn’t like a romantic comedy, only to discover the one reason it is…
While her friends wish for meet cutes worthy of their favorite rom-coms, Julia is ready to give up on love. Swiping right has replaced getting swept off your feet and good old-fashioned romance has become, well, old-fashioned.
A writer for a popular website, love becomes the last thing on her mind when impending layoffs threaten her job. As Julia searches for the ultimate pitch to impress her boss, she stumbles upon a resort offering guests a chance to live out their romantic comedy dreams. Real life dating is so bleak, who wouldn’t want to spend a week in a fantasy rom-com world with your best friends?
At the resort, Julia literally falls into a not-quite-meet-cute involving an aggressive seagull and an adorably awkward guy named Luke who is also participating in the rom-com experience. Julia hides the fact she is there to do a story, but Luke harbors a few secrets of his own. Among further encounters with thieving seagulls, a gaggle of corgis, kisses in the rain, and even a karaoke serenade, their feelings deepen quickly. But could their love be real when they haven’t been honest about their true identities? Once the fantasy is over, can they have a relationship in the real world?
Title: Too Good to Be Real
Author: Melonie Johnson
Publication Date: July 6, 2021
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genres: Adult, Romance, Contemporary
I wanted to love this book so much. I was ready to lay down my life defending it to everyone who had given it less than three stars. And then I read it *sigh*
I thought this book was going to be the paradise for hopeless romantics like me and it just wasn’t. And most of that had to do with the characters. This book was written in the third person so I already felt a little disconnected from the characters right off the bat. Then came the lack of emotional descriptions and the general lack of dimension for most of the characters. I was particularly disappointed in Luke. As the MMC, Luke is supposed to be likable and really lead the story and romance. That was not the case here. I think Luke was supposed to be awkward and a little shy, but still so adorable and lovable. I didn’t find him all that cute though. His awkwardness felt awkward. And his quirks were so not cute. I was not in love with this man and just wanted to cringe every time he made a grand gesture or spoke romantically. Not great for a romance novel.
Julia was fine as the FMC. She wasn’t my favorite person ever either, but she was fine. Her friends and the other guests at the resort were fun, but none of them really stuck out to me either.
Overall, I was disappointed in this book. I didn’t hate it completely and think the idea was really cute, but it wasn’t a win for me.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Rating
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I'm All Booked Up YA says
We’re sad to see it was disappointing because the description sounds amazing!!
The Book View says
I know! My rom-com loving heart had really been looking forward to this one