I asked for a birding meet cute in a romance novel to fulfill a Pop Sugar Reading Challenge prompt and Sarah immediately texted me about Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb. I got it from my library the next day.
A few things.
1) The cover is perfection.
2) Stephany left a comment about this book on that post I linked to above.
3) Stephany is right.
Interesting characters: Celeste's exuberance and chaotic energy made me side-eye Dubb that maybe she has met me. Celeste feels real and maybe reflected back at me a bit too closely for comfort. But the male lead is dull as dishwater. Celeste needs a man with some spice. Fine. It's fine.
Believable conflict: You know what? Sure. Celeste is newly divorced and trying to figure out who she is without a partner dragging her down. John (man, it's even the most boring of names - sorry to all the Johns out there, but you might want to have a talk with your parents about why they couldn't be even the teeniest bit creative) has recently lost his job and isn't sure what to do for work. Celeste is A LOT and I can see why their situations and their personalities would create some classic uncommunication.
Emotional tension: I think that's what this book was missing most.
Happily ever after: Real talk. I feel like my husband could probably find a woman more suited to him, but I think he's hilarious and the smartest person in the world and I think he thrives with my enthusiasm and brashness. But I don't think these two (fictional characters - it's okay to talk about fictional characters like this, right?) are going to work out because they are not meant for each other. I think John is going to get frustrated with her real quick.
Look, the meet cute is FABULOUS. Celeste is FABULOUS. But the book is meh. I look forward to future books from Dubb, though. Maybe she can figure out how to write a man who isn't a door mat.
3/5 stars
Lines of note:
"We start with discovery, and we go from there." (page 24)
I liked this so much. YES! Let's discover and then ask questions.
"If I ever need a reminder of why I'm single, I just think about how Andrea won't even make plans without checking Bridgette's calendar." (page 151)
What? Seriously. I look at our shared calendar before I make plans because that's what you do in a healthy relationship? If Dr. BB has plans and I'm going to make plans at the same time, we have to make sure someone is home to walk the dog, feed the cat, etc. This was such a crazy sentence.
Thing I looked up:
Are birding contests a real thing? Yes. Also, WTF?
Hat mentions (why hats?):
wide-brimmed straw hat (page 21)
worn baseball hat (page 54)
floppy hat (page 300, 303)
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Can we all agree to listen to Stephany about the quality of romance novels from here on out? Would you do a birding competition? Do you think birding competitions sound crazy? If you have a partner, do you consult their calendar before you make plans?
Hahaha, Stephany's review! The title is great though.
ReplyDeleteI don't consult Rob's calendar but I do generally ask him if he's free prior to making plans, like a normal person would!
I am glad you found a book that fit the category! However, I am sorry it was not up to snuff. At least you got it done, and at least it had hat references! I would totally rely on Stephany when it comes to romances, I would probably do a birding (or any) competition, and I do not have a partner, but do have a family calendar that I may consult depending on the situation!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, this is the book I was thinking of, and it sounds just like I would have imagined. This is why I don't read romances!!! Okay, I know, some are better than others. This one sounds dumb.
ReplyDeleteLet's see. My husband doesn't have a calendar, which leads to situations like: I see him getting ready to walk out the door and I'm like "Where are you going?" Then he'll claim he told me about this or that event. We do have a family calendar hanging in the kitchen, and when things are going well I get him to write all his things on it for the month. To be fair, he probably does tell me about these things, but I need to see them written down or I won't remember.
Ha- I'm sure your husband is getting exactly what he wants from your relationship. If he wanted something different, he would have married someone else!
Hooray for birding and birds. If I read romances, this would be one I'd definitely go for.
ReplyDeleteRick and I have a shared calendar on our Iphones. It's really helpful. We are old people, so most entries are doctor appointments and babysitting commitments.
I believe in the Opposites Attract thing. The priest who pre-marital counseled us (back when I was still a Catholic) called Rick and I the Clash Of Two Worlds. We have almost identical values, but our hobbies, knowledge bases, and temperaments are completely different. Still, we've made it work for decades--almost forever!
Your husband likely feels he has nothing of substance to complain about. Judging simply by how you show up for your friends, I'm sure you're the best thing to happen to him, ever.