This book had been on my radar since last year when it started popping up on some best lists and when I saw how much it was being checked out at my library.  I had heard mixed reviews but was looking for a quick, fun read that would fulfill one of my reading challenges.    There were things that I loved about this book but I can’t say it was the best romantic comedy I’ve read.   The writing was good though and I liked the characters enough that I enjoyed this book in the end.

When Alexa gets trapped in an elevator with attractive Drew, she thinks the most that will come out of their encounter is a few, flirty words before they go their own way.   But when Drew asks her to be his date to his ex-girlfriend’s wedding she finds herself saying yes, despite her reservations.  Soon, they are pretending to be a couple and finding themselves increasingly attracted to one another.  Can an agreed upon casual relationship turn into more?

First off, I loved that race was simultaneously not a big deal while also playing an important part to several scenes in the book.  Alexa is black, Drew is white and they don’t have a problem with it.  Their friends and family are also ok with this.  However, they also talk about how interracial dating is still not easy in today’s world and Alexa shares her feelings about being black with him in a few scenes.   I appreciated that the author, Jasmine Guillory didn’t shy away from this aspect of the plot but also didn’t feel the need to beat the reader over the head with the racial differences.  I found the most relatable part of this book was Alexa’s inner thoughts about fitting in and being liked.  I found her character to be very realistic and well-written, especially when she was worried about what she was wearing or how she would be perceived by Drew’s friends and family.  Every woman has had these thoughts at some point in their life and I found it refreshing that Guillory was able to convey this on the page and not have Alexa come across as too whiny or self-doubting.   For romance fans, there are a lot of sex scenes but nothing too graphic.  Very fade to black sometimes and not very descriptive so nothing that would be offensive to anyone.   I would be comfortable recommending this to anyone without the fear that they wouldn’t like it or find anything inappropriate in it.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was very readable and quick with not a lot of drama and enough romance and comedy to keep me interested.  I liked Guillroy’s writing enough that I read the sequel to this book after and enjoyed that one as well.   I would recommend to people looking for a fun read without a lot of drama.

Author: Jasmine Guillory

Published: 2018

Rating: 4 Stars