What do you think?
Rate this book
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend
Winnifred Gobaldi and Byron Visser are not best friends.
Yes, they’ve known each other for years, but they’re not even friendly. Winnie considers them more like casual, distant acquaintances who find each other barely tolerable, especially when he's being condescending (which is all the time).
The truth is, they have nothing in common. She’s a public school science teacher with stars in her eyes, and he’s a pretentious, joyless double PhD turned world-famous bestselling fiction author. She loves sharing her passion for promulgating women in STEM careers and building community via social media, and he eschews all socialization, virtual or otherwise. She’s looking for a side hustle to help pay down a mountain of student debt, and his financial portfolio is the stuff of fiduciary wet dreams. So why are they faking a #bestfriend relationship for millions of online spectators?
When a simple case of tit-for-tat trends between nonfriends leads to a wholly unexpected kind of pretend, nothing is simple. Sometimes, it takes a public audience to reveal the truth of private feelings, and rarely—very rarely—you should believe what you see online.
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend is a full-length, complete standalone, adult contemporary romantic comedy.
Yes, they’ve known each other for years, but they’re not even friendly. Winnie considers them more like casual, distant acquaintances who find each other barely tolerable, especially when he's being condescending (which is all the time).
The truth is, they have nothing in common. She’s a public school science teacher with stars in her eyes, and he’s a pretentious, joyless double PhD turned world-famous bestselling fiction author. She loves sharing her passion for promulgating women in STEM careers and building community via social media, and he eschews all socialization, virtual or otherwise. She’s looking for a side hustle to help pay down a mountain of student debt, and his financial portfolio is the stuff of fiduciary wet dreams. So why are they faking a #bestfriend relationship for millions of online spectators?
When a simple case of tit-for-tat trends between nonfriends leads to a wholly unexpected kind of pretend, nothing is simple. Sometimes, it takes a public audience to reveal the truth of private feelings, and rarely—very rarely—you should believe what you see online.
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend is a full-length, complete standalone, adult contemporary romantic comedy.
438 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 12, 2022
About the author
Penny Reid
79 books21.5k followersSign up for the newsletter of awesome: www.pennyreid.ninja/newsletter
Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she writes kissing books. Penny is an obsessive knitter and manages the #OwnVoices-focused mentorship incubator / publishing imprint, Smartypants Romance. She lives in Seattle Washington with her husband, three kids, and dog named Hazel.
FOLLOW PENNY:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pennyreidwriter
Twitter: www.twitter.com/reidromance
Instagram:www.instagram.com/reidromance
Just Released:
October 20, 2022: Folk Around and Find Out, Good Folk: Modern Folktales, Book 2
Upcoming Releases:
December 13, 2022: Drama King, Three Kings Series, Book 2
Currently Working On:
2023: Pride and Dad Jokes, Ideal Man, Book 1
Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of the Winston Brothers and Knitting in the City series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she writes kissing books. Penny is an obsessive knitter and manages the #OwnVoices-focused mentorship incubator / publishing imprint, Smartypants Romance. She lives in Seattle Washington with her husband, three kids, and dog named Hazel.
FOLLOW PENNY:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pennyreidwriter
Twitter: www.twitter.com/reidromance
Instagram:www.instagram.com/reidromance
Just Released:
October 20, 2022: Folk Around and Find Out, Good Folk: Modern Folktales, Book 2
Upcoming Releases:
December 13, 2022: Drama King, Three Kings Series, Book 2
Currently Working On:
2023: Pride and Dad Jokes, Ideal Man, Book 1
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,112 reviews
December 3, 2022
this shit was absolutely NUTS. top 10 weirdest romance i've ever read. maybe top 5.
totally agree with the reviewer that said this was like ali hazelwood meets elena armas. the characters are weirdly immature but then the virgin hero drunkenly is like "hey i'd like to crack that pussy open like a walnut. use a spreader bar and treat you NAUGHTY" and she's like... hm. sounds great. but then he's like BUT I DON'T WANT TO LOSE OUR FRIENDSHIP LET'S NOT ACTUALLY HAVE SEX. and she's like ok i guess i gotta be his friend but also touch his wiener?
if all that sounds weird it doesn't begin to cover it.
i mean... i didn't hate it. it felt like a fanfic fever dream. but it did not feel like the penny reid i know. i like to think she drank a lot of cough syrup during the pandemic before she wrote this one.
totally agree with the reviewer that said this was like ali hazelwood meets elena armas. the characters are weirdly immature but then the virgin hero drunkenly is like "hey i'd like to crack that pussy open like a walnut. use a spreader bar and treat you NAUGHTY" and she's like... hm. sounds great. but then he's like BUT I DON'T WANT TO LOSE OUR FRIENDSHIP LET'S NOT ACTUALLY HAVE SEX. and she's like ok i guess i gotta be his friend but also touch his wiener?
if all that sounds weird it doesn't begin to cover it.
i mean... i didn't hate it. it felt like a fanfic fever dream. but it did not feel like the penny reid i know. i like to think she drank a lot of cough syrup during the pandemic before she wrote this one.
Want to read
April 12, 2022
★★Now Live!★★
“One of my top reads of 2022 and one of my all time favourite Penny Reid books!” –PP’s Bookshelf
Ahhhh! The time is NOW! ‘Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend’ is LIVE all across the interwebs. I cannot wait for you to meet Winnie and Byron. They are so WEIRD. But if you’re here…then you’re probably okay with that. ❤
★★Reserve Your Copy TODAY!★★
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3EV4yPv
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09PC7WTRG
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09PC7WTRG
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09PC7WTRG
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3HzF78e
Nook: https://bit.ly/3sTANME
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3ERL4LU
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3mOvjPp
Smashwords: https://bit.ly/3mUOffH
Amazon Print: Coming Release Week
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3FT90Q6
★★BLURB★★
Winnifred Gobaldi and Byron Visser are not best friends.
Yes, they’ve known each other for years, but they’re not even friendly. Winnie considers them more like casual, distant acquaintances who find each other barely tolerable, especially when he’s being condescending (which is all the time).
The truth is, they have nothing in common. She’s a public school science teacher with stars in her eyes, and he’s a pretentious, joyless double PhD turned world-famous bestselling fiction author. She loves sharing her passion for promulgating women in STEM careers and building community via social media, and he eschews all socialization, virtual or otherwise. She’s looking for a side hustle to help pay down a mountain of student debt, and his financial portfolio is the stuff of fiduciary wet dreams. So why are they faking a #bestfriend relationship for millions of online spectators?
When a simple case of tit-for-tat trends between nonfriends leads to a wholly unexpected kind of pretend, nothing is simple. Sometimes, it takes a public audience to reveal the truth of private feelings, and rarely—very rarely—you should believe what you see online.
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend is a full-length, complete standalone, adult contemporary romantic comedy.
December 21, 2022
5 stars
Is this my new favorite Penny Reid book? Yes. Yes it is. I was obsessed with this book and these characters. It gave me the best kind of butterflies while reading. I had a smile on my face the entire time and I honestly could not have loved this more than I did!
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend starts with Winnie, a teacher involved in STEM and someone who has a platform on the side that encourages every young person (specifically females) to get involved. She’s working towards something big but needs bigger numbers to get there. Here comes the idea from her best friend… find someone to do popular TikTok challenges with to make her channel more relatable to all.
This is where Byron comes in. Byron is a mutual friend of Winnies, as he is close with her best friend and roommate. He’s a grouch and keeps to himself . He’s a best selling author so he has a job where he can be broody and not people. He and Winnie have never gotten along well, but they decide to do the trends together. And a friendship grows from there.
Byron is the grumpiest and most misunderstood hero but was honestly the sweetest and softest when it came to Winnie. I loved the way he loved her. And oh my goodness… when I say he was so romantic. SO ROMANTIC! At first he was standoffish but once he opened up to Winnie, I just couldn’t get enough.
If you love grumpy/sunshine books like I do, slow burn romances, and books with smart heroines (think ‘The Love Hypothesis’ but I loved this even more) pick this book up! It will be one of my top favorites this year, of that I’m sure!
Is this my new favorite Penny Reid book? Yes. Yes it is. I was obsessed with this book and these characters. It gave me the best kind of butterflies while reading. I had a smile on my face the entire time and I honestly could not have loved this more than I did!
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend starts with Winnie, a teacher involved in STEM and someone who has a platform on the side that encourages every young person (specifically females) to get involved. She’s working towards something big but needs bigger numbers to get there. Here comes the idea from her best friend… find someone to do popular TikTok challenges with to make her channel more relatable to all.
This is where Byron comes in. Byron is a mutual friend of Winnies, as he is close with her best friend and roommate. He’s a grouch and keeps to himself . He’s a best selling author so he has a job where he can be broody and not people. He and Winnie have never gotten along well, but they decide to do the trends together. And a friendship grows from there.
Byron is the grumpiest and most misunderstood hero but was honestly the sweetest and softest when it came to Winnie. I loved the way he loved her. And oh my goodness… when I say he was so romantic. SO ROMANTIC! At first he was standoffish but once he opened up to Winnie, I just couldn’t get enough.
”I’ll die loving you, wanting you, and the torture of you is better than the bliss of anyone else.”
If you love grumpy/sunshine books like I do, slow burn romances, and books with smart heroines (think ‘The Love Hypothesis’ but I loved this even more) pick this book up! It will be one of my top favorites this year, of that I’m sure!
”I don't think you should change who you are for anyone. You're perfect.”
December 14, 2023
"Sooner or later you're going to risk it all if you want to live a full life. I can't give you a shortcut. You need to learn how to trust all on your own. Uncertainty in a relationship continues after the I love yous. You must learn how to operate on faith if you want to last"
[CRYING, SCREAMING, KICKING, PUNCHING THE WALL] Perfect book didn't exist they said. Well, I said it’s because they don't know this book exists.
Winnie is science instructor who is ever bright and enthusiastic about her interests in the STEM fields. She enjoys sharing her knowledge with others on social media and wants to use her platform to connect on a more personal level with her audience while trying to secure her position as community manager.
On a side note, she also had the luck of knowing her bestfriend's best friend, Bryson, who had become a well-known, best-selling novelist in the last six years. Bryson had always been ardent, creative genius, but also broody reclusive. They are completely contradictory and he never fails to perplex her with the frequent unsolicited advice and remark that is borderline unpleasant. Accordingly, she will avoid him whenever possible, but things get difficult when they strike a mutually beneficial pact.
(please be noted that this review may contain a minor spoiler)
If I have to describe this book, I'd say it'd be a byproduct if The Love Hypothesis and The Spanish Love Deception get married and had a child. Although that may sound sketchy, given the polarizing reviews of the two books after the hype — but trust me, this one wouldn't disappoint. I am literally catching diabetes for how sweet this is.
I know it wouldn't work out for some people, given the length of the book, and to a certain degree, you might find them repetitive. But if you have been enjoying MZ books, you have no excuse not to love this. I need to make plain how this book focuses a lot on its characters. So, if you're a plot-driven reader, this book may also not be for you.
Be that as it may, Winnie and Bryson were written the most gracefully and substantially. They were so domestic and real — with their continual bickering and inability to convey their emotions which left them in lots of awkward moments and wasted opportunities. But for all that, they are poster people for why communication is so vital in a relationship. And I can't stress enough how I love when they talk and discuss things through, albeit molding you into thinking that there were also lots of flounders in between as well.
The slow-burning and building relationship between Winnie and Byron is my favorite aspect of this book. They steadily progressed from acquaintances to friends and then lovers which left me with no room to argue that this may be the best 'friend to lover' trope I've read. Byron was always prepared to devote himself to Winnie, despite Winnie didn't believe she was capable of being loved. The way they both are willing to give and take as they embark on their new relationship is something I relished myself. Although you may be in two minds given that both of the characters are inexperienced and virgins but Reid portrayed their insecurities and conversance as bona fide and genuine.
The pick of a litter? It's a dual POV! You're telling me, you get the hero's POV where the book serves with a mutual pining where the guy falls first? I hit the jackpot with this one. I wouldn't think I'll enjoy this book as much if it hinges on Winnie's perspective alone as I've tasted my own medicine with MZ's book. It was so hard to grasp and account for the hero for being an asshole apropos of nothing when I believe the other side should be heard as well. Nonetheless, TTTSYB is brimming with the complex inner workings of the characters, allowing you to understand both Winnie and Bryson better given their histories.
Now, this book also made me rethink all the STEM romances I've come to enjoy as Reid took this to a different level. This book emphasized the importance of women in STEM fields. There are undeniably capable authors writing on this subject, and we hear echoes of this message in our society. Reid, on the other hand, emphasizes it in her story in a way that makes you realize the movement requires greater weight.
I love the message that having hobbies outside of STEM does not make someone less of a scientist or engineer and that they should not conceal or change who they are to be accepted seriously in those fields. Like, I'm such a shit person again for comparing, but Hazelwood STEM romances were put down to shame, now that I've read such a masterpiece as TTTSYB. I guess, that is the beauty of reading as you discover more throughout.
Soooo... I think it's too late to gatekeep this, right? And I'm not sure if I'm serving any justice with this review as I don't think there will be enough words to put how stellar this book had been. Not just for the romance, but also for the amazing writing and care Reid put through with this one.
I would love to have more people enjoying this, hence if you're in for a slow burn from a burst of grumpy sunshine and total opposite, or maybe you would want to experience the bliss of friend to lover, read this and see for yourself. You're in for a life-changing game, no lies.
April 14, 2022
The unthinkable has happened…this story is repetitive and so darn slow that, for the very first time, I’m DNFing a PR book. Stopping @55%.
April 19, 2022
“If you want me to do this, then no third person holding the camera, no one else in the room.” He’d placed his hands on the back of the kitchen chair and leaned slightly over it, adding with a whisper of a smirk, like the words were a dare, “Just you and me.”
i'm actually embarrassed by how long it took me to read this 💀 it's a shame because i really enjoyed the couple's interactions, but any scene that didn't involve the two of them felt like a chore to read 😩
🌺 I think this has the potential to be booktok newest hit, cause it has ✨the✨ same formula as TSLD and TLH: a hero who's been secretly obsessed for years, an oblivious h, some (soooort of) fake-dating scenario, rom-com vibes, not a lot of smut. sadly, i enjoyed TSLD and TLH a lot more 😭
🌺 Awful name aside, I really liked Byron (H) 🥺 he's the sweetest and must be protected at all costs!! this guy was Winnie's (h) biggest simp, and that's exactly how i like my men 😌 and this month I keep reading about guys who only kiss the heroine so🧎♀️ extra points for that.
“So you a little bit like me.”
“No.” Never one to accept inaccuracy, though the tips of my ears burned, I corrected, “I a lot like you. But it’s not a big deal.”
🌺 Winnie was likable, but this girl was the definition of an overthinker 💀 her POV was EXHAUSTING to say the least. had this book consisted solely of Winnie and Byron doing weird TikTok challenges, I would've rated it higher. But I'd say it was 1/3 of Winnie/Byron moments, 1/3 of Winnie's inner monologues, and 1/3 of Winnie talking about Byron (and whatever other issue she had atm) with her friends. my god, she needed to chill and stop analyzing everything 🧘♀️ when Byron actually said this to her??
But I managed to choke out, “Byron, what are you—”
“Shut the fuck up, Win. Please.”
I SCREAMED AHAHA. I swear I was rooting for her, but she made the book so unnecessarily long 😩
🌺 The plot was weird. sometimes funny, sometimes cringe (ahsjdh i'm so eloquent i know😭). basically, Winnie wants to do some TikTok challenges to expand her online audience, and Byron volunteers for the job. so they agree to pretend they're best friends who may or may not like each other for these videos, but in reality they're not pretending shit 😏 it made for some cute moments, but ehhh i wasn't a huge fan.
“If you were mine . . .” My eyes traced the gentle curve of her lips. I loved her lips. “I’d keep you handcuffed to my bed.”
🌺 I need to talk about the smut, cause I'm PISSED. I knew their first time , but even knowing it beforehand I CAN'T BELIEVE IT 🤡 they talk about it 138279 times during the book, how are you going to do that 😭 I feel robbed, but that's not even the worst part. The smut started decent... but then came the blowjob scene and 🤠 what the fuck was that Penny Reid. WHAT WAS THAT. I debated myself whether or not to include any quotes, because I didn't want to drag my man Byron like that, but i'm still disgusted and I need to get it off my chest:
And then he came and—holy scratched record, Batman—it tasted god-awful.
My friends had told me it didn’t taste great, but nothing could’ve prepared me for the disgusting, gelatinous spoiled fish and mayonnaise flavored goop presently in my mouth, forcefully shoving me out of arousal town and thrusting me into repulsed town. I’d had no idea it was possible to flip off my sexy switch so incredibly fast.
Gagging around the texture and unexpected spunky tang, but being the champ that I was, I managed to regain control of my throat and swallowed it anyway—while also promising myself I would never swallow it again.
ewwwww what the fuck😭😭😭 it's fiction Ms. Reid, just tell me it tastes great and she happily swallowed pls🥺 what's worse is that this creates a subplot of Winnie not knowing how to tell Byron she doesn't want to swallow, and her being concerned of him going down on her in case she tastes as bad AHHHH this is NOT the smut i wanted 🤡🤡🤡
🌺 overall, this had a lot of potential but personally I think it fell short. there were still a lot of cute moments, but i only recommend reading this if you have the time and patience for it 🤠
“I’ve loved you for years. You are the stars in the sky, the start and the finish. I’ll die loving you, wanting you, and the torture of you is better than the bliss of anyone else.”
May 1, 2022
2.75🌟
they gotta be the most awkward and clueless mc's i've ever read about.
the maturity lvl of them both was equal to my cousin's who's in high school.
the second hand embarassment was real here.
also this didn't need to be 500+ pages bc 300 of them were just filler with sciencey mambo jumbo, a lot of inner monologue and repetitiveness.
AND ONE sex scene in the epilogue!!! which was highly anticipated for it not to be described at all.😤
they gotta be the most awkward and clueless mc's i've ever read about.
the maturity lvl of them both was equal to my cousin's who's in high school.
the second hand embarassment was real here.
also this didn't need to be 500+ pages bc 300 of them were just filler with sciencey mambo jumbo, a lot of inner monologue and repetitiveness.
AND ONE sex scene in the epilogue!!! which was highly anticipated for it not to be described at all.😤
October 17, 2022
2 stars
Believe me when I say no one is more shocked by my rating of this book than I am because I thought this was going to be a slam dunk. Several people, online and in person have told me how much they loved this book and I was very excited to read it.
I find it hard to put exactly into words what didn’t work for me, I can’t really explain it. Mostly I don’t care for the technicalities of social media marketing or STEM which were two main subjects. Nothing against them, they just don’t interest me. And I felt a lot of this book was endless tedious conversations between three characters that just went on and on instead of a plot that drove the story forward. Basically a lot of dialogue and no action.
I’m really sad I didn’t love this because normally I love Penny Reid books. I’m just going to pass this off as a fluke and hope I enjoy the next one I read.
Believe me when I say no one is more shocked by my rating of this book than I am because I thought this was going to be a slam dunk. Several people, online and in person have told me how much they loved this book and I was very excited to read it.
I find it hard to put exactly into words what didn’t work for me, I can’t really explain it. Mostly I don’t care for the technicalities of social media marketing or STEM which were two main subjects. Nothing against them, they just don’t interest me. And I felt a lot of this book was endless tedious conversations between three characters that just went on and on instead of a plot that drove the story forward. Basically a lot of dialogue and no action.
I’m really sad I didn’t love this because normally I love Penny Reid books. I’m just going to pass this off as a fluke and hope I enjoy the next one I read.
April 13, 2022
This book irritated me to no end. It also felt endless. I did not like it at all but I can appreciate the efforts Penny Reid put in it.
First of all, I had a constant feeling of deja vu with Ali Hazelwood and Elena Armas’ books always in mind as the better benchmarks. A lot of very similar situations and scenarios.
Secondly, it is inconsistent. The very first scene has Byron behaving very physically and affectionately with Win, only to change drastically for the majority of the book. That first scene puzzled me throughout the book.
Then he declares himself quickly and she reacts like a 12 year old. With Byron, she is fickle and flighty and I understand that it’s her first experience but her gratuitous reactions contradict the fact that she is presented as very smart and mature.
Then I felt like they were speaking two totally different languages. One misunderstanding is a decent literary expedient but one after the other become very irritating.
It was very preachy and I truly don’t know how I feel about the “i don’t accept labels” spiel.
The main plot feels extremely forced and is overshadowed quickly.
I feel like Penny experimented a lot with this book - Byron’s PoV came across as if she was trying to write in a mix of Austen and Bronte’s style, which made sense, but when she switched to Win’s PoV that style lasted and it broke the rhythm a lot.
I personally love when a relationship isn’t easy and they discover each other and progress towards things slowly but in this specific instance the two had very little chemistry and a lot felt forced.
I am truly annoyed with this book but I am happy to see that I am a small minority.
First of all, I had a constant feeling of deja vu with Ali Hazelwood and Elena Armas’ books always in mind as the better benchmarks. A lot of very similar situations and scenarios.
Secondly, it is inconsistent. The very first scene has Byron behaving very physically and affectionately with Win, only to change drastically for the majority of the book. That first scene puzzled me throughout the book.
Then he declares himself quickly and she reacts like a 12 year old. With Byron, she is fickle and flighty and I understand that it’s her first experience but her gratuitous reactions contradict the fact that she is presented as very smart and mature.
Then I felt like they were speaking two totally different languages. One misunderstanding is a decent literary expedient but one after the other become very irritating.
It was very preachy and I truly don’t know how I feel about the “i don’t accept labels” spiel.
The main plot feels extremely forced and is overshadowed quickly.
I feel like Penny experimented a lot with this book - Byron’s PoV came across as if she was trying to write in a mix of Austen and Bronte’s style, which made sense, but when she switched to Win’s PoV that style lasted and it broke the rhythm a lot.
I personally love when a relationship isn’t easy and they discover each other and progress towards things slowly but in this specific instance the two had very little chemistry and a lot felt forced.
I am truly annoyed with this book but I am happy to see that I am a small minority.
April 14, 2022
4⭐️
potential spoilers below:
you know i was gonna be a bitch and give this 3 stars bc i can't believe i binged 553 pages to end up with a fade to black scene (them having sex for the first time) in the FUCKING EPILOGUE. but but you know its not always about the smut (yes i know i'm shocked i said this too).
this was, imo, the cleanest romance i've ever read. idk if its clean by y'alls standards but it is for me. i mean dual virgins; the hero never kissed, went down on a girl or even dated until the heroine. he's 27 and she's 26. she's also not experienced but she did have boyfriends that she kissed but did nothing else. he was in love with her but she wasn't. man it was so fucking beautiful.
ngl i was confused in the beginning, i didn't know where the book was heading, but the minute i understood that the book revolved around SPD (sensory processing disorder). i was crying. don't ask me why, idk why... ok i know why. its because i just feel so much bc i relate.
i personally stay the fuck away from books with disabilities/disorders bc i get way too emotional, maybe its because i wanna protect people for this cruel world. idfk. unless i'm in an emotional mood than i'll pick them up. this was a shock. i did at one point think i should pick up other books (and i did) but i still picked it up.
i do think the pacing of this book was weird. i found the book slow, as in it was dragging in some parts. it just felt like i was reading the book in slow motion. but other than that i loved everything about this book.
there is a lot of miscommunication but i LOVED how they dealed with it. i loved the way they interacted.
idk this book took me by surprise bc i usually hate awkward and inexperienced sex but this was so well written.
i also see this as a movie. i'm pretty sure if this book got viral then netflix would produce the movie. it just fits under the romcom but emotional type.
“I’ve loved you for years. You are the stars in the sky, the start and the finish. I’ll die loving you, wanting you, and the torture of you is better than the bliss of anyone else.”
“And you are all my sunrises and sunsets, rain on green leaves, fireworks reflected in a smooth lake, and a wood fire on the coldest winter day. You are sex and sin and a guardian angel. You are every beat of my heart and every moment of peace and every hour of pandemonium. You are the sweetest torture I’ve ever known. And you . . . will never feel one tenth for me what I feel for you. And that, also, is perfect.”
potential spoilers below:
you know i was gonna be a bitch and give this 3 stars bc i can't believe i binged 553 pages to end up with a fade to black scene (them having sex for the first time) in the FUCKING EPILOGUE. but but you know its not always about the smut (yes i know i'm shocked i said this too).
this was, imo, the cleanest romance i've ever read. idk if its clean by y'alls standards but it is for me. i mean dual virgins; the hero never kissed, went down on a girl or even dated until the heroine. he's 27 and she's 26. she's also not experienced but she did have boyfriends that she kissed but did nothing else. he was in love with her but she wasn't. man it was so fucking beautiful.
ngl i was confused in the beginning, i didn't know where the book was heading, but the minute i understood that the book revolved around SPD (sensory processing disorder). i was crying. don't ask me why, idk why... ok i know why. its because i just feel so much bc i relate.
i personally stay the fuck away from books with disabilities/disorders bc i get way too emotional, maybe its because i wanna protect people for this cruel world. idfk. unless i'm in an emotional mood than i'll pick them up. this was a shock. i did at one point think i should pick up other books (and i did) but i still picked it up.
i do think the pacing of this book was weird. i found the book slow, as in it was dragging in some parts. it just felt like i was reading the book in slow motion. but other than that i loved everything about this book.
there is a lot of miscommunication but i LOVED how they dealed with it. i loved the way they interacted.
idk this book took me by surprise bc i usually hate awkward and inexperienced sex but this was so well written.
i also see this as a movie. i'm pretty sure if this book got viral then netflix would produce the movie. it just fits under the romcom but emotional type.
April 10, 2022
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend by Penny Reid
‘”You feel like what I imagine bliss would if I could manifest the word as a tangible, touchable thing.” The cage around my heart cracked, the feeling stealing the air from my lungs, and I rested my chin on the top of his head while working to breathe past it. Cupping the side of his jaw not snuggled against my body, I held him while he listened to my heart.’
“Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend”, by Penny Reid, is an all-consuming, unconventional and wonderfully heady slow-burn romance, that is as perceptive and poignant as it is irresistibly funny and tantalisingly arousing.
It was very difficult pacing myself with this book. I wanted to take my time savouring each and every line, every tension-filled moment, every loud silence and sublime touch, but it was virtually impossible fighting against the overwhelming tide of absolutely resplendent writing. So, I surrendered and stayed up until five A.M, until I reached the end of the epilogue.
Maybe it was because Byron’s character resonated so profoundly with me, or maybe it was because Winnie’s personality was so endearing and genuine; maybe it was due to having that enviable front row seat, observing and investing in two seemingly incompatible people falling in love, under unorthodox yet very amusing and contemporary ways. Most likely it was the intoxicating combination of all of those things, made triumphant by the elegance and power in Penny Reid’s writing, that made sure I couldn’t put this book down. Either way, Winnie, Byron, some hair dye, a few quirky TikTok challenges and a little of the sheep-biting footlickers, have cemented this book as a firm favourite.
I’m so glad we got to have a dual point of view for this story, without it – without hearing Byron’s inner monologue, reasoning, wishes and desires, I think we would have been deprived of something truly authentic and heartfelt. Having our hero share those hidden pieces of himself felt vital to the overall story. I loved how he didn’t have an overwhelming amount of chapters, an intention I’m sure, to run parallel with his character’s reluctance to put himself out there. It also meant his voice didn’t drown out Winnie’s. We were able to love and anticipate Byron and Winnie’s interactions but also see Winnie as a separate entity as we got to know her through each of her chapters. A strong, clever and capable protagonist who could stand on her own. Have friends. Enjoy people. Love her job. Have her own hidden depths and wants and desires. Her own hang ups and insecurities. Be real.
Taciturn, forthright and intense, Byron’s entirely opposite and enigmatic personality was simply irresistible to me. It was in the silences of the words he didn’t say out loud, and in the nuances of the words he did speak, that I relished any scene he was a part of. I just knew there was so much more to his character, for the simple fact of the matter is author Penny Reid, is an extraordinary force of talent when it comes to stripping back the exterior of her characters, delving into what makes them who they are, why they think the way they do. How they react and make decisions. What they feel and why.
In this case, Byron is our untapped well of emotion; emotion that he keeps buried under dry, caustic observations and advice. Getting to see the heart of him was breath-taking. He’s so considerate, sweet, sexy and passionate, with those licks of vulnerability peering out.
The one person who has the power to peel back and expose those raw, unfiltered feelings and bring about that impassioned side of our hero, is Winnie Gobaldi. And expose him she does.
I love when writers gift their readers with an intelligent, funny, sweet and idiosyncratic heroine, who works in and is passionate about working in STEM. This was the part of Ten Trends that I found admirable. The fact that Winnie can be anything she wants to be. Her character isn’t hemmed in. She can like makeup, pretty dresses and shoes and she can also love science and engineering and maths. Those elements don’t have to be mutually exclusive, an important message that the author highlights beautifully throughout.
Winnie and Byron as individual personalities are formidable and inspirational but putting them together, having them communicate, laugh, scowl, play and argue, as they slide from enemies to friends, to something much more profound and erotic, means they evolve from formidable and inspirational to fascinating and dynamic. They spark and sizzle off one another, whether when fighting or loving.
There are a few little things I might have changed and expanded on in the story that I felt were kind of glossed over. Thankfully nothing that really impacts the storyline too much or the wonderful slow-burn romance aspect of the book.
All in all, “Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend” was an impressive, passionate and bewitching love story.
‘”You feel like what I imagine bliss would if I could manifest the word as a tangible, touchable thing.” The cage around my heart cracked, the feeling stealing the air from my lungs, and I rested my chin on the top of his head while working to breathe past it. Cupping the side of his jaw not snuggled against my body, I held him while he listened to my heart.’
“Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend”, by Penny Reid, is an all-consuming, unconventional and wonderfully heady slow-burn romance, that is as perceptive and poignant as it is irresistibly funny and tantalisingly arousing.
It was very difficult pacing myself with this book. I wanted to take my time savouring each and every line, every tension-filled moment, every loud silence and sublime touch, but it was virtually impossible fighting against the overwhelming tide of absolutely resplendent writing. So, I surrendered and stayed up until five A.M, until I reached the end of the epilogue.
Maybe it was because Byron’s character resonated so profoundly with me, or maybe it was because Winnie’s personality was so endearing and genuine; maybe it was due to having that enviable front row seat, observing and investing in two seemingly incompatible people falling in love, under unorthodox yet very amusing and contemporary ways. Most likely it was the intoxicating combination of all of those things, made triumphant by the elegance and power in Penny Reid’s writing, that made sure I couldn’t put this book down. Either way, Winnie, Byron, some hair dye, a few quirky TikTok challenges and a little of the sheep-biting footlickers, have cemented this book as a firm favourite.
I’m so glad we got to have a dual point of view for this story, without it – without hearing Byron’s inner monologue, reasoning, wishes and desires, I think we would have been deprived of something truly authentic and heartfelt. Having our hero share those hidden pieces of himself felt vital to the overall story. I loved how he didn’t have an overwhelming amount of chapters, an intention I’m sure, to run parallel with his character’s reluctance to put himself out there. It also meant his voice didn’t drown out Winnie’s. We were able to love and anticipate Byron and Winnie’s interactions but also see Winnie as a separate entity as we got to know her through each of her chapters. A strong, clever and capable protagonist who could stand on her own. Have friends. Enjoy people. Love her job. Have her own hidden depths and wants and desires. Her own hang ups and insecurities. Be real.
Taciturn, forthright and intense, Byron’s entirely opposite and enigmatic personality was simply irresistible to me. It was in the silences of the words he didn’t say out loud, and in the nuances of the words he did speak, that I relished any scene he was a part of. I just knew there was so much more to his character, for the simple fact of the matter is author Penny Reid, is an extraordinary force of talent when it comes to stripping back the exterior of her characters, delving into what makes them who they are, why they think the way they do. How they react and make decisions. What they feel and why.
In this case, Byron is our untapped well of emotion; emotion that he keeps buried under dry, caustic observations and advice. Getting to see the heart of him was breath-taking. He’s so considerate, sweet, sexy and passionate, with those licks of vulnerability peering out.
The one person who has the power to peel back and expose those raw, unfiltered feelings and bring about that impassioned side of our hero, is Winnie Gobaldi. And expose him she does.
I love when writers gift their readers with an intelligent, funny, sweet and idiosyncratic heroine, who works in and is passionate about working in STEM. This was the part of Ten Trends that I found admirable. The fact that Winnie can be anything she wants to be. Her character isn’t hemmed in. She can like makeup, pretty dresses and shoes and she can also love science and engineering and maths. Those elements don’t have to be mutually exclusive, an important message that the author highlights beautifully throughout.
Winnie and Byron as individual personalities are formidable and inspirational but putting them together, having them communicate, laugh, scowl, play and argue, as they slide from enemies to friends, to something much more profound and erotic, means they evolve from formidable and inspirational to fascinating and dynamic. They spark and sizzle off one another, whether when fighting or loving.
There are a few little things I might have changed and expanded on in the story that I felt were kind of glossed over. Thankfully nothing that really impacts the storyline too much or the wonderful slow-burn romance aspect of the book.
All in all, “Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend” was an impressive, passionate and bewitching love story.
May 17, 2022
Honestly, I'm getting sick of Penny Reid's awkward and cringey characters. I've had enough. There's far too many of them. If I have to see one more 2010s era meme reference or outdated slang term, I am going to scream.
And the constant use of the word "necessitating"? I felt like I'd been transported back into the last essay I wrote. Put the thesaurus down, Penny. You don't have to do this. Someone really needed to be paying more attention during the editing process (Labron James?? I hate sports and don't live in the US but even I know that's wrong).
Winnie was annoying (we get it girl, you're gluten free! Maybe you should hire a skywriter to tell all of Seattle about it) and Byron was an obvious Mr Darcy type...except, you know, much worse. Their arguments bored me and I found the pacing of their relationship to be all over the place. They barely talk, now he's in love with her and wants to get married, now they're taking it slow, now they're both in love, now they're fighting.......just shut it down already! THIS BOOK IS SO LONG AND I HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO
I found a lot of this book to be unrealistic, too. Like, apparently Byron, at 27, has two PhDs in engineering but is also a successful fiction author who literally never once mentions engineering? I'm not even sure if this is possible to accomplish, considering how long degrees take in the US. How long were his dissertations, 5000 words each?! And Winnie teaches science to school kids but has somehow become a specialist in all of STEM? I hate how STEM has found its way into romance novels to such a degree that every heroine has to be an expert in every possible topic. This subgenre of romance is clearly not for me.
And, I mean...the plot. I understand diversifying your content, but this is ridiculous. If I was following a STEM account, I would expect that sort of content from them. Not fucking romance challenge videos? How is that gonna help you get a job?? Someone explain to this girl what a niche is, please.
Anyway.........this book is nowhere near as good as its cover, and I am disappointed.
And the constant use of the word "necessitating"? I felt like I'd been transported back into the last essay I wrote. Put the thesaurus down, Penny. You don't have to do this. Someone really needed to be paying more attention during the editing process (Labron James?? I hate sports and don't live in the US but even I know that's wrong).
Winnie was annoying (we get it girl, you're gluten free! Maybe you should hire a skywriter to tell all of Seattle about it) and Byron was an obvious Mr Darcy type...except, you know, much worse. Their arguments bored me and I found the pacing of their relationship to be all over the place. They barely talk, now he's in love with her and wants to get married, now they're taking it slow, now they're both in love, now they're fighting.......just shut it down already! THIS BOOK IS SO LONG AND I HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO
I found a lot of this book to be unrealistic, too. Like, apparently Byron, at 27, has two PhDs in engineering but is also a successful fiction author who literally never once mentions engineering? I'm not even sure if this is possible to accomplish, considering how long degrees take in the US. How long were his dissertations, 5000 words each?! And Winnie teaches science to school kids but has somehow become a specialist in all of STEM? I hate how STEM has found its way into romance novels to such a degree that every heroine has to be an expert in every possible topic. This subgenre of romance is clearly not for me.
And, I mean...the plot. I understand diversifying your content, but this is ridiculous. If I was following a STEM account, I would expect that sort of content from them. Not fucking romance challenge videos? How is that gonna help you get a job?? Someone explain to this girl what a niche is, please.
Anyway.........this book is nowhere near as good as its cover, and I am disappointed.
June 18, 2022
I adore friends to lovers romances (with a side of fake dating) but Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend is a little different because we get to see the main characters become friends first in this book and then start falling! Well, kind of, because the hero has had a crush on the heroine since forever. But this was so fun to read! I adore Penny Reid’s books and this was another funny, nerdy romance from her.
Winnie is a science teacher and a STEM influencer on social media who's trying to grow her small following so she can get a side social media job to pay off her student loans. Her roommate’s best friend is our hero Byron, who’s a world-famous, bestselling fiction author, a broody recluse, and very antisocial. Winnie and Byron have been acquaintances for years through mutual friends and Winnie is completely oblivious to how he feels about her. This is when the fake relationship/fake dating begins because Byron helps Winnie gain followers on TikTok by pretending to be her best friend, and people get to watch them fall in love through videos online, not knowing that it's all... fake. Or is it?
I can't say I've ever read this kind of storyline so it's certainly unique! I thought Winnie and Byron were endearing, quirky dorks and I loved their slow burn romance. Winnie can’t tell if what Byron is doing in their videos is real or not and it messes with them both. The chemistry is great and you can feel so much longing coming off of Byron. I loved the slow progression of their friendship and turns into something more. If you like slow burn, friends to lovers, fake dating, you should read this one!
Winnie is a science teacher and a STEM influencer on social media who's trying to grow her small following so she can get a side social media job to pay off her student loans. Her roommate’s best friend is our hero Byron, who’s a world-famous, bestselling fiction author, a broody recluse, and very antisocial. Winnie and Byron have been acquaintances for years through mutual friends and Winnie is completely oblivious to how he feels about her. This is when the fake relationship/fake dating begins because Byron helps Winnie gain followers on TikTok by pretending to be her best friend, and people get to watch them fall in love through videos online, not knowing that it's all... fake. Or is it?
I can't say I've ever read this kind of storyline so it's certainly unique! I thought Winnie and Byron were endearing, quirky dorks and I loved their slow burn romance. Winnie can’t tell if what Byron is doing in their videos is real or not and it messes with them both. The chemistry is great and you can feel so much longing coming off of Byron. I loved the slow progression of their friendship and turns into something more. If you like slow burn, friends to lovers, fake dating, you should read this one!
January 8, 2024
OMG THIS BOOK!! i was looking forward to it from the day i read the sneak peek in
Homecoming King
and it definitely didn't disappoint! this was absolutely incredible. sweet, fun, fascinating, angsty, emotional, and just all around an enjoyable ride from start to finish.
Winnie and Byron kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next in their journey and left me wanting more even when there were no more words to read. their story is complex and flawed but so wonderfully built in truth, i adored every single second of it. loved how these two communicated and grew individually and together throughout the story.
Penny Reid is an absolute genius. each and every single book she writes is just beautiful, brilliant, absolutely engaging, and so so well done. this one is no exception. i loved it very much! all of the stars if i could but it only allows me 5 <33
Winnie and Byron kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next in their journey and left me wanting more even when there were no more words to read. their story is complex and flawed but so wonderfully built in truth, i adored every single second of it. loved how these two communicated and grew individually and together throughout the story.
Penny Reid is an absolute genius. each and every single book she writes is just beautiful, brilliant, absolutely engaging, and so so well done. this one is no exception. i loved it very much! all of the stars if i could but it only allows me 5 <33
April 21, 2022
5 Stars!
(ARC provided by Social Butterfly PR)
-You are the sweetest torture I’ve ever known.
Winnifred Gobaldi is a science teacher living in Seattle. She's intelligent and passionate about her love of physics, chemistry, biology and engineering. She enjoys sharing her knowledge with others on social media, and is looking to grow her income using her platform. She's ready to connect with her audience on a more relatable level, and finds help from an unexpected source.
She's known Byron Visser since college, and in the last six years he's become a famous, best selling author. He's always been a brilliant, intense, creative genius, but he's also a broody, antisocial recluse. They are extremely different and he never fails to fluster her and make her nervous. He often offers unsolicited advice and commentary that bordered on rude. They had nothing in common. She was a people person, and he didn't like to interact with the outside world. She avoided him whenever possible, but when they make a mutually beneficial deal everything turns complicated. She was happily single, but suddenly pretending online. When the line between what is real or fake gets blurred will they step out of their comfort zone and take a risk on love?
-Byron Visser was the Swiss chocolate of eye candy. I could be a good friend to him and still think he was sexy as Hades and twice as broody.
-Something about him set me off-kilter and made my skin buzz. In my entire life, only he had this effect on me.
-Being caught in the snare of his brilliant stare was absolutely intoxicating.
-I had big like for Byron. Or, more precisely, my body had BIG SEXY LIKE for him.
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Best Friend by Penny Reid is a standalone, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine, slow burn, friends to lovers romance full of sizzling chemistry, emotion, humor, fabulous banter and plenty of swoon. It's a sweet, sexy, story about friendship, trust, taking chances, and knowing your worth. These quirky characters captivated me from the start. I really LOVED this one!!! <333
***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://amzn.to/3E5IjrD
(ARC provided by Social Butterfly PR)
-You are the sweetest torture I’ve ever known.
Winnifred Gobaldi is a science teacher living in Seattle. She's intelligent and passionate about her love of physics, chemistry, biology and engineering. She enjoys sharing her knowledge with others on social media, and is looking to grow her income using her platform. She's ready to connect with her audience on a more relatable level, and finds help from an unexpected source.
She's known Byron Visser since college, and in the last six years he's become a famous, best selling author. He's always been a brilliant, intense, creative genius, but he's also a broody, antisocial recluse. They are extremely different and he never fails to fluster her and make her nervous. He often offers unsolicited advice and commentary that bordered on rude. They had nothing in common. She was a people person, and he didn't like to interact with the outside world. She avoided him whenever possible, but when they make a mutually beneficial deal everything turns complicated. She was happily single, but suddenly pretending online. When the line between what is real or fake gets blurred will they step out of their comfort zone and take a risk on love?
-Byron Visser was the Swiss chocolate of eye candy. I could be a good friend to him and still think he was sexy as Hades and twice as broody.
-Something about him set me off-kilter and made my skin buzz. In my entire life, only he had this effect on me.
-Being caught in the snare of his brilliant stare was absolutely intoxicating.
-I had big like for Byron. Or, more precisely, my body had BIG SEXY LIKE for him.
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Best Friend by Penny Reid is a standalone, opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine, slow burn, friends to lovers romance full of sizzling chemistry, emotion, humor, fabulous banter and plenty of swoon. It's a sweet, sexy, story about friendship, trust, taking chances, and knowing your worth. These quirky characters captivated me from the start. I really LOVED this one!!! <333
***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://amzn.to/3E5IjrD
April 19, 2022
Que no los engañe el título no es FRIENDS TO LOVERS
Amo a Penny Reid, su singular estilo, además que sus historias son bien Wholesome, eso sí, o la amas o la odias y yo estoy en el lado afortunado que disfruto mucho sus historias.
Si bien tampoco es un enemies to lovers, si tiene como ese vibe, es más bien un enemies to Friends to lovers y tiene el trope del FAKE DATING.
Los personajes son maravillosos muy quirky al modo de Penny, pero es lo que los hace tan únicos y entrañables.
Byron para mí se robó mi corazón, pareciera que es frío, prepotente, arrogante, pero es un amor de persona sufre de un trastorno por lo que si no lo conocen lo juzgan mal.
Y es así como Winny siempre lo ha prejuzgado, se siente intimidada por él y piensa que la humilla a propósito, pero GIRL que he equivocada estás.
Es muy slow burn y nunca se concluye la tan esperada escena de su primera vez, más no eso no quiere decir que no tenga escenas spicy porque si tiene.
Me gustó mucho, pero lo sentí un poco largo y que nunca concluyó por eso no le doy las 5 estrellas yo necesito una escena extra.
Amo a Penny Reid, su singular estilo, además que sus historias son bien Wholesome, eso sí, o la amas o la odias y yo estoy en el lado afortunado que disfruto mucho sus historias.
Si bien tampoco es un enemies to lovers, si tiene como ese vibe, es más bien un enemies to Friends to lovers y tiene el trope del FAKE DATING.
Los personajes son maravillosos muy quirky al modo de Penny, pero es lo que los hace tan únicos y entrañables.
Byron para mí se robó mi corazón, pareciera que es frío, prepotente, arrogante, pero es un amor de persona sufre de un trastorno por lo que si no lo conocen lo juzgan mal.
Y es así como Winny siempre lo ha prejuzgado, se siente intimidada por él y piensa que la humilla a propósito, pero GIRL que he equivocada estás.
Es muy slow burn y nunca se concluye la tan esperada escena de su primera vez, más no eso no quiere decir que no tenga escenas spicy porque si tiene.
Me gustó mucho, pero lo sentí un poco largo y que nunca concluyó por eso no le doy las 5 estrellas yo necesito una escena extra.
April 30, 2022
4 Two Halves Made Whole
* * * * Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
First, I know...A Quick Review when it comes to my love of Penny Reid...Yup, that's what I am planning.
I love the way Penny Reid Writes. You can look at all of my Penny Reid reviews, and more than likely they will be five stars and love letters. She introduced me to intelligent, sneaky, witty romance and I love it. With every book she does, she has the ability to weave life lessons for us to ponder and digest coupled with a lovely romance to swoon over.
This book was similar to this, hit closer to Reid's home, gave us insight into the state of STEM and Women, and also dealt with others that do not fit in the "box" of typical personalities and actions.
This story has all of the hallmarks of a Reid book, however, it did tend to focus much on details of the ideas and processes Ms. Reid wanted us to be aware of. It gave us the swoon yet it also gave us much to consider.
I think this is a book that either the reader will adore, as there IS much to love...or the length and way this particular book is written maybe a bit more than the reader expected. There are many reviews that give all the praise deserved as well as others that may be more detailed. Please read them to give yourself the full picture of this story.
Either way, as promised, this is a "shorter review" for a Reid book, and I continue to love the writing of Ms. Reid.
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
January 3, 2022
Per The Infamous Penny Reid...
We Should, "Prepare Yourself For Some Slow Burn Torture...
Longing Looks, And Sweet/Sexy Moments."
This Should Be Good!
Coming March 15, 2022
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * * Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
First, I know...A Quick Review when it comes to my love of Penny Reid...Yup, that's what I am planning.
I love the way Penny Reid Writes. You can look at all of my Penny Reid reviews, and more than likely they will be five stars and love letters. She introduced me to intelligent, sneaky, witty romance and I love it. With every book she does, she has the ability to weave life lessons for us to ponder and digest coupled with a lovely romance to swoon over.
This book was similar to this, hit closer to Reid's home, gave us insight into the state of STEM and Women, and also dealt with others that do not fit in the "box" of typical personalities and actions.
This story has all of the hallmarks of a Reid book, however, it did tend to focus much on details of the ideas and processes Ms. Reid wanted us to be aware of. It gave us the swoon yet it also gave us much to consider.
I think this is a book that either the reader will adore, as there IS much to love...or the length and way this particular book is written maybe a bit more than the reader expected. There are many reviews that give all the praise deserved as well as others that may be more detailed. Please read them to give yourself the full picture of this story.
Either way, as promised, this is a "shorter review" for a Reid book, and I continue to love the writing of Ms. Reid.
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
January 3, 2022
Per The Infamous Penny Reid...
We Should, "Prepare Yourself For Some Slow Burn Torture...
Longing Looks, And Sweet/Sexy Moments."
This Should Be Good!
Coming March 15, 2022
Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
April 11, 2022
This book was phenomenal, opposites attract excellence if you will.But there is so much more to Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend, here are the tropes this book included:fun plot, great pacing,grumpy/sunshine, I hate everyone but you, there's only one bed,slow burn with lots of yearning and pining.
The romantic tension between Winnie and Byron was just so well done I was sold on them as a couple almost immediately.I love slow progression of their actual friendship and romance and that this is dual POV.
Penny Reid writes some of the best romances out there. She is solidifying herself with as one of my favorite authors with each new book she writes.
If you want sweetness, friendship, angst, tension, smut and so much love, this is a must read!
ARC kindly provided by Social Butterfly PR for my honest review.
The romantic tension between Winnie and Byron was just so well done I was sold on them as a couple almost immediately.I love slow progression of their actual friendship and romance and that this is dual POV.
Penny Reid writes some of the best romances out there. She is solidifying herself with as one of my favorite authors with each new book she writes.
If you want sweetness, friendship, angst, tension, smut and so much love, this is a must read!
ARC kindly provided by Social Butterfly PR for my honest review.
April 15, 2022
“It feels like you snuck past my defenses when I wasn't looking, Byron Visser. You were simply yourself and I had no choice but to love you. That's what it feels like.”
I was already sold with the title and the cover, but Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend was incredible. I loved it so much, and it is definitely among my favorite Penny Reid reads. She never disappoints!
The plot was original, and I was instantly immersed in Winnie and Byron's story. The development of their relationship was well executed! It felt natural and punctuated the story perfectly. They started as acquaintances even though they have known each other since college and had mutual friends. Now that they have a good reason to spend more time together, they become friends. But it doesn't take long for mutual attraction and feelings to kick in and change their brand new bond. The slow pace of Winnie and Byron's relationship made all of their moments so intense, but I loved that they took their time to make things work before they got together. They were also so sweet together through their little attentions, and the longing between them was palpable! I'm glad it was told in dual POV because both characters were unique and intriguing! They had to figure out several things and overcome their insecurities before committing to a relationship, and I enjoyed following their respective journeys.
Many of my favorite tropes were included in Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend: unrequired love, grumpy/sunshine, friends to lovers, I hate everyone but you, only one bed trope… I could have read so much more of Winnie and Byron being together because their chemistry is off the charts, and I love them so much 🥺
*ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review
November 16, 2022
*Cue to that TikTok audio/song 'I'm coming back for you, baby.'*
From judging the book title one would think this is either a self-help book or an article that is found in the middle of a magazine for teenagers.
On the bright side, I've never read anything by Penny Reid. So, it will be an interesting experience.
From judging the book title one would think this is either a self-help book or an article that is found in the middle of a magazine for teenagers.
On the bright side, I've never read anything by Penny Reid. So, it will be an interesting experience.
![Profile Image for Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1646942374i/66224803._UX200_CR0,46,200,200_.jpg)
November 10, 2022
And the only thing that exhausts me is the idea of spending another six, or twenty, or fifty years knowing I could have lived my life by your side but was too fucking lazy to do what was required to make it happen."
Not so sure how I feel about the whole TikTok challenges plot line, but I liked the communication and the complex characters the story had.
Not so sure how I feel about the whole TikTok challenges plot line, but I liked the communication and the complex characters the story had.
April 18, 2022
5 STARS!!
“𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚗. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 . . . 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚑 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝, 𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚘, 𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝.”
Me oh my, this might be my fave Penny Reid book to date, though I feel like I’m saying that a lot lately with her books!
Winnie and Byron captured my freaking heart! I think I highlighted more of this book than I didn’t! Penny always writes such real and relatable characters and these two were no different.
Winnie works in promoting women in #STEM careers and Byron is a famous but HUGELY private and broody author. They’ve known each other through a friend for years but have hardly exchanged more than a handful of words with each other.
I mean…he calls her Fred, for Pete’s sake! 🤗
When a little tit for tat situation presents itself, these two enter a best friends-with-benefits situation that puts them spending more time together.
And that’s all I’m going to tell you. Just know that this story had such charm and such tenderness to it that I could barely stand to put it down for five minutes. I also loved the overall message of not being afraid to step outside your comfort zone.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book to fans of the following tropes:
• Opposites attract
• Grumpy hero/ sunshine heroine
• Slow burn romance
And I’m just gonna come out and say it, the past couple of releases from this author have had a notable increase in steam (because the story called for it…of course!) and I was so freaking here for it because it was Grade-A, top choice steam!!!
I received an e-ARC pf this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
“𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚗. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 . . . 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚑 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝, 𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚘, 𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝.”
Me oh my, this might be my fave Penny Reid book to date, though I feel like I’m saying that a lot lately with her books!
Winnie and Byron captured my freaking heart! I think I highlighted more of this book than I didn’t! Penny always writes such real and relatable characters and these two were no different.
Winnie works in promoting women in #STEM careers and Byron is a famous but HUGELY private and broody author. They’ve known each other through a friend for years but have hardly exchanged more than a handful of words with each other.
I mean…he calls her Fred, for Pete’s sake! 🤗
When a little tit for tat situation presents itself, these two enter a best friends-with-benefits situation that puts them spending more time together.
And that’s all I’m going to tell you. Just know that this story had such charm and such tenderness to it that I could barely stand to put it down for five minutes. I also loved the overall message of not being afraid to step outside your comfort zone.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book to fans of the following tropes:
• Opposites attract
• Grumpy hero/ sunshine heroine
• Slow burn romance
And I’m just gonna come out and say it, the past couple of releases from this author have had a notable increase in steam (because the story called for it…of course!) and I was so freaking here for it because it was Grade-A, top choice steam!!!
I received an e-ARC pf this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
![Profile Image for Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1521418447i/78060090._UY200_CR25,0,200,200_.jpg)
April 18, 2022
2.5-3 stars
This wasn't a bad book necessarily, but I found it confusing and hard to connect to. The first ~15% or so was very cringe and awkward and I found it all a bit insufferable and almost DNF'd. Truly the only reason I didn't is because I tried to start a few other books and they weren't working out either so I decided to give this one more try and I'm happy to report this one got a little better after the initial badness. (There will be a couple ~slight~ spoilers later in my review with a warning before hand.)
The early on and extreme focus on the methods and mechanisms of the TikTok 'romance challenges' was super cringe and made all the characters (26/27 year olds) feel simultaneously old and very uncool and also super young and cringe 🤔 a character named Jeff is introduced at this point to be a part of the tiniest most irrelevant love triangle in all of literary history. In fact, Jeff himself was the most irrelevant, blatant plot device I've ever read about. There wasn't even like the tiniest bit of effort to make him a real person. He was supposedly a great friend Winnie and Byron (the h & H). Winnie has had a crush on him for like 6 years but he's been in a relationship and Byron has been his roommate this whole time and somehow no one really knew the guy at all...turns out he's the worst and only gets worse as the book goes on when he's very seldom brought in for a quick scene to be annoying and obnoxious 🙄. I get trying to add a bit of tension to a book with another love interest, but that plot line was over before it began and this book honestly had enough going on without him especially since he was rarely brought up I think he just shouldn't have existed. And I'll leave that rant there.
As much as the beginning of the book was hyper focused on TikTok and being cringe about it I'm happy that for the rest of the book it was much more of a background plot. That said I have one more pet peeve to complain about. Our main character Byron had stipulations to agreeing to be a part of the videos and one of them was that he didn't want to ever know when they were being filmed and he didn't want to plan any part of it before hand even though these were like scripted sketches essentially. And let me tell you not once was this ever followed through with (okay actually I think once it was but that's it lol) because duh that was a dumb ask anyway, but this was brought up every.single.time. they filmed "I know you said you didn't want to know..." "I know you didn't want to plan ahead, but for this one I really feel like we should..." Okay so then why even have that whole plot point? Annoying. I'm nitpicky, yes, but also this was brought up way too much lol.
The reason I stuck around with this book was the mystery of Byron. I always find a reclusive, assholeish H intriguing and Byron was no exception. It's revealed throughout the course of the book that Byron has a reason for his terse and oftentimes irreverent manner and *slight spoilers* it's because he has a sensory processing disorder. Which I found out from the author's Facebook and is one of the main reasons I decided to read this book in the first place so I don't really consider it a spoiler. I can't really speak on how well/not well the author handled the portrayl of a character like that, but I mostly found it compelling. Sometimes like with the whole marriage thing (IYKYK) I was very fucking confused and not sure how authentic or not a reaction like that would be. Anyway, Byron mostly carried this for me. Also more slight *spoilers* these bitches were both virgins. So that was kind of fun. I would consider this a slow burn. There was quite a bit of explicit fooling around eventually, but their first legit sex scene occurs in the last pages of the epilogue and then the book just ends before anything actually happens 😅 *spoilers over*
I found the tit for tat "fake relationship" (although that was never fully committed to) nature of their bargain kind of random in the end. The videos turned out to not be a huge focus and kind of irrelevant by the end and Winnie's role as 'buffer' for Byron at his interviews in NY seemed unnecessary? Like she did hardly anything at the interviews or the awards so that whole plot point bothered me a little just because it's the whole premise of the book so it felt weird to not bring it up.
Overall I can't say I'd recommend this book because I honestly still don't know how I feel about it lol. I think people will love it and not be phased at all by the stuff that bothered me. I think it just started off on a really sour note for me so it's hard to say how the rest of the book made up for it or not 🤷🏼♀️ overall I didn't hate it and I did start to get pretty into it regardless of my hang ups so make of that what you will.
This wasn't a bad book necessarily, but I found it confusing and hard to connect to. The first ~15% or so was very cringe and awkward and I found it all a bit insufferable and almost DNF'd. Truly the only reason I didn't is because I tried to start a few other books and they weren't working out either so I decided to give this one more try and I'm happy to report this one got a little better after the initial badness. (There will be a couple ~slight~ spoilers later in my review with a warning before hand.)
The early on and extreme focus on the methods and mechanisms of the TikTok 'romance challenges' was super cringe and made all the characters (26/27 year olds) feel simultaneously old and very uncool and also super young and cringe 🤔 a character named Jeff is introduced at this point to be a part of the tiniest most irrelevant love triangle in all of literary history. In fact, Jeff himself was the most irrelevant, blatant plot device I've ever read about. There wasn't even like the tiniest bit of effort to make him a real person. He was supposedly a great friend Winnie and Byron (the h & H). Winnie has had a crush on him for like 6 years but he's been in a relationship and Byron has been his roommate this whole time and somehow no one really knew the guy at all...turns out he's the worst and only gets worse as the book goes on when he's very seldom brought in for a quick scene to be annoying and obnoxious 🙄. I get trying to add a bit of tension to a book with another love interest, but that plot line was over before it began and this book honestly had enough going on without him especially since he was rarely brought up I think he just shouldn't have existed. And I'll leave that rant there.
As much as the beginning of the book was hyper focused on TikTok and being cringe about it I'm happy that for the rest of the book it was much more of a background plot. That said I have one more pet peeve to complain about. Our main character Byron had stipulations to agreeing to be a part of the videos and one of them was that he didn't want to ever know when they were being filmed and he didn't want to plan any part of it before hand even though these were like scripted sketches essentially. And let me tell you not once was this ever followed through with (okay actually I think once it was but that's it lol) because duh that was a dumb ask anyway, but this was brought up every.single.time. they filmed "I know you said you didn't want to know..." "I know you didn't want to plan ahead, but for this one I really feel like we should..." Okay so then why even have that whole plot point? Annoying. I'm nitpicky, yes, but also this was brought up way too much lol.
The reason I stuck around with this book was the mystery of Byron. I always find a reclusive, assholeish H intriguing and Byron was no exception. It's revealed throughout the course of the book that Byron has a reason for his terse and oftentimes irreverent manner and *slight spoilers* it's because he has a sensory processing disorder. Which I found out from the author's Facebook and is one of the main reasons I decided to read this book in the first place so I don't really consider it a spoiler. I can't really speak on how well/not well the author handled the portrayl of a character like that, but I mostly found it compelling. Sometimes like with the whole marriage thing (IYKYK) I was very fucking confused and not sure how authentic or not a reaction like that would be. Anyway, Byron mostly carried this for me. Also more slight *spoilers* these bitches were both virgins. So that was kind of fun. I would consider this a slow burn. There was quite a bit of explicit fooling around eventually, but their first legit sex scene occurs in the last pages of the epilogue and then the book just ends before anything actually happens 😅 *spoilers over*
I found the tit for tat "fake relationship" (although that was never fully committed to) nature of their bargain kind of random in the end. The videos turned out to not be a huge focus and kind of irrelevant by the end and Winnie's role as 'buffer' for Byron at his interviews in NY seemed unnecessary? Like she did hardly anything at the interviews or the awards so that whole plot point bothered me a little just because it's the whole premise of the book so it felt weird to not bring it up.
Overall I can't say I'd recommend this book because I honestly still don't know how I feel about it lol. I think people will love it and not be phased at all by the stuff that bothered me. I think it just started off on a really sour note for me so it's hard to say how the rest of the book made up for it or not 🤷🏼♀️ overall I didn't hate it and I did start to get pretty into it regardless of my hang ups so make of that what you will.
January 20, 2023
“It feels like you snuck past my defenses when I wasn’t looking, Byron Visser. You were simply yourself and I had no choice but to love you. That’s what it feels like.”
I can't find the exact words to explain how much I loved Byron & Winnie together. The way Byron was so whipped for Winnie was adorable! I felt more connected to Byron than Winnie because of the way he was. Winnie was an overthinker and sometimes her pov's were getting repeatitive which got boring tbh. Even the pacing was a bit wierd. There was definitely miscommunication but I loved the way Byron & Winnie talked things out immediately in the consecutive chapters. Oh, and I loved the character of Amelia, she was an absolute gem of a mutual friend. Overall, I enjoyed the book but it's pacing is really hard to ignore. If you really want to give this book a try, keep in mind that this book is a super slow burn but the chemistry and tension between Byron & Winnie will give you all sorts of butterflies even though you'll sometimes feel frustrated with the way they handle things ;-)
I can't find the exact words to explain how much I loved Byron & Winnie together. The way Byron was so whipped for Winnie was adorable! I felt more connected to Byron than Winnie because of the way he was. Winnie was an overthinker and sometimes her pov's were getting repeatitive which got boring tbh. Even the pacing was a bit wierd. There was definitely miscommunication but I loved the way Byron & Winnie talked things out immediately in the consecutive chapters. Oh, and I loved the character of Amelia, she was an absolute gem of a mutual friend. Overall, I enjoyed the book but it's pacing is really hard to ignore. If you really want to give this book a try, keep in mind that this book is a super slow burn but the chemistry and tension between Byron & Winnie will give you all sorts of butterflies even though you'll sometimes feel frustrated with the way they handle things ;-)
June 2, 2022
Penny Reid my favorite authors so I never read her book's blurbs. I just dive in and know I'll love it. With this book, the most unexpected aspect for me was how much Winnie is a reflection of my own life. I'm a software engineer who loves to be girly. It's not the norm, but it should be! Girls can be anything and everything they want to be.
So although I loved Byron. He was absolutely perfect. I enjoyed how their relationship evolved and progressed. Win is not one of my all time favorite characters!
So although I loved Byron. He was absolutely perfect. I enjoyed how their relationship evolved and progressed. Win is not one of my all time favorite characters!
April 25, 2022
This book was spectacularly adorable, but i’m actually disappointed by the ending. Win and Byron are my favorite nerds. :( so 3.5 stars!
I can’t say how badly I needed the smut between Winnie and Byron to happen, since it would’ve tied them perfectly together (after talking about it time after time, the foreplay (that was horrible), and the pining over one another). 🙃
also i cringed for half the book, each time Tiktok trends were mentioned. Like god, no. I know it’s about social media but still🙃
I can’t say how badly I needed the smut between Winnie and Byron to happen, since it would’ve tied them perfectly together (after talking about it time after time, the foreplay (that was horrible), and the pining over one another). 🙃
also i cringed for half the book, each time Tiktok trends were mentioned. Like god, no. I know it’s about social media but still🙃
April 22, 2022
This book was weird… and kind of bad? I didn’t like either of the main characters, they were annoyingly immature, there was no chemistry between them and every chapter was a misunderstanding where both characters were conversing about two entirely different things? Byron started off as a flirty, broody man and quickly turned into (for lack of a better word) a giant man-baby. And Winnie just acted like his mother. The book started off with a lot of potential but ended up just giving me the ick.
April 26, 2022
This book could be renamed Ten Pages to Completly Hook a Romance Reader.
New readers, if you haven't already jumped on the Penny Reid train, this is the book that should get you started. But, I do warn you, the Pennyverse is a magical land akin to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with interconnected stories, tons of incredible characters, spinoffs, and much much more. Once you go down the rabbit hole there is no going back.
BUT, I digress, going back to Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend - are you a fan of grumpy heroes? Well, hello there, Byron was written for you. Do you appreciate a strong female lead with a background in STEM? Winnie will be your gal.
This fresh take on friends to lovers checks ALL the boxes of romancelandia. How did Miss Reid do it? Superpowers, probably. You will fall head over heels with the fantastic plot, hilarious moments, interesting characters, heartwarming story, and ALL the sexual tension.
The only downside is that it did get a bit repetitive towards the end, and some of the miscommunication was just a tad annoying. This is a longish book, and while I didn't mind the number of pages (in fact I could have kept reading on and on about these characters), a few plots that weren't as interesting were stretched, while a few other plotlines that made me curious were either cut short or not as well developed. Still, the connection and unravelling of the love story between both characters more than made up for any issues with pacing.
I am loving the new era of Penny Reid, and all I can say is: please may I have some more?
Thank you so much to Social Butterfly PR for approving me for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
New readers, if you haven't already jumped on the Penny Reid train, this is the book that should get you started. But, I do warn you, the Pennyverse is a magical land akin to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with interconnected stories, tons of incredible characters, spinoffs, and much much more. Once you go down the rabbit hole there is no going back.
BUT, I digress, going back to Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend - are you a fan of grumpy heroes? Well, hello there, Byron was written for you. Do you appreciate a strong female lead with a background in STEM? Winnie will be your gal.
This fresh take on friends to lovers checks ALL the boxes of romancelandia. How did Miss Reid do it? Superpowers, probably. You will fall head over heels with the fantastic plot, hilarious moments, interesting characters, heartwarming story, and ALL the sexual tension.
The only downside is that it did get a bit repetitive towards the end, and some of the miscommunication was just a tad annoying. This is a longish book, and while I didn't mind the number of pages (in fact I could have kept reading on and on about these characters), a few plots that weren't as interesting were stretched, while a few other plotlines that made me curious were either cut short or not as well developed. Still, the connection and unravelling of the love story between both characters more than made up for any issues with pacing.
I am loving the new era of Penny Reid, and all I can say is: please may I have some more?
Thank you so much to Social Butterfly PR for approving me for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 2, 2023
Siento vergüenza por dos cosas: no quería leerlo porque juzgué muy mal la portada, me he demorado una vida en terminarlo solo porque no tenía tiempo para hacerlo.
Que no engañe el título, este no es un friends-to-lovers, mucho menos un bestfriends-to-lovers, esta es la historia de Winnie, quien no soporta a Byron porque cree que él tampoco la soporta a ella. Eso mismo señoras, es un I-can't-stand-you-to-lovers y yo voy loca por esto. Sí, también es cierto que está presente el cliché de miscommunication pero realmente tiene todo el sentido del mundo, lo prometo, de hecho es uno de los clichés a los que soy intolerante, pero MADRE MÍA, aquí valió completamente la pena además de que no podía ser de otra manera.
¿Alguien habló de fake-dating? ¡No, mis niñas! Aquí tenemos el fake-friendship, que por cierto ha sido maravilloso ver todo el progreso que han tenido en su relación.
Byron, Winnie, mis bebés.
Otro cliché que me ha vuelto loca en este libro ha sido el de él-se-enamora-primero-y-más-fuerte que, a decir verdad es más un él-siempre-la-ha-amado, y aunque para algunos esto pueda resultar ser spoiler, en realidad te das cuenta de esto desde el inicio y es SO FREAKING AWESOME leer lo ciega que es Winnie, normalmente este hecho me desespera pero aquí me tenía living, porque aunque eran obvios los sentimientos de Byron, verla a ella convencerse de lo contrario era gracioso y tierno a la vez.
• La versión de la aplicación del móvil no me censura los spoilers así que de aquí en adelante, si están desde la app NO lean:
Ok, ya sé que a muchas se les hizo súper awkward las y lo puedo comprender porque sí son muy awkwards, sobre todo esa en la que Byron , normalmente estas escenas en los libros de romance , pero oye, JAJAJA a mí sí se me hizo muy real, y entiendo que en la ficción todo es válido, pero siempre he querido leer específicamente esta escena así que en vez de que sea yo la que termine con el mal sabor sí que me ha gustado mucho.
Que no engañe el título, este no es un friends-to-lovers, mucho menos un bestfriends-to-lovers, esta es la historia de Winnie, quien no soporta a Byron porque cree que él tampoco la soporta a ella. Eso mismo señoras, es un I-can't-stand-you-to-lovers y yo voy loca por esto. Sí, también es cierto que está presente el cliché de miscommunication pero realmente tiene todo el sentido del mundo, lo prometo, de hecho es uno de los clichés a los que soy intolerante, pero MADRE MÍA, aquí valió completamente la pena además de que no podía ser de otra manera.
“So you a little bit like me.”
“No. I a lot like you.”
¿Alguien habló de fake-dating? ¡No, mis niñas! Aquí tenemos el fake-friendship, que por cierto ha sido maravilloso ver todo el progreso que han tenido en su relación.
Byron, Winnie, mis bebés.
“People aren’t drugs, they’re so much more addictive and dangerous. You don’t need more and more exposure to get the same feelings of a high.”
Otro cliché que me ha vuelto loca en este libro ha sido el de él-se-enamora-primero-y-más-fuerte que, a decir verdad es más un él-siempre-la-ha-amado, y aunque para algunos esto pueda resultar ser spoiler, en realidad te das cuenta de esto desde el inicio y es SO FREAKING AWESOME leer lo ciega que es Winnie, normalmente este hecho me desespera pero aquí me tenía living, porque aunque eran obvios los sentimientos de Byron, verla a ella convencerse de lo contrario era gracioso y tierno a la vez.
“I’ve loved you for years. You are the stars in the sky, the start and the finish. I’ll die loving you, wanting you, and the torture of you is better than the bliss of anyone else.”
• La versión de la aplicación del móvil no me censura los spoilers así que de aquí en adelante, si están desde la app NO lean:
Ok, ya sé que a muchas se les hizo súper awkward las y lo puedo comprender porque sí son muy awkwards, sobre todo esa en la que Byron , normalmente estas escenas en los libros de romance , pero oye, JAJAJA a mí sí se me hizo muy real, y entiendo que en la ficción todo es válido, pero siempre he querido leer específicamente esta escena así que en vez de que sea yo la que termine con el mal sabor sí que me ha gustado mucho.
April 15, 2022
It's hard for me to rate a Penny Reid book this low, but I'm just disappointed.
This was 550 pages, which according to the author's note was 60k words more than she planned. And let's just say you could tell. At around the 70% mark I had to put this down because I was just exhausted. The last 30% didn't cure me of that and didn't resolve satisfactorily.
I have a love/hate relationship with miscommunication in romance. At times it can be the perfect vessel for tension and keeping characters apart. But when it is done repeatedly or unbelievably, it grates on me. In this case, it just puzzled me. At times the characters were so self aware and almost robotic perfect examples of communication and checking in with each other and offering support. At other times, they were both so tangled in miscommunication, that I couldn't even figure out what they were saying or parcel out what each one was actually trying to say. Which makes for some confusing conversations. Even when things felt resolved, they just kept coming back up in another misunderstanding. I wasn't swooning, I was sighing.
The first part of the book I really thoroughly enjoyed and was so interested in uncovering more about Byron and his personality. I literally squealed when I saw we had a chapter from his POV at chapter 9 because it came out of no where. But once we get introduced to Byron's internal monologue and once he confesses feelings (pretty early on in the book) his personality changed. I don't think one version of Byron is necessarily better than the other, but it was hard for me to blend those two people together. The very first time we are introduced to Byron he is physically touching Winnie and she remarks that he always is like that with her. But then a huge part of the second half of the book is Byron's issues with intimacy, physical touch, and his sensory processing disorder.
I usually love stories about people on the spectrum or a sensory processing disorder, and think they are super important to tell, but this one was hard. Byron's "issues" really overwhelmed the romance, and in the end I wasn't convinced they had a healthy relationship or that they should have been together. It seemed like they had some weird codependency and neither one was emotionally mature enough for a relationship.
The length of the book really was a detriment to the characters. The longer the book went on, the more irritated with them I got. I found myself understanding them less and less, especially Byron, and felt like their character growth was almost regression. I didn't believe they were compatible and honestly didn't feel like Winnie was a good fit for Byron because she repeatedly misunderstands him and her own emotional immaturity made their communication very difficult and hurt Byron more. Winnie's character flaw of not asking for help and overworking herself also felt forced and not like a real issue. What chemistry I felt up to the midway point, just completely fizzled.
Okay and then I had a few issues with the sex. First, they were both virgins (but this isn't even communicated to the other until the very end of the book) and I read a 550 page romance, but we don't get to see their relationship (I guess we'll say consummated) until the epilogue. What we do get is some uncomfy fighting after she gives him a bj and says his sperm tastes like spoiled fish and mayo. Are you gagging? Yeah me too. So then she doesn't want him going down on her and he has to write a manifesto about how much he wants to. Then once he does, he doesn't like the taste either, but he LOVES the smell. Did I say gagging? Now I'm puking. Again. I read 500 pages and this was the reward.
Not everything was bad though. I did appreciate Winnie's goal to promote women in STEM and normalize being girly and smart. I thought the Tik Tok stuff was fun and interesting, but I can see where that wouldn't be for everyone.
This was 550 pages, which according to the author's note was 60k words more than she planned. And let's just say you could tell. At around the 70% mark I had to put this down because I was just exhausted. The last 30% didn't cure me of that and didn't resolve satisfactorily.
I have a love/hate relationship with miscommunication in romance. At times it can be the perfect vessel for tension and keeping characters apart. But when it is done repeatedly or unbelievably, it grates on me. In this case, it just puzzled me. At times the characters were so self aware and almost robotic perfect examples of communication and checking in with each other and offering support. At other times, they were both so tangled in miscommunication, that I couldn't even figure out what they were saying or parcel out what each one was actually trying to say. Which makes for some confusing conversations. Even when things felt resolved, they just kept coming back up in another misunderstanding. I wasn't swooning, I was sighing.
The first part of the book I really thoroughly enjoyed and was so interested in uncovering more about Byron and his personality. I literally squealed when I saw we had a chapter from his POV at chapter 9 because it came out of no where. But once we get introduced to Byron's internal monologue and once he confesses feelings (pretty early on in the book) his personality changed. I don't think one version of Byron is necessarily better than the other, but it was hard for me to blend those two people together. The very first time we are introduced to Byron he is physically touching Winnie and she remarks that he always is like that with her. But then a huge part of the second half of the book is Byron's issues with intimacy, physical touch, and his sensory processing disorder.
I usually love stories about people on the spectrum or a sensory processing disorder, and think they are super important to tell, but this one was hard. Byron's "issues" really overwhelmed the romance, and in the end I wasn't convinced they had a healthy relationship or that they should have been together. It seemed like they had some weird codependency and neither one was emotionally mature enough for a relationship.
The length of the book really was a detriment to the characters. The longer the book went on, the more irritated with them I got. I found myself understanding them less and less, especially Byron, and felt like their character growth was almost regression. I didn't believe they were compatible and honestly didn't feel like Winnie was a good fit for Byron because she repeatedly misunderstands him and her own emotional immaturity made their communication very difficult and hurt Byron more. Winnie's character flaw of not asking for help and overworking herself also felt forced and not like a real issue. What chemistry I felt up to the midway point, just completely fizzled.
Okay and then I had a few issues with the sex. First, they were both virgins (but this isn't even communicated to the other until the very end of the book) and I read a 550 page romance, but we don't get to see their relationship (I guess we'll say consummated) until the epilogue. What we do get is some uncomfy fighting after she gives him a bj and says his sperm tastes like spoiled fish and mayo. Are you gagging? Yeah me too. So then she doesn't want him going down on her and he has to write a manifesto about how much he wants to. Then once he does, he doesn't like the taste either, but he LOVES the smell. Did I say gagging? Now I'm puking. Again. I read 500 pages and this was the reward.
Not everything was bad though. I did appreciate Winnie's goal to promote women in STEM and normalize being girly and smart. I thought the Tik Tok stuff was fun and interesting, but I can see where that wouldn't be for everyone.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,112 reviews