After the last romance I read, it’s only fair that I get to review a good one. I read this book at the right time.

Synopsis

Two authors have serious writer’s block. Augustus Everett writes literary fiction while January Andrews writes romance. For the next three months, they’ll be living in neighboring beach houses. One evening, they strike a deal to get them out of their writer’s block. Augustus will write a romance and January will write a literary fiction novel.

Both authors are forced to spend time together. Augustus will take her on research trips to learn about deadly cults. January will take him on field trips worthy of any romance.

Book Information

Genre: Romance
Category: Adult
Explicit violence: No
Explicit sex: Yes
Content warnings I noticed: Discussions of physical abuse
This is a standalone.

Review

The prose is good. Accessible and easy to read.

The story is written in first person. It’s told through January’s point of view. This isn’t bad, but I would have preferred if it was written in January and Augustus’s point of views. The problem with a limited point of view is that you learn about the other characters through one person. Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like the other characters don’t get a full arc.

The romance is very much instalove with a touch of enemies to lovers. I don’t usually enjoy instalove. However, I’ve learned that the key to instalove is that the characters need to have a lot of chemistry. I enjoyed this instalove. The chemistry is amazing.

Something I found really interesting is that the romance is written like a category romance. However, it has the story of a single-title romance. This is interesting from a writing perspective. While both category and single-title romances have the same elements, a single-title romance has a bigger story and more characters. We mainly spend time with January, so it has the limitations usually found in category romance. However, the story feels like it’s a single-title romance.

The pacing is good. It fits the story. It reads like a category romance.

The themes are explored very well. They’re given enough time on the page and don’t feel rushed. One of the best themes explored here is finding safety in stories. Through fiction, you have the chance to explore different parts of your life. Sometimes, I write because I want to tell an interesting story. Other times, I want to explore a particular area of my life. Sometimes, I write to tell an interesting story, but end up exploring a part of my life I wasn’t expecting.

To me, writing can be very therapeutic. It’s a safe way to explore. Through books, you don’t feel alone because there’s someone else to relate to. Through writing, it’s not you. It’s a different character.

Stories are also great for escapism. Sometimes, you just want a story that is nothing like your current life. It’s another way stories can provide safety. It gives you time to rest.

I love these characters. They’re awesome. They’re adorable. I love their chemistry. They’re great individually and as a couple. As I mentioned previously, I would have loved Augustus’s point of view. It doesn’t feel like he goes through an arc.

The family dynamics are great. I would have loved to see more. They’re shown in a few scenes, but not enough for my liking.

Conclusion

Overall, it was a great story. I had a great time reading it. It hasn’t completely taken me out of my current reading slump, but I think it’s close. I rate it four stars.