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A review by mxhermit
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
4.0
CW: scene involving fat shaming & "advice" that is actually disordered eating
A friend on Twitter, Mith, recommended this book by saying it wasn't being talked about. That it was a lovers-enemies-lovers book and WHY WASN'T IT BEING TALKED ABOUT MORE? After having read it myself, I wholeheartedly agree.
WHY ISN'T You Deserve Each Other BEING TALKED ABOUT MORE???
In what is basically, in my opinion, a War of the Roses + Persuasion novel about two people who have maybe fallen out of love with each other, but don't want to be the one to call the wedding off at the risk of all those non-refundables, you'll read about Naomi, Nicholas, and a cast with incredible friends & future in-laws, all of whom are just as batshit as the main characters.
What I Enjoyed
Naomi's passion for being true to herself and her friends.
The aesthetic: whether it was Naomi's embrace of traditional autumn things like pumpkins & beanies or the cabin that she and Nicholas take up residence in, there was a lot to fall in love with in You Deserve Each Other.
Some of the sniping and pranks were actually good fun. Their silliness had me giggling.
Naomi's inner voice had me cackling because she did not hold back when she was narrating her thoughts about the sabotage she was planning or how she felt about her future mother-in-law or how her feelings for Nicholas were fluctuating.
Even side characters who never made an appearance had me rolling in laughter, like Nicholas's father's first wife Magnolia. Her presence is very much still felt in the family and she is ICONIC.
What I Didn't Enjoy
While I understood that a major factor of the book were the pranks and the sabotage that Naomi and Nicholas were enacting upon each other, there were some moments that I felt were unnecessarily cruel and/or thoughtless veering into cruel. For example, on Nicholas's side, when he backed over a Charlie Brown-esque tree that Naomi had grown attached too, something he did repeatedly as she watched.
On Naomi's side, when she knew that Nicholas was bothered by her phone ringing with some sort of notification repeatedly, and she didn't answer it. Her inner thoughts were about how their relationship was at a stage where maybe they didn't owe each other answers, but it felt like, at that stage, things were slowly starting to get better and she was acting badly and sabotaging it in a totally different way than the previously hilarious antics early on in the book.
To Sum It Up
This is a book that begs to be reread because of the humor that leaps off the page. It's got some twingy moments of sadness and regret, but mostly brought a smile to my face. I highly recommend preordering it, shouting about it, and making sure to share it with your friends so it'll maybe get a Hallmark movie or something because I can definitely see Naomi and Nicholas across our screens. <3
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes included are from an advanced reader copy and may not reflect the finalized copy.
My engagement to Nicholas Rose is a game of chicken.
A friend on Twitter, Mith, recommended this book by saying it wasn't being talked about. That it was a lovers-enemies-lovers book and WHY WASN'T IT BEING TALKED ABOUT MORE? After having read it myself, I wholeheartedly agree.
WHY ISN'T You Deserve Each Other BEING TALKED ABOUT MORE???
In what is basically, in my opinion, a War of the Roses + Persuasion novel about two people who have maybe fallen out of love with each other, but don't want to be the one to call the wedding off at the risk of all those non-refundables, you'll read about Naomi, Nicholas, and a cast with incredible friends & future in-laws, all of whom are just as batshit as the main characters.
What I Enjoyed
Naomi's passion for being true to herself and her friends.
The aesthetic: whether it was Naomi's embrace of traditional autumn things like pumpkins & beanies or the cabin that she and Nicholas take up residence in, there was a lot to fall in love with in You Deserve Each Other.
Some of the sniping and pranks were actually good fun. Their silliness had me giggling.
Naomi's inner voice had me cackling because she did not hold back when she was narrating her thoughts about the sabotage she was planning or how she felt about her future mother-in-law or how her feelings for Nicholas were fluctuating.
Even side characters who never made an appearance had me rolling in laughter, like Nicholas's father's first wife Magnolia. Her presence is very much still felt in the family and she is ICONIC.
What I Didn't Enjoy
While I understood that a major factor of the book were the pranks and the sabotage that Naomi and Nicholas were enacting upon each other, there were some moments that I felt were unnecessarily cruel and/or thoughtless veering into cruel. For example, on Nicholas's side, when he backed over a Charlie Brown-esque tree that Naomi had grown attached too, something he did repeatedly as she watched.
On Naomi's side, when she knew that Nicholas was bothered by her phone ringing with some sort of notification repeatedly, and she didn't answer it. Her inner thoughts were about how their relationship was at a stage where maybe they didn't owe each other answers, but it felt like, at that stage, things were slowly starting to get better and she was acting badly and sabotaging it in a totally different way than the previously hilarious antics early on in the book.
To Sum It Up
This is a book that begs to be reread because of the humor that leaps off the page. It's got some twingy moments of sadness and regret, but mostly brought a smile to my face. I highly recommend preordering it, shouting about it, and making sure to share it with your friends so it'll maybe get a Hallmark movie or something because I can definitely see Naomi and Nicholas across our screens. <3
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes included are from an advanced reader copy and may not reflect the finalized copy.