Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.
So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, Mille and her circle make a pact that they’ll join an online dating service to find plus-ones for the event. There’s only one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of the guys, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, but mutually decide the friendship would be better off strictly platonic.
But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with quality matches and potential dates, Millie’s first profile attempt garners nothing but dick pics and creepers. Enter “Catherine”—Millie’s fictional profile persona, in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. Soon “Catherine” and Reid strike up a digital pen-pal-ship…but Millie can’t resist temptation in real life, either. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear—intimacy—or risk losing her best friend, forever.
Perfect for fans of Roxanne and She’s the Man, Christina Lauren’s latest romantic comedy is full of mistaken identities, hijinks, and a classic love story with a modern twist. Funny and fresh, you’ll want to swipe right on My Favorite Half-Night Stand.
After being absolutely spellbound by her previous release (I still can’t get over Josh and Hazel’s adorableness), I was expecting to be wowed by Christina Lauren’s new release yet again. She’s such a favorite of mine that the expectations are always automatically heightened. But I was let down this time.
There’s a lot to love about My Favorite Half-Night Stand. I loved the friendship of the main group. All the characters had their own quirks. The banter and ribbing between the friends was fun and I could connect with their friendship. I also loved the texts between Millie and Reid. There was depth to it and I could feel the compatibility between them.
But Millie? I had MANY issues with her character. I get why she is the way she is. I also could empathize with her inability to open up. But I just could not understand the motivations behind her actions. She came off as whimsical and not at all in a relatable or adorable way. She totally played with Reid’s emotions. I found her to be emotionally immature but in a way that did not warrant any sympathy from me. I kept shaking my head in disbelief at some of the things she did and just so randomly.
Friends-to-lovers is my favorite trope but it failed to please me this time. Although, I loved the texts between Reid and Millie, I was not 100% convinced by their attraction towards each other. At one point, I wanted to see more of the friends than these two. I think that says a lot when the supporting characters interest you a lot more than the protagonists.
Although, I’m disappointed by the book, I am pleased with the world that the author created and want to see more of the characters. I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of the guys get their own stories. Fingers crossed that they live up to my expectations!
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
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