This was a lovely treat and I am so happy I won this ARC of the debut novel of Amanda Pennington!!
I love the friends to lovers trope and the blurb just left me laughing so hard I couldn't wait to read it. The idea of adapting the dating advices from the 1950s to now was pure comedy, and it didn't disappoint! I just fell in love with the characters right away and was looking forward to each "mancounter", both to see how it would go and of course how Cameron would react. Cam is such a gem, I want him for myself!
I really do hope to see more of Ivy, and Toby (pretty please?) and if there had been just a little bit more steam this would have been 5+ stars, but we'll go with 4.75-5 for the moment ;)

Wow, talk about a slow burn.

Cameron had a promising career ahead of him in basketball until he suffered a stroke early in his college career. He fought through his recovery and created a new life where he's the head computer/IT guy at the college he works at with Mel and Ivy. Cam's been in love with Mel since the day he met her 5 years ago, while also being one of her two best friends. When she decides to try to write her first book - basing it on how women dated (attracted a man) in the 50s, compared to how it is in the present day - he finds himself trying to figure out how to break through his own issues to get her to notice that he's been right in front of her all this time.

There is virtually no steam or heat in this book. Some passionate kissing near the end. It's still super sweet and was a fun read.

This book did not work for me. I wanted to love it. I adore a well-written friends-to-lovers trope, but this slow burn was the slowest of the slow. The “humor” was just not on point. I finished it, but I wasn’t happy about it.

2.5

Ce livre est l’exemple parfait de pourquoi friends to lovers n’est pas ma trope préférée. J’avais juste envie de dire au personnage masculin de se déniaiser. Je le trouvais lourd de dire sans cesse que le personnage féminin ne réalise pas qu’il est intéressé alors qu’il n’ose rien lui dire.

De plus, les tomes précédents avaient un peu de spice, donc même si c’est une autre auteure, je m’attendais à la même chose, mais ce n’est pas le cas. Je n’ai pas enlevé d’étoiles pour ça, mais j’aurais aimé le savoir!

Light & fun clean romance. :)

Okay read, nothing bad just story didn't do it for me.

Sloooooooow-burn.

"How do you become friends when 'friends' is all you've ever been?"

I spent ninety-percent of Book Smart overwhelmingly exasperated by Mel and Cam. *Cue internal screaming.* Mel is perhaps too afraid or just oblivious to see what's been right in front of her. Cam can't imagine losing the friendship he's built with Mel to take a chance of showing her how he truly feels, wasting so much time—FIVE years!—waiting for the "right" moment.

"It's about time. You two make me crazy."

The heartfelt emotions, great characters, and the hilarious—and at times horrifying—exploits into testing out 1950s dating advice make for a fun, sometimes frustrating, sweet (not steamy) read.

"I felt the quiet, sure, steady love that I hadn't even known I needed . . . Everything I ever wanted was standing right in front of me."


3.5 stars


Advanced reader copy received in exchange for an honest review from Smartypants Romance.