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A review by ravensandpages
The Godparent Trap by Rachel Van Dyken
Did not finish book. Stopped at 61%.
DNFed at 61%.
I was really excited about this one! I love a surprise baby trope, whether it's a hidden pregnancy or life throwing the worst at characters who have to scramble to pick up the pieces, and I liked the sound of childhood rivals to lovers learning to co-parent and deal with loss while balancing an uber-organized type A personality and a chaotic free spirit. Rip and Colby had the potential to be grumpy/sunshine excellence, but nearly every aspect of this book ended up falling short.
I liked the kids and Colby was fine, but Rip is charting for one of my least favorite male leads of all time. I love a good grump who is an actual grump, but Rip was just cruel to Colby and I didn't feel that the writing properly scaffolded this as a shitty expression of grief that would be remedied in a way that furthered the romantic plot; instead, it came off as vile and misogynistic, and the switch-up of Rip staying home and Colby getting his office didn't hit at all as a proper comeuppance. If he didn't have the secondary POV, I would have expected Banks to be the actual love interest. I might have preferred it that way, actually.
The writing was also unfortunately lackluster and I felt a lack of tension that kept me invested in the relationships. At 61%, I didn't feel any true will-they-won't-they, even with double secondary love interests in the mix (though on Rip's side, I felt that plot thread was dropped and forgotten). I might be somewhat biased toward slow burns, but especially considering this is a grumpy/sunshine second chance rivals to lovers, they got too close too fast. I also felt Colby forgave Rip way too quick. Simply not enough groveling, considering all this man has put her through. For all the history featured in this book between the high school bully gunning for Rip, their childhood relationship, their failure of a second date, and the couple that united them, very little of it came to the surface and added the weight that would have kept me hooked. Perhaps with a bit less of those moving pieces, this book might have stuck the landing for me?
Unfortunately, I would not recommend this book at all, but thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was really excited about this one! I love a surprise baby trope, whether it's a hidden pregnancy or life throwing the worst at characters who have to scramble to pick up the pieces, and I liked the sound of childhood rivals to lovers learning to co-parent and deal with loss while balancing an uber-organized type A personality and a chaotic free spirit. Rip and Colby had the potential to be grumpy/sunshine excellence, but nearly every aspect of this book ended up falling short.
I liked the kids and Colby was fine, but Rip is charting for one of my least favorite male leads of all time. I love a good grump who is an actual grump, but Rip was just cruel to Colby and I didn't feel that the writing properly scaffolded this as a shitty expression of grief that would be remedied in a way that furthered the romantic plot; instead, it came off as vile and misogynistic, and the switch-up of Rip staying home and Colby getting his office didn't hit at all as a proper comeuppance. If he didn't have the secondary POV, I would have expected Banks to be the actual love interest. I might have preferred it that way, actually.
The writing was also unfortunately lackluster and I felt a lack of tension that kept me invested in the relationships. At 61%, I didn't feel any true will-they-won't-they, even with double secondary love interests in the mix (though on Rip's side, I felt that plot thread was dropped and forgotten). I might be somewhat biased toward slow burns, but especially considering this is a grumpy/sunshine second chance rivals to lovers, they got too close too fast. I also felt Colby forgave Rip way too quick. Simply not enough groveling, considering all this man has put her through. For all the history featured in this book between the high school bully gunning for Rip, their childhood relationship, their failure of a second date, and the couple that united them, very little of it came to the surface and added the weight that would have kept me hooked. Perhaps with a bit less of those moving pieces, this book might have stuck the landing for me?
Unfortunately, I would not recommend this book at all, but thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.