My favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren was just what I needed. A funny, rom-com with interesting characters and an ending that left me smiling at my Kindle.

Meet the main characters:

Millie Morris is a woman with a cool job. Millie has loved learning about female serial killers from a young age and now in the present, she's a professor in criminology at UC. In regards to her personal life, she's "one of the guys". Her friends are all men, and just like her, they're also professors. The five of them get along so well. They go out together everywhere but she seems to get along better with Reid. Then, one night after some drinks, she sleeps with him and everything gets so much more complicated between them.

Millie has trouble opening up. She has trouble communicating personal events or family matters with her friends. She's all about deflecting and changing the subject. Yet, she's funny, loyal and she cares about her friends. She just doesn't want to show them any of her weaknesses. It all began when her mom passed away from cancer and her dad thought it was better to stop discussing the event altogether. Millie had to grow up and take care of her younger sibling.

Reid Campbell is known as a workaholic. He's a good friend and he's not scared of sharing his feelings. He loves Millie's friendship and after sleeping together, he knows he doesn't want to lose her. There's also the problem of needing a plus one for the event of the year, a gala none of them want to miss. Their solution, joining an online dating site and finding a date for the party.

Plenty of things can go wrong and they sure do with this couple when Millie assumes a new persona as her online profile, Catherine and she ends up matching with Reid. This will lead to many misunderstandings and lies that will threaten their friendship and their relationship.

I had so much fun reading this book. I love the avatars the authors picked for the characters and their friends. I like Millie and Reid. They were cute together. I loved Chris, Alex, and Stephen and I would love to see them in future books.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think I fell into the hole of, “I hope really great writing can make me get over a trope I hate.” Please note, this does not work, or at least it didn’t work for me while reading this book. That being said, I can see why Christina Lauren has so many fans. MY FAVORITE HALF-NIGHT STAND is about a group of friends all looking for dates for a benefit. The hero and heroine are two members of this group who slept together once and are now trying to stay “just friends” while helping each other find dates. Oh, and the heroine is catfishing the hero on a dating site. YUP.

To start with what I liked: I adored, absolutely adored, the banter in this book between the nerdy professor group. The running rooster jokes, the distinct personalities, and their instant messaging exchanges kept me laughing. I wish that this was actually a series and each of the group members got their own books.

Unfortunately, the witty banter, the snappy dialogue, and the fun characters couldn’t overcome the fact that I disliked Millie, the heroine. Ok, I didn’t hate her, per se, but I did not connect with her, and her actions baffled me. A grown, professional woman making some of the choices she did… it’s hard for me to wrap my brain around it. I felt like her actions were being explained ad nauseam because even the authors knew that what she was doing was awful and inexcusable. I liked Reid, he was a nice guy, but I think he apologized or made excuses for Millie too often.

Overall, this was a tough one for me to rate. I honestly think I would have liked this book better if their group had stayed friends and Millie found someone else. Preferably someone she wasn’t lying to. But since that wasn’t the story or the plot, I was just ok with the book.

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

Was just okay. Not too fond of it, almost stopped reading it once or twice, but then realized at that point I was on page 106/367 so meh. Overall it was a pretty quick read.

But, I did not like Millie. She doesn't like divulging anything about herself, even to her closest friends. And well, the character didn't divulge much to readers either, so I guess that was fitting? The three guy friends of her felt more real than she did, which is sad.

What a bummer! The protagonist is not fun to root even with such a cool profession. Also, the reason for this book's catfishing, the gala, does not even occur leaving me wondering what the point of it all was.

Also, catfishing is bad and knowing a good chunk of the book relies on that made me uncomfortable.

Millie is a professor teaching about women serial killers. Her best friends are four other male professors. The annual banquet is having an extra special speaker and the group of friends decide to try a dating app to find plus ones for the gala. Millie and Reid have had a special connection and try to be "just friends' after a hook up. She writes up the guys profiles and they all begin getting matches. Millie gets a profile under another name is matched to Reid. They connect so well that when Reid wants to meet in real life, Millie has to decide if she will come clean or disappear.

Such a fun read! I love just about everything by this author duo, and this one didn't disappoint. Definitely give it a read.

Christina and Lauren are my favor romance authors. Every single one of their books is a MUST READ! My Favorite Half-Night Stand does not disappoint I loved Millie and Reid's story. READ THIS BOOK

Christina Lauren can do no wrong in the romance genre. They write books like I can only hope to write someday. This one will make you laugh and has definite New Girl vibes.

Christina Lauren has won me over again. This group of friends was so great and fun to be around. I'm always a little miffed when a romance is so heavy on the dudes, but that didn't stop me from loving all of the banter and joking. My main disappointments come from not seeing more of the female characters--Millie's sister Elly, Reid's sister Rayma, or even some of the random women the other guys dated. It would have balanced out the book a bit better. It also would have been nice for Millie to have another lady to chat with when things started going south. But anyway, I'm dwelling on this issue. Overall, the romance was sweet, there was a ton of tension, and lots of cringey parts that made me feel uncomfortable, but also made it impossible for me to stop reading. Solid romantic comedy!

My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren Book Review

Friends to lovers; well, maybe!

Christina Lauren is quickly becoming my go-to for hot, hilarious romances It's no wonder why so many people love them.

Quirks for Days

Throughout the story, we get to know this cast of fabulous characters. It's a Big Bang Theory type of vibe with 4 guys & a girl. Can I just say how much I love these characters? Like, seriously, can we have a spin-off with each character in this book?

For Your Consideration- A Spin-Off with Ed

Much like movies, the supporting actors sometimes steal the show. For me, Ed is a total scene stealer in My Favorite Half-Night Stand. First, we learn he is 90% alcohol and 10 % Cheeto dust. How could I not love him? Then, his mother has to head over to clean his kitchen. Ed always says the craziest things & even better, he does them. How about running nude in his friend's family vineyard? Honestly. this paragraph is my endorsement to Christina Lauren that we need more Ed in our lives! Please, can we get more of him?

Vulnerability Hangover

My Favorite Half-Night Stand is not only sexy & steamy, but it's also a fulfilling love story. Christina Lauren taps into why it's often easier to be open & vulnerable to those who don't truly know us. This is a real thing, right? Bartenders know what I'm talking about. Often, people will spill their guts to strangers, but then casually forget to mention your closest friend that you slept with your ex (again).

Being truly open & vulnerable with someone we care about is as scary as hell. Just ask Brene Brown! This is a central theme in My Favorite Half-Night Stand & I loved it. Behind the mask of the dating app, Reid & Millie are able to open to one another.

THE VERDICT

I am Really Into This book! The story is heartwarming, sexy & memorable. I just can't get enough of Christina Lauren.

Special thanks to Christina Lauren, Gallery Books & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

Be sure to check out our review for Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren.

Let’s connect with books!  We have all of our reviews on Goodreads!

I personally love Millie as a character and understand the hardship of
online dating. I mean, who hasn’t. Even after the break-up with an
ex-boyfriend, she gained so many male friends. But that’s all there
is, until one night after a night of drinking she finds herself
gravitating to Reid in a more attractive sense. Unfortunately, that
night they end up having a “half-night stand” where they get heated
between the sheets, but he doesn’t stay afterward. But the next time
they encounter each other.

Though this, Millie decided to sign up for a dating site only using
her middle name and an unrevealing profile picture. Though this dating
site she meets men, what she didn’t expect was matching with Reid.
Thus, beginning an online relationship, but can she keep this up?

I’ve read a good handful of stories by Christina Lauren but I have to
say that I’m 50/50 on this particular story. Even though I understand
and even enjoyed the story, some of the things that Reid did towards
Millie made me pause and re-think about him as a character. Though
overall the story was good and I enjoyed the characters interaction
(for the most part) in the story.

I read this book in one sitting, which rarely happens. The narration was super easy to read and felt like I was part of a conversation with Millie and the guys. I liked Millie though I was frustrated with her decision to catfish Reid. True, she added clues that should have dawned on him, but it was still dishonest and really played with Reid's mind. I absolutely adored Reid! He's definitely my dream guy and I hated to see him so hurt in the end when everything came crashing down. I'm glad that the authors mentioned Millie seeking help in sorting her emotions and learning to open up and that it is an ongoing process rather than magically solved in the end. I would have loved to see Chris and Ed's romantic relationships grow. Another entertaining read by Christina Lauren!

ADORABLE! That's the best word I can think of to describe this story. I had a smile on my face the entire time. I read this so quickly because I couldn't put it down. It's one of my very favorites from this amazing writing duo! Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

***I received an ebook copy from the publisher at no cost***

I love a good friends to lovers story, and that’s precisely what Christina Lauren delivered with My Favorite Half-Night Stand.

The storyline itself isn’t exactly original: Millie and Reid are best friends who end of climbing into bed with one another. They both give online dating a try following their night of debauchery because they’d rather get serious with other people than risk blowing up the friendship they both cherish. Christina Lauren put a little twist in the story at this point though, when Millie decides to create a fake profile and starts romancing Reid with it.

As always, there are all kinds of humorous moments in this book. The circle of friends is fantastic and uber relatable. I would gladly make myself a part of their social circle if they weren’t a fictional clan. Reid was great. He’s sincere and sweet and pretty much everything that I look for in a book boyfriend. Millie was good, but she annoyed me at times. She seemed kind of detached from her friends in some ways.

I laughed out loud a lot and of course, there was plenty of delicious between-the-sheets action.

If you’re looking for a fun, easy, and sexy read, My Favorite Half-Night Stand is for you.

4 stars to this novel!

Millie was definitely one of the guys. She surrounded herself with her male best friends as a professor at the University. Making a pact with her colleagues and delving into the online dating world was comical and so true to form. Finding the special person that completed her and allowed her to finally be herself is closer than she thinks. She grows throughout the story as a character and remind us communication is key in any relationship. Her favorite half-night stand will become so much more than she bargained for.

Author's Christina Lauren NEVER disappoint and they have grown to be one of my favorites! This book is funny, light-hearted, filled with loveable characters, and charming.

If you love best friends to lovers stories this is one you don’t want to miss. Reid and Millie have been friends for a few years, inseparable, the best of friends. Of course, I can't give too much away, but friends-to-lovers storylines are one of my favorites!

This book was just so well written and I didn't' want to put it down from start to finish. I can't wait to see what is next from this amazing author duo!!

Let me start by saying I really like Christina Lauren. However, this has been my least favorite novel so far. I didn’t feel pulled to the characters and all. Self-created issues due to secrecy is one of my least favorite tropes. There was nothing wrong with the book and as always the writing was well-done, it just wasn’t my favorite. I will still eagerly read more from this duo.

This was cute! Am very much here for the great friendships & loved Millie’s personal growth/apology at the end. I do wish we’d gotten to see some more reflection/growth on Reid’s end too (he was a little too...perfect/non-consequences for any vaguely dickish behavior).

Also a+ would read Millie’s thesis where can I buy

I'm a huge Christina Lauren fan and have never read a book I didn't like of theirs...until now. This one just didn't do it for me and I honestly thought it was boring. It had promise - I liked the whole 'Big Bang Theory' group of friends - it's one of my favorite shows and being a nerd myself, I like books about fellow nerds. I was even okay with the friends to lovers part - it seemed the foundation was strong for that to develop. But that's not what we got.

The whole dating app situation and having sex with your best friend while also continuing to try and get closer to other women through the app just seemed awkward and wrong to me. I mean I can't blame Reid too much - it's not like he didn't try to get closer to Millie in real life, she was just incredibly closed off until the very end. By then, I'd had enough of her catfishing Reid and not being honest with him. That's not a way to start a relationship if you want it to last. But of course, they get their HEA in the end, because it wouldn't be a romance book if that didn't happen.

Then there's the whole point for why they were even on a dating app to begin with - they needed dates for some dinner or graduation thing with Obama. That was never mentioned again at the end, so what happened with that? (And if it was mentioned, I totally missed it).

Overall, not a great read for me. It started out interesting, then just continued to go downhill from there and I just couldn't get over Millie's deceit for a majority of the book.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆☆
Clearly, I’m not a young in-the-know person because I didn’t know what a half-night stand was, but I do now. I loved this group of 30ish friends and their quest to find dates for an upcoming college dinner. They are an interesting, entertaining bunch. The kind of people you’d want as mates. Their group chats are a blast and I love the way they were set out in a clear, easy to read manner.

This story really centres around Millie, the only female in the group, and her best friend, Reid. During their humorous attempts and meeting people online, Reid and Millie have a tumble in the sheets. When it happens more than once their feelings start to change. If things couldn’t get more complicated, Millie and Reid are matched online but he does not know it is her he is talking to and romancing on the internet.

As the story progresses, the tone of this initially light-hearted book starts to become more serious and I started to stress. How on earth was this ever going to be anything but a train wreck for Mille and Reid? I wasn’t prepared for how devastated I was when things inevitably went pear shaped. I didn’t realise how much I loved these characters and how much I’d hurt when they hurt. I was a bawling mess. And not just for a little bit. Every time I thought the tears had stopped something would happen and the tears would start again. But the story does come to a really great ending and it was well worth all the tears.

This is the first book I’ve read by Christina Lauren and it was absolutely fantastic. My Favorite Half-Night Stand is one of the best books I’ve read this year.