Member Reviews
I received an ARC for an honest review. I honestly don't know exactly how I feel about this book. I finished it-I thought the characters were very well drawn out. However, I couldn't tell if it wanted to be a romantic comedy or not. It's certainly not an enemies to lover story the way it's being marketed. Had Naomi, the main female character, at any point talked to her fiancee Nicholas instead of always assuming the worst, this book would have no plot, which I guess is the point but it was irritating after a while to keep reading about someone sabotaging everything about their life because she is so completely self absorbed.
Nicholas and Naomi are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Their once amazing relationship has fizzled out, and now they're stuck living together and planning a wedding that neither of them want. Unfortunately, whoever calls it quits first is stuck paying off the deposits for all the wedding stuff, and neither of them wants that bill, so they've resorted to mentally and emotionally torturing eachother in the hopes that the other will throw in the towel first.
I wasn't really sure if I was going to like this book at first. Naomi has a nasty habit of dissociating into her Instagram account rather than confront Nicholas about anything having to do with their relationship, while Nicholas refuses to stand up to his overbearing mother who has highjacked the wedding planning and made it all about herself instead of the couple. Instead of sympathizing with their plight, I found myself yelling at the characters to either break up already, figure out how to communicate, or at least see a frigging therapist. Luckily, there was some major character development that happens over the course of the book, and by the end, I was rooting for both Nicholas and Naomi.
Overall, a delightful debut novel with lots of heart and humor.
I loved this book! It was exactly what I need while trying to get pulled out of a major reading slump. Wickedly hilarious and surprising, Nicholas and Naomi’s chemistry was so hot and their “war of the roses” relationship had me belly-laughing, cringing, feeling the phantom pain, and rooting for them the entire time. So great!
I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, and though it wasn’t as funny as I anticipated, this packed such a wonderfully powerful emotional punch.
Nicholas is the only son of an overbearing, controlling mother and a dentist in a small town. He’s engaged to Naomi, who works at a local curiosities shop, but she thinks they’ve started falling out of love and no longer like each other, and she starts thinking they’re both trying to make the other person miserable so they won’t be the one the break the engagement.
Naomi is honestly an unlikeable character at times because she’s selfish and has trouble seeing outside her own feelings, but she does love Nicholas and it was wonderful watching them find their way back to each other. They both say mean and hurtful things to each other and there’s a lot of miscommunication, but when they do start to communicate and try…
I kinda enjoyed that this is a messy romance and it really packs an emotional punch (which is what I want out of a romance!) that had me crying at times and swooning at others. Nicholas and Naomi are so sweet when they start trying and the different ways they express their love is a great portrayal of different love languages and how not speaking same love language can leave you feeling unappreciated or unloved.
REVIEW | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
Naomi and Nicholas are engaged. Unfortunately, both of them were entirely sick of each other, unhappy, and purposely trying to piss each other off. When Nicholas buys them a new home in an attempt to save their relationship, Naomi will have to dig deep to determine whether their love is worth saving.
As melancholy as that synopsis is, this book is a total rom-com. It’s hilarious (laugh out loud funny), witty, and so well written. Seriously. Each line is gold.
I’ll admit, I started it without reading the synopsis and didn’t understand where it was going in the first 20%. Naomi seemed sociopathic and crazy, and Nicholas seemed like a total ass-wipe. But trust, it is a romance! An adorable and unique one. And both Naomi and Nicholas both completely redeem themselves as the story unfolds and you begin to understand and sympathize with them.
All in all, I loved this debut! I think it would make a hilarious movie. While the stakes are high for both characters, it remains light. Highly recommend if you need a good belly laugh. 🙌🏼💗
Massive thank you to Putnam, Sarah Hogle, and Netgalley for this ARC.🤗
Naomii and Nicholas are getting married...or are they? The two have seemed to fall out of love with each other, but are unwilling to break their wedding. Who will be the first to crack? Will they somehow change their minds?
This book made me cackle out loud with laughter. Some of the things they did to each other were just outrageous. My only issue is that I wish we could've gotten a little more background as to how they ended up where we started with them at the beginning of the book. I wasn't sure as to how they moved apart from each other.
Definitely read this if you're looking for a funny, take-you-out-of-your-reality read.
This was an interesting take on a rom-com. At first I wasn't sure I could stomach this couple sabotaging their own relationship but I quickly saw the potential they had. Although a lot of the shenanigans they pull is ridiculous and childish..I feel like at the core this story is so realistic. I think I also enjoyed this one because this couple was in desperate need of reading the book, The Five Love Languages, they could definitely benefit from it.
This book focuses on the importance of honesty and faith in yourself, the ability to balance all the aspects of your life and still be there for the people you love. Both of the main characters, Naomi and Nicholas have some very dis likable qualities, but they also have some beautiful and qualities...making them very relatable and realistic- even though some of their actions are pretty extreme!
3.5 stars
Naomi Westfield is marrying Nicholas Rose in a few months, and she's just... not feeling it. From her fiance's lack of appreciation to her evil mother-in-law-to-be, Naomi can't help but feel trapped in a life she neither expected nor asked for. And lately, Nicholas hasn't just been neglectful, he's been a downright jerk. Naomi finally catches on to his plot though, and it's suddenly a game of chicken to see who will be the first to break the engagement. But through all the fighting, can Naomi and Nicholas rediscover their spark?
This was an interesting take on the typical romcom. I like how the story explores what happens after the "happily ever after" proposal scene and realistically portrays the struggles of keeping the romance alive.
Naomi was a sympathetic and entertaining narrator, and she definitely kept the storyline moving forward. Even so, the book did feel a bit slow during the first few chapters. However, once I hit the halfway point, I was whizzing through. There was a lot of cuteness in Naomi and Nicholas's romantic gestures for each other, and by the end of the book, I found myself forgiving Nicholas for the mean stuff he did.
I did find the plot to be a bit unrealistic, not because of the MCs' crazy antics, but because of the sudden switch in attitude that we get from Nicholas. He goes from a huge mama's boy to openly disrespecting his mother, and I couldn't really wrap my head around that. There was also a change in Naomi's perception of Nicholas where she suddenly finds his annoying traits attractive.
I honestly have mixed feelings about the message this book. I appreciate the message that little gestures are needed to maintain a romance, but I also don't necessarily like the idea that Naomi should keep doing things even without expecting things in return. I'm confused about what the earlier problem was in their relationship that caused Naomi to dissociate. Was Mrs. Rose the root of all their issues? Was this really a cautionary tale for mothers to be less overbearing on their adult children before they decide to cut mom out of their lives completely?
All in all, this was an entertaining read. I would recommend if you're looking for an interesting twist on a typical happily ever after.
*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Naomi believes she found the perfect man, Nicholas, but after becoming engaged and living with each other, she discovers there are many things about him that she just doesn't like. Instead of opening lines of communication with Nicholas, Naomi shuts down and shuts him out, which leads to an escalation of pranks as she attempts to get him to call off the engagement. The humor and re-discovery of love makes it a refreshing novel that shows that love can conquer all.
I’ve been reading it for 10 days and it just feels like a chore to read. I was expecting more sexual tension between the 2 MC’s while they go through their crap but they’re just petty and argumentative and purposefully difficult and rude, bordering nasty. There feels like maybe there’s more to his feelings for her than there are in her feelings for him, romantically, but we only have her POV. If we had his and hers, I think that would’ve helped so much. I was expecting more sexual tension, like glimpses of how they may have been earlier in their relationship, but to me they just feel like a couple who definitely just shouldn’t be together anymore, and not sure why they ever were.
I really wanted to like this one, especially after reading the synopsis, but it’s just no for me and at this point I’m not even curious at how it ends.
You Deserve Each Other was a funny yet heartfelt lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers story that I thoroughly enjoyed. I was smiling and laughing throughout reading about Nicholas and Naomi’s antics and their witty banter while also rooting for them to resolve the glaring problems in their relationship. Overall, it is a great debut, and romance fans will be excited to see this novel.
This was a fun book! I enjoyed the humor and it had me laughing out loud!
A great book, especially for these last few weeks of needing a smile!
A Second Chance Story!!! From Lovers to Enemies to Lovers!! 🥴😍😍😍
how interesting a concept no? I really really enjoyed it. Although the first 100 or so pages we rocky. But by the end it was delightful! 💜
For the first 50-100 pages I didn't really like the main characters. They were horrible, toxic and ugly to each other. And I was like huh this doesn't sound like the book I signed up for.
But it did get better. I enjoyed their banter, their pranks with each other. The way they 😂 showed their hateful feeling for each other was hilarious. The journey to take out all those bottled up resentment out into the open was the best part of this book.
And their deeply adorable and heart warming journey of finding each other again. Just finding themselves again and exploring all that went wrong. And just resolving all that hateful contempt and unsaid thoughts. I think that's what relationships need more. That open discord.
It was a beautiful and cute second chance story. 😍😍💜💜💜
I really really liked this book!!
.
The first 75%, the two main characters Naomi and Nicholas were definitely not meant for each other. I thoroughly loved the pranks and banter.
.
Let's talk about Naomi's work! She works at a junk yard with 4 others and they are so entertaining! One of my favorite parts of the book.
.
I also really loved the 'monster-in-law' drama with Nicholas' crazy mom!!
.
I can't wait to read more by Sarah Hogel, she has a great writing style and continued to keep me wanting to know what would happen next.
You Deserve Each Other is Sarah Hogle's debut novel and it blew me I away! I haven't laughed so hard or felt so much while reading in quiet a while. Definitely one of the best books I've read this year.
Naomi is in a rut. She's engaged, but half the time she doesn't even know if she wants to be with her fiancé anymore. Too bad the wedding planning is so far along, or else she'd probably call it quits. Her mother-in-law to be is a nightmare and she's finding it hard to tell if her fiancé even cares. Eventually, they get in this war of sorts. Pranks ensue and all bets are off. And let me tell you, it's a wild ride. I'm not sure if I've ever had this much fun reading a book before.
Naomi and Nicholas... I couldn't tell you which one I loved more. At the start of the book I couldn't tell if I would like Nicholas or not but he grew on me and I fell hard. Naomi is fierce, strong, and a take no crap heroine. Nicholas seems like a weaker hero and a bit of a mama's boy at first, but the second half of the book, boy did he shine. He showed Naomi through his actions that she was his priority and I laughed and swooned so hard.
This story captivated me from the start. I love when a book can keep me fully engaged, and this did just that. The characters are endearing and their back and forth was top notch. Plus, the writing was strong and witty. I couldn't put this one down. It was emotional, hilarious, sweet, fun, and just everything I wanted.
This book was truly fantastic and I couldn't have loved it more. The enemies to lovers, the banter, and the romance... sigh. It was perfect for me. I'll be reading whatever else this author rights. I have a feeling that this will be my favorite debut of the year and maybe even my favorite book. I give this the highest of 5 stars and can't recommend it enough!
Ok, I loved, loved, loved this book! I laughed so hard reading this book. More so than I remember doing in a long time. Naomi and Nicholas literally start to make each other lives miserable! Which is honestly great because that's when they open up and show who they really are as a person. This is literally a lover to enemies style book but in such a different way! This book is funny, smart, and it really had my emotions all over the place.
I had such great time with this book. It quickly became one of my favourite romance novels. This is how you use the lack of communication to cause angst and interesting dynamic. Here we have a couple stuck with each other and no other choice other than stay together no matter how much they might want to break things off. And they were roommates!!!
Honestly though, I can't recommend it enough and am thinking of rereading it as soon as I get a chance to.
Y'ALL. This is going to be one of my favorite books of 2020, I guarantee it. I was laughing to the point of tears SO many times throughout this book. It's got all the things you want in a good book (real human characters, character development, storylines that you can relate to, heart!) and it's hilarious. I'm all in on this one and will be recommending it to everybody!
Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing this one at about 10%. Both of these main characters are narcissistic and toxic and I didn't want to read an entire book with them at the forefront.
This was the book I needed during this time. It gave me so much to think about in terms of the way I treat people around me and just the idea of understanding one’s love language. Naomi and Nick were the perfect couple to put through these complications because they were both so flawed yet so willing to accept it. Thank you for giving me a chance to read and review this early. It will be a book that sticks with me long after the cover closed. Would highly recommend .