1 "cute book cover, well intentioned, completely unbelievable characters" stars !

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an e-copy. I will be posting my honest review. This book is to be released May 2021.

DNF at 34 percent.

I so wanted to like this book. I love cats. I sort of like dogs. I enjoyed the idea of a cat cafe in Brooklyn.

The two main characters did not make any sense...I mean at all...If the characters do not make sense how can you believe in their romance. You simply can't. Aaaargh so frustrating ! For a rom com there were not any giggles and I was a third way through the book.

Not believable ! Nor funny ! I'm out !

The book cover is adorable and I really felt that the author was so well intentioned. I wish her the best.

But my valentine's gift to myself is to not finish this book and enjoy a really nice day with my sweetie tomorrow.

1 star (rather than zero stars) cuz I really do like that book cover and the premise !

Cute enemies to enemies-with-benefits to lovers story.. Lauren is the manager of a cat cafe. Caleb is a recently divorced veterinarian who works in a clinic next door. Lauren is a cat person. Caleb is a dog person. They're immediately attracted to each other physically., but their personalities are like oil and water - they will never be friends.

Parts of the book got repetitive. The whole "we're not in a relationship, we're just having sex" conversation was on a loop, repeated over and over and over... Also, the dialogue was a little stiff and stilted. Didn't ring true.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this, it seems like it should be my type of book, but am just not feeling it.

I think it's mostly Caleb. He is a jerk to a lot of people, but then we are supposed to forgive him because he was cheated on and had a rough divorce. It could be forgiven, except that his rude and condescending comments don't seem like mistakes, they seem purposeful and just mean most of the time.

Then, there is Lauren. She picks fights with him, mostly by misunderstanding him, or by being kind of self-centered. She makes a big point at the beginning of being anti-relationship and working on herself but gives that up pretty fast. I really wanted to root for her, but had a hard time.

I typically enjoy the "enemies to lovers" trope. But this felt more like enemies who are still enemies who sleep together and then maybe develop feelings. I guess that's just not for me!

Not the biggest fan of this one. Caleb seems overly mean to people which is kind of a turn off for me even in a enemies to lovers trope...I think if this wasn't the case and his attitude towards everyone would have been even a little better I would have liked it a lot more.

I really wanted to love this, but am just not feeling it. I think it's the way that Caleb is written, mostly. He is a jerk to a lot of people, really unnecessarily, but then we are supposed to forgive it because he "didn't used to be this way." It could be forgiven, except that his rude and condescending comments don't feel like awkward missteps. He isn't being cynical, or defensive; He is acting like he is better than everyone else.

Then, there is Lauren, who is a match for Caleb, but not necessarily in a good way. She picks fights with him, mostly by misunderstanding him, or when he reacts in a way that makes sense (like her being pissed off that he goes home after they have sex rather than shirk his responsibilities). She just seemed really self-centered, which made it hard to like her.

I typically enjoy the "enemies to lovers" trope. I guess I am just not a fan of the "Being mean to me is such a turn-on" trope.

2.5 Stars

She is a cat person he is a dog person . They start a friend with benefit relationship / a love to hate , because they both don' t want something serious . But love always win .
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.