Rating: 3.5 stars
CBR18 Bingo: One (This is book one in a new series; it's also a romance - "You're the One")
Thank you to Jackie Lau for this ARC. My opinions are my own. This book is on sale now.
Zoe Shen's plans for the evening get cancelled, and as a result, she walks in on her boyfriend and roommate having sex in the kitchen. Naturally, she wants nothing to do with either of them, but as she's camping out on her brother's couch, she decides that she wants revenge.
Bennett Chung lives a fairly quiet life, managing a successful Asian grocery chain. He hasn't dated in years and lives alone with his elderly cat. Imagine his surprise when a pretty stranger shows up on his doorstep with a crazy scheme. Zoe explains that his younger brother, who he doesn't exactly have a high opinion of in the first place, cheated on her, and now she wants to pretend to date him to get revenge.
Because Zoe is basically homeless, Bennett invites her to stay in his spare room. At first, he is annoyed at having to share his space with anyone, especially someone as chatty and whimsical as Zoe, but he soon gets not only used to having her there, but comes to appreciate it. Of course, as is always the case with fake dating stories, Zoe and Bennett start falling for each other for real. According to their agreement, they will go their separate ways once Zoe's revenge plot is complete. But do they really have to, if the feelings they have for each other are no longer pretend?
Zoe is sweet and clearly wants to believe the best in everyone. So she is shocked when she comes home to discover that her boyfriend and roommate (whom she also considered her best friend) are betraying her, and that the affair has been going on for at least a month. Because her roommate's parents are the ones who own the apartment, Zoe's only option is to move out. She stays on her recently-wed brother's couch until she concocts the plan of contacting Bennett. The fact that he offers to let her stay in his guest room free of charge is a definite bonus to her plan.
If I were to list some prominent tropes found in this novel, I would have to name fake dating, opposites attract, and grumpy and sunshine (even referenced in the title). Bennett is eight years older than Zoe, but hasn't dated in a very long time. Because of events in his romantic past, he is very wary of falling for anyone. This is also what leads to the third-act breakup and one of the reasons I didn't really feel I could give the book four stars. For a rational man like Bennett, his reasons for breaking up with Zoe seemed very irrational.
My favourite parts of the book were probably Zoe forcing whimsy and delight into Bennett's rather stern and predictable routine. She loves decorations and has a llamacorn mug he considers hideous, but nevertheless accepts, because it's hers. He is persuaded to take part in a couples' Halloween costume, without complaining.
At the end of the book, the next book in the series is set up. It involves one of Zoe's friends and what appears to be one of Bennett's only friends, who clearly have some kind of romantic history. It's out early next year, and I'm already looking forward to it.
Judging a book by its cover: I don't have a lot to say about this cover, except to say that it's very cute, and I'm glad Mittens makes an appearance front and centre.
Crossposted on Cannonball Read
