What do you think?
Rate this book
The Un-Arranged Marriage
Their mothers are the worst matchmakers…
Mark Goldman has never gotten along with Shaina Fogel. Ever. Even when they were in diapers, their bestie mothers wanted them to grow up and get married. Not happening. Mark prefers his quiet, reserved life. But a family wedding is about to change everything Mark thought he knew about his archnemesis.
A week of wedding events with Mark Goldman? Shaina would rather have a week of root canals. Maybe the guy is hot, but for their entire lives, he’s never once acknowledged the fact that she’s hard of hearing. So it comes as a massive surprise when she discovers that Mr. High-and-Mighty and Annoyingly Sexy simply didn’t know. And now she needs his help.
When it’s revealed that the weeklong wedding events are actually a weeklong competition—for a dream vacation—Mark and Shaina do the unthinkable: work together. And the second the animosity begins to fade, something even more electric takes its place. Only now it’s not just an attraction between enemies. And nothing could be worse than the fact that their mothers might have had it right…
Mark Goldman has never gotten along with Shaina Fogel. Ever. Even when they were in diapers, their bestie mothers wanted them to grow up and get married. Not happening. Mark prefers his quiet, reserved life. But a family wedding is about to change everything Mark thought he knew about his archnemesis.
A week of wedding events with Mark Goldman? Shaina would rather have a week of root canals. Maybe the guy is hot, but for their entire lives, he’s never once acknowledged the fact that she’s hard of hearing. So it comes as a massive surprise when she discovers that Mr. High-and-Mighty and Annoyingly Sexy simply didn’t know. And now she needs his help.
When it’s revealed that the weeklong wedding events are actually a weeklong competition—for a dream vacation—Mark and Shaina do the unthinkable: work together. And the second the animosity begins to fade, something even more electric takes its place. Only now it’s not just an attraction between enemies. And nothing could be worse than the fact that their mothers might have had it right…
340 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 28, 2022
57 people are currently reading
1,188 people want to read
About the author
Laura Brown
10 books346 followersAfter spending her childhood coming up with new episodes to her favorite sitcoms instead of sleeping, Laura Brown decided to try her hand at writing and never looked back. A hopeless romantic, she’s been drawn to love stories since a young age. She lives in Massachusetts with her family, and yes, that includes feline members! Laura’s been hard of hearing her entire life but didn’t start learning ASL until college, when her disability morphed from an inconvenience to a positive part of her identity. It’s important to her to create strong, competent characters with disabilities, as she didn’t have that growing up. At home the closed captioning is always on, lights flash with the doorbell, and hearing aids are sometimes optional.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
October 13, 2022
Stopped reading at 59%.
I'm just going to need someone to explain to me how you can know a person for 30+ years, spend multiple family events together, etc., and somehow NOT realize they could never hear a word you're saying. Someone that unobservant, uncurious, and dim is honestly a jerk. Sorry not sorry.
📌 . Blog | Review Database | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
I'm just going to need someone to explain to me how you can know a person for 30+ years, spend multiple family events together, etc., and somehow NOT realize they could never hear a word you're saying. Someone that unobservant, uncurious, and dim is honestly a jerk. Sorry not sorry.
📌 . Blog | Review Database | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
July 7, 2023
I really enjoyed this childhood enemies to lovers story featuring a woman born hard of hearing and the childhood friend who never understood her disability.
When Shaina and Mark are forced to drive together to a family wedding and work as a team to win a trip, they finally realize their feelings might be more than either planned for. Full of scavenger hunts, escape rooms and tons of wedding drama.
Great #ownvoices disability rep with a cast of Jewish characters. This was a super fun forced proximity/adventure romance and I was here for it! So happy it's finally available as an audiobook too!!
When Shaina and Mark are forced to drive together to a family wedding and work as a team to win a trip, they finally realize their feelings might be more than either planned for. Full of scavenger hunts, escape rooms and tons of wedding drama.
Great #ownvoices disability rep with a cast of Jewish characters. This was a super fun forced proximity/adventure romance and I was here for it! So happy it's finally available as an audiobook too!!
March 28, 2022
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I thank Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.
This book is so adorable and wholesome. I cannot even begin to express how much.
I was hooked from the first page and being a slow reader, the fact that I gobbled this book up in 24 hours is saying a lot.
I ditched everything. I forgot the other books I was reading. I stayed up till 3:45 am finishing it. I read while I was working. I was hooked.
And I don't even regret my sleep deprivation or my pending office work. This book is that good.
This book is hate-to-competing-together-to-lovers. It's not enemies to lovers rather archnemesis-to-lovers, with some well-done miscommunication.
Both MCs represent something, Shaina represents a hearing loss disability, while Mark represents Demisexuality. You don't see combinations like these in rom-com books and this makes the book all the more unique.
Shaina is the competitive extrovert and Mark is the watching-while-leaning-on-the-wall introvert. They are so, so cute together.
Shaina's mother and Mark's mother are BFFs so both of them grew up together. And even their mothers always wanted both, Shaina and Mark, to be together, from the moment they were born. So because of that they also didn't create a bond, not wanting to give their mothers the satisfaction of them getting together.
Their animosity started when they were kids. The miscommunication about Shaina's disability and Mark's sexuality were a part of it. But mostly it was Mark not knowing about Shaina's disability. The way Mark set out to be more conscious about it and made the effort to be loud enough to be heard is just so freaking amazing. I have heart eyes.
I can relate to Shaina on a few levels. She has a family who has high expectations from their children and doesn't settle for anything but perfect. Then there's being compared to her sibling all the time. The pressure to cross the bar that they have set is something that led to her having a competitive nature.
The wedding competition was a brilliant way to centre the book around. The tasks, the hunts, the escape room challenge, the childhood memories. It all became the reason for their bonding, the friendship they slowly formed and in the end, fell for each other.
The whole book is the perfect mix of fun, love, family, weddings with a little spice... Ok... It was a bit more than a little but it doesn't feel too much… it's the perfect amount. I never thought that I would be intrigued by beards. I'm not a big fan of beards. Also, I haven't read any books where the guy has a beard. I was quite fascinated by it.
I loved The Un-Arranged Marriage. The book had me laughing, swooning and making goo-goo eyes the whole time… oh and did I mention that in the book the guy falls first. HARD. Well, that's another reason this book just takes the cake.
I thank Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.
This book is so adorable and wholesome. I cannot even begin to express how much.
I was hooked from the first page and being a slow reader, the fact that I gobbled this book up in 24 hours is saying a lot.
I ditched everything. I forgot the other books I was reading. I stayed up till 3:45 am finishing it. I read while I was working. I was hooked.
And I don't even regret my sleep deprivation or my pending office work. This book is that good.
This book is hate-to-competing-together-to-lovers. It's not enemies to lovers rather archnemesis-to-lovers, with some well-done miscommunication.
Both MCs represent something, Shaina represents a hearing loss disability, while Mark represents Demisexuality. You don't see combinations like these in rom-com books and this makes the book all the more unique.
Shaina is the competitive extrovert and Mark is the watching-while-leaning-on-the-wall introvert. They are so, so cute together.
Shaina's mother and Mark's mother are BFFs so both of them grew up together. And even their mothers always wanted both, Shaina and Mark, to be together, from the moment they were born. So because of that they also didn't create a bond, not wanting to give their mothers the satisfaction of them getting together.
Their animosity started when they were kids. The miscommunication about Shaina's disability and Mark's sexuality were a part of it. But mostly it was Mark not knowing about Shaina's disability. The way Mark set out to be more conscious about it and made the effort to be loud enough to be heard is just so freaking amazing. I have heart eyes.
I can relate to Shaina on a few levels. She has a family who has high expectations from their children and doesn't settle for anything but perfect. Then there's being compared to her sibling all the time. The pressure to cross the bar that they have set is something that led to her having a competitive nature.
The wedding competition was a brilliant way to centre the book around. The tasks, the hunts, the escape room challenge, the childhood memories. It all became the reason for their bonding, the friendship they slowly formed and in the end, fell for each other.
The whole book is the perfect mix of fun, love, family, weddings with a little spice... Ok... It was a bit more than a little but it doesn't feel too much… it's the perfect amount. I never thought that I would be intrigued by beards. I'm not a big fan of beards. Also, I haven't read any books where the guy has a beard. I was quite fascinated by it.
I loved The Un-Arranged Marriage. The book had me laughing, swooning and making goo-goo eyes the whole time… oh and did I mention that in the book the guy falls first. HARD. Well, that's another reason this book just takes the cake.
July 5, 2023
OVERALL RATING - 3 / 5
"He cupper her face, kissed her. Not deep. Not soft. A binding kiss, one for keeps."
- The Un-Arranged Marriage by Laura Brown
This book felt like a breath of fresh air that pulled me out of my reading slump. I absolutely love, love, LOVE the LGBTQ+ and disability rep in this book! The characters shined and grew in their own way and it was adoring how well they suited each other. This book is a childhood enemies to friends (with benefits) to lovers and if that doesn't have you hooked then I don't know what will.
My favourite part about this book is the amount of representation that it held. The author did not hold back when it came to topics about hearing disabilities, demisexual male MC and the societies perception on always having children. It's always so thrilling to see something that is not commonly spoken about in books and I feel that Lauren Brown does a good job at storytelling these. She beautifully walks us through the characters journey at trying to resolve the barriers they have and truly demonstrates the importance of communication.
Despite being a romance book, I felt that it did not completely revolve around it which in this case, is a good thing. Those side issues regarding their parents added to the relatability of these characters and I simply enjoyed it all!
Thank you Grey's Promotions and to the author, Laura Brown, for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
"He cupper her face, kissed her. Not deep. Not soft. A binding kiss, one for keeps."
- The Un-Arranged Marriage by Laura Brown
This book felt like a breath of fresh air that pulled me out of my reading slump. I absolutely love, love, LOVE the LGBTQ+ and disability rep in this book! The characters shined and grew in their own way and it was adoring how well they suited each other. This book is a childhood enemies to friends (with benefits) to lovers and if that doesn't have you hooked then I don't know what will.
My favourite part about this book is the amount of representation that it held. The author did not hold back when it came to topics about hearing disabilities, demisexual male MC and the societies perception on always having children. It's always so thrilling to see something that is not commonly spoken about in books and I feel that Lauren Brown does a good job at storytelling these. She beautifully walks us through the characters journey at trying to resolve the barriers they have and truly demonstrates the importance of communication.
Despite being a romance book, I felt that it did not completely revolve around it which in this case, is a good thing. Those side issues regarding their parents added to the relatability of these characters and I simply enjoyed it all!
Thank you Grey's Promotions and to the author, Laura Brown, for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
April 21, 2022
I was really excited to start this book. The FMC and MMC were lifelong friends that the mothers have dreamed of getting married ever since they were in diapers, but they don't get along. It is evidenced right at the beginning. Its like an enemies to lovers romance but it is very unbelievable and neither character willed me into finishing this book.
Mark is a smart guy(epidemiologist), but he doesn't realize that she can't hear him. She isn't ignoring him. She just can't hear him. This really really bothered me.
They do seem to get along, but even the relationship with the siblings is not loving/humorous. It lacked a redeeming quality for me to want to continue to read. It was a DNF for me.
I received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Mark is a smart guy(epidemiologist), but he doesn't realize that she can't hear him. She isn't ignoring him. She just can't hear him. This really really bothered me.
They do seem to get along, but even the relationship with the siblings is not loving/humorous. It lacked a redeeming quality for me to want to continue to read. It was a DNF for me.
I received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 14, 2022
Thank you to the author and the publisher, Entangled Publishing LLC, for sharing with me an ARC of this amazing romantic book through NetGalley!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
"Wake the mouse, don't let it sleep"
"It was love at first scavenger hunt"
"Pretending to be friends with Shaina wouldn't be a problem. Pretending he didn't want more, that would take some skill"
OMG!! This book was just something else! I loved every second of it!
Fans of the unhoneymooners, check this one out because it is absolutely worth it!
An enemies to lovers romance where the two main characters are forced together because their mums want them to marry because they're bestie!
They both love watching a tv series about fairytale retellings.
There is mention of disability because the main female character, Shaina is a bit deaf. And the main male character, Mark is demisexual.
Such great representation in a book that explores important themes such as what it means to be heard and understood in every possible sense of the word.
And don't let me even start on the spicy scenes these two enjoy!! Great!
Their romantic relationship was building from the beginning, with banters and fun times, with a mutual attraction they both wanted to fight hard but a mutual respect and trust that took some time in the making.
Plus, to be honest, I'm a massive fan of the male character falling first ... and deep.
It felt inevitable but the slow burn got me going!!!
I'm not going to lie, sometimes I even had chills reading about them.
Shaina and Mark are two completely different people, both when it comes to they habits and their personality. But at the end, failed attempt at arranged marriage or not, they unexpectedly find in each other something others couldn't give them ... attention and understanding. They both tried to understand each other. That's what the whole story is about!
I absolutely loved this story and I'm so glad I got the chance to read it.
"He hadn't a clue why she identified with the Evil Queen since her beauty reminded him of Snow White"
"You're beautiful and against rational thought I want to know how you taste"
"Time to cross the line"
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
"Wake the mouse, don't let it sleep"
"It was love at first scavenger hunt"
"Pretending to be friends with Shaina wouldn't be a problem. Pretending he didn't want more, that would take some skill"
OMG!! This book was just something else! I loved every second of it!
Fans of the unhoneymooners, check this one out because it is absolutely worth it!
An enemies to lovers romance where the two main characters are forced together because their mums want them to marry because they're bestie!
They both love watching a tv series about fairytale retellings.
There is mention of disability because the main female character, Shaina is a bit deaf. And the main male character, Mark is demisexual.
Such great representation in a book that explores important themes such as what it means to be heard and understood in every possible sense of the word.
And don't let me even start on the spicy scenes these two enjoy!! Great!
Their romantic relationship was building from the beginning, with banters and fun times, with a mutual attraction they both wanted to fight hard but a mutual respect and trust that took some time in the making.
Plus, to be honest, I'm a massive fan of the male character falling first ... and deep.
It felt inevitable but the slow burn got me going!!!
I'm not going to lie, sometimes I even had chills reading about them.
Shaina and Mark are two completely different people, both when it comes to they habits and their personality. But at the end, failed attempt at arranged marriage or not, they unexpectedly find in each other something others couldn't give them ... attention and understanding. They both tried to understand each other. That's what the whole story is about!
I absolutely loved this story and I'm so glad I got the chance to read it.
"He hadn't a clue why she identified with the Evil Queen since her beauty reminded him of Snow White"
"You're beautiful and against rational thought I want to know how you taste"
"Time to cross the line"
March 31, 2022
I really liked this fun rom-com! It’s not an enemies to lovers trope as much as a lifelong misunderstanding. Their mother’s have been trying to pair them up since they were babies, and they naturally rebelled against it.
As a result, they missed a few pertinent facts about each other. Shania is almost deaf and everyone has to speak loudly for her to hear. Mark is demisexual, even his own parents aren’t sure what that means.
I liked the way the author handles the disabilities, it’s not presented as a giant issue, just something to take into account with the person involved.
This is a little spicy and a good read, 4 stars.
Synopsis:
Their mothers are the worst matchmakers…
Mark Goldman has never gotten along with Shaina Fogel. Ever. Even when they were in diapers, their bestie mothers wanted them to grow up and get married. Not happening. Mark prefers his quiet, reserved life. But a family wedding is about to change everything Mark thought he knew about his archnemesis.
A week of wedding events with Mark Goldman? Shaina would rather have a week of root canals. Maybe the guy is hot, but for their entire lives, he’s never once acknowledged the fact that she’s hard of hearing. So it comes as a massive surprise when she discovers that Mr. High-and-Mighty and Annoyingly Sexy simply didn’t know. And now she needs his help.
When it’s revealed that the weeklong wedding events are actually a weeklong competition—for a dream vacation—Mark and Shaina do the unthinkable: work together. And the second the animosity begins to fade, something even more electric takes its place. Only now it’s not just an attraction between enemies. And nothing could be worse than the fact that their mothers might have had it right.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
As a result, they missed a few pertinent facts about each other. Shania is almost deaf and everyone has to speak loudly for her to hear. Mark is demisexual, even his own parents aren’t sure what that means.
I liked the way the author handles the disabilities, it’s not presented as a giant issue, just something to take into account with the person involved.
This is a little spicy and a good read, 4 stars.
Synopsis:
Their mothers are the worst matchmakers…
Mark Goldman has never gotten along with Shaina Fogel. Ever. Even when they were in diapers, their bestie mothers wanted them to grow up and get married. Not happening. Mark prefers his quiet, reserved life. But a family wedding is about to change everything Mark thought he knew about his archnemesis.
A week of wedding events with Mark Goldman? Shaina would rather have a week of root canals. Maybe the guy is hot, but for their entire lives, he’s never once acknowledged the fact that she’s hard of hearing. So it comes as a massive surprise when she discovers that Mr. High-and-Mighty and Annoyingly Sexy simply didn’t know. And now she needs his help.
When it’s revealed that the weeklong wedding events are actually a weeklong competition—for a dream vacation—Mark and Shaina do the unthinkable: work together. And the second the animosity begins to fade, something even more electric takes its place. Only now it’s not just an attraction between enemies. And nothing could be worse than the fact that their mothers might have had it right.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
March 20, 2022
2 Stars!! I really wanted to like this book but I had to force myself to finish reading it. How can 2 people that were raised together and shared birthday parties not have figured this stuff out 25 years earlier? And what the heck is a demisexual?! I still don’t understand this and why it was such a big deal. It was mentioned so many times that it could be made into a drinking game, everyone does a shot when the word is mentioned. Although I wouldn’t because you’d probably end up with alcohol poisoning. This book could have been awesome but fell flat for me.
*I received this at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*
*I received this at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*
March 31, 2022
I absolutely adored this book. I fell in love with Laura Brown’s writing a couple years ago when I picked up Matzah Ball Surprise, and she has been an automatic 1-click for me ever since!
The Un-Arranged Marriage is an enemies to lovers, opposites attract, RomCom that kept me entertained from page one until the end. Mark Goldman and Shaina Fogel grew up together. Their moms were BFFs who started planning their kids’ wedding from the time they were babies. Unfortunately, while the Goldmans and Fogels were more family than friends, the same could not be said for Mark and Shaina. They were like oil and water and rubbed each other the wrong way. That is until they were “forced” together as adults for the wedding of Mark’s baby sister. Then the fun begins!
Laura Brown has a gift for portraying her characters as “real” people. Her characters are people I can genuinely picture bumping into in real life. They have flaws, make mistakes, and ultimately grow as the book goes on.
I loved watching Mark and Shaina as they got over their hang-ups from the past and, for the very first time, started to actually get to know one another. And they definitely had chemistry! Once they gave in to it, I knew the result would be HOT — and I was correct!
One of the things that I most admire about Laura Brown’s writing is how well she incorporates diversity in her romance novels. In the Un-Arranged Marriage, Shaina being hard of hearing, Mark being demisexual, Mark’s cat… these are just a part of who they are and who they have always been.
Mark and Shaina are also both Jewish. The main characters in a romance novel being Jewish is not something you often find in romance novels. And to see it in a book that is not a Holocaust book or a holiday book (i.e., Hanukkah) is even more rare.
Too often, diversity can feel like a prop in a story instead of just another part of the story. This has never been the case in any of the books I have read of hers. She portrays it in a very authentic way—the fact that this is an “Own Voices**” book definitely helps in the realistic depiction.
And THIS is why Laura Brown is an automatic 1-click for me!
The Un-Arranged Marriage is a fun, sexy, opposites attract RomCom that you don’t want to miss!
**Check out these Instagram posts from Laura Brown discussing the inspiration behind this own Voices novel:
Laura Brown IG #1
Laura Brown IG #2
Laura Brown IG #3
The Un-Arranged Marriage is an enemies to lovers, opposites attract, RomCom that kept me entertained from page one until the end. Mark Goldman and Shaina Fogel grew up together. Their moms were BFFs who started planning their kids’ wedding from the time they were babies. Unfortunately, while the Goldmans and Fogels were more family than friends, the same could not be said for Mark and Shaina. They were like oil and water and rubbed each other the wrong way. That is until they were “forced” together as adults for the wedding of Mark’s baby sister. Then the fun begins!
Laura Brown has a gift for portraying her characters as “real” people. Her characters are people I can genuinely picture bumping into in real life. They have flaws, make mistakes, and ultimately grow as the book goes on.
I loved watching Mark and Shaina as they got over their hang-ups from the past and, for the very first time, started to actually get to know one another. And they definitely had chemistry! Once they gave in to it, I knew the result would be HOT — and I was correct!
One of the things that I most admire about Laura Brown’s writing is how well she incorporates diversity in her romance novels. In the Un-Arranged Marriage, Shaina being hard of hearing, Mark being demisexual, Mark’s cat… these are just a part of who they are and who they have always been.
Mark and Shaina are also both Jewish. The main characters in a romance novel being Jewish is not something you often find in romance novels. And to see it in a book that is not a Holocaust book or a holiday book (i.e., Hanukkah) is even more rare.
Too often, diversity can feel like a prop in a story instead of just another part of the story. This has never been the case in any of the books I have read of hers. She portrays it in a very authentic way—the fact that this is an “Own Voices**” book definitely helps in the realistic depiction.
And THIS is why Laura Brown is an automatic 1-click for me!
The Un-Arranged Marriage is a fun, sexy, opposites attract RomCom that you don’t want to miss!
**Check out these Instagram posts from Laura Brown discussing the inspiration behind this own Voices novel:
Laura Brown IG #1
Laura Brown IG #2
Laura Brown IG #3
April 5, 2022
This book was so fun! I love a good competition and this book was full of them!
Starting with two families with children similar ages. Two of them that they had always talked about getting married, then add a huge misunderstanding caused them to dislike eachother their whole lives. Fast forward to now...
Shaina and Mark are forced to ride together to his sister's wedding. That's when she confronts him about some things he seems to not have ever understood after 30 yrs and things change between them. Add in a crazy competition where the prize is the honeymoon to Venice, that another family member couple that's getting married can't take due to work, and things really get interesting.
Loved the rep in this book. I love any and all rep and to have the main couple be one that is demisexual and the other have hearing loss was so great!
The steamy scenes were amazing! And totally appreciate the beard references. I think my husband has more products than I do. His beard is the softest.
Thank you entangled_publishing and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.
Starting with two families with children similar ages. Two of them that they had always talked about getting married, then add a huge misunderstanding caused them to dislike eachother their whole lives. Fast forward to now...
Shaina and Mark are forced to ride together to his sister's wedding. That's when she confronts him about some things he seems to not have ever understood after 30 yrs and things change between them. Add in a crazy competition where the prize is the honeymoon to Venice, that another family member couple that's getting married can't take due to work, and things really get interesting.
Loved the rep in this book. I love any and all rep and to have the main couple be one that is demisexual and the other have hearing loss was so great!
The steamy scenes were amazing! And totally appreciate the beard references. I think my husband has more products than I do. His beard is the softest.
Thank you entangled_publishing and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.
April 22, 2022
The book was an amazing read! I love Shaina and Mark's compatibility and how they find competition in love. Sure, everyone has their opinions of them but I think the competition would be one of the reasons they're forever, because the competition ignites passion, which ignites love. The way that Shaina and Mark's relationship was portrayed is impeccable! Without giving the plot away, I just believe that all the confrontations in the book were incredible! The book should definitely be on your enemies to lovers favorites list! Recommend it to everyone 😇
March 15, 2022
The Un-Arranged Marriage by Laura Brown is an adorable little rom-com sure to put you in a good mood. This post-pandemic story of love was entertaining. I love a good "enemies to lovers" trope, but that being said, there were some things about it that kept me from giving it a full five stars.
What I didn't like:
1. I find it hard to believe that you could know someone for 32 years and not realize the severity of their hearing loss. I just couldn't believe that Mark never realized he was talking too quietly for Shaina and she never said something.
2. I felt that the final conflict at the end wasn't believable for it to jump to the level it did. It was a minor misunderstanding that blew up more than it needed to.
3. I didn't fully understand Shaina's tension with her brother. It wasn't a strong enough issue for me to relate to. In fact, I had a hard time connecting with Shaina. I connected with Mark more, maybe because I'm more of an introvert.
What I Loved:
1. I absolutely LOVED that the main characters did NOT want kids, In most romances, we either get an epilogue with kids or have some kind of pregnancy trope. I adored that this book did not go that route. As someone who doesn't want kids, it was refreshing to have a story where the main characters felt the same way I do.
2. I loved learning more about demisexuality. It's not something I've heard often talked about, thus I knew very little. I enjoyed the perspective this book gave me and I learned something new!
3. I appreciated having a character with a disability. It was eye-opening to read about a hearing disability. The author did a great job detailing the struggles someone with hearing loss has to deal with.
4. I enjoyed the dynamic of a relationship that is half introverted and half extroverted. Being an "extroverted introvert myself, I could relate to certain things and feelings that both Sahina and Mark felt, did, or said. It was refreshing to see a couple make the dynamic work.
Overall, this was a fun and easy read. Thank you to NetGalley & Entangled Publishing LLC for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
What I didn't like:
1. I find it hard to believe that you could know someone for 32 years and not realize the severity of their hearing loss. I just couldn't believe that Mark never realized he was talking too quietly for Shaina and she never said something.
2. I felt that the final conflict at the end wasn't believable for it to jump to the level it did. It was a minor misunderstanding that blew up more than it needed to.
3. I didn't fully understand Shaina's tension with her brother. It wasn't a strong enough issue for me to relate to. In fact, I had a hard time connecting with Shaina. I connected with Mark more, maybe because I'm more of an introvert.
What I Loved:
1. I absolutely LOVED that the main characters did NOT want kids, In most romances, we either get an epilogue with kids or have some kind of pregnancy trope. I adored that this book did not go that route. As someone who doesn't want kids, it was refreshing to have a story where the main characters felt the same way I do.
2. I loved learning more about demisexuality. It's not something I've heard often talked about, thus I knew very little. I enjoyed the perspective this book gave me and I learned something new!
3. I appreciated having a character with a disability. It was eye-opening to read about a hearing disability. The author did a great job detailing the struggles someone with hearing loss has to deal with.
4. I enjoyed the dynamic of a relationship that is half introverted and half extroverted. Being an "extroverted introvert myself, I could relate to certain things and feelings that both Sahina and Mark felt, did, or said. It was refreshing to see a couple make the dynamic work.
Overall, this was a fun and easy read. Thank you to NetGalley & Entangled Publishing LLC for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 9, 2022
3.5
This book was extremely wholesome, some lovely themes throughout and some very lovable characters.
I loved the representation of hearing impairment (based on the author's own experiences, I believe), the ableism was handled really nicely and the way it was discussed was educational, without it being the only plot point that mattered. The male interest, Mark being an epidemiologist was a beautiful touch especially the dedication at the beginning, extremely lovely.
The spicy scenes were brief but they contained enough within them to be exciting and interesting, the consistent consent was beautiful, I love men written by women! Some nice demisexuality representation also.
It was hilarious in places (especially Shaina talking to her fish, and Mark with his cat, very accurate), but it also let me down in a few places...
For one, this book doesn't feel like an enemies-to-lovers, this is more based on the miscommunication / misunderstanding trope, there was no rivalry between the two if they barely spoke to one another in the first place... This would have probably been better if it was a friends-to-lovers... Once it came to the romance it because very insta-love-y which isn't my favourite trope in the whole world, especially with Mark's demisexuality, surely they needed to be connected on a personal level for longer before the lust set in.
******Spoiler in the next paragraph******
Another issue I had was the fact the competition carried over into the next wedding, I feel like the one wedding was enough, I understand why it was done that way, but I would've much preferred the middle bit at the beginning of the book, then move onto the wedding afterwards.
******No more spoilers******
I started losing interest towards the middle, but it soon picked back up, a very wholesome and lovely read
-----
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own
This book was extremely wholesome, some lovely themes throughout and some very lovable characters.
I loved the representation of hearing impairment (based on the author's own experiences, I believe), the ableism was handled really nicely and the way it was discussed was educational, without it being the only plot point that mattered. The male interest, Mark being an epidemiologist was a beautiful touch especially the dedication at the beginning, extremely lovely.
The spicy scenes were brief but they contained enough within them to be exciting and interesting, the consistent consent was beautiful, I love men written by women! Some nice demisexuality representation also.
It was hilarious in places (especially Shaina talking to her fish, and Mark with his cat, very accurate), but it also let me down in a few places...
For one, this book doesn't feel like an enemies-to-lovers, this is more based on the miscommunication / misunderstanding trope, there was no rivalry between the two if they barely spoke to one another in the first place... This would have probably been better if it was a friends-to-lovers... Once it came to the romance it because very insta-love-y which isn't my favourite trope in the whole world, especially with Mark's demisexuality, surely they needed to be connected on a personal level for longer before the lust set in.
******Spoiler in the next paragraph******
Another issue I had was the fact the competition carried over into the next wedding, I feel like the one wedding was enough, I understand why it was done that way, but I would've much preferred the middle bit at the beginning of the book, then move onto the wedding afterwards.
******No more spoilers******
I started losing interest towards the middle, but it soon picked back up, a very wholesome and lovely read
-----
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own
March 28, 2022
I received a complimentary early release copy of this e-book from the author prior to release and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a new author for me and a really different story than I had read before. It was both fascinating, fun and different. In this story we are invited to two weddings and a contest.
This is a story about love, family, siblings, parents and being true to yourself. This book is told in dual POV and I absolutely adored it.
In this book we meet Mark and Shaina. Both are single, and 32 and neither want children. They have known each other from birth as their moms are best friends and their families are very close to each other. But Mark and Shaina HATE each other and don't understand each other and their families know this.
On the way to wedding #1 Mark realizes that he has spoken to Shaina for 32 years and she has never heard a word. He always thought she hated him because she refused to talk to him. Instead she tells him she is hard of hearing and needs him to speak up because her hearing aid then can make out what he is saying. This changes everything for Mark. These two have known each other forever but never really knew each other.
Mark is a demisexual which I have never seen in a book ever. In fact I had to ask google what that was. This book really explains the difficulty and how its hard for his parents to understand what that actually means.
At the wedding the siblings come up with a fun game where couples compete in a challenge to win a fantastic trip and being the only singles at the wedding, Mark and Shaina partner up.
I found this part of the story was a lot of fun and really added to my enjoyment of this book because I loved all the challenges especially the escape room.
If you are looking for a fun romance that will hold your interest and is really different and original then you will love this enemies to love romance.
This was a new author for me and a really different story than I had read before. It was both fascinating, fun and different. In this story we are invited to two weddings and a contest.
This is a story about love, family, siblings, parents and being true to yourself. This book is told in dual POV and I absolutely adored it.
In this book we meet Mark and Shaina. Both are single, and 32 and neither want children. They have known each other from birth as their moms are best friends and their families are very close to each other. But Mark and Shaina HATE each other and don't understand each other and their families know this.
On the way to wedding #1 Mark realizes that he has spoken to Shaina for 32 years and she has never heard a word. He always thought she hated him because she refused to talk to him. Instead she tells him she is hard of hearing and needs him to speak up because her hearing aid then can make out what he is saying. This changes everything for Mark. These two have known each other forever but never really knew each other.
Mark is a demisexual which I have never seen in a book ever. In fact I had to ask google what that was. This book really explains the difficulty and how its hard for his parents to understand what that actually means.
At the wedding the siblings come up with a fun game where couples compete in a challenge to win a fantastic trip and being the only singles at the wedding, Mark and Shaina partner up.
I found this part of the story was a lot of fun and really added to my enjoyment of this book because I loved all the challenges especially the escape room.
If you are looking for a fun romance that will hold your interest and is really different and original then you will love this enemies to love romance.
March 28, 2022
I really enjoyed Shaina and Mark’s unexpected romance in The Un-Arranged Marriage by Laura Brown. Imagine having your bff mothers un-officially arrange your marriage immediately after you are born ten-days apart. This is what happens to Shaina and Mark. Growing up, Shaina and Mark grew to hate each other. It took riding together to his sister’s wedding preparations for Mark to realize that Shaina has a hearing loss and cannot hear him. After asking for help, Mark impresses Shaina once he starts speaking loud enough for her to hear him; causing her walls of hatred for him to start falling. After all, Mark is quite hot, has a great sense of humor, and they share many similar interests. For Mark, being demisexual means attraction isn’t easy; but getting to know Shaina for really the first time, he finds himself paying more and more attention to her. When a major competition for a paid dream trip to Italy is offered, Shaina and Mark, the only singles, team up together. As they work together to win the competition, they soon realize their hate is over-rated, soon replaced by an unexpected sizzling chemistry. That childhood competiveness did come in handy as they worked through the clues. No matter how strong their feelings grow, they refuse to give in to their parent’s wishes; or do they?
Ms. Brown wrote a story that is inclusive of people with a hearing impairment or who are open about being demisexual, as well as wonderful and heartwarming that is definitely not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with sizzling chemistry, amusing banter, and endearing characters giving Shaina and Mark an unexpected chance at a future together. I highly recommend The Un-Arranged Marriage to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Ms. Brown wrote a story that is inclusive of people with a hearing impairment or who are open about being demisexual, as well as wonderful and heartwarming that is definitely not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with sizzling chemistry, amusing banter, and endearing characters giving Shaina and Mark an unexpected chance at a future together. I highly recommend The Un-Arranged Marriage to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
March 23, 2022
3.5⭐
I loved the representation in this book. Our main character Shaina is hard of hearing and wears hearing aids. I really appreciated this being in the book, and I don't think I've ever come across it like this before! Our main character Mark was demisexual, which is also something I haven't really seen much in romance books.
I enjoyed the fun storyline with big, crazy families and wedding games. I was hoping for half the story to take place on the vacation, but it basically all took place during the weddings and I didn't really like that. It seemed redundant after awhile. I also felt it was a little unrealistic that they were "enemies" for 30 years over a misunderstanding that one of the main characters somehow never realized. Once they got over being "enemies" their romance was very insta love, which isn't my favorite. I love a good slow burn!
Overall, this was a fun book but i struggled to keep my attention on it. The storyline was fun, but the executive fell a little flat for me. However, I think fans of lighthearted romcoms will love this one.
Thank you Entangled Publishing for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is due for publication 3/29.
I loved the representation in this book. Our main character Shaina is hard of hearing and wears hearing aids. I really appreciated this being in the book, and I don't think I've ever come across it like this before! Our main character Mark was demisexual, which is also something I haven't really seen much in romance books.
I enjoyed the fun storyline with big, crazy families and wedding games. I was hoping for half the story to take place on the vacation, but it basically all took place during the weddings and I didn't really like that. It seemed redundant after awhile. I also felt it was a little unrealistic that they were "enemies" for 30 years over a misunderstanding that one of the main characters somehow never realized. Once they got over being "enemies" their romance was very insta love, which isn't my favorite. I love a good slow burn!
Overall, this was a fun book but i struggled to keep my attention on it. The storyline was fun, but the executive fell a little flat for me. However, I think fans of lighthearted romcoms will love this one.
Thank you Entangled Publishing for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is due for publication 3/29.
March 10, 2022
*A bit of Spoiler Arc Review*
This book was so adorable from the very start till the end. I did not expect to connect with mark and Shaina, but their constant competition with each other and rivalry, I couldn’t help but fall in love with them. This RomCom has things which I don’t normally see in books, Mark has come out as Demisexual and Shaina has hearing impairment since they were kids and use hearing aids. Due to miscommunication they were enemies from 30 years!! I loved how a competition got them together. I related with Shaina a lot on the competitiveness issues. The last couple of chapter has miscommunication trope, which I am not a big fan of, probably the only reason I won’t be giving this book a 5. But gladly it only lasted for like two-three chapters.
If you’re looking for some fun reads, this is it!! This was tbh a very comfort read, I loved it so much!!
Thank you Laura Brown and Net galley for providing the Arc of this!
Ratings :
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5
🌶🌶/5
This book was so adorable from the very start till the end. I did not expect to connect with mark and Shaina, but their constant competition with each other and rivalry, I couldn’t help but fall in love with them. This RomCom has things which I don’t normally see in books, Mark has come out as Demisexual and Shaina has hearing impairment since they were kids and use hearing aids. Due to miscommunication they were enemies from 30 years!! I loved how a competition got them together. I related with Shaina a lot on the competitiveness issues. The last couple of chapter has miscommunication trope, which I am not a big fan of, probably the only reason I won’t be giving this book a 5. But gladly it only lasted for like two-three chapters.
If you’re looking for some fun reads, this is it!! This was tbh a very comfort read, I loved it so much!!
Thank you Laura Brown and Net galley for providing the Arc of this!
Ratings :
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5
🌶🌶/5
March 14, 2022
The book the un-arranged marriage was very wholesome. I liked the representation of an epidemiologist as well as hearing impairment, however, I did think that the book was a bit stale in the middle. It did pick back up about 2/3 of the way thorough and I was able to enjoy the ending.
I would definitely classify this as the miscommunication trope, rather than enemies to lovers. I think the plot is a little improbable with the "competition" for a dream vacation, but it was cute to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own
I would definitely classify this as the miscommunication trope, rather than enemies to lovers. I think the plot is a little improbable with the "competition" for a dream vacation, but it was cute to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own
June 6, 2022
Mark Goldman and Shaina Fogel have disliked each other from childhood. Though their mothers are best friends and hoped they would marry someday. Shaina has always resented Mark for not acknowledging that she is hard of hearing. When they are thrown together at a family wedding she discovers that he never knew she had a hearing problem. Now that they both are aware of that, the relationship changes. As they are matched together in all of the wedding activities, will they find more than friendship?
Thanks to Laura Brown and Entangled Publishing LLC.
Thanks to Laura Brown and Entangled Publishing LLC.
May 6, 2024
3.5ish stars
There’s a lot I liked about this book. I appreciated the representation of disability (hearing loss), demisexuality, and Jewish characters, among other things. The plot itself was fine; it didn’t feel wholly original, and some parts seemed a bit slow. Overall, it was a reasonably fun rom-com, and as it was one of my most overdue books to review via NG, I’m glad I was finally able to go back and experience it!
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
There’s a lot I liked about this book. I appreciated the representation of disability (hearing loss), demisexuality, and Jewish characters, among other things. The plot itself was fine; it didn’t feel wholly original, and some parts seemed a bit slow. Overall, it was a reasonably fun rom-com, and as it was one of my most overdue books to review via NG, I’m glad I was finally able to go back and experience it!
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2022
32 years of miscommunication trope. Immediately no
April 17, 2022
This book follows the story of Shaina and Mark, whose bestie moms have wanted them to get married since they were born! Although they are completely against this, sparks fly when they participate in a week-long competition for a dream vacation!
Quick thoughts:
LIKES - Although this is certainly a romance book, I liked how the story didn’t always revolve around that. The overall plot was unique and interesting! I also appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation. Last, I enjoyed how the author highlighted the fact that flaws and baggage make us who we are!
DISLIKES - The book started a bit slow for me (but picked up in the second half).
Read if you like:
*enemies-to-lovers
*slow burn
*dual POV
*family drama
Quick thoughts:
LIKES - Although this is certainly a romance book, I liked how the story didn’t always revolve around that. The overall plot was unique and interesting! I also appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation. Last, I enjoyed how the author highlighted the fact that flaws and baggage make us who we are!
DISLIKES - The book started a bit slow for me (but picked up in the second half).
Read if you like:
*enemies-to-lovers
*slow burn
*dual POV
*family drama
April 28, 2022
Shaina and Mark have known each other throughout their lives. Since birth their Mothers have dreamed of them getting together and getting married. Both are completely against it but when sparks fly during a weeklong competition for a dream vacation things begin to change.
This is a cute rom-com book with some fresh takes within the storyline. I liked the diverse characters with the OwnVoices depiction of hearing loss and representations. This book has a mix of humor and heart. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a cute and light read.
I want to thank NetGalley, Lauren Brown and Entangled Publishing, LLC, Entangled: Amara for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.
This is a cute rom-com book with some fresh takes within the storyline. I liked the diverse characters with the OwnVoices depiction of hearing loss and representations. This book has a mix of humor and heart. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a cute and light read.
I want to thank NetGalley, Lauren Brown and Entangled Publishing, LLC, Entangled: Amara for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.
June 25, 2022
This was... fine?
I really liked the disability rep and the demisexual rep, and I liked that it was a romance between two Jewish characters. It feels like a lot of groups were represented here -- and as far as I can tell, represented well -- that often get left out of the traditional mainstream romance genre, and I really appreciated that. I really did like the two main characters in this, and I also liked the idea of them being forced to team up for a silly, not-very-high-but-high-to-them stakes competition.
However, overall, it just fell kind of flat for me?
It took me a full six weeks to finish this book, and like, it wasn't entirely un-engaging overall! I didn't dislike it! But it also just wasn't holding my attention, and I don't know if it was me or the book. But when I actually sat down and read the second half in one sitting, I did enjoy it! I liked the competition and the fact that their enemies/rivals to lovers situation was entirely based on literally having been unable to communicate in the past, and the work that went into fixing that.
That said, the sex scenes were... extremely not sexy to me, so, so many awful descriptors, haha.
I think this might work better for other people, but ultimately, I really do appreciate this book's existence and what it was doing.
I really liked the disability rep and the demisexual rep, and I liked that it was a romance between two Jewish characters. It feels like a lot of groups were represented here -- and as far as I can tell, represented well -- that often get left out of the traditional mainstream romance genre, and I really appreciated that. I really did like the two main characters in this, and I also liked the idea of them being forced to team up for a silly, not-very-high-but-high-to-them stakes competition.
However, overall, it just fell kind of flat for me?
It took me a full six weeks to finish this book, and like, it wasn't entirely un-engaging overall! I didn't dislike it! But it also just wasn't holding my attention, and I don't know if it was me or the book. But when I actually sat down and read the second half in one sitting, I did enjoy it! I liked the competition and the fact that their enemies/rivals to lovers situation was entirely based on literally having been unable to communicate in the past, and the work that went into fixing that.
That said, the sex scenes were... extremely not sexy to me, so, so many awful descriptors, haha.
I think this might work better for other people, but ultimately, I really do appreciate this book's existence and what it was doing.
July 27, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
Listened to this on audio.
Two people with 20 plus years of miscommunication because the hero never knew the heroine couldn’t hear him. Then when she finally can hear him, they have to compete in a contest to win a trip at the hero’s sister’s wedding. The tension builds and the two begin hooking up. Surprisingly, there was quite a bit of open door spice. That part was great! The constant mentioning of the hero’s demisexuality and their mother’s wish for them to be together was annoying.
Third person pov
Enemies to lovers
Demisexuality rep
Third act break up
Listened to this on audio.
Two people with 20 plus years of miscommunication because the hero never knew the heroine couldn’t hear him. Then when she finally can hear him, they have to compete in a contest to win a trip at the hero’s sister’s wedding. The tension builds and the two begin hooking up. Surprisingly, there was quite a bit of open door spice. That part was great! The constant mentioning of the hero’s demisexuality and their mother’s wish for them to be together was annoying.
Third person pov
Enemies to lovers
Demisexuality rep
Third act break up
May 17, 2022
Less enemies to lovers and more “rivals based on a misunderstanding” to “reluctant allies” to “friends with a lot of romantic tension” to “no-strings-attached lovers” to “we’re actually in love and you make me a better person.” Which I honestly prefer.
March 28, 2022
A complicated story of a couples path to love. Mark and Shaina have been marked to marry each other by their moms since the day they were born. The story gives both characters unique traits that have kept them single for a long time. The story is fun and most of it takes place at a wedding. Surrounded by happy and nosy family members they struggle to keep their budding relationship secret. The story teaches about differences and acceptance. The ending is a sweet gesture to their love.
March 30, 2022
This book is just as cute as the cover! It’s a fun mishmash of the frenemies-to-lovers and vacation fling trope, with an extra dash of competition and humor.
After being thrown together by their parents for their entire childhoods, it’s no wonder that Mark and Shaina despise each other. But after a reveal that changes their past relationship, a family wedding – and a competition with a prize they both want – lead to them working together. And when that working together makes them realize they’re attracted to each other? Well, it’s not like there was a friendship to ruin in the first place. And what happens at the wedding, stays at the wedding… right?
Shaina is hard of hearing, and even with her hearing aids certain situations (like being in a noisy area) make it harder for her to hear. Her family’s accommodations for that can be patronizing at the best of times, but at least they try, unlike the rest of the world. Mark, who has a soft voice at the best of times, never realized that his soft voice meant that Shaina could never hear him. He thought her scowls and unresponsiveness were a reflection of her dislike for him. But Mark’s well positioned to understand her frustration with her family, as he’s had similar problems getting them to understand his demisexuality. So it’s even more of a shock to him when he realizes that he’s attracted to Shaina. For her part, she’s initially doubtful that he’ll actually continue shouldering the work of communicating with her, something most hearing people forget about quickly. But Mark’s continued efforts reflect his kindness and compassion, and it’s not long before she realizes she’s falling for him, too.
Besides the whole enemies-to-lovers thing, they’re also complete opposites. Shaina is competitive, to say the least, and extremely extroverted. Wherever the center of the party is, that’s where she’s likely to be. Mark, on the other hand, is an introverted wallflower, happier at home than going out constantly, and he fears that that’ll be a source of friction in any possible relationship. They both do a lot of assuming about their increasingly wrongly named vacation “fling,” and of course that leads into the bleak moment. Given that their initial enmity was founded on a miscommunication, it’s no surprise that it plays a large part in the rest of the book, including the bleak moment. It’s very pleasing symmetrically, in that his lack of knowledge about her hearing disability led to them being frenemies for so long, and it’s her lack of knowledge about his sexuality that leads to their later troubles. In both cases, it’s a reminder that they need to communicate with each other, so while it’s one of my least favorite bleak moment tropes, I can acknowledge that it works well in this book.
Overall, another funny and fun book from an author who’s definitely earned a place on my auto-buy list!
I received an advance review copy of this book from Grey's Promotions. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Content notes:
“No way would she develop feelings for the man, not when their parents had dressed her as a bride and him as a groom when they were babies. No attraction. Nothing. Mark was a no-cross zone.”
After being thrown together by their parents for their entire childhoods, it’s no wonder that Mark and Shaina despise each other. But after a reveal that changes their past relationship, a family wedding – and a competition with a prize they both want – lead to them working together. And when that working together makes them realize they’re attracted to each other? Well, it’s not like there was a friendship to ruin in the first place. And what happens at the wedding, stays at the wedding… right?
“Somehow, they’d gone from never talking, disliking each other, to being a team. And if she was honest with herself, she did like him, now that she could hear him. Heck, the fact that he’d made an honest effort to be heard and hadn’t dropped back to normal meant a lot to her.
The beard and dimple and biceps didn’t hurt.”
Shaina is hard of hearing, and even with her hearing aids certain situations (like being in a noisy area) make it harder for her to hear. Her family’s accommodations for that can be patronizing at the best of times, but at least they try, unlike the rest of the world. Mark, who has a soft voice at the best of times, never realized that his soft voice meant that Shaina could never hear him. He thought her scowls and unresponsiveness were a reflection of her dislike for him. But Mark’s well positioned to understand her frustration with her family, as he’s had similar problems getting them to understand his demisexuality. So it’s even more of a shock to him when he realizes that he’s attracted to Shaina. For her part, she’s initially doubtful that he’ll actually continue shouldering the work of communicating with her, something most hearing people forget about quickly. But Mark’s continued efforts reflect his kindness and compassion, and it’s not long before she realizes she’s falling for him, too.
Besides the whole enemies-to-lovers thing, they’re also complete opposites. Shaina is competitive, to say the least, and extremely extroverted. Wherever the center of the party is, that’s where she’s likely to be. Mark, on the other hand, is an introverted wallflower, happier at home than going out constantly, and he fears that that’ll be a source of friction in any possible relationship. They both do a lot of assuming about their increasingly wrongly named vacation “fling,” and of course that leads into the bleak moment. Given that their initial enmity was founded on a miscommunication, it’s no surprise that it plays a large part in the rest of the book, including the bleak moment. It’s very pleasing symmetrically, in that his lack of knowledge about her hearing disability led to them being frenemies for so long, and it’s her lack of knowledge about his sexuality that leads to their later troubles. In both cases, it’s a reminder that they need to communicate with each other, so while it’s one of my least favorite bleak moment tropes, I can acknowledge that it works well in this book.
Overall, another funny and fun book from an author who’s definitely earned a place on my auto-buy list!
I received an advance review copy of this book from Grey's Promotions. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Content notes:
April 19, 2022
I came ~so~ close to enjoying this book. It's a competitive enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy where Shaina and Mark are forced to team up if they want to defeat their family members and win a trip to Venice. Their lifelong enmity is based on the fact that their mothers have been trying to matchmake them since diapers and Mark doesn't speak loud enough for Shaina to hear, even with her hearing aids in. Unaware of her needs, he perceives her as aloof when she doesn't respond. Once the misunderstanding is resolved, they start to learn they may really be a great match if they can overcome a lifetime of baggage.
So let's start with the positives. I loved the ownvoices depiction of hearing loss and the Jewish representation in both main characters. There's great plot around Mark improving to meet Shaina's hearing needs, and she holds him to a high standard. Shaina and Mark also have great on-page chemistry, and the emotional connection that follows the physical sparks is really sweet.
My first major hangup was that I never got over the premise. The fact that A) no one in thirty years told Mark to get his head out of his ass and speak louder to Shaina or B) Mark didn't have even an iota of observational skills to notice she wears hearing aids is mind-boggling. Furthermore, the author tries to have it both ways with the characters' shared history. It comes up a lot that it's not creepy for them to be attracted to each other even though they view each other's siblings as siblings. It's written off as a result of their enmity, preventing an honorary sibling bond from ever forming between them. Although they've apparently never had a conversation, they have all these shared memories and communal bonds from growing up in a quasi-family network together, and the tension between these different things wasn't fully resolved for me, especially since I kept being reminded of that incongruity. I don't think their relationship is inappropriate or gross by any means; their background just didn't add up to the present situation very well in my head.
On a more serious note, I really really struggled as an ace person with Mark being demisexual. Initial reaction: YES GOOD THE MORE REPRESENTATION THE MERRIER. However, as things progressed, I was worn down by the way Mark's sexuality is discussed. Whether in his head or conversation with family and friends, it is unconsciously (I assume) depicted as a deficit, a challenge, a hardship. While I was at first pleased to see an explicit conversation about how dating norms don't exactly embrace ace people, it ended up detracting from my own mental battle to view asexuality as a way to exist with its own benefits and inherent awesomeness. The kiss of death for me was that a miscommunication about Mark's demisexuality fuels the final act drama between the characters. There are deeper underlying issues they need to address, but a game of telephone including an outside party who doesn't understand what it is to be demi results in an unnecessary communication meltdown. And I ultimately found that disheartening, which I'm sure was not the intent.
Ultimately, I am grappling with if/how to recommend this. It definitely has strengths. Even as a narrative about an ace person finding love and joy with no consideration for the other great components, it has merit. But we can do better. Being ace comes with hurdles, but only because of society and not inherent worth.
So let's start with the positives. I loved the ownvoices depiction of hearing loss and the Jewish representation in both main characters. There's great plot around Mark improving to meet Shaina's hearing needs, and she holds him to a high standard. Shaina and Mark also have great on-page chemistry, and the emotional connection that follows the physical sparks is really sweet.
My first major hangup was that I never got over the premise. The fact that A) no one in thirty years told Mark to get his head out of his ass and speak louder to Shaina or B) Mark didn't have even an iota of observational skills to notice she wears hearing aids is mind-boggling. Furthermore, the author tries to have it both ways with the characters' shared history. It comes up a lot that it's not creepy for them to be attracted to each other even though they view each other's siblings as siblings. It's written off as a result of their enmity, preventing an honorary sibling bond from ever forming between them. Although they've apparently never had a conversation, they have all these shared memories and communal bonds from growing up in a quasi-family network together, and the tension between these different things wasn't fully resolved for me, especially since I kept being reminded of that incongruity. I don't think their relationship is inappropriate or gross by any means; their background just didn't add up to the present situation very well in my head.
On a more serious note, I really really struggled as an ace person with Mark being demisexual. Initial reaction: YES GOOD THE MORE REPRESENTATION THE MERRIER. However, as things progressed, I was worn down by the way Mark's sexuality is discussed. Whether in his head or conversation with family and friends, it is unconsciously (I assume) depicted as a deficit, a challenge, a hardship. While I was at first pleased to see an explicit conversation about how dating norms don't exactly embrace ace people, it ended up detracting from my own mental battle to view asexuality as a way to exist with its own benefits and inherent awesomeness. The kiss of death for me was that a miscommunication about Mark's demisexuality fuels the final act drama between the characters. There are deeper underlying issues they need to address, but a game of telephone including an outside party who doesn't understand what it is to be demi results in an unnecessary communication meltdown. And I ultimately found that disheartening, which I'm sure was not the intent.
Ultimately, I am grappling with if/how to recommend this. It definitely has strengths. Even as a narrative about an ace person finding love and joy with no consideration for the other great components, it has merit. But we can do better. Being ace comes with hurdles, but only because of society and not inherent worth.
May 23, 2022
This was a really cute read! Although not so much enemies-to-lovers as marketed, it does utilize a miscommunication trope that isn't dragged out too long which I definitely appreciated. The characters are all relatable and well-developed. I especially loved that Shaina had a career that she loved and how much of a go-getter she was. The dynamics among all the siblings and life-long friends due to how close the families were was also a big highlight of the book for me. I also loved the representation in this book, especially the interracial relationship between Noah and Norah.
The competition plot of the characters battling each other for a dream vacation was so much fun to read about. I loved the various mini-competitions that Mark and Shaina participated in and the way it slowly brought them together. Their relationship grew so organically and I loved how they each put effort in to better understanding each other. It was really refreshing to read a book where all the characters actually communicate and say how they feel about tough situations.
I think the middle of the book ran a little slowly. I ended up skipping most of the spice because it got a little too repetitive and felt like it was every other scene in the middle but this is definitely something other readers would enjoy. I also found it a little too farfetched that Mark never realized Shaina had a disability. As a scientist, I'd assume he should've been able to pick up by social cues in the 32 years that Shaina and he were thrown together that everyone spoke exceptionally loudly around her. On Shaina's side however I can definitely believe her resentment toward him since she rightfully assumed he should've known she was hard of hearing. Regardless, this was a really cute read that I can see many romance readers enjoying.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing for letting me read an advanced reader's copy of this book!
The competition plot of the characters battling each other for a dream vacation was so much fun to read about. I loved the various mini-competitions that Mark and Shaina participated in and the way it slowly brought them together. Their relationship grew so organically and I loved how they each put effort in to better understanding each other. It was really refreshing to read a book where all the characters actually communicate and say how they feel about tough situations.
I think the middle of the book ran a little slowly. I ended up skipping most of the spice because it got a little too repetitive and felt like it was every other scene in the middle but this is definitely something other readers would enjoy. I also found it a little too farfetched that Mark never realized Shaina had a disability. As a scientist, I'd assume he should've been able to pick up by social cues in the 32 years that Shaina and he were thrown together that everyone spoke exceptionally loudly around her. On Shaina's side however I can definitely believe her resentment toward him since she rightfully assumed he should've known she was hard of hearing. Regardless, this was a really cute read that I can see many romance readers enjoying.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing for letting me read an advanced reader's copy of this book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews