My Favorite Half-Night Stand
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
I want to start off by saying I love a ton of Christina Lauren books: Love & Other Words, The Unhoneymooners, The Soulmate Equation, The Paradise Problem, and The True Love Experiment.
In fact, Twice in a Blue Moon is the only one that I’ve read so far that I didn’t like (I gave it ⭐️⭐️). Since I liked this at least more than that, I wonder if their older books just aren’t meeting the higher bar their newer releases set, maybe they’ve evolved a little!
Overall, it’s a fun and quick romantic comedy with a cast of characters I really enjoyed getting to know, including the sweet, emotionally intelligent male lead, Reid. Immediately drawn to the story, I read this book in one sitting and think a lot of people would enjoy this if looking for something lightweight that’ll make you laugh at least once or twice.
“Sometimes, the thing we want is right in front of us and we’re the last ones to see it.”
The biggest drawback was Millie, the female lead. She is a closed book that struggles with communicating her feelings and being honest. Despite knowing this group of guys for the past two years, they don’t really know much about her.
In my opinion, Millie sometimes came across as a bit immature, especially for someone who is a college professor, and maybe even a tad annoying at times. What killed me was her decision to catfish her best friend and lie. I found it difficult to get over that enough to cheer for her or believe in their love story much. It wasn’t the worst, but definitely not my fave approach.
I liked this story enough, but I wouldn’t really recommend this as a must-read by any means. Especially if it’s your first book by this author duo (Christina and Lauren). Try Love and Other Words or The True Love Experiment first instead! I bought Love and Other Words for my mom for Christmas, so I definitely recommend it.
About: Millie Morris and her four male best friends all agree to making dating profiles in the hopes of bringing a real date to a major event at the university (they’re all professors). Except on the night they plan to get together and fill out their profiles, everyone bails except Millie and Reid. After a few drinks, the two friends end up having a steamy, “half-night stand”. I honestly can’t remember how they define that and I just read the book today! Maybe it’s leaving immediately after?
Anyways, the next day they agree to keep things platonic and private (aka don’t tell the other guys in their group. They navigate the mystery that is modern dating (apps) to various levels of success, the guys more successful than her because, well, guys are weird. But also because Millie’s profile sucks. She isn’t forthcoming and hates talking about herself/her past, and it shows in her bio. So, as a way to redo and maybe be more open, she creates a second account under a different name and a vague enough photo. What could go wrong?
Tropes:
Friends to lovers
Words I learned/looked up:
Virile
Effusive
Fastidiousness
Obstinate
Emeritus
