Christina Lauren comes to the blog today with a rom-com/chick lit standalone title all about online dating.
My Favorite Half-Night Stand
Millie is a professor and single, but with a huge bonus in the form of four friends (Reid, Ed, Alex and Chris) and the five are nearly inseparable – sharing meals, game nights, woes about students and the academic treadmill, and provide support and laughs for one another in equal measure. In fact, their relationships are so solidly present, that you want to join in their fun – and there’s no real awkwardness with Millie being the only girl – she’s more ‘boy’ than the boys – carefully constraining and containing her emotions and hopes for herself beyond work, even being rather tone-deaf to just how she comes across to men who may be interested. One should never mix drinks and Monopoly, particularly when the drinks have her looking at Reid in a whole new light: he’s sexy, caring and one look leads to one hot connection – that just can’t happen again as they both fear losing the friendship they have and messing up their group. But, there’s a major event and while they’d all normally go stag and hang together in their own little ‘gang’, it’s decided they all should find dates – and what better way than to sign up with an on-line profile. As long as Millie helps them with what to say that is…….
And Millie does, taking rather ‘resume-like’ profiles and creates something far more honest for each of the guys – something that she believes will have women lining up. Surprising to everyone, as Millie seems to be the least romantic or emotionally connected member of their little group. What she fails to see is that her own profile, her first and carefully constructed, rather stiff and formal addition to the site is wholly unemotional and lacks the honesty and openness, or appearance of openness and willingness to trust in another human being. When the boy’s are getting multiple hits and successes, hers is far less viewed, let alone interacted with – so she creates one that is everything she wishes she could be – a fake profile with an arty photo – and near instantly it is Reid in her inbox. Just what is a girl to do – since she knows they get on like a house on fire, there’s no real ‘getting to know you’ dangers there – but the biggest and most scary moments will be in allowing herself to be vulnerable and taking that chance.
Such fun – each of the characters are wonderfully presented, and their friendships – between one another and within the group is marvelous. With plenty of good-natured teasing, lots of laughs and an underlying contentment with their situation as it stands, even as they worry about finding themselves years later still texting, playing board games and single, together yet separate. The relationship between Reid and Millie displays subtle changes, never quite hitting you (or them) over the head, but allowing the bone-deep surety that they have in knowing one another so well to slowly drop the ‘friends only’ veil and allow them to take a chance for more. Alternating moments of pure emotion with laugh out loud dialogue, some very witty retellings of moments and the slow growth of Millie’s character into someone who accepts and allows her emotions to inform her choices, this is another in the long list of titles by this author that brings people you want to know in situations you can relate to – all to a happy conclusion.
Title: My Favorite Half-Night Stand
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy, Humor elements, Woman's Fiction
Published by: Gallery Books
Published on: 4 December, 2018
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Audio Length: 11 Hours
Heat: Get Your Copy: Amazon ♦ Barnes&Noble ♦ iTunes ♦ Kobo ♦ Downpour ♦ IndieBound ♦ Google ♦Audible ♦Direct from Publisher
From the New York Times bestselling author that “hilariously depicts modern dating” (Us Weekly) comes a sexy romantic comedy about online dating, and its many, many fails.
With a world-famous speaker at their university, Millie Morris and her four woefully single male colleagues make a pact that they’ll all find dates. Unfortunately, Millie has more success helping them make matches online than she does navigating the onslaught of lewd pics in her own feed. But when she creates a fictional name for a new account, Millie finds herself vying for the online attention of a man she sees every day in the flesh.
A copy of this title was provided via Publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.