Review: Too much angst for these friends to lovers
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 09 21, 2011
One of my favorite types of romances to read is the "Friends Turned Lovers" plotline. You know, where the girl and boy have been best friends forever and finally cross that line and become perfectly matched mates because they have such a strong foundation for their growing relationship. When I read the premise for SOMETHING SO RIGHT I thought it would be a great fit for me. Unfortunately, I couldn't really connect with the characters to care if they finally got together in the end or not.Lily Carver is a survivor of domestic abuse, both physically and emotionally, at the hands of her ex-fiancé. She's fled the big city to own and operate an upscale resort near her longtime (best) friend Sam Denning. Sam has loved Lily since the summer they met when he was only 14. When he finally puts the moves on Lily, she lays down her own rules: no-strings-attached affair limited to two weeks only. Lily doesn't believe she can offer long-term relationship or any real relationship after the last disaster she fled from. Sam is just biding his time to let Lily realize that they could be great together.There were several things wrong for me:First, this story didn't start off well for me. It opens up with Sam fantasizing about Lily and all the dirty, naughty things he wants to do to her hips and legs and to rub his *fill in the blank* against/along her *fill in the blank* and so the descriptions continue. Then we get pages and pages of him pining for Lily and all the angst of being only a friend and how horrible his childhood was (but we're not really sure why it was so horrible.) Then insert a few paragraphs of conversation between Lily and Sam. Then, cut over to Lily who complains about the strict upbringing of being a Carver and "A Carver never cries" etc. etc. and angst over her past and Sam is looking hot and fantasize over his body, etc. etc.Second, the book yo-yo's around between angst, sexual fantasies, angst, sex, angst, projected insecurities, angst, sex, more projected insecurities, and I think you get the picture.Third, the characters didn't evolve at all. Well, sure we do get from point A to point B in the story, but the characters were just 1 dimensional and never fully fleshed out and would have sudden change in thinking. So I guess they did evolve.Fourth, Lily's request for a no-strings-attached affair was just awkward and felt completely wrong.Fifth, everyone and everyone wanted to talk to Sam or Lily about their feelings about the other. Everyone "knew" that Sam loved Lily and wanted to confront him about it and give him a pep-talk to get him to confess to Lily. Everyone knew that Lily had feelings for Sam deep down and just wanted her to realize that he wouldn't wait around. The only conversations Sam or Lily had with others revolved around Sam or Lily with the exception of the "big town scandal" toward the end of the book.Even though I love "Friends to Lovers" stories, this one just didn't work for me. I don't know if I just wasn't in the mood for THIS type of "Friends to Lovers" story, but the abundance of angst and sexual fantasies just killed it for me.