Book Reviews/ October 12, 2023October 17, 2023

The Problem with Dating by Brittainy Cherry Book Review

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Blurb

If I had to choose a person to hate, Alex Ramírez would’ve been first on the list…

Welcome to Honey Creek, Illinois, where life was as sweet as the town’s name suggested. That was, until Mr. Fine Dining himself, Alex Ramírez, rolled into town with a permanent scowl. Even worse, he decided to park his snooty five-star restaurant across from my cozy dog daycare. He was tall, dark, and about as warm as a frozen entrée.

After one too many unpleasant interactions, I was determined to stay out of his way and to keep him out of mine.

But fate had a quirky sense of humor. When Alex inherited his great-aunt’s cranky canine, he had no choice but to come to me, the local dog whisperer, for help. As for me? I needed a fake boyfriend to ward off my ex-husband, who was determined to win me back.

So, we struck a deal: I’d turn his dog into the town’s best-behaved pet, and in return, he’d be my arm candy for a few family events and social gatherings. Simple, uncomplicated, and absolutely not romantic—at least, that was what we told ourselves.

As we played house, I couldn’t help but notice that underneath Alex’s prickly shell was a dash of charm that wasn’t listed in the ingredients. Our pretend dates started to feel a little too real. And our feigned kisses? They were getting laughably close to crossing the line. Suddenly, our interactions felt less like a food fight and more like foreplay.

With every playful touch and lingering glance, I couldn’t help but wonder: Was this fake relationship with Alex secretly penning its own authentic ending? Or was I risking it all for someone who was nothing more than make-believe?

Sensitive Content

Here are the potentially sensitive content that I observed while reading:

Alcohol
Anxiety/Panic Attacks
Cheating (not main characters)
Death of loved one
Emotional spousal abuse (not main characters)
Grief
Profanity

Ratings

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There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!

Overall Rating

4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I really love grumpy sunshine, especially in a small town romance! I think that The Problem with Dating absolutely nailed it 🥰 The banter between these Yara and Alex before they realize that they’re falling for each other was absolutely hilarious. I really loved the way that the story was written, and that I was just able to find out little bits of how this romance was put together over time. I won’t spoil it for you all, but it was so enjoyable to read.

I really loved Alex and his grumpy nature. I also really like the way that he saw Yara. I liked to see Yara’s growth from the beginning of the book to the end of the book. I also really enjoyed her sisters, Avery and Willow, but also Tatiana’s relationship with Yara, as well.

This is a slow burn, closed door romance so don’t expect any intense spice or anything like that, but there were many swoony moments between these two as they find love in the end! Definitely a feel good book and I would highly recommend to my small town romance lovers! Thank you to Valentine PR and the author for an advance copy of this book for review. 🫶🏽

Genre & Tropes

Genre

Contemporary Romance

Tropes

Grumpy x Sunshine
Close Promity
Fake Dating
Enemies to lovers

Favorite Quotes

“It sounds like you never stopped being in love.” “Maybe that’s what love is—something that never really stops.”

“Because love brings miracles we’d never dreamed of.”

“Anyone who was a pushover was also a liar. Maybe not to others, but at least to themselves. They lied to make others comfortable, which was the stupidest thing in the world to me. Why dull yourself in order to make others shine?”

“No steps. No halves. Just full.”

“I’m sorry,”“For what?”“For whoever it was that broke you and turned you into a monster.”

“Are you saying Alex is a toy poodle?” “Oh gosh, no. He’s a Doberman. Sharp and strong. But do you know what I think?” “I’m sure you’ll tell me.” “Every big dog is a tiny, scared puppy that wants to be loved.”

“A donde vayas, yo voy.”

“That man made me feel things I wasn’t sure how to decipher.”

“Nice people don’t say they’re nice. Self-conscious, trying too hard people say they’re nice because they are overly obsessed with people liking them.”

“Grumble, grumble, grumpy annoyingly attractive man, grumble, grumble.”

“The feeling I’d felt was so foreign to me. It was nothing like butterflies in my stomach. It was like dragons. Fierce, intense, and powerful. I’d never felt that before with another person.”

“Goldie, do you know what you just made me realize?” “What’s that?” “Sometimes it’s just as hard to leave someone as it is to be left behind.”

“I wondered how many people carried bruises to their soul that were never theirs to withstand?”

“Stupid heart and how it felt. Beautiful heart and how it felt.”

“If he regrets losing you already, I swear to you, he’ll regret losing you forever after the way he sees me worship you”

“Everything about Yara was a glimmer. She was the beautiful micro-moments in every single moment that existed. I wasn’t simply falling for her, no. I was crashing.”