Synopsis:
The Partner Plot is a marriage of convenience, second chance romance book about two high school sweethearts.
To Violet Greene, fashion is everything. As a successful celebrity stylist, she travels all over the world, living out her dreams. Professionally, she’s thriving, but her personal life is in shambles. After surviving a very public breakup with her ex-fiancé six months ago, Violet is now determined to focus on her career. But life hands her something—or rather, someone—that might derail everything…
Xavier Wright did not expect to run into his high school girlfriend Violet—the girl he once thought he’d marry—on a birthday trip to Vegas. As a high school teacher and basketball coach, he rarely leaves his New Jersey hometown, so what were the chances? But when the initial shock wears off, they decide to celebrate together. They feel young and reckless as they party the night away—and reckless they clearly were when the following morning, they wake up beside each other with rings on their fingers.
Their impulsive nuptials might be a blessing in disguise, though, when they realize that both of their careers could benefit from the marriage. So they play the part of a blissfully wedded couple. Yet when their passion comes hurling back, they realize their feelings are just as real as they were back when they were teens. But are their lives too different to stick it through or will they finally get a happy ending?
Review:
The premise of The Partner Plot sounded really fun but sadly I found this book incredibly dull. I got through 60% before deciding to stop reading. The romance was nowhere to be seen and honestly the characters felt like strangers. You do not get the sense that they were high school sweethearts who were madly in love with each other. Every interaction is filled with awkwardness and I felt major second hand embarrassment any time they’d talk to each other.
Why do women in romance books pretty much always have terrible work-life balance? Do we really think women are only successful if they’re working 14 hours a day and often forget to eat? Hustle culture is the worst and we really need to stop romanticising it.
Something else that bothered me about The Partner Plot is Xavier not getting a job because he isn’t married. That’s discrimination right? I’m pretty sure you’re not allowed to ask someone their marital status in an interview. Well, it’s at least frowned upon.
Both of their reasons for continuing the marriage were weak. I really don’t think this is a trope that works in contemporary books. Unless the fate of the world is at stake or they’re literal enemies, this trope doesn’t hit the same. I’m not interested in awkward childhood sweethearts.
Also I cannot emphasise enough how much I hate adult narrators doing baby/kid voices. It’s actually so unsettling to listen to. There’s a lot of this in The Partner Plot. Including a dream sequence that had a very creepy moment of a baby talking to Violet.
I really did want to enjoy The Partner Plot but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. It’s hard to not feel scorned when a romance has no romance for over half of the book.
Rating: DNF
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