Synopsis:
Cadence Lim has transformed from behind-the-scenes number cruncher to an integral part of the sales team at Prism Realty. But despite moving up the corporate ladder, her complicated relationship with her estranged elderly father weighs heavily and she can’t seem to shake the desire for a new beginning.
At least Cadence can always lean on her favorite co-worker and co-conspirator, Matt Escanilla. A top broker with an unsuccessful love life, the forever single Matt is constantly being nagged by his loving Filipino family to settle down.
Their relationship takes a turn when a business trip lands them both in their hometown and Matt enlists Cadence as a pretend girlfriend for a family gathering. The new after-hours setting forces the two friends to see each other in a new light, and their previously buried feelings rise quickly to the surface. When competing promotions threaten to separate Cadence and Matt, these office besties must work together to round up their ambitions and families to pursue their overdue romance.
Review:
I was really looking forward to reading Circling Back To You because it has so many tropes I like; fake dating, friends to lovers and workplace romance. However, I got almost halfway through and it felt like nothing was happening. Basically, I got bored and decided to stop reading.
Now, I do really like both Cadence and Matt. Yes, Cadence is very highly strung, but I liked how driven she was and their back and forth banter was great. They were both good complex characters, but there was something about the out of nowhere lustful thoughts that was a little too much for me. They felt so forced and out of character for both of them.
The different family dynamics on display were interesting, but very dysfunctional. It felt like none of them really liked each other, but they were written pretty well. It was a believable dysfunction.
The book as a whole was decently written but I just really don’t have time to keep reading something I’m not enjoying. There isn’t anything problematic about it (of the half I read) so it’s not completely bad. Just not for me. I also formed zero opinions while reading it, hence the super short review. I really don’t have anything good or bad to say.
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