Emma Doherty

I didn’t expect to like this book as much as the first, but it came close.

We already saw glimpses of how broke Abigail really was in book1 and like Livy I felt for her. But I most definitely didn’t like her.

I like to say that a person’s history can surely explain a lot but never excuse.
So while I felt really sorry for Abigail in book 1 (without knowing the specifics we are given in ‘the Backup Girlfriend’ I thought she had no excuse for being that mean and hurtful.

And she didn’t. - But she knew it too.
So “getting in Abby’s head” did a lot for me to understand her better and forgive her. If you can really forgive a fictional character… But that’s what I did.

She already saw her faults and flaws at the beginning of the book but with Chase and Sasha and other friends being great, helpful ad so loyal to her she tried to change.

And she did. To be honest even the reformed version isn’t someone I would want to be friends with, she was just great as the MC.

Brett is also a great character and we see really subtle changes in his behavior, especially towards Abby.
He isn’t perfect. He tends to be quite judgy but he is a really great guy and I liked his family life a lot.
I found myself “looking out” for him and for me he could have been involved in more scenes of the book, but I guess the emphasis was more on Abigails personal development, freeing yourself from toxic people and views and being a better person, no matter what cards you were handed.

Usually I don’t like close friendships between exes, but in this case it strangely worked, ot least because Abby didn’t pretend that some topics or situations would stay awkward because of the previous relationship.

One thing I appreciated a lot was Abby’s sister’s story. Ellie broke up with what a romantic would call her true love and is now married to a rich guy with whom she has a son.

She tells Abby not to make the same mistake of thinking it’s important who their parents approve of BUT she also says she is happy and truly loves her husband.
I just really like that because I hate all these books and movies where cheating is justified because of “true love”.

Ellie is committed and happy and loves her family. Because romantic love doesn’t have to be head over heels to be worthy or real or right.… (altro)

What can I say, this book really got me hooked. I’m reading A LOT right now. I’m talking at least a book per day (or night…) but this one… I couldn’t put it down.
I was just feeling everything Livy felt.
Everything.

I had to keep reading to keep my anxiety at bay and I just loved her as an MC.

I liked Chase too. A lot actually but I’m always a bit skeptical with these “hot player guys” who can have just any girl and know it.
Chase is a ‘good guy’ at heart but he’s still the guy who took a girl back he didn’t love several times and who dated a lot in between.
But okay, he is a teenage boy and the MMC of a YA Romance, so this is probably complaining at a high level.
Chase is great, I liked him as a ‘book boyfriend’ for Livy.

What I didn’t like was the whole Jessie situation.
SPOILER
Livi breaks it off because “she can’t keep pretending that there is something where clearly is nothing” but when she kissed him the first two times there seemed to be a lot instead of nothing.

I get why she is torn and confused. Like I said - I felt it all. But the reason she ended things didn’t convince me.
Maybe she loved Chase more and maybe he treated her better than Jessie. But it’s not presented as if her feelings for Jessie fell away or something.

And why stay friends? He was a shitty friend to begin with. When we learn he always knew how Livy felt - just leave this selfish idiot behind.
END SPOILER

I liked Jessie in the prequel novella better. Here in The Stand-In Boyfriend we only see selfishness from him. Nothing more.
So this is actually the thing that bugged me the most but I obviously still loved the book and will probably reread it.

I wished there would be a companion novel or epilogue or whatever from Chase’s POV. This would probably be like totally great and swoony…… (altro)

To be honest, I knew I wouldn’t like this one because I couldn’t imagine liking a cheating MC. And I didn’t.

I read this novella which introduces the characters of the Grove Valley High Series because I loved both books, especially book 1, and was interested in reading more about them.

This novella did nothing for Sophie. Nothing.
From Livy’s POV she’s a great friend and I thought she was … well, okay I guess.
She wasn’t my favorite character in Livy’s book and I wouldn’t want to be friends with someone like her. (been there, done that…) but I could accept her as a good friend for Livy and as someone who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. We see this too in book 2.

But in ‘Playing With Fire’ Sophie is so selfish, shallow, superficial, ignorant of other people’s feelings (Benji, Mark, Abigail, …) as soon as they stand in her way.

What would she have done if Garratt was Livy’s boyfriend..?

But that’s not the point actually.

Garratt is so boring as a character. The only thing he is is hot. Wow.
I’m already annoyed that everyone in romantic books - at least the male MC of course, because women are seemingly more allowed to have flaws and still be sexy - has to be sooo smokin’ hot and good looking because this is what love is all about. Or isn’t it..?
But - Garratt takes it to a new level because he has absolutely nothing else to offer.

Maybe I’m not superficial enough to understand why Sophie is even tempted. I wouldn’t be but if I would, I would have stayed away.

Her brother warned her, her best friend warned her, she has a boyfriend (without the label… - maybe talk about it?) but Sophie needs to “have” Garratt.

And what does our oh so mature MC learn from her mistake?

“Don’t just assume because someone is insanely hot, they actually have any substance - lesson learned.”

Wow… I just can’t… Seriously???
This is what she learned? Shouldn’t this be like common knowledge for everybody over the age of 5?
Shouldn’t the lesson be
“Don’t cheat”?
“Don’t lead someone (Mark) on if you’re not serious”?
“Don’t mistake attraction for actual feelings”? or even
“Listen to your brother”?

Seems to me Sophie is as stupid as before and I’m not happy Mark took her back in the next book. But he must be a bit of an idiot (or very superficial himself) to fall for her in the first place.

I try to forget all about this book to like Sophie again when I reread book 1 and 2. Right now just argh…

But - I enjoyed reading about the other characters and I have an even higher opinion of Livy after she called Sophie out for all the right reasons and told her to leave Garratt be and to treat Mark better. So not a complete waste of my time…… (altro)

Angsty read.
Heroine wrongly accused of cheating.
Hero grovels but sadly he's mean before, sleeping around and the truth is revealed at around 86% when indisputable evidence is presented.
This is a quote
“You know, Ryan, if I’d have gotten those pictures of you with another girl, I would have been pissed off too. I’d have been hurt and I’d have been furious, and I probably would have jumped to the exact same conclusion you did. And yeah, I would probably scream and shout at you too.” I swallow hard because I need to say this. “But I wouldn’t have not listened to you. I wouldn’t have blocked your number. I wouldn’t have refused to talk to you. I wouldn’t have had sex with another guy that you can’t stand just to hurt you, and I wouldn’t have told you to go away and said I never wanted to speak to you again when you walked into the room and stood there in the doorway, completely broken after seeing me in bed with someone else. I wouldn’t have splashed pictures of myself with different guys all over social media so you could see how much better I am without you.” My voice has started trembling now, all the heartache and hurt of the last year overwhelming me. “And I wouldn’t have taken my new boyfriend to a mutual friend’s house and then not stopped him when he called you a whore.” I take a deep breath and watch him as he tries to battle his emotions. He sits there and takes what I have to say, because he knows it’s the truth, and he knows that what he did is unforgivable. “I wouldn’t have done those things, Ryan. I would have thought that that wasn’t you in the photos. I would have thought that maybe there was some explanation I was missing, or I would have at least asked how it had happened, because I’d know how much our relationship meant, how much I loved you and you loved me. I’d want to know why it happened, not just wipe you out of my life.”

They don't get together straight away, in fact the book is called "Four Years Later".
The Hero proves himself by making sacrifices, I was a bit sketchy on the dating other women part.
He wasn't serious about anyone, he went for meals with a few women, they didn't last esp when they saw how he cared about the heroine, so not clear to me on if he is celibate during this time.
… (altro)