My rating: 2 stars / It was okay
About the Book
If the covers of every romance book ever published hadn't convinced librarian Evangeline Kelly that she isn't heroine material, her fiancĂ© calling off their wedding when she lost her hair to alopecia did. But what's a girl head over heels for love to do when her feelings are unrequited? Matchmake, that's what. Armed with library patrons' check-out histories, she's determined to make at least one love connection—even if it's not her own.
Tattoo artist Tai Davis is used to people judging him with a single glance, so it doesn't surprise him when the town's quirky new librarian does the same thing and believes his bad-boy reputation without giving him a chance. He can't help being intrigued by her, though, so when he discovers Evangeline's secret matchmaking scheme, he's not above striking a bargain with her. She just has to agree to one date with him for every time she uses his hometown knowledge to set up library patrons on a romantic rendezvous. The deal is made, but in the process, they both might learn you can't judge a book—or each other—by the cover.
My Review
I usually love this author's books and her compassion for characters with physical or mental struggles. However, this book left me feeling unsettled and I had a difficult time enjoying the main character and the romance (which made me super sad! That cover is just adorable!) Librarian Evageline has alopecia and alternates between feeling wounded for the behavior of others and having a massive chip on her shoulder. She doesn't want anyone to pity her or judge her, but those are characteristics I saw the most strongly in her- she is very judgemental of others (and if they give her what she emotionally needs), and she pities herself to the point of victimhood and martyrdom. There were times the narrative veered into woke preachiness, for example- Evageline mentally calling a library patron a racist and microagressor after he had a discussion during their book group, although the content of the discussion wasn't made known to the reader. She is purposefully careful not to judge Tai's tattoos, but it came across as supercilious since she compared herself to others who she assumes would judge him. She is negative and mean to Tai- for one brush-off she purposefully used his shared vulnerabilities against him- so I'm baffled why he pursues her and so quickly falls in love with her. I understand the "she's a challenge" trope, but usually there's some level of reciprocation, or he comes off as a stalker or masochist. The characters even had to do some metal gymnastics why their deal to date wasn't coercion. It took a man falling in love with Evageline for her to realize her own worth, yet he was the one who needed to point out that God wants and loves her (I'm surprised she didn't get mad at him for mansplaining). By the end, Evageline improves in emotional intimacy and gains the courage to not hide her appearance, but I still struggled with some vital plot points, including the matchmaking which took an early backseat to Evageline's personal struggles. Fans of culture, movie, and literary references should have fun with this book- I counted at least fifty. I get that I'm in the minority as most of my reader friends loved the book. It was just a miss for me.
Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.
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