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When your nemesis also happens to be your fiancé, happily ever after becomes a lot more complicated in this wickedly funny, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy debut.
Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They're preparing for their lavish wedding that's three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him.
Naomi wants out, but there's a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.
But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they're finally being themselves--and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.
Source: advance e-galley provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
You Deserve Each Other takes a different look at a relationship in tatters. Sometime since Nicholas and Naomi's engagement there occurred a massive breakdown between them that's kept them in a near-constant passive-aggressive mode with each other for the past months. On the surface the rift seems irreparable and all they do is sabotage things hoping that one of them will cave and call off the wedding. No one wants to be the first to accept defeat, especially when walking away means having to pay off all the cost of the wedding so far.
What could've caused things to get this bad? We gain that insight as the history of relationship is told backwards. Nicholas' mother is a big antagonist here as the overbearing, manipulative, control freak who wants to monopolize her son's time. She always manages subtle jabs at Naomi for not being good enough for her him and Naomi has never felt her fiancé defend her in these situations. Nicholas just continues to be a mama's boy. Then there's also their differing views on success and ambition. He is doing well at a dental practice and she's happy working at a souvenir shop. The thing is, Naomi has never felt that urge to pursue a career that requires a degree or for her to be behind a desk. So right now it just feels like all they do is needle each other or one up the other. The story is told from Naomi's perspective and with a good chunk of it from her head space, I was eager to know what was running through Nicholas' mind. I did eventually get that once their usual snark and insults started dissipating and was replaced by actual dialog.
I'll be honest, after reading the first chapter I was worried the hostile tone would be pervasive throughout the story. That was followed by Naomi scheming ways to get back at Nicholas, some of those schemes involving the most ridiculous of outcomes. All I kept thinking was how it could get that bad. There seemed to be no love lost between them and then I wondered what the point was. Hang in there, though because Nicholas does something so unlike him (that's one of the things Naomi hates about him: his predictability) that it seems to shift things between them. Relearning things about each other and actually vocalizing their thoughts (who would've thunk it, right?) begin to make all the difference in the world.
This is essentially a smartly written, slow burn (and there is some burning involved), lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance, and I appreciated the author not using sex to magically fix everything. Rather that comes in much later when they're finally reconnecting emotionally but it's a scary step for both of them. The enmity that's a huge part for most of the book might initially be off-putting because when we first meet Naomi and Nicholas they're at their worst which makes them simply not likable - fact - and that can make it difficult to push through. What helped me was the snark and sarcasm because I'm a fan of that. I don't necessarily think this is a lighthearted read but it does lighten up and there is reconciliation which is what makes it worth the read. You Deserve Each Other is a about rekindling a relationship and romancing in reverse. I was happy with the outcome and thought it suited Naomi and Nicholas perfectly.
~ Bel
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