Review: The Love Coupon by Ainslie Paton

Series: Stubborn Hearts Book #2

Format: ebook

Rating: 3 Stars

How I Got It: NetGalley

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Carina Press

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

Flick Dalgetty knows what she wants and how to get it, which is why she’s about to start her dream job in Washington. Until then, she needs somewhere to crash, and Tom O’Connell’s place is her sole option. He’s a repressed, antisocial ogre…but man can he kiss.

For Tom, being around Flick is like being too close to the sun. Her untamed energy is overwhelming, and he’d spontaneously combust if he had to live with her long-term. Housemates with benefits—and an expiration date—suits him just fine. 

Then Flick gives Tom thirty coupons, each entitling him to one obligation-free activity, from bowling and bubble-bathing to morning delight, removing all the guesswork from being incompatible partners and shifting their fling into high gear.

Now the problem is their arrangement is drawing to a close, and they might be falling in love—and there wasn’t a coupon for that.

Review

***I received this book via NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

At first, I wasn't really feeling this book. I was like, "Great, my first review book and I'm going to have to give it a negative review." That's OK because I want to be honest but I would still feel bad. But once the coupons showed up (mostly the second half), the book became more enjoyable for me.

One of my favorite things is that Tom is an introvert. This just isn't a very common character type especially for heroes in romance. As a fellow introvert, I appreciate the representation. Flick was harder for me to connect with, but I can appreciate how confident, outgoing, and competent she is.

Like I said before, I liked the second half more. The coupons and how they were executed helped show of Flick and Tom's personalities. During this part was also when there was more character development. Flick and Tom were able to help each other and learn from the other to make their lives better.

Now, for some things I didn't like. My main problem is with the writing style. It is written in 3rd person which I my preferred POV for romance. But it was muddled in this book. I would often get confused about who was talking or which character's head I was in. Especially since Tom and Flick are supposed to be drastically different that should have been easier to differentiate. This did continue throughout the whole book and never go easier.

Thanks for reading!

Holly