Wanna Bet?

Reading romances to dull the pain somewhat. If you're very into this genre you'll love it but for me halfway through the book I realized that this was just average. The friendship between the mcs really didnt feel deep at all so I didnt wanna keep turning the pages as I usually do because of character's inner thoughts. I finished it still but this was not fully it

2,5 *

This is not a “bad” book, but it's really far away from everything that I was hoping for.
For the first time, warnings related to all themes approached during the story, need to be considered. Those hit me hard.
We read romance because we know that everything turns out just fine in the end. That couple made me think they should be apart.
I'll be a little salty, old, judgmental, not-too-feminist (kind of), BUT... maybe those are my hurt feelings taking advantage of me.
This book reminds me why the stupid concept of “real friendship between a man and woman does not exist” is so damn popular.
They have zero emotional intelligence.
Jasmine is toxic. And Rahul is an idiot or even more naive than it was expected.
Being in love with someone, and not being loved in return, and sharing your life with this someone with all that liberty and touch(y) and feelings is not safe nor healthy for your well-being. And clearly, Rahul is the one stuck and Jas is the jackass dude in this relationship. She is a damaged person that pretends she feels nothing and is attached to no one just to build a false wall of protection, affecting the poor (idiot) Rahul; who, unfortunately, is no saint either.
I know Jas needed deep help and, the logical and practical end, with her seeking help, professional help, was something cool, and logical. But it was something that could be arranged much earlier, and with much less...pain.
What makes me think that can't be love.
(And see that is coming from someone who thought that Kelsey and Ren's relationship. So... see: all unneeded sorrow.)
If she removes all (unnecessary) drama and a fair amount of sex scenes (this book is the most streamy I've read so far from Hibbert), keeping the funny stuff, she would deliver a great novella.

I think what kept me from fully enjoying this one is just that I didn't like the characters so much. I do think there is definitely growth here, so I did very much enjoy the ending (bumming the rating from 3 ->4 stars).
If you've read other Talia Hibbert novels, you should still give this one a read.