DON'T READ THE SYNOPSIS!
Synopsis from the Book
The one guy Bailey Rydell can't stand is actually the boy of her dreams - she just doesn't know it yet.
Classic movie fan Bailey "Mink" Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online as Alex. Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surging town as her online crush.
Faced with doubts (what if he's a creep in real life - or worse?), Bailey doesn't tell Alex she's moved to his hometown. Or that she's landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she's been heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth - a.k.a. her new archnemesis. But life is a whole lot messier than in the movies, especially when Bailey discovers those tricky fine lines dividing hate, love, and whatever it is she's starting to feel for Porter.
And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realized, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex.... Approximately.
Thoughts Before Reading
Well first off this is one of those synopses that I hate! Like why tell me Porter and Alex are the same person already? That is something that I should've learned as I'm reading. Maybe there is some sort of twist in the book that makes it interesting as to why the book already spoiled itself.
Anyways I picked this book up because I've been seeing it a lot online through BookTube, Facebook groups, and other places. It sounds like it is going to be a light, fun read and I'm in the mood for this stuff. I devoured Beach Read and I need to read an ARC that I have but this one was just screaming at me. Plus it is a new to me author and I got it mostly because I saw it on the clearance rack. As we all know I'm always wary of new authors and paying full price for them because I have no clue if I will like them, and I've been burned in the past for doing that (ahem Evie Drake). But it sounds so cute and my bookstore had it on sale so here we are. I've been wanting to read it for at least a year now because I know I've been seeing it around a lot and it sounds so cute! So we'll see how this goes.
As for my HouseCupAThon that I'm doing this month, I think this book might fall under the 'Burrow' challenge and it is 390 pages so it'll be 100 points altogether. A great thing about this readathon is you don't have to stick within the same challenges to get points. Just reading a book will get you points, such as this one I would've gotten 50 points regardless of reading it and I love it. I haven't posted an official TBR for this readathon because I'm a mood reader and I want to have the opportunity to just pick up a book. The only stipulation that I gave myself is that it has to come off my own shelves so I have PLENTY to work with. I try to use only books I already have for readathons because they help me work through my piled up books. I'm getting ready to do an unhaul too I think.
Halfway Through Thoughts
So I'm not hating this book, but I'm definitely annoyed with it! Since the beginning of the book, I've kept wondering when Bailey would find out Porter's background, especially since the synopsis gave everything away I usually assume when that happens we will find out really soon in the book. Well, let me tell you I've been asking myself when she realizes this since Chapter 6. The chapters aren't that short and since she has been in California interacting with Porter I've been screaming at the book it's Porter! I'm shocked that I've been reading this book so fast but since my husband and dad are currently working on the floor I have some free time and have been plowing through this book. If I wasn't determined to see if there are any big revelations throughout the book or just curious about when she will figure out this book I think I would DNF it. Like I said I don't hate it, I'm just very frustrated with it. I'm now currently in chapter 15 and Bailey still does not know who Alex is in real life, has been working with Porter every day almost, AND SEARCHING THE BOARDWALK FOR ALEX BASED OFF OF HER CLUES SHE'S ACCUMULATED. It's just so frustrating. If the book was going to take so long for her to figure out who he is then the synopsis really shouldn't have just thrown all of the secrets out there.
After Thoughts
Well, I finished the book. Overall I think the book is 2-3 stars, at best. First off no one figures out who is who until chapter 24 and even then it is because Porter is at the house for family game night and her father called her Mink and he just storms out! Okay first I thought it would be so cute/funny for him to out her secret to Porter but she never expected Porter and Alex to be the same person so I could see how funny it would be for him to be like at the museum checking up on her at her new job and calls her Mink! That would've been perfect! But then his reaction is so irritating. I don't know if I got so irritated with this book because it is a YA book or what but I just could not get over my frustration of the fact that the reader goes into this book already knowing that Porter is Alex! I think the synopsis should've have said that, heck it could've not mentioned Porter at all and the book would've already been so much better! Another thing that I found interesting was the backstory of why she's called Mink. I was expecting it to have something to do with her shyness or something but the fact that it had to deal with her wanting a fur when she's a child!? It was just so annoying.
I wanted to love this book! It had some really interesting things such as the mixed writing styles, the overall story sounded really cute, and even some of the characters were really fun to read. Now thinking back to my rating I posted on GoodReads it is definitely two stars. I've gone back to update it. I just can't give it anymore because the synopsis giving everything away, the fact that it took the whole entire book for them to figure out their online relationship, and then the cringiness! The book had really awkward sex scenes! Like why even put them in this book? I get that they had that relationship but it didn't need to be so cringy and just coming out of nowhere. I also felt like the important things were being overlooked while the book focused on the side stuff, like the whole thing with her mom! How do you go all summer without talking to someone you were just living with, and on top of it your parent? It was just like the book kept adding a lot of weird stuff trying to have a lot of things in it when the book really didn't need it. I didn't even add it to my HouseCupAThon chart. I did make an aesthetic for it though.
Hopefully, my next book is better!
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