A review by naankattai
The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead

3.5

This is a surprisingly strong book, with a 'ship that I found immediately likable, whose chemistry feels immediately palpable - but it's weighed down by some really SHIT choices that I found kind of baffling! Why is the heroine's sister such a judgmental dick and why is she choosing whom Alexis dates??? Why is Alexis herself so oblivious to the feelings of the hero – who, by the way, is delightfully obvious about how much he adores her??? WHY IS EVERYONE TELLING LIKE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ABOUT A FAKE RELATIONSHIP THAT CAREERS DEPEND ON???? 

I found some of these so galling that I spent maybe a third of this book, near the end, just waiting for the chaos to erupt and being really mad that it was taking away from parts of this story that I really loved. Alexis & Logan both thread the line of being emotional messes and charming each other's socks off, and it makes all of their un-drama-ed moments just a blast to read and spend time in. The 'ship as a whole generally just felt like it had more weight to it and a stronger voice to it than so many other recent romances I've read, which have all bounced around fanfic-y trope-y arenas and lost life & vibrance. I would've liked this much more if the illogical bits didn't feel like a drag.