A review by curiouser_books
The Wiener Across the Way by Amy Award

funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

It sounds like it'll be fun ... and it was. But the CRINGE.

Actual stars: 2.5

Format: audio, libro.fm

What I liked: The story is cute and fun, the banter is good, the characters feel real (but honestly is that only because they are based on very real people that we love?). I was along for the ride early on and the ending when it was more fiction than real life was even more fun ... but there were problems. I did love the plus size representation and all of the silly terms for Colorado places (Rust Rocks/Red Rocks, Peachy Creek/Cherry Creek, etc.) oh, and flip-flop instead of TikTok made me laugh every time.

What I didn't like: This reads like Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce fan fiction. Like until the 58% point it really is just a fictionalized version of what we know. At first it felt fun and silly, but then it felt like an invasion of privacy. Like I know this author doesn't have an inside track into their relationship, but I don't read gossip sites because people deserve to have privacy, and this felt too much like those very real people to be fiction.

Who I'm recommending this to: Probably no one. It was fun and spicy and the plus size rep was great. But it was too much reality to be fun fiction for me.