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A review by lenoreo
The One That I Want by Piper Sheldon
3.0
https://celebrityreaders.com/2021/03/10/the-one-that-i-want-by-piper-sheldon/
I received a free copy through Smartypants Romance in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
3.5 stars — This one started off really strongly, I was totally intrigued by Roxy and Sanders! But the book fizzled for me…maybe it was my mood, I have no idea.
Honestly, I don’t mind insta-love/lust…depends on how it’s done. I definitely felt that immediate connection between Roxy and Sanders on the dance floor — it was ridiculously hot. And then as we got to know them more, it truly felt a bit like an opposites attract story. I loved that neither of them could help themselves, you know? It was great chemistry, both steamy and beyond.
And I was curious about what was going on with Sanders in particular, b/c you knew he was running from something. I will admit the way things played out over the book, I had some different suspicions that didn’t manifest. I’m not sure what it was, but I ended up being dissatisfied with his journey. Maybe I didn’t buy it? It was hard, he was such a strange character with his flaws — overeager, panicky… So maybe the growth did fit who he was. I’m not sure. I loved how goofy and adorable he was, but I think I wanted something more from the emotional side (even though we did get a lot there). See? It might just be me.
Roxy was a hard nut to crack. I could see how desperate she was for that elusive something (respectability? acceptance?). But something kept me from completely connecting with her. I was soooo curious about her past, and how it had shaped her. And we definitely got some from that, but again…I was dissatisfied. Seriously, I’m not sure what I wanted that I didn’t get, but…I didn’t quite get it.
As I mentioned at the beginning, their chemistry was honestly fantastic. I even loved the way they connected emotionally here and there. I think I wanted something more obvious and sustained at the end. But they really were adorable together.
What didn’t work for me? The overt Grease references. I think I wanted something more subtle. For some reason they came across forced and awkward to me. I wonder if it would be different if I wasn’t a fan of the movie, because maybe those bits of dialogue would seem more natural. But they didn’t. I actually ended up liking the more subtle connections — like the way Roxy was trying to protect her reputation, but it wasn’t her bad girl reputation it was the reputation she was trying to develop. And I loved how sunny and determined Sanders was.
I was also a bit bummed that we didn’t get quite as much SWS time. I’ve only read Kim’s story thus far, but I enjoyed the girl group time in that one more than in this one.
I really enjoyed Skip, but I feel like he got shortchanged with Sanders. I feel like Sanders never really saw the big picture where Skip was concerned…or at least the picture that I saw in my head. I wanted more for him.
So yeah. Weird. I wish I could be more concrete. I wish I could be more confident in my feelings. But this is what you get instead.
I received a free copy through Smartypants Romance in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
3.5 stars — This one started off really strongly, I was totally intrigued by Roxy and Sanders! But the book fizzled for me…maybe it was my mood, I have no idea.
Honestly, I don’t mind insta-love/lust…depends on how it’s done. I definitely felt that immediate connection between Roxy and Sanders on the dance floor — it was ridiculously hot. And then as we got to know them more, it truly felt a bit like an opposites attract story. I loved that neither of them could help themselves, you know? It was great chemistry, both steamy and beyond.
And I was curious about what was going on with Sanders in particular, b/c you knew he was running from something. I will admit the way things played out over the book, I had some different suspicions that didn’t manifest. I’m not sure what it was, but I ended up being dissatisfied with his journey. Maybe I didn’t buy it? It was hard, he was such a strange character with his flaws — overeager, panicky… So maybe the growth did fit who he was. I’m not sure. I loved how goofy and adorable he was, but I think I wanted something more from the emotional side (even though we did get a lot there). See? It might just be me.
Roxy was a hard nut to crack. I could see how desperate she was for that elusive something (respectability? acceptance?). But something kept me from completely connecting with her. I was soooo curious about her past, and how it had shaped her. And we definitely got some from that, but again…I was dissatisfied. Seriously, I’m not sure what I wanted that I didn’t get, but…I didn’t quite get it.
As I mentioned at the beginning, their chemistry was honestly fantastic. I even loved the way they connected emotionally here and there. I think I wanted something more obvious and sustained at the end. But they really were adorable together.
What didn’t work for me? The overt Grease references. I think I wanted something more subtle. For some reason they came across forced and awkward to me. I wonder if it would be different if I wasn’t a fan of the movie, because maybe those bits of dialogue would seem more natural. But they didn’t. I actually ended up liking the more subtle connections — like the way Roxy was trying to protect her reputation, but it wasn’t her bad girl reputation it was the reputation she was trying to develop. And I loved how sunny and determined Sanders was.
I was also a bit bummed that we didn’t get quite as much SWS time. I’ve only read Kim’s story thus far, but I enjoyed the girl group time in that one more than in this one.
I really enjoyed Skip, but I feel like he got shortchanged with Sanders. I feel like Sanders never really saw the big picture where Skip was concerned…or at least the picture that I saw in my head. I wanted more for him.
So yeah. Weird. I wish I could be more concrete. I wish I could be more confident in my feelings. But this is what you get instead.