2.5 Stained Glass Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level:🌶️🌶️.5/5

Calling your book Designed for Disaster might be setting yourself up for disaster... AND WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT...

Yeah, this one was not for me! And coming off of really enjoying Aidan’s story, this just lacked everything I was hoping for.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
This follows Trent and Natalie. Natalie works several odd jobs to fund her furniture-making business and one day has a bad run-in with Coffeezilla AKA Trent at the coffee shop where she’s employed. Their encounter gets her fired, but by some twisted fate, Trent unknowingly hires her to design furniture for his grandmother (OUR NANA DEE). When Natalie, the “hellcat” from the coffee shop, shows up at Dee’s house, Trent realizes it’s her. Seeing how happy Dee seems at the sight of his supposed “girlfriend,” he persuades Natalie to keep up the act. In exchange, she gets a job at his prestigious furniture company and the chance to design a sustainable furniture line. The two must navigate their differences, explosive banter, and mutual stubbornness to figure out if there’s something more between them than just a fake arrangement.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
I really liked Natalie. She’s self-sufficient, determined, and doesn’t let anyone push her around. Right from the start, you can tell she’s guarded, careful with her heart, and burned from a bad past relationship. She’s clear about her goals and doesn’t waver in what she wants, which makes her a compelling and grounded character.

Trent, on the other hand, was the main reason this book fell flat for me. I wanted to like him, I really did! I might have developed high expectations based on the build-up of who he was based on his glimpses in the previous books... But I struggled to get past his personality. Yes, he’s the typical brooding businessman with bottled-up emotions, but his protective nature over his family and company came off more as arrogance than charm. His strained relationship with his parents (who sound like they came straight from a soap opera) creates tension in his relationship with Natalie. And while I can understand that trauma shapes people, it didn’t make me empathize with him in the way I wanted to.

The biggest problem was the lack of chemistry between Natalie and Trent. They were always at odds, they have different ideals, different outlooks on life, and different perspectives on relationships. Even in opposites-attract romances, there’s usually some aspect where the couple clicks or at least connects through their banter. With these two, it felt like they were constantly clashing, misunderstanding each other, and talking past each other. There was no sense of connection, just a series of miscommunications and unresolved tension.

Now both characters are guarded due to being hurt in the past, but instead of creating depth, it only adds to the miscommunication that drives the story. The third-act breakup felt forced, hinging on yet another misunderstanding and unfounded assumptions. While there was grovelling and begging for forgiveness after the fallout from Trent (because obviously he is the one that messes up), it didn’t feel genuine. Their relationship lacked the foundation to make me believe they could stand the test of time.

Leslie North often relies on the idea that just because two characters spend time together, the romance will naturally fall into place. And while that can work in fluffy, lighthearted romances, it just didn’t land here. I wanted to see actual development in their relationship, not just time spent together implying love.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Workplace Romance (Boss X Employee)
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Fake Dating
▶ Poor Girl X Rich Boy
▶ Band of Brothers

▶Miscommunication
▶ Third Act Breakup

and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Grovelling
▷ "Good Girl"
▷ Suit Daddy
▷ Rolled Sleeves/Forearms
▷ Nicknames
▷ Don't Stop
▷ Banter

In the end...it had some cute moments (I mean he bought her a CHURCH) and I got to see more of Nana Dee. But that doesn't fully counterbalance that for me it lacked depth and emotional resonance. So as a result, the romance didn’t feel profound or satisfying.

Thank you to Netgalley, Relay Publishing and Leslie North for the gifted copy.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.