Team !!TOO LIT TO QUIT!!: Book Talk Reading Challenge April 2025 - Page 26

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Bee, I saw that you've put down Emily Henry's Funny Story in your list. Let me know how that one goes for you if you end up reading it!

Yaar Lizzie it started out so well 🥺 I thought I finally I got my hands on a light refreshing romcom read. I was breezing through it so quickly that I thought I'd be done in 3-4 hrs max.

But now that I'm at the 3/4 mark it's become such a dragfest to me I'm just forcing myself to read coz I liked it initially so I don't wanna DNF, but my overall interest in the story has like, fizzled away somewhere.

Dunno what went wrong when I started, I liked it sm that I was planning to check out more from the author. Now... I'm not really sure 😶

I'm sorry for the negative feedback though... is it like a favourite book/author for you?

Originally posted by: Bee222

I'm sorry for the negative feedback though... is it like a favourite book/author for you?

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Lol no, this author has always been hit or miss for me (more miss than hit actually) and I felt exactly the same about this book. Check my review against my log in the sheet.

Oh, I hadn't realised that you had this book in your log too! I honestly just go in there to log in my own entries, I don't really look at anyone else's

This is my first time reading this author, although she's been rec-ed to me a lot. When I started reading I really thought she'd done it for me. The whole premise looked right up my alley, and Miles was so sweet right from the get-go. Honestly I'd love to have a guy like Miles in my life. Friend, boyfriend, anything works He's just so sweet and adorable

Daphne was very relatable to me in the beginning bcz of her awkwardness with strangers and inability to make friends on her own (all my friends are either classmates from school, or extroverts who later decided to adopt me ) and I loved how she seemed to be getting more confident in her life, finding her own footing. I loved how Miles — and Ashleigh — were directly and indirectly a part of that growth.

I really was breezing along in the early phase... but I think ever since Julia came into the picture, the pace slowed down — both for the book and for me. I... don't really like her, for some reason? Idek why, whenever she appears she either gets on my nerves or bores me. I like her sometimes, but it's mostly when I'm trying to like her 😅 I think I'm the only one who feels this way though 😅 bcz everyone else who's read the book seems to love her. I do love Ashleigh though ❤️ I'm glad she's the friend Daphne made.

Anyway, now with Julia, the dad and his gf, plus all the restrained feelings and Miles vanishing and whatever drama the author stuffed in the last few chapters, it's all become a bit too much for me. I initially liked the vibes for two reasons — it was simple and fun. Now it feels neither, so I'm not liking it anymore. The story honestly feels a bit of a drag atp... is it something about the writing style that changed in between? 🤔 Idk, but a few pages less could've been better for the book, I feel. Less of other ppl, and more... them. Miles and Daphne. Also, yes, I'd like Daphne to contribute something meaningful to Miles' life as well. I mean, he helped with her confidence and self esteem, her social life, he takes her to visit places so she'd be happier here, he helped get volunteers for the Readathon as well. I mean, what hasn't he helped with? Comparatively, Daphne hasn't really done... anything? I guess she's gonna fix the siblings relationship, but idk if even that will feel like enough (if/when it happens)

Although when I look at it objectively, this is still a very typical plot, there's nothing that stands out as too unnecessary or extra. Everything looks normal. Objectively speaking, I guess I should've been okay with the plot? But somehow I'm not - instead I'm bored and this close to DNFing. So is that a me problem or a you (book) problem?

Again, idk

So ig all in all, we feel kinda the same way about the book (idk your thoughts about Julia tho )

Tbh I think this book would do better as a movie. They could maybe change the screenplay a bit, here and there, to make it more interesting. But overall, with the way these MCs have been built, I think this couple can give off Mondler-like vibes onscreen

Oh btw Lizzie, I just realised that I've crossed 1k pages!

I guess the sudden 1 day reading binge made it happen I'm also almost done with my thriller and AoGG, and combined with fics and Funny Story, I think I might've crossed 2k as well

Originally posted by: Bee222

So ig all in all, we feel kinda the same way about the book (idk your thoughts about Julia tho )

Tbh I think this book would do better as a movie. They could maybe change the screenplay a bit, here and there, to make it more interesting. But overall, with the way these MCs have been built, I think this couple can give off Mondler-like vibes onscreen

My main problem with this story (and any book that's single PoV) is that we don't hear from Miles. We only know him inasmuch as Daphne reveals about him. And in a romance I want to hear from both people. I want to know why Miles fell for Daphne (it's very clear why Daphne fell for Miles).

That's an interesting idea about them playing out like Mondler on screen - it never crossed my mind! What made you feel that way?

A lot of Emily Henry's books are being adapted for screen. People we meet on vacation (that I've read and liked the most of the ones I've read) is already scheduled for release starring Tom Blyth (of Hunger Games fame) and Emily Bader (of My Lady Jane fame). Others are under production: Book Lovers (that I've also read and found okay) and Happy Place (which is going to be a TV series I believe). Overall, her books haven't really worked for me, so I guess she isn't the author for me.

2K pages is amazing, Bee! Keep it up!

What are you reading right now?

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Yeah - for me the premise started out promisingly but I wanted them to be more mad at their exes and get together to sabotage them or something . The fake relationship storyline to make Peter jealous that began would have been a whole lot better imo, that would have been fun. I'm ambiguous towards Julia and all of the side characters actually - Ashleigh was fine but also because she got the most print time and was better fleshed out.

My main problem with this story (and any book that's single PoV) is that we don't hear from Miles. We only know him inasmuch as Daphne reveals about him. And in a romance I want to hear from both people. I want to know why Miles fell for Daphne (it's very clear why Daphne fell for Miles).

That's an interesting idea about them playing out like Mondler on screen - it never crossed my mind! What made you feel that way?

A lot of Emily Henry's books are being adapted for screen. People we meet on vacation (that I've read and liked the most of the ones I've read) is already scheduled for release starring Tom Blyth (of Hunger Games fame) and Emily Bader (of My Lady Jane fame). Others are under production: Book Lovers (that I've also read and found okay) and Happy Place (which is going to be a TV series I believe). Overall, her books haven't really worked for me, so I guess she isn't the author for me.

@b yessss exactly!!! This!!! The two people who get betrayed get together to make their exes jealous, and end up falling for each other in the process. That's how the trope goes, and it's a trope for a reason! It's fun and satisfying! I wanted it to happen soooo bad, that initial phone call with Peter was so satisfying but then in this huge big story, I guess we just got like, two (three?) scenes where they even pretended? And in one of them we didn't even get the ex's reaction. What a waste I mean, the kiss was great, and at that point I didn't think it was a waste bcz I was sure they'd have much more ahead... but nope 🙂

And yes, I don't really know at which point it turned from pure friendship to something more for Miles. I mean, he's such a sweetheart that he was sweet to her even in the beginning. So then how much of his behaviour was friendship and when did feelings come into play? Till how long was he in the Petra moping period and when exactly did Daphne become that person for him? Also... how? Like you said, we know what got Daphne to fall for him (very reasonable reaction tbh) but what exactly did Daphne do that made him fall? I'd have liked some more definitive moments with them, and then him just lovingly staring at her or accidentally saying something that gave an insight into his feelings early on.

Like I said, more them. Less others. That should've been the way to go.

I'm honestly kinda hesitant to try out anything more from the author 😶 From what I've heard, she tends to go even more dramatic in the middle than she went here. Apparently this was the most lighthearted of her books? So if this "lighthearted" book seemed too full of useless drama to me... I wonder how I'll feel about the other ones? 🤔

But then again, I'm still wondering if me not liking the plot is just a me and my mood problem. Maybe it was just right book, wrong time? But something inside keeps telling me that I'm rationalising too much, that no matter when I read it, I wouldn't have liked it anyway 😅

The Mondler thing just came to me randomly, when I thought of them as an onscreen couple.

I mean Daphne has a bit in common with Monica right? They're both very orderly people, very particular about how they do their stuff. In other words, "high maintenance"

While Miles and Chandler are both very caring, loyal people who are not very confident in themselves. Both try to do their best, but bcz of their childhood they both have a tendency to panic and run away from serious situations.

I just thought that since the characters have some parallels, maybe the couple could have some too. Miles erasing Daphne's insecurities about herself, like Chandler did Monica's ("I like maintaining you"). And Daphne in turn making him feel more confident about tense situations, teaching him how it's okay to disagree and argue, it's not a big deal (remember how Chandler thought them arguing meant them breaking up?)

Just... stuff like that 😅

The only difference is, Daphne is not hyper-competitive like Monica and also much more secure in herself. She does have insecurities, but bcz she wasn't raised by neglectful parents like Monica's and instead by a strong loving mother, she's not usually very affected by what others think of her.

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

2K pages is amazing, Bee! Keep it up!

What are you reading right now?

Thank you I'll try

I've started None of This is True by Lisa Jewell and I'm almost to the end. AoGG too, almost completed. I've also started this book called Luck of the Draw by Kate Clayborn, hopefully it turns out well 🤞

And fics, lots of them as usual. Two of them were longer so I'll update them in the list, but I've also read like 90k words of fics this past month, that I can't update because they're all less than 18k. Two of them were actually 17k+

(And even if I know they won't count, I still decided to read them. What does that say about me I'm a fic addict atp )

I will update the Funny Story page count at the end of the month, after I finally decide whether I wanna resume and finish it or DNF. I think I've already left it behind atp, but still. It's borrowed from a library, and I've been known to have sudden mood changes right before the due date