I’m about to enter the unpopular opinion club.
I told myself I wasn’t going to pick up any Berkley romance this year because I did not like any of the Berkley books that I read last year. But I listened to the audio sample randomly and the beginning pulled me in. Clara, a 27-year-old WASP, arrives in Los Angeles to live with (and profess her feelings for) her childhood best friend. But before she can even say hello he announces he’s on his way out of town and is renting his bedroom to a guy he found on Craigslist.
Clara’s unexpected roommate Josh is nice despite the awkward situation. But she soon learns he is Josh Darling, a well-known female-friendly pornstar. He is amused by the uptight East Coast girl sharing his space and teaches Clara all about asking for what she deserves and she gives him the confidence to strike out on his own in the adult entertainment industry.
This concept sounds so good but I just didn’t care for this book. I hate bad talking heroines–I think they get overly criticized–but I found Clara insufferable. She kept putting herself in dumb situations she was not qualified for. I understand that in books things have to happen for the plot (like Clara staying with Josh even though later we find out she has a whole ass trust fund) but nothing about her character tracked.
Clara comes to L.A. with no plan but is able to get a job as an associate at her estranged aunt’s PR firm because has “good instincts.” But then she just slacks off and almost puts a client’s campaign in danger. Then later she uses her trust to fund Josh’s adult entertainment start up…and for some reason everyone wants her to be on set for everything? Which just ends in scenes where she gets freaked out and Josh comforts her? It was such a repetitive cycle. Their company is supposed to be all about consent so why do they keep putting Clara in situations she’s not comfortable with?
I also don’t understand why Josh doesn’t just start an OnlyFans while he is negotiating. It’s mentioned his website literally has a million followers ???
I can’t pinpoint exactly what irked me about their relationship but I was tempted to stop listening during the black moment because I don’t think they should have been together. I feel like they would have been better if they just went back to their own worlds and stayed.
I consumed a majority of this on audio, narrators Brittany Pressley and Teddy Hamilton are romance standards and their narration is what really carried me through.
