3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
There are times when I feel bored and dull. In those times, I turn to the best medicine available: Comedy. My preferred form is, of course, the Romantic Comedy. And Sonia Parin’s Her Irresistible Troublemaker was just what I needed.
Lexie Gardner is trying to get a handle on her life. After her last relationship went disastrously wrong, she’s sworn off men and decided to focus on her comic strip “Lulu McGee” and the good things in life. That does not include Jack “Killjoy” Riley and his Iron Monstrosity across the street at all. You don’t get cool points for destroying the view from her South-Yarra apartment. Jack Riley knows from experience what a pain Lexie Gardner can be. After all, she was the reason for many delays on his latest building project. When chance throws them together, he finds that despite that, and his own relationship hang-ups, he’s drawn to her. And much to Lexie’s chagrin, she returns those feelings. Can Jack find a way to convince Lexie to give them a chance?
Ms. Parin has created a study-like tale about relationships. And I don't mean just the romantic ones. The two sibling relationships she gives us are a study in contrasts. Lexie has virtually no relationship with her older sister Maggie. Though, through the course of the novel, their relationship evolves. Jack, on the flip side, is close to his brother, Mason. I, personally, thought she could have expand on Lexie and Maggie's evolving relationship. I felt that needed some more probing. That is not the only thing I felt needed probing. Lexie's relationship with her parents, her best friend Ava, and even her friends from her small hometown; they all would've benefited if they had just a tad more detail.
The end was kind of predictable, but they usually are when it comes to RomComs. Though sweet and enjoyable, it could have done well to have a bit more spice, a pinch more drama. I felt like Jack needed to fight a little harder or Lexie needed to be just a bit more stubborn. It just felt a little too easy. True they had stuff to work through but it was gotten through way too fast. I'm sure it could've been prolonged somehow.
It also seemed like Her Irresistible Troublemaker was part of a series and therefore not quite a standalone. There were way too many loose threads. A part of me would have appreciated if there had been a subtitle letting me know. That said, I give it a Three out of Four Stars. I do hope there is a book covering Maggie. She proved very enigmatic.
******
Her Irresistible Troublemaker
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Like Yafa1822's review? Post a comment saying so!
