My Thoughts On: My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren

My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren

Gallery Books / December 4, 2018
Contemporary Romance
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Synopsis:

Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.

So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, Mille and her circle make a pact that they’ll join an online dating service to find plus-ones for the event. There’s only one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of the guys, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, but mutually decide the friendship would be better off strictly platonic.

But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with quality matches and potential dates, Millie’s first profile attempt garners nothing but dick pics and creepers. Enter “Catherine”—Millie’s fictional profile persona, in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. Soon “Catherine” and Reid strike up a digital pen-pal-ship…but Millie can’t resist temptation in real life, either. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear—intimacy—or risk losing her best friend, forever.

Perfect for fans of Roxanne and She’s the Man, Christina Lauren’s latest romantic comedy is full of mistaken identities, hijinks, and a classic love story with a modern twist. Funny and fresh, you’ll want to swipe right on My Favorite Half-Night Stand.

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MY REVIEW

I was a little nervous to read this one because I didn’t love Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, but I’m so happy and relieved to say I enjoyed this one a lot!

It was exactly what I needed and a total pick-me-up during a rough time. It made me laugh out loud so much and I completely fell in love with this group of friends. I’m officially on the hunt for my own Reid, Alex, Chris, and Ed who will let me be their Millie.

Millie has some pretty big things she needs to work through in this book. She keeps her feelings really close to her chest and really doesn’t share them with anyone, not even her closest friends.

Sometimes when characters have major issues like this, the author will have the solution or the issue fixed/resolved by the significant other or the relationship. But that’s usually not how it works in real life nor is that particularly healthy. When you have deep seated issues and insecurities you need work through, it’s best and smartest (if you have the means) to get professional help. I’m glad the authors have Millie eventually get the help she needs, and doesn’t make Reid the solution to her problems.

Reid also had to let go of some unrealistic expectations he had of Millie. She wasn’t going to all of a sudden turn into an open book of sharing her thoughts and feelings. It’d be work and he’d need patience to allow her the chance to learn and grow. It took a while but he knows in the end she’s worth that work and waiting and patience. And Millie knew Reid was worth her working to be better.

Friends-to-lovers is a favorite trope of mine. I especially enjoyed this one, because the characters didn’t try to lie to themselves and tell themselves it was “just sex.” While it took them quite a while to be honest with each other, they both knew early on they were catching some deeper feelings.

It didn’t really give too much of a depiction of online-dating, as it focused on Millie and Reid interacting. And I do understand why some people had issues with Millie basically cat-fishing Reid. It is deceitful. I was able to suspend real-life for awhile though while reading it, and it didn’t bother me as much as it did some others.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It made me laugh and I loved all the guys! This group of friends is an amazing support system for each other and I’m frankly a bit jealous I don’t have a close knit group like they do.

If you’re looking for something light and fun to read over the holidays, definitely pick this one up!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. This commission helps to maintain this blog.

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MEET THE AUTHORS:

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/besties/soulmates/brain-twins Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced fourteen New York Times bestselling novels. Their books have been translated into 30+ languages. (Some of these books have kissing. Some of these books have A LOT of kissing.)