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Sweet Rose #1
Meet Cute Club
Jordan Collins doesn’t need a man.
What he needs is for his favorite author to release another one of her sexy supernatural novels and more people to sign up for the romance book club that he fears is slowly and steadily losing its steam. He also needs for the new employee at his local bookstore to stop making fun of him for reading things meant for “grandmas.”
The very last thing he needs is for that same employee, Rex Bailey, to waltz into his living room and ask to join Meet Cute Club. Despite his immediate thoughts—like laughing in his face and telling him to kick rocks—Jordan decides that if he wants this club to continue thriving, he can’t turn away any new members. Not even ones like Rex, who somehow manage to be both frustratingly obnoxious and breathtakingly handsome.
As Jordan and Rex team up to bring the club back from the ashes, Jordan soon discovers that Rex might not be the arrogant troll he made himself out to be, and that, like with all things in life, maybe he was wrong to judge a book by its cover.
What he needs is for his favorite author to release another one of her sexy supernatural novels and more people to sign up for the romance book club that he fears is slowly and steadily losing its steam. He also needs for the new employee at his local bookstore to stop making fun of him for reading things meant for “grandmas.”
The very last thing he needs is for that same employee, Rex Bailey, to waltz into his living room and ask to join Meet Cute Club. Despite his immediate thoughts—like laughing in his face and telling him to kick rocks—Jordan decides that if he wants this club to continue thriving, he can’t turn away any new members. Not even ones like Rex, who somehow manage to be both frustratingly obnoxious and breathtakingly handsome.
As Jordan and Rex team up to bring the club back from the ashes, Jordan soon discovers that Rex might not be the arrogant troll he made himself out to be, and that, like with all things in life, maybe he was wrong to judge a book by its cover.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2020
About the author
Jack Harbon
24 books398 followersJack Harbon (she/they) is a nonbinary transfem author writing everything from romance to erotica to horror—or sometimes a mix of all three. If she’s not scribbling down notes on one of her thousands of book ideas, she’s shopping for yet another doll to add to her collection, crocheting, or watching scary movies. Follow her on all socials @JackHarbonBooks!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,151 reviews
February 9, 2021
more like 3.5
I did enjoy the initial setup of the plot & some of the interactions between the two main characters, I also loved how adorable the relationship was described. But, I had a few problems with the pacing of the story and a lack of depth of the relationship between our two MCs — I found that the fight they had in the third act was quite abrupt and disrupted the flow of the story.
I wouldn't necessarily call this enemies-to-lovers either as there's hardly anything to justify them being enemies from the outset of the novel, it's more annoying each other to lovers. The "enemies" portion is dismantled pretty quickly due to the pacing of the story.
But overall, it's a good story if you're looking for something light and quick to breeze through!
The book does also contain content warnings which I'll list here: alcohol/drug use, mentions of child neglect, mentions of homophobia, on-page sex scenes!
I did enjoy the initial setup of the plot & some of the interactions between the two main characters, I also loved how adorable the relationship was described. But, I had a few problems with the pacing of the story and a lack of depth of the relationship between our two MCs — I found that the fight they had in the third act was quite abrupt and disrupted the flow of the story.
I wouldn't necessarily call this enemies-to-lovers either as there's hardly anything to justify them being enemies from the outset of the novel, it's more annoying each other to lovers. The "enemies" portion is dismantled pretty quickly due to the pacing of the story.
But overall, it's a good story if you're looking for something light and quick to breeze through!
The book does also contain content warnings which I'll list here: alcohol/drug use, mentions of child neglect, mentions of homophobia, on-page sex scenes!
February 9, 2023
I enjoyed this for the most part! My biggest complaint is that I felt like things weren't fleshed out enough. It felt short and rushed. I feel like had it been 100 pages longer, it would've been a banger!
Rex has so many smooth moves.. like daaaang bruh.
Rex has so many smooth moves.. like daaaang bruh.
June 6, 2020
this was so CUTE and exactly what I needed right now
highly recommend if you are looking for a great m/m romance with some steam and A+ banter
highly recommend if you are looking for a great m/m romance with some steam and A+ banter
May 26, 2020
Could
Meet Cute Club
, Jack Harbon's new book, BE any more adorable?
Jordan believes in happy endings. Inspired by his grandmother, he loves romance novels of all kinds. He puts his heart and soul into ensuring that the Meet Cute Club, his romance-book book club, runs smoothly, the way his grandmother's book club used to when he was younger.
"It was about more than the books. It was about the community surrounding them, and the interpersonal relationships that were built all because of a mutual love of stories."
When the new cashier at the bookstore where he buys most of his romance books mocks them as stuff grandmas would read, it gets under Jordan’s skin. But that’s precisely why Rex said those words, because he could tell how much the books meant to Jordan and he wanted to ruffle him a little bit.
When Rex asks to join the Meet Cute Club, at first Jordan thinks he’s doing it as a joke, but Rex says the books—and Jordan—really interest him. Since Jordan is worried about the group losing members, he lets Rex join, and is surprised to see he actually starts enjoying the books he once mocked.
Little by little, both let their guards down and their feelings for each other intensify. But life—and love—aren’t as easy as they are in books, and sometimes, a happy ending might take more work and cause more pain in real life than they do on the page.
This was the perfect change of pace for me after I had read a bunch of heavier books. At first I thought the characters were going to be clichés, but there was a lot more depth to them than I expected.
Meet Cute Club was fun and steamy (just two scenes, so those who are averse to steam can skim), and the M/M rom-com is a variation on the genre I’ve not read much of yet. Maybe there was something in my eye, or perhaps I’ll admit the darned book might have made me tear up as well.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Jordan believes in happy endings. Inspired by his grandmother, he loves romance novels of all kinds. He puts his heart and soul into ensuring that the Meet Cute Club, his romance-book book club, runs smoothly, the way his grandmother's book club used to when he was younger.
"It was about more than the books. It was about the community surrounding them, and the interpersonal relationships that were built all because of a mutual love of stories."
When the new cashier at the bookstore where he buys most of his romance books mocks them as stuff grandmas would read, it gets under Jordan’s skin. But that’s precisely why Rex said those words, because he could tell how much the books meant to Jordan and he wanted to ruffle him a little bit.
When Rex asks to join the Meet Cute Club, at first Jordan thinks he’s doing it as a joke, but Rex says the books—and Jordan—really interest him. Since Jordan is worried about the group losing members, he lets Rex join, and is surprised to see he actually starts enjoying the books he once mocked.
Little by little, both let their guards down and their feelings for each other intensify. But life—and love—aren’t as easy as they are in books, and sometimes, a happy ending might take more work and cause more pain in real life than they do on the page.
This was the perfect change of pace for me after I had read a bunch of heavier books. At first I thought the characters were going to be clichés, but there was a lot more depth to them than I expected.
Meet Cute Club was fun and steamy (just two scenes, so those who are averse to steam can skim), and the M/M rom-com is a variation on the genre I’ve not read much of yet. Maybe there was something in my eye, or perhaps I’ll admit the darned book might have made me tear up as well.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Read
September 10, 2022Did Jack Harbon climb into my brain and write the romance of my dreams? yes i do believe he did.
In this story we follow Jordan Collins, a young romantic with a passion for romance novels and a book club he's struggling to keep afloat. Along comes Rex, a bookseller who doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut, who teases Jordan for his reading tastes. Rex decides to not judge a book by it's cover and joins Jordan's Meet Cute Club to get closer to his bookstore's cutest patron and learn what romance is all about.
THIS WAS SO ADORABLE!!! It gave me all of the feelings and left me swooning left and right. I think if you enjoyed the bromance book club you will enjoy this, it has that wonderfully meta love for, and discussion of, the romance genre that I really appreciated in the bromance book club. I truly could not stop smiling while reading . Jordan and Rex just had such wonderful, realistic chemistry and their bond felt so incredibly sweet. They just had such a healthy, stress free dynamic and I couldn't help but stan. I laughed all throughout this book and it was such a joy to read.
The romance was amazing but so were the subplots about the familial relationships, Rex is dealing with the death of his beloved grandmother and also has a beautiful relationship with his younger sister, while Jordan has such a fun dynamic with his grandmother. This book also features my favorite grand romantic gesture I've ever read, it was pitch perfect. This was short, corny in all the best ways and so incredibly heartfelt.
4.5 stars. Thank you to the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Pre-release thoughts: LOOK AT THIS COVER!!!!! SMALL TOWN MLM ROMANCE!!!! BOOK CLUBS!!!! IDK BUT IT SOUNDS GREAT AHHHHHHH
In this story we follow Jordan Collins, a young romantic with a passion for romance novels and a book club he's struggling to keep afloat. Along comes Rex, a bookseller who doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut, who teases Jordan for his reading tastes. Rex decides to not judge a book by it's cover and joins Jordan's Meet Cute Club to get closer to his bookstore's cutest patron and learn what romance is all about.
THIS WAS SO ADORABLE!!! It gave me all of the feelings and left me swooning left and right. I think if you enjoyed the bromance book club you will enjoy this, it has that wonderfully meta love for, and discussion of, the romance genre that I really appreciated in the bromance book club. I truly could not stop smiling while reading . Jordan and Rex just had such wonderful, realistic chemistry and their bond felt so incredibly sweet. They just had such a healthy, stress free dynamic and I couldn't help but stan. I laughed all throughout this book and it was such a joy to read.
The romance was amazing but so were the subplots about the familial relationships, Rex is dealing with the death of his beloved grandmother and also has a beautiful relationship with his younger sister, while Jordan has such a fun dynamic with his grandmother. This book also features my favorite grand romantic gesture I've ever read, it was pitch perfect. This was short, corny in all the best ways and so incredibly heartfelt.
4.5 stars. Thank you to the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Pre-release thoughts: LOOK AT THIS COVER!!!!! SMALL TOWN MLM ROMANCE!!!! BOOK CLUBS!!!! IDK BUT IT SOUNDS GREAT AHHHHHHH
July 20, 2020
I enjoyed this book and found it to be cute, fluffy and a nice comfort read. I loved the whole plot line about the bookclub and I could definitely relate to Jordan’s love for reading. My only issues were I found it to be a bit too cheesy at times for me and I wish the relationship had of been developed more. If the book was maybe a little longer, the relationship could have played out better and been more solid for me.
I read this in a reading vlog on my YouTube channel and you can check out the video here, to hear more of my thoughts: https://youtu.be/_QhBPp1DD88
I read this in a reading vlog on my YouTube channel and you can check out the video here, to hear more of my thoughts: https://youtu.be/_QhBPp1DD88
Shelved as 'dnf'
September 15, 2020This didn’t end up being as cute as I hoped it was going to be. Could not connect to the writing.
DNF at 50%.
DNF at 50%.
June 18, 2020
This enemies-to-lovers romance between a romance-addict and a cynic is SUPER CUTE, a la early-2000s TV & film romcoms. I love books about books, so reading a hero like Jordan, who's so devoted to romance and runs a book club, already ticked a ton of my boxes.
Then there's Rex, the arsehole bookseller who essentially prods Jordan because he has a crush. If you like the whole tormentative bad boy with a heart of gold trope, you will fall head over heels for these two just like I did. (Sidenote: autocorrect claims tormentative is not a word, but tell that to my grandma.)
Speaking of grandmas, I was thrilled when these heroes bonded over their love of the strong women in their life. Rex's grief arc after the loss of his grandmother really hit me in the feels, and I loved Jordan's friendship with his grandma.
There was just so much to get soft and fuzzy for in this book. So. Much. It was wonderful!
Then there's Rex, the arsehole bookseller who essentially prods Jordan because he has a crush. If you like the whole tormentative bad boy with a heart of gold trope, you will fall head over heels for these two just like I did. (Sidenote: autocorrect claims tormentative is not a word, but tell that to my grandma.)
Speaking of grandmas, I was thrilled when these heroes bonded over their love of the strong women in their life. Rex's grief arc after the loss of his grandmother really hit me in the feels, and I loved Jordan's friendship with his grandma.
There was just so much to get soft and fuzzy for in this book. So. Much. It was wonderful!
Read
July 1, 2020DNF at 23%. I found the POV switches to be confusing and I just wasn't getting into it. Life is too short right now to be reading books that don't grab me.
August 8, 2020
whaa?? did i enjoy a romance?? yes ... yes i think i did!
April 22, 2021
Such a cute and fun story! I love a book about bookworms and book clubs and this just left me feeling all warm and fuzzy. Their date to the library!?! Absolutely adorable. I will say, I kept on hearing this was a hate to love romance, but the hate did not last long at all. It turned into Rex hanging out around Jordan more and trying out romance to spend more time with him. It was so cute and I flew through this romance. I am such a fan of Jack Harbon after reading this and His Beauty, and I cannot wait to read more of his work!
May 15, 2020
I wanted to love this, I mean check out that cover, it is so aesthetically pleasing to my superficial af illustrative cover-loving self 😍 (yes I judge romcoms by their covers...plz don't judge me tho 😅)
This was set up to be a successful read, a book club setting & opposites-attract is right up there alongside enemies-to-lovers as a trope I'm here for. But it sadly ever so slightly missed the mark for me this time 😕
The pacing was off, yes this is a shorter book clocking in under 200pgs and the author ambitiously tackles different topics with familial subplots but it just left the MC interactions feeling rushed & forced. There is no real time for them to oppose one another but I cannot say they don't attract 😉 I will give them kudos for adorkable bookish interactions & that library date was #bookwormswoon
Maybe I need a bit more of a slow burn read...but not too slow either bring on steam & angst! #fussy
There was also an awkward jumping back and forth between the MCs PoV within the same chapter which I found kind of jarring & disjointed. I do love dual perspective reads but this would jump PoV from one paragraph to the next and that was rather disorienting. Although I did notice it a little less towards the end of the book...but it was deffo hella annoying at the start.
Now for the things I did like, as always the side characters! These were fun additions especially Amy, Sherleen, Omar & the book club members. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the MCs, they too had entertainingly snarky interactions and I deffo had a lot of fun with many of this authors word choices and turns of phrase. Either I've a dirty mind (highly likely) or he sneakily slid in some seriously tongue in cheek phrasing which had me rereading & questioning whether I was reading more than what was on the page ( legit made me lol) but by the time I got to the petrol station names I was pretty sure I wasn't imagining things and I greatly admired the way he snuck many "double entendres" into the text for other questionably minded souls like myself 😅
Between this book & Changing Lanes, methinks I need to frequent more small town bookstores to happen upon a sexy tattooed bearded hottie *whistles*
This was deff a fast fluffy read & I'm all for supporting moar diversity in books with awesome covers 😎 I am also curious as to who might be the MC(s) in future books...my money is on Amy or Lana with preference for the latter. No offence at all to Amy, she's adorbs but Lana seems delightfully eccentric & cooky 🤗
This was set up to be a successful read, a book club setting & opposites-attract is right up there alongside enemies-to-lovers as a trope I'm here for. But it sadly ever so slightly missed the mark for me this time 😕
The pacing was off, yes this is a shorter book clocking in under 200pgs and the author ambitiously tackles different topics with familial subplots but it just left the MC interactions feeling rushed & forced. There is no real time for them to oppose one another but I cannot say they don't attract 😉 I will give them kudos for adorkable bookish interactions & that library date was #bookwormswoon
Maybe I need a bit more of a slow burn read...but not too slow either bring on steam & angst! #fussy
There was also an awkward jumping back and forth between the MCs PoV within the same chapter which I found kind of jarring & disjointed. I do love dual perspective reads but this would jump PoV from one paragraph to the next and that was rather disorienting. Although I did notice it a little less towards the end of the book...but it was deffo hella annoying at the start.
Now for the things I did like, as always the side characters! These were fun additions especially Amy, Sherleen, Omar & the book club members. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the MCs, they too had entertainingly snarky interactions and I deffo had a lot of fun with many of this authors word choices and turns of phrase. Either I've a dirty mind (highly likely) or he sneakily slid in some seriously tongue in cheek phrasing which had me rereading & questioning whether I was reading more than what was on the page ( legit made me lol) but by the time I got to the petrol station names I was pretty sure I wasn't imagining things and I greatly admired the way he snuck many "double entendres" into the text for other questionably minded souls like myself 😅
Between this book & Changing Lanes, methinks I need to frequent more small town bookstores to happen upon a sexy tattooed bearded hottie *whistles*
This was deff a fast fluffy read & I'm all for supporting moar diversity in books with awesome covers 😎 I am also curious as to who might be the MC(s) in future books...my money is on Amy or Lana with preference for the latter. No offence at all to Amy, she's adorbs but Lana seems delightfully eccentric & cooky 🤗
December 22, 2020
Have you ever read a book which you wanted to DNF a book after reading the first line?
Yes, this is that ultimate one for me.
Never have I ever gave up on a book so fast!
Why did the book have to start like that?
The premise sounds so cute and warm.
Guess it's just not about the cringy first sentence. I read a few more pages and yes, the book starts with an intimate scene. And it's not the characters who you want to be.
And I don't think the writing style is for me. And the characters seem a little too clichè. The dialogues were really cringy. I don't know about the rest of the book. But that first few pages gave me the 'erotica-gone-cringy-wrong' thing.
I can bear cringy characters but I just cannot bear predictable writing that makes adult characters act like middle grades.
Sad that I couldn't just have more patience to try out this one as it's about books and queer romance!
I wish I really could read the first few chapters without getting annoyed.
No. I am so running far away from this one.
Yes, this is that ultimate one for me.
Never have I ever gave up on a book so fast!
Why did the book have to start like that?
The premise sounds so cute and warm.
Guess it's just not about the cringy first sentence. I read a few more pages and yes, the book starts with an intimate scene. And it's not the characters who you want to be.
And I don't think the writing style is for me. And the characters seem a little too clichè. The dialogues were really cringy. I don't know about the rest of the book. But that first few pages gave me the 'erotica-gone-cringy-wrong' thing.
I can bear cringy characters but I just cannot bear predictable writing that makes adult characters act like middle grades.
Sad that I couldn't just have more patience to try out this one as it's about books and queer romance!
I wish I really could read the first few chapters without getting annoyed.
No. I am so running far away from this one.
April 12, 2020
4.5 Stars
Meet Cute Club could be a template for everything that I want in Contemporary Romance: Extremely swoony, but real and believable - With the representation the genre so badly needs and written with wittiness and care.
Jordan is in love with his romance novels, especially the ones by his favorite author Patricia Hayes. This passion started with his grandma, the queen of romance book clubs in his eyes, and now he has taken it upon himself to keep the tradition going. He started the Meet Cute Club and makes sure that everything in all meetings is picture-perfect - from scented candles, fluffy pillows and homemade cupcakes. But somehow, he keeps losing members, and if he doesn't figure out how to engage new people, the club will be dead soon enough.
Rex just wanted a temporary job close to his temporary home. He lost his grandma a few months back and is now responsible for clearing out her house - something that his father should clearly do, but they have a complicated relationship. Rex is used from bouncing from place to place, but he didn't think that working at the local bookshop he would meet a type A incredibly infuriating yet absurdly cute guy buying a stack of romance books.
I loved Jordan and Rex's dynamic. Their romance was so real, I felt like I was listening to the story of how two friends met. Yet, their chemistry was great and adorable. This book is swoony AF and I just couldn't put it down.
So, let's do a recap. Meet Cute Club:
📚 Is meta
📚 Shows so much love for grandmas I immediately called mine after reading it.
📚 Portrays a healthy and believable relationship.
📚Will make you swoon, cry, and laugh in just a few hours like a crazy, happy, weirdo.
ALSO, this book has probably my favorite Grand Gesture scene of ALL TIME. Honestly, if somebody did that for me IRL I would transform into a magical unicorn and disappear into the universe having achieved the ultimate status of happiness.
So, why did I give this 4.5 Stars? Because I just needed more tension at the beginning between Jordan and Rex. This isn't an enemies-to-lovers, more of an opposites-attract, and that's ok - BUT from the meet-cute to a sorta relationship things happen too quickly and smoothly. I wanted more push and pull from both in the beginning so that their relationship could be more high stakes. And I say that because their banter was on point and I just wanted more of it.
This book was on my radar for a while, but it's my first from Jack Harbon - I will definitely keep an eye on his future projects and will certainly have a look into his backlist.
Update: just realized that this is a series and I'm thriving 🥳😍
This was an ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Meet Cute Club could be a template for everything that I want in Contemporary Romance: Extremely swoony, but real and believable - With the representation the genre so badly needs and written with wittiness and care.
Jordan is in love with his romance novels, especially the ones by his favorite author Patricia Hayes. This passion started with his grandma, the queen of romance book clubs in his eyes, and now he has taken it upon himself to keep the tradition going. He started the Meet Cute Club and makes sure that everything in all meetings is picture-perfect - from scented candles, fluffy pillows and homemade cupcakes. But somehow, he keeps losing members, and if he doesn't figure out how to engage new people, the club will be dead soon enough.
Rex just wanted a temporary job close to his temporary home. He lost his grandma a few months back and is now responsible for clearing out her house - something that his father should clearly do, but they have a complicated relationship. Rex is used from bouncing from place to place, but he didn't think that working at the local bookshop he would meet a type A incredibly infuriating yet absurdly cute guy buying a stack of romance books.
I loved Jordan and Rex's dynamic. Their romance was so real, I felt like I was listening to the story of how two friends met. Yet, their chemistry was great and adorable. This book is swoony AF and I just couldn't put it down.
So, let's do a recap. Meet Cute Club:
📚 Is meta
📚 Shows so much love for grandmas I immediately called mine after reading it.
📚 Portrays a healthy and believable relationship.
📚Will make you swoon, cry, and laugh in just a few hours like a crazy, happy, weirdo.
ALSO, this book has probably my favorite Grand Gesture scene of ALL TIME. Honestly, if somebody did that for me IRL I would transform into a magical unicorn and disappear into the universe having achieved the ultimate status of happiness.
So, why did I give this 4.5 Stars? Because I just needed more tension at the beginning between Jordan and Rex. This isn't an enemies-to-lovers, more of an opposites-attract, and that's ok - BUT from the meet-cute to a sorta relationship things happen too quickly and smoothly. I wanted more push and pull from both in the beginning so that their relationship could be more high stakes. And I say that because their banter was on point and I just wanted more of it.
This book was on my radar for a while, but it's my first from Jack Harbon - I will definitely keep an eye on his future projects and will certainly have a look into his backlist.
Update: just realized that this is a series and I'm thriving 🥳😍
This was an ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 7, 2020No.
DNF @ 3%, with extreme prejudice.
This author and I are not meant to be, and he goes right onto my No list. If I want to read explicit m/f sex scenes, I'll... I'll... I know what! I'll read an m/f romance. Yeah, that's the ticket!
But I don't. Want that. And I sure as hell don't want it in the m/m romance I read. What a way to start off a book.
😡
DNF @ 3%, with extreme prejudice.
This author and I are not meant to be, and he goes right onto my No list. If I want to read explicit m/f sex scenes, I'll... I'll... I know what! I'll read an m/f romance. Yeah, that's the ticket!
But I don't. Want that. And I sure as hell don't want it in the m/m romance I read. What a way to start off a book.
😡
January 4, 2021
3.5 stars! Cute, cheesy, fun. This felt like a treat for romance readers.
May 19, 2020
DNF 35%. The characters were paper-thin. The writing was very juvenile in my opinion and there was just no depth/chemistry or real passion. I was disappointed because I have BINGING AWAY on chick-lit but this just really didn’t have any substance. 🤷🏻♀️
June 30, 2023
This was a sweet and relatively short story.
However, it was a bit disappointing.
In the book we follow Jordan and Rex.
Jordan has his own book club for romance readers, the meet cute club, and Rex works in a bookstore.
When Jordan wants to buy some books for his club, he meets Rex and is immediately impressed. Until Rex opens his mouth and is really kind of annoying.
The idea of the story is nice and for a large part it was certainly entertaining, but I still missed some depth here and there.
Both MC's had a backstory but it felt a little underdone so it didn't really interest me.
Add to that a *(spoiler)* break-up in the third act, with a recovery time of just a few pages… this just wasn't it.
Little annoyance of mine: when an author writes a book about readers and uses too many "reader terms." I don't know why, but I really don't like it.
However, it was a bit disappointing.
In the book we follow Jordan and Rex.
Jordan has his own book club for romance readers, the meet cute club, and Rex works in a bookstore.
When Jordan wants to buy some books for his club, he meets Rex and is immediately impressed. Until Rex opens his mouth and is really kind of annoying.
The idea of the story is nice and for a large part it was certainly entertaining, but I still missed some depth here and there.
Both MC's had a backstory but it felt a little underdone so it didn't really interest me.
Add to that a *(spoiler)*
Little annoyance of mine: when an author writes a book about readers and uses too many "reader terms." I don't know why, but I really don't like it.
May 13, 2020
3 Stars
The Meet Cute Club is an enemies-to-lovers romantic-comedy, following two men who make an unlikely but endearing match within the setting of a romance-themed book club.
Jordan Collins is a lover of romance novels. He’s shy and a bit introverted, and has a high-strung personality, liking everything to be just so. He spends his free time reading every romantic story he can get his hands on, and who can blame him—life is always better with books! (A sentiment we here on GR can probably all agree with).
Rhett ‘Rex’ Bailey is Jordan’s polar opposite when it comes down to personality and reading preferences. He’s cool and confident; he rides a motorcycle and lives life to his fullest. After returning to Sweet Rose, Oklahoma, to sort out his recently deceased Nan’s estate, Rex takes a job working at Jordan’s favourite bookstore, quickly meeting Jordan and sparking a keen interest in the tightly-strung romance lover.
Joining Jordan’s book club—the Meet Cute Club—Rex finds an excuse to spend more time with Jordan, finding joy in teasing him over all sorts of quirks and obsessions. Soon enough, the two men become friends and then lovers, but Rex never planned on being back in town for long, so planting roots and building something worthwhile with Jordan was never in the cards. But how can he pass up the chance to be a part of something that feels so right?
This story wasn’t quite the MM romantic comedy I hoped it would be. It was a solid read, no doubt—one worthy of three GR stars—but my expectations may have set me up for slight disappointment, if truth be told.
I was initially sucked in by the synopsis, being predisposed to enjoy romcoms, and being intrigued by the book club setting this story was promising. Unfortunately, the romcom themes played out a little too cliched and predictable to me, but I guess that’s often par of the course with this type of story.
I’ll admit, though, that my biggest issues revolved around the writing itself. I had a hard time with the POV changes, which I found to be quite jarring, and I felt the dialogue to be stilted in parts. There were also a handful of bloopers/inconsistencies that threw me out of the story—and I’m nothing if not a stickler for details so when one detail of a story doesn’t line up with something mentioned later on, it annoys me to no end.
Most disheartening is the fact that I never warmed to Rex. He came across as a bit too condescending, even mean at times, in his teasing of Jordan—and not in a fun, enemies-to-lovers, he’s more than he seems, kind of way, that I’d often enjoy in many other books of this nature. To me, Rex remained largely unlikeable for the majority of the book, and an unlikeable romantic lead, where I’m concerned, is a major mood killer when reading (or watching) a romcom.
On the favourable side, I loved the diversity of cast, particularly where Jordan and Rex’s non-contentious interracial relationship was concerned. I also appreciated that this was largely a feel-good story, with little in the way of angst and unnecessary drama—besides that typical romcom relationship snafu in the final quarter, which was to be expected following a formulaic romantic comedy narrative.
Overall, this wasn’t my biggest win this year in gay romance, but it was definitely memorable enough to make me consider trying more from this new-to-me author in the future.
The Meet Cute Club is an enemies-to-lovers romantic-comedy, following two men who make an unlikely but endearing match within the setting of a romance-themed book club.
Jordan Collins is a lover of romance novels. He’s shy and a bit introverted, and has a high-strung personality, liking everything to be just so. He spends his free time reading every romantic story he can get his hands on, and who can blame him—life is always better with books! (A sentiment we here on GR can probably all agree with).
Rhett ‘Rex’ Bailey is Jordan’s polar opposite when it comes down to personality and reading preferences. He’s cool and confident; he rides a motorcycle and lives life to his fullest. After returning to Sweet Rose, Oklahoma, to sort out his recently deceased Nan’s estate, Rex takes a job working at Jordan’s favourite bookstore, quickly meeting Jordan and sparking a keen interest in the tightly-strung romance lover.
Joining Jordan’s book club—the Meet Cute Club—Rex finds an excuse to spend more time with Jordan, finding joy in teasing him over all sorts of quirks and obsessions. Soon enough, the two men become friends and then lovers, but Rex never planned on being back in town for long, so planting roots and building something worthwhile with Jordan was never in the cards. But how can he pass up the chance to be a part of something that feels so right?
This story wasn’t quite the MM romantic comedy I hoped it would be. It was a solid read, no doubt—one worthy of three GR stars—but my expectations may have set me up for slight disappointment, if truth be told.
I was initially sucked in by the synopsis, being predisposed to enjoy romcoms, and being intrigued by the book club setting this story was promising. Unfortunately, the romcom themes played out a little too cliched and predictable to me, but I guess that’s often par of the course with this type of story.
I’ll admit, though, that my biggest issues revolved around the writing itself. I had a hard time with the POV changes, which I found to be quite jarring, and I felt the dialogue to be stilted in parts. There were also a handful of bloopers/inconsistencies that threw me out of the story—and I’m nothing if not a stickler for details so when one detail of a story doesn’t line up with something mentioned later on, it annoys me to no end.
Most disheartening is the fact that I never warmed to Rex. He came across as a bit too condescending, even mean at times, in his teasing of Jordan—and not in a fun, enemies-to-lovers, he’s more than he seems, kind of way, that I’d often enjoy in many other books of this nature. To me, Rex remained largely unlikeable for the majority of the book, and an unlikeable romantic lead, where I’m concerned, is a major mood killer when reading (or watching) a romcom.
On the favourable side, I loved the diversity of cast, particularly where Jordan and Rex’s non-contentious interracial relationship was concerned. I also appreciated that this was largely a feel-good story, with little in the way of angst and unnecessary drama—besides that typical romcom relationship snafu in the final quarter, which was to be expected following a formulaic romantic comedy narrative.
Overall, this wasn’t my biggest win this year in gay romance, but it was definitely memorable enough to make me consider trying more from this new-to-me author in the future.
May 28, 2020
2.75/5 Stars
This was a fun short book. I appreciated how it talked about romance books and how much Jordan, the main character, likes them and has a passion for them that he's ready to defend with all his heart.
The storyline was very fast paced and the thing I didn't really like was the fight they had, it was a bit abrupt for my taste. Also, I would have liked to see more interactions between Jordan and Rex, we are told they constantly exchange messages and I feel like that was an active part of their relationship and that it was essential to them growing close, but we saw none of them and that was a shame.
This was a fun short book. I appreciated how it talked about romance books and how much Jordan, the main character, likes them and has a passion for them that he's ready to defend with all his heart.
The storyline was very fast paced and the thing I didn't really like was the fight they had, it was a bit abrupt for my taste. Also, I would have liked to see more interactions between Jordan and Rex, we are told they constantly exchange messages and I feel like that was an active part of their relationship and that it was essential to them growing close, but we saw none of them and that was a shame.
June 29, 2020
[3.5 Stars]
This is a very cute story, like the title would suggest. I think it could have benefited from showing the two main characters hanging out more so that we got to see how strong their connection is, outside of the book club. But I found myself smiling while reading the ending anyway, so there's that.
This book is written in third person close, but it kept jumping back and forth between the two characters without any indication that it's happening. I wish there were something like extra spaces between paragraphs before it shifted.
Regardless, I had a great time reading this mm romance. I'm still shocked that it turns out that I like romance books. I guess in that way, I related to Rex in this!
This is a very cute story, like the title would suggest. I think it could have benefited from showing the two main characters hanging out more so that we got to see how strong their connection is, outside of the book club. But I found myself smiling while reading the ending anyway, so there's that.
This book is written in third person close, but it kept jumping back and forth between the two characters without any indication that it's happening. I wish there were something like extra spaces between paragraphs before it shifted.
Regardless, I had a great time reading this mm romance. I'm still shocked that it turns out that I like romance books. I guess in that way, I related to Rex in this!
January 4, 2022
this was okay? I was expecting something cuter and some more well-developed characters (same thing goes for the relationship). it just fell a bit flat for me. and the third act drama was generic and unnecessary.
Shelved as 'dnf'
July 31, 2020This felt like reading fanfiction of a fandom that I'm not a part of, I'm sorry :(
*cries* I didn't even read that much, but I just have to dnf
*cries* I didn't even read that much, but I just have to dnf
April 12, 2020
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Meet Cute Club is a funny, charming M/M opposites attract romance, plus meta love letter to the romance genre, a la The Bromance Book Club. It's a fun and often adorable love story, but also a refreshing offering that pushes back on traditional ideas of romance as a genre primarily written by white women for white women, including M/M romances. Meet Cute Club asserts that romance is and should be a genre for everyone, regardless of race, sexuality, or gender.
Jordan Collins is a nerdy, gay Black guy who runs a romance book club, loves reading romance, and is generally super adorable. While purchasing a stack of books for his club, a new (and attractive) bookstore employee named Rex teases him about reading "grandma" books and Jordan is not having it. After standing up for his beloved books, the last thing he wants is Rex walking into the next meeting of the Meet Cute Club, romance novel in hand.
Rex has tattoos, a motorcycle, and a complicated past, but is also kind of a secret softy. Sparks begin to fly, along with the banter. Also I was LIVING for the date Rex plans to the library where he reveals his secret guilty reading pleasure! Way too adorable. In general, this book was just funny and adorable, with references that romance readers will appreciate. It also gets a bit steamy and includes two more explicit sex scenes, but this is definitely a plot and character-focused story. Speaking of which, there are charming side characters, including Jordan's hilarious grandmother. I hope we get to read more in this small-town series! I received an advance copy of this book for review from the author. All opinions are my own.
Meet Cute Club is a funny, charming M/M opposites attract romance, plus meta love letter to the romance genre, a la The Bromance Book Club. It's a fun and often adorable love story, but also a refreshing offering that pushes back on traditional ideas of romance as a genre primarily written by white women for white women, including M/M romances. Meet Cute Club asserts that romance is and should be a genre for everyone, regardless of race, sexuality, or gender.
Jordan Collins is a nerdy, gay Black guy who runs a romance book club, loves reading romance, and is generally super adorable. While purchasing a stack of books for his club, a new (and attractive) bookstore employee named Rex teases him about reading "grandma" books and Jordan is not having it. After standing up for his beloved books, the last thing he wants is Rex walking into the next meeting of the Meet Cute Club, romance novel in hand.
Rex has tattoos, a motorcycle, and a complicated past, but is also kind of a secret softy. Sparks begin to fly, along with the banter. Also I was LIVING for the date Rex plans to the library where he reveals his secret guilty reading pleasure! Way too adorable. In general, this book was just funny and adorable, with references that romance readers will appreciate. It also gets a bit steamy and includes two more explicit sex scenes, but this is definitely a plot and character-focused story. Speaking of which, there are charming side characters, including Jordan's hilarious grandmother. I hope we get to read more in this small-town series! I received an advance copy of this book for review from the author. All opinions are my own.
February 6, 2023
Found this little gem in Scrib'd. Listened to the audiobook narrated by Brent Billings, who did a fabulous reading!
Jordan is losing members of his book club, which used to be his beloved grandma's, faster than he can pick new books for it. And escaping to his favorite safe space, his local bookstore, loses it's charm once he discovers the new employee, Rex, a hot smart-ass who makes fun of his taste in literature (which is, of course, romance!). But Rex is more complex than it seems, of course, and knows a thing or two himself about losing family. So imagine Jordan's surprise when Rex shows up to his next book club meeting, already having read the book...and he has some opinions to share!
This is a really cute story that I would comfortably label as a classic enemies to lovers romance *and* a grumpy sunshine romance. Both of these tropes are favorites of mine, so I was really pleased with how this one spins out. There's also a dash of miscommunication trope, which I don't always love, but really works here. There's just the right amount of spice here too, I think, and the erotica is really lovely writing.
It's a short book, and most of the pages are devoted to character development, so there's not a ton of room to grow the narrative. I'm of the opinion that good characters and character growth can carry a book like this, and such is the case here.
Rating: 📕📕📕📕 / 5 romance novels
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶 .5 / 5 chilies
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: February 3 2023
Read this if you like:
💑 MM romance
🌶 Spicy romance
📚 Bookish stories
🌦 Grumpy sunshine trope
❤️🩹 Enemies to lovers trope
Jordan is losing members of his book club, which used to be his beloved grandma's, faster than he can pick new books for it. And escaping to his favorite safe space, his local bookstore, loses it's charm once he discovers the new employee, Rex, a hot smart-ass who makes fun of his taste in literature (which is, of course, romance!). But Rex is more complex than it seems, of course, and knows a thing or two himself about losing family. So imagine Jordan's surprise when Rex shows up to his next book club meeting, already having read the book...and he has some opinions to share!
This is a really cute story that I would comfortably label as a classic enemies to lovers romance *and* a grumpy sunshine romance. Both of these tropes are favorites of mine, so I was really pleased with how this one spins out. There's also a dash of miscommunication trope, which I don't always love, but really works here. There's just the right amount of spice here too, I think, and the erotica is really lovely writing.
It's a short book, and most of the pages are devoted to character development, so there's not a ton of room to grow the narrative. I'm of the opinion that good characters and character growth can carry a book like this, and such is the case here.
Rating: 📕📕📕📕 / 5 romance novels
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶 .5 / 5 chilies
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: February 3 2023
Read this if you like:
💑 MM romance
🌶 Spicy romance
📚 Bookish stories
🌦 Grumpy sunshine trope
❤️🩹 Enemies to lovers trope
June 19, 2023
Este es un libro cortito, pero muy tierno.
Aquí tenemos la historia de Jordan y de Rex. Jordan es un chico que siempre se ha esforzado mucho por mantener vivo el club de lectura que tenía su abuela sobre libros de romance, pues él es súper fan de las sagas románticas. Y entre más loco sea el romance, mejor. Ama los dramas victorianos, de la regencia o incluso los de aliens azules, if you know what I mean. El problema es que los asistentes al club han ido disminuyendo a lo largo de los años y el se siente muy mal. A veces incluso él mismo les compra los libros a todos con tal de que asistan, pero ni así va bien la cosa.
Entonces un día conoce a uno de los dependientes de la librería, un chico llamado Rex que se burla de sus gusto por las novelas de romance. Sin embargo, Rex en el fondo está interesado en Jordan y sabe que está siendo un capullo, entonces, para redimirse, intenta ayudarle a Jordan con el club. Y así, trabajando juntos, se comienzan a enamorar.
Total, es una historia muy bonita e intensa entre los dos. Aunque cerca del final hay un punto de tensión grande para que no todo sea miel sobre hojuelas, pero como obviamente es un libro de romance, entonces todo acaba bien. Es una lectura ligera, con un poquito de spice y muy fácil de seguir. Se las recomiendo si quieren algo como para pasar el rato.
May 6, 2022
3.5
This was super cute small town romance but I needed a bit more. I think with it being a little longer, we could have gotten more about the characters and I could have felt more connected to them.
Jordan has a book club: Meet Cure Club where they read romance. Jordan meets Rex at the bookstore in town where Rex started working. I think it’s such a cute premise and Rex’s teasing of Jordan was precious. Also loved the addition of Jordan’s grandma, she was hilarious. I just felt it moved so quickly because it was short, I felt like there wasn’t time for tension to build or time for me to really know them and be invested in them and their relationship.
This was super cute small town romance but I needed a bit more. I think with it being a little longer, we could have gotten more about the characters and I could have felt more connected to them.
Jordan has a book club: Meet Cure Club where they read romance. Jordan meets Rex at the bookstore in town where Rex started working. I think it’s such a cute premise and Rex’s teasing of Jordan was precious. Also loved the addition of Jordan’s grandma, she was hilarious. I just felt it moved so quickly because it was short, I felt like there wasn’t time for tension to build or time for me to really know them and be invested in them and their relationship.
March 9, 2021
Meet Cute Club was entertaining, adorable, filled with banter, and honestly, brought me a lot of joy. I love reading about characters that change their mind about literature, and for Meet Cute Club, it was about romance. I think it really captured people's love for romance and I really enjoyed the aspects of the Meet Cute Club. Jordan and Rex had such cute banter but I do feel like I wish there was more banter from them. All in all, Meet Cute Club was adorable and a cute and fun read.
September 28, 2022
This did not make for a good reading experience. The only reason I'm not rating it one star is because there was nothing egregiously wrong with it, and because I didn't hate it. Not exactly a lot going for it if that's the best I have to say.
This had an extremely cute-sounding plot, but the book was the opposite of cute. I honestly think this might be the most poorly written self-published book I've ever read, and I've read a lot because of my Kindle Unlimited subscription. The characters had potential, but the dialogue was so flat and corny, and everything felt like it was trying too hard. The author either has never heard of the writing maxim 'show don't tell' or didn't realize it was something he wasn't doing.
One of my friends' reviews said this reads like a shitty first draft, and that is incredibly accurate, but I think I might go even further and say that I don't know if this manuscript could ever be whipped into proper shape by this author. The voice just isn't there. I had a couple of other books by him on my TBR but I've taken them off now. Not enough time to be wasting it on this kind of a read.
Also, one of the main characters, Rex, was completely unsexy and off-putting and I wanted the main character run away and never talk to him again.
This had an extremely cute-sounding plot, but the book was the opposite of cute. I honestly think this might be the most poorly written self-published book I've ever read, and I've read a lot because of my Kindle Unlimited subscription. The characters had potential, but the dialogue was so flat and corny, and everything felt like it was trying too hard. The author either has never heard of the writing maxim 'show don't tell' or didn't realize it was something he wasn't doing.
One of my friends' reviews said this reads like a shitty first draft, and that is incredibly accurate, but I think I might go even further and say that I don't know if this manuscript could ever be whipped into proper shape by this author. The voice just isn't there. I had a couple of other books by him on my TBR but I've taken them off now. Not enough time to be wasting it on this kind of a read.
Also, one of the main characters, Rex, was completely unsexy and off-putting and I wanted the main character run away and never talk to him again.
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