When your nemesis also happens to be your fiancé, happily ever after becomes a lot more complicated in this wickedly funny, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy debut.Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. … They never fight. They’re preparing for their lavish wedding that’s three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him.
Naomi wants out, but there’s a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.
But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they’re finally being themselves—and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.
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I absolute loved You Deserve Each Other. Sarah Hogle blew me away with her writing. This is one book I will be going back and reading again.
Naomi and Nicolas are engaged and things are just a little weird for them. Naomi feels like she’s missing something and doesn’t know about this whole engagement situation. Nicolas was such a mama’s boy, when she called he came running. Naomi get like she always came in second when she should be his number one priority.
Watching these two decide if they should make things work was such a fun journey. I laughed a lot and the banter between these characters.
I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more from this author.
You Deserve Each Other takes a different look at a relationship in tatters. Sometime since Nicholas and Naomi’s engagement there occurred a massive breakdown between them that’s kept them in a near-constant passive-aggressive mode with each other for the past months. On the surface the rift seems irreparable and all they do is sabotage things hoping that one of them will cave and call off the wedding. No one wants to be the first to accept defeat, especially when walking away means having to pay off all the cost of the wedding so far.
What could’ve caused things to get this bad? We gain that insight as the history of relationship is told backwards. Nicholas’ mother is a big antagonist here as the overbearing, manipulative, control freak who wants to monopolize her son’s time. She always manages subtle jabs at Naomi for not being good enough for her him and Naomi has never felt her fiancé defend her in these situations. Nicholas just continues to be a mama’s boy. Then there’s also their differing views on success and ambition. He is doing well at a dental practice and she’s happy working at a souvenir shop. The thing is, Naomi has never felt that urge to pursue a career that requires a degree or for her to be behind a desk. So right now it just feels like all they do is needle each other or one up the other. The story is told from Naomi’s perspective and with a good chunk of it from her head space, I was eager to know what was running through Nicholas’ mind. I did eventually get that once their usual snark and insults started dissipating and was replaced by actual dialog.
I’ll be honest, after reading the first chapter I was worried the hostile tone would be pervasive throughout the story. That was followed by Naomi scheming ways to get back at Nicholas, some of those schemes involving the most ridiculous of outcomes. All I kept thinking was how it could get that bad. There seemed to be no love lost between them and then I wondered what the point was. Hang in there, though because Nicholas does something so unlike him (that’s one of the things Naomi hates about him: his predictability) that it seems to shift things between them. Relearning things about each other and actually vocalizing their thoughts (who would’ve thunk it, right?) begin to make all the difference in the world.
This is essentially a smartly written, slow burn (and there is some burning involved), lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance, and I appreciated the author not using sex to magically fix everything. Rather that comes in much later when they’re finally reconnecting emotionally but it’s a scary step for both of them. The enmity that’s a huge part for most of the book might initially be off-putting because when we first meet Naomi and Nicholas they’re at their worst which makes them simply not likable – fact – and that can make it difficult to push through. What helped me was the snark and sarcasm because I’m a fan of that. I don’t necessarily think this is a lighthearted read but it does lighten up and there is reconciliation which is what makes it worth the read. You Deserve Each Other is a about rekindling a relationship and romancing in reverse. I was happy with the outcome and thought it suited Naomi and Nicholas perfectly.
~ Bel
This book had me hooked from the very first page. With memorable characters who learn to accept their faults, and the faults of each other, it’s impossible to put down. A book that celebrates very realistic people and relationships that has you smiling from page one.
The book is not good! The couple just keep fighting all the book, the girl is full of insecurities. Come on! If you are not happy: talk!
You Deserve Each Other tells the story of Naomi and Nicholas, the perfect couple that we meet on a first date in a prologue, only to fast forward a few years to them in their current unhappiness. Naomi makes it clear pretty quickly that she can’t stand her fiancée, and that she’s just waiting and hoping for him to leave her, before their dreaded wedding day arrives.
At first, you think Nicholas is just a pathetic excuse of a man with no clue his fiancée hates him, but it becomes clear there’s more to him than Naomi or the reader knows.
This book is by far one of the best I’ve read this year. There were plenty of moments I laughed out loud, and parts I read over just because they were so entertaining. I enjoy a good hate to love romance but to have one with an engaged couple was just brilliant.
I was warned before reading that a lot of this book takes place inside Naomi’s head, and that was a fair point. But it was so well done, I didn’t even mind all that much. Don’t miss this one!
At 85%, I was so in love with this book that I bought the paperback. I needed to be able to read it again and again and hug it. I adored this book.
Naomi and Nicholas are engaged and are happy on the outside, but broken as a couple. Naomi isn’t really sure how her life became this way, she used to be happy, but being beaten down by Nicholas’ family and the distance between them has taken a toll on their relationship. This book is told entirely in Naomi’s POV so at first glance, you side with her. As you read, it becomes clear that it takes two to make a good thing go wrong.
I initially wanted to read this because I absolutely love enemies to lovers and second chance romance. This book was both of those things combined, so it really isn’t a stretch that I would love it. I expected both of them to be doing crazy things to each other and to laugh a lot. I did laugh, I did smile and I also got teary eyed. Nicholas, I want to cuddle him. I love good guys and he was the epitome of a good guy, albeit a little slow on the uptake of communication. This man would go try anything to save his relationship and he pretty much did.
If you don’t read deep into books, you will love the lighthearted banter of this story. If you read for deeper meaning, you will find loads of it here. This is a beautiful story of two people that fought for love and won.
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle was a nice surprise. It was a fun and witty read. Naomi and Nicholas are set to have a wedding made of dreams. The wedding that is lavish and costly. She wants out, but whoever calls off the wedding will have to pay for all of it. She needs Nicholas to be the one to call it off, but what happens when she realizes he wants out too?
What follows is a story that had me laughing out loud because at the end of the day only two [people who care about each other could drive each other as nuts as these two did. They did everything they could to get the other to call off the wedding, but at the same time they began to see each other in a different light. Definitely a fun read and an author to keep an eye on.
Happy reading!
Quirky, unique for romance genre and fun. Held my attention. I wanted to discover this couples journey & see how it all turned out. And even though they did some nasty stuff to each other, I always liked and found them relatable. Would definitely like to read more from this author.
This book is what Romcoms are all about!!! Its witty, insightful and entertaining.
After reading the blurb, I was thinking him how is this going to work out. The writing was incredible. The story captures you from the very first scene all the to the ending.
Naomi and Nicholas made an interesting pair. The way they battled against each other, man was it funny. It’s a sweet love story that will stick with you.
Laugh-out-loud funny and a love story with incredible heart. I absolutely loved You Deserve Each Other.
You Deserve Each Other is an achingly sweet and laugh-out-loud funny story about how the road to happily ever after is rarely a straight, smooth ride. Anyone who has ever been in a relationship will recognize a part of themselves in this book. Packed with emotion, humor, and sexy tension, this book is a welcome punch straight in the feels.
I could not get enough of this fresh, insightful, and totally hilarious book! Sarah Hogle is a master of comedic dialogue and sexual tension; she had me rooting for Naomi and Nicholas from the very first page.
You deserve each other was an amazing surprise! It was great to read a love story about two people who had fallen out of love and find their way back to each other.
Naomi and Nicholas both had a lot to work through. She is sassy and decides she is done being complacent and quiet while he comes off as arrogant and unbothered. It is matter of miscommunication and once they begin to talk they become friends again and remember the reasons they fell in love in the first place.
It was crazy to read how two people could fall so far apart while living in the same home and seeing each other every day. It was a true depiction of what can happen in a relationship if you stop working and caring. The arguments were needed in order to truly figure out who the other person was and what is needed to make them tick and be happy.
Sarah Hogle does all this while including a ton of fun and laughable moments to keep us entertained throughout the way. It was truly one of the most romantic reads seeing a relationship worth fighting for.
I can’t believe this is Sarah Hogle’s debut novel. I will definitely be looking out for more of her work in the future. Only thing missing for me was an epilogue. I would have loved to read more about Naomi and Nicholas happily ever after.
This book is a sleeper agent! It quietly sat in my kindle, slowly creeping up on me in my TBR and when I picked it up, it ruthlessly held me hostage for the rest of the day. Hogle has penned a quick-paced, uproariously funny romantic comedy pitting fiances against each other in a game of chicken. Told solely in Naomi’s perspective, readers are treated to pranks and schemes all designed to frustrate the other into pulling the plug on their relationship.
Naomi, for all her lunacy and self-absorbed perspective, was relatable in the strangest way. It was baffling how she stayed in a relationship that clearly wasn’t fulfilling, and yet I have a friend who has done just that to avoid being wrong about their significant other. I can’t express how much I loved the lengths that Naomi would mess with Nicholas and his family. Nicholas was a charming troll if a bit full of himself. Starting the characters as horribly immature allowed for some fantastic, slow-burn character growth. By the end, I was rooting for the relationship.
Hogle’s making me rethink my hesitation on second chance romance. I howled with laughter and my heart-ached in those angsty moments of uncertainty. I will neither confirm nor deny tears. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read and review this gem of a debut novel! I am excited to see what she come up with next. I definitely recommend this to fans of Christina Lauren, R.S. Grey, and Tessa Bailey!
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
So when I read the blurb I was excited but as I started reading that changed really quickly. In the beginning you can’t stand both of the main characters, they were so childish and you said to yourself how could this be categorized as a romance book, I mean here are two people who are engaged to be married and yet they can’t stand each other, so instead of talking like adults decide its better to prank or do whatever for the other person to break things off, and yes there is a reason for that. I started to actually hpe they would just end things, but since I said I would read it and despite it was breaking my heart swiping to the next page, after a 100 pages of too much (honestly) too much crap things between them started to get better. So I do have to say that the title You deserve each other is very true. Got better after as I mentioned the first 100 or so pages. would I continue to read this author, probably not.
rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions.
There’s a fine line between love and hate, and this couple dance all over it in You Deserve Each Other.
To be honest, my feelings about this book waffled a lot for about the first 60% or so, and there are a couple of reasons for that. First, the book is longer than I felt necessary, and some things are completely over the top – things that didn’t really add anything to the story in my opinion. Then, we have the characters. Naomi and Nicholas are developed, but then they really needed to be since they’re the main players in this crazy game. But – oh yes, there is definitely a but – the secondary characters are superficial to the point of being caricature-like. I’m going to assume that some of that was intentional, especially when it comes to Nicholas’ parents, but like some scenes, they were over the top.
Now, I realize that all of that sounds like I didn’t care for the book, but honestly, I ended up liking it much more than I thought I would. A lot of this one is not only witty but downright hilarious. And, even with all the antics, there is a lot of emotion. The story is about falling in love again. It’s a completely crazy, sometimes absurd, silly love/hate story about where the relationship goes when we stop communicating and forget to be half of something bigger. So, yes, the emotion is there. It may be hard to see through the silly, but it is there.
In the end, this one may have been completely over the top at times – Okay, it may have been completely over the top a lot, but darned if it didn’t pull out the feels. And as an added bonus, there is plenty of wit and sarcasm, which is always welcome. As a debut novel, this one is certainly a recommended read, and Sarah Hogle is definitely one to watch.
Wow this book was fantastic! I’ve never read a book like this. This book had me giggling and actually wheezing from laughing so hard! Mrs Rose is the mother of all horrible mother in laws. I wish the book didn’t end where it did. I wanted to read more. The secondary characters were great. I loved the taming of the shrew vibes this book gave me. I loved that each gave as good as they got. This is my first book by this author. Hopefully I’ll read many more. I absolutely loved this story. I highly recommend it.
A Pretty good start by new to me (and I believe new to publishing) author Sarah Hogle delighted me, angered me and gave me what I was looking for in this messed up War of the Roses (pun intended). What happens when what you wished for so fervently comes out different than you expected. Naomi fell for Nicholas on their second date and though he was everything she was looking for. Fast forward in time and suddenly she finds herself not quite as enthralled when real life settles in. She embarks on a quest to get out of the relationship…but she’s not the only one. What starts out as funny for me turned into the eye roll…I wanted these two to finally grow up…I didn’t give up though…I hoped for a payoff and I got it. Again…not all is as it seems and sometimes, you need to give up, give in to get exactly what you wanted in the first place.
This was such a joy to read. I admit I wasn’t too sure how I would feel about it. I’m usually a sucker for the meet-cute, so to be tossed into a story about a couple almost 2 years into their relationship, didn’t quite ring my bell. Or so I thought. There were times where I was absolutely furious with Naomi and times when I wanted to strangle Nicholas. Then there were times when I couldn’t stop from laughing out loud.
Not a book I thought I would have in my repertoire but I was wrong! 5 stars!!
Words cannot express how FANTASTIC this book is. I read a lot – and I mean a LOT – of romance novels, and I’m having difficulty thinking of a book I enjoyed more than this one. If this is the author’s debut novel, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. The writing style is absolutely unique and dynamic, flowing easily and drawing you into the story. It took me a little bit to get in the right headspace for it, but once I got deeper into Nicholas and Naomi’s story, I could not put it down. This is like The Hating Game on steroids, with a couple who have lost sight of what they once loved about each other, with so much humor that I found myself bursting out in shocked laughter more than once.
The story follows Naomi, a woman whose engagement marked the beginning of the end for her relationship. Nicholas and Naomi both shared the best sides of themselves while they were dating, and it wasn’t until they moved in together immediately following their engagement that things started to shift. You can’t be your best self 24/7, and when you add in the stress of planning a wedding and a completely overbearing future mother-in-law, things can spiral out of control quickly. Now Naomi has to force her smiles and go over the list of why she should love her fiancé just to get through the day. When Nicholas shows signs of being unhappy too, Naomi realizes they might just be playing chicken to see who will get the other to break first and call the whole thing off.
Told completely from Naomi’s perspective, this definitely takes the reader through a rollercoaster of emotions. When you see a relationship through one person’s eyes – and that person hasn’t been happy in a long time – you can’t be 100% sure that you’re getting the whole picture. It certainly made things interesting, and made me wonder more than once if I was getting things right. Both Naomi and Nicholas have some unflattering moments, but underneath it all is undeniable love. While the first half leans into the comedy, with some truly hilarious moments, the second half is all about the love. Things get deep and so profound that it had me thinking about my own relationship. It’s not until later in the book that we see how perfect these two really are for each other, and it is quite a ride getting there. A big thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I am voluntarily leaving a review of this hysterical and heartwarming book.