5 “Fred” “butterflies” “for the Win!” “Byron-whisperer” Kisses
Well...now what am I supposed to do with my life? I feel like I say that pretty consistently after I finish reading one of Penny Reid’s books and it never gets old. The newness of her leaving me with an almighty book hangover...where nothing else sounds even remotely interesting because I’m too busy basking in the awesomeness of what I just read. It’s such a horrible feeling #sarcasm I was, as usual, very intrigued and excited when it came to Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend. I stopped trying to predict what kind of brilliance Penny was going to unleash on me years ago, I just sit back and enjoy the experience and there was SO much to love about Winnie and Byron. Like to the point it took me almost 2 days to finally sit down and write this review because...I’m almost at a loss for what to say besides READ THE BOOK! They broke me in the most amazing way and I want everyone to experience them just the way they are. This is a totally different love story about two unique individuals and I loved every moment of their relationship.
Winnifred Gobaldi...oh my Winnie, my Chemistry Maven extraordinaire. So...where to begin with Winnie...she definitely will always hold a special place in my heart. I related to her in so many ways, which I wasn’t really expecting. She is very easy to love...I adored her brain and how smart she was. I loved her passion and drive for teaching and also trying to make kids (especially girls) excited about STEM...but she’s also just as passionate about makeup and fashion and “girly” things. I loved exploring her character and the little quirks that make her so special and unique. She had her own trials growing up that really shaped her as an adult and even though it wasn’t always easy at times, seeing her navigate it made it all worth it. She is truly a beautiful character from the inside out and I’m not the only one who sees and appreciates that.
“Don’t you think that would get boring?” The right side of his lip curled.
“Boring?”
“Being with someone who likes everything you like? Who never challenges you to think about things in a different way? Try something new?”
I couldn’t help it, I leveled him with a flat stare. “Says you—who by your own admission—doesn’t like people.”
“I like people.” He poked at his mushrooms, moving them around his plate.
I snorted. “Fictional people.”
“They’re still people.”
“People you control.”
Now the right side of his mouth curved, and he gave me back his eyes. “I like control.”
Byron Visser...tall, dark, brooding and brilliant. A man of few words and many grunts...it takes a hot minute to warm up to him. Like...at first I was drawn to him, but I didn’t like him. He’s hard to get a read on because he is so not like any other book boyfriend – but oddly enough, I did like that about him! I wanted to get to know and understand him...and once I did, there was no coming back. I was head over heels, and everything made sense...it’s so easy to forgive him of past behaviors once you realize he’s not really being a dick. Knowing and understanding Byron’s heart was quite possibly my most favorite thing about this book. He, by far and away, is what made this book so unique for me...he’s a fascinating character and I loved the chance to experience him first hand.
‘“Over time. It is possible to know a person by observing them.”
“And what do you know about me? Through these powers of observation but no interaction.” What made someone likable to Byron Visser?
“You are a thoughtful, wickedly intelligent, strong, brave, sweet, extremely funny woman with excellent taste in books, music, and art, and a determination to always do what is right and good, even when it’s difficult.”
“Oh.” Well.
“You’re also foolishly kindhearted.”
I felt my expression wilt.
“And make choices that benefit others at the expense of yourself.”
Now I held up a hand. “You can stop.”
“Over and over, you do this. It’s maddening, to be someone on the sidelines, watching this happen—”
“Thanks, like I said, you can stop.”
He lifted his glass toward me in a careless gesture. “I doubt I’m the only person who thinks of you this way.”
“What? As a pushover?”
“No. As extraordinary.”
I gasped—short and sharp and silent—my lashes fluttering, and then found I had to chase my breath. There he went again, saying something wonderful right after being irritating. At times, talking to him was like riding a roller coaster.’
Winnie and Byron are...sunshine meets grumpy...Miss. Life of the Party meets Mr. Anti-Social...they are opposites attract in so many ways and I l-o-v-e-d it to bits. I couldn’t get over how easily they sucked me in to their little bubble...because while they may be opposites attract, there is still so much there to build off of. So many feelings...SOOOOOOOOOO much angst - angst for days!!! And it was the best - I was angst’d to the point of tears and I LIVE for those moments! But watching their relationship evolve and bloom and blossom into this amazing little creature that was just as amazing as the two of them was all I could have dreamed of. Their relationship isn’t perfect...there is a lot of push and pull, so many different dynamics to take into consideration, but every part of it was special for me because it showed how much they cared. They put effort into being with each other and building a truly wonderful connection and I loved getting to be a part of that.
‘But right now, there were no boundaries. There was only us. Raw and exposed. Honest and selfish and greedy for every inch of each other, for every light and dark place, for every secret ambition. And I gave in to it, to us. I surrendered and allowed myself to want all of him, to trust that he’d let me know if I crossed a line.’
Penny Reid can do no wrong. I don’t care what she writes...I will read it, without thinking twice. I don’t need a cover, a blurb – tell me nothing but that she wrote it, hand me the book, and I will consume it as quickly as possible. Devoted, obsessed, addicted – I will wear all titles with pride because she has bewitched me with her writing. So therefore, it’s not my fault. :-) In all seriousness...I cannot even begin to put into words how much Winnie and Byron just completely absorbed me – I could do nothing but think about them and want to read. I loved how Penny pieced together their love story...it gave me all the feels I was looking for and yet gave me something so unique and original that I never could have dreamed of. It had so many different concepts while still using romance tropes that have been written before...it was the best combination of experiencing something for the first time while still feeling like I was at home (which sounds super weird but somehow makes sense in my whackadoodle brain!).
“What does it feel like?” The question was a rough, halting whisper and his features told me he was greedy for my answer.
I cupped his jaw again, enjoying the sensation of his perpetually stubbly cheek against my palm. “It feels like you snuck past my defenses when I wasn’t looking, Byron Visser. You were simply yourself and I had no choice but to love you. That’s what it feels like.”
The ending was...not what I was expecting...and that’s saying something because I went into the book without expectations but it’s impossible not to develop certain wants/needs as you go through the journey with the characters. I do know that I finished the last chapter and before I read the epilogue I had to stop (because life is stupid and annoying and gets in the way of reading #rude)...and I was left wanting more. Which is very unusual with a Penny book – I always love her endings. There was so much that had been done and it was great in so many ways but in one very specific way I was left wanting more. (Yes, I'm being intentionally vague as to not to spoil anything.) We kinda get it in the epilogue...and that helped/ish. I hate to be greedy...and I don’t like having expectations...but I kinda had them. It wasn’t a deal breaker...it didn’t ruin the book...I can see why it wasn’t completely included...but it woulda been nice. I think it has a lot to do with the dynamic of who Winnie and Byron are – it wasn’t all that they were, but it was kinda built up and that’s why I had that expectation to experience it. I still love them and loved every second of their story. I want everyone to experience Winnie and Byron and the angst and the love and just all of it - and I hope everyone loves them as much as I did!
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Popular Highlights in this book
“I’ve loved you for years. You are the stars in the sky, the start and the finish. I’ll die loving you, wanting you, and the torture of you is better than the bliss of anyone else.Highlighted by 1,045 Kindle readers- “No. You are extraordinary. You are exceptional. And watching, hearing you undervalue yourself is . . . difficult.”Highlighted by 712 Kindle readers
- Winnie was a reprieve, not an obsession. She wasn’t air, she was a cool breeze. She wasn’t sunshine, she was a rainbow. She wasn’t water, she was rain.Highlighted by 658 Kindle readers
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Reviews with images
Penny Reid at her very best
It’s a special kind of magic when an author turns a 90,000-word idea into a 150,000-word book and still leaves readers wanting more. I didn’t want this story to end.I have a soft spot for books and characters that help me understand the world just a bit better from someone else’s perspective — books that challenge or inform my own world view and encourage compassion and learning all while telling a love story truly unique to its characters. Ten Trends To Seduce Your Best Friend by Penny Reid falls firmly into this category.This grumpy/sunshine, slow burn novel is Reid at her very best. Byron and Winnie feel absolutely alive and vital. I was enthralled in their story. I didn’t want to put it down, but simultaneously wanted to take my time and savor it. This is one of those books that I wish I could read again for the first time.I loved the representation in this book. Byron is not your typical book boyfriend, and I’m so glad Reid included a few chapters from his perspective so readers could get inside of his head. Winnie is a wonderful, strong, capable heroine with struggles and insecurities of her own. I also love the focus on women in STEM careers and the way they educate and advocate for other women and girls. One theme I found particularly relevant and important is that there is no us vs. them, life doesn’t have to be either/or. People can be scientists and interested in fashion, mathematicians and enjoy makeup, smart and “girly.”Ten Trends to Seduce Your Best Friend is definitely a slow burn novel, but there is a spark between Byron and Winnie from their very first on-page encounter. Each of their interactions and challenges fan that flame and build delicious tension.Winnie and Byron are incredibly complex characters. Their complexities — quirks, flaws, passions, hopes, traumas, and struggles — make them characters with whom readers can identify. I hope we see bonus material or short stories featuring these two characters.
Top reviews from other countries
Raven
New favourite author
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 27, 2023
Raven
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 27, 2023
Winnie likes everyone... But Byron. But when a side job that would be perfect for Winnie comes up, Byron helps her and she realises that maybe under that grumpy exterior is a soft man who just needs acceptance and a big hug.
I loved the representation of sensory issues in this book❣️
I spent the majority of the book laughing, giddy or yelling to just talk.
Tropes:
🥀Sunshine/grumpy
🥀One bed
🥀He falls first
🥀Miscommunication (but in a good way)
Spice 🌶️🌶️
I've never read a Penny Reid book before, but she's now a favourite. Brilliant in every way!
5/5
🔥(One of many loved) Quote: "But right now, he was looking at me like I was a meal. And he was starving."
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