Pretending by Holly Bourne | AUDIO REVIEW

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April is kind, pretty and relatively normal—yet she can’t seem to get past date five. Every time she thinks she’s found someone to trust, they reveal themselves to be awful, leaving her heartbroken. And angry. Until she realizes that what men are really looking for is Gretel.

Gretel is perfect—beautiful but low maintenance, sweet but never clingy, sexy but not a slut. She’s your regular, everyday Manic-Pixie-Dream-Girl-Next-Door with no problems.

When April starts pretending to be Gretel, dating becomes much more fun—especially once she reels in the unsuspecting Joshua. Finally, April is the one in control, but can she control her own feelings? And as she and Joshua grow closer, how long will she be able to keep pretending?

Pretending by Holly Bourne | AUDIO REVIEW

BOOK REVIEW

MY THOUGHTS

This story was hard to put down.
Especially because of the compelling narrative and a fantastic narrator.

All the things I enjoyed about this book:

• compelling story
• flawed but fascinating heroine
• important topics
• well written
• overall a very unique book

I’m not going to lie, the story was heartbreaking, intense and even dark at times. There were a couple things that prevented the book from being an easy read. For example April’s job was fascinating and rewarding but also emotionally draining. All that, plus April’s own story made for a very emotional novel.

Throughout the book, I was fascinated by April’s inner monologues. They were almost rants, that ran the gamut of every emotion imaginably. The blurb describes her as a manic girl next door, and April fits the bill. It was compelling to hear her thoughts. And her anguish was palpable and real. Heartbreaking!

April was nothing like any other heroine I’ve ever read about. She had ugly thoughts about herself. Made mistakes. Doubted herself. And had insecurities. But most of all she felt real and authentic. It’s just the way she went about it that made things more awkward and complicated.

But there is no doubt that this book left a lasting impression. It’s hard to forget and even harder to put down. And it’s not surprising – it’s a compelling read!!!!

But I feel that going into this book expecting something fluffy is ill advised. This story is different. And much more emotional than what the blurb advertises. It’s actually quite thought provoking too. Also I’m a big fan of British humor, which allowed for some necessary balance. In the end, I’m really glad I read it. It will be one of the books this year that I’ll still remember at the end of the year. And I know that I won’t be able to say that about every book I read in 2021.

THREE STARS

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Pretending by Holly Bourne | AUDIO REVIEW