Christine Riccio

If I had to describe this book in five words they’d be: Anna and the French Kiss, because if you liked one, you’ll like the other. And if you had issues with one, you’ll likely have similar issues with the other. Unfortunately, I fall into the second camp with this one and I didn’t love the book as much as I had hoped. Again, But Better is a coming of age story about finding your path in unlikely places following reluctant pre-med student Shane as she is studying abroad in London to show more gain a “true college experience.” Regrets, romance, and drama ensues.

I do think I would have enjoyed this story a lot more if I read it 5-7 years ago (around the first time I read - and enjoyed- Anna and the French Kiss). But I just didn’t connect with it. You can totally hear Christine’s voice shining through - a good or a bad thing depending on your preference, I was fine with it. Though there are a TON of pop culture references that can be a little repetitive. But the more I read the story, the more Shane bugged me. At first, I was like “Hello fellow introvert, I will connect with you through shared perspectives”, but I really didn’t at all. She seemed was more awkward and filterless than introverted. And it was a lot to be in her loud and anxious personality for long periods of time - part of why this took me a month to read (unheard of for me). And her family was absolutely horrid! Especially her father, who came off as verbally abusive in the story.

But probably my biggest gripe with the story is Shane’s relationship with Pilot. They connect on the trip pretty quickly and Shane is definitely catching feelings (which Pilot seems to reciprocate)- but Pilot has a girlfriend. He’s shown to not be very serious about her, but they’re still in a relationship. Cheating (and emotional cheating) is one of my biggest pet peeves in books - it makes the characters unlikeable and taints any prospects of a relationship. And I really didn’t like how hung up Shane was about everything years later, I just didn’t buy it.

I’m going to be completely honest, I knew where the book was headed for the ending - and I wasn’t thrilled by it, so I skimmed the last 50 pages or so to make sure I was right (I was), so I could be finished with the story. It’s not a bad story by any means, it’s just not right for my personal taste. This wasn’t a quick read for me, but you could totally knock it out in a day, easy. I’m sure many people with love and connect with Shane, and be enamored by the first love giddy feelings, but it just wasn’t for me and that’s okay. show less

I struggled with what the rating would be for this book at first. I really loved Pilot's character in the book. He is what redeemed the book for me in a lot of ways. I loved Shane's character near the end where she decided she would pick herself and work on herself and her future. I admire that greatly. The only thing that bothered me was that some of it was a bit cringey to the point that it made me think the characters were in middle or high school instead of college. But I'm excited to show more see how Christine's writing will improve in the future. show less

After reading and loving Again, but Better by Christine Riccio I immediately wanted to read another one of her books. So, when I saw Better Together on The StoryGraph, it automatically went on my TBR. This book has been described as The Parent Trap meets Freaky Friday, and while that description is true, the overall story felt very superficial and lacked depth.

Jamie is an LA comedian trying to make it in the standup world. Siri is a professional ballerina living in New Jersey. When both show more their dreams are in peril, they end up going to a Rediscover Yourself retreat in Colorado. When Jamie shows up at the retreat and sees her sister, she is shocked. When Siri sees her imaginary friend from her childhood, she is terrified, and they both realize that their parents have some explaining to do. The sisters ultimately decide to switch places, but on their flights home they soon realize that they are reflecting the other’s image.

I so badly wanted to fall in love with this book, but it was honestly a chore to get through. First of all, the story drags out much longer than it needs to. It’s over 400 pages long, and that length felt entirely unnecessary. For more than half the book, it really feels like nothing happens.

Additionally, I found neither of the main characters likeable, and Jamie was actually annoyingly irritating. While both characters were going through emotional turmoil, they were so exasperating. It was extremely difficult to finish a book when I didn’t like any of the characters.

The entire book simply felt like the author was trying to mix the storylines of Freaky Friday and The Parent Trap, and although that sounds compelling, it was executed poorly. I was so ready to gush about this book, but overall it was simply disappointing. show less

"Here's the condensed version: I think we should switch places."

I have 2 confessions to make. First, I read this entirely for the cover - I love it so much and think it's so well done. Second, I didn't love this story at first and was starting to wonder if I would at all. At the 25 and 50% marks on my kindle, I was really wondering what I'd gotten myself in to. The story was a bit silly, the characters were not terribly likable, I was confused and just not enjoying it.

Then it happened - that show more moment where it all starts to click. The girls became a little more realistic because they were having to rise to challenges. Then, they had to start dealing with their own personal failures and struggles and anger and hurt. When they had the trip finally all in line, I was actually nervous about how this would all play out.

So if you start this and worry you won't like it, stick with it. It's worth it to. I really ended up enjoying this one.

An e-ARC was provided to me by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. show less