Fiona Ng is an out-and-proud lesbian. However, when her best
friend Michael McElroy needs an arm candy to take home for Christmas so that
his family gets off his back about his love life, Fiona somehow finds herself
roped in as the ‘girlfriend’. Christmas at the McElroy’s is a family affair –
except that the family huge. There are the parents, at least two sets of twins,
a grandmother, two single sisters, some nieces and nephews and we are sure we’re
forgetting some more. Once there, Fiona finds an unexpected issue – she is
attracted to the wrong McElroy, Michael’s younger sister, Lizzie. Singleton Lizzie,
confusingly seems to return Fiona’s attraction.
This book’s premise is exactly the same as Erica Lee’s Anyone but Her including similar plot
points like:
- BFFs of opposite genders
- Big family shindig in the guy BFF’s near future
- Lesbian BFF becomes fake girlfriend for the duration of the family reunion to get family off the guy’s back
- Guy’s sister is closeted and family has no clue about said sister’s sexuality
- Attraction between sister and brother's fake girlfriend
- Sister vehemently defends brother's fake girlfriend during an early family interaction
- Guy BFF also has alternative sexuality (gay in Erica Lee’s book and possibly asexual in this one)
- Fake girlfriend-sister caught in a compromising position leading to the denouement which involves the whole family
Despite all the similarities, this is a hugely entertaining
book because it is brilliantly funny. Fiona and the almost gothic baby sister
of the family, Jessie are adorable. This is a romcom that aims to be more ‘com’
than ‘rom’ and succeeds. Interestingly, there is no real end or conclusion to
the romance between the two MCs. Also, the whole sex scene between them was
plain forced into the narrative. At the point it came, it was completely unnecessary
and didn’t flow in the timeline at all in addition to being very, very poorly
timed.
This is a good choice for something that gives you the
giggles.
PS: All the stars here for the hugely entertaining writing.
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