[ARC REVIEW] “Date Me Like You Mean It” By: R.S. Grey

R.S. Grey’s newest new adult novel, Date Me Like You Mean It, is out now! I was lucky enough to be provided with an ARC from Rachel, but you can read the book now for free in Kindle Unlimited!

Official Synopsis:

I’m good at hiding my feelings.
Having to pretend I’m not in love with my best friend?
Pfft. That’s child’s play.

Here’s how I do it: I avert my eyes when he walks out of his room, shirtless in all his toned glory. I squash the butterflies that fill my stomach every time he slowly unfurls a dimpled smile. And, most importantly, I keep an arsenal of “personal massagers” in my bedside drawer. Wink.

Not to brag, but Aiden Smith isn’t hard to resist if you’ve been doing it for as long as I have. In fact, we might have continued as best friends forever if not for the fact that I needed him to play the part of my fake boyfriend.

Date me like you mean it, I told him. Nudge nudge. C’mon, just go along with a little lie, help a girl out, and then we can all return to life as we know it.

Except he veered from the plan.

He crossed the line.

Flirting with me when no one else was around? Pinning me down and kissing me like that? Okay, how exactly is taking off my bra part of the ruse, Aiden?!
I’d ask him about it if I could, but well…things got ugly and we’re not best friends anymore.

In fact, we’re the exact opposite.

Now, I have to play nice even though I want to crush his heart in the palm of my hand.

Pretending not to love Aiden was the easy part.
Pretending not to hate him?
Well…I might need a little more practice.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Review:

Told in two POVs and divided into two parts, Date Me Like You Mean It is the newest rom-com by new adult superstar R.S. Grey.

The first part of the book follows Maddie’s POV, when her and Aiden are roommates. We get to see their “friend” dynamic, which comes to a head at a desert getaway for one of Maddie’s old friends’ bachelorette party. When Aiden gets an offer for his dream job, this causes a ton of tension between them, made even more complicated by both of them thinking that there are unrequited feelings from the other person.

The lack of communication was…frustrating. I don’t think it was fair of Maddie to cut off Aiden, especially when she told him it was fine to go to New York. They were both at fault for not telling each other how they felt, but it’s understandable why they got their lines crossed.

In part two, it seemed really childish of Maddie to do what she does at Christmas…which I won’t say anything more about in order to keep this review spoiler free!

Overall, this was a fun rom-com, & Grey has a great writing style that makes it easy to read. Plus, the title/font is SO cute!

***