I think my reading mood is on fire. I managed to read another Christina Lauren's book in one sitting today all thanks to Kindle's awesome book deals: My Favorite Half-Night Stand. It's a rom-com about a close-knit group of friends consisting of one woman and four men: Millie, Reid, Ed, Chris, and Alex. What brings them together for two years is the fact that they are professors at UC Santa Barbara, but whereas Millie teaches criminology, the guys are more about science.
So the conflict starts when Millie and Reid decide to hook up one night. Assuming that it would be better if their relationship remains strictly platonic, the two agree that they will keep the half-night stand a secret from the gang. What's not so secret is the question about who to bring to a black-tie gala the university holds. Currently not dating anyone, they are determined to find a plus-one from a dating app called "In Real Life", also known as IRL. It all turns chaotic after that. Millie's second account under the name Catherine matches with Reid's. What started as an innocent attempt to prank Reid soon turns into a serious pen-pal-ship over time. Reid, not knowing it is Millie all along, starts to become comfortable with Cat's openness and vulnerability, while also sensing something growing between him and Millie in real life.
If I wasn't really sure about this before, I am now: Christina Lauren's books are hit-or-miss for me; that's why after The Unhoneymooners, I became a bit hesitant about picking up her other works (did enjoy it but was not totally in love with it). It's only after I picked up Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating that I started to rethink the earlier decision to stall. This newly-found faith was what made me search for another Christina Lauren's book on Kindle and got a good deal on My Favorite Half-Night Stand.
Let's just say that I quite enjoyed this book although it didn't really work for me. There was something about the story that just didn't resonate with me no matter how much I adore the best friends-to-lovers trope. I didn't laugh like I did when I was reading Hazel's witty remarks. I didn't swoon over Reid like I did when I was devouring Josh's point of view. I mean, I could sympathize with what Millie had to go through, I really could, but other than that, it's hard to care for either her or Reid in general. And unfortunately, it worked the same for the other guys too.
I think this book would be much better with more chemistry and more endearing quirks. All the characters, the main ones included, felt flat to the point that I didn't even think they were annoying among other things—I literally felt nothing. While the plot had so much potential, the way it was managed just didn't live up to it. The catfishing was not funny and obviously didn't help either, but I quite liked Millie's character development in the end.
In conclusion, please don't get me wrong: I didn't hate this book. As a matter of fact, I have stated earlier that I actually enjoyed My Favorite Half-Night Stand. It's just that I don't think I would be revisiting the story anytime soon. Later maybe, to see whether my opinion has changed for the better, but definitely not feeling the urge now.
Actual rating: 2.8★
