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The Meet-Cute Project
A teen girl who will do whatever it takes to find a date for her sister’s wedding.
Mia’s friends love rom-coms. Mia hates them. They're silly, contrived, and not at all realistic. Besides, there are more important things to worry about—like how to handle living with her bridezilla sister, Sam, who’s never appreciated Mia, and surviving junior year juggling every school club offered and acing all of her classes.
So when Mia is tasked with finding a date to her sister’s wedding, her options are practically nonexistent.
Mia’s friends, however, have an idea. It’s a little crazy, a little out there, and a lot inspired by the movies they love that Mia begrudgingly watches too.
Mia just needs a meet-cute.
Mia’s friends love rom-coms. Mia hates them. They're silly, contrived, and not at all realistic. Besides, there are more important things to worry about—like how to handle living with her bridezilla sister, Sam, who’s never appreciated Mia, and surviving junior year juggling every school club offered and acing all of her classes.
So when Mia is tasked with finding a date to her sister’s wedding, her options are practically nonexistent.
Mia’s friends, however, have an idea. It’s a little crazy, a little out there, and a lot inspired by the movies they love that Mia begrudgingly watches too.
Mia just needs a meet-cute.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 12, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
December 17, 2020
Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I swear to god if this got me into a slump I-
I haven't felt like this since A Deal with the Elf Kingaltho it hasn't even been that long but this was a struggle.😣😭
Mia Hubbard is just your regular junior dealing with the stress of high school, while also being a competitive swimmer and hating rom-coms & romance (in general) with a passion .
But when her older sister, Sam, orders Mia to find a date to her upcoming wedding . . . well, now Mia is on the hunt for someone to go with and what better way to find one then to do a meet-cute? (of course her friends thought of that)
So it starts. The many meet-cutes that are set up between Mia and some other random guys. And of course the ✨drama✨.
Honestly, this probably wasn't as bad as I make it sound and it was definitely a "me" thing, but I was very, very bored.😢 I usually enjoy contemporaries such as this, but I couldn't really care that much about Mia and the rest of the cast.
And again, the romance was meh. I didn't like the love interest, or more like . . . I didn't care at all about him. He didn't even appear that much compared to the other boys in the meet-cutes, which is funny bc you'd think Mia and him would have lots of encounters. Oh well.😕
Also, I did NOT see at all how this was a "To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets Save the Date" . I haven't read 'Save the Date', so I don't know about that but "To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before"??? Howww??? I don't see how this in any way shape or form was related to that. *confusion*
But I did love the diversity in this book! Definitely give this a try if you love rom-coms, a large cast of diverse characters, and the strong bond between family and friends.
(2.5⭐)
--------------
Pre-read Review:
Drama drama drama😏
I swear to god if this got me into a slump I-
I haven't felt like this since A Deal with the Elf King
Mia Hubbard is just your regular junior dealing with the stress of high school, while also being a competitive swimmer and hating rom-coms & romance (in general) with a passion .
But when her older sister, Sam, orders Mia to find a date to her upcoming wedding . . . well, now Mia is on the hunt for someone to go with and what better way to find one then to do a meet-cute? (of course her friends thought of that)
So it starts. The many meet-cutes that are set up between Mia and some other random guys. And of course the ✨drama✨.
Honestly, this probably wasn't as bad as I make it sound and it was definitely a "me" thing, but I was very, very bored.😢 I usually enjoy contemporaries such as this, but I couldn't really care that much about Mia and the rest of the cast.
And again, the romance was meh. I didn't like the love interest, or more like . . . I didn't care at all about him. He didn't even appear that much compared to the other boys in the meet-cutes, which is funny bc you'd think Mia and him would have lots of encounters. Oh well.😕
Also, I did NOT see at all how this was a "To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets Save the Date" . I haven't read 'Save the Date', so I don't know about that but "To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before"??? Howww??? I don't see how this in any way shape or form was related to that. *confusion*
But I did love the diversity in this book! Definitely give this a try if you love rom-coms, a large cast of diverse characters, and the strong bond between family and friends.
(2.5⭐)
--------------
Pre-read Review:
Drama drama drama😏
January 7, 2021
The Meet Cute Project follows the very relatable Mia who is tasked with finding a date for her sister's wedding. Her best friends come up with the idea of creating meet cutes in an attempt to find the perfect guy for her.
One of the things that was refreshing was that this felt like it was written for tweens and teens. And it wasn't trying to promote activism or current events. While those books are important we also need books about Black teens just being Black teens navigating high school. Mia is apart of her school's swim team, she has a close knit group of friends, and she's starting to think about what colleges she wants to apply to.
Mia has a much older sister named Sam who is being a bit of a bridezilla while planning her wedding. It was interesting seeing their relationship because of their age difference and being at two different points in their lives. Sam often takes it upon herself to be a parental figure to Mia because she believes their parents are slacking with her compared to when she was her age.
It starts off a little slow but picks up as we get further into the story. Mia has a close knit group of friends and they attempt to stage meet cutes at stores, parties, and even the dog park. I had a hard time picturing what her potential love interests looked like though because there was little description of what they looked like. But I appreciated that they weren't the cookie cutter YA love interests. No dark haired goofy bad boys in sight.
I liked that the ups and downs of friendships also played a big part in this book as Mia navigates close friendships as well as team friendships and branching outside of her bubble.
Overall this was a cute book with realistic friendships, family relationships, and first romance. Teens who like slow burn romance will enjoy this.
I want to thank Simon & Schuster for granting me an early copy of this book in exchange for review. I really wasn't sure what to expect from this one. It was compared to To All the Boys I've Loved Before but nothing about it from the tone to the storyline was reminiscent of that book. Which isn't a bad thing. We need more stories that don't feel like the buzzed about book of the moment.
Originally posted at
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
One of the things that was refreshing was that this felt like it was written for tweens and teens. And it wasn't trying to promote activism or current events. While those books are important we also need books about Black teens just being Black teens navigating high school. Mia is apart of her school's swim team, she has a close knit group of friends, and she's starting to think about what colleges she wants to apply to.
Mia has a much older sister named Sam who is being a bit of a bridezilla while planning her wedding. It was interesting seeing their relationship because of their age difference and being at two different points in their lives. Sam often takes it upon herself to be a parental figure to Mia because she believes their parents are slacking with her compared to when she was her age.
It starts off a little slow but picks up as we get further into the story. Mia has a close knit group of friends and they attempt to stage meet cutes at stores, parties, and even the dog park. I had a hard time picturing what her potential love interests looked like though because there was little description of what they looked like. But I appreciated that they weren't the cookie cutter YA love interests. No dark haired goofy bad boys in sight.
I liked that the ups and downs of friendships also played a big part in this book as Mia navigates close friendships as well as team friendships and branching outside of her bubble.
Overall this was a cute book with realistic friendships, family relationships, and first romance. Teens who like slow burn romance will enjoy this.
I want to thank Simon & Schuster for granting me an early copy of this book in exchange for review. I really wasn't sure what to expect from this one. It was compared to To All the Boys I've Loved Before but nothing about it from the tone to the storyline was reminiscent of that book. Which isn't a bad thing. We need more stories that don't feel like the buzzed about book of the moment.
Originally posted at
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
September 3, 2021
find the full review & others on my blog 🤍
Trigger warnings: Manipulative family member
The Meet-Cute Project was simply so refreshing. While I love so many rom-com tropes, I love it even more when the characters aren’t white. There’s something so powerful in seeing authors reinvent these tropes and genres. I loved how joyful The Meet-Cute Project was too; while a little stressful at times (okay, maybe I’m just impatient), it was a generally happy story.
The entire time I was reading this, I kept thinking about how it reminded me of She Loves Me. While some of this book was predictable, I didn’t find myself minding at all. In fact, the predictability was what made it good. I loved the call back to other rom-coms as well, and I’ll be sure to add the ones I haven’t already watched to my watch list.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast and fun read, especially one that is filled with only the kind of joy that rom-com movies can bring to you. A wonderful debut for Richardson, and I cannot wait to see what she writes next!
Trigger warnings: Manipulative family member
The Meet-Cute Project was simply so refreshing. While I love so many rom-com tropes, I love it even more when the characters aren’t white. There’s something so powerful in seeing authors reinvent these tropes and genres. I loved how joyful The Meet-Cute Project was too; while a little stressful at times (okay, maybe I’m just impatient), it was a generally happy story.
The entire time I was reading this, I kept thinking about how it reminded me of She Loves Me. While some of this book was predictable, I didn’t find myself minding at all. In fact, the predictability was what made it good. I loved the call back to other rom-coms as well, and I’ll be sure to add the ones I haven’t already watched to my watch list.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast and fun read, especially one that is filled with only the kind of joy that rom-com movies can bring to you. A wonderful debut for Richardson, and I cannot wait to see what she writes next!
January 11, 2021
Mia, a lover of math not rom-coms, is roped into a meet-cute experiment by her friends to help her find a date for her sisters upcoming wedding. The meet-cutes vary in success, but all have their own successful element and were hilarious to read about. I really did enjoy seeing Mia find more of herself on this journey and not just a boyfriend. Of course that's part of the story, but I feel like she understands herself and (most) of her relationships better at the end of the story and I appreciated that.
While this was cute, but I do feel like some scenes were missing. There was quite a few times where a twist happened, or some drama came to a head, and the next scene was post resolution and we got to see nothing. I was a little upset after the first time, but after like the fourth it was honestly a bit frustrating. Unfortunately, I didn't love Sam, Mia's older sister much either, which seriously pains me as sister relationships is something that always makes me want to pick up a book, but I found her incredibly selfish (beyond typical bridal syndrome) and unlikeable. Though they did have a few nice moments where I was cheering for them. I wasn't too hot on Mia's friends either, especially Grace. But I really don't feel like I know any of them well enough to pass judgement.
But it's hard not to enjoy a meet-cute centric romantic comedy, so I still had a great time reading this. This story try was just so much fun and easy to read. There are plenty of funny and awkward moments to keep you engaged, but some genuine heart there as well.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
While this was cute, but I do feel like some scenes were missing. There was quite a few times where a twist happened, or some drama came to a head, and the next scene was post resolution and we got to see nothing. I was a little upset after the first time, but after like the fourth it was honestly a bit frustrating. Unfortunately, I didn't love Sam, Mia's older sister much either, which seriously pains me as sister relationships is something that always makes me want to pick up a book, but I found her incredibly selfish (beyond typical bridal syndrome) and unlikeable. Though they did have a few nice moments where I was cheering for them. I wasn't too hot on Mia's friends either, especially Grace. But I really don't feel like I know any of them well enough to pass judgement.
But it's hard not to enjoy a meet-cute centric romantic comedy, so I still had a great time reading this. This story try was just so much fun and easy to read. There are plenty of funny and awkward moments to keep you engaged, but some genuine heart there as well.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
January 13, 2021
4/5 stars
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Mia has her hands full--it's her junior year of high school, she's in the math club, she's on the swim team, and she's an excellent student. Not to mention she's been helping her sister, Sam, prepare for her wedding. Sam is a little obsessed with making everything perfect and has been relying on Mia a lot. However, she catches Mia off-guard when she forces Mia to bring a date to the wedding. Looking for a date is the last thing Mia wants to do; she doesn't have much free time and her options are limited. Her friends decide Mia needs a meet-cute like in rom-coms. They take turns setting her up for these meet-cutes and all kinds of chaos ensues.
This was such a cute YA romance story! Mia was a relatable main character--overwhelmed high school student struggling to deal with life and find a date. As cute as this story was, there were also some deep moments. I really appreciated how this book wasn't one of those cheesy YA insta-love stories where the MC lives a perfect life. Mia's struggles and relationships with friends and family were realistic and really added to the story. Also, I loved the whole concept that love cannot be forced which Mia has to learn the hard way.
The ending was a bit lacking in my opinion. I wanted a bit more closure, but that's just me. In the end, this story was cute and fun, but it also had deep moments. I'd definitely recommend this book to fans of YA rom-coms!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Mia has her hands full--it's her junior year of high school, she's in the math club, she's on the swim team, and she's an excellent student. Not to mention she's been helping her sister, Sam, prepare for her wedding. Sam is a little obsessed with making everything perfect and has been relying on Mia a lot. However, she catches Mia off-guard when she forces Mia to bring a date to the wedding. Looking for a date is the last thing Mia wants to do; she doesn't have much free time and her options are limited. Her friends decide Mia needs a meet-cute like in rom-coms. They take turns setting her up for these meet-cutes and all kinds of chaos ensues.
This was such a cute YA romance story! Mia was a relatable main character--overwhelmed high school student struggling to deal with life and find a date. As cute as this story was, there were also some deep moments. I really appreciated how this book wasn't one of those cheesy YA insta-love stories where the MC lives a perfect life. Mia's struggles and relationships with friends and family were realistic and really added to the story. Also, I loved the whole concept that love cannot be forced which Mia has to learn the hard way.
The ending was a bit lacking in my opinion. I wanted a bit more closure, but that's just me. In the end, this story was cute and fun, but it also had deep moments. I'd definitely recommend this book to fans of YA rom-coms!
January 6, 2021
Ahhh this was adorable!! I really loved how supportive mias friends were, but also critical of her when she needed a little check in with reality (if that makes sense) this book had me guessing which boy she ends up with in the end and I am glad I picked the one I did because wow they are ADORABLE. I loved how all of the different storylines fell into place and how you got to see Mia figure out what she wanted. I also really liked the sibling relationship between mia and Sam. You saw them argue, and butt heads, but at the end of the day they truly love each other and that was what I loved. I found myself relating a lot to the two of them and I loved it. This book is an overall adorable YA romance with great main characters, side characters, and a great story.
January 27, 2021
This book was SUPER cute! I really enjoyed the family dynamics and the sibling relationship was different than what we typically get in a YA contemporary. This story is perfect for young readers who need some boost in their confidence, it was a great coming-of-age book. <3
August 24, 2021
3.5 stars. I found this to be an enjoyable easy going read with some cuteness in it. While I did enjoy it it didn't spark any strong emotions or attachments for the characters but it was a nice and quick read
January 18, 2021
3.5 stars
that was really adorable, we really need more of these fun light books, specially after the stressful times we've been through
So the story is about Mia, she is a swimmer and she get really good grades in her school, but the only thing she's lacking is a date to her sister's wedding .. so her friends try to help her by setting her up with eyes to meet them as a "meet-cute" the movies way and how will she find the right guy for her
the book was really fun and I liked that Mia's family is not broken or dysfunctional, they are just a normal family living an everyday life which is really refreshing .. the romance was nice but it could've been a bit better, I'm having high hopes for this author and I will put her in my radar for any other books she releases :)
that was really adorable, we really need more of these fun light books, specially after the stressful times we've been through
So the story is about Mia, she is a swimmer and she get really good grades in her school, but the only thing she's lacking is a date to her sister's wedding .. so her friends try to help her by setting her up with eyes to meet them as a "meet-cute" the movies way and how will she find the right guy for her
the book was really fun and I liked that Mia's family is not broken or dysfunctional, they are just a normal family living an everyday life which is really refreshing .. the romance was nice but it could've been a bit better, I'm having high hopes for this author and I will put her in my radar for any other books she releases :)
January 28, 2021
More like 2.8 stars. I wish I had liked this book more but it was extremely basic and underdeveloped. Read more like a first draft. And it didn’t quite feel like YA. Almost like something between YA and Middle Grade. It was so predictable that I really could have gone without finishing it and known exactly what was going to happen. The book was like 80% tell, 20% show. Like even the writing and dialogue itself was so plain and single layered. I wanted this to be better because the author is a a black woman around my age and I want to support the culture. It also supposedly takes place in Chicago but is written by someone from the Greater Cleveland area and as someone who has lived in both places I could tell the author was confusing the places. Overall I wish this had been better because the meet cute concept is such a cute concept that you can do so much with. To be honest I would hardly describe the scenarios presented as meet cites, but that’s for another day.
March 6, 2021
This is a great book that’s geared towards teen YA readers. The story has a fantastic and relatable narrator. The entire plot idea was clever and fun.
If you have a teen reader in your life who is looking for a unique twist on romance, they’ll enjoy this one.
*Disclaimer* I received an ARC from Simon and Schuster Canada. An honest review was provided.
If you have a teen reader in your life who is looking for a unique twist on romance, they’ll enjoy this one.
*Disclaimer* I received an ARC from Simon and Schuster Canada. An honest review was provided.
March 26, 2021
This was a cute read! Definitely not my favorite contemporary I’ve ever read, and the book kind of lost me in the middle and I found myself kind of rolling my eyes at Mia a lot through the whole middle part of the book, but the last hundred pages got me back on track a bit!
July 16, 2022
I didn't love it at first because the sister relationship was exhausting and the protagonist got embarrassed way too easily. but I loved that there were so many love interests to choose from, and the ending, although predictable, was perfect. I loved it. perfect summer rom com, and no spice.
January 18, 2021
"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬?"
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!
The Meet-Cute Project is a cute teen rom-com! It follows the story of Mia, who hates rom-coms, while her best friends love them. When her sister tells Mia needs to find a date for her wedding, her friends decide to set up meet-cutes to solve her problem. This is a coming of age story that covers teen romance, realistic friendships and familial relationships. It also features a diverse cast of characters, which is something I have not seen very often in YA rom-coms!
I thought this story was a really easy read to get through! It was your classic highschool romance but in a good way! Sometimes we all need a fluffy teen book to tide us over. This book did focus on romance as the main plot, but Mia's relationship with her family (specifically her sister) was an equally important subplot. This made the book much more interesting to me as I felt like I could really connect to many aspects of their sibling dynamic (I have a younger brother). I also liked the way the ups and downs of Mia's friendship with her best friends were explored, as it made the book feel much more realistic.
Some minor things I didn't love include; the slow pace of the beginning of the book, as I'm a sucker for fast-paced books. I also felt that there was an unnecessary amount of descriptions within the book, sometimes it felt like they were overtaking the main plot. Lastly, there were times that I felt like the main character, Mia, was a bit predictable and generic.
Other than that it was a pretty enjoyable read and I could definitely see myself rereading it when I need a good comfort book. If you enjoy a good romantic comedy then this book is for you!
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!
The Meet-Cute Project is a cute teen rom-com! It follows the story of Mia, who hates rom-coms, while her best friends love them. When her sister tells Mia needs to find a date for her wedding, her friends decide to set up meet-cutes to solve her problem. This is a coming of age story that covers teen romance, realistic friendships and familial relationships. It also features a diverse cast of characters, which is something I have not seen very often in YA rom-coms!
I thought this story was a really easy read to get through! It was your classic highschool romance but in a good way! Sometimes we all need a fluffy teen book to tide us over. This book did focus on romance as the main plot, but Mia's relationship with her family (specifically her sister) was an equally important subplot. This made the book much more interesting to me as I felt like I could really connect to many aspects of their sibling dynamic (I have a younger brother). I also liked the way the ups and downs of Mia's friendship with her best friends were explored, as it made the book feel much more realistic.
Some minor things I didn't love include; the slow pace of the beginning of the book, as I'm a sucker for fast-paced books. I also felt that there was an unnecessary amount of descriptions within the book, sometimes it felt like they were overtaking the main plot. Lastly, there were times that I felt like the main character, Mia, was a bit predictable and generic.
Other than that it was a pretty enjoyable read and I could definitely see myself rereading it when I need a good comfort book. If you enjoy a good romantic comedy then this book is for you!
February 1, 2021
2 stars.
oof. this was rough going. what should’ve been a cute romcom about meet-cutes ending being a confusing, boring slog. by the end i was skimming the pages just to be done with it. i think the biggest issue i had with this book was mia herself. it’s okay to have an unlikeable protagonist, but i don’t think that was the intention of the author? mia comes off pretentious, actually uses the phrase ‘not like other girls’ and constantly reminds the reader that she’s “unique” because she doesn’t listen to pop like her (oh so horrible) sister, sam. i hoped this would’ve been looked into and resolved by the end of the book, but in the end, mia just ends up with someone who encourages her manic pixie dream girl attitude. it’s exhausting.
also her sister, sam? i get she’s supposed to be a “bridezilla”, so many of her actions are straight-up childish. she talks about mia growing up, but fails to look in the mirror and realize she has a lot of issues she needs to work out herself. and that whole issue with her fiancé and the bachelor party? how insecure do you need to be to see one photo of your fiancé just looking at another girl and suddenly decide he’s cheating? what?! it was unnecessary drama and added nothing to the story.
also, the whole thing with mia’s love interest and the *plot twist* that... wasn’t really a plot twist at all (anyone with eyes could figure out his secret identity from a mile away) was ??? what was the point of that! plus, the love interest got less page time than the meet-cutes, which made it hard to root for him and mia at the end.
this comes off as super negative, but i feel like the reason i’m frustrated is because this has potential! this could’ve been great with more editing, but instead it comes off as half-written. it’s also a debut, so i have hopes this author can improve in the future.
oof. this was rough going. what should’ve been a cute romcom about meet-cutes ending being a confusing, boring slog. by the end i was skimming the pages just to be done with it. i think the biggest issue i had with this book was mia herself. it’s okay to have an unlikeable protagonist, but i don’t think that was the intention of the author? mia comes off pretentious, actually uses the phrase ‘not like other girls’ and constantly reminds the reader that she’s “unique” because she doesn’t listen to pop like her (oh so horrible) sister, sam. i hoped this would’ve been looked into and resolved by the end of the book, but in the end, mia just ends up with someone who encourages her manic pixie dream girl attitude. it’s exhausting.
also her sister, sam? i get she’s supposed to be a “bridezilla”, so many of her actions are straight-up childish. she talks about mia growing up, but fails to look in the mirror and realize she has a lot of issues she needs to work out herself. and that whole issue with her fiancé and the bachelor party? how insecure do you need to be to see one photo of your fiancé just looking at another girl and suddenly decide he’s cheating? what?! it was unnecessary drama and added nothing to the story.
also, the whole thing with mia’s love interest and the *plot twist* that... wasn’t really a plot twist at all (anyone with eyes could figure out his secret identity from a mile away) was ??? what was the point of that! plus, the love interest got less page time than the meet-cutes, which made it hard to root for him and mia at the end.
this comes off as super negative, but i feel like the reason i’m frustrated is because this has potential! this could’ve been great with more editing, but instead it comes off as half-written. it’s also a debut, so i have hopes this author can improve in the future.
July 21, 2021
DNF at about 40% in.
This book just isn't for me. Too much teen cliche everything. I can see it being a good movie, like The Duff or something similar, but as a book it misses the mark for me.
This book just isn't for me. Too much teen cliche everything. I can see it being a good movie, like The Duff or something similar, but as a book it misses the mark for me.
April 6, 2022
This book isn't completely irredeemable but it was close. I will say I regret the hours I spent agonizingly dragging myself through its nearly 400 pages (when the book, if it had any editor whatsoever, could have been 200 pages) and I would not recommend anyone read it. But it wasn't the worst book I've ever read, and I liked that there was Black representation which is far too unusual in the romance genre, so there's that.
Let's get into it.
The Cover
When I picked this up from the library's "blind date with a book" Valentine's display, I thought that it was nice they were highlighting books from years past. With the iPod logo men on the front and the garish geometric design, I was sure this book was from the 90s or early 2000s. But no - this was published in 2021. I'm not sure what they were going for with this. Perhaps a callback to the heyday of romcoms or a representation of the main character's palpable "not-like-the-other-girls" energy in ignoring all YA cover trends?
The Plot (which makes very little logical sense)
I want to make clear to everyone that the bridesmaid or groomsman you walk down the aisle with as part of a wedding is not your date. However, the entire plot of this book turns on this absurd assumption, since Mia, our protagonist, is told she has to find her own date to her sister's wedding (who would then be a part of the bridal party as a groomsman despite likely not knowing the bride or the groom) when the planned groomsman drops out. Because she thinks this is hopeless, her friends decide that they will set up "meet-cutes" for her, thus introducing the eponymous Meet-Cute Project. It's a cute idea even if it's set in motion for a silly reason, and as a lover of romcoms I was excited for references to some classics.
The only issue with this concept, however, is that planning a meet-cute is antithetical to the entire concept, which depends on an organic and surprising spark between our romantic leads.
The obvious real love interest is obvious, while at the same time seeming like the author forced them together. He gets far fewer pages than any of the other romantic possibilities, and their romance lacks chemistry or tension. As much as I hated Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster, I think that the author would benefit from watching that, because she would realize that basing a romance on basic shared interests is not at all compelling.
The Main Character
Mia is not like the other girls. She hates romcoms and would prefer to watch a documentary on Ted Bundy for movie night - and when her friends decide that none of them feels comfortable watching that, she takes away her knife, blood, and noose decorated sugar cookies because "If they don't want to watch the documentary, then they don't deserve the documentary-theme cookies."
This kind of selfish lashing out recurs throughout the book.
In general, Mia is a generic overachiever with a narcissistic streak. Her personality is mostly going to after school activities (Mathletes, swimming, gardening) and moping about how her family has changed so much and how her sister demands so many ridiculous things from her. Several other characters comment on how she's always worried about her own "problems" which would be solved if she bothered to be assertive, and never seems to care about what's going on in other people's lives.
Everyone Else
-Her sister, Sam: bridezilla, much older than our protagonist
-Her friends, Abby, Sloane, and Grace: all completely interchangable, except one is a lesbian and one has a boyfriend.
-Her parents: Dull
The Writing
First of all, this book was written in the first person present tense which is the WORST tense to write anything in.
It was pretty clear early on that this was a debut novel. All the hallmarks of amateur writing are present here:
* refusing to use "says" and instead using "shouts" "whispers" "challenge" etc.
* laundry lists of actions ("She rubs her lips together to try to spread out some of the tinted lip balm she just put on, before settling back down. When the light turns green, we pull out of the parking garage under Sam's apartment building downtown. Even though her apartment has a view of Lake Michigan, once we're on the ground, all we can see are buildings, pedestrians, and more buildings")
* random details to supposedly set the scene but that just inflate the word and page count (the most excruciating was this: "We pause when the waiter comes back. I notice that his name tag reads Marshall B., and I thank him before he walks away. He offers to get me another Coke, and I accept." When I read this I wondered if Marshall B. would be turn out to be someone important, or if she was suddenly going to have a meet-cute with him, but no, the author decided to interrupt the narrative with this completely pointless paragraph full of details about a character we will never see again. The book is full of asides like this)
* wacky pacing where time will pass really quickly and then slow down to a play by play and then speed up again
Overall, the book was very boring for the last 3/4 because of the issues above. It was slow, overstuffed with description and random details that elongated the pacing, and the characters weren't compelling enough to make it interesting. I wish that the editor of the book (if such a person does, in fact, exist) had taken it with a much stronger hand, because had they chopped out all of the unnecessary exposition, I think there are good ideas underneath about facing change within the nuclear family unit and the shifting relationships between family members as people grow older.
I can't bring myself to write any more about this book so I'll just leave it there.
Let's get into it.
The Cover
When I picked this up from the library's "blind date with a book" Valentine's display, I thought that it was nice they were highlighting books from years past. With the iPod logo men on the front and the garish geometric design, I was sure this book was from the 90s or early 2000s. But no - this was published in 2021. I'm not sure what they were going for with this. Perhaps a callback to the heyday of romcoms or a representation of the main character's palpable "not-like-the-other-girls" energy in ignoring all YA cover trends?
The Plot (which makes very little logical sense)
I want to make clear to everyone that the bridesmaid or groomsman you walk down the aisle with as part of a wedding is not your date. However, the entire plot of this book turns on this absurd assumption, since Mia, our protagonist, is told she has to find her own date to her sister's wedding (who would then be a part of the bridal party as a groomsman despite likely not knowing the bride or the groom) when the planned groomsman drops out. Because she thinks this is hopeless, her friends decide that they will set up "meet-cutes" for her, thus introducing the eponymous Meet-Cute Project. It's a cute idea even if it's set in motion for a silly reason, and as a lover of romcoms I was excited for references to some classics.
The only issue with this concept, however, is that planning a meet-cute is antithetical to the entire concept, which depends on an organic and surprising spark between our romantic leads.
The obvious real love interest is obvious, while at the same time seeming like the author forced them together. He gets far fewer pages than any of the other romantic possibilities, and their romance lacks chemistry or tension. As much as I hated Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster, I think that the author would benefit from watching that, because she would realize that basing a romance on basic shared interests is not at all compelling.
The Main Character
Mia is not like the other girls. She hates romcoms and would prefer to watch a documentary on Ted Bundy for movie night - and when her friends decide that none of them feels comfortable watching that, she takes away her knife, blood, and noose decorated sugar cookies because "If they don't want to watch the documentary, then they don't deserve the documentary-theme cookies."
This kind of selfish lashing out recurs throughout the book.
In general, Mia is a generic overachiever with a narcissistic streak. Her personality is mostly going to after school activities (Mathletes, swimming, gardening) and moping about how her family has changed so much and how her sister demands so many ridiculous things from her. Several other characters comment on how she's always worried about her own "problems" which would be solved if she bothered to be assertive, and never seems to care about what's going on in other people's lives.
Everyone Else
-Her sister, Sam: bridezilla, much older than our protagonist
-Her friends, Abby, Sloane, and Grace: all completely interchangable, except one is a lesbian and one has a boyfriend.
-Her parents: Dull
The Writing
First of all, this book was written in the first person present tense which is the WORST tense to write anything in.
It was pretty clear early on that this was a debut novel. All the hallmarks of amateur writing are present here:
* refusing to use "says" and instead using "shouts" "whispers" "challenge" etc.
* laundry lists of actions ("She rubs her lips together to try to spread out some of the tinted lip balm she just put on, before settling back down. When the light turns green, we pull out of the parking garage under Sam's apartment building downtown. Even though her apartment has a view of Lake Michigan, once we're on the ground, all we can see are buildings, pedestrians, and more buildings")
* random details to supposedly set the scene but that just inflate the word and page count (the most excruciating was this: "We pause when the waiter comes back. I notice that his name tag reads Marshall B., and I thank him before he walks away. He offers to get me another Coke, and I accept." When I read this I wondered if Marshall B. would be turn out to be someone important, or if she was suddenly going to have a meet-cute with him, but no, the author decided to interrupt the narrative with this completely pointless paragraph full of details about a character we will never see again. The book is full of asides like this)
* wacky pacing where time will pass really quickly and then slow down to a play by play and then speed up again
Overall, the book was very boring for the last 3/4 because of the issues above. It was slow, overstuffed with description and random details that elongated the pacing, and the characters weren't compelling enough to make it interesting. I wish that the editor of the book (if such a person does, in fact, exist) had taken it with a much stronger hand, because had they chopped out all of the unnecessary exposition, I think there are good ideas underneath about facing change within the nuclear family unit and the shifting relationships between family members as people grow older.
I can't bring myself to write any more about this book so I'll just leave it there.
January 14, 2021
A fun book by a debut author
I love meeting debut authors! However, it is often difficult to discern whether a book by an unknown author will be a clean read without a recommendation - which is always a priority of mine. I was intrigued by the synopsis of The Meet-Cute Project and therefore decided to give it a try.
Told entirely from Mia's perspective, this is a fun and insightful coming-of-age story. As she and her friends attempt to help her find a date for her sister's wedding, their attempts to manufacture the classic "meet-cute" were fun! And, ironically, she had one and just didn't realize it.
I enjoyed Mia and her friends and grinned at the failures they encountered as they schemed to contrive the perfect meet-cute. I won't give too many details but let's just say that buying gloves, dogs, and being stood up by Darth Vader were some of the fun events. And I was surprised by a few of the twists along the way.
The writing is compelling and felt like a high-school junior wrote it (in a good way!). I was impressed (and glad) that the party Mia and her friends attended didn't have underage drinking or drugs.
One disappointment, if you can even call it that, was that a character was grounded and though the reason behind the punishment it was explained, the incident that called for it was not. The behavior seemed out of character and I'm sure there is more to it, and now I may never know what it was. But that's a minor complaint and shouldn't detract from anyone's enjoyment of the story.
Unlike many of the stories I read and review, this one is not written from a Judaeo-Christian perspective, nor is it advertised to be. It is clean of language concerns and has a kiss or two but nothing more explicit. There are mentions, though, of a budding relationship between two girls and that Mia's sister Sam lives with her fiancé. Please be aware if this is a concern for you.
Originally Reviewed on Among The Reads
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
I love meeting debut authors! However, it is often difficult to discern whether a book by an unknown author will be a clean read without a recommendation - which is always a priority of mine. I was intrigued by the synopsis of The Meet-Cute Project and therefore decided to give it a try.
Told entirely from Mia's perspective, this is a fun and insightful coming-of-age story. As she and her friends attempt to help her find a date for her sister's wedding, their attempts to manufacture the classic "meet-cute" were fun! And, ironically, she had one and just didn't realize it.
I enjoyed Mia and her friends and grinned at the failures they encountered as they schemed to contrive the perfect meet-cute. I won't give too many details but let's just say that buying gloves, dogs, and being stood up by Darth Vader were some of the fun events. And I was surprised by a few of the twists along the way.
The writing is compelling and felt like a high-school junior wrote it (in a good way!). I was impressed (and glad) that the party Mia and her friends attended didn't have underage drinking or drugs.
One disappointment, if you can even call it that, was that a character was grounded and though the reason behind the punishment it was explained, the incident that called for it was not. The behavior seemed out of character and I'm sure there is more to it, and now I may never know what it was. But that's a minor complaint and shouldn't detract from anyone's enjoyment of the story.
Unlike many of the stories I read and review, this one is not written from a Judaeo-Christian perspective, nor is it advertised to be. It is clean of language concerns and has a kiss or two but nothing more explicit. There are mentions, though, of a budding relationship between two girls and that Mia's sister Sam lives with her fiancé. Please be aware if this is a concern for you.
Originally Reviewed on Among The Reads
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Read
January 3, 2021The Meet-Cute Project is a positively adorable, flufftastic YA contemporary about a girl whose friends help her find a date for her sister's wedding by setting her up on meet-cutes with guys they know. Obviously it's a series of misadventures. The comps on this one are totally accurate, so if you like those books, this is worth a read. Personally, I enjoyed it more than Save the Date, and it has the same focus on family followed by the romance; to me, the family and friend feels far exceeded the romance. This was a delightful book I read in one day. Richardson's debut is impressive, and I know I'll be reading more books by her.
July 21, 2021
For some reason or another I never wanted to get into the rom com genre for some reason that I can’t explain until I came across this book.
I’m very glad that I picked this book up and I couldn’t put this book down so I now I will be reading more rom com books because of this book and now I have a new fav author too.
I’m very glad that I picked this book up and I couldn’t put this book down so I now I will be reading more rom com books because of this book and now I have a new fav author too.
April 25, 2021
A book about a group of friends orchestrating meet cutes for one of the girls who's not a romantic sounds like a fantastic, fun idea on paper. But I hate to say, I feel like it didn't work.
- Mia's friends were almost completely indistinguishable from each other, aside from "trademark" characteristics. Grace, the one who lives down the street. Abby, the one with the boyfriend. And Sloane, the...other one. They all wore their hair the same way. Only one was on Mia's side after a big blowout fight, and I don't remember which one. They all blurred together in my head.
- Aside from a few little "plot twists", the overall story was insanely predictable. Despite all the meet cutes that were organized, I knew exactly who Mia was going to end up with within about 25% of the book. Or whenever the guy was first introduced.
- Characterization was, like, nonexistent.
- And yet Mia's older sister, Sam, somehow had more growth by the end of the story than Mia did.
- Ultimately, I was bored almost the entire time.
Good things though!
- The story could have fit any protagonist regardless of race. So the fact that this book was about a Black girl who is allowed to be a regular teenager and not have to deal with a huge reckoning about the Black experience, but still adding details to the story that made her unapologetically Black, was really nice.
- The writing was fairly decent.
- ….That's it.
This feels like a debut. Which isn't a bad thing. Richardson has a lot of promise as an author, based on her writing and her ideas. I'd be interested to see what she does next. But this was a bit of a let down, as guilty as I feel saying it.
- Mia's friends were almost completely indistinguishable from each other, aside from "trademark" characteristics. Grace, the one who lives down the street. Abby, the one with the boyfriend. And Sloane, the...other one. They all wore their hair the same way. Only one was on Mia's side after a big blowout fight, and I don't remember which one. They all blurred together in my head.
- Aside from a few little "plot twists", the overall story was insanely predictable. Despite all the meet cutes that were organized, I knew exactly who Mia was going to end up with within about 25% of the book. Or whenever the guy was first introduced.
- Characterization was, like, nonexistent.
- And yet Mia's older sister, Sam, somehow had more growth by the end of the story than Mia did.
- Ultimately, I was bored almost the entire time.
Good things though!
- The story could have fit any protagonist regardless of race. So the fact that this book was about a Black girl who is allowed to be a regular teenager and not have to deal with a huge reckoning about the Black experience, but still adding details to the story that made her unapologetically Black, was really nice.
- The writing was fairly decent.
- ….That's it.
This feels like a debut. Which isn't a bad thing. Richardson has a lot of promise as an author, based on her writing and her ideas. I'd be interested to see what she does next. But this was a bit of a let down, as guilty as I feel saying it.
January 25, 2024
1 1/2 stars
i might hate this book... the description of what characters looked like was so incredibly vague that it was hard to visualize anything. every single thing that happened was predictable. like the fact that all of the guys would suck except for the one she didn't have to plan and script a meet-cute with. i knew gavin would be darth vader literally the minute they mentioned a beard under the darth vader mask. there are no other characters in the book that have one (and at their age like what was that detail???)
all of the boys were weird to me even gavin. like I just don't like that he was basically coaching her on what to say to darth vader ... mean while he IS him like huh? the whole girlfriend thing was soooo silly to me too like EVERYBODY knows mama. except mia I guess because she's just so clueless and not on planet earth. though I found her ignorance annoying I don't feel any anger towards her as a character just this book and story as a whole. some of the details like when it came to setting, events, or memories just kept going on and on and on and it just started to be words on the page. you could literally skim this book and get the same thing out of it. i thought the sam and geoffrey argument was sooooo dumb and lame I can't even believe it like that's all I'll say about that and sam as a character was very weird. the fact that she sabotages mia literally two thirds of the way through the book and then does a 180 after she saves her wedding pissed me off. just ugh. like. i couldn't stand this and really wanted to DNF mama.
i might hate this book... the description of what characters looked like was so incredibly vague that it was hard to visualize anything. every single thing that happened was predictable. like the fact that all of the guys would suck except for the one she didn't have to plan and script a meet-cute with. i knew gavin would be darth vader literally the minute they mentioned a beard under the darth vader mask. there are no other characters in the book that have one (and at their age like what was that detail???)
all of the boys were weird to me even gavin. like I just don't like that he was basically coaching her on what to say to darth vader ... mean while he IS him like huh? the whole girlfriend thing was soooo silly to me too like EVERYBODY knows mama. except mia I guess because she's just so clueless and not on planet earth. though I found her ignorance annoying I don't feel any anger towards her as a character just this book and story as a whole. some of the details like when it came to setting, events, or memories just kept going on and on and on and it just started to be words on the page. you could literally skim this book and get the same thing out of it. i thought the sam and geoffrey argument was sooooo dumb and lame I can't even believe it like that's all I'll say about that and sam as a character was very weird. the fact that she sabotages mia literally two thirds of the way through the book and then does a 180 after she saves her wedding pissed me off. just ugh. like. i couldn't stand this and really wanted to DNF mama.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2023
Trigger warnings: nothing??
I absolutely FLEW through the first 20% of this. Like, read it in about half an hour. And then somewhere along the way, the pace slowed right down for me and I found myself struggling through it. And I think part of that is I thought this was a romance but it's more of a straight up YA contemporary story with some romantic elements thrown in. So every male character that turned up I'd convinced myself was the end game character and then they weren't and it drove me up the wall. Especially when I then saw where the story was going with a good hundred pages to go, but I still had to read about Mia and other dudes.
In summary: sigh.
I absolutely FLEW through the first 20% of this. Like, read it in about half an hour. And then somewhere along the way, the pace slowed right down for me and I found myself struggling through it. And I think part of that is I thought this was a romance but it's more of a straight up YA contemporary story with some romantic elements thrown in. So every male character that turned up I'd convinced myself was the end game character and then they weren't and it drove me up the wall. Especially when I then saw where the story was going with a good hundred pages to go, but I still had to read about Mia and other dudes.
In summary: sigh.
August 1, 2022
I enjoyed this book, it’s like a Hallmark movie in the sense that I predicted the ending very easily but I liked it anyway! My biggest problem is that the main characters sister is getting married and described as a “bridezilla”, so why would she want to task her sister with finding a random date only a couple months away from the wedding? If she was such a “bridezilla” why is she okay with a random person being in her wedding party and all the pictures?
February 4, 2021
3.5 stars
rep: ownvoices Black protagonist, love interest, and side characters
this was good! I liked that it focused a lot on Mia and her relationship with her sister and her friends, as well as herself. the romance was a bit lighter than I thought it would be although tbh the way these meet-cute situations played out was more realistic than anything
rep: ownvoices Black protagonist, love interest, and side characters
this was good! I liked that it focused a lot on Mia and her relationship with her sister and her friends, as well as herself. the romance was a bit lighter than I thought it would be although tbh the way these meet-cute situations played out was more realistic than anything
April 13, 2021
A very honest and true to life story full of complicated people and miscommunications. I just wish that the main relationship had been more developed by the end, and
May 20, 2021
A cute and fluffy rom-com about a girl just trying to find a date for her older sister's wedding, but it's the last thing in the world she wants to do. So, her friends decide to try and do "meet-cutes," like from the rom-com movies they all tend to watch during their movie nights.
March 5, 2021
4.5 stars. Kept my interest. Super cute rom-com. Would have given it 5 stars but it was slightly predictable though the predictable part happened later in the book than I thought it would.
March 30, 2022
This book is like 80 pages too drawn out. Otherwise, fun not too too predictable story 😊
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