Review: Otherwise Engaged by Lindsey J. Palmer

So when I picked up Other Engaged, I'm not going to lie. I totally judged the book by the cover, mildly absorbed what the inner description said, and tossed it onto the counter at Barnes and Noble. Swipe, purchased, it was mine to own. I was expecting a cute story about an engaged couple that had to deal with an ex-girlfriend returning but it would have a happy ending. 

UM. WRONG. This was the most deceptive cover art in the WORLD. I didn’t hate this book, but I also was just kind of confused, but also really loved elements of it. It was definitely not my typical style of book, but a mix of a hearty rom-com romance with a psychological thriller. 

To fully classify it, I’d say it was a light psychological romance thriller. 

I wasn't really wild about any of the characters. I liked the secondary characters more, especially Kirsten and Lana. The main character, Molly, just didn’t do it for me. But then again, if my fiancé wrote a novel about a past relationship in such vivid detail, I think I may go a little crazy too. 

Here’s a quick summary: Molly and Gabe have been dating for two years and she thinks he’s going to pop the question any day now. Molly works in Corporate America, in the Human Resources of a marketing company in NYC. Gabe is a server by night with the hopes of landing a book deal. Which he eventually does, even though it’s a novel about a couple named Russell and Dahlia, who reminds Molly an awful lot of Gabe’s ex, Talia. The aforementioned novel is pop culture hit, Gabe’s career takes off, and Talia shows back up. While reading the novel, Molly begins to lose sight of reality and can’t differentiate between her love life and the fiction Gabe created. 

Gabe kind of made me really angry. I didn’t think he properly prepared Molly for what his novel was about. Though a lot of it is fiction, and the ending serves a purpose to show Molly why he chose her, I still felt disrespected for Molly. I don’t know, maybe that’s because I’m engaged and would expect full communication from my partner. 

But that’s kind of the whole point of Palmer’s book: communication. Molly fully admits to not being open and honest about her feelings and often bottling them up, especially due to the guilt she feels at still being attracted to her ex boyfriend, Charlie (who obviously makes a reappearance). 

I liked this book. It had a lot of quotable moments that resonated with me, as a 25 year old getting married in the near future. I finished it in about two days, so it definitely had me hooked, especially for the passages of Gabe’s book. To Palmer’s credit, my head was swimming trying to differentiate between the two worlds; Molly and Gabe’s world vs. Russell and Dahlia’s. 

I’m giving this book 3.5 stars. I think it’s worth a read, but don’t bump anything for it.

Also I am so so sooo excited for tomorrow's post! Check back tomorrow for some exciting news tomorrow!