Not everyone can be the Mr. Darcy you dream of…

Synopsis

No man can be as good as the one in your imagination…

Librarian Liv Thomas has always dreamed of writing a romance novel. But she’s stuck when it comes to creating a romantic hero – sadly – lacking anyone in real life to base him on.

When her brother suggests his best friend stay in their shared flat for a few weeks, she can’t believe her bad luck. Aiden Rivers is irritating and pushes all her buttons. Worst of all, he’s gorgeous, has a sexy accent and reminds her of her all-time favourite character Mr Darcy.

Liv finds herself unexpectedly inspired and the leading man in her novel begins to bear an uncanny resemblance to Aiden. He can never find out though: she’d never live it down. Because Aiden can only ever be her love interest in the pages of her book – and definitely not in real life… right?!

A laugh-out-loud enemies to lovers rom com, perfect for those who spend far too much time thinking about Mr Darcy coming out of the lake!

My review

Liv Jones has always dreamt of writing her own book, but her own fear has always held her back. So she just surrounds herself each days with books as she works as a librarian. Yet in her free time, she is slowly trying to put her ideas onto pages, and even if her book will never see the light of days, she imagines what her romantic hero would look like. easier said than done, as she doesn’t have anyone to base her fictional character on.
Her ideal is of course the famous and gorgeous Mr. Darcy, who doesn’t need any further introduction. And then her brother suggests that his best friend coming to stay at their shared apartment. A best friend, Aiden Rivers, who reminds Liv too much of Mr. Darcy, with his great looks and a sexy accent. But Aiden is anything but Mr. Darcy, as he manages to push all of Liv’s buttons…And to make things even worse, he started to work in the university where Liv also works.
And then Liv starts to notice that the romantic hero of her book resembles too much of Aiden… But there is a difference between the real Aiden and the character Liv is writing, right? Because there is absolutely no way that Aiden could turn out to be in fact anything Liv ever wanted her own hero to be, right?

I have to admit, when I started this book, I completely agreed with Liv’s infatuation with Mr. Darcy. And that specific lake scene, well, better that some things are left unsaid! 😊
But just like I adore reading Pride & Prejudice time after time after time, I absolutely love reading a great enemies – to – lovers!

And Liv and Aiden for sure are the perfect example of this trope! From the very start Liv is irritated by not only Aiden’s return, but also him staying at the apartment she shares with her brother, but on top of that, also starting to work at the university she works as a librarian.

There are several reasons I liked Liv. There is her love for books, her dream to write one of her own. But there is also the close bond with her brother. They couldn’t be more different, yet the love between the siblings is so obvious and clear. That was something that truly resonated with me, as I recognized that kind of bond.

Of course it was hilarious to read the constant clashing between Liv and Aiden. Seeing how Aiden keeps pushing Liv’s buttons, Liv trying to beat Aiden in everything… I could almost grab a bucket filled with popcorn, so much did I enjoy those moments!

But beside the clashing, it’s clear that something deeper and even more important in hidden in this relationship. Because when it truly matters, Aiden is having Liv’s back. At Liv’s scariest moments, she has Aiden’s shoulder to cry on.

And it was lovely and even sweet to see how Liv starts to see the real Aiden, and not the Aiden that annoys her. She might think that the character in her book is a fidget of her own imagination, but he is more Aiden than Liv initially thought.

I found this a wonderful book to read, and not only because of the trope. But we also see people chasing their dreams, daring to take a dive into the unknown. And we also see how lives in the present are being lived, from being a social media influencer to an artist. And how those worlds at times dare to clash or  even jeopardize what’s been built.
And then there is the fact that sometimes we allow people to get in our hair, but we fail to see what’s behind the façade and all that bravery.
And, as I am a sucker for grand gestures, I sure got a thrill from the ones in this book, makes me believe that perhaps there are real Mr. Darcy’s out there, or at least people wanting to make a fantasy come true! 😊