You Deserve Each Other

Naomi Westfield is engaged to Nicholas Rose. On the outside Nicholas is perfect....he is a dentist, comes from a respected family and treats her well. The problem is is that everything is too perfect. They never fight and they just seem to be going through the motions in their life. Naomi wants to call off the wedding but then she would have to pay for all the non-refundable charges. So instead she decides to start to make Nicholas' life miserable so he will call off the wedding instead. As these two keep trying to one up the other on making their lives miserable, they start to realize that for the first time they are acting like themselves and really enjoying being with each other. As time goes on they start to find their way back to why they fell in love in the first place. I enjoyed this story. I really liked the characters. Naomi is a little off the wall but that helped make her pranks even more fun. Sometimes she did get a little on my nerves though. Nicholas may be a dull dentist but once he started letting his true self show, he was a fun guy. I loved all of the craziness with his mom. Overall I enjoyed this story and would recommend it.

There's a fine line between love and hate, and this couple dance all over it in You Deserve Each Other. To be honest, my feelings about this book waffled a lot for about the first 60% or so, and there are a couple of reasons for that. First, the book is longer than I felt necessary, and some things are completely over the top - things that didn't really add anything to the story in my opinion. Then, we have the characters. Naomi and Nicholas are developed, but then they really needed to be since they're the main players in this crazy game. But - oh yes, there is definitely a but - the secondary characters are superficial to the point of being caricature-like. I'm going to assume that some of that was intentional, especially when it comes to Nicholas' parents, but like some scenes, they were over the top. Now, I realize that all of that sounds like I didn't care for the book, but honestly, I ended up liking it much more than I thought I would. A lot of this one is not only witty but downright hilarious. And, even with all the antics, there is a lot of emotion. The story is about falling in love again. It's a completely crazy, sometimes absurd, silly love/hate story about where the relationship goes when we stop communicating and forget to be half of something bigger. So, yes, the emotion is there. It may be hard to see through the silly, but it is there. In the end, this one may have been completely over the top at times - Okay, it may have been completely over the top a lot, but darned if it didn't pull out the feels. And as an added bonus, there is plenty of wit and sarcasm, which is always welcome. As a debut novel, this one is certainly a recommended read, and Sarah Hogle is definitely one to watch.

4.5 stars. You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle is a laugh out loud debut about an engaged couple whose upcoming wedding hangs in the balance. Naomi Westfield lives with her fiancé Nicholas Rose and the shine has definitely worn off their relationship. She is inching closer to calling off the wedding, but her future monster in law will make Naomi to reimburse her for expenses. So she devises a plan to try to force Nicholas to end their engagement, but she soon believes he is trying to push her into calling it quits. An absolutely hilarious game of one upsmanship begins but Nicholas ups the stakes considerably when he begins making out of character decisions. Can Naomi and Nicholas salvage their troubled romance? Naomi is a bit annoying initially as she keeps her resentment to herself and plots ways to torture Nicholas. Despite her discontent, she continues to present their relationship as picture perfect to everyone in her life. Naomi is tired of trying to keep the peace with her overbearing future mother-in-law and much to Nicholas’ consternation, she does little to hide her bitterness. Zany antics ensue as Naomi’s filter is ripped away and she says whatever pops into her mind. By all appearances, Nicholas is no prize as he ignores Naomi yet jumps to his mother’s bidding. He refuses to say no to her and he treats her like a delicate flower. Nicholas never defends Naomi when his mother attacks her nor has he stopped her from completely overtaking their wedding plans. After an unexpected confrontation with Naomi, Nicholas makes an impetuous choice that could make or break their fragile relationship. While the first half of the novel is all about revenge and pushing buttons, the second half is more serious as Naomi becomes a little more reflective and less self-absorbed. She makes few startling admissions to herself as she contemplates her own choices and knee-jerk reactions. She is rather surprised at the changes in Nicholas’ behavior but she remains suspicious he is sincere. Their days gradually become more peaceful as they become reacquainted and appreciative of one another, but will Naomi and Nicholas decide to stay together? You Deserve Each Other is a witty romance that is a bit superficial in the beginning but hits its stride at about the halfway point. After the pranks finally end, Naomi and Nicholas settle into vibrantly developed, multi-layered characters who are quite appealing. Naomi allows her vulnerabilities to show and Nicholas proves to be thoughtful and caring. Sarah Hogle brings this charming romance to a heartwarming and uplifting conclusion. A fun read that I enjoyed and highly recommend. I received a complimentary copy for review.