Framing the book in the context of the show means we also experience our main characters in a sort of vacuum, removed from their everyday lives and jobs while they focus on their goal.

They are paired for the show and are really into each other, but will those feelings turn into something real? Something that some readers might like (but was a bit much for me) is the couple engages in a LOT of PDA in front of their families AND gets it on in a semi-public space at one point. They have the type of love where you don’t even hesitate to root for a very real wedding at the end of them only knowing each other for 4 weeks. I could absolutely believe that, if D’Vaughn and Kris were real women, this is how they would really interact with each other day in, day out.Also I'm always here for exploring mother-daughter relationships so I appreciated how D'Vaughn's relationship with her mom was handled.

She’s always been a little bit reserved, so she decides to audition for “Instant I Do,” a popular reality show. They have an instant connection and each other's backs from the start, and the relationship is both sweet and hot throughout.Very glad I got over my opinion on the cover art to give it a chance because it surpassed expectations, and it’s worth the read. There was an opportunity for the author to present more twists and try to tie them up quickly and with little explanation, as I feel most romance authors do (shade), but no--Higgins put love and feeling into every twist, taking the time to get the emotions from the characters out of the book and into readers' minds. She knew how to draw me into a story from the first page, while keeping my enjoyment level up until the end. Butch influencer Kris is hoping to find true love on the show, while D’Vaughn plans to use it as an excuse to finally come out to her family. I loved getting to meet their families and see how their families reacted to the news of their marriage.

That goes hand in hand with the very rapid progress of the relationship--instant lust followed by near-immediate trust and partnership. I wish we had seen a little bit more of the influencer side of Kris's life as well as more dealing with the show—maybe more of the impact after it aired—and contestants. Now even though this is a mostly low angst story, the family's response to the whole thing was way too chill to be realistic.It's such a quick read and if you're a fan of the recent trend of reality shows playing a large role, you'll love it!

There’s something in the way this story is written, especially in the dialogues (and the Jitter Cam moments) that I find extremely satisfying. This is the perfect read for people looking for a love story that is lower angst, fluffy, and sweet in the right moments but still has a bit of heat. It follows the same formula and tropes that all romances follow; this trope in particular is the fake to real relationship arc. This is a super low angst book, where there are a couple of difficult and painful moments but these are quickly dealt with; one in which we see two queer Black women loving and being loved by each other and their families.It was truly a refreshing and romantic novel, where so much of the conflict is less our two main characters against each other, but more along the lines of them against the world, facing the conflict as a team. Besides not knowing each other before the show, both of them have different reasons for coming on the show.