Book Review: Not You Again by Ingrid Pierce

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Ingrid Pierce
Publisher: Alcove Press
Release Date: July 9th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Wedding gown designer Andie Dresser is hanging on by a thread. Gaining a following on TikTok for her one-of-a-kind fairytale gowns has earned her a spot at Atlanta’s Fashion Week, but the time and upfront costs to design a full bridal line have stretched her to her limit. When her best friend suggests she sign up for a reality show with a potential $100,000 prize, she realizes the money could allow her to hire some desperately needed help. All she needs to do is marry a stranger—sight unseen—and opt for divorce at the end of filming. No big deal, right?

Architect Kit Watson just returned to Atlanta to help his loving but stubborn mother through a health crisis. However, she’ll only accept his help if he agrees to settle down, insisting he sign up for the matchmaking reality show that’s filming in the area. Willing to do anything for his mom, he finds himself at the altar—on camera—staring at Andie, the woman he abruptly left without explanation seven years ago.

In the blink of an eye, Kit and Andie tie the knot on TV for the world to see. Now, they must live together for eight weeks with cameras following their every move. But as the newlyweds reconnect and sift through their past, old feelings females spark…and old grudges cast a shadow over their “marriage”. With decision day looming, Andie must decide if forgiving Kit for his mistakes—past and present—is worth more than her dreams of success.

MOST FRUSTRATING MMC.

I rarely have any big issues with the MMC/love interest in a romance book. But Kit became increasingly more frustrating as the pages went on and I wanted to shake some sense into him so badly. The third act had me banging my head against a wall and I honestly felt bad for Andie having to jump through so many hoops for him. How are we letting history repeat itself???

I loved the plot set up though. As someone who used to watch Married at First Sight, I thought this was a fun play on that show and I liked that it was a second chance romance without flashback chapters too.

Things started off well, but ultimately fell a part. The spice felt kind of forced too. I don’t know that I’ll pick up another book by this author.

Overall audience notes: