Better Together: A Novel

I got an early reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.Better Together centers around two separated sisters, Jamie and Siri, who cross paths while they are both struggling to find themselves figure out their futures.I really liked the dynamics between the two sisters; whether they were bonding or fighting or learning more about each other, their interactions felt very real and reminded me of growing up with my own sibling. I especially identified with Siri. Her social insecurities and her fight to overcome them were very relatable to me personally. Her journey to figure out what she wants to do in life and what really makes her happy was very fulfilling to read and follow along with. I also really liked the two romances with each of the main characters, and thought those were handled and resolved really well.There are some really funny moments, especially between the two sisters near the start of the book, but it can also get very serious, especially when they are dealing with their parents and the trauma their parents put them through. Whether it’s being silly or serious though, it never loses its heart, which is the journey of Jamie and Siri bonding together as sisters.Overall I had a really fun time reading Better Together, and would definitely recommend it, especially to anyone growing up/grew up with siblings.

I actually downloaded the free ebook from my library and started reading it. The book was so engaging, I decided to order online (I prefer print). I’m about halfway-ish through now and it’s still so good!

Loved this book. It's parent trap with a but of magic and romance and alot of shenanigans. It was fun and also gets you in the feels.

I was so excited to read a retelling of one of my favorite movies, The Parent Trap. Two twins separated at birth and then coincidentally find each other later on in life, sign me up. I tried to ignore the bad reviews and go into this book with an open mind but alas, I did not enjoy this book. The way the characters talked was clunky and annoyingly immature for their age, this book just felt like a mess. I loved the cover and that's what drew me in at first but I could not stand this book.

This was such a cute story! Jamie and Siri are split up as little girls when their parents divorce. Siri and her mom stay on the east coast while Jamie chooses to leave with their dad and move to CA. Siri doesn’t even remember them being a family so when the girls end up at a retreat together as adults (18 & 21), the truth eventually comes out. They decide to seek revenge and pull a parent trap on their parents but a bit of fantasy and whimsy helps them along! While living each other’s lives they find a bit of romance and a lot of growth. I definitely laughed out loud throughout the whole book at Siri’s alternate curse words and at Jamie’s stand-up routines. I will say it is a little longer than most books and during the last 1/4 of the book, I kept wondering when things would wrap up. But ultimately, I’m glad everything ended the way it did. Super sweet and fun!

Such a great book, and a really great story! I read Cristine Riccio's first book, as well, which is also amazing!

So the first half of this book was painful. Jaime and Siri are so unlikeable, I considered DNFing this book multiple times. Now, I'm down for an unlikeable MC, but this was dramatically painful. Siri is an aggressive, uptight person with a superiority complex. And Jamie is ridiculously annoying and overbearingly "quirky". Jaime gives me the "pick me girl" vibes and it's not cute. Honestly, the first 100 pages of this book were getting introduced to these characters, setting them up for this camp thing, the meeting, and all that jazz. I was not interested. It wasn't until after they met and made their plan to switch places that I began to care at all for these characters. This was going to be a 1 or 2 star review, but after they took each other's places and the Freaky Friday body switch happened, then I got really interested in the plot. And somehow, their characters improved. Like, the beginning of this book versus the end is dramatically different, almost like it was meant to be two different books. The changes these characters went through were extensive and saved the entire story. Instead of being annoying, we also get to see Jaime as vulnerable and fearful. Siri loses her pretentious attitude and becomes more open minded and accepting. It was like a day and night difference. Once I started enjoying this book, I started seeing all the things I liked about it. We have bisexual and disability representation through Siri. As well as interracial relationships for both Siri and Jaime. Therapy is mentioned in a positive light and we have anxiety rep, depression, and more mental health representation. But, even with all that goodness, this book has a lot of issues. For one, Siri's work around for cussing is SO FREAKING ANNOYING. And it's not explained WHY she does this until the book is almost over! Like how hard is it to explain why she doesn't curse and says these stupid substitutes like "excrement" or "intercourse". I also had an issue that this book is being marketed as YA, but Siri is 18 almost 19, and Jaime is 20 and turns 21 in the book. Like, this is most definitely a New Adult novel and if it had been written a little more maturely, then an adult novel. Like these characters are renting apartments and working, which teenagers can do, but I'm not sure how relatable this is to a 15 year old picking up this book. It just felt like it was meant to be an adult novel but was "written down" for teenagers. It doesn't sit right with me. And while I loved Jaime's journey to begin accepting people in her life and opening up, Zarar deserves so much better. As her main love interest, Zarar is strung along for days by Jaime and she's honest about not wanting to date, but then agrees to date him. And then ghosts him. It's clear he's smitten with Jaime but lets her walk all over him until the end. I was getting so frustrated, because he was such a sweet and considerate character and partner. And Jaime all together is very cold and manipulative. This is discussed in the book, but it was kind of agonizing watching her push her loved ones out of her life to try and protect herself, while simultaneously hurting everyone around her. And while Siri was awful to read in the beginning, I began to prefer her POVs after she arrives in California. The 180 degree switch was intense and much needed, but also surprising. I liked reading Jaime's POVs originally but after she began to string Zarar along, and Siri got a personality makeover, I was done with Jaime. I can't even put into words how strange this book was. Like it was good, but not that good. I enjoyed most of what I read, but also hated certain parts and characters. There were good life lessons, but a lot of filler in between. I have to rate it three stars because it's just so "eh". I've seen a lot of people DNFing this book and not enjoying it, which is fair, but I don't want to convey that its bad. It's not - it's just not great.

Best book I’ve ever read and I don’t even like reading. Bravo Christine

Was all right

I’ve been following Chistine’s work for a while and this is her best book so far. This book reminds me of the movie It Takes Two, for obvious reasons (maybe it has inspired her somehow). Its’s a great story, I love Christine’s writing. I’ll give it four stars because i do think she can do even better.

First I have to say i love this book. I did read her first novel Again but better when it first came out and even though I liked it i still had some personal problems with it. Well, those where plot elements that I never like. Sorry gor being cryptic here, I really don't want to spoil any of her books here. Her second book however doesn't have those elements and it just fits right into the tropes and plots i love in a rom com. I loved the partent trap and Freaky Friday when I grew up and this book is combining the tropes in those movies perfectly. I am utterly in love with the main characters this time also. I love both Siri and Jamie equally. They feel almost like they could be real people, they are flawed in a very realistic ways and even though they have their shoty moment's I couldn't help to love them. The romance in this book is so good, exactly what I wanted. Both love interests where so intercorseing wholesome. This book really made me feel thing like an excrement ton of things and it made me loose yhe ability to curse like a normal person. I hope that just a phase, though xD anyways this book hit me like a strom and I would have read it in one sitting if I wouldn't have to be a semi functioning adult now and then. It made me so emotional and my chronically depressed rear end always loves thing's that maker them feel. I also love that this book is diverse in a very natrual sounding way and I just love the bi representation because I am pan and that is kinda like a specific way to be bi (a very bad and lazy description I know but I wanna talk about the book now) there where characters I didn't like and understand much but I am one of those kids who's parent's didn't divorce so may I can't relate to that kinda stuff (although my mom almost raised us alone cause dad is away at work for 3 weeks and then comes home for 2-4 days and has to go away to work again since I can remember but that's still a differentdynamici guess) but you don't have to relate to all the characters in a book. I mean there are real people i can't relate too so why should that be different in a book. Anyways even though this book mad me teary eyed at some point it was still funy and over all very positive:) it was the mostly contemporary book I needed at the moment. If you are in a contemporary mood and don't mind a little angst and a touch of fantasy or magical realisim then this book is for you. Also it made me want a sister for the first time in my 27 year's of life, well I will make do with my brother and my afab genderfluid best friend:)