Love Songs for Skeptics
by Christina Pishiris
Published by Sourcebooks Landmark
Zoë Frixos gets the whole love song thing.
Truly, she does. As an editor at a major music magazine in London, it's part of her job description. But love? Let's just say Zoë's been a bit off-beat in that department. After falling hard for her best friend, Simon, at thirteen and missing every chance to tell him how she felt before he left town, Zoë came to one grand conclusion: Love stinks.
Twenty years later, Simon is returning to London, newly single and as charming as ever, and Zoë vows to take her second chance. But Zoë's got other problems now: In order to save her magazine from closure, she has to land the biggest interview of her career with a notoriously elusive rock idol. There's just one problem: Nick, the arrogant publicist who seems determined to stop the story and ruin Zoë's life.
With her brother's big(ish) fat(ish) Greek wedding on the horizon, Zoë begins to wonder if her first love is the right love. In the wake of a life-changing choice, Zoë must decide if she's right to be skeptical about love, or if it's time to change her tune...
This charming and quirky debut has it all: childhood friends, love triangles, enemies-to-lovers, and a My Big Fat Greek Wedding subplot.
Genre
I would like to thank #SourcebooksLandmark for sending me an #ARC of #LoveSongsforSkeptics by #ChristinaPishiris via #NetGalley, in exchange for an honest and fair review.
Love Songs For Skeptics is a debut novel by Christina Pishiris, centering around thirty-four year old music journalist Zoë, who isn't the biggest believer in love, due to her unsuccess in that department. But that's okay! She is the editor of London's most famous music magazine. And there is hope on the horizon, as her childhood best friend - whom she has been in love with since she was thirteen - is finally moving back to London, newly single. As Simon enters her life again, she finds out she is on the brink of losing her job due to poor magazine sales. While trying to land an interview with her world famous, rock idol, in hopes of saving the magazine, she is forced to deal with pain in her ass - but sexy AF - music publicist, Nick. While trying to sort out her confusing feelings for Simon, the unwanted sparks with Nick, her job, and her brothers wedding, Zoë is at her limit. By the end, does this love skeptic finally find the one?
So I wasn't planning on posting any more reviews until after the New Year, but I signed into NetGalley, and low and behold, Sourcebooks granted my wish to review this book. I was thinking it would take me the week to get through, and the review would be ready before release date (January 5th, 2021, by the way). But then something happened.
I devoured this book in a day.
Love Songs for Skeptics is so refreshing! I thought I was stepping into your everyday romance book with your everyday tropes (and hey, I love those books, so I'm not snubbing them), but Christina, in her first published book, managed to bring a breath of fresh air to this genre, with her original plot, intriguing and flawed characters, and consistent flow throughout the book. Another surprise was the unpredictability of this book. I knew who I wanted her to end up with, but Christina Pishiris had me truly wondering who she would pick. Correction: if this skeptic would pick at all!
One of the strongest elements of this book are the characters. Everyone is complicated, which brings a healthy dose of realism to the story. Zoë, our protagonist, is incredibly likeable, relatable, and witty. She wasn't perfect, and I loved that! Many times I wish I could have stepped in the book, handed her a glass of wine, and given her a pep talk, but it works out, because we get to see her characters growth. The male love interests: Simon and Nick. Well, I liked them both. They both had their flaws, one more than the other. I felt Christina did a pretty good job of pointing out who was the better match, while not making it overly obvious. She put to paper the very complicated emotions involving friends to lovers/enemies to lovers, in a realistic, but beautiful way.
Let's be clear about something. If you have read my reviews before, particularly with romance books, you know I like a book with a little - okay, a lot - of smut. Love Songs For Skeptics didn't have any (although, Zoë does think about sex, so it's not totally skipped over), but I didn't care. I still gobbled this book up as if I hadn't eaten in days. I think I will keep my eye out for future work by Christina Pishiris.
My brother's getting married in a few weeks and has asked for help picking a song for his first dance. I suggested Kiss's "Love's a Slap in the Face".
It didn't go over well. He's still trying to find the perfect song.
Mike: "He's been doing wonders for Pinnacle's artists in South America. Speaks Spanish like a native. French and Italian too, I'm told. He's trilingual."
Zoe: "Of course he is,"
I muttered.
Mike frowned.
Mike: "Except, when you add English, that's four languages. What's the word for that?"
Zoe: "Tosser."
Zoe: "Here's a question I always ask when I'm interviewing: What's something you like to do that I'd never guess? So none of that going for long walks, watching movies, and reading."
Nick: "Zoe, have you been checking out my Tinder profile?"
Simon: "You're looking mighty fine, Frixie,"
said Simon when he saw me frowning.
Zoe: "Really? I feel a bit frumpy."
Simon: "Mother of God, you must be kidding. You're prompting a rather uncomfortable adult reaction to a favorite childhood character. And these pants are tight."
Zoe: "Nick? Can you hear me?"
Nick: "Not very clearly because it sounded like you said you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend."
He sounded offended, which was a bit rich. I mean, it's not like he'd never flirted with me.
Zoe: "Yes,"
I said stiffly.
Zoe: "That's exactly what I said. She's more likely to trust you that way. It was actually a genius idea."
Did I just use the word 'genius' to describe this hare-brained plan?
Nick: "Being your boyfriend - what exactly would that entail?"
Jesus, he sounded like a drama student with a walk-on part who insists on discussing his motivation.
Zoe: "Just act normal - like we did the first night. No one's asking you to act untoward."
Nick: "Is this something you do quite often?"
Zoe: "Jesus, what do you take me for? No! But I can't see the big problem. What's the difference between friends and dating?"
He paused for effect.
Nick: "Zoe, did your mother never sit you down and have that special talk?"
If he was happy to greet a virtual stranger the continental way, how would boyfriend Nick say hello to me?
For a horrified second I thought he would kiss me on the lips, but without skipping a bear he kissed the top of my head and sat down. He moved his chair closer to me and leaned to murmur in my ear.
Nick: "This is me greeting you with something unspeakably filthy."
Simon: "Boxing? I thought you knew each other from work,"
said Simon, looking alarmed.
I jumped in to reassure him.
Zoe: "Boxercise, there's a difference. We knew each other from work, then happened to be in the same class one night."
Nick leaned closer to me and bopped me on the nose.
Nick: "And as the punches flew, so did the sparks."
I stared at him openmouthed. Had he really just said that with a straight face?
Zoe: "In plain English: flirt with her."
Irritation flashed in his eyes.
Nick: "Well, by introducing me as your boyfriend, you've somewhat tied my hands."
Zoe: "I'm suggesting you flirt with her, not shag her on the table."
Simon: "I'm fed up of living in a hotel room. I don't care how great the bed is."
Zoe: "What's so great about your bed?"
As soon as the words left my lips, I regretted them. Or rather, realized how laden with innuendo they sounded.
He chucked.
Simon: "After all these years, you're finally asking?"
Jesus, I was having a heart attack in my knickers.
Zoe: "real love - love that inspires you to write songs or stops you from sleeping or makes you risk everything - is either there or it's not."
I felt more sure of myself now.
Zoe: "You don't have to adjust to it; you don't grow into it."
Alice: "You only have one wedding night."
Zoe: "Knock yourself out, but you're on your own. I'm not going to stand here while you pick sex outfits for my brother."
Uh-oh. My immortal soul was damned.
But it was going to be worth it.
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