Book Review: You Deserve Each Other

Hello, friends! 

So far in 2020, I have read 39 books. As a general rule, I don't reread books twice in a year, just because I feel like I should spend that time reading new books, or rereading some favorites. In early May, I read You Deserve Each Other, and completely devoured it. A few weeks later, I felt so unmotivated to read, I decided to pick it up again, and guess what? I LOVED IT EVEN MORE.

You Deserve Each Other is about Nicholas and Naomi, an engaged couple who is 3 months away from the big day. Naomi can't stand Nicholas or his family, and just thinking about wedding planning makes her want to vomit. But Nicholas's mother has hinted that she will take Naomi to small claims court to pay for the cost of the wedding if she decides to call it off, and with only a small savings account and a job where tomorrow isn't promised, Naomi knows she can't call off the wedding, no matter how badly she wants to. When Naomi realizes that Nicholas isn't happy in the relationship either, the games begin; whoever pushes the other to the breaking point not only foots the bill, but gets to reap the sympathy of being left at the alter. As the antics ensue, Nicholas and Naomi are shocked to realize that not only are they having fun with each other, but they're learning that the person they got engaged to is wildly different from the person they're pranking. 

You Deserve Each Other is the 2nd book I've read this year that features the "Falling Back in Love" trope (the first being the Bromance Book Club, which I also wrote a review on), and honestly, this is quickly becoming a favorite trope of mine. This is a single POV book, where Naomi is the narrator, and you start off the book thinking, "damn, how did she end up with such an asshole?" You learn that Nicholas's mom is controlling and overbearing, and that he lets his mom control every aspect of their wedding planning and expects Naomi to deal with it. You learn that he doesn't fit in with her friends, and she doesn't fit in with his. And you learn that Naomi has to read through a list of reasons Nicholas isn't all bad, just to get through the day. But as the book goes on, its easy to see how these 2 people who agreed to share their lives together could know nothing about the other one; in new relationships, we always put our best foot forward. You don't argue about the things they do that bother you, you don't tell them that their friends are assholes, etc. The issue is, Nicholas and Naomi never stopped putting on a face, and then they resented the other for not  "getting it." As the story progresses, not only do they start to understand each other, but they feel comfortable building the other one up; Naomi helps Nicholas stand up to his mother, and Nicholas helps Naomi stand up to her bitchy coworker. And they learn that the other will need support and reassurance. No one feels like the perfect partner all the time, and both Nicholas and Naomi learned to appreciate their each other, even when they're at their worst. 

My favorite thing about this book is how REAL Nicholas and Naomi felt. They have weaknesses and flaws, and these things don't just go away by the end of the book; they're more aware of them, and they're learning how to be a better partner despite those things. I also love that this made me look at my marriage in a new light; wondering if I've ever made my husband feel like that, or ways that I can help reassure him that he's the greatest partner I could ever have. I like when books make me think about my life that way, and even though it isn't always comfortable, I like that it helps me grow into a better person. Plus, this also made me so grateful for my mother-in-law, because if I had to deal with Deborah Rose on a regular basis, I would lose it. 

Out of the 39 books I've read so far this year, this is BY FAR, my favorite of 2020. No question in my head, because nothing else even came close. I want everyone I know to read this book, and I'm sure most of them would love it as much as I did. 

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Thank you guys again for reading. See you soon!