Title: My Favorite Half-Night Stand
Author: Christina Lauren
Rating: ★★★★

The last couple of Christina Lauren books I’ve read have left me wanting, so I was extremely pleased to find myself really enjoying this one! My Favorite Half-Night Stand was fun, flirty, and angsty. It was exactly the kind of light pick-me-up I was looking to read in the summer!

Millie was a protagonist worth reading. Throughout the book, I found myself slightly frustrated with some of her thoughts and behavior. But when I really analyzed her character, I found it because I see a lot of myself and my insecurities in her. Once I made that realization I was able to fully understand and connect with her. Her emotional guardedness and difficulty opening up resonated with me, even though I wanted to strangle her on occasion for not being more forthright.

“I’m lonely because I don’t tell people what I need or what I want, and then get hurt when they don’t figure it out on their own.”

I absolutely loved her relationship with Reid! It’s no secret that I enjoy friends-to-lovers tropes and My Favorite Half-Night Stand nailed it. I thought the authors did a fantastic job convincingly writing two friends who come to the the realization that their feelings for each other differ from their other friendships. It was also super refreshing that here, it was the man that wanted the emotional depth, the tenderness, the sharing of one’s soul with a partner in this conflict.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I do have a major gripe. The entire premise of My Favorite Half-Night Stand revolves around their group of friends needing to find dates for an upcoming dinner event for the university they work at. However, we never get to see that party! I was really looking forward to some prom-style drama at that dinner and honestly thought that would be where the climax of story happened. So to say I was slightly disappointed would be an understatement.

My Favorite Half-Night Stand is classic Christina Lauren. From the flirty banter, angst-ridden relationship, and light-hearted fun, this is the perfect summer read for fans of contemporary romance and rom-coms!