About the Author

Christina Lauren is the pen name of writing partners Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. Together they have written a number of romantic comedies and require no further introduction. I listened to the audiobook of My Favorite Half-Night Stand on Scribd.

Synopsis

Millie Morris and her gang of fellow professors at UC Santa Barbara University have always been a team. Together they make a pact to find their dates by an online service for a gala event at the University. There is however only one glitch. The night after they made the pact Millie had the perfect half-night stand of her life with one of the guys Reid Campbell. Things are never same for the gang as Millie and Reid struggle with the new dynamics and also try to find their online dates simultaneously.

My thoughts

Narrative and plot

Reid Campbell and Millie Morris are the two narrators of this book. Romance novels that tell the point of view of both protagonists are always welcome.
The plot wasn’t something out of the ordinary. It is your normal “friends turning into lovers” trope. However it managed to keep it fresh and interesting throughout. I loved the group chats. They were real. And it called out how guys would always have a separate chat window excluding their female friends no matter how close they are.

Characters and Conflict

The friends gang of Reid, Alex, Chris, Ed and Millie are the main characters. We follow Reid and Millie who step into the more than friends zone but have no idea what to do with it. Somehow I felt the roles reversed in this book. Normally it would be the women who want to be open about things and discuss feelings. But here Reid was the one who was more open. As people, they felt real even though not confined to the stereotypes.

The book explores the concept of online dating and how it can be both overwhelming and assuring at times. There was mainly one conflict in the book. You guessed it right, the complicated relationship of Millie and Reid. It was interesting at first. As the story moves things go into a different tangent and then there is drama and confusion.

Honestly I enjoyed the first part of the book more. The conflict was dragged a little bit. Not that it was boring. I was always keen to read the next chapter. But I wish there could be more. Towards the end, it only emphasised on who Millie was as a person. It never calls out Reid who wasn’t perfect himself. That bothered me. Millie didn’t have to change who she was. Yes, she needed to grow more and be comfortable with herself . The way this was handled wasn’t quite convincing as far as I am concerned.

Conclusion

I enjoyed this book. It had some really good moments. Some parts brought a smile to my face. If you like the friends-to-lovers trope, this is your pick. A one time read perhaps, but definitely enjoyable.