One of my reading goals this year is to work on my Netgalley feedback ratio. So in July a few friends and I are doing Netgalley July. So far I’ve read 4 Netgalley books, so I’m off to a good start. Now it’s time to start reviewing them. Today I want to tell you about The Sizzle Paradox and what I thought.
The Kiss Quotient meets Love Potion No. 9 in the next sparkling romantic comedy by Lily Menon, The Sizzle Paradox…
Lyric Bishop feels like a fraud – she’s studying sexual chemistry in romantic partners and what makes for a successful long-term relationship, only she can’t seem to figure it out in her own dating life. The science is sound, but how can she give her expert opinion with no real-world experience? In order to complete her doctoral thesis, she must crack the Sizzle Paradox – it seems the more sexually attractive she finds a guy, the less likely it is to come with an emotional connection; but why? – and to do that she must get the help she desperately needs.
Kian Montgomery, her best friend, roommate, and fellow grad student, has no trouble bringing both romance and sizzle to his own relationships. When he offers to tutor Lyric on dating tactics to find a good match, she’s certain it will solve her problems, and in exchange she agrees to set long-term-commitment-averse Kian up with someone different to give his romantic life a much-needed shakeup.
But once the two progress with their “tutoring sessions,” they start to feel less like the academic exercise they were supposed to be as real feelings develop. Which is a problem, because Lyric and Kian are best friends and absolutely, irrefutably nothing else… Right?
Review
Friends to lovers is a trope I really enjoy and one that definitely caught my attention when I heard about The Sizzle Paradox. Add in tutoring sessions to help Lyric continue her studies and I knew I needed this. We all knew that there would be some real feelings developing.
The Sizzle Paradox is a great mix of humor, romance, friendship, great characters, and the happily ever after I was looking for. Lyric was such a fun character. She’s smart and isn’t afraid of that, but it also makes her geeky and awkward on dates at times. That made me smile though, because she was truly genuine. Kian on the other hand has never had trouble dating and definitely sleeps around. But maybe he needs more than just a hook up. He was also quite the interesting character who also realizes he’s not doing something right if he’s kissing a girl and thinking about studying and food.
I loved Lyric and Kian’s relationship. Yes, they have always been best friends and care about each other. The stories we hear about them are a lot of fun and it’s clear there’s some chemistry. Them having “tutoring sessions” to help Lyric out was a lot of fun to read. There was some tension and things got a little steamy. With all stories like this I loved watching them realize there was definitely more than just friendship.
All in all, The Sizzle Paradox was a fast and fun read that left a smile on my face!
The Sizzle Paradox was definitely a fun summer read! It had all of the elements I needed. What have been some of your favorite summer reads? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.