Review | You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They’re preparing for their lavish wedding that’s three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him.

Naomi wants out, but there’s a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.

But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they’re finally being themselves–and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.

I’m a sucker for any good enemies-to-lovers story, and You Deserve Each Other takes that one step further. Nicholas and Naomi are engaged, but neither of them really wants to be; in fact, the level of disdain that they hold for one another is the type that is typically reserved for a nemesis. I loved seeing their relationship grow from resentment (pranks and snarky comments, ranging from mildly manipulative to outright cruel) to begrudging acceptance to friendship to a refreshed relationship. It was a natural progression, requiring both Naomi and Nicholas to communicate openly and get to know one another all over again.

The writing made this book even more delightful. I laughed out loud at so many instances, even pausing to read the snarkiest one-liners to my best friend (who humoured me by saying “oh my god” or laughing along). I could easily see this being adapted into a rom-com, and will be the first in line for it if that does happen.

Overall, You Deserve Each Other was a thoroughly entertaining twist on my favourite trope. I absolutely cannot wait to see what Sarah Hogle writes next.