Book Review of PARTY OF TWO

I’m pretty sure that Party of Two is not author Jasmine Guillory’s best work.

I know, I know: that’s a pretty bold statement to make right off the bat. Guillory’s first book, The Wedding Date, made huge waves when it published a few years ago, but I never got around to reading it​. I picked up Party of Two because it was the only Guillory title my library had on hand during COVID quarantine. Given all the fuss surrounding the author and her earlier runaway hit, I have to say…I expected a little more from Party of Two.

Not that this novel isn’t a decent rom-com. It has all the requisite components — adorable meet cute, a progressing relationship, sweet and tender moments, yadda yadda. Aside from that, though…

Okay, let’s get into the things I did like. First — obviously — the food. To my great and utter delight, there is some AWESOME foodie fiction in Party of Two. ​I love that main character Olivia is a woman who likes to eat, and thankfully she finds a romantic partner, Max, who shares her enthusiasm for delicious desserts and late-night burger runs. (What relationship dreams are made of!).

There are also a lot of teachable moments in Party of Two. Max is a (nice, non-schmucky) U.S. Senator and Olivia is a lawyer (who specializes in Intellectual Property, which made me very happy since that’s my area of expertise); these two are intelligent, thoughtful, and socially aware people. Ergo, the book contains a ​lot of important and illuminating messages about race, sexism, social justice, the importance of volunteering, and many other issues confronting our society today.

Overall, I really appreciate the fact that Guillory doesn’t hit the reader over the head with political and social issues (we all remember why I stopped reading Red, White & Royal Blue). That said… I actually think we could have talked more about these things — just a little bit! — to bring more depth to the story. ​But, more on that in a minute…

I also really liked that Party of Two doesn’t contain a lot of relationship drama. Much of Olivia and Max’s courtship is them slowly and reasonably getting to know each other, gradually discovering they have great sexual chemistry, and eventually falling sensibly but deeply in love. Since most rom-coms focus on characters in their late 20s still struggling to find out who they are and what they want to be in life, it’s refreshing to see a romance develop between two emotionally and professionally capable adults in their mid- to late-thirties.

Okay… *deep breath* Let’s chat about what I didn’t like about Party of Two.

Although it pains me to say this…it’s the writing. I feel like there are many sentences, or even paragraphs, that my high school A.P. English teachers would have crossed out and scrawled “I know you can do better than this” next to in red pen. With a little frown-y face.

There’s also a lot of narration. A LOT. This just could be the writer in me over-analyzing. Since I learned about showing vs telling, I instinctively look for it in everything I read now. And, boy, does Guilleroy “tell” a lot more than she “shows.”

As a result, the writing feels amateurish. The conversations are standard and predictable; the sentiments expressed are bland and trite; and the dialogue is repetitive and eye-roll inducing. I mean, how many “good God!”s do you really need to throw around to convey depth of emotion?? Please.

All of this is why I’m sure that Party of Two is not Guillory’s best work. I seriously doubt this author would be this popular if all her writing were this lackluster.

So, the big question: Is Party of Two worth the read?

Yes, I think so — as long as you don’t expect too much. If you’re looking for a sweet, slightly bland chick lit novel to distract you from everyday turmoil, then this will hit the spot. I zipped through the book in a few days.

But, if you’re used to the sharp, witty, engaging writing of, say, Christina Lauren for your go-to rom-coms? You might want to skip this one.

Since there was so much foodie fiction in Party of Two, I’ll still be sharing a book-inspired recipe with you next week: Loaded Turkey Nachos!