What happens when you're craving emotional depth but the book keeps handing you chocolate cake metaphors instead?
I was curled up on my couch at 2 AM—Diego purring on my chest, Frida judging me from the armchair—when I realized I'd been waiting for *Party of Two* to make me feel something big. And it just... didn't happen. Not the way I needed it to.
The Setup Had Me Hopeful, I Won't Lie
Olivia Monroe, Black woman starting her own law firm in LA, meets a cute guy at a hotel bar who turns out to be a junior senator. The clandestine dating, the silly disguises, the chocolate cake that kicks off their relationship—it's cute. It's charming. Jasmine Guillory knows how to write banter that feels natural, and there's something genuinely sweet about watching two successful adults navigate the "are we doing this?" phase.
But here's the thing. I kept waiting for the moment that would wreck me. The scene where I'd have to pause and just breathe. And it never came.
The Narrator Situation (Let's Talk About It)
Janina Edwards has this warm, rom-com-perfect voice that works for the light, flirty energy of the first half. She's got charm. She's got timing. But—and this is going to sound petty but I promise it matters—she mispronounces "senator." Multiple times. In a book where the love interest is literally a senator. Every time it happened, I got yanked out of the story.
For a book I'm supposed to be savoring at 1.0x speed, those little stumbles add up. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's like a tiny pebble in your shoe during a romantic walk. You can still enjoy the walk, but you're aware of it.
Where My Heart Wanted More
The book touches on real things—the media scrutiny Olivia faces as a Black woman dating a white politician, her complicated past, the way she has to prove herself worthy of being someone's partner in the public eye. These are meaty, emotional topics. The kind of stuff that should have had me ugly-crying into my wine.
But the emotional beats feel rushed. We get the conflict, then the resolution, without enough time in the messy middle. I wanted to sit in Olivia's pain when she's being torn apart by the press. I wanted to feel Max's desperation to protect her. Instead, it felt like the book was checking boxes: conflict introduced, conflict addressed, moving on.
Abuela would have been yelling at the screen during a telenovela version of this story. "¡Más drama, mija!" She understood that the good stuff lives in the suffering. This book is afraid to let us suffer.
The Vibes Are... Fine?
Look, *Party of Two* is perfectly pleasant. It's a rainy Sunday book—but the kind where you're half-watching something on your phone too. The chemistry between Olivia and Max is there, but it's more "comfortable couple" than "I would burn down the world for you." Which is valid! Not every romance needs to be devastating. But I came in wanting to feel something big, and I left feeling... comfortable.
The pacing drags in places—there's a lot of "and then they texted, and then they had dinner, and then they talked about their days" that doesn't push the story forward. Some listeners have called the narrative "pointless" in spots, and while that's harsh, I get it. The book needed an editor with a machete.
Who This Is For (And Who Should Swipe Left)
If you want low-stakes, cozy romance with smart, successful leads and zero emotional devastation? This is your book. Perfect for background listening while you're designing logos or folding laundry. Janina Edwards is likeable despite the pronunciation hiccups, and Guillory's writing is always easy to sink into.
But if you're like me—if you need your romances to leave marks—this one might leave you hungry. I wanted to add this to my crying spreadsheet. It didn't even come close.
My Heart Wanted a Feast, Got Appetizers
*Party of Two* is comfort food that needed more seasoning. The ingredients are there: an interracial romance with real-world stakes, a charming narrator, Guillory's signature wit. But it plays it too safe. Never lets the tension build enough, never lets the emotions get messy enough. I finished it feeling like I'd eaten a whole meal but couldn't remember what it tasted like. Surrender left me with that same vague dissatisfaction—pleasant enough in the moment, but nothing that stuck with me.
Three stars. Save your credit for something that'll make you feel things.
