Format: ebook
Release Date: January 18th, 2022
Age: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Goodreads
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Thank you to Headline Eternal for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley – views remain my own.
This was really enjoyable. A very loose retelling of Pygmalion, Made in Manhattan features Violet – a Manhattan socialite who knows exactly how to move through the social scene without ruffling feathers – and Cain – her mentor’s long-lost grandson from Louisiana. Noted as a reverse My Fair Lady, the story sees Violet attempting to turn Cain into someone his grandmother can pass over her company to. But, of course, there’s more to Cain than the rough bad boy from New Orleans, and with his help Violet discovers a different, more assertive side to herself.
A lot of this book centres around appearances and first impressions, and there’s a nice message underlying about looking beyond these. Violet is a people-pleaser, through and through, and unsure about what she actually wants from life. After the death of her parents, she has struggled to grow into her own person, instead folding into whatever other people need her to be. In contrast, Cain seems sure of his life, and he initially wants to keep his distance from his long-lost grandmother and the whole social scene she and Violet are part of. They clash, both instantly identifying exactly which of the other’s buttons to press. These scenes were among my favourites in the book, especially as their teasing turns into something a little bit deeper.
It’s one of those books with an excellent supporting cast, too, from Violet’s best friend – the only one she can truly confide in – to her sort-of-maybe-boyfriend Keith, who offers the kind of security and stability Cain doesn’t seem able to. Of course, there’s some back and forth, moments of longing, and times when Violet and Cain seem on the verging of reaching the same page together. This book is escapism at its finest – it’s heart-warming, funny, and a really lovely rom com to get totally lost in.
Reading Challenge
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Prompt: Five Feet Apart – Obstacle keeping love interests apart
Progress: 9/24 Completed
Unwrapping Words 