Katie just wants to do something different. She recently finished law school and is searching for her first job while she waits to find out if she passed the bar. Her boyfriend just dumped her because he “wants to be single for summer,” whatever that means, and she’s just had it with the status quo. On her way to yoga with a friend, she passes a kickboxing gym and is immediately intrigued. The fact that the trainer she runs into is gorgeous and tattooed and not remotely her usual type doesn’t hurt, either. It turns out that Ryan and Katie get along perfectly, both in the gym and outside. But can two people from such different worlds make it work?
I really enjoyed Stacy Wise’s debut novel, Beyond the Stars, when I read it back in 2016. I was pretty excited to be offered a review copy of her new book (and even more excited when the weekend rolled around and I could dive in). Maybe Someone Like You was okay, but it’s not going to be one of my favorites of the year.
On paper, Katie and Ryan were great characters. Katie is a driven young attorney who wants to make a difference and isn’t willing to settle for a soul-killing job just because it comes with a large paycheck. Ryan is the perfect guy, one who will make sure you get home okay after having too many drinks and who loves hanging out with his niece. Together, they have a lot of chemistry. It’s just a shame that I never really felt anything for them.
This is definitely a slow burn romance. I can go for a slow burn when the final result is worth the wait, but I’m not sure that it was here. This is a very chaste romance — which is fine! — but after wading through 366 pages of manufactured misunderstandings and willful miscommunication, I was hoping to be rewarded with a little bit more than a kiss.
I did enjoy the job aspect of the book with Katie weighing the pros and cons of the large paycheck and security that come with a job she hates versus something less certain that she’s passionate about. I also really enjoyed Craig, Katie’s coworker and, eventually, her good friend.
Overall, this is an easy read, but it’s not earth-shattering. The plot moves along very slowly with a few asides that probably weren’t strictly necessary. If you like character-driven stories and getting inside your heroine’s head, you’ll probably enjoy this book. If you enjoy swoony heroes and lingering stares and the slowest of slow burns, you’ll really enjoy it.
Final rating: ★★★☆☆
I received a free copy of Maybe Someone Like You from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!
The Bibliophagist 