The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest
It’s been a while since I reviewed a book I actually liked. But, true to form, I won’t oversell it—this is simply a book I enjoyed. Not loved, not obsessed with, just a solid, cute read.
The Partner Plot is a fairly popular BookTok pick and the second book in a series about three sisters. The first, The Neighbor Favor, was severely underwhelming, but this one is a step up. It won’t change your life, but it also won’t make you want to throw it across the room, a win in my book.
Summary
Violet Greene, a successful celebrity stylist, reunites with her high school sweetheart, Xavier Wright, during a trip to Las Vegas. Xavier, now a high school teacher and basketball coach in their New Jersey hometown, didn’t anticipate crossing paths with Violet again. Their chance meeting leads to a night of celebration, rekindling old feelings and leading them into a marriage of convenience. As they navigate this new arrangement, they confront past heartbreaks and figure out if this is worth trying again.
What I Liked
The writing style was simple and engaging, it’s not a complicated read and it was fairly easy to get through. That said, I can’t remember if I read it all the way through or if I had to put it down a few times. I also love a marriage of convenience book so I was definitely happy to read this.
The characters were genuinely interesting, each thriving in their own vastly different worlds. It was clear they were both respected and valued in their respective arenas. My favorite parts of the story were when we got to explore them as individuals—especially Violet, whose life was actually quite fascinating.
A lot of romance is meant to be heartwarming, dreamy, and wrapped in an idealised world where everything falls perfectly into place. But what I enjoyed about this book was how grounded and realistic the conflicts felt. There were no illusions about how the world worked or the challenges the characters would face. It felt mature and authentic, with no frustrating miscommunications—just two adults navigating their relationship with honest, open dialogue.
There was a level of pragmatism in their understanding of each other’s places in the world and in their lives. While this isn’t always what I look for in romance, it was a refreshing change of pace.
Why It Wasn’t Groundbreaking
While I was reading, I guess I was waiting for someone big to happen and nothing did. We simply coasted along. I can’t say I was bored, but I wasn’t exactly moved either. This was a very low-stakes romance.
Both characters were fairly likeable, with neither having any particularly frustrating or disappointing traits, which is always a plus. Though the characters had depth and were captivating in their own right, the romance itself fell flat and felt underwhelming. I just wasn’t convinced by their connection. I could see why they were drawn to each other as teenagers, the passion they shared back then made sense, but as adults, it didn’t translate on the page. Kristina Forest clearly wanted us to believe in their chemistry, but I just wasn’t buying what she was selling. Part of the difficulty with second-chance romances is convincing us that these two people belong together, especially if there was a clear reason the first breakup happened. We don’t get this in the book. In fact, when it comes to their relationship we don’t get much.
Usually, for me, a book loses stars when there are themes I don’t like or it’s simply bad execution. This story is neither of those things, it’s not a bad book it got the job done. You might not get a distinction but you definitely passed all required modules.
Final Thoughts & Rating
If you’re in the mood for a lighthearted, feel-good read, The Partner Plot is a solid choice. Not every book needs to be a masterpiece, and this one was perfect for a relaxing afternoon.
As for whether I’ll pick up the final book in the series—that’s still up in the air. I’m not entirely sold on Kristina Forest’s writing, and I doubt a third book will change my mind. But I do expect another low-stakes, easy read—and sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.
I have read a lot of romance books I’ve loved recently but nothing so far that makes me want to write the most emotionally charged in-depth review like I did for Reel. It’s disappointing really.
On the bright side, I’ve had better luck with thrillers, so that might be my next review. Stay tuned to see if I was sufficiently thrilled.
As always thank you for your support. I would appreciate your thoughts on my reviews and recommendations so far!
Signed,
A Mo-tivated Reader ☺️
Let me know what book I’m currently reading, you would like me to review!
