Review: “My Favorite Half-Night Stand” by Christina Lauren

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I devoured this book. Seriously, I read close to 300 pages in one day, which I have not done since high school. It was a big deal to me, but My Favorite One-Night Stand just kept me flipping the pages. There’s just something about Christina Lauren’s writing that makes my eyes hurt from reading for too long. However, I have no regrets about spending all day Sunday reading this book. None at all.

The characters

Millie was hilarious and weird, and that’s probably why I liked her. I always try to find characteristics or quirks to relate to within a character (does that make me weird?). I can definitely relate to her passionate nerdiness. While she loves serial killers, I’m more passionate about TV and writing. Her quirks were endearing, and I aspire to be the level of adult she is when I’m that age. She doesn’t take life too seriously, but she still is successful, fun and smart. Millie kind of reminded me of Jess from New Girl!

Reid was just okay. He was obviously a nice guy, which was refreshing to see in romance novels. I usually read those books where the male is all businessman of sports guy who has an ego problem and can be jerks. So it was nice that Reid was genuinely nice and a smarty pants. (Can’t deny the love for that) He was kind of like a Hallmark good guy. You know the type. I definitely am a fan of nice guys, however, so I’m glad Reid wasn’t a jerkwad. 

I freaking loved the side characters: Ed, Alex and Chris. I feel like I relate way too much to Ed for my liking, but he was a funny character. I’m a lot cleaner than he seems to be, though. I just related so much to all the awkward situations he got himself in to throughout the book because same. Chris was such a sweet dude and was a great friend to Reid. It’s unusual in romance books to see two guy friends just talking it out, but Chris was definitely the support system to Reid. It was refreshing to see. Alex was totally the woman eater in the book, but not in a gross way where you just want to slap him. He was another fun character.

The fallout

I think we learned an important lesson from Millie here: we do not catfish our best friends whom we are also in love with. Got it? Cool. Yeah, Millie had been messaging Reid as another girl on a dating app, and he was starting to fall for her alter ego. He confessed to “Catherine” that he has feelings for his best friend unknowing that he was actually admitting all of that to Millie herself. Oh boy.

There was no avoiding the fallout that would have occurred from that. Reid had every right to be mad at Millie for deceiving him and not being upfront with him. She had wanted to give their relationship a shot but was not willing to come out and tell him. Reid put an end to it because he wants him to be enough to want to be truthful to. Millie doesn’t give up easily on him, though, which was a relief to me. 

The dialogue

Christina Lauren always dominates with their dialogue. It feels authentic and like things that I would say to my friends. The dialogue that stuck out most to me was when Millie and Reid were discussing his name and whether it was douchey or not. Millie told him that it’s a douche name, but he disagreed. So, the two friends asked random bystanders in the coffee shop whether it was a douchey name. Let’s just say they got some mixed reviews there.

The dialogue is cheesy, and that’s why I love it. It makes it more entertaining, and it’s not too heavy where you have to dab your eyes with a tissue every sentence. I can always count on Christina Lauren for making me laugh out loud, swoon or sometimes, shed a lone tear when the MCs won’t just get together already. 

The romance

Despite the title of the book, it really focused on friendship and the possibility of a relationship. While, yes, Millie and Reid had sex occasionally, the book wasn’t just a million scenes of just that. Instead, it focused on the two coming to grips with their changing relationship. There were some ups and there were some downs, just like any normal relationship.

I really appreciated that it wasn’t just about Millie and Reid figuring out their feelings for one another. I liked their interactions with their other friends. Probably because I really like the side characters because they brought a lot of comic relief. In romance books especially, it’s important to show that the MCs have friendships and interactions outside of each other. If it hadn’t been for Ed’s nonexistent filter, Alex’s not-so-charming self or Chris’s wiseness, the book would have fallen flat. I especially loved Millie and Ed’s friendship. Of course, she had to confide in him because, of course, he was the one who overheard them hooking up. LOL poor Ed. Millie and Ed just really bounced off each other, which a great portrayal of friend chemistry. (That’s totally a thing, right?)

The ending

As expected, the ending was sweet, and everything came together for Millie and Reid. I’m glad Millie ended up seeing a therapist to help her open up with Reid and deal with everything happening in her life. I’m also glad she chose to go home to help her dad and that the whole gang came with her as a support system. And Ed got himself a girlfriend after all, aw! 

Other commentaries

  • Can I have a Chris in my life?
  • Also, I wouldn’t be opposed to a Reid as well. He also comes with an abundance of wine, so sign me up.
  • I love Ed; he cracked me up. His character was written so well.
  • I really dug the text conversations that were scattered throughout the book — it broke all the word text up a bit to make it smooth reading.
  • Thidefinitelyfinitly deprived me of my sleep, and that is okay.
  • 9.75/10 would recommend.