4.5 fangirling stars!!
This book was like the retelling of every single fairy tale stories I adored as a child. And what's wonderful about fairy tales is that they make you believe in happily ever after. When Fangirls Lie is kind of like that.
Sapphire "Saffi" March is a beautiful girl from a well to do family. She's a genius too. The only problem is that Saffi is very eccentric, a fish-loving eccentric genius, but socially awkward girl. And coming from a conservative family, she stands out like a sore thumb. But Saffi's biggest eccentricity isn't her penchant for all things fish but her all out devotion to Sweden's #1 sex god, Staffan Aehrenthal.
Ah, Staffan. Described in the blurb as handsome like a classical statue but earthy and sexy like a pagan god, Staffan is your typical rock star man 'ho. He wasn't always like that though but he had been betrayed in the past by the woman he loved and her betrayal sent Staffan down the path to self-destruction.
So what happens when Saffi, the naive, innocent and lovable girl meets Staffan, the cynical, jaded, albeit hot rock star?
Yeah. I forgot to tell you. This fairy tale ain't for little girls folks. Let me just say I was pleasantly surprise by how, ahem, steamy this book was, which really, really, really made me happy.
But it was really Saffi with her love for all things fish that made this book for me. I really loved her eccentricities and her expressions. She was quirky and lovable and I was totally rooting for her from page one. She was a breath of fresh air, which was a surprise because if it had been any other book, she would probably be annoying. But considering the story line and the way the author developed her character, Saffi endeared herself to me.
As much as Saffi was adorable, Staffan really tested my tolerance. Not because he was unlikable but because of the things he did that really, really hurt me--I mean, Saffi. I wanted to kick his beautiful ass to the curb for doing those things to poor Saffi.
He did some really nice groveling though, so I forgive him but boy, did he put me through the ringer with his antics.
To me, what makes a book wonderful isn't just about the writing, and this one was really well written, but as a reader, I wanted to be able to relate to the characters. If I don't feel any connection to them or their story, the author pretty much failed in my book, no matter how brilliant the writing is.
Fortunately, I did feel the connection here. The fairy tale element, as I mentioned before, was quite strong. Meaning that as a reader, I had to suspend reality and allow myself to be pulled into a surreal world where rock stars do fall in love the quirky and nerdy girl. So if you like your story a bit on a realistic, gritty side, this might not work for you. But if you're in a mood for some good old romantic tale, then this book is totally for you.
Yes, this book did end with an HEA but Saffi and Staffan's story has a continuation. But this book can be read as a standalone, whether you continue to read book two or not, is up to you.