I was drawn to this book by the cover and the synopsis, and I was not disappointed. I loved the characters, and I was so into this story that I couldn't put it down.

"Marrying Myself" by Christine Melanie Benson is a thought-provoking and inspiring memoir about the author's journey of self-discovery and personal growth.

The book chronicles Benson's decision to marry herself, which was born out of a desire to reclaim her own power and agency after a difficult divorce. Throughout the book, Benson reflects on her past experiences and the societal pressures that led her to prioritize marriage over her own individuality and self-worth.

What makes this book truly compelling is Benson's willingness to be vulnerable and honest about her struggles, as well as her determination to find a new path forward. She grapples with questions of identity, self-love, and what it means to truly be happy and fulfilled.

i'm very clearly in the minority here that there wasn't much about this story that i enjoyed. i stuck it out and read the entire book even though i really didn't want to finish quite a few times.

here's what i didn't enjoy:
•there were several LGBT characters in this book and they were all portrayed as sabotaging and cheaters so automatically -1⭐
•there were several characters (without giving spoilers) who cheated on their monogamous partners so that was another -1⭐
•i didn't have any connection to any character in this book. i didn't root for either FMC Julia or MMC Asher. her friends and coworkers weren't supportive or in her corner which made it hard for me to want to be in her corner -1⭐

here's what i did enjoy:
•lots of scenes around Boston and the greater Boston area
•vegan/vegetarian representation.. though admittedly not the greatest representation
•an interesting overall concept
•easy to read (though i did have a hard time with the cheating, miscommunication, and the LGBT representation but that's beside the point)

I wasn’t a fan of this one, sadly - the characters fell flat for me and it was a struggle to get through. Sorry, this one is a miss for me!

after getting stood up by her fiancé, asher, just a couple minutes before walking down the aisle, julia tries to put herself back together and move on with her life.

the reason for asher suddenly changing his mind was interesting and a twist i didn’t see coming.

this book was very character driven, exploring julia and her trials in life and discovering herself again.

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eArc, in exchange for an honest review!
all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I could not get into this book for reasons unknown. There was just something stopping me from letting myself go in the story. The concept is good and I wanted to enjoy it, I even ran a bath. Sadly we were not compatible

This book was ok, I didn't enjoy the main character and the romance was kind of blah.

I finished the story, but struggled through it.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

I really didn’t enjoy this one, I thought it would be different, however was disappointed by it. Sorry not one for me.

The protagonist in this book frustrated me quite a bit with how self-deprecating they were and it did get annoying at times. This was just quite a meh romance for me, not the best but also not the worst.
2.5 stars

I didn’t love this. Honestly I was disappointed. I was so excited and it just was a complete let down. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this.

Unfortunately this book fell majorly flat for me.
The storyline didn’t have me invested at all. Very two dimensional characters and I just wasn’t drawn in at all.
The actual name sake of the title doesn’t come into play until around 50 pages from the end.
Just wasn’t for me.
Writer had moments where characters were funny but overall didn’t feel connected and characters just weren’t likeable.
2/5 stars.

This book is fine. It was hard to read as Julia was so self depreciating as she deemed herself as small and less then. She never saw her worthy of Asher's love and made silly reasons as to what happened until she knew the real truth. Yes, she finished strong but it was hard to see she did such a turn around when she didn't believe in herself the majority of the book.

Julia was suppossed to marry her impossibly wealthy fiance, Asher, in a Swiss castle. Her marriage would have meant that she was able to quit her job and be an artist full time. Instead, she was jilted, and we see her go through a series of life lessons, trying to find herself.

I found this book so hard to get into. Julia did not resonate with me at all, and for the most part, I found her to be quite irritating.

Thank you to @netgalley for a copy o this in return for my honest review.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Black Rose Writing and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I had a difficult reading this one, just getting into it overall. It’s okay though.

Julia was supposed to marry the impossibly wealthy) Asher Bartlett in a Swiss castle and she was going to become a full-time artist after marriage. Unfortunately, the wedding plans didn't work out and she went through a series of life lessons hoping to find herself.

It's a funny book with lots of terrific LOL scenes. Love the growth that Julia went through. I enjoyed the humor and the snarky banter. A quick fun read.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.