2/23/2023

Herz Über Kopf In Vegas by Catherine Bybee

I was in the mood to discover a new to me author. And I applied for a reading fun but never thought that I would be one of the lucky readers to get a free copy. Well, I got one. But unfortunately, the novel turned out to be one of the palest and most boring reads I have ever read. As sad as it is, I cannot recommend this author, or the novel itself. This is a superficial romance novel with pale figures and a weird way to call the female reproductive organ. I wondered if she´s used the exact words while talking with female patients the way she wrote here about it.

Herz Über Kopf In Vegas

by Catherine Bybee
Ein D´Angelo Zum Verlieben Series #2
Original Title Be Your Everything
Publisher Montlake on February 28, 2023
Genre Novel
Pages 379
Format Paperback
Source Lovelybooks/ Montlake
Goodreads
✶✶✶

Hot kisses in Vegas, a real lightning wedding, and the winding roads to great love.

Chloe loves her extended Italian family more than anything. Even if she constantly talks into her life. That's why Chloe is determined not to let her siblings find out about her secret crush on Dante Mancuso, who she's been in love with since high school. Because he is her brother's best friend and not only for this reason absolutely taboo. A trip to Vegas changes everything: Chloe and Dante end up in one of the many wedding chapels in the middle of the night. Chloe wakes up the next morning with a ring on her finger and a new husband. Dante and Chloe agree their little adventure was a huge mistake. But they can't get out of the number that easily...

Story

Chloe´s brother is about to get married and wants to celebrate his last weekend as a single man in Las Vegas. Both enjoy their trip with their friends to the fullest. And with lots of alcohol Vegas becomes more than a memorable trip. But Chloe is shocked when she discovers that the alcohol not only gave her a bad headache but also a wedding ring on her finger.

Style

The language of this novel is bland, pale, and anything but imaginative. The author reaches deep into the cliché box and downright sugarcoats her story with it. But why she then deviated from her otherwise simple writing style in some dialogues and had to stage the female reproductive organs obscenely is not clear to me. And why in the end this artificial aggression had to be built in by a male character, too. That was unnecessary and anything but good.

Characters

It is well known that an Italian family ticks differently than a French or German one. But what was offered here was too much even for me. Chloe's brothers behave in abusive ways and show with their hasty behavior that they are obviously not very smart.

This behavior got on my nerves after just a few pages. What was probably intended as an amusing note by the author went horribly wrong. At least for me. On the other hand, what I really liked was what Chloe came up with to get away from her brothers' abusive behavior. She shows humor, wit, and a great sense of the unusual. And her time in Bali set my head cinema in motion. Great pleasure.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, this novel wasn't for me. Too much kitsch, and too predictable and the characters lack any depth. There were no surprises here, and the slips of the tongue regarding the female reproductive system seemed more obscene than refreshing. A pity. I was definitely expecting too much from the story.

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Lovelybooks/ Montlake in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

Deutsche Rezension

Stil

Sprachlich ist dieser Roman fad, blass und alles andere als einfallsreich gestaltet. Die Autorin greift tief in die Klischeekiste und überzuckert ihre Geschichte regelrecht damit. Warum sie in einigen Dialogen dann aber von ihrem ansonsten einfachen Schreibstil abgewichen ist und die weiblichen Fortpflanzungsorgane obszön in Szene setzen musste, ist mir nicht klar. Und warum am Ende auch noch diese künstliche Aggression durch eine männliche Figur eingebaut werden musste, auch nicht. Das war unnötig und alles andere als gut.

Charaktere

Es ist allgemein bekannt, dass eine italienische Familie anders tickt. Aber was einem hier geboten wurde, war selbst mir zu viel. Chloes Brüder verhalten sich übergriffig und zeigen mit ihrem vorschnellen Verhalten, dass sie offenbar nicht allzu klug sind.

Mit hat dieses Verhalten schon nach wenigen Seiten genervt. Was wohl als amüsante Note der Autorin gedacht war, ging gründlich daneben. Zumindest bei mir. Was mir hingegen gut gefiel, war, was Chloe sich alles hat einfallen lassen, um eben diesem übergriffigen Verhalten ihrer Brüder zu entkommen. Da beweist sie Humor, Witz und viel Sinn für das Ungewöhnliche. Und ihre Zeit auf Bali hat bei mir das Kopfkino in Gang gesetzt. Herrliches Vergnügen.

Resultat

Für mich war dieser Roman leider nichts. Zu viel Kitsch, zu vorhersehbar und die Figuren ohne jeglichen Tiefgang. Hier gab es keine Überraschungen, und die sprachlichen Ausrutscher in Bezug auf die weiblichen Fortpflanzungsorgane wirkten eher obszön als erfrischend. Schade. Von der Geschichte hab ich mir eindeutig zu viel erwartet.

This novel was published in the English language by Montlake on November 15, 2022 

Catherine Bybee

Catherine is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. In total, she has written thirty-nine beloved books that have collectively sold more than 10 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages. Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and lives happily divorced in San Diego.

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