Book Review – Worth It by S.M. Shade and C.M. Owens

Worth It
<— LOL!!!! CUUUUUTE!!!! !!!! Totally cute, but trust me, there’s nothing “sweet” about this story. It’s a laugh-out-loud (lots of LOL’ing) with a large side of “crude and obnoxious” (yet funny) behavior.

In fact, *ahem* while it’s not sweet at all, the overall feel I had when I hit then end (and read the additional short story at the very very end) had me giggling, left me with a huge grin on my face and thinking… “CUTE!!!!!”

Sharon: I’m reading Worth It and all I can say is that’s it’s the funniest, sweetest book I have read in forever. Laugh.Out.Loud funny. I’m 78% in and don’t want it to end, but am dying to know how it ends. It’s refrshing to have it be about two couples. These characters have sick senses of humor – right up my alley.

Tabathia: Worth It has to be one of the funniest books that I read (finally read it after so many recommendations)…

Jen C: …just finished Worth It last night – haven’t laughed so much in a long time…

Maria: Worth It by CM Owens and SM Shade is one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. I was reading excerpts to my husband between gasping for air and hysterical laughing fits.

Maryse: I’m going to read “Worth it” since everyone says it’s so funny you’ll laugh until you cry. For me, I’d like to laugh until I wheeze. LOL!!! I’m hoping this does it. Cover made me *blink blink* a couple of times, but with all those 5 star reviews and barely anything less than that, and all the comments about it, and it being super-bargain priced right now, I one-clicked it and decided I’m in the mood for that!

So what’s it about?

Three best girl friends are headed to a wedding together. The “highly disliked” stepbrother of one of ‘em, is getting married, and he just so happens to be the EX boyfriend of the other. She’s devastated, and really shouldn’t be there, but the girls want her to come as they plan on completely sabotaging the wedding however they possibly can. They are sticking up for their girl, and her cheating ex and his new bride-to-be that he cheated on her with, are in for some serious public mortification.

Yet, in the process, two of the three girls run into guys from their pasts (bringing back a few disdainful memories for them)

I watch like a stalker as he moves toward a couple to speak to. Sh!t. I don’t know if I want to stab him or f*ck him. When he looks up and catches me staring, he smirks again, smugly gazing at me like he owns me.

Stab him. Definitely want to stab him.

…that just so happen to be at the wedding too.

“I’m not sleeping with you again.”

“Don’t remember us sleeping together. I recall a lot of cries of ‘yes!’ and ‘don’t stop!’ Don’t think I could sleep through that.”

Oh and let me tell you, things get CRAZY. I mean dangerously crazy (and over-the-top… OMG-NO-WAY-AM-I-actually-reading-what-I-think-I’m-reading!!  Oh yes). *blink blink* Even I was surprised at how far these two went into messing up this HUGE wedding week.

You guys know crude humor is not my thing. To me, the obnoxiousness of it can be overdone and if I groan and eyeroll too many times, I’ll end up DNF’ing. And yes, even though there were moments that had me cringing when I should have been laughing, and questioning the believability (and even the sanity of the two main characters) this one balances quite well with PLENTY of actual believable “funny” moments and banter (and introspection), too.

And even better? It has tons of heart. The family dynamics and varying levels of emotional connection (some fragile and some strong), to the feeling of camaraderie, and yes… most importantly, the romance aspects (there are TWO love stories going on!!!) really tugged at my heartstrings.

I was stupid to think I could sleep with him and not become attached when I was never unattached. Eight years of no contact didn’t change my feelings for him.

That is, when the girls weren’t going overboard with their high jinks. And trust me, if you’re like me, humor-wise, there will be moments that will make you scream “OH COME ON!!! REALLY?!!“  Yep. Sometimes.

This is one of those, though, that to appreciate the laughs for what they are, you might have to suspend disbelief, possibly your moral objections… and just “go with it“.

BUT!!! There will be even more moments that will have you laughing, and I mean full on chortling and snorting (literally out loud, no matter who’s around ) and any book that can do that, multiple times throughout, has my attention.

Some of the scenes meant to be funny, may not be my thing, but the whole effect, from the personal growth,

I’ve been walking around with a veil over my eyes so that I only see things one-dimensionally. The truth is, I feel like I’ve only been seeing what I’ve wanted to see.

…the reveals, the other funny scenes, and the love stories, made this book totally worth the read. Worth it, indeed!

4 stars!

P.S. Oh yeah… that funny-yet-raunchy cover? Perfect fit for this book. What you see IS what you get. I almost didn’t one-click it because of it (it just screams over-the-top and maybe a little corny, too) but I was promised full on belly-laughs, and I got them. So thank you!