It's never good when my predominant feeling while reading a book is boredom. The Right Swipe should have been a fun, breezy modern-day romance, but instead it felt like slogging through 400 pages of molasses.
Almost from the first page, that spark of interest and excitement I should feel while reading a new book was missing. I thought if I kept going, it would eventually show up, but it never did. I think a large reason is that I just couldn't relate to the main female character, Rhiannon. She's extremely rigid in her view of relationships and weirdly sensitive to any perceived slights. She's constantly on her guard waiting for the other person to slip up, and when that inevitably happens, she jumps up and down on them and pretty much says "I knew you're no good!" Sorry girl, but if that's your attitude, your relationships are doomed to failure.
The writing also came across as stilted and awkward. The author writes in detail about everything, including every business meeting, every conversation with friends, every thought in the characters heads. It came across as if I, the reader, is quite dumb and must have every interaction spelled out in triplicate detail for me to understand. I don't need a plot point harped upon in so many different ways... I got it. The phrase "leave them wanting more" obviously doesn't apply here.
And for all that quantity, there was no quality. The dialog lacked wit, the main characters had no chemistry, and the plot line was unimaginative and plodding. This reading experience is like being accosted by a rambling relative known for telling long and pointless stories, and you can't escape. Sigh.
Maybe I need to take a break from light romances and romcoms. The last few I've read have been disappointing across the board. The conflicts have been surprisingly contrived and the characters were unlikable, one-dimensional extremes of who they should be. Without likable and relatable characters, what's even the point of a romance?
Readaroo Rating: 2 stars
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