Book Sojourner: Review: The Opposite of You by Rachel Higginson

The Opposite of You by Rachel Higginson

March 30, 2017

302 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Contains: language, non-explicit sex

I’ve sworn off men.

All men.

Famous last words, right? You’re expecting some epic tale of reluctant love and my dramatic change of heart? Well, you’re not going to get it.

I’m stubborn. And headstrong. And I’ve just survived the worst three years of my life. After escaping an abusive boyfriend to live in hostels and cheap hotels while I worked my way across Europe, I’ve come to two conclusions.

The first? Now that I’m back home, I’m going to squander my expensive culinary degree on a food truck that caters to the late night drunk crowd.

The second? I’m going to prove to the bastard across the plaza that my street food is better than his fussy five course monstrosities.

Killian Quinn might be Food and Wine’s Chef to Watch Out For. He might have a Michelin Star. He might have every food critic in the city wrapped around his too-large fingers. But he’s also pretentious and unbearably arrogant and the very opposite of me.

So he can keep his unsolicited advice and his late night visits and his cocky smiles. I want none of it. Or him.

I want the opposite.

I loved 'The Opposite of You.' It's a dual chef romance! I mean food + romance = yay! When we first meet Vera, she's starting her food truck business, which just happens to be across the street from Killian's famous restaurant. Right away we can feel the tension between these two. But there's more than meets the eye about these two. Vera is still recovering from getting out of an abusive relationship over a year ago, with her confidence low. Killian comes across as a pretentious jerk, critiquing Vera's food. So we may get sparks in the beginning, but they're not the good kind. But throughout this journey we follow Vera's new life as a food truck owner, trying to recapture her confidence and her dreams, learning to trust again, bonding with her family and best friend, and perhaps opening her heart to someone who is the opposite of her.

What I especially loved about this story was all the layers. There were so many more layers than I expected, but they didn't feel forced. Everything had its purpose and place and enhaced the story beautifully. Beyond the intriguing main characters, we get the yummy, diet-busting, inspiring food. Then we get Vera's supportive father and brother, and the tenderness in their love for each other. Vera's best friend is wonderful, and I can't wait for more of her story. Then there's Killian's "family", Killian's co-workers, and so much more! Each and every person has layers which added to all of Vera's layers, and I loved it.

And through it all we get this slow-building, tender, sometimes antagonistic, tentative-to-trusting friendship between Vera and Killian, which turns into this beautiful romance. I absolutely loved this couple. I loved the slow burn. These were two people who were not only great together, but basically needed to be together. They were perfect for one another and I completely loved Vera and Killian. I took off a quarter star because it was just a little slow in the middle, otherwise I loved it. The ending was perfect, and I cannot wait to read about the couple in the next book!

4.75 STARS