It Went Viral is the brand new book from Stacy Stone! This romance story starts off with a viral incident, and we witness how that affected Isla and Bryan. If you're looking for a best friends sibling romance, then consider picking up It Went Viral.
I am opting not to recap this book for you, as the description that Stacy Stone wrote is perfection. It tells you everything you need to know about the book. So let's just jump into my thoughts.
If you follow me on Goodreads, then you already know my general thoughts on It Went Viral. Let's dive into a bit further though. I truly did like the premise of this book. The fact that there was this viral social media event surrounding them, and how it affected their lives. THAT was what interested me. For me though, while I liked the premise, the story left a lot to be desired. I feel bad saying that, and you may feel differently about the book. This is just my take away. If you know me, you know that the best friend's sibling is one of my top 3 favorite tropes, so that was what really sold me on this book. Add in the frenemies to lovers trope, and I should have been all in.
I felt absolutely zero connection to the characters. They weren't relatable. Bryan came across as indifferent. Isla came across as a hurt woman who hadn't healed from the situation in college, and she was a bit bitter. Then there was Bryan's marriage troubles that just felt weird. Yes, divorce happens. Yes, infidelity happens. Yes, communication issues happen. BUT both Bryan and his soon to be ex wife were just immature. It was ridiculous, and frustrating. In an ideal world, Bryan's divorce would have been finalized before Isla even agreed to help with the event. Then that character could have been eliminated from the story. For me, it was an unnecessary storyline. It Went Viral was supposed to be about Bryan and Isla reconnecting, but here was this third party with a foot still in the door. In my mind, and how I thought the story would play out, I fully believed the video would resurface, and THAT would have been the cause of their moment of conflict. I mean it makes sense if you go off the book cover. But It wasn't. Was the moment of conflict still drama filled? Oh absolutely. It just wasn't what I wanted.
Now here's the thing. I generally believe this is a decent story. I gave it 3 stars. Was it everything I wanted? Absolutely not. But there's potential. There were bits and pieces of this story that I did enjoy. When both Isla and Bryan shared about how the viral video affected them, THAT I was all about. I wanted to see how it affected them. How it affected their relationships, and their future. We did get to see bits and pieces of that. It wasn't enough though for me to rate this story higher though. I needed to feel the connection between the characters. I needed to find myself rooting for them in their times of trouble. I needed to not be able to put the book down. Part of me wishes there wasn't that time gap written in. I think it would have been interesting to walk the walk with Isla, and Bryan, and had them reconnect when the event was still fresh. It is what it is though. It Went Viral was a decent story, and I stand by what I've said. I will say, the concept was so good. It had so much potential. Especially since social media is such a large part of our daily lives.
Do I recommend It Went Viral? I do. It is very rare that I don't recommend a book I've read. I've said it before, and I'll say it many more times, book ratings are so personal. So while a book may not be ideal for one reader, another may absolutely love it. (and vice versa) When I go into reading an advanced reader copy, I go into it prepared to tell my true feelings. I'm not one who will rate a book high because I received an early copy. NO. That's not how it's supposed to be. A review is your true feelings about a book, and that should be shared.
Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts. If you choose to read It Went Viral, I would love to hear your thoughts.
Laura
Event manager Isla James still burns with shame over her college infamy. . Climbing naked out of the window, just to have it filmed by some fratbrothers was embarrassing to say the least. The fact that the video went viral made it so much worse. And though her professional star has risen since reinventing herself in a new town, returning to her old stomping grounds is not on her bucket list. But when her best friend asks her to promote her family’s charity ball, she relents despite fearing she’ll get stuck working with the last man she ever wants to see again.
…but he’s determined to change her mind.
Bryan Hunter’s biggest mistake was letting Isla go that fateful day. He was a stupid college boy back then, but he’s a changed man now. He’ll do whatever it takes to win her back. Now he just has to convince Isla that she can trust and maybe even love him.
She fled humiliation. He’s a changed man. Can they make a happy ending out of a bad beginning and get a second chance at love
her Verlangen series under her Dutch name Stefanie Van Mol.
She loved writing so much, she kept writing. Say You Want Me, the first book of her Full Moon series.
She won the Brave New Book of the year Award in the Netherlands in 2016 and decided to translate the book to English.
