Don't Judge Me

by Sylvie Fox

So far, Raphael Augustine’s ten year career as a comedian consists of a lot of ones: one night gigs, one night stands, and one night in jail. But he’s committed to inking a successful TV deal, nonetheless. He’s not looking for a relationship and certainly doesn’t expect to have his briefs tied in a knot by a prim and proper woman from Connecticut.

There’s not much to laugh about in Daisy Fletcher’s life. She never thought an Ivy League degree would land her work as an adult webmaster. Years later, fake chat room dates are her only companions, and a failing business her reward. Her father always told her men only want one thing. By selling that one thing to virtual customers, she’s lost faith in the opposite sex.

After Daisy catches Raphael’s shirt during a striptease at a gay bar, she’s tempted. Can a rakish comic change her ideas about love and fortune?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance

380 pages, Paperback

First published August 29, 2014

About the author

Sylvie Fox is the USA Today bestselling author of smart women’s fiction. She splits her time between Los Angeles and Budapest, where she enjoys yoga, knitting, farm-to-table cooking, and life with her son. When she’s not writing, her nose is stuck in a book.

Reviews

[scribes23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Past performance is no indication of future results" - Raphael Agustin


Raphael "Cute Korean Kyrtonite" Agustine.


Daisy "Bronwen/Lexi/Miss Fletcher



Lets talk about:



Cover : Seriously, Don't judge this book by the cover, I know it looks like a hardcore erotic novel, but it's not its a chick-lit /contemporary romance.



Opening : It was interesting enough to read on, but it was hooking but rather slow.

Hero Raphael, He's a charmer. Sure author says He takes sex like it's nothing, but I didn't see that in him. He is quite the character.


HeroineDaisy, I get her. Her personality portrays everyday problems of woman, you can relate to her but she's annoying at times.

Other Characters I love Nari, Daisy's bestfriend, she looks out for Daisy so much.

Relationships I liked that they didn't hook up at the moment they saw each other, and the next and next. It's complicated but very sureal.

Dialogue It was easy to read, not to flowery but not to confined. The humor tone it is perfect

The plot It's not cliche, It original, I mean you have a stand up comedian and a pornsite master? How can that be top?

Scene I love the scene where Nari and Raphael caught Daisy filming an adult film and the events after that.

Ending The ending scene was a bit anti climatic for me.

Setting is very modern, and it matches their jobs and personalities

Pace, I hated the pace, it was too slow for me.

Enjoyment I enjoyed this book, it was very fun to read in terms of jokes.

Recommendations I recommend this book to those who wants to read something a little new. This book is very refreshing. I wouldn't recommend this book for those people who wants a quick read.




If you want spoilers here:


and yes you click! you want spoilers? here

“I met this girl that I really like,” Raphael started.

The audience gave him one big “Awww.”

“Don’t worry. It gets worse.” He paused a beat, drawing the crowd in. “So I’m cozying up to this girl in my apartment after a date. I’m all leaning in to kiss her, and she’s leaning back. I ask her, ‘What’s wrong baby?’ She blinks. Blinking is not good unless you’re wearing contacts or at the beach. Blinking means back off. Anyway, she says, ‘You play for the other team.’ And with that, she leaves.” Raphael waited a second. “That’s the last time I meet a girl at a gay bar."

recap: Raphael and Daisy met in a gay bar, and yes Daisy thought that he's gay.


“Same girl, different night. I’ve set the scene this time. Good friends, great cocktails. I’m cozying up to this girl in my apartment, ready to try the kissing thing again. Then someone starts banging on the door. The police barge in. And they arrest me. Handcuffs, reading me my rights, the whole bit. I have to tell you if it hadn’t been me, this would have been a very cool episode of Law and Order.” Everyone in the theater cheered. “Surprisingly, she didn’t want to sit shotgun on the way to jail. That’s the last time I invite a girl to my house when I have an arrest warrant. Cops kill the mood.”

Recap: First date comes, Raphael got arrested because of alleged sexual harassment to a minor, he met at a bar.

“After all this, she invites me over.” Everyone gasps. “What can I say, I’m that good. Anyway, this is my chance. Probably my last chance to show her what I can do. Two or three vodkas in, I’m good to go. I get her to the bedroom. I’m ready to make my move, and nothing goes right. I was as useless as a three-legged horse. A little alcohol can be good, a lot of alcohol will kill your dick.”

So next date, they had sex, and this is where the surprising part is, it's not the explosive kind of sex, Daisy got disapointed she never called Raphael again.

last:

“I know I should give up, man. Finally, I get my chance. I’m looking good. Nearly this good.” He gestured to his well-put-together self. The audience clapped approvingly. “She happens to be walking across the grass toward me. It’s like I’m in a tampon commercial, but I don’t care. There’s only one other guy around. He’s old, not my competition.” He opened his hand to tick off on his fingers “I’m not gay, I’m not drunk, not under arrest. So I make my move and kiss her. She almost gets fired. Note to self: don’t kiss a girl in front of her boss. Especially when you want him to be your boss. Never make a move during a job interview.”

So they meet again in Daisy's new job, on a tv network where Raphael is a part of. a complication, because they're not allowed to date (they're not yet). and there you have it folks! that's just the first half of the book! tons of things happened after that.

ARC Via Author, in exchange of honest review

[Mandi]

SO here's the deal with this book - I'm DNFing at 25%

The hero is a stand up comic, which is why I wanted to read this book. I don't think I've read a character with that profession before. The heroine is a websmaster for porn sites - again, I kind of like that.

The book was a little slow to start, but I like that we didn't rush into insta-love or anything. However..first the heroine assumes the hero is gay, and when she mentions this to him, he thinks something like, oh crap - she thinks I'm gay? - then the chapter ends and the next chapter starts with the heroine telling her best friend he is gay. What happened between the hero and heroine after the chapter ends?? He obviously didn't correct her thinking but why?? He was very attracted to her so why wouldn't he say, you are mistaken. It was weird to be left hanging like that.

Soon after, the hero gets arrested for statutory rape (he slept with a waitress at a club who told him she was 21) I have no idea how this plays out since I'm not finishing the book but....yikes

Finally, the heroine decides she needs to make more money by having original porn content on her site, so she sneaks into her friend's condo and brings in porn people and films scenes - and while there is a threesome going on her friend and family walk in by accident. It wasn't really funny - more gross that you have strangers having sex in your friend's place. Like - on her couch.

Not for me.

[DJ Sakata · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating:

4.5

Favorite Quotes:

I vowed to be model thin in my next life. This incarnation had too many cupcakes to sample.

“It’s not a bad thing that you think I’m attractive,” he said. My whole body fizzed with nerves. Maybe it was adrenaline. I could have run to the coliseum and back without getting winded. I was imagining how I would do that in gold strappy sandals when Raphael spoke again. “I think you’re cute too.”

My Review:

This story was refreshingly real for me. The characters are flawed, confused, and a selfish mess, yet well-meaning and still basically good people, who I would be interested in knowing. Their attempts to have a relationship were thwarted by one calamity after another. Their difficulties actually should not have been so humorous, yet somehow, they always were. I found these characters to be intriguing, yet highly probable. The story was well written and easy to follow, and cringe-worthy at times, but always delightfully so. The steamy sensual scenes were also surprisingly believable, as well as tasty. I enjoyed the tale and was sad for it to end.

[Ruthie Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads."

Overall this is an interesting story - but at points there seems to be no progression and drags a bit. There were sections which I found uncomfortable, and were dealt with in a way that I did not really like. However, there were moments of wonderful humour, and moments where the characters woke up to themselves in a most believable manner. The plot could be tightened, but the story is definitely original and entertaining.

Give it a go, and see what you think - I felt it was worth my time, and hopefully you will too!

[Roxana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Daisy/Brownen and Raphael. She's the webmaster of an porn website and he's a stand-up comedian. They meet at a gay bar, when she keeps his shirt after a stip-tease. Their relationship progresses in the middle of some confusion. Both are somehow lost for love: he's a one-night-stand man who's never been in a relationship, and she somehow loathes sex because of what she sees in her job. Is there a future for them?
Don't Judge Me has an unconventional heroine and a most unlikely hero. Both of them have many flaws and don't fall in love instantly like most romance characters. After reading too many romance novels with the same plots and stereotypes, I find this novel really refreshing. The characters are different, unconventional, and far from being perfect people. It's this lack of perfection what makes me feel for them. This novel is written in the first person, narrated by Daisy and Raphael. I think this is a very good tool to convey their feelings and the difficulties they come accross. This is a novel about judgement (judging yourself, being judged by the others) and also about changing your life and deciding what's best for you. If you want a different kind of romance, unconventional characters and their real voices, Don't Judge Me is for you.

[Cyndi Marie ☆★Audiobook Addict★☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎧 Audio Review 🎧
(kinda)


I enjoyed the story, I did not enjoy the narration on the audiobook. I actually stopped and bought the eBook to finish it.

The story had a very different direction and I liked that. I didn't really like Raphael but honestly I think that may have stemmed from the narration too. He's a comedian but he was never really funny to me. I enjoyed Daisy, I loved her job and the way she reacted to Raphael. I think she needed to get better people in her life, her BFF Nari was mean and bossy.

The story was very well written, and I did like it, I just know I would have like it more if I had read it. I do not want to seem like I'm bashing the narrator because his Rafe voice was good, if not a little dry. The problem was when he read the female parts, men should not try to sound like women during narration, it never works. His voice for Daisy's mom was so bad that was when I finally couldn't listen anymore. I think this would have been a lot better if it had dual narration or if the story had been read by a female. I was surprised by the male narration because I think the story was told more from Daisy's POV then Rafe's.

In the end I give the story 4 stars for the good writing, unusual characters and fun subjects. I would recommend reading this book.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Received through a Goodreads/Firstreads giveaway

The story opens with Daisy Fletcher trying to talk her best friend into going out...to a gay bar...for research! I knew this was going to be a recipe for disaster or hilarity. And, except for a few glitches, Don't Judge Me by Sylvie Fox was a very humorous story that kept me entertained for hours. Let's see...a prim and proper, Ivy-league educated woman who makes a living selling sexual fantasies as an "adult-only-site" webmaster. Check. Best friend since childhood, "Doctor" Nari Yoon, a gorgeous Korean woman very vocal with her displeasure of Daisy's career but unwilling to rock her own boat where HER parents are concerned. Check. (Can we say 'pot-versus-kettle'?) A potential lover who Daisy initially thought was gay (she did meet him in a gay bar after all), comedian who has an unfortunate habit of putting his pickle on the wrong plate and getting arrested. Check. From gay bar research to porn...um...I mean adult film producer, Daisy's life was spiraling hilariously out of control and she carried me along for the ride. Good trip. I always did like the scenic route.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could have been a great book because the author had written two interesting characters. An adult webmaster and a comedian getting together could have made for a lot of laughs and interesting situations but I’m afraid, for me, the humour just wasn’t there.

I found some of the language used was nearing racist and that put me off. I don’t need told every other sentence that someone is Korean and the stereotypical traits of this. I don’t understand why the author felt the need to ram it down my throat constantly.

The cover insinuates it’s going to be a hot read, but then the content didn’t match up.

The story was a slow burner. I don’t mind a book where the story gradually builds but usually the scene is being set. This book dragged its heels and I felt it never really got going.

The lay out of the book was good and the author was proficient at describing situations and characters, but I didn’t think the author made full use of the characters she had written.

I’m being generous awarding this 3*

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book as a GoodReads giveaway winner.

Talk about a couple with some of the worst luck. What intrigued me initially about this book was that you don't find many contemporary romances involving comedians - or maybe I just haven't been looking hard enough. Still, "the path to true love is never easy" is proven here. The obstacles both characters faced were fairly constant. Misunderstandings, their jobs, other outside influences, list goes on.

I can't say I was thrilled at the ultimatums Daisy seemed to keep getting about her initial job though. However I did appreciate that the romance was a slow burn since insta-love in books rarely appeals to me. The main reason I'm only giving this three stars though is that in addition to the aforementioned ultimatums, sometimes the pace seemed a little too slow, and I also didn't like the sex worker shaming that mostly came from Daisy's best friend, Nari.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This contemporary romance by Sylvie Fox combines humor, romance and the struggle to develop a relationship in our fast paced society. Daisy and Rafe are both struggling in their chosen careers, adult website designer and comic, when they meet and a mutual attraction develops. Give this book a try if you like a chuckle as well as steamy scenes while watching the relationship unfold between these characters.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't decide whether or not I like this book. It wasn't the subject that was an issue, it was the characters for me. They kind of seemed all over the place. They seemed weak and a bit self centered. Nari is an awful best friend. I mean absolutely awful. Who needs enemy with someone like her. I didn't hate this book, but I will probably not read this again.

[Emiley Allen Bowes · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS....A whole new twist to love at first sight, she thinks he's hot, but GAY. Never assume that what you think you see is actually what you have. Many twists and turns lead from misconceptions to Miss Right.