Hello and happy Monday. Yes, I’m writing and posting this on a Monday because yesterday Analysing Her Assets by Mia Sivan was released and I want to tell you all about it so that you can get it and read it and hopefully love it as much as I did. I got an ARC via NetGalley, so I want to thank them, the publishing house and the author for this opportunity.

Last week I started reading four romance novels, and Analysing Her Assets was my favorite. It is a rivals-to-lovers romance, but not the kind in which the characters act like kids and prank each other and it isn’t even clear why they don’t like each other in the first place. Tamar and Gideon both work at the same company and they are competing, both for a montly bonus and for a position in management. I could explain what their actual jobs are if I understood anything about how the adult world works.

Now, of course we know that they’re going to develop feelings towards each other and they are going to end up together, right? That’s what happens in romance and that’s what we’re all here for anyway. The thing is, this novel was so much more than that, and to me it was great, but I understand how more…basic readers might not find it as enjoyable as other, more formulaic and “safe” books out there.

The first thing I loved about this novel is that it is set in Israel, which means that the characters are more direct, and let me just straight-up say it, less stupid than American ones. Maybe this also happened because both Tamar and Gideon were nearing their mid-thirties, so they were way more mature and they behaved like adults are supposed to behave. In instances where there could be potential miscommunication, it was quickly solved by the characters actually talking to each other, which was refreshing. Because of this, they established pretty early on that they were attracted to each other, and they were upfront about what they wanted with each other, which leads me to my second point.

Tamar is the one who suggests a sexual relationship with Gideon. I loved her as a character because I can see aspects of myself in her. She is sex-positive, driven, and she knows what she wants and how to get it. That is not something readers are used to see, even in 2023, which is why Tamar can pass as being “unlikable.” This reminds me of Roxane Gay’s article on the topic, which you should totally read. I think the explicit sex scenes might also be a reason for some readers not to like this book, which is understandable. Even though I wouldn’t consider this to be erotic literature, there are several explicit scenes. They were very well executed, in my opinion, but if you’re not looking for that in your romance, then this isn’t the book for you.

Another thing that made me like this book but might make other readers dislike it is the fact that both Tamar and Gideon had their own lives and their own stuff going on. In many romance novels, the plot is so centered in the love story that it feels like the characters don’t have anything else going for them other than this relationship they’re pursuing. This is definitely a romance, but there are also other subplots going on that add to the story and make it more believable. I really enjoyed reading this book and I will be looking out for other titles by this author.