Even the most basic of weddings are astronomically expensive. In the novel You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle, longtime couple Nick and Naomi have blown most of their savings on the wedding of the century. The bigger issue? The two of them have grown to despise each other, but neither wants to call off the wedding first, since the one who calls it quits is the one stuck paying for the remainder of the fees. 

So it begins: Nick and Naomi begin executing a series of more and more elaborate schemes, each one more outrageous than the last, in an attempt to get the other to break up with them. Nick’s overbearing mother is particularly effective when it comes to getting under Naomi’s skin, but the two of them continue to toy with each other’s emotions for the vast majority of the novel. Somewhere along the way, though, the two of them begin having fun together again, ultimately considering whether to give the other a second chance.

I’m not a romance lover, but the unrelenting snark and fun banter in this book won me over immediately. It’s an untraditional love story in many senses, as the leads begin in a relationship but feel no attraction to each other, but the irregularity of the situation gives the story a sense of novelty. If you don’t have plans next Valentines Day, I would definitely recommend staying in to read You Deserve Each Other.