The Slow-Burn That Almost Made Me DNF–About Time You Noticed by Lisa Renee

About Time You Noticed by Lisa Renee is your classic "best friends secretly in love with each other, but neither of them knows it" trope, but with a little extra jealousy and awkwardness tossed in. I have a love-hate relationship with this book, so let’s break it down, shall we?

The story follows Sarah, who’s been crushing on her best friend Tommy for years. But Tommy? Yeah, he sees her like a sister. A sister. So, as far as he’s concerned, he’s not looking at her in any romantic way. That is, until a co-worker asks Tommy to set up a date with Sarah—because apparently, setting up your best friend with someone else is a totally normal thing to do. But when Tommy starts feeling something when he sees Sarah with another guy—cue the jealousy—it all begins to unravel. Could it be that he’s finally noticing the one person who’s been in front of him all along?

And let me tell you, it’s not subtle. You know from page one that these two are heading straight for the "I love you, wait, do you love me too?" moment, and while that’s fine and dandy in some cases, this one felt like I was being bludgeoned with the obviousness of it. I get it, okay? They both have feelings for each other, but the constant misunderstanding and lack of communication made me roll my eyes so many times, I’m worried I’ve lost my ability to blink properly.

Tommy is your typical easy-going, fun-loving sports teacher who gets a little too protective when Sarah’s co-worker sets her up with a date. And that’s when the weird feelings start to surface. Jealousy, folks. That green-eyed monster rears its ugly head, and suddenly Tommy’s feelings for Sarah are a little harder to ignore. But it’s not all smooth sailing. Sarah, who’s got big dreams of starting her own equine therapy business, has been hiding a secret crush on Tommy for...well, forever. And she’s got her own issues to deal with, like keeping her parents (particularly her dad) out of her personal life.

The plot thickens when Sarah finds herself on a series of comically disastrous dates—yet somehow, Tommy is always right there, lurking in the background. It's like he's the ghost of crushes past, keeping an eye on every guy she kisses, even if he doesn’t know why he’s so upset by it. I mean, really? These two can’t get a clue. At some point, I was ready to send them both a “please, talk it out” intervention package. But, of course, the chemistry between them is undeniable. There’s that sweet, nostalgic element of them being best friends, which does tug at your heartstrings. The problem is, the book gets stuck in this constant loop of will-they-won’t-they, and for me, it started to feel like a game of emotional ping-pong where no one was winning. Tommy's jealousy and Sarah's inability to read him (or vice versa) had me shouting, “Just kiss already!” at least every 15 minutes.

I’ll be honest—by the time I hit the halfway mark, I was this close to DNFing. The "will-they-won’t-they" tension was just dragging on for so long, and I felt like I was stuck in a loop. But then... something happened. I couldn’t stop reading. I got too far in, and I had to know how this was going to end. So I stuck with it, against my better judgment.

The good news? It does eventually get there. They both realize what we—and they—already knew all along: they’re meant to be more than just best friends. But, man, that realization comes after way too many wrong-guy-kissing moments and misunderstandings that felt like they could’ve been avoided with a single honest conversation. Like, seriously. How is it possible that the two people who know each other the best are also the worst at talking about their feelings? The suspense was killing me, and not in a good way.

I have to admit, the writing itself was fun. Lisa Renee has that signature wit and charm in her dialogue that’ll make you chuckle from time to time. But for a book that promised unexpected moments and witty dialogue, I felt like I was stuck in a perpetual loop of "Will they figure it out?" And honestly, at some points, I was hoping they wouldn’t just for the sake of my sanity.

So here’s the thing: About Time You Noticed has all the makings of a solid rom-com. The characters are cute, the chemistry is there, and the premise is one that can absolutely work. But for me, the slow burn went on just a bit too long. I wanted less "why are they avoiding their feelings" and more "let’s get this over with already." If you’re someone who can handle a heavy dose of miscommunication and angst, then this book might be for you. If, however, you’re like me and would prefer your romantic tension to be a little less torturous and a little more satisfying, you might want to skip it.

In the end, I don’t hate it. But I definitely would’ve enjoyed a faster road to the romance and a little less of the “waiting for the other shoe to drop” energy. So, to all my fellow romance readers—if you’re feeling particularly patient and you love slow-burn romances that involve a lot of facepalm moments, grab this one. Otherwise, maybe take a break from the misunderstandings and try something else. I’m thinking I need a change too. Maybe less will they won’t they and more just kiss already.