Def Not a Thing was my first read by Christine C. Jones, and I definitely enjoyed it!
This short rom-com had me laughing from the very beginning. Amelia has just ended a three-year relationship and, instead of moving into the brownstone she had planned on, ends up in her ex-boyfriend’s apartment complex. On move-in day, she meets Calvin, and their banter is hilarious from the start.
Calvin is focused on making his way back into the league, and one thing about him—he knows exactly what he wants. Amelia, on the other hand, is still trying to heal from her breakup, making her hesitant to jump into anything new.
Amelia’s friends were absolutely hilarious, but her mother at the end? Whew… she was something else!
This gave me strangers-to-fake-enemies-to-friends with a little “what exactly is going on here?” energy, and it was such a cute, funny read.
⭐️ 4.75/5 📖📚
Now I’m just hoping Christine C. Jones gives us a book two because I’m not ready to let these characters go!
Reading Def Not a Thing reminded me of why I love rom-coms that combine humor with emotional depth. The dynamic between Amelia and Calvin is refreshingly real — you can feel Amelia’s vulnerability after her breakup and Calvin’s determined focus on his basketball comeback. Their interaction captures that delightful tension of strangers becoming “fake enemies” and then friends, a trope that’s always entertaining when done right. What struck me most was how the secondary characters, especially Amelia’s friends, added so much to the story’s liveliness and humor, providing that perfect balance to the protagonists’ development. And Amelia’s mother—wow! That character brought unexpected twists, making the ending even more memorable. Christine C. Jones has a talent for creating characters you want to root for, and the setting—a complex where past relationships meet new beginnings—felt cozy and real. If you're a fan of short, laugh-out-loud romantic comedies with honest portrayals of healing and moving on, this book is a gem. I also found that the pacing is spot-on; the story flows smoothly without dragging, which keeps readers engaged from start to finish. For anyone looking to dive into Christine C. Jones’s work, this book is a perfect start—and yes, a sequel would be amazing because these characters definitely deserve to have their stories continued!