ARC Natgalley: The Temp by Emily Benet

My rating: 3 stars

Synopsys from GR:
Amber is a twenty-something, out of university with a degree she’s not sure what to do with… so she temps in order to earn enough money to live in London.
One of her favourite life hacks is to attend modern art gallery openings for free wine. It is during one of these that she thinks ‘if they can do it, why not me?’, and meeting a handsome gallery promoter cements her ambition to become famous through her art.
With the help—and sometimes hindrance—of her friends Farrell, Bibiana, and Egg (short for Egbert), can Amber achieve her dream AND snag handsome Elliott?

*ARC courtesy of NetGalley*

While I liked the second half of the book, I had some problems with the beginning: it was slow and, for the most part, I didn't get where the story was going but, even more, I didn't get Amber!
Contrary to what the title would let you think, The Temp is not about a girl being a temp  - at least that's not what the book shows us - but it's about a girl who's bored of her life and, for a little white lie told to a handsome stranger, she decides to become an artist. As I said I didn't get Amber that much; she has no real motivation for her actions if not trying to prove something to a stranger, and she's very self-centered. I didn't get the impression she was a good friend to Egg or Farrell since, most often than not, she wasn't even listening to them! Moreover, Amber's revelation about her feelings for Farrell felt a little sudden: she doesn't try to understand or explain these new feelings she has for him, she just suddenly knows - thanks to a kiss and a dream - that she always loved Farrel more than a friend. I can't say that I knew it too!

Taken as a whole, The Temp is an enjoyable story but there are some aspects I didn't like that much, mostly Amber's indecisiveness! Still, I'd like to thank the author for the chance of reading her book through NetGalley and I hope she appreciates my honest opinion.