You Deserve Each Other

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Discuss what you liked most and least about Naomi’s character. Did your impression of her change throughout the novel? Did her character influence your overall feelings about the book?

2. Compare You Deserve Each Other to The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. How do these books use the enemies-to-lovers trope similarly or differently?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Compare Naomi and Nicholas’s kisses from the Prologue and Chapter 13. What emotions do each of these kisses evoke? How are they different (physically, emotionally, etc.)?

2. At the start of the story, Naomi’s character struggles to figure out who she truly is apart from her job and her relationship. Are there times when you’ve experienced a similar crisis of identity? 

3. Have you ever been in a relationship (romantic or otherwise) that deteriorated over time? Did you find Naomi and Nicholas’s reactions to their situation relatable or heightened for comedic effect?

4. Throughout the novel, Naomi deals with passive-aggressive criticism from her future mother-in-law that exacerbates her insecurities. Have you ever struggled with expectations placed on you that didn’t align with who you are? How did you respond?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How does Hogle reinforce or subvert traditional conventions of romantic relationships and marriage? How does her portrayal of these conventions emphasize The Power of Choice Versus Obligation? Is marriage a necessary step for a romantic relationship?

2. What broader messages and lessons does the book offer about taking people and things for granted?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Analyze Hogle’s choice to tell the story from only Naomi’s point of view (rather than both Naomi’s and Nicholas’s). What are the benefits of this narrative choice? How would including Nicholas’s point of view change the story?

2. Discuss Deborah’s role in the story. Is she a true antagonist? Why or why not?

3. Consider the book’s small-town setting. How do the challenges faced by local businesses and communities contribute to the tension in Naomi’s and Nicholas’s relationship?

4. Discuss the importance of the Junk Yard, both to Naomi and to her relationship with Nicholas. What do the store and the relationships Naomi’s forms there (both positive and negative) suggest about external influence on internal struggles?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If this book were adapted into a movie, who would you cast as Naomi, Nicholas, and Deborah?

2. With Naomi’s decorative talents in mind, illustrate a scene from You Deserve Each Other in a medium of your choice.

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