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emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
❤️Ethiopia setting
❤️They work together
❤️Queer love & coming out
❤️A little angsty
❤️Low angst
❤️Lust at first sight
This is the first book I’ve read that is set in Ethiopia and it was so interesting! Adriana described the setting in such a wonderful, vibrant way and you can’t help but fall in love with it alongside Desta. Finding joy was as wholesome as it was sexy and at times unexpectedly heart-breaking and emotional. All in all it was a fantastic read and if you listen to it on audio be prepared to fall head over heels for the narrator.
I would recommend it if you want a romance with a little bit of angst, a perfect amount of spice and a whole lot of heart.
Amount of spice: 🔥🔥🔥
Explicitness: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Open door and explicit
❤️They work together
❤️Queer love & coming out
❤️A little angsty
❤️Low angst
❤️Lust at first sight
This is the first book I’ve read that is set in Ethiopia and it was so interesting! Adriana described the setting in such a wonderful, vibrant way and you can’t help but fall in love with it alongside Desta. Finding joy was as wholesome as it was sexy and at times unexpectedly heart-breaking and emotional. All in all it was a fantastic read and if you listen to it on audio be prepared to fall head over heels for the narrator.
I would recommend it if you want a romance with a little bit of angst, a perfect amount of spice and a whole lot of heart.
Amount of spice: 🔥🔥🔥
Explicitness: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Open door and explicit
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Well... I so wanted to love this book, the story seemed like it had so much potential. However, it was a struggle to get through it, I was constantly feeling like I was left wanting more. Herrera introduces some excellent critiques of foreign aid and the saviourism that often goes with it but it feels very surface level, there's one character who's almost a caricature in his obvious plot-device state that takes a lot of the critique as if this would ever be an individual problem and not a systemic issue. Also, Desta's own saviourism is barely touched on and immediately forgiven with very little reflection or reparations.
Additionally, while I have loved complex characters who are deeply flawed in the past, Desta just comes across as completely self-absorbed to the point where Elias loses dimensionality. There's very little I could tell you about Elias because we just don't see a lot of exploration of his character despite this apparently incredible love they have for each other and the complex experiences he has had (the unsafe environment for queer people feels like it's treated as a convenient plot device).
There are also several instances where Elias could really use Desta's support and he ends up being the one to comfort and support Desta, exceptionally problematic when you consider that Desta wants to become a social worker (I'm one myself so this was really upsetting).
Honestly, I also really wanted more of Ethiopia! This was supposed to be a love letter to the country and I don't feel like the setting was explored enough. We get some surface-level descriptions and really inconsistent ones at that. they're constantly described wearing sweaters and cooler weather clothes but then we find out at the end that it's actually been summer this whole time, as someone who's been in this part of the world this doesn't track at all I had really been hoping for something more like Julian Winter's approach to describing and integrating Santa Monica into his novel The Summer of Everything (rich description with emotion).
Lastly, the writing/character voices were rough. It felt very juvenile for two adult characters and we (the reader) were constantly being force-fed information (telling instead of showing).
I know this is Herrera's first novel so I have hope for her later work. I'm just left wanting so much more with Finding Joy.
Would not recommend.
Additionally, while I have loved complex characters who are deeply flawed in the past, Desta just comes across as completely self-absorbed to the point where Elias loses dimensionality. There's very little I could tell you about Elias because we just don't see a lot of exploration of his character despite this apparently incredible love they have for each other and the complex experiences he has had (the unsafe environment for queer people feels like it's treated as a convenient plot device).
There are also several instances where Elias could really use Desta's support and he ends up being the one to comfort and support Desta, exceptionally problematic when you consider that Desta wants to become a social worker (I'm one myself so this was really upsetting).
Honestly, I also really wanted more of Ethiopia! This was supposed to be a love letter to the country and I don't feel like the setting was explored enough. We get some surface-level descriptions and really inconsistent ones at that.
Lastly, the writing/character voices were rough. It felt very juvenile for two adult characters and we (the reader) were constantly being force-fed information (telling instead of showing).
I know this is Herrera's first novel so I have hope for her later work. I'm just left wanting so much more with Finding Joy.
Would not recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Colonisation
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Cursing, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Classism
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief
Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a great read. In such a short amount of time Herrera was able to establish a series of believable, rounded characters and their interrelationships. The star of the show was obviously the romance between Elias and Desta. It was just SO. SWEET. I could tell that they had really deep feelings for one another, but they also had amazing chemistry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Slavery, Violence, Outing, Colonisation
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Racism, Grief