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Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness
❤️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
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent
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.
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Colonisation
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Cursing, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Classism
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief
Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent
Graphic: Homophobia, Death of parent
Moderate: Racism
So why only two stingy stars? Well inasmuchas I loved the mood in this romance and its infectious main characters, the story wasn't written well. The writing got a lot better in the second half of the book but for the most part, it felt forced, there were lots of typos, the pacing and time jumps between paragraphs felt disorienting and it was telling, such that I couldn't fully enjoy the romance as much as I wanted to.
Also Sam got way to much airtime.
Moderate: Death of parent
I chose myself, konjo, and you, if you still want me.
This was a really nice, heartwarming read. I loved all the vivid descriptions of life in Ethiopia, and I also loved that both leads were such genuinely good, kind people. It was wonderful to see them get their happiness, and while both of them had to face their share of troubles, joyful and happy moments absolutely prevailed, true to the book's name. All in all, this was a great summer read.
Despite the fact that I enjoyed hanging out with these characters, it was a bit hard to get invested in the romance itself, but that's totally a "me" thing. I often find it difficult to emotionally process romantic plots that begin as a crush/sexual attraction as opposed to an emotional connection coming first. Once feelings got involved, though, the story immediately grew even more compelling.
I have a couple of minor gripes with the writing style; the dialogue didn't always sound natural to me, and I felt like there was a bit too much telling instead of showing. However, what really kept me hooked on the prose was literally every description. It was like I was seeing all those places, tasting all that food, and drinking all that coffee. And I'm always here for a book that makes me feel like I'm drinking a nice cup of coffee! :)
Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Slavery, Violence, Outing, Colonisation
I listened to the audio version & it was good! The narrator did a good job and would recommend on audio.
Graphic: Homophobia, Xenophobia, Death of parent
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Infidelity