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stephmcoakley's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Classism, Death of parent, Dementia, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
sarahflanders's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Death of parent, Dementia, and Medical content
moettel98's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Get ready to feel every feeling imaginable while reading this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Self harm, Mental illness, Vomit, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Dementia, Dysphoria, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Confinement, Grief, and Medical trauma
lea_fox's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This one was tough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Infidelity, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Dementia, Self harm, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders
graff_fuller's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.5
I absolutely LOVED this book.
The tale of two stories, what an impressive mixture, but also heartbreaking at the same time.
This is an intimate story. Not in the normal meaning of romance (though this has a romantic bent in another way), but that it is personal.
Two people who love each other (or at least believe that they do), through circumstances that they couldn't have predicted go on two different paths...instead of the vacation that they were both looking forward to taking together.
One has to stay in NYC, because the medical profession is about to be slammed by the worst pandemic in a century...and a young woman who is at a crossroads with her job (who desperately needs a vacation), with the help of her boyfriend...decides to go on the vacation without her significant other...and THEN the pandeic restrictions are put into place.
Isolation. Both from each other (physically), and also because of the remoteness of the Holiday Getaway...being separated from our technology (which binds us together)...now Diana feels alone. Add in, she doesn't speak the native language (Spanish) and she feels like everything is happening elsewhere, while in her circle, nothing is happening because of the island retreat.
Such a great premise...and at about 33% when I'm writing this part of it...I'm digging it. Really digging it.
Now, for some people in 2022 (the year this book was published), it may still be TOO soon to the pandemic itself. There are still strains of the virus that keep popping up...so for some/most, this may not work for them...but for me, I see it as a cathartic exercise...to reflect on how we managed the pandemic and sympathize with others...and how they dealt with it...for each of us...got through it differently.
Likewise, the characters in this story are dealing with life pre-pandemic one way, and within the pandemic another way, and eventually how we deal with the lasting effects of the pandemic in our lives. Seeing their stories played out is interesting. I feel for them. I've seen my friends in some of these characters. I can even say, I see myself...too. AND that may be the hardest part...how we see ourselves.
I am also enjoying the interludes of the story about Diana's life before the pandemic. Her joys and frustrations. Her job and how/why she was in THAT job and her relationship with her mother. It will be interesting to see how this pans out from here to the end of the story (remember...I wrote this at about 33% of the book being read.
For all the Star Trek fans out there...if you know of the BEST episode of all of Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Inner Light, then you know how much I loved this book (similarities).
This book is incredibly well written. As I was reading it...I thought I was in for a romance without too much drama. I actually needed a palette cleanser from some of the previous books, but I got a drama...with the tension and axiety that COVID-19 brought into our lives.
Not everyone is ready to read this book, but when you are...this is going to be an amazing read.
I loved the characters, but they did things within the story that only a father can be frustrated with, but they had to walk on their own...make their mistakes, and get back up.
This story takes a left/right turn...which upends our world...and it was perfectly done IMO. For all Star Trek fans, the episode of
...and it was an incredible ride till the last word.
Read the end thoughts from the Author. Puts a lot of this in context. I'm impressed that someone could've written this so soon after the pandemic, but glad she did it. Impressive.
The tale of two stories, what an impressive mixture, but also heartbreaking at the same time.
This is an intimate story. Not in the normal meaning of romance (though this has a romantic bent in another way), but that it is personal.
Two people who love each other (or at least believe that they do), through circumstances that they couldn't have predicted go on two different paths...instead of the vacation that they were both looking forward to taking together.
One has to stay in NYC, because the medical profession is about to be slammed by the worst pandemic in a century...and a young woman who is at a crossroads with her job (who desperately needs a vacation), with the help of her boyfriend...decides to go on the vacation without her significant other...and THEN the pandeic restrictions are put into place.
Isolation. Both from each other (physically), and also because of the remoteness of the Holiday Getaway...being separated from our technology (which binds us together)...now Diana feels alone. Add in, she doesn't speak the native language (Spanish) and she feels like everything is happening elsewhere, while in her circle, nothing is happening because of the island retreat.
Such a great premise...and at about 33% when I'm writing this part of it...I'm digging it. Really digging it.
Now, for some people in 2022 (the year this book was published), it may still be TOO soon to the pandemic itself. There are still strains of the virus that keep popping up...so for some/most, this may not work for them...but for me, I see it as a cathartic exercise...to reflect on how we managed the pandemic and sympathize with others...and how they dealt with it...for each of us...got through it differently.
Likewise, the characters in this story are dealing with life pre-pandemic one way, and within the pandemic another way, and eventually how we deal with the lasting effects of the pandemic in our lives. Seeing their stories played out is interesting. I feel for them. I've seen my friends in some of these characters. I can even say, I see myself...too. AND that may be the hardest part...how we see ourselves.
I am also enjoying the interludes of the story about Diana's life before the pandemic. Her joys and frustrations. Her job and how/why she was in THAT job and her relationship with her mother. It will be interesting to see how this pans out from here to the end of the story (remember...I wrote this at about 33% of the book being read.
For all the Star Trek fans out there...if you know of the BEST episode of all of Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Inner Light, then you know how much I loved this book (similarities).
This book is incredibly well written. As I was reading it...I thought I was in for a romance without too much drama. I actually needed a palette cleanser from some of the previous books, but I got a drama...with the tension and axiety that COVID-19 brought into our lives.
Not everyone is ready to read this book, but when you are...this is going to be an amazing read.
I loved the characters, but they did things within the story that only a father can be frustrated with, but they had to walk on their own...make their mistakes, and get back up.
This story takes a left/right turn...which upends our world...and it was perfectly done IMO. For all Star Trek fans, the episode of
...and it was an incredible ride till the last word.
Read the end thoughts from the Author. Puts a lot of this in context. I'm impressed that someone could've written this so soon after the pandemic, but glad she did it. Impressive.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Grief, and Death
There things in this book that may be brought to the front too soon for some people. Some of the experiences that the characters go through...brought a sense of anxiety that our recent pandemic nurtured. Not everyone is ready to read this book, but on the other hand, maybe THIS is the book that everyone should read...for it is done so well. Tough things happen in life, but we have to approach our lives with hope for the future.
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