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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
I like the non-coupley/romantic parts - the addiction and sobriety, the handling of fame, seeing what matters even it's a little late. I can't say I like that they got back together but maybe I haven't experienced liking or loving someone that much to stay after the hard times.
I wasn’t expecting this to get so heavy and dark especially after reading the author’s second novel first. But, overall I ended up liking this and liking all of the characters especially Grey and Nora.
Male Main Character: I've tried nothing to fix myself and I'm all out of ideas.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The premise of this story is a fun one, there's a reason fake dating is a popular trope, however the serious topics handled in this book are a little too true to life and don't have the requisite fleshing out for me to ultimately root for the couple.
it is obvious VERY early on that Ethan is an alcoholic, which is a tricky thing to navigate in a romance, and while 16 months of sobriety, rehab, and work with a therapist may very well have a real person ready for a relationship again, we are only TOLD about his changed behaviour, and never shown that he has actually changed in meaningful ways that would allow these two to be in a successful, happy relationship. One chapter (and a short one at that) from her perspective is nowhere near enough evidence after the entire rest of the book to convince me that 1. He is actually in recovery, 2. That he has done the necessary work to be emotionally available, and 3. That he has the support network in place to not wind up exactly where they started again. There is an effort to imply (or outright state) these things, but it just isn't compelling enough to combat the rest of the story. Frankly, this should have been split closer to 50/50 across that 16 month break for me to have any chance of rooting for these 2 to end up together.
fast-paced
3/5⭐️
I do have some critics and all but I don't know what to point out? I am awful at this review thing.
I just wish some stuff would’ve been worked on more than just superficially...
• Ethan’s kids - their relationship with him
• Grey’s mother - I didn't need a “happy” resolution but something more explicit? Or something about it in the epilogue?
• Ethan’s recovery was just... Blacked out? It was something I was anxious to read since I get the book’s plot and it seems like the book focused only in the problem and it's consequences but not on the struggles of trying to keep clean and how it turned out, only a couple of paragraphs of it and then???
• Lucas and his mother...? What was that what happened
• (too be pointed out as soon as I can remember what I thought when I was reading it)
The positive point though: Sam! I think it was the perfect amount of what was shown to us as readers, his personality, his importance to the story and to Ethan’s plot/life, even though he wasn't a proper character in the story... So yes I enjoyed how it was handled ☺️
It seems like the book tried to cover up a lot of issues and couldn't handle them properly without being superficial. I know it's focused on the romantic part but I was in for the drama too, yk. I wish the author focused on one or two things for each character and them, maybe, kept the “Hollywood” theme (I LOVE IT) for other books using the other storylines for other characters etc etc
ANYWAY seemed too much baggage for one character and obviously it wouldn't be able to approach each of them properly :( idk if I am making any sense, sorry
I do have some critics and all but I don't know what to point out? I am awful at this review thing.
I just wish some stuff would’ve been worked on more than just superficially...
• Ethan’s kids - their relationship with him
• Grey’s mother - I didn't need a “happy” resolution but something more explicit? Or something about it in the epilogue?
• Ethan’s recovery was just... Blacked out? It was something I was anxious to read since I get the book’s plot and it seems like the book focused only in the problem and it's consequences but not on the struggles of trying to keep clean and how it turned out, only a couple of paragraphs of it and then???
• Lucas and his mother...? What was that what happened
• (too be pointed out as soon as I can remember what I thought when I was reading it)
The positive point though: Sam! I think it was the perfect amount of what was shown to us as readers, his personality, his importance to the story and to Ethan’s plot/life, even though he wasn't a proper character in the story... So yes I enjoyed how it was handled ☺️
It seems like the book tried to cover up a lot of issues and couldn't handle them properly without being superficial. I know it's focused on the romantic part but I was in for the drama too, yk. I wish the author focused on one or two things for each character and them, maybe, kept the “Hollywood” theme (I LOVE IT) for other books using the other storylines for other characters etc etc
ANYWAY seemed too much baggage for one character and obviously it wouldn't be able to approach each of them properly :( idk if I am making any sense, sorry
(3.5) This had all the hallmarks of a book that I should love, but it ended up being just slightly better than okay for me. I thought the writing was good and the pacing made sense. I love a fake-dating story, I love a story about celebrity, and I love a story about people finding ways to heal after loss, but I just was not able to fully buy into this relationship.