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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
Finished in one sitting.
I loved their story although Isaiah pissed me off with the communication. I truly understand him having to go to make sure there was no possibility the child was his but .. ugh. The lack of communication was a poor choice. I love how the friend group always call each other out on their stuff! Love the writing style of this book. Well.. on to book #3!
I loved their story although Isaiah pissed me off with the communication. I truly understand him having to go to make sure there was no possibility the child was his but .. ugh. The lack of communication was a poor choice. I love how the friend group always call each other out on their stuff! Love the writing style of this book. Well.. on to book #3!
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-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:
Yes
fast-paced
Exponentially and leagues better than the first installment, Where We Found Our Home, Where We Found Our Heart is a heartwarming love story between Nina, who’s still reeling from the unexpected and sudden loss of her flighty, neglectful parents which leaves her two younger siblings—fourteen-year-old Logan and six-year-old Jada—in her custody, and perpetual flirt and jokester Isiah, who’s still burned by his pregnant ex-girlfriend cheating on him while revealing the baby isn’t his and has endeavored to become the joke everyone thinks he is. On the night of their mutual best friend’s wedding, the two spend a passionate night together, giving into their year of dancing around one another, until two months later when Nina realizes she’s pregnant—and Isiah’s the father.
My compliments to Bishop, who’s beautiful writing and complex, realistic characters bring this story to life. I’m not one to cry over a book, not really, but she had me tearing up. The sex scenes were well-written and full of feeling and intimacy, the dialogue is funny and made me laugh a lot and felt human, the relationships were fleshed-out and well-thought out. Altogether, the book was a lovely, refreshing departure of things I see so often in romance books—forced drama, immature characters, juvenile writing, stilted dialogue, abusive/toxic relationships, etc.
But, as you can see, it wasn’t the perfect novel to me. My issues aren’t enough to make me not want to buy the physical copies or put me off reading anymore of her work.
Onto the things I didn’t like.
i. Nina’s constant insistence that Isiah wouldn’t want anything to do with her or their baby.
While it’s understandable given the circumstance, it really felt like Nina didn’t even give him a chance. Sure, Alexis showed up the morning after she and Isiah slept together, but Nina makes no move to clear up the air with him. And then, when she finds out she’d pregnant, understandably, there’s tons of emotions and you worry about everything but she insists they “can’t be together” in a conversation with (I think) Sasha which I don’t understand. Why not? If she’d said because of her schedule, trauma, and the kids, I’d have understood, but those weren’t even factors, really. At least it didn’t last too long, once he got his head out of his ass when she told him.
ii. Alexis and Monica’s firm hold/sway over Isiah.
Alexis is Isiah’s ex’s frenemy, who keeps him on tether hooks over any information on Monica and takes advantage of him and sleeps with him. Over and over, she pops up in the story, which at first I didn’t understand and simply thought, ‘Ah, here we go—forced drama via a woman from the MMC’s past that can’t get it in her head that he doesn’t want her.’ But she has a hold over him, dangling information about his ex and her life over his head, to keep him coming back and deludes herself into thinking he wants her when, in reality, it was never about him and always about her competition with Monica. And Monica’s even worse than Alexis because she isn’t even in the story until past the 70% mark and it was obvious to me that she hadn’t changed, still thought she had a chance with Isiah even though she was married and he had a pregnant girlfriend.
iii. Monica and Isiah/the third-act breakup.
The final half of the book really pissed me off. Why would he believe the possibility the baby Monica had might’ve been his five years after? Why would he believe anything out of Alexis’s mouth, who can’t seem to fathom even when told point-blank that he isn’t interested and all she does is dangle Monica in front of him? Why would he think she might’ve been lying after five years? And from the mouth of Alexis, no less! The way he completely brushed aside Nina and everyone for the woman who broke his heart?? That made no sense! It was so frustrating, and when he yelled at Nina and threw back all of her stubbornness back in her face—while pregnant, mind you and due to having two kids to worry about—was so, so blood-boiling. He made that decision, not Nina. She supported his decision but didn’t expect for him to brush everyone side for this woman. I really feel like he was within his rights to show up and want to know but he completely disregarded his promise to Jada and his relationship with Nina for a boy he isn’t even sure is his. And why exactly was he shocked that Monica hid the results for three fucking days? If I was in his shoes, I would’ve put my foot down, demanded a DNA test from the get go and not relied only on Monica to tell me whether or not that’s my son. He was so fucking idiotic and stupid in this, I wanted to punch him. Sure, Brandon didn’t deserve to suffer because his parents were dicks and morons, but Isiah immediately got cozy and comfortable in Monica’s life. Ugh.
iv. there's not a single instance of anyone expressing any anger towards Nina's parents.
From the first chapter, where Nina remarks that she “shouldn't be angry with [them] because it isn't right or fair,” to the very end of the book, Nina and her siblings never show a hint of rage for what their parents did—or, rather, didn't do. They were neglectful! It felt like none of the kids were allowed to be mad. Isiah's wishboats or whatever were cute, but God, I was shaking with rage over his “message” to Nina's parents. No. Just no. They were neglectful narcissists obsessed only with themselves. They don't deserve a single ounce of compassion or grace. Why would they when they didn't extend it to their younger kids?? How dare you act like they were amazing parents who left too soon!
Despite the detractors from the story (for me), I’m looking for to Only For the Week, and the last book in the “Lost & Found” series.
My compliments to Bishop, who’s beautiful writing and complex, realistic characters bring this story to life. I’m not one to cry over a book, not really, but she had me tearing up. The sex scenes were well-written and full of feeling and intimacy, the dialogue is funny and made me laugh a lot and felt human, the relationships were fleshed-out and well-thought out. Altogether, the book was a lovely, refreshing departure of things I see so often in romance books—forced drama, immature characters, juvenile writing, stilted dialogue, abusive/toxic relationships, etc.
But, as you can see, it wasn’t the perfect novel to me. My issues aren’t enough to make me not want to buy the physical copies or put me off reading anymore of her work.
Onto the things I didn’t like.
i. Nina’s constant insistence that Isiah wouldn’t want anything to do with her or their baby.
While it’s understandable given the circumstance, it really felt like Nina didn’t even give him a chance. Sure, Alexis showed up the morning after she and Isiah slept together, but Nina makes no move to clear up the air with him. And then, when she finds out she’d pregnant, understandably, there’s tons of emotions and you worry about everything but she insists they “can’t be together” in a conversation with (I think) Sasha which I don’t understand. Why not? If she’d said because of her schedule, trauma, and the kids, I’d have understood, but those weren’t even factors, really. At least it didn’t last too long, once he got his head out of his ass when she told him.
ii. Alexis and Monica’s firm hold/sway over Isiah.
Alexis is Isiah’s ex’s frenemy, who keeps him on tether hooks over any information on Monica and takes advantage of him and sleeps with him. Over and over, she pops up in the story, which at first I didn’t understand and simply thought, ‘Ah, here we go—forced drama via a woman from the MMC’s past that can’t get it in her head that he doesn’t want her.’ But she has a hold over him, dangling information about his ex and her life over his head, to keep him coming back and deludes herself into thinking he wants her when, in reality, it was never about him and always about her competition with Monica. And Monica’s even worse than Alexis because she isn’t even in the story until past the 70% mark and it was obvious to me that she hadn’t changed, still thought she had a chance with Isiah even though she was married and he had a pregnant girlfriend.
iii. Monica and Isiah/the third-act breakup.
The final half of the book really pissed me off. Why would he believe the possibility the baby Monica had might’ve been his five years after? Why would he believe anything out of Alexis’s mouth, who can’t seem to fathom even when told point-blank that he isn’t interested and all she does is dangle Monica in front of him? Why would he think she might’ve been lying after five years? And from the mouth of Alexis, no less! The way he completely brushed aside Nina and everyone for the woman who broke his heart?? That made no sense! It was so frustrating, and when he yelled at Nina and threw back all of her stubbornness back in her face—while pregnant, mind you and due to having two kids to worry about—was so, so blood-boiling. He made that decision, not Nina. She supported his decision but didn’t expect for him to brush everyone side for this woman. I really feel like he was within his rights to show up and want to know but he completely disregarded his promise to Jada and his relationship with Nina for a boy he isn’t even sure is his. And why exactly was he shocked that Monica hid the results for three fucking days? If I was in his shoes, I would’ve put my foot down, demanded a DNA test from the get go and not relied only on Monica to tell me whether or not that’s my son. He was so fucking idiotic and stupid in this, I wanted to punch him. Sure, Brandon didn’t deserve to suffer because his parents were dicks and morons, but Isiah immediately got cozy and comfortable in Monica’s life. Ugh.
iv. there's not a single instance of anyone expressing any anger towards Nina's parents.
From the first chapter, where Nina remarks that she “shouldn't be angry with [them] because it isn't right or fair,” to the very end of the book, Nina and her siblings never show a hint of rage for what their parents did—or, rather, didn't do. They were neglectful! It felt like none of the kids were allowed to be mad. Isiah's wishboats or whatever were cute, but God, I was shaking with rage over his “message” to Nina's parents. No. Just no. They were neglectful narcissists obsessed only with themselves. They don't deserve a single ounce of compassion or grace. Why would they when they didn't extend it to their younger kids?? How dare you act like they were amazing parents who left too soon!
Despite the detractors from the story (for me), I’m looking for to Only For the Week, and the last book in the “Lost & Found” series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Abandonment
Moderate: Medical content, Death of parent
challenging
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
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
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
medium-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
Amazing
I love Isaiah Cole. My new favorite book boyfriend. The story between him and Nina was nothing short of amazing. Excellent read!
I love Isaiah Cole. My new favorite book boyfriend. The story between him and Nina was nothing short of amazing. Excellent read!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
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:
No