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allysonw_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
5.0
I have never cried as much as I have while reading this book. Like I sobbed and that doesn’t happen often when I read despite me being a pretty emotional person As someone who has gone through depression and certain types of ideation I was amazed at how detailed Ryan was in describing what it felt like. For example there’s a certain part in the book where Yasmen describes what her day to day felt like at one point. She says “I’d wake up disappointed that I wasn’t still asleep and think, Oh, my God. I have to do this again. I have to be here again.” This is just one of many parts of the book that really hit the nail on the head of what it’s like to really be in a deep pit and feel like there’s no way out. What I love about this book is how layered it is and how it doesn’t hold back in digging into the ugly parts of life. Yasmen and Josiah are imperfect people who went through unimaginable tragedy, and I think showing the conflict in their relationship early on and leaning into the awkward parts of their life as a divorced couple helped to showcase so well the nuances of being in love and illustrate what they had to go through to come back together. This is a book that I know I’ll be re-reading for years. Ms Kennedy Ryan, you hit this one out the park.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Suicidal thoughts
bunnyreads33's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Cursing, Death, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
jwatson9030's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
fungirlreads's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I tried to like this book but I just couldn't. The MC, Yasmin, should be very relatable but I find her naive and annoying. Her husband, Josiah, is the same. The book could have been half as long if the MCs sat and talked for 10 minutes in the beginning.
Overall, as a married woman who has had similar experiences to the MCs, I found this love story childish.
Overall, as a married woman who has had similar experiences to the MCs, I found this love story childish.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Moderate: Death, Infertility, and Suicidal thoughts
littleredmacks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
This book focuses on growth, forgiveness and connection. So often in second chance romances (which I typically don’t like), there are two people who did all the work off screen and are coming back together OR who never really fixed the issues that tore them apart, they’re just better at ignoring them. I don’t feel either of those was the case here.
I love that they actually worked through their issues and put in the hard work to come back together. They recognize how coming back together isn’t just as easy as forgive and forget because of the scars they caused each other.
This book also explores the children and how the divorce affected them and how they have to be part of that healing process too.
Minor spoiler
A lot of books will use a pregnancy to push the couple back together so I predicted that’s where it was going when there was a pregnancy scare but that wasn’t at all what happened. I appreciated that they did the work.
I love that they actually worked through their issues and put in the hard work to come back together. They recognize how coming back together isn’t just as easy as forgive and forget because of the scars they caused each other.
This book also explores the children and how the divorce affected them and how they have to be part of that healing process too.
Minor spoiler
A lot of books will use a pregnancy to push the couple back together so I predicted that’s where it was going when there was a pregnancy scare but that wasn’t at all what happened. I appreciated that they did the work.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
shlymiller's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
wiscoliz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
Moderate: Death
Minor: Death of parent
cheypreston's review against another edition
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? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage
robin_lyon's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, and Grief
mbichaela's review against another edition
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
ENG
Although it was not an easy read because each chapter was filled with raw deep emotions, I inhaled this book in one sitting. I might have cried more than I have in a good while but it was worth it. I loved to see characters who felt real. I loved to see romance which was not perfect but at the same time, the love they felt for esch other was unmatched. I loved to see human joys and struggles. This book was just a perfect portrayal of life that is complex. I can't wait for the sequel because now my standards are set very high.
Although it was not an easy read because each chapter was filled with raw deep emotions, I inhaled this book in one sitting. I might have cried more than I have in a good while but it was worth it. I loved to see characters who felt real. I loved to see romance which was not perfect but at the same time, the love they felt for esch other was unmatched. I loved to see human joys and struggles. This book was just a perfect portrayal of life that is complex. I can't wait for the sequel because now my standards are set very high.
P.s. I recommend listening to this book because narrators are amazing! I had started but then had to switch to ebook because I was so invested and it would take me much longer to get through.
(diversity: black characters, talks about grief, depression and stillbirth)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, and Grief
Moderate: Death and Suicidal thoughts