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literarylily's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident and Death
Moderate: Self harm, Dementia, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
khronreads's review against another edition
sad
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Self harm, Alcoholism, and Dementia
boop_nico's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
maritimebibliophile's review against another edition
dark
sad
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Car accident, Dementia, Miscarriage, and Stalking
leofro's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Alcoholism
allyjshand's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I normally avoid rom-com books, but I’d read that this book had a plot twist so I was intrigued. The book is very easy to read and I found myself reading large chunks at a time. I enjoyed the three female protagonists and felt invested in each of their storylines and narrative voices.
When it seems that the three women are finally meet going to meet, we’re hit with the plot twist - a real ‘ohhh’ moment! I wished this moment came sooner so we could read more about Richard’s escalating obsession with Siobhan, so that her death is more hard-hitting and reflects the violent dangers women face from men. But regardless I found this section very impactful.
Definitely want to pick up one of O’Leary’s other books.
Definitely want to pick up one of O’Leary’s other books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Alcohol, Death, Miscarriage, Stalking, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Dementia, Car accident, and Emotional abuse
I normally avoid rom-com books, but I’d read that this book had a plot twist so I was intrigued. The book is very easy to read and I found myself reading large chunks at a time. I enjoyed the three female protagonists and felt invested in each of their storylines and narrative voices. When it seems that the three women are finally meet going to meet, we’re hit with the plot twist - a real ‘ohhh’ moment! I wished this moment came sooner so we could read more about Richard’s escalating obsession with Siobhan, so that her death is more hard-hitting and reflects the violent dangers women face from men. But regardless I found this section very impactful. Definitely want to pick up one of O’Leary’s other books.caylistens's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The writing is beautiful. The plot, exceptional. I truly didn’t think I’d love it, didn’t think it would be top of my list as it was. But it was delightful, and the way O’Leary weaves together the lives of the characters is phenomenal. It may take a bit to get into it (at least it did for me) but I’m glad I didn’t DNF it. Worth reading to the end to truly understand the beauty of life, love, and friendships.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Death
emilyjean_xo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
miranda and aj…let’s not try to get it on in other people’s homes x
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident
Moderate: Alcoholism and Grief
sofiya's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
This book was really quite lovely. I love a romantic plot that also involves a lot of friendship and a bit of mystery, which it absolutely delivers. We get to see Joseph (/Carter), who's technically the main character as he is involved with every story, through the eyes of three different important women in his life, which is a really cool way to learn about him and his character. He's kind of an enigma for the first half of the book since we never see his POV, which made him really intriguing for me as I read.
My only real issue with this book is that the alternating POVs were exhausting at points, particularly if you weren't invested in one of the stories at that time. Even if I was enjoying them all, I noticed that if I skipped a day of reading, I'd often forget what was going on in one or two of the POVs, making it difficult to keep track. In terms of the women, Jane was my clear favorite, which is unsurprising as to the fact that I related to her most. Because of that, I slumped reading through the 1st third of the book.
So, in terms of the plot twist. Even reading the cover, I didn't think it was a cheating situation and I discerned that the timelines were different about a fifth of the way in, and was really hoping that Jane was the endgame (though I figured it would be either Siobhan or Jane - there was a point where I thought Siobhan would get with Mr. Silverfox and woah did that not age well). About halfway through, I figured out that it was Siobhan --> Miranda --> Jane, but I hadn't been able to figure out yet what had happened to Siobhan. For a little while, I thought she'd had Joseph's baby and then something happened, then I did figure out that she probably passed away (which I'm very glad wasn't related to her mental health).
The real plot twist for me was figuring out how Jane's plot intersected with Siobhan's! For some reason, I didn't put together that Jane's boss had been Richard until he grabs her arm and she notes his grey/silver hair. The signs were all there, but I just didn't put it together. That actual storyline was really interesting. I thought it was done with care (as opposed to the self-harming, which I thought was weaker), but I don't think I disliked Richard enough. I especially didn't see him as someone who would stalk a woman and then have no empathy about her death after literally witnessing it mere hours before. I think had I known Jane's boss was him, it would have drawn my dislike more early on.
So, the actual death. Even though I'd known Siobhan was going to die for a while, I cried in the hospital lobby I was sitting in. Multiple times. Every time Joseph told the story, the tears fell. Getting to see the real him at the end was beautiful, including how poorly he was dealing with the grief. I also loved getting to reflect back to his early chapters with Jane and Miranda. Jane thinks that he's keeping his distance because he's worried to scare her off, when it's a lot of the opposite. He's worried about ruining it himself, which gives a lot of nice retrospection. And Miranda, we see her trying to always be perfect for him, meanwhile he's been doing the same.
Overall, really enjoyed it! Would definitely want to read it again knowing what's really going on with Joseph and the girls.
My only real issue with this book is that the alternating POVs were exhausting at points, particularly if you weren't invested in one of the stories at that time. Even if I was enjoying them all, I noticed that if I skipped a day of reading, I'd often forget what was going on in one or two of the POVs, making it difficult to keep track. In terms of the women, Jane was my clear favorite, which is unsurprising as to the fact that I related to her most. Because of that, I slumped reading through the 1st third of the book.
The real plot twist for me was figuring out how Jane's plot intersected with Siobhan's! For some reason, I didn't put together that Jane's boss had been Richard until he grabs her arm and she notes his grey/silver hair. The signs were all there, but I just didn't put it together. That actual storyline was really interesting. I thought it was done with care (as opposed to the self-harming, which I thought was weaker), but I don't think I disliked Richard enough. I especially didn't see him as someone who would stalk a woman and then have no empathy about her death after literally witnessing it mere hours before. I think had I known Jane's boss was him, it would have drawn my dislike more early on.
So, the actual death. Even though I'd known Siobhan was going to die for a while, I cried in the hospital lobby I was sitting in. Multiple times. Every time Joseph told the story, the tears fell. Getting to see the real him at the end was beautiful, including how poorly he was dealing with the grief. I also loved getting to reflect back to his early chapters with Jane and Miranda. Jane thinks that he's keeping his distance because he's worried to scare her off, when it's a lot of the opposite. He's worried about ruining it himself, which gives a lot of nice retrospection. And Miranda, we see her trying to always be perfect for him, meanwhile he's been doing the same.
Overall, really enjoyed it! Would definitely want to read it again knowing what's really going on with Joseph and the girls.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual harassment, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, and Alcoholism
Minor: Death of parent and Dementia
readingrooibos's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My word to describe this book has to be flawless. I mean it when I say I was gripped from the first chapter and couldn’t put it down.
The premise? Three women are all stood up by the same man, Joseph Carter, on Valentine’s Day. The story weaves through the perspectives of the three women as we learn more about Joseph, and try to piece together exactly what happened on Valentine’s Day.
As Beth O’Leary always does so masterfully, this story packs so much heart into its pages. The writing feels like a warm cup of tea- sweet, strong, comforting. I could sink into her words all day. Her main characters are strong and unique. The supporting characters fill the story will love and heart. This book has love, emotion, and mystery wrapped up in one package.
My only caution is with the way this book was marketed- don’t go in expecting a light rom-com read. This packed an emotional punch and dealt with tough topics including-
workplace harassment, caring for a loved one with dementia, and loss.
The book felt like a hug- but at times it was a “hug-you-while-you-sob-hug”. (Seriously I cried A LOT while reading this book.) There are moments of joy and laughter, a motley crew of characters, and so much love in this book. While not the light and breezy read I expected when I picked this up, this book was more than I could have wanted.
The premise? Three women are all stood up by the same man, Joseph Carter, on Valentine’s Day. The story weaves through the perspectives of the three women as we learn more about Joseph, and try to piece together exactly what happened on Valentine’s Day.
As Beth O’Leary always does so masterfully, this story packs so much heart into its pages. The writing feels like a warm cup of tea- sweet, strong, comforting. I could sink into her words all day. Her main characters are strong and unique. The supporting characters fill the story will love and heart. This book has love, emotion, and mystery wrapped up in one package.
My only caution is with the way this book was marketed- don’t go in expecting a light rom-com read. This packed an emotional punch and dealt with tough topics including-
The book felt like a hug- but at times it was a “hug-you-while-you-sob-hug”. (Seriously I cried A LOT while reading this book.) There are moments of joy and laughter, a motley crew of characters, and so much love in this book. While not the light and breezy read I expected when I picked this up, this book was more than I could have wanted.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Alcoholism, Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, and Dementia