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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Classism
Minor: Infidelity, Suicide attempt
I met Shirlene recently at an author event and absolutely adored her energy- so naturally, I snuck out of the signing line to snag copies of her books to get signed too! And I am so glad I did!! As I started reading this on the beach, I literally exclaimed out loud, “I knew I loved her energy!”
This story was just so cute and had me howling at so many parts. The miscommunication was a bit much for my personal taste, but hey, it is what it is. What really stood out to me was how both main characters had such distinct voices and personalities—Mal and Jo felt fully real and alive on the page. And I really loved the way Jo's depression was handled with such care and reflected on the page.
Also, I have to talk about the audio: I was picturing Mal’s voice as Jakobi Diem in my head, and when I switched to audio and saw the name JD Jackson, I was momentarily bummed—until he started talking and… surprise! It’s actually just him under a different name! I’m so glad I hybrid read this one because the narration brought so much depth and realness to the story.
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
inspiring
relaxing
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
lighthearted
emotional
funny
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
This was a really sweet read. The mental health and healthcare worker representation was done well. Jo and Mal’s relationship was very mature and sweet and I loved watching them date each other and fall in love after their meet cute. A very balanced romance novel, would recommend!
emotional
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