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bethkxx's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Homophobia
lou_loo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The whole cast is so gorgeous, inside and outside, the characters are fully fleshed, well developed and each has a distinctive personality.
I loved how the story unfolded, how the characters discover who they are, who their friends are and what they want their relationship to be.
The rep in this story is so well done, characters are from all types of different backgrounds and are all different sexualities, and the asexual spectrum was explored very beautifully and gracefully by the author. The mental health was also very well researched.
I absolutely love this book it deserves more than 5 stars, it deserves the world, and it deserves to be read by so many more people and enjoyed by everyone ready to read a love story full of raw emotions, full of humanity, and very real.
I could go on and on for ages, but I think it best to pick up this book and read it.
Or re-read it !!
Moderate: Sexual content and Homophobia
juttaleupe's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, and Biphobia
ekern1991's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Homophobia
albasapri's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Alcohol
alyxinthestars's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Ableism and Mental illness
Minor: Homophobia
lucyhargrave's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Homophobia, Vomit, and Biphobia
thatsssorachael's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual content and Abandonment
Minor: Homophobia
wardenred's review
- 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
4.0
“There is nothing wrong with believing in happy endings.”
“Isn’t there, though, when statistically, you know half of those endings are actually divorce?” Jules sucks on a lime. “Shouldn’t orchestrating love stories for our crappy show spoil the magic for you a bit?”
“No! Never!”
I expected something fairly lighthearted from this book, but I ended up spending most of it feeling upset and worried for the characters. I'm not saying this as a bad thing; if anything, it means that I cared for these fictional people. Just a case of misplaced expectations, I guess? I should really stop trusting the packaging and pay more attention to reviews. Especially, apparently, when it comes to romcoms. I swear some of the most nerve-wrecking books I've read were marketed as romcoms.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the mental health representation here. Both Charlie's anxiety and Dev's depression were described in a way that I found really relatable, as well as their respective journeys to getting better. There was so much attention put into how certain things appear on the outside and how they actually feel when your brain is actively working against you. Despite being intimately familiar with depression, I was kind of tricked with Dev when it came to the portrayal of this dichotomy. I was genuinely growing frustrated with him for a big chunk of the book for his dedication to orchestrating the reality show love stories. How could he be directly involved in all the staging and framing and nudging people toward specific actions and outcomes, and still believe in those happily ever afters? And then it was revealed just how depressed he was, and it all clicked. Like, oh. Of course. He's not so much ignoring what's right in front of him, he's avoiding what's *inside* of him, until it becomes too personal to go on. To make it clear, I liked this effect a lot.
All the inner workings of the dating show were fun to read about, too, in that somewhat darkly entertaining way. There was exactly as much cynicism and manipulation as I expected, but there were also some sweet moments amidst it all between the core group, as well as some witty dialogue that made me smirk.
I'm not sure I bought Charlie and Dev as a couple by the end of the book, though. They're both wonderful characters, but I feel like Charlie put it best right before the ending:
In many ways, this story reminded me of Alexis Hall's Winner Bakes All books that are also marketed as romcoms and are very much not. Great books, all of them! Just. Misleading packaging.
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Biphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Vomit
ktame001's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Vomit