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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
dare you to hate me - 5 stars ; april 25 , 2023 5:19pm
this. book. oh my gods.
i saw it at the bookstore and something in my brain went MUST. HAVE. NOW.
so i bought it !!! and boy am i glad i did . this book was SO GOOD and i cannot describe how much i loved it . ivy's character was SO well written and SO well developed , you could clearly see her character development throughout the book and how she had grown from what we knew about her from her past to the end of the book . i also absolutely adore her brother and it was so heartwarming to see scenes with them :( also i love the mental health aspect written into this book , because i feel like i don't see that often enough in books and it is so refreshing to see real characters who struggle with their mental health just like myself and others in every day life !!
aiden was also very well written , and the way that he chased after his dreams because he knew that he had to let ivy go because that's what was best for them both in that moment is so . just . perfect . was him leaving her (or rather , saying no to leaving with her) hard ? uh , yeah ! obviously ! but did he still do it ? yes , he did . it's like that old cheesy saying , if you love someone you have to let them go . and he did . and yet she came back years later and crossed paths with him completely by coincidence . he was such a wonderful guy all in all and so protective of ivy and the way he would literally go every single day to the bakery she worked at just to see her was so adorable , i love him so much . one of the best book boyfriends by far .
also... what's that i smell ? fate bringing them together ?? oh what's that ?? THEY'RE SOULMATES ??!?!?!? HELL YEAH !!!! i fucking LOVED both of these characters and i cannot wait to read book 2 (that seems to be a theme with me after i read a really good book that happens to be part of a series ...)
i also have to say that B. Celeste is one of the sweetest people EVER and i absolutely adore her . i messaged her on instagram after i finished this book and she was genuinely so sweet :( i love her writing and i can't wait to also read "underneath the sycamore tree" , which is another book of hers i have !! all in all really wonderful book AND author and i loved this book & would definitely recommend reading it :)
this. book. oh my gods.
i saw it at the bookstore and something in my brain went MUST. HAVE. NOW.
so i bought it !!! and boy am i glad i did . this book was SO GOOD and i cannot describe how much i loved it . ivy's character was SO well written and SO well developed , you could clearly see her character development throughout the book and how she had grown from what we knew about her from her past to the end of the book . i also absolutely adore her brother and it was so heartwarming to see scenes with them :( also i love the mental health aspect written into this book , because i feel like i don't see that often enough in books and it is so refreshing to see real characters who struggle with their mental health just like myself and others in every day life !!
aiden was also very well written , and the way that he chased after his dreams because he knew that he had to let ivy go because that's what was best for them both in that moment is so . just . perfect . was him leaving her (or rather , saying no to leaving with her) hard ? uh , yeah ! obviously ! but did he still do it ? yes , he did . it's like that old cheesy saying , if you love someone you have to let them go . and he did . and yet she came back years later and crossed paths with him completely by coincidence . he was such a wonderful guy all in all and so protective of ivy and the way he would literally go every single day to the bakery she worked at just to see her was so adorable , i love him so much . one of the best book boyfriends by far .
also... what's that i smell ? fate bringing them together ?? oh what's that ?? THEY'RE SOULMATES ??!?!?!? HELL YEAH !!!! i fucking LOVED both of these characters and i cannot wait to read book 2 (that seems to be a theme with me after i read a really good book that happens to be part of a series ...)
i also have to say that B. Celeste is one of the sweetest people EVER and i absolutely adore her . i messaged her on instagram after i finished this book and she was genuinely so sweet :( i love her writing and i can't wait to also read "underneath the sycamore tree" , which is another book of hers i have !! all in all really wonderful book AND author and i loved this book & would definitely recommend reading it :)
3.5/5 ⭐️ I read this book in one sitting. It’s pretty addictive. The problem with Ivy’s family at the end seemed so repetitive for me. The relationship between the characters is not the best I ever read, but almost all the time I enjoyed reading them. It was an entertaining book.
Muito, muito parecido com “Enemies” da Tijan mas a versão mais aborrecida e secante.
A justificação da protagonista odiar o interesse amoroso é que ele com 16 anos se recusou a fugir com ela. Repito, com 16 ANOS ele não fugiu com ela, não deixou a família que tinha (que eram super chegados), a escola (onde ele era popular e se dedicava ao futebol) e tudo o que conhecia. Epa.. wtf?
O problema é que a vida da protagonista não era assim tão má. A sério. Os pais discutiam e a mãe preferia o irmão. Yup. É isso.
Achei mesmo o plot super oco e vazio e que a única intenção era ser dramático para caraças - mission accomplished.
No entanto, a família do protagonista e o próprio protagonista salvam o livro o suficiente para merecer as três estrelas.
A justificação da protagonista odiar o interesse amoroso é que ele com 16 anos se recusou a fugir com ela. Repito, com 16 ANOS ele não fugiu com ela, não deixou a família que tinha (que eram super chegados), a escola (onde ele era popular e se dedicava ao futebol) e tudo o que conhecia. Epa.. wtf?
O problema é que a vida da protagonista não era assim tão má. A sério. Os pais discutiam e a mãe preferia o irmão. Yup. É isso.
Achei mesmo o plot super oco e vazio e que a única intenção era ser dramático para caraças - mission accomplished.
No entanto, a família do protagonista e o próprio protagonista salvam o livro o suficiente para merecer as três estrelas.
emotional
hopeful
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
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I think what let this book down for me was the lack of American football. Tje cover and blurb had given me assumptions thay it would focus a little more on the game or lifestyle od players however it focused much more on the personal growth of the FMC. This was still great and the idea of not having to forgive actions and people to heal is such a nice concept that is highlighted. Overall, I would still reccomend but I did not have a great emotional attachment to the plot or characters unfortunately.
I feel like most of this book was written for people who only read dialogue. A lot of random jumps in description and detail that didn’t make much sense and took me out of the moment.
That said, this was an enjoyable story overall.
That said, this was an enjoyable story overall.
I finished this book—and honestly, I didn’t want to. I’m not sure why I pushed through to the end, maybe just for closure after investing so much time into it. The story had potential to be impactful, but it just didn’t land.
There was no chemistry between the main characters, despite them supposedly knowing each other for ten years. The dialogue was flat—no banter, no tension, barely any real interaction. For a romance, not once did I blush, kick my feet, or even crack a smile—and I’m very easy to please when it comes to this genre. There just wasn’t a single moment that made me feel anything between them.
The ending left me confused. I didn’t understand why the protagonist was apologising to her parents or what exactly she had done that warranted it—it seemed like that moment should’ve gone the other way around. It was vague and lacked emotional payoff.
Plot-wise, there wasn’t much beyond the fact that she liked baking, which could have been a great avenue to explore her personality or provide comfort amidst the heavier themes—but even that felt underdeveloped. Her character lacked depth, and with only one storyline that stayed surface-level, I just found myself bored.
For a book that tackled serious topics like mental health, it didn’t hit with the emotional weight it should have. I should’ve felt something—but instead, I was just waiting for it to be over.
