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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love Ivy with all my heart. That is a woman who survived all the shit life threw at her, and came out still true to herself. The reason I can’t give this a 4 or higher is because of Aiden. I feel like I personally couldn’t connect with him. And almost everything he did pissed me off. I understand tough love but there has to be compassion somewhere. Like if I wanted some man to love me while being intense, I’m choosing Priest everyday over Aiden. I think because knowing everything he did about Ivy and what she went through, and yet he still would have picked football over her… she deserved to be placed first and not just follow her. Because honestly, he should’ve encouraged her to go to culinary school or something. And on the spicy scale, this a 2/5 read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Mental illness
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
medium-paced
What a sweet story! I love B. Celeste’s writing. She is one of those authors that can tell a story and set the scene so well that it plays out like a movie in my head as I’m reading it. I feel like I am drawn into her books and captivated by her character - this book was no exception. I don’t generally like second chance or friends-to-lovers, but this drew me in, and I think it was really well done with some angst thrown in there!
Ivy and Aiden went on quite a journey throughout the story, and it was so good to see them heal their relationship from where they last left it. If you are someone who likes a sweet hero, LOOK NO FURTHER! Aiden is going to be your new favorite book boyfriend. He handled situations so well throughout the entire story, and I think he was just a really standup character. He knew when to push and when to give space. He went through some character development in the book, and I loved how it all played out. He always stood up for what he believed in, and I respect that 100%.
Ivy is exceptionally stubborn. At times, I got frustrated at how she reacted or held herself back from success just because of her past. That said, I am an extremely stubborn person, so I definitely understood where she was coming from and could get back into the story from her perspective. I am sure it’s hard to write a stubborn character. If I was in Ivy’s position, I can’t guarantee I would have handled it any differently.
One other plus that really made this book for me was the relationships with the side characters. I LOVED Aiden’s family. I think the guys on the football team were amazing! (Um, can we get DJ’s story next???) The way they joked around with Aiden but stepped up to protect Ivy and support each other was so fun to read. I also liked the resolution with Ivy’s family as that progressed in the story. It didn’t play out like I was anticipating, and I really enjoyed seeing that unfold.
Overall I would recommend this story to anyone looking for a fun college football romance. Especially if you like friends-to-lovers, you will love the history between Ivy and Aiden! The side characters really stole the show at times and kept me engaged and enjoying the story from start to finish.
4/5 Stars
TW: Self Harm, Suicide
Ivy and Aiden went on quite a journey throughout the story, and it was so good to see them heal their relationship from where they last left it. If you are someone who likes a sweet hero, LOOK NO FURTHER! Aiden is going to be your new favorite book boyfriend. He handled situations so well throughout the entire story, and I think he was just a really standup character. He knew when to push and when to give space. He went through some character development in the book, and I loved how it all played out. He always stood up for what he believed in, and I respect that 100%.
Ivy is exceptionally stubborn. At times, I got frustrated at how she reacted or held herself back from success just because of her past. That said, I am an extremely stubborn person, so I definitely understood where she was coming from and could get back into the story from her perspective. I am sure it’s hard to write a stubborn character. If I was in Ivy’s position, I can’t guarantee I would have handled it any differently.
One other plus that really made this book for me was the relationships with the side characters. I LOVED Aiden’s family. I think the guys on the football team were amazing! (Um, can we get DJ’s story next???) The way they joked around with Aiden but stepped up to protect Ivy and support each other was so fun to read. I also liked the resolution with Ivy’s family as that progressed in the story. It didn’t play out like I was anticipating, and I really enjoyed seeing that unfold.
Overall I would recommend this story to anyone looking for a fun college football romance. Especially if you like friends-to-lovers, you will love the history between Ivy and Aiden! The side characters really stole the show at times and kept me engaged and enjoying the story from start to finish.
4/5 Stars
TW: Self Harm, Suicide
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book broke my heart..
Ivy Underwood never didn’t have an easy life and her parents didn’t make it easier.
Aiden was such a great friend helping her get pass it all and not judging her based on her past. I do think there are some underlining issues with Aiden that could have sparked from trauma of his best friend running away.
Definitely worth the read.
Ivy Underwood never didn’t have an easy life and her parents didn’t make it easier.
Aiden was such a great friend helping her get pass it all and not judging her based on her past. I do think there are some underlining issues with Aiden that could have sparked from trauma of his best friend running away.
Definitely worth the read.
I'm disappointed that she reconciled with her parents. They didn't deserve it after everything they put her through and some tears and an apology don't make up for that.
I really just read this on a whim. It was entertaining, but the way mental health was handled wasn't for me. A girl running away and Ivy's entire story felt far-fetched in parts, but there should be a trigger warning for what is basically referencing prostitution. There may be a warning for it, I honestly have no idea. It's a friends to lovers romance that occurs years after the friends are separated. I liked Aiden, and I liked the ending very much.
For the most part, the fact that I finished it is all I can really say.
For the most part, the fact that I finished it is all I can really say.