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folkofthebook's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
She learned to let it out, bit by bit, and that sometimes, it was okay to let a little ugliness into your story. That it would never rob you of all the beauty.
this was a super sweet romance with a lot of laughs and a little angst. january and gus's journey from a (one-sided) rivalry to reacquaintances to friends to lovers felt well-paced and organic. i always love me a total simp mmc and gus definitely fit the bill, even when january was mistaking it for his superiority complex (which was kinda true too lol).
i enjoyed the aspect of them both being writers as well and how fiction and storytelling are used to not only work through our own lives, but to change them. i'm not really sure how i feel about january's dad with the affair, but i think at least as a dad the relationship between him and january was touching.
this wasn't as emotionally devastating as i was expecting it to be, but i felt like it did a good job working a bit through some topics of trauma and grief. there were also a lot of humorous moments, i absolutely loveddd january and gus's dry banter. honestly what made it a 4.5 for me.
i'm excited to read more by emily henry, but this was a solid book to start with!
If you think the story has a sad ending, it’s because it’s not over yet.
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Vomit, Death, Death of parent, and Car accident
daenerystargaryen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death of parent, Infidelity, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Vomit, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Death, Alcohol, and Cancer
Minor: Car accident and Mental illness
sophieamreacher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed the characters and the relationship with family but I found this book very slow and also that not a lot was going on.
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Cancer, Infidelity, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Car accident, Child abuse, Cursing, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, and Violence
mirandalikesbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I will say some of the true romance of this novel felt a little over the top for me to the point that I didn't resonate with this one nearly as much as the last couple Henry books I read. Still good and worth reading though!
Graphic: Alcohol and Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
alexiconic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
But...
The ending was too rushed: In the second half of the book, the problems felt way too serious for such a fast resolution! I didn't always enjoy January's character (a personal peeve) or the miscommunications between Gus and January, although those were often, blessedly, quickly resolved.
Graphic: Alcohol, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Terminal illness, Cancer, Physical abuse, Car accident, and Violence
mmadill227's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Death of parent and Domestic abuse
Minor: Alcohol and Car accident
potion96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Child abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Car accident and Alcoholism
prairieraven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Death of parent, Addiction, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Grief, Infidelity, Abandonment, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting
tigerkind's review
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Cancer, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Animal death, Suicide, Confinement, Child death, Child abuse, and Car accident
fanboyriot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Quick Read
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Death, Alcohol, Cancer, and Cursing
Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, and Vomit