Scan barcode
annahamburger'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
4.5
Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Cursing, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Classism, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Dysphoria, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, and Infidelity
Minor: Death of parent and Death
leonormsousa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Emotional abuse
jjjreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Classism, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Sexual content
beccaruthe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Homophobia, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Blood, Drug use, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
redheadorganist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Abandonment, and Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual content
a_gbsn'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
4.0
Moderate: Homophobia and Alcoholism
Minor: Toxic relationship
taelights's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
First of all the book dragged. It was so long and for what? Plus there is apparently a sequel too? Unnecessary in my opinion and I definitely won't be reading it.
While I did find some of the jokes funny I felt most of them fell flat and the author was trying too hard to be funny. I felt like I was reading a "crack" fic that was trying too hard rather than an actua published book. Plus some of the "jokes" were a bit of problematic - including rape/sexual assult ones, biphobic ones, etc. Plus I thought the book did play into some harmful stereotypes of both lesbians and bi/pan people. And as a vegetarian I did not like the way vegetarian and vegans were portrayed in this book and it felt like the author really likes forcing vegetarians to eat meat which is gross of them.
The negatives:
1) Both of the main characters need some major therapy; both individual and couples. Yet after after a whole book dealing with their flaws and trauma and incompatibility and trust issues these things just seem to go away at the end in an unsatisfying way. I hate the whole "love will fix all your problems" thing. Like damn I hope these two characters went to therapy next book but I doubt it lol.
2) While Oliver and Luc had chemistry at the beginning of the book I thought they lost all their chemistry. I was no longer believing in their relationship and routing for them towards the end. Plus THREE breakups in one book is a bit extreme. By the third I kind of didn't even want them to get back together.
3) I thought the side lesbian relationship was problematic like they play into both the lesbian age difference trope and while I personally love age gaps in general it's annoying when it's like 90% of lesbian media. Also it played into the whole gross lesbian married to man and cheats on him with a woman trope. Also the lesbian friend felt like the angry lesbian trope.
4) I also felt that there was harmful bi/pan stereotypes in this. Like having one of Luc's ex boyfriends being a bi man who leaves a gay man for a straight woman.... It kind of plays into the harmful belief that bi people will always leave their same sex partners for a straight relationship.
5) The characters were all extremely one dimensional. The side characters especially but so were Luc and Oliver honestly.
6) As a vegetarian I was extremely disappointed in how the author handled a vegetarian character. Between making the vegetarian character eat meat not once but twice, the love interest who convinced him to eat meat basically commenting that it's sexy he's going against his morals and eating meat, characters acting like being vegetarian is so strange and different and such an inconvenience, and being like yeah he's obviously only vegetarian because he has an eating disorder. Honestly I between the jokes about vegans/vegetarians and the whole forcing one to eat meat just made me so uncomfortable and I honestly believe this author has something against people who don't eat meat which is weird of them.
7) The whole reason for the fake dating plot line didn't make sense in the first place.
8) The whole plotline with Luc's dad didn't make sense and didn't have a satisfying conclusion at all and just made the whole element of the book seem needless.
I could go on. I just really did not like this book by the end.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Cursing, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Homophobia, Sexual content, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Cancer, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, and Sexual assault
Biphobiawordwilderness'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
The narrator is very sarcastic and there’s a lot of banter between the characters, which I enjoyed. I also liked that the author recognized that sarcasm can turn into an unhealthy coping mechanism that pushes people away and good-natured teasing can sometimes cross the line, which isn’t something I see often in books.
Also, the characters had great chemistry. Their initial dislike that they used to hide their obvious attraction was just *chef’s kiss* THE BEST. Sweet, buttoned-up Oliver and sarcastic Lucious were perfect for one another. I loved how the author portrayed them as dealing with their trauma in different ways. How they slowly recognized each other’s hurt and imperfections and began learning how to cope together. My heart just needed this lovely and romantic story.
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Drug use, Alcohol, and Cancer
kcmillheiser's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism and Abandonment
Moderate: Stalking
thereadinghammock'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
Now, on to our wonderful garbage fire of a narrator Luc. As I said, he was so unlikeable at first. He was so despondent that it was clear why he had such a hard time connecting with anyone, even his friends (the ever changing What's App group name was a hilarious running gag). I'm pretty sure I liked Oliver from the start, despite his prickly introduction. He came off as the kind of person who was "Always Right" and although he didn't rub it in your face, also couldn't stand to not correct an error or mistake, if only because he wouldn't want anyone to think he also thought that misinformation was correct. I wasn't expecting, however, for Oliver to also want in on the "fake relationship" deal.
It was clear from early on, Oliver was having real feelings for Luc pretty quickly and he was so panicky about it. He was trying to build up walls so hard and so fast because he clearly had a lot of big feelings, and Luc was being self-defeatist and caught up in his own shit for so long it took him forever to realize he had those big feelings too! I spent a lot of my listening time flapping about in the car to and from work, faux crying about how much they liked each other and they just didn't know it yet!!
I definitely wasn't expecting to fall so madly in love with these two adorable train wrecks, and I loved how wildly different they were and how different their issues were from each other. I am SO EXCITED to learn that the sequel is only a few months away and I can't wait to see these two numbskulls navigate their for-real relationship a bit more.
Graphic: Abandonment, Cancer, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
Moderate: Gaslighting, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Grief, Alcohol, and Alcoholism