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passionatereader78's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol
lportilla'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: Fatphobia and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Biphobia
notsobinaryart's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Biphobia, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Alcohol
immovabletype'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
3.5
Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use and Fatphobia
Minor: Biphobia, Death, Grief, and Alcohol
kristakp'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? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Fatphobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Stalking, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
alexisgarcia'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
3.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Grief, and Alcohol
uranaishi'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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Outing, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Biphobia, Body shaming, Death, Homophobia, and Blood
lauramparis'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
3.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Misogyny, and Death of parent
thesmutsister_emma'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
4.25
I'm going to be so freaking for real right now. I honestly didn't plan on reading this book. I had heard it was very slow from Booktokers and Bookstagramers who I trust and was just going to leave it be. Then I received it in a holiday book exchange (thank you again, Aysha for hosting that) and I thought why the hell not. After having a slummy previous book, I felt like I could trust Sierra Simone with pulling me out of a rut. And boy, did she and Julie Murphy deliver. Before I start giving too much away, let me get to my usuals.
The Characters
Bee: Can I just be Bee?? Pretty please? As someone who is usually the most sex positive of the friend group, to see Bee doing her ahem adult content account as well as the Hallma- I mean... well. you know what I mean. Anyway, to see her doing that as well as her adult content account made my heart happy. It typically is frowned upon and even I have to have to have pseudonyms on this account and my Instagram (go check out @the.smutsisters). It was wonderful to see the openness, even if that was the main conflict a lot of the book. Bee handled things with beauty and grace throughout the book honestly.
Nolan: Nolan. Precious Nolan. This poor, oblivious, privileged, mess of a bisexual. Lord bless this child's heart. Honestly, I get it though. I understand needing to be the crutch of the family. It is something I have come to understand much much more in the last 2 years. The constant need to always be there is something I get. It's also something I am working on as well. I feel like Nolan did such a great job with it honestly.
Things I Loved
I quite frankly loved so much of this book that I'm not sure what is missing for it to make 5 🌟 but something just feels like it is missing. I loved the social commentary because it didn't feel forced at all. The LGBTQ+ representation was wonderful, the only way to improve that would have been to have an ace character and a trans character. The chemistry that Bee and Nolan have is palpable even on the page, I can't imagine what the rest of the cast and crew saw on the set. I loved the side characters and would love to see more.
Things I Didn't Love
I can't put my finger on it, but there was something about it that made it come just shy of a 5 🌟 review and it really bothers me that it didn't because I don't have any specific complaints about the book!
The Final Verdict
This honestly is going to be a holiday book I come back to every holiday season. It was enjoyable and comforting while also having the levels of spice I love. If you need to raise the temp a few degrees on your holiday plans, be sure to grab this book!!
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Alcohol
jen1804's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Satisfactory ending? Yeah I suppose so.
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Bullying, Drug use, Fatphobia, and Alcohol