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mamawantsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
caribbeangirlreading's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
LOVED
· I usually stay far away from books that feature social media influencers, but in this case, I loved that Valentina was a bookstagrammer. She mostly posted musings about books and life and there was zero discussion about paid partnerships or the number of followers she had.
· I usually stay far away from books that feature social media influencers, but in this case, I loved that Valentina was a bookstagrammer. She mostly posted musings about books and life and there was zero discussion about paid partnerships or the number of followers she had.
· I really liked Valentina and how she still opened her heart to forgiveness despite all the pain.
· I loved how the author set the story in a large city but because she focused on one neighborhood, it had a small town feel to it.
DISLIKED
· Both Valentina and her mother were the victims of a manipulative and controlling man, yet this is never fully addressed in the book. Many Goodreads reviewers complained that they could not understand why neither Valentina nor Eloise reached out to each other once she turned 18. Those reviewers have obviously (and thankfully for them) never been the victim of mental and emotional abuse. This is some serious shit that was treated superficially. It just felt like low-key victim blaming. Not cool.
· Both Valentina and her mother were the victims of a manipulative and controlling man, yet this is never fully addressed in the book. Many Goodreads reviewers complained that they could not understand why neither Valentina nor Eloise reached out to each other once she turned 18. Those reviewers have obviously (and thankfully for them) never been the victim of mental and emotional abuse. This is some serious shit that was treated superficially. It just felt like low-key victim blaming. Not cool.
Although Valentina’s story had a happy ending overall the book was just sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Miscarriage, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy, Cancer, and Infidelity
rrubin97's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Well written sweet story. It was entirely predictable though
Things that frustrated me
1. Eloise’s behavior. Once Val was 18 she could contact her with no repercussions- why didn’t she when she so obviously should have. 2. The author kept mentioning Maggie was older and taller than F - so? Why should that stop them from being a couple? It obviously bothered the author but is just stupid. 3. Val was obviously going to end up with Eric and he was the one who wrote the notes. No big reveal there
Things that frustrated me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Terminal illness
reading4enjoyment's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is my first book to read by Sarah Jio and now I can't wait to pick up another title by this author. With Love from London was a joy to read and was very well written. The author tells a beautiful story of a mother and daughter who are separated, and the daughter's quest to find the answers to questions that she has carried with her ever since. The book hit some heavy issues (lost love, emotional abuse, grief) without being emotionally heavy to read. It also involves multiple points of view, but they are woven together seamlessly so it is not a distraction or difficult to follow. I had a hard time putting this book down, but also didn't want it to end too quickly. There were a couple of places in the book where I felt like the story line seemed a bit rushed, but that was minor (or maybe even just me) and not at all distracting. This is a beautiful story of love, grief, friendship, forgiveness, and self-discovery. I especially recommend this book if you enjoy contemporary fiction, romance, or books about books.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, and Grief
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