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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
Such a wonderful read. Mutual pining that spans decades. I very rarely enjoy a third act breakup these days but I really feel like in this book it was both necessary and executed perfectly!
hopeful
lighthearted
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
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I feel like the book had a lot of potential. The idea is pretty fun and I liked the characters. I honestly just thought it was too much sex. Don’t get me wrong, I like a sexy book, though this amount of sex came at expense of any sort of plot. The sex itself was fine, it’s not stuff I’m in to, which could have impacted my opinion as well.
Never thought i’d say this but i wish the burn was slower tbh.
Really did not like the final third of this book! one of the most forced final act break ups i’ve ever read. Also did not really see the yearning
Really did not like the final third of this book! one of the most forced final act break ups i’ve ever read. Also did not really see the yearning
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was very promising and has a lot going for it. But there are also some issues that unfortunately bring the whole book down.
Pros: love that one MC is nonbinary and into woodworking and love that they’re chubby. Love that the spice explores things we don’t usually see in queer or rather lesbian books - we need more of that sort of representation and I really love what the author tried to do here.
Cons: the pacing really is off. Somehow I just couldn’t get invested in the characters and felt no chemistry between them. Most of their trauma wasn’t explored enough, it didn’t go in depth enough to make me feel for them, made the whole book a little vain/shallow. The MCs seemed immature and a lot of their decision making seemed rushed and just overall gave an off vibe like it wasn’t well thought out.
This is the third book I’ve read by this author and they really are great at what they do, the writing is usually wonderful and engaging and both books I read before this one were 4 stars. This, unfortunately, just wasn’t up there with them. Still excited to see what the author does next though.
Pros: love that one MC is nonbinary and into woodworking and love that they’re chubby. Love that the spice explores things we don’t usually see in queer or rather lesbian books - we need more of that sort of representation and I really love what the author tried to do here.
Cons: the pacing really is off. Somehow I just couldn’t get invested in the characters and felt no chemistry between them. Most of their trauma wasn’t explored enough, it didn’t go in depth enough to make me feel for them, made the whole book a little vain/shallow. The MCs seemed immature and a lot of their decision making seemed rushed and just overall gave an off vibe like it wasn’t well thought out.
This is the third book I’ve read by this author and they really are great at what they do, the writing is usually wonderful and engaging and both books I read before this one were 4 stars. This, unfortunately, just wasn’t up there with them. Still excited to see what the author does next though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I don't typically read romance, but this was such an enjoyable book that I probably will again! The characters were funny and sweet and relatable, and the love between Elsie & Ginny filled my little gay heart right up. It was also really lovely to have a nonbinary character front and center in a story in a way that I could really connect with.
Despite being a light and feel-good story, there was enough genuine exploration of the characters' individual struggles that it didn't feel schlocky. I'd strongly recommend this for anybody who craves a beautiful and fun queer romance but who, like me, can be a bit skeptical of the genre.
Despite being a light and feel-good story, there was enough genuine exploration of the characters' individual struggles that it didn't feel schlocky. I'd strongly recommend this for anybody who craves a beautiful and fun queer romance but who, like me, can be a bit skeptical of the genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
This was probably the first queer rom com I've found where there was ACTUALLY a non-femme MC. I was so happy to see a relationship that more accurately mirrors my own.
Well done Meryl! I'm a huge fan.
Well done Meryl! I'm a huge fan.
emotional
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
This book while arguably being up my alley it ended up not being for me.
The pace was... Strange, during the first part and the last it felt too slow, during the middle part it was too fast, it was a little disorienting.
I didn't particularly like the characters, most of them were mostly frustrating, but some others had some excellent moments (I'm looking at you Sue)
But then, the third act breakup
this will be a weird con ection but walk with me: there's a song by Ben platt called "Grow as we go" where he says that although everyone believes that the only way to grow is apart from your romantic partner maybe there's a chance they could grow together (as they go) and based on what I know about the characters in this book, they should be able to do that. They have been friends for a long time, and they have been in love for a long time, you could say that having each other is one of the most stable things in their lives and I don't believe that taking away that stability is what gets them to—in a way—reach their ultimate form.
But that's mostly psychoanalysis no-one asked me for, and it's my opinion, but within the book it left me frustrated to see these two characters who clearly loved each other complaining and whining for so many pages about something that was easily solved and that should not have happened in the first place.
All in all while this book was absolutely not for me I know it can be enjoyable and I found some moments really entertaining, but that's about it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC
The pace was... Strange, during the first part and the last it felt too slow, during the middle part it was too fast, it was a little disorienting.
I didn't particularly like the characters, most of them were mostly frustrating, but some others had some excellent moments (I'm looking at you Sue)
this will be a weird con ection but walk with me: there's a song by Ben platt called "Grow as we go" where he says that although everyone believes that the only way to grow is apart from your romantic partner maybe there's a chance they could grow together (as they go) and based on what I know about the characters in this book, they should be able to do that. They have been friends for a long time, and they have been in love for a long time, you could say that having each other is one of the most stable things in their lives and I don't believe that taking away that stability is what gets them to—in a way—reach their ultimate form.
But that's mostly psychoanalysis no-one asked me for, and it's my opinion, but within the book it left me frustrated to see these two characters who clearly loved each other complaining and whining for so many pages about something that was easily solved and that should not have happened in the first place.
All in all while this book was absolutely not for me I know it can be enjoyable and I found some moments really entertaining, but that's about it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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