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khloereads86's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Confinement, and Physical abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Addiction, Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Car accident
frantically'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
3.0
Was this book particularly good? No, not really. Was it absolutely addicting to listen to? Yes. Spent two days doing nothing else.
I love Aiden. What. A. Man. The quiet way he shows Van he loves her 😭😭 the way he stands up for her 😭😭 really had me sobbing ngl
Can't stand Van. She was so fun at first but then it just turned really pick-me and if there's one thing I HATE it's pick-me's.
Still, the relationship was so cute! Yes it was technically very slow burn but we all knew they were gonna end up together in the end and it made all the pre-relationship situations so much cuter for me.
Some other stuff I had issues with:
– Van's family gives major Cinderella vibes but not retelling vibes, Cinderella vibes straight out of the fairytale. Completely two-dimensional. Oh and why are they assholes? Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, of course
– Aiden is groped/sexually harassed in front of Van and she laughs about it for like ten minutes. Ew.
– Van gets into sports! Theoretically fun but she only does it after Aiden's manager says she's fat. And there's so much focus on her losing weight, it became a bit uncomfortable
So – why did I even like this? I don't know. I like Aiden. I like puppies. I like "I loved you from the start". The writing is good.
Will read more Zapata books, trying to find a book as great as Lukov was xoxo
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Car accident
marippe's review against another edition
3.5
I'm starting to understand that you can always make time for the things that matter.
ykno it was fun and fresh. vanessas family stuff was sad
wish there was some sort of resolution to vanessa's trauma
aiden was a little autism-spec coded, i doubt that was intentional but it could've been interesting if it was
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
juliaaaaaa's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Gaslighting, Car accident, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Injury/Injury detail
asakia's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Moderate: Sexual content
bg_oseman_fan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Child abuse
Moderate: Car accident, Alcohol, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Drug abuse
bookishmillennial's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Car accident, Child abuse, Sexual content, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Addiction, and Drug abuse
intensej's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved the premise of this book. Aiden was a really charming and realistic character. I liked seeing Val's loving relationship with Aiden's roommate, another professional football player, Zac. Zapata really drags things out in this book, and the slow burn was almost too much. I felt like there should have been more sex scenes in this book for how slow the relationship moved. I found the constant references to Van's abusive childhood to be too intense for a contemporary romance. I wish there was another book that followed Zac's story, but this appears to be a standalone. Fans of sports romance and marriage of convenience tropes will love this book.
Content: mentions of child abuse, some swearing, some fighting, sex
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence
Minor: Sexual harassment
takarakei'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
Vanessa had a rough childhood and still has a very strained relationship with her family so that is good to know going in.
🌶️3/5 (sneaks in)
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, and Car accident
Minor: Drug abuse and Sexual assault
This is the new to trad pub version and I will say some things could've done to be updated a bit more ex: there's a scene in which Aiden is groped by a fan.laluz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Sexual content and Child abuse