Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey

59 reviews

kaitlinmarks's review against another edition

funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Alcohol

sarahkaitly's review against another edition

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism

aileron's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Grief and Alcohol

lpeddleyoung's review against another edition

hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Misogyny, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

kris386's review against another edition

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

hellowildflower's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• 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

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and HarperCollins Australia for allowing me to read and review this book before release. 

Tessa Bailey quickly became one of my favourite authors. Last year I read 14 of her books and Secretly Yours is definitely top 5 for me. 

It was the kind of fun and romantic book I was expecting with that grumpy/sunshine trope that Tessa Bailey writes so well. 

I love Hallie and Julian together and in the end it really does feel like the complete each other. 

I could relate to both main characters in many ways. Julian is the calm and Hallie is the storm and I love it. 

A few key elements I loved:

•Anxiety rep

•Hallie is plus-size 

•The love letters

•Hallie’s fierce love for her family and friends 

•Julian trying to repair the relationship with his mother and sister

•The sexual tension 

Secretly Yours was a very fun way for Tessa to kick off a new series of books and I can’t wait to read Natalie’s story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Moderate: Death and Abandonment

katebrownreads's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Grief, and Stalking

Minor: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

purplepenning's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Sexism

So, I had a few issues, and they're all spoilery content warnings, so:

one character has internalized fatphobia, alcoholism of a secondary character is barely addressed, one main character exhibits stalkerish obsession, one main character overly sexualizes a women who is just doing her job and also indulges sexist sexual fantasies about her, the "first time" virginity trope is used, anxiety attacks feel more like a plot device than a thoughtful character development, BUT there is some character growth to partially address some of these issues and there's some positive therapy rep (or at least the declared intention)

kristynpittman's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

 If you’re a Tessa Bailey gal, like myself, you’re gonna love this! It’s got her classic hijinks, and trademark steam. The tropes are grumpy/sunshine and opposites attract. Where I think this really shines is the mental health rep! The MMC goes though quite the journey processing his trauma and anxiety.

(⚠️CW: On page panic attacks) 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Alcohol

Minor: Death