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emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
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
Honestly this book wrecked me a little bit. Emily Henry didn't such an amazing job, as usual. This was a real page turner I couldn't put it down
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Car accident
i’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews of this book but i personally loved it. i found the story to be interesting and kept me hooked, i enjoyed the interviewing aspect with Margaret and getting to learn both her story along with watching Hayden and Alice’s story unfold. i adored them both so so much and their chemistry off the jump was so good - i had a great time reading this one. definitely recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident, Pregnancy
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Classism
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
At the broken (and healing) heart of this story are family dynamics and, more specifically, the hidden, tremulous, and deep-seated feeling that you don’t belong — that your family may love you but that they don’t really like you. It’s an awful anxiety, too tender to poke at, and maybe one that we’ve all felt. I know I have. I know my husband has. I know we’ve talked about it and fought about it.
In the words of the poet Philip Larkin, ”They fuck you up, your mum and dad. / They may not mean to, but they do. / They fill you with the faults they had / And add some extra, just for you.” The parents in this short poem are looked at with tenderness as much as blame. And, in the final stanza, he writes that “[misery] deepens like a coastal shelf.”
In the words of the poet Philip Larkin, ”They fuck you up, your mum and dad. / They may not mean to, but they do. / They fill you with the faults they had / And add some extra, just for you.” The parents in this short poem are looked at with tenderness as much as blame. And, in the final stanza, he writes that “[misery] deepens like a coastal shelf.”
It’s almost like Henry used the poem as a template for her novel, given its island setting, and then came to an altogether different conclusion than the droll warning proffered by the poet. Maybe it’s the difference in an American perspective versus a British one. We can’t help our naive optimism despite the *preponderance* of evidence to the contrary. Fortunately, this is the correct stance for a literary romance novel to take.
I know reviews have been mixed for Henry’s latest book but it punched me in the gut, quickened my pulse, and made my heart flutter. I suppose that *is* a mixed reaction…but certainly not an apathetic one.
Small criticisms include: minor pacing problems. The end, in particular, felt rushed. I’m sure she was aware that the book was already longer than her readers expect from her. Also, for a story so concerned with the love between siblings, Alice’s sister & Hayden’s brother (especially, considering…!) were barely wisps on the page. That said, all three main stories — Alice & Hayden’s, Margaret’s, and Alice’s relationship with her parents — were expertly and gracefully balanced, which is quite a feat when so much could have been fumbled.
I’d like to give a special shout-out to the joke about Cosmo going from being “the poor man’s Elvis” to “the rich man’s Elvis” after he married into the Ives’ family fortune. Very witty, Emily. Top notch. ;) And it was very sexy, of course, per usual!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Dementia
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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:
Complicated
Emily Henry’s best romance so far. The epilogue is bad and unnecessary and some of the dialogue and logic is clunky, but overall better than almost all other romances. The characters and their motivations seem real and relatable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness, Car accident
Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Entertaining, funny, with some romance. Just the right amount of everything to make it an easy read but still exciting.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The books tranforms in the final quarter. I found the romance secondary in this book. Margaret's story was all I wanted to know. The twist at the end was wonderful and change the book up a star rating but I wish we had gotten to know more about Margaret and Hayden's relationship. Did Nadine ever forgive her bio mother and let her in? The book build up Margaret's story and I wanted to know this key part.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Stalking
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief
Minor: Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent