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allisonlantagne's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Sexual content, and Infidelity
Moderate: Child abuse and Alcohol
caitlinjadams's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A fun read and I continue to really like Sussman’s writing. And the Broadway setting played to my tastes! I did find myself wishing for more of Harriett. She was a more fully formed best friend character than in many romcoms, but not as fully developed as the leads and it left me wanting more because there was clearly more to give.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Bullying, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
izziepng's review
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
SPOILERS ALL THE WAY THROUGH
i can not decide whether i likes this book or not and could be persuaded either way. it wasn’t a dnf scale bad its just not a great book
none of the characters feel fleshed out. they all have like 1-2 things and that’s it like
Kathleen- was a famous pop singer and cheated on her famous boyfriend with Cal
Cal- has been in love Kathleen for forever and like directing
Harriet- wrote the play thing that Cals directing and Kathleen staring in
and there is nothing else to their WHOLE personality
There are A LOT of apologies in this book and none of them feel like they truly mean anything. Everyone apologizes in this book like 10 times to everyone. they all just kind of accept the apologies and move on. But there is NO GROWTH in any of the characters
Also Cals apology for kind of helping Ryan ruin Kathleen’s career isn’t enough tbh.
He’s like sorry for not saying anything 🥺 yk like i had to save my career because what else was i supposed to so and she’s like yeh fs it’s fine love you too btw.
To sum this book up
- No one really grew as characters
- The characters are plain
- No ones good at apologizing
- Cal isn’t a good book boyfriend
- Kathleen was a kind of shitty person
- Harriet was okayish but also kind of a shitty friend
i can not decide whether i likes this book or not and could be persuaded either way. it wasn’t a dnf scale bad its just not a great book
none of the characters feel fleshed out. they all have like 1-2 things and that’s it like
Kathleen- was a famous pop singer and cheated on her famous boyfriend with Cal
Cal- has been in love Kathleen for forever and like directing
Harriet- wrote the play thing that Cals directing and Kathleen staring in
and there is nothing else to their WHOLE personality
There are A LOT of apologies in this book and none of them feel like they truly mean anything. Everyone apologizes in this book like 10 times to everyone. they all just kind of accept the apologies and move on. But there is NO GROWTH in any of the characters
Also Cals apology for kind of helping Ryan ruin Kathleen’s career isn’t enough tbh.
He’s like sorry for not saying anything 🥺 yk like i had to save my career because what else was i supposed to so and she’s like yeh fs it’s fine love you too btw.
To sum this book up
- No one really grew as characters
- The characters are plain
- No ones good at apologizing
- Cal isn’t a good book boyfriend
- Kathleen was a kind of shitty person
- Harriet was okayish but also kind of a shitty friend
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Bullying, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexual content, Body shaming, and Cursing
Minor: Antisemitism, Eating disorder, and Child abuse
katelynnelawson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This was a solid follow up to the author’s debut, and while it’s also a second chance celebrity romance, the vibes are very different. Told from Kathleen’s POV, we see flashbacks to a teenage theater summer camp with her best friend Harriet and crush, Cal, to her days as a pop star performing alongside her boy band boyfriend (who is in the same band as Cal), to an adulthood reunion when she’s cast in Cal’s Broadway directorial debut. This is a solid friends to lovers to enemies to lovers read with lots of slow burn and pining and a little spice. I did feel Sussman’s writing was better in her first - lots of “said” dialogue tags which I can find grating. But I sped through this and was emotionally pulled! Fun, sexy, and emotional with somewhat unlikeable characters which is definitely my jam.
Content Warnings
Minor: Antisemitism, Child abuse, and Eating disorder
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