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caitlyn_23's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
rebecca_arielle's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Panic attacks/disorders
izziepng'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? Yes
2.0
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
Graphic: Infidelity, Bullying, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexual content, Body shaming, and Cursing
Minor: Antisemitism, Eating disorder, and Child abuse
analenegrace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved Kathleen and Cal's relationship, especially because I love second-chance romances and celeb romances. Both felt very real and complicated, which I love in characters. Harriet also felt very real, and
My criticisms are few but include disliking how Rachel James was written and some of the strange language used. Rachel James was a clear and not great character based on Lea Michele to some extent, and I think a character like that has to be written with some nuance. Women like Lea and Rachel is written are a bit more complicated than Sussman writes here, and it feels like some internalized misogyny to make this character consistently villainous without a particular reason. My language issue came with how Kathleen would talk at times, especially about her body. At times it felt like internalized misogyny from Sussman but also just awkward, like when Kathleen says Breasts during
All-in-all, a great and fun read!
Graphic: Fatphobia, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders
booksalacarte's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Gaslighting, Cursing, Abandonment, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
cc_shelflove'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
2.0
This book is described as being a “friends-to-lovers meets enemies-to-lovers story,” and that is the perfect way to define the relationship between Kathleen and Cal. The spark from when they were kids has since dissolved, and now the two can’t even stand to be in the same room. When their mutual friend writes a Broadway play, the two find themselves in forced proximity.
What would I say to the author after finishing this book? Why, once more with feeling, of course. The characters were extremely flat, and I did not notice a lot of development or growth in their relationships overall. While I wasn’t necessarily bored and it turned out to be a quick read, there was nothing to this story. Fights and kisses popped up out of nowhere, and I didn’t really care if Kathleen and Cal ended up together or not. In short, I would compare this book to trying to make tacos without any seasoning. Huh? Who wants that? #blandAF
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Eating disorder and Body shaming