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fkshg8465's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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
2.0
I was mostly bored by this book. Spent more time trying to understand why it was so popular than actually engage in the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Abandonment, and Death of parent
onthesamepage's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Tropes: second chance romance, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine
Steam level: 🌶🌶🌶
Considering how often contemporary romances don't work for me, I don't have much to complain about. It didn't hit me in the feels, which is why I'm not rating it higher, but I also wasn't yelling at the characters to please behave like actual adults, so I consider it a win.
I really appreciated the dual perspectives. The dual timelines I appreciated a bit less because I was way more interested in the present, but I ended up being glad of the context anyway. I wanted them to reconnect more in the present timeline, however. All the romance was basically in the past.
My biggest problem with a second chance romance is that I have to believe that they can do better the second time around, and Ama and Elliot didn't quite get there for me. I liked both characters, but Ama really needs therapy to deal with her commitment issues, and I don't buy that she's suddenly able to overcome them just because Elliot is a sweetheart.
Steam level: 🌶🌶🌶
Considering how often contemporary romances don't work for me, I don't have much to complain about. It didn't hit me in the feels, which is why I'm not rating it higher, but I also wasn't yelling at the characters to please behave like actual adults, so I consider it a win.
I really appreciated the dual perspectives. The dual timelines I appreciated a bit less because I was way more interested in the present, but I ended up being glad of the context anyway. I wanted them to reconnect more in the present timeline, however. All the romance was basically in the past.
My biggest problem with a second chance romance is that I have to believe that they can do better the second time around, and Ama and Elliot didn't quite get there for me. I liked both characters, but Ama really needs therapy to deal with her commitment issues, and I don't buy that she's suddenly able to overcome them just because Elliot is a sweetheart.
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer
poupimali's review against another edition
medium-paced
4.5
Elliot and Ama work together in every sense.
This a second chance romance.
Back and forth between the past and now.
The spice is 🌶️🌶️/5 but you’re here for the love story.
This a second chance romance.
Back and forth between the past and now.
The spice is 🌶️🌶️/5 but you’re here for the love story.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent and Cancer
superbrats's review against another edition
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent and Cancer
dkgreads's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It kinda felt like Ama was a different character in the present chapters versus the flashbacks, and that threw me a little. I loved how grumpy Elliot was. And I’d kill to see one of their weddings in real life. The descriptions of the flowers and venues were my favorite part.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer
alexasolis98's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Elliot was consistently rude and yet I'm supposed to believe he can run a business with that attitude. Ama was consistently stupid about Whitney. Like girl stop being suspicious and admit the truth you are experiencing. I didn't really get the romance in this book. I could see the lust, didn't really even get they were in love until way later in the book. I think we needed a bit more time with Ama's thoughts on her averison to marriage. I felt there was a lot that could have been unpacked there. Elliot's background could have been developed a bit more as well. Like why did his mom need to be a senator? Jackie was fine but Hazel was a bit of a brat.
P.S. This whole wedding planning was stressful.
P.S. This whole wedding planning was stressful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic friendship
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
amy_in_the_city's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
A second chance romance (?) between two people that don't belong together and should seek out therapy instead. It feels like it was written by one of those people who consider 500 Days of Summer a rom-com and wrote a fix-it fic for the main characters to end up together despite wanting different things. Ama clearly tells Elliot she doesn't do relationships. That should have been the end of it. She strings him along a bit, but he also lets himself be strung along because he doesn't believe her when she says "no relationships."
So much time was spent on the wedding planning plot and describing all the details and to-do lists that there was no time left for the romantic relationship or for character development in general. There were two chances to show them falling in love (past and present), but I never really felt they were in love. The past timeline mostly seemed about lust. They had sex a lot, but they didn't really have any conversations where they get to know each other in a way that makes their "love" believable. I couldn't tell you anything they like about each other besides he likes her ass and she likes his tattoos. They have maybe two conversations in the present timeline and neither show them falling for each other again.
Ama was pretty immature. I spent most of the book wondering why she never saw a therapist to deal with her feelings about her mother's many divorces and how that affects her views on relationships. You would think she would have sought out a therapist after her outlook on relationships ruined what she had with Elliot the first time but apparently not. Other than her relationship hang-ups and her career goals, she didn't have much of a personality.
Elliott was just kind of a jerk. Repeat after me: "grumpy" does not equal "being rude to everyone you're not currently banging." His first scene with Ama when she was trying to discuss a business opportunity and he was just negging her nonstop was not cute. It was also dumb as a business owner to be needlessly rude to a potential client. His inner thoughts were funny at times though, and I liked the general idea of him in theory.
A lot of reviews praise the steamy scenes but something about them felt off to me. There were some beautifully written lines in here about love but unfortunately, they felt out of character when the romance was so underdeveloped.
So much time was spent on the wedding planning plot and describing all the details and to-do lists that there was no time left for the romantic relationship or for character development in general. There were two chances to show them falling in love (past and present), but I never really felt they were in love. The past timeline mostly seemed about lust. They had sex a lot, but they didn't really have any conversations where they get to know each other in a way that makes their "love" believable. I couldn't tell you anything they like about each other besides he likes her ass and she likes his tattoos. They have maybe two conversations in the present timeline and neither show them falling for each other again.
Ama was pretty immature. I spent most of the book wondering why she never saw a therapist to deal with her feelings about her mother's many divorces and how that affects her views on relationships. You would think she would have sought out a therapist after her outlook on relationships ruined what she had with Elliot the first time but apparently not. Other than her relationship hang-ups and her career goals, she didn't have much of a personality.
Elliott was just kind of a jerk. Repeat after me: "grumpy" does not equal "being rude to everyone you're not currently banging." His first scene with Ama when she was trying to discuss a business opportunity and he was just negging her nonstop was not cute. It was also dumb as a business owner to be needlessly rude to a potential client. His inner thoughts were funny at times though, and I liked the general idea of him in theory.
A lot of reviews praise the steamy scenes but something about them felt off to me. There were some beautifully written lines in here about love but unfortunately, they felt out of character when the romance was so underdeveloped.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Cancer, Medical content, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit and Alcohol
Minor: Car accident and Classism
lex_is_bookish's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Emotional abuse and Cancer
booksandteatime's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Sexual harassment, and Death of parent
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I adored this book - I appreciated the dual POV of Ama in the present and Elliot in the past (for much of the book) as we see how their relationship started and how it unravelled before present day. There was a great mix of wedding planning, design, personal life, and steamy scenes that really brought the characters and their relationship to life.
I actually loved the depth it went into with the MCs feelings, as well as their work, because they were both so important to them for different reasons. The development of relationships and the secondary characters also made the book so much more fun and colourful.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for new books by Julie Soto going forward - her writing is addictive. All in all, this is a new favourite for me!
TW: sexual content, workplace emotional abuse, injury detail; mentions cancer, death of a parent, sexual harassment
I actually loved the depth it went into with the MCs feelings, as well as their work, because they were both so important to them for different reasons. The development of relationships and the secondary characters also made the book so much more fun and colourful.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for new books by Julie Soto going forward - her writing is addictive. All in all, this is a new favourite for me!
TW: sexual content, workplace emotional abuse, injury detail; mentions cancer, death of a parent, sexual harassment
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment