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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
emotional
hopeful
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
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.5/5 stars ⭐ According to the reviews, this is either a love or hate read, and holy damn hell did I love this. Gender-swapped tropes give me life. I don't think I've ever read a sunshine male lead, and Aiden is national treasure. I want to buy him all the bowties. The grumpy character is usually a hit or a miss for me, and Stella turned out to be a hit, mainly because of her character growth. Her grumpiness faded pretty fast honestly, but I didn't mind because I hate angsty characters.
*Potential generic spoilers below*
POV: Dual POV, first person, present tense
Romance Type: Instalove paired with a slowish burn
Series info: Standalone
Trope(s): Instalove/lust, grump/sunshine, good boy/bad girl, boss/employee
Ending: HEA
Triggers: Ex-convict, mental health, family issues
OM/OW: No cheating. Guy tries to hit on Stella at a bar but nothing happens
Steam: Very much open door
# of times: 4+
*Potential generic spoilers below*
POV: Dual POV, first person, present tense
Romance Type: Instalove paired with a slowish burn
Series info: Standalone
Trope(s): Instalove/lust, grump/sunshine, good boy/bad girl, boss/employee
Ending: HEA
Triggers: Ex-convict, mental health, family issues
OM/OW: No cheating. Guy tries to hit on Stella at a bar but nothing happens
Steam: Very much open door
# of times: 4+
this book honestly surprised me, because i feel like i don't usually like tessa bailey books (outside of the bellinger sisters, because those books were actually amazing). however, i feel like it had elements of a real emotional core that i didn't expect. it was also really short, and i finished it in almost 2 days, which is unheard of for me. anyways, i liked aiden and stella, i thought they both were cute together. i also loved that stella was able to establish her boundaries at the end, and i feel like there was a lot to be said about the whole message of taking responsibility for your actions, and i like that stella remained steadfast in her belief that she did do something wrong. other than that, i think the book was just not something that i really enjoyed reading all the way through, and although the characters were likeable, i feel like i wasn't engaged for that long. so, overall, 3.75 ⭐️.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was a cute read! Some bits were a bit corny (I think that was intentional) and lacked a little depth but overall it was a good lighthearted read!
3.9/5 ⭐️
A wonderfully delightful Christmas read. Stella’s empowerment is inspiring, and Aiden’s unwavering optimism a breath of fresh air. For once, the grump/sunshine trope is reversed and I loved it so much. It’s not always that we see a man be so openly himself so unapologetically.
Toxic is overrated, from now on we’re looking for a man with a Christmas-themed bow tie collection and a whole lot of spice, folks.
A wonderfully delightful Christmas read. Stella’s empowerment is inspiring, and Aiden’s unwavering optimism a breath of fresh air. For once, the grump/sunshine trope is reversed and I loved it so much. It’s not always that we see a man be so openly himself so unapologetically.
Toxic is overrated, from now on we’re looking for a man with a Christmas-themed bow tie collection and a whole lot of spice, folks.