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catastrophiclyss's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual content, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Cursing, Vomit, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Stalking, Vomit, Abandonment, Car accident, Death, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Blood, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
sarahthenerd's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
4.25
Okay, going into this book was decent because of The Score. I didn't feel any anticipation or hype when and after reading it. But as the story slowly progress, I was invested. Dean reminds me of Garrett a bit but way wilder than Garrett sexually. John, I love his calm aura. He doesn't display much of his sex life like Garrett and Dean.
But anyways, I love the dynamic between Allie and Dean. It doesn't feel force, although at first it felt it was so that they both have attraction towards each other. After Allie and Sean broke up and her get together with Dean kinda feel like a bit force because she suddenly feel sexually attracted to him. As for him, he's attracted to every vagina haver. I always liked Dean since The Deal. IDK male characters who are a manwhore always makes me giggle and have a soft spot for them in my heart (IRL? No.). What I like abt Dean, beside high active sex life is how his character now one dimensional. Which a lot of male characters tend to be one dimensional not matter what the trope is. I guess that's the problem with current romance books. Writing and selling books solely based on tropes bcs marketing strategy. Which goes into that this series was released b4 trope were introduced. I also like how his rich family background is not the main issue. His family is very supportive and very refreshing to me. It's rare that character who comes from a rich family don't have a dark and sad tragic backstory. I don't think he doesn't have any tragic backstory that haunts him wholly. Which mould together perfectly with Allie as she has tragic backstory. And again, a rare thing to happen because it's usually the male characters.
Because of the reasons above, I gave this a 4.5⭐ I really enjoyed it. I love this more than The Deal. But sometimes I really do wish we get to read from Garrett, Logan and Hannah’s POV to see the outlook of Dean and Allie’s relationship. Especially Logan’s, I want to read what goes through his head during and after the bathroom scene LMAO.
EDIT: I’m giving this a 4.25 after a few days of reconsideration that the start off for Allie and Dean’s relationship wasn't so smooth as currently I’m reading Tucker’s book (The Goal) and realizing the same thing. Same thing with Logan and Grace’s relationship (The Mistake). I feel like Garrett's and Hannah’s relationship that I feel very genuine and well written relationship in this series.
But anyways, I love the dynamic between Allie and Dean. It doesn't feel force, although at first it felt it was so that they both have attraction towards each other. After Allie and Sean broke up and her get together with Dean kinda feel like a bit force because she suddenly feel sexually attracted to him. As for him, he's attracted to every vagina haver. I always liked Dean since The Deal. IDK male characters who are a manwhore always makes me giggle and have a soft spot for them in my heart (IRL? No.). What I like abt Dean, beside high active sex life is how his character now one dimensional. Which a lot of male characters tend to be one dimensional not matter what the trope is. I guess that's the problem with current romance books. Writing and selling books solely based on tropes bcs marketing strategy. Which goes into that this series was released b4 trope were introduced. I also like how his rich family background is not the main issue. His family is very supportive and very refreshing to me. It's rare that character who comes from a rich family don't have a dark and sad tragic backstory. I don't think he doesn't have any tragic backstory that haunts him wholly. Which mould together perfectly with Allie as she has tragic backstory. And again, a rare thing to happen because it's usually the male characters.
Because of the reasons above, I gave this a 4.5⭐ I really enjoyed it. I love this more than The Deal. But sometimes I really do wish we get to read from Garrett, Logan and Hannah’s POV to see the outlook of Dean and Allie’s relationship. Especially Logan’s, I want to read what goes through his head during and after the bathroom scene LMAO.
EDIT: I’m giving this a 4.25 after a few days of reconsideration that the start off for Allie and Dean’s relationship wasn't so smooth as currently I’m reading Tucker’s book (The Goal) and realizing the same thing. Same thing with Logan and Grace’s relationship (The Mistake). I feel like Garrett's and Hannah’s relationship that I feel very genuine and well written relationship in this series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Car accident
Minor: Suicide
emilyfrenchie's review against another edition
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Drug use, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicide, Car accident, and Death
alexismil's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
tense
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
4.25
I really liked Allie & Dean! I thought they were a cute couple. They went through their hardships and that helped them become a better couple. I cried when you know who dies, it broke my heart. Just the fact that he was there when Dean & Allie kind of debut as a couple in front of their friends. I kind of loved that their love language was physical touch. Normally I’m not a type of person who enjoys it or enjoys reading it, but this was done right. Sometimes it can be down cringy but I thought it was cute and just showed how much they love each other. Also, they way that Dean didn’t even notice that he was touching Allie at some parts, made my heart swell! I feel like Dean was just waiting for someone to take him by surprise and Allie did that. Allie was waiting for someone who excites her and he did that for her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Death, and Grief
Minor: Cancer, Drug use, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Suicide, and Vomit
caityg22's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol and Drug use
Minor: Suicide
taylortakeda's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Death, and Drug use
Minor: Suicide
tragicgloom's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.0
Would be a better book if it weren't for all the slut-shaming, sexism and subtle, but still noticeable, lesbophobia, homophobia, transphobia and racism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Sexism, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Death, and Sexual content
Minor: Car accident, Suicide, Cancer, Racism, and Homophobia
agnesbebon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
This entire review contains spoilers.
Ok this isn’t going to be nice and I feel kinda bad about it. These are most of my thoughts on this book so it’s a little chaotic and really long.
First, some things I liked:
-This book made me love Garrett and Hannah even more. Especially Garrett. The problem with this is it is not their book and they felt like equally main characters.
-I genuinely laughed at loud at some parts!!
- I loved Allie and Dean getting together, and they really did have me at some points.
-I liked the overall idea of this plot more than the others (emphasis on idea)
-Dean running to the rescue? Yes love it. Dean after the cops were called? Phenomenal
- Parts of it were really hot I gotta give Elle Kennedy that
- Huge spoiler: there was great development after Beau’s death but this should’ve come sooner
Some quick issues:
I hated the twincest moment. There was a weird brief juice cleanse promo. I never want to hear “jiggle down” again. Did not like the reference to Tr*mp. This book was significantly more male gaze-y than the last two. There were weird race jokes.
Things that made me mad (this book genuinely made me angry):
- I hate saying things made me cringe, but the writing in this made me cringe. Like what was “she’s probably ovaries-deep in a carton of ben and Jerry’s right now” hated that.
- This is my number one issue with this book: there were too many goddamn side characters and mini plots. The entire middle of this book was just introducing characters for the next book/ Briar U series. Even the ending wasn’t about Allie and Dean. This book is quite frankly not about Allie and Dean. The first half gave me what I wanted. Then they introduced wayyy too many people and the plot was completely lost
- Miranda’s plot (coaches daughters ex thing) was not developed enough for what Kennedy was trying to do. The coach straight up did not need to be in the book - literally nothing came of it.
- There was like barely any hockey in this book?? After reading The Mistake and The Score, I realize a huge reason why I really like The Deal is the amount of hockey in it and the way both characters interact with it
- Where was the smut in the last like 40% of the book? Where was it?
- Warning major spoiler: Beaus death came too late. It really feels like so much time was spent setting up side characters that the bulk of the story wasn’t really about Allie and Dean and so there was a rush at the end to give them some substance. I liked how this added to the plot, but I think it should’ve been done earlier (honestly the middle chunk of the book was not needed) and been more developed (days just go by and details are just missed that would’ve been included in the first two books of this series). Same with Allie struggling about her future. I wished it focused on these plot points and really developed it instead of introducing a million characters
Overall it was somehow too long while also being underdeveloped and I just don’t think it was really about Allie and Dean and I’m disappointed.
Ok this isn’t going to be nice and I feel kinda bad about it. These are most of my thoughts on this book so it’s a little chaotic and really long.
First, some things I liked:
-This book made me love Garrett and Hannah even more. Especially Garrett. The problem with this is it is not their book and they felt like equally main characters.
-I genuinely laughed at loud at some parts!!
- I loved Allie and Dean getting together, and they really did have me at some points.
-I liked the overall idea of this plot more than the others (emphasis on idea)
-Dean running to the rescue? Yes love it. Dean after the cops were called? Phenomenal
- Parts of it were really hot I gotta give Elle Kennedy that
- Huge spoiler: there was great development after Beau’s death but this should’ve come sooner
Some quick issues:
I hated the twincest moment. There was a weird brief juice cleanse promo. I never want to hear “jiggle down” again. Did not like the reference to Tr*mp. This book was significantly more male gaze-y than the last two. There were weird race jokes.
Things that made me mad (this book genuinely made me angry):
- I hate saying things made me cringe, but the writing in this made me cringe. Like what was “she’s probably ovaries-deep in a carton of ben and Jerry’s right now” hated that.
- This is my number one issue with this book: there were too many goddamn side characters and mini plots. The entire middle of this book was just introducing characters for the next book/ Briar U series. Even the ending wasn’t about Allie and Dean. This book is quite frankly not about Allie and Dean. The first half gave me what I wanted. Then they introduced wayyy too many people and the plot was completely lost
- Miranda’s plot (coaches daughters ex thing) was not developed enough for what Kennedy was trying to do. The coach straight up did not need to be in the book - literally nothing came of it.
- There was like barely any hockey in this book?? After reading The Mistake and The Score, I realize a huge reason why I really like The Deal is the amount of hockey in it and the way both characters interact with it
- Where was the smut in the last like 40% of the book? Where was it?
- Warning major spoiler: Beaus death came too late. It really feels like so much time was spent setting up side characters that the bulk of the story wasn’t really about Allie and Dean and so there was a rush at the end to give them some substance. I liked how this added to the plot, but I think it should’ve been done earlier (honestly the middle chunk of the book was not needed) and been more developed (days just go by and details are just missed that would’ve been included in the first two books of this series). Same with Allie struggling about her future. I wished it focused on these plot points and really developed it instead of introducing a million characters
Overall it was somehow too long while also being underdeveloped and I just don’t think it was really about Allie and Dean and I’m disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Alcohol
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Incest, and Emotional abuse
miglena's review
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Chronic illness
Minor: Cancer, Drug use, and Mental illness
s_pywow's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Death, Drug use, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Mental illness and Suicide