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cluckieduck's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-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
Fox - you dirty talker, you. The so-called maestro of feminine wetness - I absolutely loved getting to know him in this book. It Happened One Summer was just an ok read for me - nothing ground-breaking, merely a cute, little rom-com, but HL&S was a fantastic addition to the duology (with a fabulous epilogue - I'm gonna need a novella or something to expand on that whole sitch, 'cause what was given in the epilogue isn't nearly enough)!!
Fox had a third, and most important, reason for keeping his hands off Hannah. She was his friend. She was a woman who genuinely liked him for something other than his dick. And it made him feel terrifyingly good to be around her. To talk to her. They had fun. Made each other laugh.
I found the relationship between Fox & Hannah was well-fleshed out. Normally I don't enjoy mind-games played out for the sake of creating conflict, but the cat-and-mouse game that they participate in lent really well to the story, as both fight against their own perceived roles - Fox as the player and Hannah as the supporting act. Hannah's anger at the objectification of Fox was entertaining to read, and her unwavering support and confidence in Fox (which he lacked) helped make me fall in love with both.
She thought that compassion made her a supporting actress instead of a leading one, and didn't realize that her empathy, the fierce way she cared, made her something bigger. Hannah belonged in a category far more real than the credits of a movie. A category all her own.
For such a promiscuous male lead, I'm glad that this ended up being quite the slow-burn romance because we were able to really dive deep under Fox's skin and witness Hannah's rise to the leading lady of her own story.
You can't live life worrying about what people will think. You'll wake up one day, look at a calendar, and count the days you could have spent being happy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexism, Cursing, and Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Grief, Drug use, and Blood
0701mango's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
3.25
For me, it didn't really hit as hard as It Happened One Summer. I really liked the characters and I loved their chemistry, but I found myself dissatisfied with the plot points and progression.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexism
The male lead, Fox, is shamed and emotionally and verbally abused by certain people for his frequent sexual encounters.kb33's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
I’m not a huge fan of the previous Tessa Bailey books I’ve read, nor do I like when the male character is a huge player. But this book...
Hannah and Fox were so great, so likable and relatable. Hannah took a chance in her job, not because of a man, but because she planned to anyway, and Fox just made her feel better about it. Fox knew his reputation and the things he’d done to perpetuate that were all bullshit, and he’d already been wondering if he could be different. Hannah just helped give him the courage to visualize it and do it. And sure, some people will bitch about “woke” or complain about trying to remove masculinity instead of just toxic masculinity, and I’m pretty sure those people just feel guilty about their role in toxic masculinity so fuck them. I thought it was truthful, brave, and amazing.
I also liked that the little additions of Piper and Brendan didn’t feel phoned in like in so many other series.
And the epilogue. Holy shit. Not over-the-top sweet, and so perfect.
Hannah and Fox were so great, so likable and relatable. Hannah took a chance in her job, not because of a man, but because she planned to anyway, and Fox just made her feel better about it. Fox knew his reputation and the things he’d done to perpetuate that were all bullshit, and he’d already been wondering if he could be different. Hannah just helped give him the courage to visualize it and do it. And sure, some people will bitch about “woke” or complain about trying to remove masculinity instead of just toxic masculinity, and I’m pretty sure those people just feel guilty about their role in toxic masculinity so fuck them. I thought it was truthful, brave, and amazing.
I also liked that the little additions of Piper and Brendan didn’t feel phoned in like in so many other series.
And the epilogue. Holy shit. Not over-the-top sweet, and so perfect.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Toxic friendship and Death of parent
lnzava's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Death of parent
ashdav11's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent and Sexism
Minor: Grief
sofiarmz13's review against another edition
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Infidelity and Injury/Injury detail
anobsessedreader's review against another edition
- 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
I really enjoyed this one but I still love It Happened One Summer more. Idk I lowkey felt like something was missing. Kind of like there were a few unresolved things.
Firstly, my favourite part is definitely Fox's development. Before this book I didn't think how damaging it could be to pin the "Heartbreaker" title onto someone who doesn't even want it. Because of his surroundings he never knew what his worth was and felt like he needed to fit in this mould that everyone created FOR him. I'm glad that awareness was brought to men being objectified and degraded since we (me being a woman) tend to forget it can happen with men as well.
Secondly I REALLY enjoyed their relationship. I don't enjoy friends to lovers much but I think what made me like them was the fact they were never JUST friends. They've been attracted to each other since day 1. I also really like the fact that their relationship was extremely healthy. They brought out the best in each other, they had open communication and we had healthy jealousy without it getting toxic.
Things I DIDN'T like.
I wish we got the apology from Brandon for treating Fox that way. We saw it briefly but them being best friends and Brandon not having any respect for Fox made me really mad. The same goes for Piper. Like why are you guys warning off Fox as if Hannah isn't a grown woman capable of making her own decisions.
Another thing, their crew mates also being disrespectful as hell. They never apologized and or even got put in their place.
I would've also liked a bit more Hannah and Piper moments tbh. I know it's a romance but its been mentioned so many times that they're close as hell and I feel like they barely hung out together.
Firstly, my favourite part is definitely Fox's development. Before this book I didn't think how damaging it could be to pin the "Heartbreaker" title onto someone who doesn't even want it. Because of his surroundings he never knew what his worth was and felt like he needed to fit in this mould that everyone created FOR him. I'm glad that awareness was brought to men being objectified and degraded since we (me being a woman) tend to forget it can happen with men as well.
Secondly I REALLY enjoyed their relationship. I don't enjoy friends to lovers much but I think what made me like them was the fact they were never JUST friends. They've been attracted to each other since day 1. I also really like the fact that their relationship was extremely healthy. They brought out the best in each other, they had open communication and we had healthy jealousy without it getting toxic.
Things I DIDN'T like.
I wish we got the apology from Brandon for treating Fox that way. We saw it briefly but them being best friends and Brandon not having any respect for Fox made me really mad. The same goes for Piper. Like why are you guys warning off Fox as if Hannah isn't a grown woman capable of making her own decisions.
Another thing, their crew mates also being disrespectful as hell. They never apologized and or even got put in their place.
I would've also liked a bit more Hannah and Piper moments tbh. I know it's a romance but its been mentioned so many times that they're close as hell and I feel like they barely hung out together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
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