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dreamer626's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The third act conflict made me ANGRY.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Abandonment
amanda_reads13's review against another edition
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
3.0
Luna has been working in a body shop for the past 9 years. 3 years of which she has spent harbouring a secret crush on her broody and grumpy new boss.
Zapata is definitely the queen of slow burns. But this was the slowest of slow burn and was veryyyyy long.
Luna is an enigma. How she came out of her family situation the way she is is completely shocking. He family was scum, completely horrible. Her father and her step mother were abusive, neglectful addicts. Yet somehow she became this caring and thoughtful woman. Yes, we see a ton of self-doubt and low confidence, but Luna has suffered 18 years of trauma that has never been dealt with and has definitely left her with PTSD, abandonment, and trust issues.
Luna did whatever she could to protect her sisters. She sacrificed so much to ensure that they had a better life than her. Then her two middle sisters go andforgive their father? Are you kidding me? If my father ever treated my sibling the way that he treated Luna, he would be dead to me.
I loved the found family angle. I loved how Luna was able to find and connect with her own group of people who loved her like their own family.
Rip was just meh for me. He didn't have much of a personality. I wish this had been a dual POV so that we could have got to know him more and his past. He lacks basic communication skills for majority of the book and sometimes he was just plain mean. He thinks that he is too old for Luna and not good enough for her due to his past. But he is always there to protect her and shows his affection in little ways.I figured out his relationship to Mr. C pretty quickly. It wasn't hard to figure that he was his father.
One thing that really bugged me was the constant description of Rip's size. He is a big man. We get it. You don't have to tell us 1000x.
One thing I notice with Zapata's books is that there is so much time spent building up the tension between the characters (like 70%+ of the book), that the ending often feels rushed. That means there are always questions left unanswered. What happened between Luna and their sisters? How was the situation resolved? Did she ever meet her mother's family? What really happened in Rip' past?
Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, slow burn, boss/employee, age/gap, troubled past, roadtrip, found family
Zapata is definitely the queen of slow burns. But this was the slowest of slow burn and was veryyyyy long.
Luna is an enigma. How she came out of her family situation the way she is is completely shocking. He family was scum, completely horrible. Her father and her step mother were abusive, neglectful addicts. Yet somehow she became this caring and thoughtful woman. Yes, we see a ton of self-doubt and low confidence, but Luna has suffered 18 years of trauma that has never been dealt with and has definitely left her with PTSD, abandonment, and trust issues.
Luna did whatever she could to protect her sisters. She sacrificed so much to ensure that they had a better life than her. Then her two middle sisters go and
I loved the found family angle. I loved how Luna was able to find and connect with her own group of people who loved her like their own family.
Rip was just meh for me. He didn't have much of a personality. I wish this had been a dual POV so that we could have got to know him more and his past. He lacks basic communication skills for majority of the book and sometimes he was just plain mean. He thinks that he is too old for Luna and not good enough for her due to his past. But he is always there to protect her and shows his affection in little ways.
One thing that really bugged me was the constant description of Rip's size. He is a big man. We get it. You don't have to tell us 1000x.
One thing I notice with Zapata's books is that there is so much time spent building up the tension between the characters (like 70%+ of the book), that the ending often feels rushed. That means there are always questions left unanswered. What happened between Luna and their sisters? How was the situation resolved? Did she ever meet her mother's family? What really happened in Rip' past?
Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, slow burn, boss/employee, age/gap, troubled past, roadtrip, found family
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Grief, Sexual content, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Toxic relationship
teardropsonmypaperback's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Abandonment, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
baylakressi's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
Man, the way my eyes bug out of my head when Mariana slips in a “baby girl” half way (or more) through the book. Gets me every time.
I really liked this one! This has a lot of god tropes: grumpy x sunshine, workplace romance, enemies to friends to lovers, touch her and you die, age gap. The list goes on. Slow burn though which isn’t my favorite, but only Mariana could make me read a ~500+ page book where I wait until about 90% in for them to bang.
I really liked this one! This has a lot of god tropes: grumpy x sunshine, workplace romance, enemies to friends to lovers, touch her and you die, age gap. The list goes on. Slow burn though which isn’t my favorite, but only Mariana could make me read a ~500+ page book where I wait until about 90% in for them to bang.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse and Child abuse
Minor: Physical abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Addiction, Drug use, Car accident, and Alcoholism
kam_be's review
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Violence, Car accident, and Death
Minor: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Gun violence
cariam's review against another edition
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It’s no secret I love Mariana Zapata books. Ugh.
Of course it was a glorious slow burn, but it was so satisfying because the plot and the characters were necessary to get to know before the love really kicked you in the gut. Rip and Luna were so wonderful!
Definitely a recommend read!
Of course it was a glorious slow burn, but it was so satisfying because the plot and the characters were necessary to get to know before the love really kicked you in the gut. Rip and Luna were so wonderful!
Definitely a recommend read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Drug abuse, Abandonment, and Death of parent
samixox's review
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Emotional abuse
charm0nix's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, and Child abuse
Minor: Drug abuse and Death of parent
ava_mussell's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The saving grace of this book was how good the romance was. Like, that's the whole point, but the plot itself was really stupid at times and I didn't feel like I got closure with so much that was going on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Acephobia/Arophobia, Abandonment, and Drug use
n33v's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I would sell my soul for Chapter 28
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Car accident
Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Violence, Grief, and Death
There main trigger warnings are running factors throughout the book so if you get especially triggered by them I wouldn’t recommend reading this book. However if this doesn’t really trigger you in a bad way, I would say it is very reflective and educational to read about this different type of grief and neglect and development that time can bring.