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anani's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
2.75
This book it’s easy to read and it’s quite engaging. I wish I could like it more, but it’s quite a lot. I would say this will be hard to read if you don’t enjoy pop culture references since Tik tok is basically a character here. So keep that in mind. The beginning it’s rough and the ending it’s too simple for all the differentS plotS going up here. This brings me to my next point: there’s too much happening.
Spoiler ahead.
We have sooo many tropes: grumpy/sunshine, one bed, forced proximity, best friend brother, strangers to friends to lovers, and more in like the first 25%. There’s even an Earthquake at one point for no other purpose than to force the characters to be closed after an issue. The earthquake stuff it’s like two paragraphs for no reason. They mention it, the ML protects the FL and they go talk. That’s it.
Then we have the actual plots.
There’s the FL trying to figure out why she can’t say I love you, which is interesting. And she goes to her exes to reconnect and see where they went wrong. But it’s really underdeveloped. They don’t really do much in the story. It’s just weirdly paced. Idk.
We also have the ML alcoholism addiction. The author acknowledges sensitivity readers, but it seems like a cop out of a work poorly done. The ML was a child actor and his family it’s deeply influential in Hollywood which lead to addiction. The story talks about his sobriety journey. The sponsored part was awful. No sponsor will allow to be the only network of support for their person (after more than a year) or will not confirm AA meetings. And no facility will allow a public love declaration two weeks into sobriety. I understand that the ML was keeping it a secret but it’s poorly done.
Besides these two already huge plots….. there’s more:
1. A stalker
2. Three different family issues
3. Child actors traumas
4. The influence of the press within Hollywood
5. Parents as managers.
6. Two issues with the FL and her best friends, including her sister.
7. Parenthood.
8. A second chance romance that has a bit of cheating.
9. A pottery TikTok
10. Confessing his addiction
There’s a lot, which leads me to my last issue. The ending resolves most of these situations in the last chapters via a text message update. Quickly and with zero depth.
The GOOD:
1. Great and casual LGBTTQ+ representation. Beautifully written and integrated.
2. I enjoyed the authors writing style.
3. Sophie’s (FL) character arc was rushed but I enjoyed how she found a bit of herself.
4. Dash’s (ML) interest in pottery and development as a crafter.
Spoiler ahead.
We have sooo many tropes: grumpy/sunshine, one bed, forced proximity, best friend brother, strangers to friends to lovers, and more in like the first 25%. There’s even an Earthquake at one point for no other purpose than to force the characters to be closed after an issue. The earthquake stuff it’s like two paragraphs for no reason. They mention it, the ML protects the FL and they go talk. That’s it.
Then we have the actual plots.
There’s the FL trying to figure out why she can’t say I love you, which is interesting. And she goes to her exes to reconnect and see where they went wrong. But it’s really underdeveloped. They don’t really do much in the story. It’s just weirdly paced. Idk.
We also have the ML alcoholism addiction. The author acknowledges sensitivity readers, but it seems like a cop out of a work poorly done. The ML was a child actor and his family it’s deeply influential in Hollywood which lead to addiction. The story talks about his sobriety journey. The sponsored part was awful. No sponsor will allow to be the only network of support for their person (after more than a year) or will not confirm AA meetings. And no facility will allow a public love declaration two weeks into sobriety. I understand that the ML was keeping it a secret but it’s poorly done.
Besides these two already huge plots….. there’s more:
1. A stalker
2. Three different family issues
3. Child actors traumas
4. The influence of the press within Hollywood
5. Parents as managers.
6. Two issues with the FL and her best friends, including her sister.
7. Parenthood.
8. A second chance romance that has a bit of cheating.
9. A pottery TikTok
10. Confessing his addiction
There’s a lot, which leads me to my last issue. The ending resolves most of these situations in the last chapters via a text message update. Quickly and with zero depth.
The GOOD:
1. Great and casual LGBTTQ+ representation. Beautifully written and integrated.
2. I enjoyed the authors writing style.
3. Sophie’s (FL) character arc was rushed but I enjoyed how she found a bit of herself.
4. Dash’s (ML) interest in pottery and development as a crafter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction
Moderate: Infertility
Minor: Body shaming and Infidelity
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