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calicat42's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Grief, Death of parent, Fatphobia, and Gaslighting
colleen_corleone's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
It was almost indistinguishable from the majority of teen romances.
I personally hated the inclusion of the eating disorder behavior. The only time Ariel indulges in it is when 2 people who are mean to her infer she's fat. They don't even have to say it or belabor the point and she's off on a binge.
It bugs me because the way it's portrayed does not feel authentic to my experience. Ariel's internal monologue is not representative of someone recovering from binge eating. It's mentioned as a thing she used to do, and then we get a single instance of her binging and it doesn't affect her mental state at all before or after. If it wasn't first person, I'd have been more lenient.
I'm not a fan of Trey. His mood swings and attitude were annoying a lot of the time.
I can't relate to: Boy has a shitty gf of 2 years. He hits on this other chick and near cheats a few times, but he's a good dude who loves his girl. Sure? But no.
Ariel's self esteem bugged me a lot. Other than her weight, there was no mention of or explanation for her poor opinion of herself. Why does the opinion of a girl she doesn't even like and knows is a jerk on purpose matter? Literally everyone else in her life bends over backwards to show her love and support. It's weird.
Saving the bookstore stuff was fine. It was cute. Not particularly moving, because you know the outcome.
Overall it was a quick read. We need more representation in stories and this does that. If I hadn't read dozens of similar stories by now, this would have been awesome.
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Body shaming, and Bullying
Minor: Death of parent
There's a single, brief but detailed scene of binge eating. Mentions of previously binging.dianaschmidty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Cancer, Classism, and Infidelity
emimero's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Body shaming, Death of parent, Bullying, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Grief, Fatphobia, and Eating disorder
I couldn't stop reading it !!! if you enjoy Hallmark movies like I do go for it right away. I loved the diversity in this story so refreshing, the strong community supporting each other, the Christmas vibes and some sweet and loveable characters, and it's in a bookshop I could have I resist to that story ? But more than that, at the beginning I thought the writing wouldn't be the best but it turned out to be so nicely written, with some music references for each titles that makes you want to listen to that playlist while reading this book. The fast paced framed with short chapters was wonderful with an back and forth between the 2 main protagonists. Even if you know what will happen at the end, it's the journey that matters here and really I need more of these books with that style of writing. I loved that the story was lighthearted and positive overall with some challenges and events. It's the kind of stories that makes you full and empty when you finish it just because you want more of it. I usually don't read the acknowledgements but even those were interestingly well written and I loved having a better perspective of what were Abiola Bello's intentions, which she completely nailed and made me understand better how and why this story was so well written. Thank you for this wonderful relaxing story Ms. Bello.bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
➽ I'm very surprised that I ended up liking Love in Winter Wonderland this much! Kudos to the author, she managed to pull off tropes that I usually don't enjoy! The story is about Trey and Ariel who are trying to save Wonderland, his family-owned bookstore that's on the brink of financial ruin. What the synopsis doesn't mention is that Trey has a girlfriend for the majority of the book -
➽ This could have been even better if Trey had broken up with Blair way earlier! It was cowardly of him to wait so long and it was my least favorite part of the story. He was lowkey leading Ariel on, while not having the guts to tell his girlfriend he wasn't happy any more. That's one of the reasons why I was never 100% invested in Trey's POV, even though I loved the dynamic he had with his family. Despite my reservations, I liked how his relationship with Ariel ended in the end:
➽ I loved Ariel's POV though and had a ton of fun with the 'Saving Wonderland' storyline! I truly had a lot of fun with this book which is why I gave it a high rating despite some of my issues! Ariel's POV carried the book for me and I couldn't help but root for her! Ariel lost her father a year ago, so her perspective delves into the grief she still feels and how her talent for art is connected to her father. She's set on getting into an art program that her father also attended, but sadly it's very expensive, so Ariel decides to help out at Trey's family's bookshop for some extra cash. Ariel's caring nature and passion for art as well as books really spoke to me! She's got a lot on her plate, but is determined to save Wonderland, as she sees how important it is! I loved the social media campaign Ariel and Trey started, even though some developments were a bit unrealistic! Ariel also struggles with her body image and weight, so there is some diet talk/guilt around food, so be aware of that!
Graphic: Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Grief
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Toxic relationship and Injury/Injury detail
juliesleseecke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Bullying, Eating disorder, Death of parent, and Fatphobia