Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Beyond the Stroke by Erin Hawkins

1 review

love_at_first_trope's profile picture

love_at_first_trope's review

4.0
funny inspiring lighthearted slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
What a cute read! Although the book addressed some more difficult topics (particularly past relationships and family issues), it was a relatively lighthearted and enjoyable read. 

The main 'anchor' of this book is Rory (MMC). He is as much of a golden retriever MMC as you can get, and he so clearly cares for everyone around him. This made me want to continually reach for the book to see how the relationship between Rory and Summer was developing. 

This said, this 'anchoring' on Rory also made the ending feel a little lackluster. Particularly, we spend the whole book witnessing how much Rory focuses on swimming, how he is rehabbing from his injury, and how he wants to continue competing in at least one more season. However, we never really get any conclusion on what will happen with his swimming career (although we do know his focus shifts because of Summer). Another frustrating issue arose with Rory's insistence that Connor have no relationship with his sister, which I assume contributed to the fight we see in 'Epilogue 2.' Rory is such a lovable and caring character to everyone except Connor. As such, I was hoping to see a greater resolution of their issues, as it goes against Rory's overall character.


All that said, despite these drawbacks, Beyond The Stroke is a fun summer read that anyone who is obsessed with golden retriever MMCs should pick up! 

Thank you very much to Pen Pal PR and Erin Hawkins for this eARC! All opinions expressed here are my own.

Tropes:
- Fake marriage
- Golden retriever MMC 
- Chance meeting
- Opposites attract
- Small town 
- 3 spice
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