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caitlinsbooknook's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
abbi3d's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars!
Very sweet and feel good read. Reminds me very much of the Netflix show Virgin River. I appreciated that none of the main characters had to sacrifice their entire life/personality/ambition etc just to make it work with eachother.
It was also great to see underrepresented forms of abuse highlighted and given the “respect” it deserves.
Very sweet and feel good read. Reminds me very much of the Netflix show Virgin River. I appreciated that none of the main characters had to sacrifice their entire life/personality/ambition etc just to make it work with eachother.
It was also great to see underrepresented forms of abuse highlighted and given the “respect” it deserves.
hearlebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
daenerystargaryen's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, and Medical content
Moderate: Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Alcohol, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Child abuse, and Death
Minor: War, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicidal thoughts
lauranichols1029's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
bribrilin'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I could not put this book down. Everyone speaks so highly of Abby Jimenez and now I know why. Alexis and Daniel have so many reasons to not be together but through this story there are just so many reasons of why that doesn’t matter. I loved every page of this book. I fell in love with these characters. And the best part is that her bff is named Briana. All the best ones are named Briana. Soooooo obvious a 5 star read.
thisisrealthisisme's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
kaikai1618's review against another edition
5.0
Wow wow wow wow. I’m blown away by how good this book is. I don’t know how else to describe it besides beautiful and heartwarming. The characters are well developed and believable, their chemistry is off the charts, the banter and humor is lovely, and the atmosphere and setting are built up so well.
I often read books about people who are entirely different and they still don’t feel like they fit by the end. But these two are magical. They manage to maintain their values and who they are from their upbringing while still being able to adapt and make compromises. I found it quite refreshing to see how Alexis’ character was constructed. She’s this incredibly capable woman who has had to deal with a lot of shit from the emotional abuse she endured, and she’s been brought up with skills in an academic, rich world rather than a practical one with everyday maintenance or cooking skills. Instead of her being dismissed as shallow, she is able to acknowledge how little she’s thought about hard labor while also learning how to become self sufficient. And rather than having Daniel be some macho guy who takes care of the practical things for Alexis she doesn’t know how to do, he teaches her how to do them herself so she can be self sufficient and doesn’t scoff at her for not knowing. He also does so in a kind way that shows he views her and everyone around him as his equal. Daniel may be attractive for being a capable, honest man, but it is also his endless patience, care, loyalty and attentiveness that gives him his strength. What I liked most about Daniel is how much he reminds me of what masculinity should be, rather than the more toxic aspects it is known for.
I found the two of them to be flawed, yet compelling and compassionate characters. If you as a reader ever begin to doubt either person, they still manage to remind you why they’re seen as capable in the first place. Both of their strengths and weaknesses compliment and overlap each other until they are both stronger. That’s the best part of their relationship. The more time they spend together, the more empowered they both become in seeing their own self worth and ability. It’s not because the other gave this to them, more that they helped each other realize it.
In terms of the those we meet along the way, the town of Wakan and its people breath warmth into the book. The side characters are consistent and don’t feel like afterthoughts or caricatures of rural town people. They’re these people’s cousins, and friends, and family. I love how much of an emphasis there is on how they take care of each other regardless of how glamorous it is or not.
In terms of how the book handled abuse, it felt well researched and personal. I’m not sure what experiences the author had, but I appreciated the emphasis on therapy and the mindset Alexis had to vigilantly keep reenforcing her values in a back and forth with her own self doubt and fear. People learning about what abuse can look like, not being believed, and finding ways to heal or stand up for themselves is a prevalent theme through the book. It doesn’t feel like an afterthought or a plot device. Instead, the nuances of it are broken down with one of our main characters as well as some side ones. The cycles of abuse, the patterns and places it goes. It was incredible how well the author was able to balance this light, beautiful love story with such serious topics. And yet, the magic of the love between the characters is able to be seamlessly shown with the realities of the darkest parts of their lives. Knowing how wonderful they are only strengthens the impact of seeing their pain. The book manages to remain light enough that your main memories from it are positive and make you smile, yet its layers makes you think deeply and linger with you long after.
Even though the book doesn’t try to pretend Wakan is the most well funded or well loved village, the way everything is written is compelling. The writing is easy to absorb and the stakes of each characters legacy creates a daunting tension.
**SPOILERS**
I was surprised by how the book went about the conflicts between the characters. When the build up of the drastic differences between their worlds comes crashing down, it is an anticipated nightmare. What you’re expecting is an external catastrophe with her family’s disapproval, what you get is Alexis’ decision and their heartbreak. Alexis’ best friend is a GEM. She really said she would do damage control right when we needed it and she was fantastic. So the conflict was then handled in a much better way without frustrating misunderstandings while still being devastating. It was a good balance of messiness and emotion while also being fairly mature.
By the end of this book I had been on a roller coaster of laughing, crying, and smiling like I haven’t while reading in a while. Also, the audiobook actors are PHENOMENAL. Really brought the whole thing to life. It’s no wonder the book is rated so high. This gets full marks from me.
Edit Sep 2023:
Thinking back, I’d actually like to acknowledge that while I love this book, there is something to be said about how Daniel is treated by Alexis. There are a lot of points where Daniel is giving everything to her, and Alexis isn’t ready to, but still wants to hold onto the escapism of Daniel without consequence. This book requires some suspense of disbelief for the fact that Daniel is very much a book boyfriend who would trip himself over for our main girl and is still centered around her (even though he’s well fleshed out). I think he could have had more backbone later as a character. It’s clear we’re more in Alexis’ story, while when we learn about Daniel, it’s more about how he’s reflected in his role in Wakan. His development in self worth never quite reaches beyond this role, extending to any true anger at Alexis that she deserves. Still, I found these characters both SO compelling.
So it’s a 4.5 star for me.
I often read books about people who are entirely different and they still don’t feel like they fit by the end. But these two are magical. They manage to maintain their values and who they are from their upbringing while still being able to adapt and make compromises. I found it quite refreshing to see how Alexis’ character was constructed. She’s this incredibly capable woman who has had to deal with a lot of shit from the emotional abuse she endured, and she’s been brought up with skills in an academic, rich world rather than a practical one with everyday maintenance or cooking skills. Instead of her being dismissed as shallow, she is able to acknowledge how little she’s thought about hard labor while also learning how to become self sufficient. And rather than having Daniel be some macho guy who takes care of the practical things for Alexis she doesn’t know how to do, he teaches her how to do them herself so she can be self sufficient and doesn’t scoff at her for not knowing. He also does so in a kind way that shows he views her and everyone around him as his equal. Daniel may be attractive for being a capable, honest man, but it is also his endless patience, care, loyalty and attentiveness that gives him his strength. What I liked most about Daniel is how much he reminds me of what masculinity should be, rather than the more toxic aspects it is known for.
I found the two of them to be flawed, yet compelling and compassionate characters. If you as a reader ever begin to doubt either person, they still manage to remind you why they’re seen as capable in the first place. Both of their strengths and weaknesses compliment and overlap each other until they are both stronger. That’s the best part of their relationship. The more time they spend together, the more empowered they both become in seeing their own self worth and ability. It’s not because the other gave this to them, more that they helped each other realize it.
In terms of the those we meet along the way, the town of Wakan and its people breath warmth into the book. The side characters are consistent and don’t feel like afterthoughts or caricatures of rural town people. They’re these people’s cousins, and friends, and family. I love how much of an emphasis there is on how they take care of each other regardless of how glamorous it is or not.
In terms of how the book handled abuse, it felt well researched and personal. I’m not sure what experiences the author had, but I appreciated the emphasis on therapy and the mindset Alexis had to vigilantly keep reenforcing her values in a back and forth with her own self doubt and fear. People learning about what abuse can look like, not being believed, and finding ways to heal or stand up for themselves is a prevalent theme through the book. It doesn’t feel like an afterthought or a plot device. Instead, the nuances of it are broken down with one of our main characters as well as some side ones. The cycles of abuse, the patterns and places it goes. It was incredible how well the author was able to balance this light, beautiful love story with such serious topics. And yet, the magic of the love between the characters is able to be seamlessly shown with the realities of the darkest parts of their lives. Knowing how wonderful they are only strengthens the impact of seeing their pain. The book manages to remain light enough that your main memories from it are positive and make you smile, yet its layers makes you think deeply and linger with you long after.
Even though the book doesn’t try to pretend Wakan is the most well funded or well loved village, the way everything is written is compelling. The writing is easy to absorb and the stakes of each characters legacy creates a daunting tension.
**SPOILERS**
I was surprised by how the book went about the conflicts between the characters. When the build up of the drastic differences between their worlds comes crashing down, it is an anticipated nightmare. What you’re expecting is an external catastrophe with her family’s disapproval, what you get is Alexis’ decision and their heartbreak. Alexis’ best friend is a GEM. She really said she would do damage control right when we needed it and she was fantastic. So the conflict was then handled in a much better way without frustrating misunderstandings while still being devastating. It was a good balance of messiness and emotion while also being fairly mature.
By the end of this book I had been on a roller coaster of laughing, crying, and smiling like I haven’t while reading in a while. Also, the audiobook actors are PHENOMENAL. Really brought the whole thing to life. It’s no wonder the book is rated so high. This gets full marks from me.
Edit Sep 2023:
Thinking back, I’d actually like to acknowledge that while I love this book, there is something to be said about how Daniel is treated by Alexis. There are a lot of points where Daniel is giving everything to her, and Alexis isn’t ready to, but still wants to hold onto the escapism of Daniel without consequence. This book requires some suspense of disbelief for the fact that Daniel is very much a book boyfriend who would trip himself over for our main girl and is still centered around her (even though he’s well fleshed out). I think he could have had more backbone later as a character. It’s clear we’re more in Alexis’ story, while when we learn about Daniel, it’s more about how he’s reflected in his role in Wakan. His development in self worth never quite reaches beyond this role, extending to any true anger at Alexis that she deserves. Still, I found these characters both SO compelling.
So it’s a 4.5 star for me.