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souris13's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
itsambarnotamber's review
3.0
It was just okay. They built all this tension between the characters and talked about sex but skipped over every sex scene. I enjoyed how progressive the characters mentality was in the book but sometimes their speech came off like I was reading an essay versus actual dialogue. They used a lot of terms and words that people do not use in every day conversation even when they are talking about important subjects such as sexuality and gender. Also the romance felt forced halfway through. Again their was a lot of sexual tension and then suddenly their dating and together and you’re told about their relationship but it doesn’t feel like you’re actually viewing it or as if it’s developing much further. The moment the characters start dating the chemistry dies and so does the tension that was building. The Christmas spirit of the book is what truly saved this story.
linda638's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
4.5
angreads727's review
4.0
This was not what I was expecting and it was great. So full of love and healing. I can’t wait to read more with these characters
rackncheese's review
5.0
This was so fucking good. I loved the two main characters and their very realistic, traumatized selves learning how to be in love with each other despite their fears. All the side characters were so well-developed and fun, and I loved the interconnected web of chosen family they all created together. I loved the frank discussions of trauma and therapy, and all the understandings that just because people are flawed doesn't mean that they can't still be wonderful.
abbeypoulin's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.0
elbierly's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this book, and I definitely did, but I didn't *love* it the way I'd anticipated.
Queer romance? Holiday season? Delivered. done. great.
*some spoilers, some TW*
But it felt like the book was trying to dive into too many things; alcoholism, abusive parents, and severed family connections - without having the depth to actually tackle it. The dialogue was so trope-y and surface level, the abusive incident the book builds up to was not nearly what you would expect to cause someone to cut the entire family off for 10 years (admittedly bad, just seemed so trite in light of the reaction Miriam had), and Noelle's reaction to Miriam's response toward the end of the book was just completely over the top.
That said, it was a sweet book with a steamy love story and lovable characters; it just felt like it needed another round of editing (and a few more pages of character development) to hit the mark it was aiming for.
Queer romance? Holiday season? Delivered. done. great.
*some spoilers, some TW*
But it felt like the book was trying to dive into too many things; alcoholism, abusive parents, and severed family connections - without having the depth to actually tackle it. The dialogue was so trope-y and surface level, the abusive incident the book builds up to was not nearly what you would expect to cause someone to cut the entire family off for 10 years (admittedly bad, just seemed so trite in light of the reaction Miriam had), and Noelle's reaction to Miriam's response toward the end of the book was just completely over the top.
That said, it was a sweet book with a steamy love story and lovable characters; it just felt like it needed another round of editing (and a few more pages of character development) to hit the mark it was aiming for.