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joannchristine's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
saskiamenu's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
spencer0200's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
annenotboleyn's review against another edition
3.0
the fact that the premise is about two thirty year olds but there are more smut scenes between them as teenagers than as adults should tell you enough. they're cute but i think they should've just agreed to start therapy again and part ways
hacfhowe's review against another edition
3.0
While I certainly had fun with some parts of this book this was in all honesty lacking in my opinion.
I don't think I've ever been bored while reading Melissa Brayden, this is never the issue. And since Brayden was like my first ever romance author I've liked all those years ago, I am very easy at letting a lot of things slide when it comes to her nevels.
I couldn't however get over the fact that for a second chance romance there was zero amount of development whatsoever between the characters in the present day before they just jumped back into it almost immediately and that's considering how much of a big deal their falling out was made out to be. With which I also have a lof of problems, it was underwhelming and overdramatic at the same time.
All I'll say is that my overall enjoyment would have been easily upped if the present day story was at least a little bit more detailed than it turned out to be.
I don't think I've ever been bored while reading Melissa Brayden, this is never the issue. And since Brayden was like my first ever romance author I've liked all those years ago, I am very easy at letting a lot of things slide when it comes to her nevels.
I couldn't however get over the fact that for a second chance romance there was zero amount of development whatsoever between the characters in the present day before they just jumped back into it almost immediately and that's considering how much of a big deal their falling out was made out to be. With which I also have a lof of problems, it was underwhelming and overdramatic at the same time.
All I'll say is that my overall enjoyment would have been easily upped if the present day story was at least a little bit more detailed than it turned out to be.
banrions's review against another edition
3.0
hmm. i'm a little conflicted on this one.
it was decent, but i found myself confused/frusturated a few times. mostly... i have no idea what era the 'then' chapters were supposed to be? iirc, bethany and reid are in their early 30sish? in the 'now' chapters, so, they're abt my age. so... their senior year of high school would be around mine, in the 07/08ish era.
GIRL, teens were using flip phones then. there weren't a lot of photos/social media stuff. iirc, facebook only had JUST been allowed to be non-college accounts my senior year, like some of my friends had it and it was slowly becoming more common, but ppl weren't rlly dm'ing each other on the regular? this was mostly the era of myspace and livejournal and that wasn't like... messaging each other kinda sites in the same way one would with social media today. not to the extent this book makes it out to believe. it felt like it was a teen mostly now wrt the way she spoke abt bethany and reid talking/texting each other and with how bethany reacted to reid coming out? maybe i'm RLLY nitpicking, but it genuinely threw me off more than once. like, high school for me in this era was constant 'that's so gay' comments and constant PSAs on Disney channel and shit of stars saying 'hey, don't say 'that's so gay', it's mean' kinda shit. girls were VERY MUCH (at lesat in my experience) talking like the cheerleaders in the gym abt changing in front of a possible queer girl. like... it wasn't easy for any of the ppl i knew who were out, and there was a reason i had no idea i was queer or was even close to being ready to come out lol.
i also... wasn't in love with this narrator. it was my first experience with lula larkin and i don't think she is someone that i would seek out. similarly, she wasn't terrible, like i don't think i will pass on a story just bc she's narrating, but i didn't love her narration or voices much. her bethany voice didn't endear me to bethany very much, and her male/deeper voices weren't all that great. however, i did like her reid voice, and her mason voice, and the co-workers. so it wasn't all bad, just... not my fav.
the conflict bothered me a little in that... adult bethany seemed quite hung up on/still dealing with a lot of baggage from what reid "did" in the 'then' chapters. and... i didn't think it was that bad. it was bad. it was an absolutely shitty thing to say/do, but i fully understood it, and it was all in a moment of panic of not being ready to come out in a very public way as a teenager. that's... VERY FORGIVABLE for me, an adult. so i couldn't rlly see why bethany seemed so hung up on it in the 'now' chapters. the accident did add some depth that made it a little more believable as to why she'd associate things with reid, but... it still annoyed me a little. i think the structure of the 'then' and 'now' chapters didn't quite work for me personally. i was much more invested in the 'now' bc 'then' already happened and is stagnant, so i only rlly care abt flashbacks in how it affects the present. they felt longer than the present chapters, and it was pretty drawn out before we knew what had happened to cause them to break up, and it just took a bit too long for me, personally.
i think i've RLLY loved all of the other books i've read by melissa brayden before, that this one just didn't quite hold up as top tier of hers, for me. it was good. it was enjoyable, but i don't think it will be one of my re-reads/stick with me ones like some of her others have.
it was decent, but i found myself confused/frusturated a few times. mostly... i have no idea what era the 'then' chapters were supposed to be? iirc, bethany and reid are in their early 30sish? in the 'now' chapters, so, they're abt my age. so... their senior year of high school would be around mine, in the 07/08ish era.
GIRL, teens were using flip phones then. there weren't a lot of photos/social media stuff. iirc, facebook only had JUST been allowed to be non-college accounts my senior year, like some of my friends had it and it was slowly becoming more common, but ppl weren't rlly dm'ing each other on the regular? this was mostly the era of myspace and livejournal and that wasn't like... messaging each other kinda sites in the same way one would with social media today. not to the extent this book makes it out to believe. it felt like it was a teen mostly now wrt the way she spoke abt bethany and reid talking/texting each other and with how bethany reacted to reid coming out? maybe i'm RLLY nitpicking, but it genuinely threw me off more than once. like, high school for me in this era was constant 'that's so gay' comments and constant PSAs on Disney channel and shit of stars saying 'hey, don't say 'that's so gay', it's mean' kinda shit. girls were VERY MUCH (at lesat in my experience) talking like the cheerleaders in the gym abt changing in front of a possible queer girl. like... it wasn't easy for any of the ppl i knew who were out, and there was a reason i had no idea i was queer or was even close to being ready to come out lol.
i also... wasn't in love with this narrator. it was my first experience with lula larkin and i don't think she is someone that i would seek out. similarly, she wasn't terrible, like i don't think i will pass on a story just bc she's narrating, but i didn't love her narration or voices much. her bethany voice didn't endear me to bethany very much, and her male/deeper voices weren't all that great. however, i did like her reid voice, and her mason voice, and the co-workers. so it wasn't all bad, just... not my fav.
the conflict bothered me a little in that... adult bethany seemed quite hung up on/still dealing with a lot of baggage from what reid "did" in the 'then' chapters. and... i didn't think it was that bad. it was bad. it was an absolutely shitty thing to say/do, but i fully understood it, and it was all in a moment of panic of not being ready to come out in a very public way as a teenager. that's... VERY FORGIVABLE for me, an adult. so i couldn't rlly see why bethany seemed so hung up on it in the 'now' chapters. the accident did add some depth that made it a little more believable as to why she'd associate things with reid, but... it still annoyed me a little. i think the structure of the 'then' and 'now' chapters didn't quite work for me personally. i was much more invested in the 'now' bc 'then' already happened and is stagnant, so i only rlly care abt flashbacks in how it affects the present. they felt longer than the present chapters, and it was pretty drawn out before we knew what had happened to cause them to break up, and it just took a bit too long for me, personally.
i think i've RLLY loved all of the other books i've read by melissa brayden before, that this one just didn't quite hold up as top tier of hers, for me. it was good. it was enjoyable, but i don't think it will be one of my re-reads/stick with me ones like some of her others have.
misthios_pat's review against another edition
4.0
"And just to clear the air I ask forgiveness
For the things I've done, you blame me for
But then I guess We know there's blame to share
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have rewritten mine
By being my [girl]friend"
This was a mix of awws, ohs, gasps and laughs; it was quite a ride to be fair, but it wasn't angst-y. I really liked it. A "definitely should read" if I say so myself.
But I'll be honest and say I was upset with Reid a bit at first. I always take the side of the grudge (no, not the person holding a grudge, but the grudge itself), but fortunately it didn't go too far, because teenagers being teenagers is hard to be mad at when they show growth.
In the end, I really liked watching things flourish between Reid and Bethany – young love is always a sweet thing to watch happening – and their rekindling in the present. And how all the important events from the past were slowly introduced so I didn't get the whole picture until the very ending. This just added to my need to read it in one sitting.
However I know I would've loved it even more if we had a bit more time to address the hang ups both still clearly had when they met again. And of course watch the witches burn in more detail. I like when I get my revenge haha.
p.s.: omw! I soooooo loved Bethany's dad. I mean, he didn't show up a lot, but when he did, honestly? he stole the scenes ahhaha. The best quips!
For the things I've done, you blame me for
But then I guess We know there's blame to share
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have rewritten mine
By being my [girl]friend"
This was a mix of awws, ohs, gasps and laughs; it was quite a ride to be fair, but it wasn't angst-y. I really liked it. A "definitely should read" if I say so myself.
But I'll be honest and say I was upset with Reid a bit at first. I always take the side of the grudge (no, not the person holding a grudge, but the grudge itself), but fortunately it didn't go too far, because teenagers being teenagers is hard to be mad at when they show growth.
In the end, I really liked watching things flourish between Reid and Bethany – young love is always a sweet thing to watch happening – and their rekindling in the present. And how all the important events from the past were slowly introduced so I didn't get the whole picture until the very ending. This just added to my need to read it in one sitting.
However I know I would've loved it even more if we had a bit more time to address the hang ups both still clearly had when they met again. And of course watch the witches burn in more detail. I like when I get my revenge haha.
p.s.: omw! I soooooo loved Bethany's dad. I mean, he didn't show up a lot, but when he did, honestly? he stole the scenes ahhaha. The best quips!
finnthehuman217's review against another edition
5.0
This book is so sickeningly sweet and just beautiful that I was shocked that it was only a digital release! It’s so fun! And I love Bethany for her snark
redjersey's review against another edition
5.0
4.5. Even though I don't like the fact that Mateo got Reid pregnant.
reeg_reads's review against another edition
5.0
This might be one of my favorite reads of the year and I devoured it in one day. The Forever Factor is a second chance romance told in flashbacks and present day between two women, Bethany and Reid.
Bethany and Reid meet in their senior year of high school and after Reid convinces Bethany to join the cheerleading team, the two become friends quickly. Bethany already knows she’s gay and has a crush on Reid right away. I mean, it is a gay girls rite of passage to crush on her straight best friend. Reid on the other hand, doesn’t realize she’s not as straight as she thought, but knows there is something special about Bethany and they were meant to be in each other’s lives. As they spend more time together, their friendship turns into something more. Flashforward some 12 years later and fate has them meeting again; running their carts into each other at the grocery store. While Bethany is reluctant to give Reid the time of day, Reid refuses to let her slip away for the second time.
I really adored this book. From the dreamy flashback scenes that detailed how the two fell in love, to the angst when they’re adults trying to navigate being in each other’s lives again, while holding on to some anger from the past, I was hooked from the first line. Bethany and Reid have amazing chemistry and off the charts banter. My heart broke for them when they were younger and couldn’t make their relationship work. I understood where both were coming from which made me root even harder for their reunion as adults. And not to spoil anything too much, but I loved the relationship between Bethany and Reid’s son, and the scenes between the three of them were adorable.
If you’re looking for a sweet romance with a well deserved happy ending, then I highly recommend this book!
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books, Inc. through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Bethany and Reid meet in their senior year of high school and after Reid convinces Bethany to join the cheerleading team, the two become friends quickly. Bethany already knows she’s gay and has a crush on Reid right away. I mean, it is a gay girls rite of passage to crush on her straight best friend. Reid on the other hand, doesn’t realize she’s not as straight as she thought, but knows there is something special about Bethany and they were meant to be in each other’s lives. As they spend more time together, their friendship turns into something more. Flashforward some 12 years later and fate has them meeting again; running their carts into each other at the grocery store. While Bethany is reluctant to give Reid the time of day, Reid refuses to let her slip away for the second time.
I really adored this book. From the dreamy flashback scenes that detailed how the two fell in love, to the angst when they’re adults trying to navigate being in each other’s lives again, while holding on to some anger from the past, I was hooked from the first line. Bethany and Reid have amazing chemistry and off the charts banter. My heart broke for them when they were younger and couldn’t make their relationship work. I understood where both were coming from which made me root even harder for their reunion as adults. And not to spoil anything too much, but I loved the relationship between Bethany and Reid’s son, and the scenes between the three of them were adorable.
If you’re looking for a sweet romance with a well deserved happy ending, then I highly recommend this book!
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books, Inc. through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.