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iamsammie27's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content, and Cancer
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Death, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
stephiesheena's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
DNF after 45%
I was looking forward to read a story that’s set in my second homeland but this book was a total disappointment!
I’m generally not the type for overly quirky and dramatic MC’s but this one took the cake for sure. I was already contemplating DNF’ing it, but wanted to give it a second chance. After all, it could’ve been a good story, right?
To be fair, it still could’ve ended ok, but this one incident just tipped me over.
She’s in the room with the love interest and he looks at her lips which, in turn, she takes as the ultimate sign to kiss him (because it is, right? *sarcasm off*). Even if it was a sign of his attraction to her, for her to then go and kiss him and put the blame on him after he tells her, he didn’t want it (no matter his motivation behind it) is just bad. Ring any bells? That’s what women al over the world are trying to teach men, why should it be different the other way round?
Anyway, I was still feeling a bit on the fence then, because after all, we all make mistakes, and misinterpreting social and romantic cues comes with life itself (which is another bone that I have to pick with overly quirky writing styles, but that’s for another time). But for her to then go on and refuse to take responsibility is just kindergarten.
Let me show you, what I mean:
I was looking forward to read a story that’s set in my second homeland but this book was a total disappointment!
I’m generally not the type for overly quirky and dramatic MC’s but this one took the cake for sure. I was already contemplating DNF’ing it, but wanted to give it a second chance. After all, it could’ve been a good story, right?
To be fair, it still could’ve ended ok, but this one incident just tipped me over.
She’s in the room with the love interest and he looks at her lips which, in turn, she takes as the ultimate sign to kiss him (because it is, right? *sarcasm off*). Even if it was a sign of his attraction to her, for her to then go and kiss him and put the blame on him after he tells her, he didn’t want it (no matter his motivation behind it) is just bad. Ring any bells? That’s what women al over the world are trying to teach men, why should it be different the other way round?
Anyway, I was still feeling a bit on the fence then, because after all, we all make mistakes, and misinterpreting social and romantic cues comes with life itself (which is another bone that I have to pick with overly quirky writing styles, but that’s for another time). But for her to then go on and refuse to take responsibility is just kindergarten.
Let me show you, what I mean:
"Doesn’t matter."
"Sure does," I say, pressing him. "Now you opened up a box you shouldn’t have opened. Why don’t you want to kiss me? I brushed my teeth this morning."
"Because I don’t want to. There doesn’t need to be a reason other than that." (PREEEEAACH!)
"Well, it’s rude."
He scoffs. "It’s rude to kiss someone when they don’t want to be kissed."
"Oh my God, it’s not like I licked the side of your face and then shoved the tip of my tongue up your nose. I kissed you. Grow up."
This 'grow up' makes me disproportionately angry 😤.
Worst part? It wasn’t challenged. At least not within a timeframe nor by people I would’ve wished it to happen. The only part coming close to it is this one:
"Ran into Rowan, by the way."
"Is that so?" I ask coyly, popping open the to-go containers and letting the delicious onion and garlic smells fill me with joy.
Yup, told me to tell you that when he got home, he washed his face with bleach."
My eyes snap to hers. "He did not."
Dakota chuckles and takes a seat, a salmon sandwich in front of her. "That’s what he said; just relaying the message."
What an ass.
As if I would feel bad now.
Oh no … he’d better watch out because I very wellmight kiss him again. Except this time, I’ll use tongue.
😤😤😤
In my opinion, you could’ve just left that out because it doesn’t make it any better. It might never have happened or it might eventually been addressed but not before I DNF’ed.
We are humans and we all make mistakes, I get that, and I love to see authenticity in books. But when behaviour such as this goes unchallenged, a story looses it’s hold on me. Sadly, the fact that people aren’t held responsible is still quite authentic – if we want to be brutally honest –, but for the heroine of the story to get away with actions like these is not ok with me, as it symbolises that her behaviour isn’t that problematic, but even something that is overshadowed by the potential boyfriend being intrigued by and developing feelings for her.
Sad, that a story in my most favourite country leaves such a sour taste in my memory :-(
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment
madsmcw_reads's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-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
4.0
A super cute, dual POV romance that I got from Kindle unlimited! I absolutely loved everything about the small Scottish town this book was set in. It was so quaint and I just loved everyone that lived there. Bonnie was slightly immature and I found her kind of annoying at times but I really loved Rowan and the relationship that the two ended up having. Bonnie does a lot of growing up in the book so by the end she wasn't as annoying as the beginning. CW for death of a sibling (accident) and death of a parent (cancer). I was truly sobbing at some parts of this. Overall an entertaining and fun romance with some emotional depth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual harassment and Toxic relationship
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