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annahamburger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Biphobia, Mental illness, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Homophobia
Moderate: Outing, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Violence, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Cancer, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Medical content, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Car accident, Dementia, Pregnancy, and Racism
bibliomania_express's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I absolutely loved Maggie and Aiden and their slow-burn romance. Maggie deals with social anxiety and introversion, but she's also fierce and unafraid to be herself. She tells off so many people in this book and I absolutely loved it. Especially the scene at the wedding. And Aiden - he's so kind and thoughtful, but had been shit on by his family for so long. He tries to do well by his horrid, homophobic mother, and I was cheering for him as he learned to be more assertive.
This book also shows how much knowledge can help people struggling with their identities. Aiden is on the ace spectrum, but he has frequently felt like something is wrong with him since he didn't have the label. Yardley does a fantastic job showing how much having the language to speak about himself means to Aiden, even in his early fifties.
This book has been on my radar for a while now, so I'm glad I finally picked it up.
Some content warnings for homophobia/biphobia/acephobia (all challenged by the text), misogyny (also challenged), discussions of hospice care and elder care.
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia and Biphobia
Moderate: Dementia
Minor: Car accident, Cancer, and Death of parent
gondorgirl's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Alcohol, Body shaming, Outing, Sexism, Sexual content, Infidelity, Misogyny, Cursing, Dementia, Mental illness, and Homophobia
mighty_lizard_queen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Homophobia, Outing, and Biphobia
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Racism, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Body shaming, and Cursing
Minor: Drug use, Dementia, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Car accident, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
beepbeep101's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Outing, Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Dementia, Abandonment, Cursing, Homophobia, and Body shaming
Minor: Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
reign_kaur's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Grief, Body shaming, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, and Outing
booksalacarte's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Contemporary rom-com
Older MC’s
Second chance romance
Introverted MC’s
Main character 🏳️🌈QIA+ rep
Mistaken identity
This was a sweet rom-com about two older people allowing themselves a second chance at finding love.
I adored the introverted gamers and the found gaming family.
This was a super cute Gen X romance!
Graphic: Biphobia, Alcohol, Cursing, Gaslighting, Outing, Sexual content, Dementia, and Homophobia
a_ab's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
How freaking amazing is that!?
These characters know who they are and what they want - as they should by their age (around 50). They understand when they mess up. And own up to it when they do. They respect each other's boundaries and choices. They talk thing out openly and directly. They support each other in meaningful ways. They develop their relationship meaningfully and organically, yet fully intentionally.
Seriously, this is a mythical unicorn of a book.
I can't believe I am saying this, but this is going on my all times favorites shelf.
My only, albeit tiny, disappointment came with the epilogue, which was too short and not very meaningful.
Instead of briefly seeing these characters on a random happy day, I would have preferred a longer glimpse into their marriage - the shorthand they developed for dealing with the rougher patches of their lives together, the added depth of their connection strengthened by years of shared experiences.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, and Outing
Moderate: Dementia and Misogyny
crystalisreading's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Toxic relationship, Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Outing
Minor: Religious bigotry, Dementia, Racism, and Grief