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peach_haze's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Dementia, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Stalking
bookishmillennial's review
challenging
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial
Narrated by: Kim Bretton, Emma Fenney
Okay, I didn't read the premise when I began listening to this (thank you Libro FM for the ALC - providing this honest review on my own accord), but once I caught on to the plot, I immediately thought, 'Is this not Kiss Her Once For Me?' Look, I know KHOFM is not the absolute first of its kind, but the similarities were just wild. One of the characters is even named Ellie and this is marketed towards Alison Cochrun fans. WILD choice, that's all.
Anyway, besides this being the UK version of KHOFM, I thought it was an entertaining enough listen! We get the dual first-person POV of Margot and Ellie. Margot is recently single (just broke up with her longtime girlfriend Taylor), and Ben needs someone to bring home for the holiday, so his parents will get off of his back about "finding his person". They agree to fake date, but the moment that Ben's sister Ellie meets Margot, she is suspicious of Margot and her intentions. Margot is also navigating a rollercoaster of emotions as her ex Taylor texts her throughout the holiday, and Ben acts as a listening ear and friend to Margot, validating her experiences.
I don't want to spoil how everything obviously goes to shit and "the gig is up" but it gets quite messy. However, I love mess! It's very funny (when it doesn't include me!). I thought the side characters of Ben & Ellie's family were sweet & relatable; I thought the family dynamics felt familiar & realistic (though I recognize all families are super different), & wouldn't mind sitting down to hang with them! I also enjoyed how Margot recognized how her friendships were affected by her toxic romance too, & she tried to salvage things with her friend Nikita. Overall, I can see this becoming others' holiday faves, fit for the 25 Days of Christmas marathon on Freeform.
This is closed door/fade-to-black.
cw: emotional abuse, toxic relationship, alcohol, bullying, cursing, gaslighting, stalking, classism
Narrated by: Kim Bretton, Emma Fenney
Okay, I didn't read the premise when I began listening to this (thank you Libro FM for the ALC - providing this honest review on my own accord), but once I caught on to the plot, I immediately thought, 'Is this not Kiss Her Once For Me?' Look, I know KHOFM is not the absolute first of its kind, but the similarities were just wild. One of the characters is even named Ellie and this is marketed towards Alison Cochrun fans. WILD choice, that's all.
Anyway, besides this being the UK version of KHOFM, I thought it was an entertaining enough listen! We get the dual first-person POV of Margot and Ellie. Margot is recently single (just broke up with her longtime girlfriend Taylor), and Ben needs someone to bring home for the holiday, so his parents will get off of his back about "finding his person". They agree to fake date, but the moment that Ben's sister Ellie meets Margot, she is suspicious of Margot and her intentions. Margot is also navigating a rollercoaster of emotions as her ex Taylor texts her throughout the holiday, and Ben acts as a listening ear and friend to Margot, validating her experiences.
I don't want to spoil how everything obviously goes to shit and "the gig is up" but it gets quite messy. However, I love mess! It's very funny (when it doesn't include me!). I thought the side characters of Ben & Ellie's family were sweet & relatable; I thought the family dynamics felt familiar & realistic (though I recognize all families are super different), & wouldn't mind sitting down to hang with them! I also enjoyed how Margot recognized how her friendships were affected by her toxic romance too, & she tried to salvage things with her friend Nikita. Overall, I can see this becoming others' holiday faves, fit for the 25 Days of Christmas marathon on Freeform.
This is closed door/fade-to-black.
cw: emotional abuse, toxic relationship, alcohol, bullying, cursing, gaslighting, stalking, classism
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Gaslighting, Stalking, Alcohol, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Classism
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