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marrireadsandrambles's review
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Grief, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Dementia
orangeowl's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.75
I didn't realize it would be an alternating viewpoints to tell the story, so I was glad there were two narrators to avoid confusion.
It's a Christmas romance, so some was, as predictably, predictable. But enough plot twists to keep it interesting and some questions you need to get close to the end to have answered.
Readers/Listeners should be aware that the topic of emotional abuse is covered from one of the pairs recent exes, so if that may be difficult for you, know it is at least mentioned in I believe to be 4 chapters, andthe emotional abuser makes contact and is in this telling for a chapter or two .
Death of loved ones, and mental struggles of older family members are also part of this story.
I appreciated that not only do the predictable couple grow closer together, the family whose home it is set in also gets closer through the story.
[This is the first book review I've ever written, so sorry if it's rough.]
It's a Christmas romance, so some was, as predictably, predictable. But enough plot twists to keep it interesting and some questions you need to get close to the end to have answered.
Readers/Listeners should be aware that the topic of emotional abuse is covered from one of the pairs recent exes, so if that may be difficult for you, know it is at least mentioned in I believe to be 4 chapters, and
Death of loved ones, and mental struggles of older family members are also part of this story.
[This is the first book review I've ever written, so sorry if it's rough.]
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Minor: Gaslighting, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
bexxiepie's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, and Dementia
kirareads's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Grief, Gaslighting, and Death
ergaich's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Premise was really cute but the book felt more like YA than adult. The characters felt immature and the dialogue was quite stunted. I think think this writer has potential but this just felt a little forced and hard to read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Stalking, and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy
arlaubscher's review
emotional
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Dementia, Grief, Alcohol, Cancer, and Stalking
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, and Death of parent
skyfluff's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Grief, Dementia, Death, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
chimichannika's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
This book was so sweet!! The writing in the very beginning felt a bit stilted and overly-expositional to me, but that’s really the only less-than-10/10 thing I can say about it, and once I got a few chapters in (and the chapters in this book are very short) I got swept away into enjoying the rest of the book. It’s a lovely story, and I really enjoyed the fact that the characters all had such nuance and layers and, well, character to them!! This book also did a wonderful job of handling some very heavy and delicate topics like abuse, manipulative relationships, and coming to terms with being an abuse survivor; family pressure and feelings of inadequacy; and adults who want to be mature and respectful for each other but whose traumas and insecurities can make that an uphill battle, and yet who own up to that and apologize when they veer wrong, anyway, and make conscious efforts to do better; elderly relatives dealing with spousal grief and beginning signs of dementia and how both the person themselves and their family interact with that, and also how they still treated that character with respect which was really, really impressive, and even more so for still keeping the *typical* Christmas romcom romance novel feel that I’m sure a lot of readers picked this book for. Just really sensitive and commendable handling of many heavy subject and giving them the weight they’re worth, while also having the book be an ultimately festive, warming, cozy, sapphic, love-filled (both platonic and romantic!) holiday novel. I enjoyed it quite a lot and loved the beautifully sweet and wonderfully happy endings!! A great read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Dementia
jourdanicus's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
A cute Love Actually readalike, got me out of a slump when I saw it suggested for me on Spotify. I really enjoyed the setting. The characters felt a little unlikeable at first but maybe I'm just not a huge fan of enemies to lovers. There was a bit more of a tone of "oh I'm enjoying this delicious holiday treat more than I should!" than I care for so I tagged fire a minor trigger of fatphobia because I prefer my holiday books to just describe the delicious food and be free of ANY hint of guilt over it.
Definitely recommend for fans of light, queer, holiday romance who enjoy enemies to lovers and/or fake dating, and stories that are wrapped up and a neat and tidy "happily ever after" bow.
Definitely recommend for fans of light, queer, holiday romance who enjoy enemies to lovers and/or fake dating, and stories that are wrapped up and a neat and tidy "happily ever after" bow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Grief, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Dementia, and Death