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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
njh_books's review
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was really hoping for a cute cheesy queer Christmas story and it was that at times, but it fell flat quite a lot as well.
I did enjoy the POV switching, was fun.Misti the dog was great. Give me a book on Ben and Roberta as kids and now having reconnected.
The book also examined aging & memory issues as an older person and abusive relationships well and had some insights that were touching and well-written.
The ending with Ellie just asleep in Margot's arms was cute, but just felt kind of strange with all the other chaos around at that exact moment. The ending felt rather rushed...
Actually, a lot of these major scenes felt rushed or cut off to quickly, to the story's detriment. While I did see some bonding before Ellie and Margot got together, it still was quite quick and kind of left you wondering why they we into one another (besides the physical attraction).
The epilogue, to me, read like a bad summarize the last year of your life in two pages...it was lackluster, not really satisfying, and could've been left out (don't get me started on the vegan cheese in the burrito part).
Probably won't ever read again, but did at least one Christmas-y read this year...
I did enjoy the POV switching, was fun.
The book also examined aging & memory issues as an older person and abusive relationships well and had some insights that were touching and well-written.
The ending with Ellie just asleep in Margot's arms was cute, but just felt kind of strange with all the other chaos around at that exact moment. The ending felt rather rushed...
Actually, a lot of these major scenes felt rushed or cut off to quickly, to the story's detriment. While I did see some bonding before Ellie and Margot got together, it still was quite quick and kind of left you wondering why they we into one another (besides the physical attraction).
The epilogue, to me, read like a bad summarize the last year of your life in two pages...it was lackluster, not really satisfying, and could've been left out (don't get me started on the vegan cheese in the burrito part).
Probably won't ever read again, but did at least one Christmas-y read this year...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Grief, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Death
the_lesbrarian's review
emotional
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
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
ashandtheink's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Thank you to Libro FM for my Advanced Listening Copy!
A sweet, sapphic romance to put you in the cozy, holiday spirit. I really appreciated this little “twist” on the fake dating trope (the best trope, duh!)
The characters were intriguing and easy to root for. Appreciated the thoughtful discussion of emotional abuse in relationships and what it may look like to move forward and heal from an unhealthy relationship. Although, some of the explanations about the motives behind some characters’ choices felt a little too on the nose. The author used a lot of what felt like “therapy speak” which felt a little grating by the end.
Overall, a wonderfully charming read.
A sweet, sapphic romance to put you in the cozy, holiday spirit. I really appreciated this little “twist” on the fake dating trope (the best trope, duh!)
The characters were intriguing and easy to root for. Appreciated the thoughtful discussion of emotional abuse in relationships and what it may look like to move forward and heal from an unhealthy relationship. Although, some of the explanations about the motives behind some characters’ choices felt a little too on the nose. The author used a lot of what felt like “therapy speak” which felt a little grating by the end.
Overall, a wonderfully charming read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Stalking
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