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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
Definitely not what I was expecting and I won’t lie I started reading it because Noah Riley had me going through withdrawals. I’ve read the first book numerous times and I love it so much it’s my favorite book of all time so I just simply had to be back in this universe. I like the tension and everything felt so familiar and the author did a great job of helping us understand the characters and their feelings. A little cringy I will not lie but that’s every book. Anyway I loved and j will be reading cams book as well. (No one is better than Noah and Ari argue with a wall)
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“We slid right into friendship and, along the way fell into something more. Something real.”
Okay… so this review is coming after my Promise Me Not re-read & I’m bumping this from a 4 star read to a 5 star read.
I liked this book after my first read - I knew it was a good book, I just wasn’t fully immersed, I guess? That could be a headspace thing, I mean it was definitely a me problem. This re-read, though… this re-read made me fall in love with Mason and Payton.
“It’s a lotus flower. The lady said they grow even in the worst condition because they’re resilient and strong just like you.”
Payton is such a complex character and one that had my heartbreaking from page 1. I think she’s a very misunderstood & frustrating point within Promise Me Not. You really have to step back and adjust your point of view to take into consideration that Payton is a teen mom who lost her boyfriend & baby’s daddy. She’s a girl who had a manipulative and essentially abusive mom and an estranged dad post-divorce. She’s a girl battling grief and an onslaught of new feelings for a boy that came out of nowhere. She’s a girl who’s trying her best to protect herself, her heart, and most importantly her little boy.
“If Deaton was the light, then Mason was the sun. And how could I possibly survive without the center of my personal solar system? The simple answer: I couldn’t.”
Daddy Mason. My God, where does one even begin? Poor Mas has his own trauma to deal with. Even though he was raised by damn good parents he still has this need to feel needed. Relatable. He falls hard for Payton and when her mind catches up to her and shuts down her heart, he begins to question everything, but primarily, he questions himself. He is equally as heartbreaking in this book.
BUT, his love for little D. Be still my heart. Truly, he fell for that little boy before he ever fell for that boy’s momma. Mason wants to be with Payton, but more than that, he wants to be Payton and Deaton’s family.
Moral of the story, or this review - if you struggled through this book the first time through, give it a second chance. Something about this re-read had me all in on Mason & Payton’s story.
Okay… so this review is coming after my Promise Me Not re-read & I’m bumping this from a 4 star read to a 5 star read.
I liked this book after my first read - I knew it was a good book, I just wasn’t fully immersed, I guess? That could be a headspace thing, I mean it was definitely a me problem. This re-read, though… this re-read made me fall in love with Mason and Payton.
“It’s a lotus flower. The lady said they grow even in the worst condition because they’re resilient and strong just like you.”
Payton is such a complex character and one that had my heartbreaking from page 1. I think she’s a very misunderstood & frustrating point within Promise Me Not. You really have to step back and adjust your point of view to take into consideration that Payton is a teen mom who lost her boyfriend & baby’s daddy. She’s a girl who had a manipulative and essentially abusive mom and an estranged dad post-divorce. She’s a girl battling grief and an onslaught of new feelings for a boy that came out of nowhere. She’s a girl who’s trying her best to protect herself, her heart, and most importantly her little boy.
“If Deaton was the light, then Mason was the sun. And how could I possibly survive without the center of my personal solar system? The simple answer: I couldn’t.”
Daddy Mason. My God, where does one even begin? Poor Mas has his own trauma to deal with. Even though he was raised by damn good parents he still has this need to feel needed. Relatable. He falls hard for Payton and when her mind catches up to her and shuts down her heart, he begins to question everything, but primarily, he questions himself. He is equally as heartbreaking in this book.
BUT, his love for little D. Be still my heart. Truly, he fell for that little boy before he ever fell for that boy’s momma. Mason wants to be with Payton, but more than that, he wants to be Payton and Deaton’s family.
Moral of the story, or this review - if you struggled through this book the first time through, give it a second chance. Something about this re-read had me all in on Mason & Payton’s story.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I only have this book a half star because I did want to know how it ended but my god was each page worse than the last. I skimmed the last 200 pages because I could barely take. First, and most importantly - Mason is a predator. There’s no getting around that. He was interested in a high school student as a college student. I noticed Megan Brandy was very careful not to mention ages but the creep factor was there none the less. Second, there’s nothing worse than a pregnancy trope let alone a teen pregnancy trope let alone a dead boyfriend teen pregnancy trope. It was uncomfortable and weird and honestly gave me the creeps.
all the feels!
Ahh man, these guys! I was buzzing for there book because it was Mason & Payton!
These guys, it was a struggle but we finally
Ahh man, these guys! I was buzzing for there book because it was Mason & Payton!
These guys, it was a struggle but we finally
Wow.
This book was tearing my heart out almost the whole time but I liked it?
Payton and Mason's story feels like one that that anyone can relate to. It's full of ups, downs, twists and turns. Just when you think you know what is gonna happen, bam you are hit with something unexpected. I'm just glad they got the ending they both deserved so much.
I also liked the past and present aspect of the book, it wasn't just present day and you had no idea how they got where they were, you knew all the events that led up to the current time.
This book was tearing my heart out almost the whole time but I liked it?
Payton and Mason's story feels like one that that anyone can relate to. It's full of ups, downs, twists and turns. Just when you think you know what is gonna happen, bam you are hit with something unexpected. I'm just glad they got the ending they both deserved so much.
I also liked the past and present aspect of the book, it wasn't just present day and you had no idea how they got where they were, you knew all the events that led up to the current time.
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-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
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes