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funshine3's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
Quick and easy read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Outing, and Body shaming
wilybooklover's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
This is my first Ali Hazelwood book, and I have very mixed feelings.
First of all, if I had to hear ONE MORE TIME about how gigantic Jack was, I might have screamed. It was so repetitive and unnecessary — I promise that I won’t forget between page 35 and page 40 that he’s built like a refrigerator. Combined with how naïve and oblivious Elsie was, and how overbearing Jack was, I didn’t really enjoy the actual romance much. I found Jack quite creepy to be honest (he keeps a photo of her in his bedside table when they genuinely barely know each other? He wants her to move in when they've barely been together for one weekend?? He wants to lock her in his room for two weeks??? WHAT). He also came across as condescending most of the time to me, and like he infantilised the heroine. The sex scenes were so awkward and not in a cute way (although I liked the emphasis on consent). And what kind of Swedish surname is Turner? Then the villain seemed so flat and cartoonish, rather than a fully-fleshed out character, especially during the conflict. Also, this is very petty but I hate cheese and had to suffer through so much talk about cheese in this book. Enough about cheese already!!
On the other hand, there were some things I really liked. I loved Elsie’s character arc about learning how not to be such a people pleaser all the time, and how she ended up going to therapy at the end. I liked the setup for how the MCs meet (she’s fake dating his brother, and he begins to suspect something is off). I enjoyed the very realistic depiction of being a woman in STEM and how very science-y the whole book was. I really liked how much Jack just wanted to take care of Elsie, gave her space when she asked for it, and how he didn’t mess with her career even when he was suspicious of her (look, it's a low bar, but it’s disappointing how often that happens in romance). It was great how he completely respected her academic intellect and was so emotionally open with her as well... even if that openness is completely lost on her lol. I also liked how Elsie actually calls Jack out on how patronising he’s being by acting like she can’t make her own decisions. Plus, all of the major side characters besides the villain were well-drawn and enjoyable to read; I particularly liked Cece and Millicent.
One final thought: the STEMinist appellation promptly needs to die in a fire, thank you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Chronic illness, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Death of parent, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Outing, Sexual assault, Classism, Cancer, and Acephobia/Arophobia
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Outing, Death, Acephobia/Arophobia, Alcohol, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexism, Chronic illness, and Toxic relationship
abby_can_read's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
5.0
📖
I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the STEM and university settings. The characters were good, I liked the relationships between characters, the writing style was engaging, and the plot was cute.
This was the first Ali Hazelwood book I read and I eager to read more.
I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the STEM and university settings. The characters were good, I liked the relationships between characters, the writing style was engaging, and the plot was cute.
This was the first Ali Hazelwood book I read and I eager to read more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Sexism
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia and Outing
thatgirlgeorgia's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Sexual content
loveyoulike's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
3.75
i was this close to rating this higher solely for the reading experience but the last few chapters were way too frustrating. in the first place i couldn't buy jack as a character. he feels like a mary sue but with a few added issues to progress the plot. i also personally don't like romance stories where one side always knows the best for the other character to the point that they appear like a teacher-caretaker.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Sexual content, and Sexism
Moderate: Misogyny, Outing, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia and Death of parent
alisonnobrega's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Misogyny, and Death of parent
one_more_chapter96's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
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
4.5
Thoroughly enjoyed, maybe the funniest / most witty book by Ali Hazelwood I’ve read so far which was really fun. Sad at times and makes you reflect on people pleasing and eldest daughter roles in a family. Great STEM rep and informative without being too much. The tension and slow build up of their relationship was good & I loved Jack overall as the MMC. Slightly disappointed by the ending but overall enjoyed the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Death of parent, Outing, and Sexism
elodiethefangirl's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Chronic illness
vael's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use, Misogyny, and Chronic illness