Reviews with content warning for Death - Second First Impressions

I really liked the writing of this book as well as the female protagonist and how she acts. Unlike other books, she speaks her mind, without fear of embarrassment from a guy. the relationship between the two main characters is cute and hopeful.

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_thelitlibrarian's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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

5.0

TW: Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Bullying, Gaslighting
5.0 stars
-
I picked up this book based solely on the setting of the plot, a retirement villa. As someone who has spent their life working in retirement homes, I felt drawn in immediately. I'm so glad I picked this up on a whim, as I need more Teddy and Ruthie in my life. I love the hilarious banter that turns into a solid friendship, my heart was swooning the entire time, I was rooting for these two characters to end up together, but at one point it just didn't seem as if it were an option.

Our two main characters are nothing alike, Ruthie has dedicated most of her life to taking care of the villa and the residents, and it's often joked that she'll never move out and just end up retiring into the cottage she's currently in, Ruthie often forgets that she's supposed to be a young, beautiful, and single woman. Teddy Prescott is known for partying, sleeping in late, tattooing his body, and not taking anything in life seriously. After a few too many mess-ups in life, Teddy's father, and the owner of the villa agree to let him stay in one of the cottages as long as he earns his keep. When a spot working for two of the wealthiest and most eccentric residents in the villa opens up, Ruthie knows that Teddy is the perfect person for the position.

I loved watching Teddy prove to himself and everyone else that he's much more and deserves a lot more credit. Although this seems like a light book on the surface, my heart broke as we got more of a backstory both for Ruthie and Teddy. Watching the two of them grow as characters as they spent time together was refreshing, I love how they each taught each other a lot and helped their personalities grow and come to life. Listening to Teddy describe everything he wanted in a woman and it describes Ruthie to perfection made my heart swoon.

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mengzhenreads's review against another edition

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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

2.5

Ruthie is definitely one of the most annoying/bland main character's I've read in a while, the fact that she's so scared of the outside world that she never leaves the retirement home, dresses like an old person, and needs everyone around her to constantly validate her existence and actions gets tiring very fast.

Generally the romance is enjoyable, but it definitely runs on the weirder side and at times was unbearably embarrassing. Also the main love interest really didn't have any boundaries at the beginning of the book and it was really uncomfortable to read about so yikes.

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anewton's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

An absolute delight of a read. A cute trope, easy read that gets you involved in the beautiful story of Ruthie and Teddy. Nothing too serious or deep, but the kind of feel-good book that you need at the end of a hard day.

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ashylibrarian's review against another edition

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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

This is a cute New Adult/Adult romance between Ruthie and Teddy (and maybe a few more) with exploration of careers, self-identity, family, and past traumas. I enjoyed this book for what it was - for the most part. One thing that really rubbed me the wrong way, however, was Ruthie's invasion of Teddy regarding why he was going to therapy. Multiple times she asked him bluntly to tell her why he was seeing a therapist and not until after about the third (3rd) or fourth (4th) time did he tell her. I just feel like that is not an appropriate way to have a conversation with someone about therapy, no matter how close you think you are to them.

I just have to say that I am so happy for Aggie and Renata. I had my suspicions that they were not sisters, and once Renata started talking about her tattoo I was pretty convinced that they were in a relationship together. It did not take away from the reveal of the moment or the dance floor scene! Fresh, new love encouraged by strong, consistent love.

I also just have to say that I was SHOCKED in the end to read that Renata was the one who passed before Aggie. Every time something would happen to Aggie in the story, my heart would get really sad, so I was definitely expecting her to be the one who passes. Either way, the love they showed for each other is beautiful, and I am so glad they were able to make peace with what they were forced to miss in high school.

Overall, I am satisfied with this book and would be interested in listening to more of Sally Thorne's books.

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daisychainreads's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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