Reviews with content warning for Grief - You, with a View

“Remember nothing lasts forever. You have to hold on to the good things, knowing you may be on borrowed time with them. And with the bad, recognize that eventually it will pass.”

Leaning towards a 5 stars because this book literally gave me the feels. I even teared up at some point from remembering my own grandmother. I definitely did not expect this book to make me to tear up and that’s what really got it. I think it's been a long time since I actually teared up to pages that does not contain death. I wasn't warned that it would pull through your heartstrings. So yes, this book is worthy of it being rated five stars.

Noelle and Theo are just the cutest couple. From high school academic rivals to just simply enemies who banters whenever they see each other. You can't deny that these two have a connection and attraction so there's really no doubt that these two would get together during or once the trip was over. Lowkey, the premise of the story is really heart-wrenching and that's really how I was hooked into reading more. Not only did they tackle grief after a loved one passed away, they also tackled how to move on from it. Then there was the situation with Theo's family and how he was being gaslighted to being not enough by his own father. Usually, it's people outside your family that demotivates you, like how Enzo was with Noelle during their one year of "mentorship". In Theo's case, it was his father who just wanted Theo to be successful that there was no limit. He kept forcing Theo to be best when the best was already achieved - which led Theo to think he wasn't good enough. Bruh, imagine if people who are earning so much to think they're unsuccessful, what more for people who hasn't achieved anything? But it's fine, because Theo has Paul who already thinks the world of him. This trip consisting of this trio was just a blast that kept me reading more and more even when I can't anymore due to my lack of sleep!

This book made me miss my grandparent so much to the point that we scheduled a visit home just to see them. It really made me guilty for not spending as much time as I should have been with them.

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tenderbench's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad 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

4.75

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marisabenn's review

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adventurous 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

4.75

Blame the pregnancy exhaustion for how long it took to read this 😅

What a great debut! A little annoyed with the lack of full communication, but not enough to really call it a miscommunication trope. It made me miss my grandparents in a good way.

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sdupont's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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

5.0

Wow I can’t believe I waited so long to read this book! I really enjoyed reading this book. It offers up banter and a fun interesting plot while also weaving grief throughout the story. Jessica Joyce did an excellent job of balance the elements of this book. Theo and Noelle are exactly what the other needed. Somehow despite being high school rivals (or maybe because they were) they each other so clearly. I enjoyed seeing their relationship progress and evolve over the course of the road trip. I loved that they had their journey together but also their growth as individuals. Side note don’t let the grief theme fool you this book can be sexy af at moments. Also, can I just talk about how much I love Paul? He is the sweetest little soul. Honorable mention to the psychic, sign me up for one of her readings. I recommend this for fans of Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun and Beach Read by Emily Henry.

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hannah109's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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? No

5.0

2023: One of my favourites this year!
2024 re-read: Still great! ♡

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abidavisf's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

5.0

How lucky am I to have read You, With a View? How I have been honoured to live in a time where this book exists is beyond me.

I bought You, With a View a long time ago. Somebody posted a quote on TikTok (funnily enough) and I knew I had to read it and then, as happens with me, I thought too hard about it and scared myself out of it under the assumption that I’d hyped it up too much and would only be disappointed. I know, now, that I wasn’t ready at the time. Now was the perfect time for this story to come to me.

You, With a View is a love story, but it is also life-affirming. It is a celebration of love (not just the romantic kind), friendship and failure. It teaches you that just because you thought something was one thing and it turned out to be something else doesn’t make it any less perfect for you. It is tribute to everybody you have ever loved and everybody you will ever love. My mum always told me that some people are only with you for a season and that’s okay. They were there when you needed them and it’s okay for them to leave. You can still be happy. You can still live a life of love and joy and laughter. You, With a View is testament to that.

Noelle and Theo both had expectations for their life. Noelle placed those expectations on herself. Theo’s were forced onto him. Both characters experienced devastating blows that they processed so differently. Yet, the shared ties that drew their paths together over so many years allowed them to unite, heal and build something new, something full of hope.

Kat and Paul’s love story is testament to the fact that just because something ends doesn’t mean it wasn’t beautiful. Sometimes, the most beautiful endings are born from the saddest beginnings. Though I never wanted You, With a View to end, I’m honoured that I had the chance to read it and for it to birth so much hope in me.

I am in awe of this book. Everybody must read it.

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steen19's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No

3.25

This didn’t really work for me….

After her grandmother dies, Noelle find a box of photos and love letter. She uses TikTok to track down the lost love, who happens to be the grandfather of her high school rival.

From there, check your reasoning at the door for this one. Noelle decides to go on the road trip her grandmother dreamed of doing as a honeymoon with this lost love. Cool, right? The old man wants to join. What? And so the grandson has to as well. Sure?

The “why” just wasn’t there for me. Can it technically be answered? Yes, but the reasons aren’t logical for me. Without that, it was hard to be invested.

They’re 28, but it reads more like a college romance. There’s just something about it that feels a little immature.

The first 30% reads like it’s written by someone with a LOT of internalized misogyny. If not just straight up misogyny. I held out to see if he was redeemed, and I’m not 100% sure.

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branwalcott's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

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

5.0

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