Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Faça Chuva ou Faça Sol by Rachel Lynn Solomon

16 reviews

garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

quasinaut's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.75

I have such mixed feelings about this book. Overall, I liked Ari and Russell's interactions but hated the central concept that they're trying to reunite their divorced bosses. There was such a lack of personal boundaries, and I strongly disliked that Ari and Russell would spend any of their time and money on their bosses' lives instead of finding better jobs and/or going on dates with each other (none of the weird double dates count). 

Seth and Torrance, the bosses, had their own odd dynamic. They would have moments of self-reflection, even times when they would call out their toxic behavior, but then they would undercut any progress by a) continuing to make the workplace terrible, b) sharing too many personal details, or c) interfering in their employees' personal lives. 

I don't know. I think even the sweet moments and positive representation were overshadowed for me by not being on board with the Set It Up/Parent Trap storyline.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

archivofrances's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

ems_rxlibrary's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional 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

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

smagzisreading's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny lighthearted sad 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

4.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

wilybooklover's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

4.5

This book had some of the most realistic characters I’ve ever read in a romance. Ari, Russell, and even the side characters felt like real people with real problems and I loved that. Ari and her mother are portrayed as having chronic depression and while I can’t speak to the accuracy, it felt like it was depicted with care and sensitivity. Russell was a teen dad and speaks about the hardships and judgment he faced because of it. It was lovely to read a close sibling relationship too! 

I loved that Russell was a fat hero and that Ari still found him sexy and attractive from their first interactions. It’s such a nice change of pace from the usual muscular six-pack body type we usually see, and one that I personally find much more attractive. (Not that I think every hero should be personally attractive to me, just that it would be nice to have a little more diversity for those of us who don’t like abs!) There’s some discussion of fatphobia and Russell’s insecurities, but I thought his body was handled with love and care. Ari and Russell had great chemistry and tension together, and this book had some unexpectedly hot and creative sex scenes. Their romance was soft and tender and full of heart. 

While I did think the third-act conflict was believable and in keeping with Ari’s characterisation, I hated that they didn’t reconcile until the very last page before the epilogue. I would’ve liked an additional chapter or two because I like to see the couple happy together after the reconciliation (otherwise the ending feels too abrupt). I also felt like the characters’ relationships with their bosses were a little weirdly close. And I'm sorry, but even if you ask permission
proposing at someone else's wedding is just odd.


I'm baffled as to why this was called a romcom though because it wasn't funny (a problem I have with most modern 'romcoms' to be honest!). 


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kelly_e's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.0

Title: Weather Girl
Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.0
Pub Date: January 11, 2022

T H R E E • W O R D S

Cozy • Feel-Good • Predictable

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Ari has always been fascinated by the weather, so working as a TV meteorologist is like living the dream. Unfortunately for Ari, her boss, the legendary Torrance Hale, is too preoccupied to mentor her properly. Russel, the sports report seems to be the only one who understands how she feels.

Following a disastrous holiday party, Ari and Russell team up to solve their bosses’ relationship issues. Between secret gifts and double dates, they start nudging their bosses back together. But their well-meaning meddling backfires when the real chemistry builds between Ari and Russell.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Weather Girl was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022, given the sweet premise and knowing there would be a mental health aspect. To say my hopes were high would definitely be an understatement. And unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.

What I like:
• the representation. This book has excellent representation of mental illness, plus size portrayal, single parent, and a Jewish main character.
• the unique jobs. I loved that Rachel used such unique jobs as the basis for the story. An added bonus that the idea of a romance between a weather girl and a sportscaster seems fitting.
• the cover. Probably one of my favourite covers of the year.

What I didn't like:
• the romance. I get the romance isn't meant to be the main focus, yet the chemistry between the two main characters didn't feel all that believable.
• underdeveloped plot points. Some aspects of the plot were just left unexplored, which didn't feel quite right, even though this book already tackles a lot.

At the end of the day this was quick read with a cute plot, yet could have been better. For me, there was just something missing or maybe it's the fact it tried to do too much opposed to focusing on developing several aspects more broadly. I'm still glad I read it for the living with function depression aspect alone.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of The Ex Talk
• readers looking for mental illness representation

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"The people who love us the most have the power to hurt us the most, too."

"If anything could confirm that weather isn’t small talk, it’s this. Weather connects us. A shared experience, even when we aren’t in the same place." 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

rachaelm13's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful 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

4.5

LOVED this book. The characters are so lovable and REAL. It felt like a romance than could actually happen in real life. 

Loved all the representation in this book!

This first spicy scene was one of the best I’ve read, it was spicy but also so meaningful and like caring/emotional/ meant something, I don’t know how to describe it. I’m a sucker for consent consent consent so that scene was everything. 

The second spicy scene was a bit underwhelming and short/not very descriptive and I found the whole book to be a bit this way. There were some scenes I didn’t want to leave yet and wanted to stay in that moment for longer with the characters with more description. The book tops out at 292 pages and I would haves loved to read another 30-50+ more pages just for more depth/descriptions/detail but it was still fantastic as is!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kb33's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

A love story with very real characters with real life issues, including depression. I’ve recently discovered Solomon, and I can’t wait to read more. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

So cute! Loved this much more than The Ex Talk. This one was fun, whimsical, and dealt with mental health in a way that felt realistic,  since the author herself experiences depression and was able to pull on to show all different sorts of ways that depression manifests. Overall, this was such a sweet and tender tale, 100% would recommend if you’re looking for:
  • A lighthearted romance with substance
  • Jewish rep 
  • “Parent Trap”-esque plots

Expand filter menu Content Warnings