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quotes_with_a_quill's review
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Trigger discussion- (review below)
- Alcoholics beware- recommend avoiding this one.
- Discusses loss of a sibling retrospectively- probably be okay for most that have experienced loss- proceed w caution
- SA survivors- should be okay. I know well how unrelated and specific things can trigger- but this book doesn't have anything classically triggering.
- Child abuse- none
- Divorce- yes.
- Infertility- ish. Some trouble conceiving right away. No angst or depth. It was annoying. Just how it was handled was annoying. Didn't think it was handled right or wrong. Again, going along theme of book, it was flat.
---------
Early twenties to early thirty characters.
Thought it was flat, which is a good thing sometimes. It was an easy read. The sticky points could have been made very dramatic and delved into to give it much more angst. But it didn't, which kept it flat but also easy. The theme of the book is the meanderings through life and love and relationships. Not the hell each time period can bring.
Thought it was flat, which is a good thing sometimes. It was an easy read. The sticky points could have been made very dramatic and delved into to give it much more angst. But it didn't, which kept it flat but also easy. The theme of the book is the meanderings through life and love and relationships. Not the hell each time period can bring.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Infertility, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship
miranda_is_reading's review
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Slow at times, but still a decent read. I found it relatable to a relationship I had in the past.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Car accident, Child death, Death of parent, and Infidelity
thatswhatshanread's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Twas a very sad discovery to finally read this Christmas-themed romcom and find out that it was quite meh. Normally I love a romance story that spans many years, but this could have easily been summed up in less than one year, maybe two. It was so frustrating! I also love a second chance romance, friends-to-lovers storyline; however, this one fell flat for me because I never particularly felt much chemistry between our two inevitable lovers. All in all, every relationship in the book was rather dull.
Also, our MMC wasn’t especially charming or redeeming? It was hard to root for them getting together after reading all this build up of how he treated the other women in his life. Idk.
The writing was good and I liked the setting for the most part, I just really wish the characters were more developed and the plot lines more exciting and thought-provoking.
Also, our MMC wasn’t especially charming or redeeming? It was hard to root for them getting together after reading all this build up of how he treated the other women in his life. Idk.
The writing was good and I liked the setting for the most part, I just really wish the characters were more developed and the plot lines more exciting and thought-provoking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Car accident, and Child death
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, Cursing, Infertility, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny and Sexism
theonlybaillie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I enjoyed this book. I had ALL of the feelings while reading it, as second-chance love is a trope that really hits for me and makes me cry basically every time.
The main characters in this book felt very real to me...in the sense that they had very annoying flaws that were, unfortunately, realistic IMO. Jack was emotionally immature and wanted to blame others and deflect any emotional pain or self-wrongdoing. Laurie was a pushover and bent to others wishes and plans until the end of the book where she finally decided that enough was enough and took ownership of her life (FINALLY!).
Relationships ebb and flow as seasons of life change, and I love that Jack, Sarah, and Laurie were still part of each others lives throughout their twenties. Lifelong friendships are a blessing, even though they can get quite messy over the years.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. It is not the light-hearted Christmas read that most people look for this time of year, but I appreciated the story that it told.
I also appreciated the phrase "kissed stardust into my mouth", because I have never heard it before and thought it was creative and funny. :)
The main characters in this book felt very real to me...in the sense that they had very annoying flaws that were, unfortunately, realistic IMO. Jack was emotionally immature and wanted to blame others and deflect any emotional pain or self-wrongdoing. Laurie was a pushover and bent to others wishes and plans until the end of the book where she finally decided that enough was enough and took ownership of her life (FINALLY!).
Relationships ebb and flow as seasons of life change, and I love that Jack, Sarah, and Laurie were still part of each others lives throughout their twenties. Lifelong friendships are a blessing, even though they can get quite messy over the years.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. It is not the light-hearted Christmas read that most people look for this time of year, but I appreciated the story that it told.
I also appreciated the phrase "kissed stardust into my mouth", because I have never heard it before and thought it was creative and funny. :)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Sexual content, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Car accident
kfquarium's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol, and Infidelity
Moderate: Cursing, Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Car accident and Child death
laurataylor's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Child death, Grief, Toxic relationship, Death, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Death of parent, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Medical content
ems_rxlibrary's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity and Infertility
Minor: Car accident
rosalie362819's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Favourite quotes:
"Sarah is my best friend in the entire world, and however much and for however long it kills me, I'll never silently, secretly hold up signs to tell Jack O'Mara, without hope or agenda, that to me he is perfect, and that my wasted heart will always love him."
"All it took was one bottle of wine to lower my guard; for one unwittingly misjudged comment to make me crumble like an abandoned sandcastle when the evening tide comes in."
"Despite the fairy-tale snowstorm out there, this isn't Narnia. This is London, real life, where hearts get kicked and bruised and broken, but somehow they still keep beating."
"There's something about living in a different place that allows you to be whoever you want to be."
"I think we're both living in denial, completely unprepared and unwilling to return to the world we belong to. But who's to say that you have to belong to somewhere forever, anyway? Why do I have to belong to England, when everything there is grey and confusing and difficult?"
"I find myself wondering again whether I'd even have spoken to him if I'd met him anywhere other than on a beach, where all bodies are more or less equal."
"There comes a point where you have to make the choice to be happy, because being sad for too long is exhausting. And that one day, you'll look back, and you'll not be able to remember exactly what it was you loved about that person... But I also said that sometimes, rarely, people can come back into your life. And if that happens, you should keep those people close to you forever."
"You tread lightly through life, but you leave deep footprints that are hard for other people to fill."
"I'm treading water. In fact, that's how I'd sum up my whole life right now. It's strange-- you'd think that in the upheaval of separation, the stability of work would be welcome. It's actually had the opposite effect; it's made me want to throw all my cards up in the air and see where they land. I'm treading water, but what I want is to swim."
"It's strange but you never stop caring about someone, even if you don't want to be with them anymore."
"I jumped in feet first when I arrived and lost myself in the work and the women, and now at last I've surfaced and I'm sucking down fresh, sweet air into my lungs. At first it seemed that I was gasping for breath; it burned my chest. Now, though, I breathe easy and I sleep through the night. It's just me and, for now, I'm good with that."
"'Sometimes you just meet the right person at the wrong time,' I say softly. 'Yeah,' he says. 'And then you spend every day afterwards wishing that time could be rearranged,'"
"Sarah is my best friend in the entire world, and however much and for however long it kills me, I'll never silently, secretly hold up signs to tell Jack O'Mara, without hope or agenda, that to me he is perfect, and that my wasted heart will always love him."
"All it took was one bottle of wine to lower my guard; for one unwittingly misjudged comment to make me crumble like an abandoned sandcastle when the evening tide comes in."
"Despite the fairy-tale snowstorm out there, this isn't Narnia. This is London, real life, where hearts get kicked and bruised and broken, but somehow they still keep beating."
"There's something about living in a different place that allows you to be whoever you want to be."
"I think we're both living in denial, completely unprepared and unwilling to return to the world we belong to. But who's to say that you have to belong to somewhere forever, anyway? Why do I have to belong to England, when everything there is grey and confusing and difficult?"
"I find myself wondering again whether I'd even have spoken to him if I'd met him anywhere other than on a beach, where all bodies are more or less equal."
"There comes a point where you have to make the choice to be happy, because being sad for too long is exhausting. And that one day, you'll look back, and you'll not be able to remember exactly what it was you loved about that person... But I also said that sometimes, rarely, people can come back into your life. And if that happens, you should keep those people close to you forever."
"You tread lightly through life, but you leave deep footprints that are hard for other people to fill."
"I'm treading water. In fact, that's how I'd sum up my whole life right now. It's strange-- you'd think that in the upheaval of separation, the stability of work would be welcome. It's actually had the opposite effect; it's made me want to throw all my cards up in the air and see where they land. I'm treading water, but what I want is to swim."
"It's strange but you never stop caring about someone, even if you don't want to be with them anymore."
"I jumped in feet first when I arrived and lost myself in the work and the women, and now at last I've surfaced and I'm sucking down fresh, sweet air into my lungs. At first it seemed that I was gasping for breath; it burned my chest. Now, though, I breathe easy and I sleep through the night. It's just me and, for now, I'm good with that."
"'Sometimes you just meet the right person at the wrong time,' I say softly. 'Yeah,' he says. 'And then you spend every day afterwards wishing that time could be rearranged,'"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, and Infidelity
Moderate: Death of parent, Infertility, Car accident, and Child death
liciaaaaa's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Infertility
Minor: Pregnancy and Car accident
elysedc's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
this was objectively a good book, but it wasn’t for me. Very hard to get into love stories where the characters have to cheat to be together</>. not my bag!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol