Reviews

Because of Her by Devon May

trishishbookish's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

tj9390's review

emotional lighthearted sad fast-paced

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

2.75

georgia_sara93's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

10 years ago Cassidy and Callum were best friends and then feelings happened and the friendship fell apart. Now Cassidy runs a florist shop and is living with her best mate, and Callum has moved across the hall from her following the breakdown of his marriage and settling into being a single dad.

This is a debut novel by Devon May a fellow bookstagrammer who was kind enough to provide me an ARC! This was a sweet romance and addresses big topics like infertility and making decisions around what family looks like to us when that happens, which I felt Devon approached with sensitivity as someone who doesn’t have that lived experience. For spice fans it is there, but it’s not a heavy theme of the book. For those who love second chance romances - I reckon this is one you’ll love! 

kelsmuir25's review

emotional hopeful relaxing 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

4.0

mishbookish's review

4.0

This was such a short and sweet romance book between two friends and I enjoyed it.

Devon thank you for sending me the arc.

rose_of_bookss's review

4.5

I really enjoyed this book. Callum and Cassidys relationship had real emotions and situations that people can face. The characters were relatable and the dialogs were good. I thought Devon did a great job on character development.

Second Chance
Single Dad
Friendship
Spice

"It's not love that's hard. It's accepting what you can't control. Love is what happens when you open your heart to the unexpected."

bookishbec_xx's review

4.0

Reunited friends, single dad, infertility, best friends to lovers…..this book was written for me. 

As someone who has experienced unexplained infertility this book hit me in the feels and I think it was a beautiful representation of the emotions that you can go through on that journey. I loved how Cassidy’s relationship with Maisie grew and damn the single dad who does his daughters hair is 🔥 

lizzieslittlelibrary's review

5.0

✨2024 BOOK REVIEW✨

📚Because of Us - Devon May📚

There is just something about a second chance, friends to lovers romance that gets me every time 🥰 it was so wholesome, heartfelt, and emotional and I was really feeling for these characters. The Melbourne setting was fun for us Aussies also 😜

I really appreciated the sensitive way in which Devon included the subject of infertility within this book. As someone who has experienced this first hand, it is beautiful and so important to have this acknowledged in the books we read, so thank you Devon for such valuable representation 🩷

What you can expect:

🌺 Single Dad

🌺 Second chance romance

🌺 Friends to lovers

🌺 Infertility rep

🌺 Forced proximity

I am loving this series so much and Devon’s writing is just so easy to get lost in. Definitely cemented as an auto-buy author for me 🥰

Thank you so much to @booksbydevonmay for sending me an e-book copy to review 🙏🏻 This beauty is OUT TODAY and I am definitely grabbing myself a physical copy for my library 😍 the covers are just gorgeous for this series!

#lizzieslittlelibrary #becauseofher #devonmay #booksbydevonmay #becauseofloveseries #bookreview #bookstagram  #aussiebookstagrammer #bookishgirlies #romancereads

brennathebibliophile's review

emotional funny 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? Yes

3.5

This book is the dream of every woman who feels past her prime. Someone wonderful from your past reentering your life at the right time. Cassidy‘s struggles are so real, and Callum is so patient with her, even though both of them make mistakes along the way you know they are meant to be.

A stray piece of hair falls from Cassidy‘s messy bun and I reach out to tuck it behind her ear. My hand lingers on the side of her face, and I rub my thumb along her cheekbone. “My soul has known yours for so long, Rogue. I didn’t need to make space for you, because all the space you need in my heart was carved out years ago.”

jkreads's review

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? Yes

4.0

This was some of the best infertility representation I’ve read in ages! I’m always nervous going to a romance book where infertility is part of the plot, as all too often there’s a such a huge focus of it throughout the story only for there to be a random surprise epilogue baby thrown in. Which sure, some people dealing with infertility have that outcome but many don’t and I feel like that’s not represented enough. I felt like Cassidy’s feelings around her infertility were realistic and explored well. Her journey towards the realisation that biology isn’t all that makes a family was emotional and tough but again, I felt like that was very realistic.

Watching Cassidy’s relationship with Maisie develop was honestly better for me than her relationship with Callum! I loved how she slowly opened up to her and realised she loved her and wanted her in her life, and that even though she didn’t give birth to Maisie she was still an important part of her life. I loved that this wasn’t presented as a ‘consolation prize’ for Cassidy in place of having her own biological child - she loved Maisie completely and unconditionally. Same with the other children in her life - they weren’t placeholders for the children she wished she would have, they were loved for who they were.

The romance in the book almost felt like a side plot to me (even though it wasn’t) because I just didn’t feel as invested in it as I did with Cassidy’s infertility journey and relationship with Maisie! There is A LOT of conflict in this book - much of it is internal conflict as it’s written in first person POV, but that’s something to be aware of if a heap of conflict in a romance isn’t your thing.

{ARC review - thankyou very much to Devon for providing an early copy in exchange for my honest review}

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexual content, Infertility, Abandonment, Alcohol, Cursing, Grief, and Mental illness