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lechepatito's review against another edition
4.0
Gentle and honest, low angst, no third act breakup - a quick, good read. It did take me a minute to get used to the passage of time in the chapter breaks, which was a different structure from what I’m used to.
charli_d's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
3.5
andireadsromance's review against another edition
5.0
Educated is the second book in Nellie’s Museology series. It’s possible to be read as a stand-alone, but there’s some crossover from book 1 (Curated), so you may want to read that first. For those who’ve read Curated already, Educated overlaps the last part of Curated.
I have been PINING for this book since it was teased at the end of Need S’more Time and it’s all I could have asked for and more! And I’m not the only one who’s been pining!
Declan asked Phoebe out 6 years prior and she turned him down because she felt she was too inexperienced for him. Now that everyone around her is dating (her mom, brother, and bestie), she’s feeling really single and lonely. Although she has feelings for Dec, she’ll take what she can get and draws up a sex contract so she can get experience. He’s a good guy, so she trusts him. He’s also super swoony.
The book is definitely super spicy and I love that Dec is all about consent. It’s the first romance book I've read where the STI testing that's discussed is actually shown on page. I also like that these scenes are realistic, that they show that sometimes you think something is going to work in bed, but it doesn't.
I’ve recently discovered that “found family” is a trope I adore, and I love it here. Everyone deserves to be surrounded by people who bring them a sense of belonging. Declan really has only had his old man bestie, Joe, so when he realizes Phoebe’s friends have actually been his too, it just warms the heart. “Everyone needs a Dec in their life.”
I love how relatable these characters are with what they’re both dealing with, outside of the romance, and I loved seeing them both not only stand up for each other but stand up to each other when they’re seeing the other not seeing their needs met.
I loved the secondary romance involving Joe, and Nellie teases Foster’s story and Jeremy’s story, so I can’t wait for those! I also can’t wait for you to adore Educated as much as I do!
Thank you to Nellie for allowing me to Beta and ARC read this amazing book!
I have been PINING for this book since it was teased at the end of Need S’more Time and it’s all I could have asked for and more! And I’m not the only one who’s been pining!
Declan asked Phoebe out 6 years prior and she turned him down because she felt she was too inexperienced for him. Now that everyone around her is dating (her mom, brother, and bestie), she’s feeling really single and lonely. Although she has feelings for Dec, she’ll take what she can get and draws up a sex contract so she can get experience. He’s a good guy, so she trusts him. He’s also super swoony.
The book is definitely super spicy and I love that Dec is all about consent. It’s the first romance book I've read where the STI testing that's discussed is actually shown on page. I also like that these scenes are realistic, that they show that sometimes you think something is going to work in bed, but it doesn't.
I’ve recently discovered that “found family” is a trope I adore, and I love it here. Everyone deserves to be surrounded by people who bring them a sense of belonging. Declan really has only had his old man bestie, Joe, so when he realizes Phoebe’s friends have actually been his too, it just warms the heart. “Everyone needs a Dec in their life.”
I love how relatable these characters are with what they’re both dealing with, outside of the romance, and I loved seeing them both not only stand up for each other but stand up to each other when they’re seeing the other not seeing their needs met.
I loved the secondary romance involving Joe, and Nellie teases Foster’s story and Jeremy’s story, so I can’t wait for those! I also can’t wait for you to adore Educated as much as I do!
Thank you to Nellie for allowing me to Beta and ARC read this amazing book!
laurenabayne's review against another edition
5.0
"It had to be something like penance, he thought, watching Phoebe lick a drop of her mule from her lips as she responded to a text message. That she was there, and he was here, and a sticky slab of wood had been set up as a perennial boundary between them."
Phoebe Whitford, a breakout character from Nellie Wilson's previous novels, wears several hats. She is a museum educator, a service worker, and a pretty fantastic sister/best friend/advice giver. Yet she's exhausted waiting for it to be her turn to fall in love. A late bloomer, she drunkenly proposes a sex contract to her favorite tattooed bartender/friend Declan, who readily agrees (considering he has been obsessed with her for six years). Together they educate themselves on how to ask for what they want without guilt, how to be in a relationship, and how to be a millennial adult.
This book was the first time I was both a beta reader and an ARC reader. And I am eternally privileged to have been both because it meant that I got to spend more time with Phoebe and Declan. Both characters are simply a joy, nuanced and complex and wholly entertaining.
I love that Nellie puts emphasis on the fact that progress is not linear, and there is no timetable or right way to do anything, especially education. Phoebe graduated with a masters degree yet has not had much real world experience. There's a particularly poignant scene where Phoebe, scooping ice cream at the wonderfully named Scoop Dogg, realizes that all of her managers are at least five years younger than her. She is neurodivergent without a diagnosis, trying to find her own ways of navigating in the world. She is confidently and unapologetically bi, but she lacks confidence in any and all romantic relationships.
Declan eschews his family's academia roots and is happy and thriving as a college drop-out and bar owner, schooled in the life lessons of septuagenarian superhero Joe. He may not be an economics professor like his brother, but he knows everything there is to know about classic animation (and has most of it tattooed on his body because he's incredible). He doesn't do labels, but he has explored his sexuality throughout his youth and maintains that he just loves people. And my god, does he love Phoebe Whitford.
Fans of Wilson's previous novels will be delighted in how the other characters pop up. Nellie knows just how obsessed I am with Ryan tooting his tiny horn. The timeline overlaps a bit with the end of Curated, so you get to relive Emmy and Ryan falling in love. June and Colin obviously play a role, with a few sly references to Violet and Julian from Storm Warning. You also get to see a sneak peek of Jeremy and his partner, and even though I have no idea the timeline for Exhibited, just know it is already on my calendar. There is also all of the nerdy content you could ever want, combined with a hefty dose of spice.
In short, come for: the nerdiness and spiciness that are hallmarks of Nellie Wilson
Stay for: discussions on religious guilt, queerness, and the most delightful seventy year old side plot
Much love to Nellie for this!!
Phoebe Whitford, a breakout character from Nellie Wilson's previous novels, wears several hats. She is a museum educator, a service worker, and a pretty fantastic sister/best friend/advice giver. Yet she's exhausted waiting for it to be her turn to fall in love. A late bloomer, she drunkenly proposes a sex contract to her favorite tattooed bartender/friend Declan, who readily agrees (considering he has been obsessed with her for six years). Together they educate themselves on how to ask for what they want without guilt, how to be in a relationship, and how to be a millennial adult.
This book was the first time I was both a beta reader and an ARC reader. And I am eternally privileged to have been both because it meant that I got to spend more time with Phoebe and Declan. Both characters are simply a joy, nuanced and complex and wholly entertaining.
I love that Nellie puts emphasis on the fact that progress is not linear, and there is no timetable or right way to do anything, especially education. Phoebe graduated with a masters degree yet has not had much real world experience. There's a particularly poignant scene where Phoebe, scooping ice cream at the wonderfully named Scoop Dogg, realizes that all of her managers are at least five years younger than her. She is neurodivergent without a diagnosis, trying to find her own ways of navigating in the world. She is confidently and unapologetically bi, but she lacks confidence in any and all romantic relationships.
Declan eschews his family's academia roots and is happy and thriving as a college drop-out and bar owner, schooled in the life lessons of septuagenarian superhero Joe. He may not be an economics professor like his brother, but he knows everything there is to know about classic animation (and has most of it tattooed on his body because he's incredible). He doesn't do labels, but he has explored his sexuality throughout his youth and maintains that he just loves people. And my god, does he love Phoebe Whitford.
Fans of Wilson's previous novels will be delighted in how the other characters pop up. Nellie knows just how obsessed I am with Ryan tooting his tiny horn. The timeline overlaps a bit with the end of Curated, so you get to relive Emmy and Ryan falling in love. June and Colin obviously play a role, with a few sly references to Violet and Julian from Storm Warning. You also get to see a sneak peek of Jeremy and his partner, and even though I have no idea the timeline for Exhibited, just know it is already on my calendar. There is also all of the nerdy content you could ever want, combined with a hefty dose of spice.
In short, come for: the nerdiness and spiciness that are hallmarks of Nellie Wilson
Stay for: discussions on religious guilt, queerness, and the most delightful seventy year old side plot
Much love to Nellie for this!!
readswithkae's review
5.0
Finishing Educated exactly a year after finishing Need S’more Time was an intentional choice that has had me feeling very sentimental the entire time.
For the last year, I’ve patiently waited for Dec and Phoebe’s story to make its appearance. And yes, it did come out in August. And yes, I did technically read it before the ARCs even went out. But for some reason, it took me until this month to count it for my reading goal. But it was worth the wait.
I got to fall in love with Dec and Phoebe and the whole Vanberg gang all over again. The slow burn between them was worth the wait. Seeing their friendship develop into something more was so beautiful and you can really see that under their romantic relationship, they are still the best of friends. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me message Nellie many “👀👀👀👀” messages when I connected the dots about something. And, of course, Nellie continues her streak of writing characters who feel so deeply personal and connect to me in ways I’m always surprised by.
I can’t say enough good things about the characters Nellie has created and the stories she tells. If you stumble across any of her books on KU (especially this one!!!) take the jump and read it. Trust me.
For the last year, I’ve patiently waited for Dec and Phoebe’s story to make its appearance. And yes, it did come out in August. And yes, I did technically read it before the ARCs even went out. But for some reason, it took me until this month to count it for my reading goal. But it was worth the wait.
I got to fall in love with Dec and Phoebe and the whole Vanberg gang all over again. The slow burn between them was worth the wait. Seeing their friendship develop into something more was so beautiful and you can really see that under their romantic relationship, they are still the best of friends. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me message Nellie many “👀👀👀👀” messages when I connected the dots about something. And, of course, Nellie continues her streak of writing characters who feel so deeply personal and connect to me in ways I’m always surprised by.
I can’t say enough good things about the characters Nellie has created and the stories she tells. If you stumble across any of her books on KU (especially this one!!!) take the jump and read it. Trust me.
kerrygetsliterary's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
courtney_rose's review against another edition
4.0
deeply relatable
Every one of these characters was so relatable. I never really got attached to any of them. 4 stars because I think I will always think about this book, despite not being life changing. Maybe a healing moment for us damaged millennials? Idk yet.
Every one of these characters was so relatable. I never really got attached to any of them. 4 stars because I think I will always think about this book, despite not being life changing. Maybe a healing moment for us damaged millennials? Idk yet.
claire_michelle18's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
3.0
Things I loved: two bi main characters, explicit discussion of millennial life and challenges, a good amount of spice. Whilst I mostly enjoyed this as a romance, I found the set up a little bit thin. It wasn't entirely clear *why* Pheobe and Declan needed a contract to explore their relationship and I felt like the story sped through the development of their relationship too fast. I also personally disliked the slightly strange build up/emphasis on the "specialness" of having condomless sex and how that *immediately* made both characters decide they wanted a marriage and children. The ending was sweet but as a childfree woman I have a bit of a dislike of stories where the only successful outcome is seen as marriage + babies.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent and Pregnancy
krissy_'s review against another edition
4.0
Something Nellie Wilson does well is that she captures the perfect adult romance stories. Wilson discusses the important conversations around consent and learning about each partners sexual interests. Delves into making sure healthy relationships are demonstrated in their books.
Dec is such a lovely male lead who genuinely cares about Pheobe and you see his willingness to make sure she is okay and happy at all times. I also love that his chatacter has some dynamics and he is more than just his outward appearance.
Pheobe is another sassy female lead as we would have picked up on from the first book in this series. However, this book allows you to see more of her vulnerable side and get under the layer that we already were introduced to. I also liked having a chatacter with minimum sexual experience, as the author was able to show a healthy and respectful way in how to learn and explore these possible interests with your partner.
Something I wished this book had more of would be museum scenes. I understand that the reason the book was mainly based within the bar is because that is Dec's place of work and the main place they have been able to meet for years. However, my favourite part of the first book in the Museology series were the mesuem parts. Even when it was just the discussions. And it was something I hoped would have continued into the second book of the series. There was a few mentions here and there, but the way it was set up, there were moments I forgot where Pheobe even worked. I do hope we get more of the musuem elements in the third book.
Dec is such a lovely male lead who genuinely cares about Pheobe and you see his willingness to make sure she is okay and happy at all times. I also love that his chatacter has some dynamics and he is more than just his outward appearance.
Pheobe is another sassy female lead as we would have picked up on from the first book in this series. However, this book allows you to see more of her vulnerable side and get under the layer that we already were introduced to. I also liked having a chatacter with minimum sexual experience, as the author was able to show a healthy and respectful way in how to learn and explore these possible interests with your partner.
Something I wished this book had more of would be museum scenes. I understand that the reason the book was mainly based within the bar is because that is Dec's place of work and the main place they have been able to meet for years. However, my favourite part of the first book in the Museology series were the mesuem parts. Even when it was just the discussions. And it was something I hoped would have continued into the second book of the series. There was a few mentions here and there, but the way it was set up, there were moments I forgot where Pheobe even worked. I do hope we get more of the musuem elements in the third book.
sara_j's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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
5.0