the_bookish_gal21's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
3.5
shoohoob's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
nowjamie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.75
persephone_fu's review
4.0
3,5 rounded up
Really well written and easy to read. The dates and romantic parts are wholesome but it´s very teenagy drama. Not for me, probably because of my age, still a very good book for young sapphics to read
Really well written and easy to read. The dates and romantic parts are wholesome but it´s very teenagy drama. Not for me, probably because of my age, still a very good book for young sapphics to read
theawkwardbookw's review
3.0
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCferU-BCL2dlFjWdD0rS75Q
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
After being dumped by her girlfriend, Shani accepts an internship at the Smithsonian. On her way to her accommodations her mother almost runs over a girl in the street. Shani ends up taking a dog-walking job and discovers that the dog owners daughter is none other than the stranger they almost ran over. As the two spend more time together, they begin falling for one another.
This book was pretty average to me. I didn't find it to be anything new or revolutionary, but it was fun while I read it. This is pitched as an enemies-to-lovers, which I don't think it should be advertised that way. The "enemies" aspect lasted about 2 seconds before they were declaring their love for one another. I wasn't the biggest fan of Shani, and found her a bit irritating at times. Especially when she became so obsessed with May, so quickly into their "relationship". I think this story could have benefited from having a dual POV, with chapters from May so that we could understand her character more. My favourite part of the book, and the real show stopper was Beatrice, the 96 year old lady she was staying with. She stole every scene she was in and was such a delightful character. Also a big fan of Raphael, the corgi.
Overall, it was cute, but nothing new to the romance genre.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
After being dumped by her girlfriend, Shani accepts an internship at the Smithsonian. On her way to her accommodations her mother almost runs over a girl in the street. Shani ends up taking a dog-walking job and discovers that the dog owners daughter is none other than the stranger they almost ran over. As the two spend more time together, they begin falling for one another.
This book was pretty average to me. I didn't find it to be anything new or revolutionary, but it was fun while I read it. This is pitched as an enemies-to-lovers, which I don't think it should be advertised that way. The "enemies" aspect lasted about 2 seconds before they were declaring their love for one another. I wasn't the biggest fan of Shani, and found her a bit irritating at times. Especially when she became so obsessed with May, so quickly into their "relationship". I think this story could have benefited from having a dual POV, with chapters from May so that we could understand her character more. My favourite part of the book, and the real show stopper was Beatrice, the 96 year old lady she was staying with. She stole every scene she was in and was such a delightful character. Also a big fan of Raphael, the corgi.
Overall, it was cute, but nothing new to the romance genre.
anniereads221's review
I support and stand with the harper collins union
31 days of being on strike and counting
31 days of being on strike and counting
isavalenti's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
crystal4dasha's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.0
how to excavate a heart was heartwarming! I adored shani and may—their dynamic was everything, and it was so beautiful to see how they warmed up to each other, could laugh with each other, but could also be serious and sweet with each other when needed. the intimate scenes they shared together made me swoon. I adored listening to shani and may talk about their passions. shani's interest in paleoichthyology was the most unexpected part of the book, but honestly one of the cutest. not only that, I loved the holiday backdrop of the book, and it was wonderful to read a book with two Jewish main characters. although the timing felt off sometimes, how to excavate a heart was a joy to read!
tmkutawrites's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
cw: previous sexual assault, previous emotionally abusive relationship
Okay. You know how you start a book and immediately go "....I am not the target audience for this?" That was me with this book.
Coming of age sapphic "YA" (New Adult) romance set in D.C. (more on that later). The romance is your classic 18tween year old toxic lesbian romance. The coming of age is very 18 year old (which is good! we love that representation for them!) but dear god the MC's thought process, self-deprecation, and self-centered outlook on life made this healed, Farther Along In My Life Journey queer want to crawl out of my fucking skin. Like honey, no, you don't need romance you need THERAPY. A LOT OF IT. AND ANXIETY MEDICATION. Lots of the reviews for this book are like "IT'S SO IMMATURE, THE CHARACTERS ARE SO IMMATURE" and like...yes. The characters are 18. They are first year college students who have just realized they are queer and have just come out to themselves and haven't yet told their parents they are queer. Of course they are immature. Of course they are messy. What 18 year old baby lesbian ISN'T messy?
Beyond looking in a mirror and going "damn, I used to be like that and I've come a long way, thank god for therapy and growth," overall the book was....meh. It was a "HFN" ending (which I don't mind) but if that was an IRL relationship it was doomed to crash and burn. There was very little romantic about it. It was billed as "enemies to lovers", which I guess yes, but because they never really dropped the antagonistic aspect of their relationship, it just felt gross. It reminded me a lot of the emotionally abusive relationships I was in once upon a time and it pained me to see Shani think some of that stuff was romantic.
As a DMV native, the "descriptions" of DC were painful. The author apparently spent a summer in DC as an intern and spent all of their free time "in the Smithsonian museums." You could tell. Dear god you could tell. I feel extremely bad for all the SI employees who were slandered in this book by giving them un-DC employment like behavior. There is more to DC than the SI Museum and the Mall! Also, the idea of DC getting a foot of snow at Christmas was so laughable I about died. (Yes, we do occasionally get snow at Xmas--looking at you snowmageddon--but overall the weather described was very un-DC like and it was clear the author has never spent a winter here. "Unseasonably warm" at the end of December...no that's just regular weather in D.C. )
Also the fact the two POC characters in the book were either a) a supportive sounding board for the MC's pathetic life who we know nothing about other than she is Desi, queer, and has a girlfriend, or were b) a sub-tertiary character who got maybe a dozen speaking lines...the looks aren't good. Especially for a book that banged on with some otherwise kind of performative commentary. It felt very much like a "why aren't we practicing what we preach" kind of deal.
One of the things I did enjoy that the character's Judaism featured heavily, was a large part of the MC's view on life, and was discussed openly. The lovebirds have an adorable "Jewmas" celebration of movies and Chinese food which, honestly, loved that. There are some very cute tongue-and-cheek poking-fun-at-our-own-stereotype Jewish Mom jokes which made me smile. There was also some good discussion about how complicated it feels to be Jewish during Goy holidays and the dichotomy of enjoying the commercialism and "culture" of Christmas (Xmas lights, fun drinks, Santa hats, etc) while also being not Christian and not celebrating the day itself.
Another thing I did enjoy was the lack of the annoying A Giant Misunderstanding Is Had/Betrayal Occurs trope that breaks the characters up 3/4 of the way through the book. Or, in this case, there is a "misunderstanding" but it is centered around real, actual trauma that would happen IRL and is something that could actually have the relationship come back from instead of a lot of the misunderstandings/betrayals in romances which would imo ruin anything with that person forever. The two MC's also have a very real, almost Adult conversation about said misunderstanding, and I feel like it was handled decently enough. Especially since the misunderstanding grows out of the MC's history of sexual assault and how to impacts her desire/ability to be sexually intimate with her love interest, I think it was realistic and as maturely handled by the characters as possible considering their age.
Overall... The MC was kind of toxic, the romance was mid, everything else... meh. I probably would have DNF'd the book except it made me so annoyed I had to finish to see what kind of trainwreck it would resolve into. It is realistic, and messy, and a relationship I could see rising and falling and dumpster fire-ing IRL, so that is definitely points in its favor. I want a an entire book about Mandira bc she deserves better than the role she was given in this novel.
Okay. You know how you start a book and immediately go "....I am not the target audience for this?" That was me with this book.
Coming of age sapphic "YA" (New Adult) romance set in D.C. (more on that later). The romance is your classic 18tween year old toxic lesbian romance. The coming of age is very 18 year old (which is good! we love that representation for them!) but dear god the MC's thought process, self-deprecation, and self-centered outlook on life made this healed, Farther Along In My Life Journey queer want to crawl out of my fucking skin. Like honey, no, you don't need romance you need THERAPY. A LOT OF IT. AND ANXIETY MEDICATION. Lots of the reviews for this book are like "IT'S SO IMMATURE, THE CHARACTERS ARE SO IMMATURE" and like...yes. The characters are 18. They are first year college students who have just realized they are queer and have just come out to themselves and haven't yet told their parents they are queer. Of course they are immature. Of course they are messy. What 18 year old baby lesbian ISN'T messy?
Beyond looking in a mirror and going "damn, I used to be like that and I've come a long way, thank god for therapy and growth," overall the book was....meh. It was a "HFN" ending (which I don't mind) but if that was an IRL relationship it was doomed to crash and burn. There was very little romantic about it. It was billed as "enemies to lovers", which I guess yes, but because they never really dropped the antagonistic aspect of their relationship, it just felt gross. It reminded me a lot of the emotionally abusive relationships I was in once upon a time and it pained me to see Shani think some of that stuff was romantic.
As a DMV native, the "descriptions" of DC were painful. The author apparently spent a summer in DC as an intern and spent all of their free time "in the Smithsonian museums." You could tell. Dear god you could tell. I feel extremely bad for all the SI employees who were slandered in this book by giving them un-DC employment like behavior. There is more to DC than the SI Museum and the Mall! Also, the idea of DC getting a foot of snow at Christmas was so laughable I about died. (Yes, we do occasionally get snow at Xmas--looking at you snowmageddon--but overall the weather described was very un-DC like and it was clear the author has never spent a winter here. "Unseasonably warm" at the end of December...no that's just regular weather in D.C. )
Also the fact the two POC characters in the book were either a) a supportive sounding board for the MC's pathetic life who we know nothing about other than she is Desi, queer, and has a girlfriend, or were b) a sub-tertiary character who got maybe a dozen speaking lines...the looks aren't good. Especially for a book that banged on with some otherwise kind of performative commentary. It felt very much like a "why aren't we practicing what we preach" kind of deal.
One of the things I did enjoy that the character's Judaism featured heavily, was a large part of the MC's view on life, and was discussed openly. The lovebirds have an adorable "Jewmas" celebration of movies and Chinese food which, honestly, loved that. There are some very cute tongue-and-cheek poking-fun-at-our-own-stereotype Jewish Mom jokes which made me smile. There was also some good discussion about how complicated it feels to be Jewish during Goy holidays and the dichotomy of enjoying the commercialism and "culture" of Christmas (Xmas lights, fun drinks, Santa hats, etc) while also being not Christian and not celebrating the day itself.
Another thing I did enjoy was the lack of the annoying A Giant Misunderstanding Is Had/Betrayal Occurs trope that breaks the characters up 3/4 of the way through the book. Or, in this case, there is a "misunderstanding" but it is centered around real, actual trauma that would happen IRL and is something that could actually have the relationship come back from instead of a lot of the misunderstandings/betrayals in romances which would imo ruin anything with that person forever. The two MC's also have a very real, almost Adult conversation about said misunderstanding, and I feel like it was handled decently enough. Especially since the misunderstanding grows out of the MC's history of sexual assault and how to impacts her desire/ability to be sexually intimate with her love interest, I think it was realistic and as maturely handled by the characters as possible considering their age.
Overall... The MC was kind of toxic, the romance was mid, everything else... meh. I probably would have DNF'd the book except it made me so annoyed I had to finish to see what kind of trainwreck it would resolve into. It is realistic, and messy, and a relationship I could see rising and falling and dumpster fire-ing IRL, so that is definitely points in its favor. I want a an entire book about Mandira bc she deserves better than the role she was given in this novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse
bloemr's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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
3.5