Scan barcode
mischievous_monkey's review
3.0
Sometimes a coming of age story is about becoming an adult, a mature adult. This is one of those stories. The main characters both make huge strides forward in this regard and their growth is admirable. There is a lot of fun banter and warm and heartfelt moments delivered nicely by Cat Gould in this audiobook. I especially enjoyed the supportive friendships and familial relationships in the story. For me, Tilly's Big Mystery took a little long to be exposed and dealt with but I am sure loads of people who enjoy angst on the page or in real life will find the pacing just right. Overall, an enjoyable listen for me but probably not one I will repeat.
banrions's review against another edition
4.0
This was lovely. It hit a lot of my buttons and the characters and narration were wonderful. It’s a bit more of a love story than a romance, that distinction is both small, but important. It’s also really a story about friendship and family and I loved all of them so much. I think every single book I’ve read by G Benson has stick with me for a while, and this will be no exception.
hsinjulit's review
4.0
Content warnings: heavy theme of pregnancy, alcohol, vomit, panic attack?, non-graphic sex, parental abandonment
Rating undecided:
- 3 for the first half (ngl I was so angry at Evie and Tilly)
- 5 for the second half (pure joy; laughed so many times)
- 5 for the characters and awesome reps (bisexual, pansexual, genderqueer, aromatic, queerplatonic partner, half-Chinese, half-Indian, et cetera et cetera)
Initial Thoughts
- doesn’t read like a romance per se
- extremely frustrating communication issues between Evie Chen (31, pan, half-Chinese) and Tilly Reeves (32, bi)
- I love Sean (genderqueer, aromantic, half-Indian) and kinda wish this book was about him
- I also adore Evie’s mum, Tilly’s family, Cal, Luke, and almost all minor characters
Buddy read with Gabriella!
“All this angst, for this?” — Evie
Rating undecided:
- 3 for the first half (ngl I was so angry at Evie and Tilly)
- 5 for the second half (pure joy; laughed so many times)
- 5 for the characters and awesome reps (bisexual, pansexual, genderqueer, aromatic, queerplatonic partner, half-Chinese, half-Indian, et cetera et cetera)
Initial Thoughts
- doesn’t read like a romance per se
- extremely frustrating communication issues between Evie Chen (31, pan, half-Chinese) and Tilly Reeves (32, bi)
- I love Sean (genderqueer, aromantic, half-Indian) and kinda wish this book was about him
- I also adore Evie’s mum, Tilly’s family, Cal, Luke, and almost all minor characters
Buddy read with Gabriella!
mellowy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
alykat_reads's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a cute story. A lot of tough topics covered in this book, and it was very well written.
netgyrl's review
3.0
3.5 Stars - I know I am in the minority again but it was just ok for me
OMG... this is book made me a bit nuts. Its too long and too repetitive.
I stared taking these notes while reading:
Tilly: I run
Evie: Tilly runs
Tilly: I love Evie, but I can’t tell her because I run
Evie: I love Tilly, but I can’t tell her because she runs
Evie: Shit! I am pregnant!
*repeat lines 3 & 4 until the amount of" yeah we knows" and eyerolling results in a sprain
Tilly: Evie is perfect. Loving her is like breathing but she deserves better than what I can give her
Evie: Tilly is perfect until she runs. I love her but can’t trust her to stick around.
Sean: Tilly runs. It’s a shame because my two friends are clearly in love but can’t get their shit together. I will say nothing to them about it even though it’s been clear as day to me for 10 years.
*repeat lines 5-7 until you are just about ready to call it quits
Finally find out what the big argument was about at 53%
*fucking bomb shell dropped at 60%
The big reveal is almost worth the price of admission. It's really good and I did not see it coming.
The rest of the book is better, but I still feel like it could have been edited down. I took me forever to finish and when I got to the end I confess, I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank god that's done.
OMG... this is book made me a bit nuts. Its too long and too repetitive.
I stared taking these notes while reading:
Tilly: I run
Evie: Tilly runs
Tilly: I love Evie, but I can’t tell her because I run
Evie: I love Tilly, but I can’t tell her because she runs
Evie: Shit! I am pregnant!
*repeat lines 3 & 4 until the amount of" yeah we knows" and eyerolling results in a sprain
Tilly: Evie is perfect. Loving her is like breathing but she deserves better than what I can give her
Evie: Tilly is perfect until she runs. I love her but can’t trust her to stick around.
Sean: Tilly runs. It’s a shame because my two friends are clearly in love but can’t get their shit together. I will say nothing to them about it even though it’s been clear as day to me for 10 years.
*repeat lines 5-7 until you are just about ready to call it quits
Finally find out what the big argument was about at 53%
*fucking bomb shell dropped at 60%
The big reveal is almost worth the price of admission. It's really good and I did not see it coming.
The rest of the book is better, but I still feel like it could have been edited down. I took me forever to finish and when I got to the end I confess, I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank god that's done.
calces's review
emotional
slow-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
4.5
wilonil's review
emotional
tense
slow-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
3.25
rickosborne's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really, really wanted to like this book more than I did. And mechanically, there's nothing really wrong with it. The characters are interesting, the scenery is good, etc, etc.
But fundamentally, this is a story about two people who literally sleep in the same bed but are unwilling to actually talk to each other. For years. (And for the first 60% of the book.)
If you love pining and angst, this book may be your jam. If you have a communication kink, as I apparently do, this book may be a slow DNF for you.
Also, note to self: Rick, stop reading stories with pregnancies. I beg you. They make you mad, and you don't enjoy them, even when they're queer. Just stop.
But fundamentally, this is a story about two people who literally sleep in the same bed but are unwilling to actually talk to each other. For years. (And for the first 60% of the book.)
If you love pining and angst, this book may be your jam. If you have a communication kink, as I apparently do, this book may be a slow DNF for you.
Also, note to self: Rick, stop reading stories with pregnancies. I beg you. They make you mad, and you don't enjoy them, even when they're queer. Just stop.
Content Warnings
Minor: Vomit and Abortion