Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Before We Were Strangers

Im going to be honest, i was not expecting to like this book so much. Ive read my fair share of romance books but this one just had a more realistic vibe to it, it was so much easier to sympathize with the characters because the plot-line was just so raw and real. There was nothing crazy about it, it was just a story of two young college students in love. They both went after different things after they graduated, but met again 15 years later, and found out news that completely changed everything.

The middle section of the book was pretty full of smut, and usually i don’t particularly seek out books with it, and when i read books that are heavily filled with smut, i have to soldier through it but it was different with this one. I didnt mind it, it just was a reflection of the intense love these two shared, it didnt feel forced. It, again, just felt so real. I can picture this being a real persons exact scenario which i think is why i liked it so much. A lot of romance novels feel too forced and rushed? they took their time with this which i appreciated.

I definitely recommend this book, it truly was a beautiful story. It was a “right person, wrong time” case.

Im so happy Matt was able to form a bond with Ash, i think Ash was truly the best thing that could have happened to him at that point in his life, and i LOVE that Grace named her that. “The evidence of a love burning well” indeed.

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aurora4847's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad medium-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? Yes

2.75

It was fine, but nothing special in my opinion. I liked the story overall, but I didn't really like Grace or Matt at all.

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booklover6000's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.0

I don’t know what to say. The beginning of the book, I thought their relationship was, well, cringy. I didn’t feel any chemistry throughout most of the book. And the concept of Matt’s perspective being 15 years future, then them back in college 15 years before, then back to the future again but with an expected twist, made the book bad. There wasn’t much of a consistent flow. And toward the end of the book, they were so hot and cold I wanted to give up on it. It was like hey, right person wrong time, but the plot just wasn’t great. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend.

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transreckless's review against another edition

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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

1.0

This being the first book of the year for me was not necessarily a great thing. I really really want to enjoy this. I thought the premise of two young college students
and coming back together would really speak to and there were certain aspects that I really liked, but I also feel like there was a lot of sub plots that just felt very messy and some tropes that just really grossed me out

Things I did like

I really enjoyed seeing the development of the couple. I appreciate the author for making a backstory on how the and how they it was a pretty instant connection, feel like an Insta love type of novel.
I feel like the characters had decent chemistry. They would say really weird things sometimes but it also just made sense with their character development.
I really liked Grace‘s character, but I also just thought it was weird how her dynamic felt so important at the beginning of the book, but just was dropped out halfway through
I really liked how the author wrapped up the present chapters

Things I did not like

Matt made some of the most dumbest decisions in this book. This man absolutely infuriated me. An example that I really was triggered by that I didn’t like is how he made a bet with Tati that he would marry Grace, first I think betting on something like that is so gross, especially making his partner drunk and then marrying her just for the bet
another aspect that I absolutely hated was Grace’s teacher I thought their relationship was really weird and I didn’t like how they ended up getting married, especially after they had no chemistry in the past
I understand why she made certain choices for the past and made it dated, but it was so weird how dated she made the present tense it’s like she threw every single slang term from 2010s that she could
I found a majority of the side characters, absolutely insufferable, and especially Scott I found it weird how the author had to make everyone against the couple and make the couple only seem like they were the ones happy and everyone other than
I think the author adding how many different side plots was exhausting. I really liked that they ended up having a child and I liked watching grow but some of the side plots were so unnecessary
I think the way that Grace‘s virginity and her sexuality was discussed in the book was so weird and it made me uncomfortable that they often had sex drunk

Overall, I was extremely disappointed in this book even though I did like some aspects like the ending and the character development. I hope I did this review right this is my first review and my first book in the new year

I would love to hear other people‘s thoughts

opinions!

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evelynnnn33333's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

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kelseyfontaine's review against another edition

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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

4.0

Very cute second chance romance! The story kept me hooked the entire time, and the plot twist was very unexpected. I felt very connected to Matt and Grace’s love story and it was interesting to read a different type of romance that what I normally do.

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brinkley's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful sad tense 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

2.5

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valeriaboom's review against another edition

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slow-paced

2.75

The first part of this book was amazing, I thought it would be 5 stars, and I was actually enjoying it a lot until page 231!!! but then things started to go downhill and I hated it so so much. Dan and his relationship with Grace creeped me out so much,

and the fact that they got married??? Wtf!

I also absolutely hate the miscommunication trope, and it made no sense at all in this book!!!

And the unexpected pregnancy? No thank you!

It made me sad how much this book made me angry, and even though I liked most of it, I can’t give it more than 2 stars for that stupid ass ending grrrr

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