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kcarney86's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Gaslighting
jenniferbbookdragon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I appreciated the portrayal of a secondary character with mental illness who struggles while being a full member of his community and not being treated as a burden.
*Cute alert: includes a baby goat in pajamas.
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Grief, Stalking, and Pregnancy
fkshg8465's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
keelirae113's review
- 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
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Car accident, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
katrinalamothe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Violence, and Medical content
Minor: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Grief
kris_tea516's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Now, I want to clarify that I am not a fan of romance. If I have learned anything by reading so much this year it is I do NOT like romance. I don’t mind if some romance happens in a story as long as it isn’t enough to classify it as a “romance.” (There are a few exceptions to this but they are rare.) Having said that, this story is basically a Hallmark movie. It is very predictable but not awful. I can see why romance fans like this book...not my thing, but I can understand why some like it.
I also feel a little embarrassed to admit I read this. This book, in my opinion, is very explicit. I may be a prude but this was probably the most sexually explicit thing I have ever read. I called it “Hallmark porn” to someone. If she had written this book as a “closed-door” romance, it would probably have shortened it by 1/3.
A lot of this book does deal with domestic abuse, both mental/verbal & physical. Jimenez does a good job dealing with it and includes resources at the end of the book for anyone who might need them.
I have lots of other opinions but I don’t want to accidentally spoil it for anyone who might be interested in it even after (or maybe because of) my review. LOL
Synopsis: Rich, city, lady physician meets super hot, country-boy mayor & carpenter who owns a B&B. Will this end up being more than just a fling?
Content warnings: explicit sex, language, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, verbal abuse, alcohol use, mental health/depression, loss, grief, medical trauma, death of a child, birth, traumatic birth, home birth, birth detail, pregnancy
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
noellegrace8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Jimenez does a great job at keeping her romance humorous and enveloping while still maintaining a plot line with character development. Both of these companion novels are about love, but also other huge, important concepts. This one in particular focuses on abuse and its different types, obligation to family/ found family, generation gaps, identity, and purpose. It is lighthearted and tense mixed together, just like life. You feel frustration with Alexis sometimes because it feels obvious what she should choose, but Jimenez, in that way, portrays what it's like to live with the effects of abuse and control.
Fair warning that this book has a higher level of spice than Yours Truly; they are not comparable in that manner.
A couple things that bugged me were how many times people "blinked at one another" and "sucked air through their teeth." I'm surprised an editor didn't point out the overuse of those descriptors. Also, I love The Princess Bride, but somehow I found the use of quotes from it a little cheesy. I don't think it's an actual or valid piece of criticism on my part haha, but I guess it just came off as incongruent to me. Lastly, I'm not a huge fan of the "acts of God/magic" thing. Random things happen in the book that have no explanation other than divine intervention. They're never explained, and it's a bit cheesy.
I don't factor audiobook performance into the star rating of the book itself, but I give both Julia Whelan and Zachary Webber 5⭐️'s.
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Excrement, Abortion, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
cover2covertx's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Grief and Classism
alexisdillon725's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief
thatswhatshanread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I didn’t really believe the romance, mostly because the FMC was kinda insufferable for a good chunk of the book?? Don’t get me wrong— we all love a couple consisting of one very affluent and distinguished doctor and the other a small town, lower middle class sweetheart who meet by chance. Wrong side of the tracks, their worlds don’t go together. Opposites attract etc. BUT Alexis did not deserve Daniel, our golden retriever MMC. I loved Daniel and how he loved so easily and fully, how he took care of people without it being his job. Yes, Alexis is complex and has past relationship trauma with her ex and her parents kinda suck, but I still couldn’t get past a lot of her actions in regard to Daniel and his hometown. She annoyed me so much that it took me forever to finish this book because every few chapters I’d have to stop reading and huff around the house at something she did or said to Daniel. GIRL YOU ARE THIRTY-SEVEN-YEARS-OLD. Get over yourself and stop pretending your boyfriend doesn’t exist to everyone you know.
I did enjoy the ending and Alexis’ final redemption arc, which I knew was coming because duh. Romcom HEA formula achieved. I just really did not vibe with her character.
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Gaslighting, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical trauma, Car accident, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief and War