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ivesreads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ⭐️ I enjoyed the dynamic of these 2 characters trying to parent trap their mothers. Thought there were some funny scenes. I just don't know how I feel about the insta-lust trope, and if they truly loved each other versus just fantasizing one another
akimmell1104's review against another edition
hopeful
slow-paced
- 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
3.0
thebookishboymom's review
From the names of the leading characters — Beat and Melody — to the cringe worthy interactions, I was bored and annoyed by this book. I gave it 1/3 of the novel before throwing in the towel.
This book is not a Christmas romance in case you’re wondering. It just so happens it takes place in December.
What’s happening with Tessa’s writing? Lately her books have been meh or ick.
This book is not a Christmas romance in case you’re wondering. It just so happens it takes place in December.
What’s happening with Tessa’s writing? Lately her books have been meh or ick.
taylorrboyd's review against another edition
3.0
It took me an entire month to finish this book and I actually ended up finishing two other books during the process. It’s a cute TB book, but not my trope…I also was hoping for a little more New York City Christmas flare in this book, but didn’t find any.
books_w_bex's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 this was a lot better than I expected. Beat and Melody were soulmate goals, even if the names were a bit extra.
sofialexandra's review against another edition
5.0
literally have no words right now. my new all-time favourite book. my favourite couple probably EVER. my favourite main characters i've ever read about. my favourite fmc and my all-time favourite book bf.
like literally speechless cause i was not expecting this from what i thought would be a silly little christmas romcom cause this was SO much more than that. it FELT like so much more. i do not remember the last time i was so invested in a book like this.
beat and melody have my whole heart and i'll miss them forever. literally have the worst book hangover right now because i keep insisting on getting severely attached to fictional characters and then have an existential crisis when i realise i'm not able to keep reading about them loving each other for the rest of my life. SICKENING.
the way beat and melody loved each other, the way they cared for each other, the secret language they shared with each other. LITERALLY SOULMATES. this is exactly what i wanna have and i just... literally almost SOBBED multiple times over how beautiful and pure their relationship and connection was. beat and melody are genuinely the purest characters i've ever read about and i love them to death. my literal babies and they're definitely gonna stay in my heart for a long time.
Beat's legs turned to rubber. "If she's there..." His exhale stung his lungs. "I should already be there, too."
Someone on the fringe of the group burst into tears. "He loves her so much. Why can't I have what they have?
THAT SOMEONE IS ME!!!!!!!!!!!!
the plot was INSANE. i was not only invested in beat and melody and their relationship but also THE PLOT??? the writing, the concept??? simply obsessed. getting to read about trina and octavia's relationship was also so beautiful and not me literally almost crying and getting goosebumps at the show scene like oh my god literally felt like i was there. just so beautifully written.
was the whole reality show concept and execution realistic? no but WHO CARESSSS IT WAS UNBELIEVABLY ENTERTAINING AND SO MUCH FUN. i've never felt this urge to reread a book literally right after finishing it cause i just want to experience it all again.
i could spend hours talking about this book and beat and melody but i'll just leave a couple (a lot) of my favourite quotes cause they definitely speak for themselves:
MAYBE SPOILERS AHEAD
- “It took an effort not to promise her the moon.”
- "(...) the kisses she continued to leave on his throat, his face, they told him she was matching him beat for beat. A perfect harmony. They were the greatest song ever written. And when he collapsed beside her and they locked together like two pieces from the same puzzle, one heart thundering against another, he planned on singing their song for the rest of his life."
- “She’s so wonderful, my stomach is going to fall out.”
- “There was only Beat and Melody, trapped in this moment in time that felt fated. Someone had written it into their story a long time ago and they’d finally found their place on the correct page, so they could follow along.”
- “Even as he sang, Beat’s throat burned with the need to reach back into the past and rearrange every hour of his life, so it could have been spent with her. Knowing her.”
- “(…) he gathered her close, burying his face into her neck, seeing nothing in the room, oblivious to anything but his sense of touch. Feel. Melody. “Were you made for me? Is that what this is?”
- "Protecting Melody Gallard was instinctive. Always had been. How the hell did he turn it off?"
- "(...) realizing their fingers were linked and resting on her crossed legs. Jesus, his hands were moving without a single command from his brain. Touching her was like breathing."
- (...) she said, absently, still scrutinizing his face. And he wanted to lay her down somewhere, press their heads together, and let her look, because no one would ever see him more accurately in his life."
- "His breathing became ragged at the sight of her. God almighty, she looked beautiful. No, she was beautiful. Her Melody-ness didn't require any effort-she simply embodied it. Breathless vulnerability meets poise. Charm and bravery. Kindness with the right amount of scepticism. There was nobody like her in the entire world. And he wanted her sitting in his lap so he could tell her."
- "(...) because holding her hand made breathing easier."
- "I love watching you do... Jesus, everything," (...) "I want to hate every single person watching your daily life on the livestream, but I understand the obsession. You move like everything you're doing is new. Like you're experiencing it for the first time and want to get it right."
- "This woman was his refuge, the fulfillment of his lust, his heart. So important. And his body wanted to communicate it to her in ways he couldn't."
- "A relationship? What a hilarious word for this bond between them. Melody Gallard knew the floor plan of his soul. This transcended a mere relationship."
- "He knew life would be better from now on. Because she existed and knew him better than he knew himself and he'd somehow taken a right turn and ended up in heaven with an angel."
- "We'll go to the moon."
- "It was obvious that his sun rose and set on your happiness."
- "(...) all the ways they quietly communicated with each other. Through touches and looks, a language only they recognized."
- "I'd give us ten forevers if I could."
- "And basically, just went straight back to staring at Melody-a habit he would never, ever be kicking."
like literally speechless cause i was not expecting this from what i thought would be a silly little christmas romcom cause this was SO much more than that. it FELT like so much more. i do not remember the last time i was so invested in a book like this.
beat and melody have my whole heart and i'll miss them forever. literally have the worst book hangover right now because i keep insisting on getting severely attached to fictional characters and then have an existential crisis when i realise i'm not able to keep reading about them loving each other for the rest of my life. SICKENING.
the way beat and melody loved each other, the way they cared for each other, the secret language they shared with each other. LITERALLY SOULMATES. this is exactly what i wanna have and i just... literally almost SOBBED multiple times over how beautiful and pure their relationship and connection was. beat and melody are genuinely the purest characters i've ever read about and i love them to death. my literal babies and they're definitely gonna stay in my heart for a long time.
Beat's legs turned to rubber. "If she's there..." His exhale stung his lungs. "I should already be there, too."
Someone on the fringe of the group burst into tears. "He loves her so much. Why can't I have what they have?
THAT SOMEONE IS ME!!!!!!!!!!!!
the plot was INSANE. i was not only invested in beat and melody and their relationship but also THE PLOT??? the writing, the concept??? simply obsessed. getting to read about trina and octavia's relationship was also so beautiful and not me literally almost crying and getting goosebumps at the show scene like oh my god literally felt like i was there. just so beautifully written.
was the whole reality show concept and execution realistic? no but WHO CARESSSS IT WAS UNBELIEVABLY ENTERTAINING AND SO MUCH FUN. i've never felt this urge to reread a book literally right after finishing it cause i just want to experience it all again.
i could spend hours talking about this book and beat and melody but i'll just leave a couple (a lot) of my favourite quotes cause they definitely speak for themselves:
MAYBE SPOILERS AHEAD
- “It took an effort not to promise her the moon.”
- "(...) the kisses she continued to leave on his throat, his face, they told him she was matching him beat for beat. A perfect harmony. They were the greatest song ever written. And when he collapsed beside her and they locked together like two pieces from the same puzzle, one heart thundering against another, he planned on singing their song for the rest of his life."
- “She’s so wonderful, my stomach is going to fall out.”
- “There was only Beat and Melody, trapped in this moment in time that felt fated. Someone had written it into their story a long time ago and they’d finally found their place on the correct page, so they could follow along.”
- “Even as he sang, Beat’s throat burned with the need to reach back into the past and rearrange every hour of his life, so it could have been spent with her. Knowing her.”
- “(…) he gathered her close, burying his face into her neck, seeing nothing in the room, oblivious to anything but his sense of touch. Feel. Melody. “Were you made for me? Is that what this is?”
- "Protecting Melody Gallard was instinctive. Always had been. How the hell did he turn it off?"
- "(...) realizing their fingers were linked and resting on her crossed legs. Jesus, his hands were moving without a single command from his brain. Touching her was like breathing."
- (...) she said, absently, still scrutinizing his face. And he wanted to lay her down somewhere, press their heads together, and let her look, because no one would ever see him more accurately in his life."
- "His breathing became ragged at the sight of her. God almighty, she looked beautiful. No, she was beautiful. Her Melody-ness didn't require any effort-she simply embodied it. Breathless vulnerability meets poise. Charm and bravery. Kindness with the right amount of scepticism. There was nobody like her in the entire world. And he wanted her sitting in his lap so he could tell her."
- "(...) because holding her hand made breathing easier."
- "I love watching you do... Jesus, everything," (...) "I want to hate every single person watching your daily life on the livestream, but I understand the obsession. You move like everything you're doing is new. Like you're experiencing it for the first time and want to get it right."
- "This woman was his refuge, the fulfillment of his lust, his heart. So important. And his body wanted to communicate it to her in ways he couldn't."
- "A relationship? What a hilarious word for this bond between them. Melody Gallard knew the floor plan of his soul. This transcended a mere relationship."
- "He knew life would be better from now on. Because she existed and knew him better than he knew himself and he'd somehow taken a right turn and ended up in heaven with an angel."
- "We'll go to the moon."
- "It was obvious that his sun rose and set on your happiness."
- "(...) all the ways they quietly communicated with each other. Through touches and looks, a language only they recognized."
- "I'd give us ten forevers if I could."
- "And basically, just went straight back to staring at Melody-a habit he would never, ever be kicking."
gamerkiti's review against another edition
3.0
Almost DNF around 48% but pushed through. It was a decent read. I hate the ending, but overall it was good.
mikelogan's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This was really fun. It has all the predictable trappings of your typical (holiday) romcom, but I went in knowing that. This is the second book of Tessa Bailey's that I've read and both have been hilarious. I like her smut and while the book itself isn't anything new, I still really enjoyed it.
rcherry's review
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? No
4.0