Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Six Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe

10 reviews

xabbeylongx's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

• 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

2.0

Spoilers Ahead: 

This is a sapphic enemies-to-lovers book… need I say more? I was hooked from the blurb. 

We follow Penny and Tate, whose mothers are best friends. A bit of context for our main characters: Tate’s mum is extremely ill, and has been battling different illnesses for a while, and Penny’s mum has been disregarding Penny’s mental health after the accident with her father, in which he sadly passed. She drew away from Penny, and instead went to Tate’s mum, as they’ve always been that close. 

When Penny’s mum drops the bomb that she is going to be giving Tate’s mum part of her liver, Penny is shocked, because she wasn’t involved with the decision, and there was not a lot of time to think it through. Penny and Tate have to be there for each other, which is difficult as they both get on each other’s nerves. Tate’s mum suspects something between them, and Penny goes along with it, because otherwise it would mean one of her secrets getting passed on to her mother, and Penny can’t have that. 

The mums make it through, and they all move in together to save money. Penny is worried, as she hasn’t live with her mum for ages, as she’s quite difficult. As soon as she comes home, Penny finds one of her paintings (that she was going to sell) about their accident. 

She was going to profit off Penny’s grief. 

Penny stood up for herself, though. She had such a good character arc, and she’s a better person than me, because I would’ve snapped longgggg before that. 

Eventually Tate’s mum comes home, but not before Penny and Tate argue because she finds out about Penny not telling Tate’s mum the truth to save herself. She’s very angry. They do make up in the end, and Tate helps her to get through everything that she’s been going through mentally. They help each other, as they always do. 

Like the name suggests, they’ve always been drawn to each other, and there has been plenty of times in which they could have kissed, but they didn’t. This time, however, outside a truck they broke down in, they did. They kiss, and they finally admit their feelings, and they start to take control of their own lives. A very sweet ending, honestly. 

I thought this book was a little dry. I’m biased, as I absolutely adore sapphic novels, and enemies to lovers? Yes please. However, I felt the hatred was half-hearted. Obviously, a lot better than them being toxic (although arguably, they still were) but like where is the spice? Why am I not jumping for joy at the thought of them talking? It just felt a bit meh to me, so it was okay, but not the best. 

I have a personal hatred for Penny’s mum… she has no redeeming qualities. She deserves to never be forgiven, and nothing can make what she did okay. Just all of her actions, not even just her paintings. 

There’s a few things that I thought were a little unnecessary, like their friend’s relationships (where did it come from, and why is it there?) and honestly, it felt like the right pieces to a puzzle but they didn’t fit. I don’t know what was missing. I guess it missed that exciting spark I need to have to really love a book. It was okay, but nothing special - hence why it took me absolutely ages to finish reading it (it was such a relief when I’d finished). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, and Mental illness

sapphic_alpaca's review

dark emotional funny reflective sad

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Death, Grief, Abandonment, and Cursing

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Ableism, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape, Sexual content, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

jennalise13's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

damn what a slow burn but tate and penny’s chemistry was so good. also love a complicated mother daughter relationship!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Medical content, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Blood, Cancer, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Mental illness and Emotional abuse

l4urenbrooks's review

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

a reasonably quick read which was satisfying and gave big wattpad vibes but it was good nevertheless 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Bullying and Grief

Minor: Sexual assault, Death, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Blood, Cancer, Drug use, and Gaslighting

someplace_i_go's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Grief, and Medical content

Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Abandonment, and Panic attacks/disorders

whosfernn's review

challenging emotional sad tense medium-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

3.75

 Cute at times, but absolutely heart-wrenching as well. What a good book to kick off pride month. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Cancer, Medical content, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, and Mental illness

Moderate: Abandonment and Emotional abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Blood

jodierose14's review

dark emotional lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Cancer, Medical content, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Grief

refrejarator's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

This brings together so many of my favourite tropes (fanfic or otherwise). I was crying and laughing throughout the whole thing, and my heart was jumping each time they almost kissed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Blood, Medical content, and Mental illness

Minor: Alcohol, Chronic illness, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Rape

abi2xoxo's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-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

5.0

WOW. WOW. WOW. This book has only been released very recently and it doesn't have as many reviews! 
I honestly never audibly laugh at a book or actually cry but my god. 

pros- 
Well-written. I don't know how to elaborate on this but it just is. It is a beautiful book. 
All characters have backstories. Sometimes books get lost in their main characters. Every character had a reason for behaving that way that went beyond just being an ex-girlfriend or just being a mum or grandma. It even made me smile when a teacher was introduced for one paragraph and then never appeared again but what they said made me well up and they felt so human. 
The fact this book is in little sections and each near-kiss has its own section that goes beyond chapters. I am glad the author knew what to do with this sort of layout because it was so much easier to read and made me feel like if I put the book down and started again at the next section I was almost starting a new 'movie'. 
The flashbacks weren't confusing at all to me. They integrated it well into each section and they all became a story within themselves. Each Penny and Tate got an opinion in the flashbacks as well which was nice to see. 
Six Times We Almost Kissed (and the one time we did), is from two views!!!!! I enjoy a book so much more when it isn't just one person's view but multiple people speaking. 
Death was handled with care. I didn't feel that the grief was unrealistic but I loved that everyone had grief no matter their relationship with George. 
When George died I was in a coffee shop and believe me, I had to put my book down otherwise I would have burst into tears. 

cons-
One thing missing from this book in relation to the two-view style was that the mums weren't reintroduced. I was a little confused when names suddenly switched and I kept having to remind myself which mum was whose. 

Usually, I can find something to nitpick in a book but this book was just awesome. 

I recommend and will definitely be reading Tess Sharpe again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Cancer, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Blood

opalmars's review

emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abandonment and Blood