Reviews with content warning for Pandemic/Epidemic - The Exception to the Rule

Reviews tagging 'Pandemic/Epidemic'

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren

35 reviews

daniellereadslikealot_'s review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

My fatal flaw with short stories is that when I really love them, I get very upset that they’re not full length novels. This might be the most upset I’ve ever been in this context. The buildup of chemistry and banter through ten Valentine’s Days in emails was AMAZING. The humor was top notch. Even though I knew exactly where the story was going and how it’d end, my heart was POUNDING as they slowly figured out exactly who was who. Top to bottom, perfection. I’ll be smiling the rest of the week.

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vreyna20_2004's review against another edition

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

2.5

On Valentine's Day, Callum sent an email to his professor. The thing is he sends it to a girl named Tara and ever since then they send an email to each other on Valentine’s Day as they slowly fall for each other.

It was okay. I mean it’s a short novella so I don’t expect it to be great but I thought Christina Lauren was a closed door author or at least didn’t talk about sex but I was wrong. Tara just starts thrusting after Callum and I didn’t want to listen to that at the moment. Also, this book makes fun of the whole trope of “they don’t know each other, but do they??” and it just made it more cringey to me.

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bringmybooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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

✨Bring✨ | ~~Borrow~~ | ~~Bypass~~

Notes: Freaking ADORABLE - such a quick and fun read! It can be hard for a novella to have full character development and a complete plot, but this one was so cute! Would love a full novel of this someday, it's that good!

Overall Rating: ★★★★★ / 4.88

Rating each element of the book out of 5★
Characters ★★★★
Atmosphere ★★★
Writing ★★★★
Plot ★★★★★
Intrigue ★★★★
Logic ★★★★
Enjoyment ★★★★★
Pacing ★★★★★
Dialogue ★★★★★

★ did not like / ★★ it was okay / ★★★ liked it / ★★★★ really liked it / ★★★★★ loved it

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annabananadel's review against another edition

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inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

“I don’t normally kiss before the first date. But you’re the exception to the rule.”

It’s so freaking cute that I’m literally smiling the whole time I was reading this. It’s such a quick read just to get into the mood but it left me wanting more. Christina Lauren can really make a great story even with just a hundred pages.

C and T has been email buddies for over a decade and it’s just so cute how they only email each other once a year - on Valentines Day. Although it’s pretty unrealistic for two teenagers to consistently email each other once a year, it was very believable when I was reading thru it. The emails are hilarious with a side of sadness especially during the pandemic and the death. They also talked about normal problems a Freshman in College would have. But their meet cute was just the cutest. Especially when Callum realized that it was Tessa in that closet?! I just died. The hot TA just instantly switched classes just so he can pursue her. That really is a romantic gesture where a girl would definitely swoon over.

Anyways, really recommend for a quick romance read!

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katiejohns's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

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catsandmetaphors's review against another edition

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medium-paced

4.5

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brandie_abbie19's review against another edition

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funny hopeful 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

4.25

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kaydeedickins's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.5

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sdupont's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This was such a sweet and cute Valentine’s short story! I loved that it went heavy on the email communication, it made the story flow quickly and was a fun twist. It gave 2000’s teen romcom vibes. I didn’t expect the story to span so many years but enjoyed it. I recommend this for anyone looking for a quick festive story.

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katharina90's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

A sweet, wholesome and funny Valentine's Day themed epistolary short story.

During the email exchange I found it a bit difficult to keep the characters apart.

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