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brebee2010's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
4.25
whendevreads's review against another edition
2.0
*Actual rating is 2.5 stars*
I received a copy of this from netgalley in exchange for a review. I tried reading it months ago, before it was released, and I just could not get into it. However, since it was an ARC, I decided to try again.
It took me a shorter time to get into the story this time around. It’s a second chance romance, which I typically don’t enjoy. I feel like with most second chance romances, the couple broke up for a pretty specific (and usually good) reason.
The storyline had potential for sure. An associate professor returns to her hometown to uncover the identity of an erotica writer to save her own career, and instead is met with an ex-boyfriend she is still in love with. I just think it fell flat. I wasn’t really impressed with Athena’s personality, for one. There was something about her that was just unlikeable for me & I can’t put my finger on it. I also think there was waaaay too much focus on the love lives of literally everyone else in that town. I get that she was accumulating gossip while trying to figure out this author’s identity, but it got to the point where 70% of the book was focused on everyone else’s love life. Which, then, left little time to develop the rekindling of Athena & Thorne’s relationship.
Also, this is a personal preference but I can’t stand when nicknames just drop one letter. Like it doesn’t save you any time saying Thena instead of Athena. It’s like shortening June to Jun or July to Jul. It’s literally one letter.
spice level:
I received a copy of this from netgalley in exchange for a review. I tried reading it months ago, before it was released, and I just could not get into it. However, since it was an ARC, I decided to try again.
It took me a shorter time to get into the story this time around. It’s a second chance romance, which I typically don’t enjoy. I feel like with most second chance romances, the couple broke up for a pretty specific (and usually good) reason.
The storyline had potential for sure. An associate professor returns to her hometown to uncover the identity of an erotica writer to save her own career, and instead is met with an ex-boyfriend she is still in love with. I just think it fell flat. I wasn’t really impressed with Athena’s personality, for one. There was something about her that was just unlikeable for me & I can’t put my finger on it. I also think there was waaaay too much focus on the love lives of literally everyone else in that town. I get that she was accumulating gossip while trying to figure out this author’s identity, but it got to the point where 70% of the book was focused on everyone else’s love life. Which, then, left little time to develop the rekindling of Athena & Thorne’s relationship.
Also, this is a personal preference but I can’t stand when nicknames just drop one letter. Like it doesn’t save you any time saying Thena instead of Athena. It’s like shortening June to Jun or July to Jul. It’s literally one letter.
spice level:
theforereffect's review against another edition
I wanted to like this one, but I felt like the author was trying to hard to be clever. Yes, I get that the main characters are super brilliant literary nerds and therefore the author is doubly brilliant and doubly nerdy and ai am super impressed. Really.
The FMC annoyed me. I could tell this was going to be a way too long book about an obvious mystery and two adults that can't communicate. I don't have time for this kind of nonsense.
The FMC annoyed me. I could tell this was going to be a way too long book about an obvious mystery and two adults that can't communicate. I don't have time for this kind of nonsense.
sunflowerbookqt's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
The story was engaging and had its moments, but there were just a few things that didn't quite click for me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but it just didn't blow me away. Maybe if the pacing was a bit smoother and the characters' choices made more sense!
Overall, this was a fun, rom-com! If you're into cozy romances set in small towns with literary vibes and second chances, this book is perfect for you! 🌸💕
maddieandherbooks's review against another edition
3.0
thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
i enjoyed this rom-com! i loved all of the classic lit references, and athena was a great main character. she and thorne were written really well, and i enjoyed their banter and relationship. the side characters were also fantastic! i loved all of the cafe customers (and finn!), and seeing athena’s interactions with all of them; it added to her character depth, and made the story much more interesting.
the writing in this story wasn’t very fast-paced, but it was well written and remained interesting for the most part, so it worked. there was a bit too much miscommunication between characters (a lot could have been resolved by just talking to each other about it), which was a bit annoying, and some of the plot fell flat, but overall, the story was pretty light-hearted and fun, and I would recommend it! :)
i enjoyed this rom-com! i loved all of the classic lit references, and athena was a great main character. she and thorne were written really well, and i enjoyed their banter and relationship. the side characters were also fantastic! i loved all of the cafe customers (and finn!), and seeing athena’s interactions with all of them; it added to her character depth, and made the story much more interesting.
the writing in this story wasn’t very fast-paced, but it was well written and remained interesting for the most part, so it worked. there was a bit too much miscommunication between characters (a lot could have been resolved by just talking to each other about it), which was a bit annoying, and some of the plot fell flat, but overall, the story was pretty light-hearted and fun, and I would recommend it! :)
alliehwilliams's review
3.0
This was not my favorite but am giving it three stars because I think it's just that I don't love Wuthering Heights at all and so a story that leans on it a is probably not going to be my favorite. I didn't get invested in the chemistry between Thena and Thorne and I thought the side characters were a little superficial and shallow in characterization. I wanted to love it but it was just okay for me.
tzeglis86's review against another edition
4.0
This was definitely a cute and fun summery read. I quite enjoyed the author’s play on classic literature. However, I expected a little more spice between the characters. Not a book I would read again, but would recommend to my girl friends!
shelbyruch's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0