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bookishmillennial's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
"Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape." - bell hooks, All about Love: New Visions
Kennedy Ryan simply gets better and better with each book she writes. Soledad's coming-of-age story with a subplot of romance was absolute perfection. I savored every single word KR wrote, and I will be buying a physical copy ASAP so I can re-read, annotate, and highlight absolutely everything. This was one of my favorite reads this year, and I can say with absolute confidence that the KR hype is *real* and well-deserved.
I loved so much about this and to avoid writing an entire essay, I will try to succinctly sum it up in long-winded bullet points lmao:
- the nods to TikTok / Instagram influencer culture - I think this book is for the BookTok/bookstagram honeys who have been hyping up KR forever lol
- the care and love that went into illustrating an authentic representation of two beautiful autistic young Black men! Judah's boys, Aaron and Adam, were so sweet, smart, and precious!
- Soledad's grief over losing her mom to cancer, and how All About Love by bell hooks operated as a way to work through that grief, as well as the grief of her old life and her marriage
- Soledad's struggle as a newly single parent, while carefully towing the line between turning her daughters (Lupe - the eldest, probably around 16 who looks most like her white dad; Inez - middle child, who has the hardest time with recognizing that her dad and only her dad is responsible for how he got in trouble with the law; and Lottie - who I believe is ~12 years old) fully against their father who stole a fuckton of money, and helping them maintain a relationship with him in their new reality of being divorced and while he is incarcerated
- The sisterhood among Soledad, Yasmen, and Hendrix: We saw a glimpse of it in Before I Let Go, and we get even more in this book. These women foster brave spaces for each other, they invite dialogue in, and they root for each other HARD! These types of friendships are invaluable.
- Hendrix gets her own bullet point because she is so fucking funny: "Girl, no one could blame you under those circumstances...Of course you went to him with legs wide open." I AM DONE WITH HER HAHAHAHAHAH
- Soledad's biological sisters make their mark too! I loved getting to know Lola (who is moving to TX to open a bookstore with her best friend turned possibly sapphic lover? Sign me up for that book!) and Nayeli
- "My friends, my sisters, my daughters. My great loves." - The way that different kinds of love was showcased in this novel and they all shined so brightly on their own and were all equally valid and valuable! Friendship, sisterhood, motherhood, daughter-hood (is this a word?), self-love, romantic partners! It all is so beautiful and an absolute privilege. I loved the homage and tribute to all kinds of love in this novel.
- Judah's curiosity around his own possible autism
- Judah and his ex Tremaine's healthy co-parenting relationship and genuine friendship: I need more representation like this. How refreshing to see!
- Judah's integrity and honor: he reminded me of Ned Stark (like NS dies because he's so dumb and cannot play the game for shit, my goddd) HAHAHA but better and smarter, because he would not lie or steal or do anything against his morals. I loved how strongly this man stood in his convictions!
- Judah's support for and dedication to waiting for Soledad to be ready for romance again
- kids, stop reading here! NIPPLE ORGASMS MY GAWWWWWWD!! KR knows how to get you hot & bothered! Steam was a 3 or 4/5 - it's a slow burn, but once it gets hot, it gets oh so steamy & delectable whewwwww!
Overall, Kennedy Ryan's writing and the characters she brings to life are an absolute gift. Her writing flows seamlessly, her characters' inner monologue is so tender and vulnerable, and the arcs simply have me in tears.
I am forever seated when she writes something new, and I will read her work until I leave earth.
Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Ableism, Sexism, Sexual content, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Physical abuse, Cancer, and Death of parent
sarahmcg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
It wasamazing seeing Soledad find her way and begin to trust herself again after Edward left their family shattered and with basically nothing. I also really loved Judah, as he gave her the space she needed when she asked but gave her reassurance that he would be there when she was ready. With both of them being parents, it was so important that they really thought through a relationship.
I loved that Yasmen & Hendrix were involved in this book often, they’re such a fun friend group, and I’m excited for Hen’s book when it gets here! I also thought that Soledad earning money through being a social media influencer was so fun and timely.
Also, the machete scene was iconic.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Graphic: Infidelity and Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Death of parent
aromanticreadsromance's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
For as much as this felt like Soledad's story, the book opens with Judah and his then-wife, Tremaine, mediating the end of their marriage. It was refreshing to read about an actually amicable, mutual divorce, where we could see how much Judah and Tremaine loved each other, but were no longer in love with each other. Judah is father to twin boys, Adam and Aaron, at different points on the autism spectrum (and might be autistic himself, though he has never been formally diagnosed). At the time of the divorce, they are twelve. I loved the tender loving care with which Kennedy represented their autism. I know she is a mother to an autistic son, but even so, you can tell she did her research on how autism shows up differently in different people (and you can tell how much she loved and cared about these two/three autistic characters).
Three years later, Soledad is getting ready for her husband's company Christmas party. From the very beginning, we are privy to the ways in which her husband, Edward, neglects, undervalues, and diminishes her. He makes her feel unwanted ("You have pushed out three kids. Things get loose down there" should NEVER be words that come out of ANYONE'S mouth) and like she's nothing without him (when really, he is nothing without her... major projection). Together, they have three girls, Lupe (15/16), Inez (maybe 13?) (who worships the ground Edward walks on), and Lottie (11). At the Christmas party, Soledad and Judah meet for the first time. Edward despises Judah (but that hatred likely stems from fear... of being caught in his web of schemes and lies), and because he's jealous that Soledad and Judah had an instant connection, he has angry sex with Soledad that night. The next morning, cops show up and arrest Edward (and that's as much as I will say without spoiling anything).
I want to touch on why this book meant so much to me. After her split with Edward, Soledad needs to learn that she is whole on her own. She's not half of anything. We hear those phrases all the time - my other half, my better half - that when you're single, you start to question your completeness. Soledad starts dating herself, and she brings the world along with her (oh yeah, she becomes a major influencer... if only it were that easy!). She learns that she is not by herself; she is with herself, and that is so powerful and badass. (And Judah is SO respectful of her boundaries and her decision not to date, even though he likes her. Another reason to like him!)
I could have easily ingested this book in a day or two, but I took my time with it. I'm feeling empty without it, but it's inspired me to 1) read bell hooks' All about Love, and 2) date myself.
I cannot recommend this book enough. It is life-changing (I don't normally think of fiction in those terms, but seriously. It will change your life).
And lastly, screw you, Edward. I hope you rot in hell.
I'm beyond grateful to have received an e-ARC of this book, and I'm providing a voluntary, honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Infidelity
Moderate: Cancer, Body shaming, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent and Ableism
brewdy_reader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘮 • 𝘙𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 • 𝘋𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘖𝘝
𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘦: 5 March 2024
🌶️🌶️🌶️ Open door spicy scenes
"𝑀𝓎 𝒻𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹𝓈, 𝓂𝓎 𝓈𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈, 𝓂𝓎 𝒹𝒶𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈. 𝑀𝓎 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓈."
Kennedy Ryan's books are so much more than "just a romance". In fact, this novel spends so much time on other topics that I think it might lose romance reader traditionalists. I, however, loved it and I'm here for all the other themes 𝙥𝙡𝙪𝙨 the sizzling romance.
Judah is a nerdy, autistic, MIT-trained accountant and a data geek. Dad to twin boys on the spectrum who he co-parents. Soledad is a black-Puerto-Rican American homemaker and girl mom whose life is about to be upended when she finds out her husband is living a double life and not the man she believed him to be. Both leads are in their early 40s and you'll want to be friends with them by the end.
As Sol goes on a journey of reinventing herself, finding a way to stand on her own and provide for her daughters (dusting off that Cornell degree), she is not alone. She is buoyed by her girlfriends and family, who are always there for her. I cried me some alligator tears. Relationships with kids are also developed, like the difficulty navigating a divorce and mom dating again. Race topics are woven in subtly into the narrative.
This book feels different that the first in the series & avoids feeling formulaic. Part 1 was gripping and although the pacing slows considerably in act 2, this was still top shelf romance. Highly recommended. Releases March 5th!
Thank you to @netgalley and Forever/Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC.
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Body shaming
Minor: Death of parent
kaceyjoy's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Hot take: Felt a little too long, but love the characters and the story telling.
I devoured Before I Let Go, and was ravenous for the second book in the Skyland series. I loved Sol in the first book, and couldn't wait for her story. This book did not disappoint, but it does feel longer than necessary. You'll definitely want to check those CW because it's messy and complicated and has a lot going on. I love Sol's journey to self love and self discovery, and Judah is just such a wonderful caring man. Absolutely check this one out! This author can do no wrong in my book!
Moderate: Death of parent and Cancer
Minor: Grief, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity
becksreadsbooks'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
4.5
Overall, this book was 4.5 stars out of 5 for me. I can't wait to read more by this author!
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Graphic: Infidelity and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cancer and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent
simplysimone's review against another edition
- 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: Infidelity
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
michelle_my_belle'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: Medical content, Misogyny, Violence, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, and Sexual content
Moderate: Terminal illness, Cancer, and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent, Dementia, Physical abuse, Stalking, Pregnancy, Ableism, and Abandonment