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theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition
lighthearted
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
5.0
“I like books and tea more than I like clubs and margaritas.”
Nory, you are me and I am you.
While reading this book there were so many instances where I squealed with delight! It’s a wonderfully written closed door romance that takes place in a small English town. We follow Nory Noel and her group of friends while they are all busy falling in love and some of them making a real mess of it.
The book is very diverse with LGBTQIA+ characters, different ethnicities, and body types. A breath of fresh air. Thank you Jenny Bayliss for delivering once again.
While reading this book there were so many instances where I squealed with delight! It’s a wonderfully written closed door romance that takes place in a small English town. We follow Nory Noel and her group of friends while they are all busy falling in love and some of them making a real mess of it.
The book is very diverse with LGBTQIA+ characters, different ethnicities, and body types. A breath of fresh air. Thank you Jenny Bayliss for delivering once again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Death, Grief, Classism, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual assault
Minor: Sexual assault, Racism, and Bullying
amberinpieces's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexism, Classism, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy, Cursing, Death, Racism, Blood, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Grief, Misogyny, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Excrement, Bullying, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
kalzeb's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Suicide and Misogyny
chloearielle's review
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
This book had a lot of elements I usually would love — it was set in the British countryside in a castle, the main character owns a used book store, the main love interest is the cute gardener from her childhood — all great setup for a super cute little romance novel. However, there were some elements of the book that I found to be quite problematic. This book breezed over some heavy topics like abuse, racism, class, sexual assault, and suicide. [LIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD] The final straw for me was when a repeatedly abusive man became a secondary hero of the story. And everyone was just okay with it. Like he did one good deed and now he has been cured of his wily ways and deserves to be reunited with his wife and children. I didn’t believe that for a second. And hated that kind of character was given such a pass.
Overall, the setting and some of the imagery and artworks spoken about in the book were probably my favorite part. There were cute moments, but all of the cuteness was outshined by what I thought was poor handling of some very serious and important topics.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Misogyny, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Racism
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