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cristinareading's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Death of parent
karolinaz's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, and Gaslighting
atamano's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body shaming
Moderate: Fatphobia and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content
considerthelily's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
High points for me: I love the internal monologue, I found it really engaging and funny.
Lyla was my favorite character, and I wish we had seen more of her. I was immediately skeptical when Will was introduced, kind of groaning internally at yet another broody boss character, but I ended up becoming really fond of him.
I do like the Aesop of it being okay to not have life down perfectly, I found it really relatable. I think it would have gone down better if the main character
I say all this, but I finished it in a sitting. It really is such a sweet premise, and it’s really refreshing to read a closed-door romance that doesn’t skimp on humor or charm.
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Fatphobia
theespressoedition's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I loved the concept of two characters that work for a publishing company. YES! Give me all the books about books. Then add in a "forbidden" manuscript and a quirky You've Got Mail-style editing conversation in the margins? EXTRA YES! This was creative and cute and it was off to a good start.
Then it went absolutely nowhere... for the longest 320 pages (or in my case, 4 hours on 2.75x speed audio) of my life. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen: for the chemistry to grow, for the characters to experience a real conflict, for literally ANYTHING - and it just... didn't. I can't even say that it was necessarily a bad book, it was just so mediocre that it was almost painful.
One thing I will say was super offensive, however, was the fact that Savannah's sister is very obviously fatphobic and there's really no discussion about that or growth in the area. Throughout the entire story, she's obsessively working out, talking about needing to be skinny, and telling her sister that she needs to do the same, even commenting on her weight at times. It's really toxic and brushed off as "she's just so busy all the time" or "she's a workaholic that loves fitness." No, the girl is a bully. And towards the end of the story, you're supposed to feel bad for her. Well, honestly, I didn't. Without this plot line, I think I would have actually enjoyed the book a little more - not a lot, but at least a little more.
I can't say I recommend this one. I can't say I hate it either, but I'd never want to pick it up again.
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Infidelity and Toxic relationship
kylieqrada's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Infidelity
Moderate: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Chaucer is… phantasmagorical.
This was such a fun, closed-door romcom! There were some loose ends that I didn’t think were wrapped up, and some of the back and forth dialogue in the margins read more like texts between two people, but despite some of those plot elements, I was extremely delighted every step of the way with this book. I was fully, regularly laughing out loud and enjoyed seeing Savannah’s triumphs along with her missteps. Will certainly be reading more from this author.
Graphic: Fatphobia and Infidelity
Minor: Death of parent
lindseyhall44's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
The novel follows Savanah , an assistant editorial employee at a small publishing firm, who dreams of publishing her own romance book. When Savanah hides her manuscript away in the arc room (advanced readers copy), she returns to find it edited in the margins. Together Savanah and her mystery editor work together to improve her manuscript by leaving notes in the margins, and possibly fall in love in throughout the process.
I think the setting is what I loved most about the book, since I yearned to be in the cozy atmosphere myself. That being said, while the setting development was beautifully crafted, I struggled a bit more with the pacing and characters. Savanah was a messy yet lovable character (which I appreciated) but her mystery editor seemed to be pretty obvious in my opinion, and some of the mid communication frustrated me. The pacing is another thing that felt a little stilted, though that is sometimes the case with mixed media literature.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this novel, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet PG romance.
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship
kb33's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
cassielaj's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment